[danilloe90]

Before I get started with my problem/question, I am not looking for ridicule. I know that if I pull up my e-brake this entire problem will "go away". I have been a BMW owner my entire life (mainly M vehicles) and I have never experienced this before. I have also searched all the threads and I cant find anything else like this.

Problem:
I have 335XI sedan manual and 30K miles. I noticed the other day that my car was rolling while the engine off and engaged in second gear (yes the clutch was fully decompressed). I was on a very small decline, maybe 10% max and the car seemed to roll down in different clicks. It would hold for one second be completely free for the next second and repeat. I assume that I might be loosing compression somehow and this might be a major problem (no fault codes yet). Just wanted to see if anyone else has had this experience or any insight into the issue.

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it.

[ExpensiveTaste]

It's a heavy car with low compression. That's all I can think of...

[Bakeme521]

My guess is maybe try first gear and see what happens. I think that is right b/c if the torque is applied to the wheels, the higher up the gear the easier it would be for the downhill to turn the engine over. Could be completely wrong but thats all I can come up with.

[tony20009]

Bakeme571 may be on to something, but I don't know.

I'm with you. A stopped car with the motor off, and the tranny in anything other than neutral, should not roll anywhere, regardless the kind of car it is.

Were that to happen to me, I'd first try to obtain the same outcome one more time just to make sure it wasn't I who overlooked something. If the same thing recurred, I'd be headed to the nearest BMW store while I'm on the phone with a news organization and then with a federal regulator.

To my mind, that is a very real safety problem, and I'd rather not think about the things the car might roll into. Although one should set the wheels properly to prevent the car rolling any real distance, I'd bet many MT owners wouldn't even suspect such a thing could happen and might not have cocked the wheels.

Please do share what you find out. I'm going to see what happens with my car in this scenario.

[Healey3000]

[QUOTE=danilloe90;8399143]Problem:
I have 335XI sedan manual and 30K miles. I noticed the other day that my car was rolling while the engine off and engaged in second gear (yes the clutch was fully decompressed). I was on a very small decline, maybe 10% max and the car seemed to roll down in different clicks. It would hold for one second be completely free for the next second and repeat. I assume that I might be loosing compression somehow and this might be a major problem (no fault codes yet). Just wanted to see if anyone else has had this experience or any insight into the issue.
QUOTE]

Hi,

That's very curious. I always use first and reverse and have not tried second gear when parking but I'll try it and see what happens.

As a previous M owner, you may have heard of the E34M5 problem when parking with respect to reversing the timing chain tension. That is, wen parking downhill, use first gear and when parking uphill, use reverse. I have followed that methodology ever since I learned about that issue.

Probably a good idea for any car.

Regards

[roundle]

Use your PARKING brake!

[HTran]

Originally Posted by roundle

Use your PARKING brake!

everyone so far, has provided useful information except you. How does that make you feel?

[slavke]

the higher the gear the lower the ratio between engine and wheels and that means less torque. First gear should do the trick but even in the first you should always have e brake on just because 3 series is quite a heavy car.

[XYR03]

I usually put mine in 3rd with the e brake up. So if I ever forget to put on the e brake it probably roll predicting frm this thread right?

[danilloe90]

Thanks for all of you who posted insightful and useful information. I tried in different gears and as expected, the higher the gear the more it rolls. I also contacted my local BMW store. I spoke to a veteran tech and he was "highly alarmed" and insisted that I came in immediately. Said he has never heard of such a thing and second gear is plenty to hold back a car. I booked an appointment for next weekend and wont be driving the car till then.

I just picked up the car last week and this has been a complete nightmare. Maybe its time to start looking into the lemon law books to see what my alternatives are depending on how severe this turns out to be. urrrggg

[danilloe90]

Originally Posted by tony20009

Bakeme571 may be on to something, but I don't know.

I'm with you. A stopped car with the motor off, and the tranny in anything other than neutral, should not roll anywhere, regardless the kind of car it is.

Were that to happen to me, I'd first try to obtain the same outcome one more time just to make sure it wasn't I who overlooked something. If the same thing recurred, I'd be headed to the nearest BMW store while I'm on the phone with a news organization and then with a federal regulator.

To my mind, that is a very real safety problem, and I'd rather not think about the things the car might roll into. Although one should set the wheels properly to prevent the car rolling any real distance, I'd bet many MT owners wouldn't even suspect such a thing could happen and might not have cocked the wheels.

Please do share what you find out. I'm going to see what happens with my car in this scenario.

PLEASE do let me know how yours reacts. Although yours is a coupe and a RWD, I am very curious.

Thanks!

[danilloe90]

Originally Posted by XYR03

I usually put mine in 3rd with the e brake up. So if I ever forget to put on the e brake it probably roll predicting frm this thread right?

Seeing from my experience i would 100% say yes! But then again, from the reaction of the tech, I don't think this problem occurs often

[John 070]

I think R and 1 are the best bet--if it rolls then, something is really wrong. I never heard of using 2nd or 3rd or 4th....do they save gas?

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by roundle

Use your PARKING brake!

I for one don't consider this issue to be suited to puerile remarks, particularly from folks who demonstrate their failure to have understood the OP's statement: I know that if I pull up my e-brake this entire problem will "go away".

