Throttle Body Adaptation Reset; FACT? or myth?

[chunho01]

I have owned my 125i (better known as 128i in most countries) for more than a year now. I have always felt that it's very sluggish in 'D' mode (auto transmission). It could be plugs due for a change, but then I found numerous threads about resetting the throttle body adaptation to improve the responsiveness of the car.

Throttle body adaptation is a system where it learns your daily commute habits, over time it could turn sluggish.

The steps:

1. Push Engine button ON (once; do not start engine)
2. Step on the throttle pedal down (all the way down)
3. Hold it there for 30-40 seconds
4. With throttle still down, push Engine button OFF
5. Release throttle
6. Wait 2 minutes
7. Start car normally. Done

I read all the above across many threads:
f10.5post.com Posted 2010
e90post.com Posted 2011
1addicts.com Posted 2011
2addicts.com Posted 2014
f30.bimmerpost.com Posted 2015
f30.bimmerpost.com Posted 2016

Now is this a myth? or a fact?

I'll be trying it soon. Anyone tried this before?

[ErvGotti]

I don't know if the steps you mention work, but I know with the Cobb tune you can reset driving adaptation. So to me that means that the DME will adapt to your driving style. I've also read somewhere that disconnecting your battery for ten minutes will also reset the adaptation.

[6MT_Addict]

...the 125 and 128 are two different models, relating to displacement of the engine bud.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by 1AddictsAnonymous

...the 125 and 128 are two different models, relating to displacement of the engine bud.

In the case of the 1 Series, not really, bud. And I don't really know why that would be any relevant to OP's topic.

chunho01 Automatic transmissions adapt to the driver's driving style.

[GhostM4]

I will be trying this on my 135is today.

[Dat Aus]

Originally Posted by 1AddictsAnonymous

...the 125 and 128 are two different models, relating to displacement of the engine bud.

No they're not. Both are the 3.0 N52. Badged as the 128 in the North American market and sold as the 125 is most other markets.

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by Dat Aus

No they're not. Both are the 3.0 N52. Badged as the 128 in the North American market and sold as the 125 is most other markets.

Thanks for the clarification, learned something new today.

Regarding adaptations, in my experience most manufacturers Auto Trans modules have learn/adapt functionality, as Swagon noted.

[Dylanize]

Originally Posted by Dylanize

Key in, press start button(foot off brake), Floor the gas pedal and hold it for at least 30 seconds(used a timer on my phone, longer than you think), release gas pedal, press start button(again without foot on brake), wait a minute or so, Start car like normal. MIGHT ONLY WORK WITH ZF TRANNY I HAVE HEARD.

Here's the steps from my old thread.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=903747

[chunho01]

Originally Posted by Dylanize

Here's the steps from my old thread.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=903747

One difference, your steps seem to press the start button the second time while the throttle is released.

Confused now

[Dylanize]

Originally Posted by chunho01

One difference, your steps seem to press the start button the second time while the throttle is released.

Confused now

Maybe that part doesn't really matter?

However, doing the way I mentioned was an improvement for my 328i auto

[chunho01]

So an update. I've tried using the method I've outlined in my original post, and have tested over the past three days.

I tried not to be too biased when I was driving and feeling for any sort of change. Over last three days, I have:
1. Commuted between work and home, on a road that I've driven daily for more than a year.
2. Drove into the city.
3. Went on a road trip to drive on twistier roads.

I think I can say that the TBA reset have made the transmission smarter and predictable. It's more in sync with my driving.

Before reset, there were times during my daily drive when I didn't want to hold the rev and wished it just shifted; after reset, I feel that it's a lot smoother.

However, I can still feel a solid second lag when I tried to do sudden overtaking at around 60kph. Sports Mode will fix this issue, but I don't always drive in that mode. I guess non-DCT will always suffer from this lag...

[Dackelone]

When I had my 135i flashed with a German tune... the engine would not idle and it was bouncing around. The tuner had to go into a adaptation throttle reset mode. A few clicks later... my engine idles smoothly. I could see on an N55 this would be a larger problem bc there is no real throttle butterfly(idle is corrected via valve timing/vanos).

Also... it took my flash tune some 400 miles before it fully adapted to the engine. As the miles passed the engine felt stronger and stronger(and smoother) on power.

Dack

[MZWIE]

In my 2008 135 it has never worked. I've tried all the variations. Usually the instructions say you will hear some sounds indicating reset. Mine has never made any sounds and frankly I could never feel any difference.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by 1AddictsAnonymous

...the 125 and 128 are two different models, relating to displacement of the engine bud.

Originally Posted by swagon

In the case of the 1 Series, not really, bud. And I don't really know why that would be any relevant to OP's topic.

chunho01 Automatic transmissions adapt to the driver's driving style.

Originally Posted by Dat Aus

No they're not. Both are the 3.0 N52. Badged as the 128 in the North American market and sold as the 125 is most other markets.

Well, to be fair, the 128i is not simply a re-badged 125i. The engines are the same, more or less, with some small differences - 128i's have air-boxes with the panel-style filter, 125i's use the cone-style. The 125i has a 3-stage intake manifold, and the 128i only has a single-stage intake manifold. And the ECUs are different, so that the stock 125i produces 218 HP to the 128i's 230. Although, with a tune & FBO's, they can be made equivalent, and produce 275+ HP.

[MZWIE]

Tried again this morning using the steps posted here. Alas, no results.

[Motohip]

It works. My dash lit up all it's lights when I did this.

[Cavpilot2k]

It worked for my 135 before it was tuned.
It seemed to have lost some of its "pep" over time, so I did the procedure and noticed an observable improvement in throttle response (6MT, fwiw).
I haven't tried since being tuned, because I don't want to F-up the tune's parameters.

[Dackelone]

Btw... when I had my throttle body adaptations reset.. I forgot to mention it was done via a laptop and BMW's ISTA software. I don't think using the gas pedal method would work.

[MZWIE]

It seems that this will not work for 135.

[c1pher]

They reset my adaptation on my car when I complained about the throttle being laggy, not sure what process you follow to do it though.

[Tinsta]

You can do this via jb4 menu 4 (works on a 135i)

[ianc]

I've seen a reset adaptations selection in one of the menus in Rheingold near the injector coding choice. Is that what you're talking about Dack? I thought about doing it after replacing and coding the injectors, but Bentley didn't mention it so I left it alone...

I'm not clear on what it does exactly though. Anyone?

ianc