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by danilloe90

PLEASE do let me know how yours reacts. Although yours is a coupe and a RWD, I am very curious.

Thanks!

I just tried it in the driveway and got no movement, but the grade there is something less than 2%. I'll give a shot on a steeper grade when I go out.

[raleedy]

This seems unsurprising to me: a 3,500 lb car with low compression and a relatively high (that is, numerically low) gear ratio. There's a reason 1st and Reverse are recommended for parking! And as for the dealer's reaction — well, what do they know, really?

[Bama335]

only time I had this happen was when the clutch was slipping near the end of its life - best to get it looked at

[J02 335i]

Originally Posted by danilloe90

Thanks for all of you who posted insightful and useful information. I tried in different gears and as expected, the higher the gear the more it rolls. I also contacted my local BMW store. I spoke to a veteran tech and he was "highly alarmed" and insisted that I came in immediately. Said he has never heard of such a thing and second gear is plenty to hold back a car. I booked an appointment for next weekend and wont be driving the car till then.

I just picked up the car last week and this has been a complete nightmare. Maybe its time to start looking into the lemon law books to see what my alternatives are depending on how severe this turns out to be. urrrggg

I agree this is a weird and unusual issue, but its really going to keep you from driving your car?

[spiike32]

I did this as a test on a decline and in 2nd my car started to slowly roll. In first it was fine. Lesson learned... use first.

[TheStigsTwin]

Originally Posted by tony20009

Bakeme571 may be on to something, but I don't know.

I'm with you. A stopped car with the motor off, and the tranny in anything other than neutral, should not roll anywhere, regardless the kind of car it is.

Were that to happen to me, I'd first try to obtain the same outcome one more time just to make sure it wasn't I who overlooked something. If the same thing recurred, I'd be headed to the nearest BMW store while I'm on the phone with a news organization and then with a federal regulator.

To my mind, that is a very real safety problem, and I'd rather not think about the things the car might roll into. Although one should set the wheels properly to prevent the car rolling any real distance, I'd bet many MT owners wouldn't even suspect such a thing could happen and might not have cocked the wheels.

Please do share what you find out. I'm going to see what happens with my car in this scenario.

This post was relatively harmless and ignorable until I read this halfbaked bit of born only in the US insanity. What, exactly are you calling all your safety organizations about? I mean seriously, give me a bleeping break. Do we have to shout about every little inane thing to any legal office we can in this country? "Dear congressman: I was too bloody stupid to put my parking brake on while parked on an incline and for some reason I also left the car in second gear. My cat was sadly crushed by BMW's ignorance in not predicting this tragic series of events. I demand that you pursue legal action against the company to prevent yet another occurance of this debacle! I suggest another slew of government sponsored safety equipment to increase the weight of their cars over 4000pounds in order to try and prevent me and my fat American behind from hurting myself by doing something completely and insanely stupid. Sincerely a voter."
I figure that is how your little letter should go.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by TheStigsTwin

This post was relatively harmless and ignorable until I read this halfbaked bit of born only in the US insanity. What, exactly are you calling all your safety organizations about? I mean seriously, give me a bleeping break. Do we have to shout about every little inane thing to any legal office we can in this country? "Dear congressman: I was too bloody stupid to put my parking brake on while parked on an incline and for some reason I also left the car in second gear. My cat was sadly crushed by BMW's ignorance in not predicting this tragic series of events. I demand that you pursue legal action against the company to prevent yet another occurance of this debacle! I suggest another slew of government sponsored safety equipment to increase the weight of their cars over 4000pounds in order to try and prevent me and my fat American behind from hurting myself by doing something completely and insanely stupid. Sincerely a voter."
I figure that is how your little letter should go.

Silence and anonymity doesn't run in the family it seems. JK -- I could not resist, particularly in light of your good-natured, sardonic post (I did enjoy reading it, however, and it is funny).

I'll grant you a Chicken Little in my post, but I still feel the issue is nothing to overlook. Though little Tabby's untimely demise is tragic, were an unaware pedestrian to be harmed... well, you get the idea. It's hardly the car owner for whom I'm most concerned...other than as an owner, I'd just as soon not be held culpable for such an accident.

Now, how, you might ask could a pedestrian not notice a car rolling toward them? Well, next time you are in a college town and see those drunk kids carrying on, you'll know how someone could be completely oblivious to their surroundings and get hit by a drifting BMW that one of their not-all-that-much-more-sober peers parked just up the hill.

You also seem to have a keen grasp on the true nature of the average American. I'm just wondering who you're overestimating: the fat one that parked the car or the other one that's to fat to get out of its way in time?

There are many of us 40 to 60-somethings out there driving BMWs and parking a manual tranny car with a gear engaged has long been a reliable means to be sure the car wasn't going anywhere. I cannot possibly be the only person who could be susceptible to having innocuously parked on a slight incline (5% or so, perhaps), say in a gas station, Starbucks, or convenience store, for example, and not set the parking brake. I would be devastated were my car to start rolling off.

I shared this post with my father, a 93 year-old man who sometimes drives a manual 335i. He was aghast and incredulous, asking me when did it stop working the way it used to? Sure, he'll use the parking brake from now on, but all of us are creatures of habit and clearly there's a habit that folks need to know is bad.

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by danilloe90

Thanks for all of you who posted insightful and useful information. I tried in different gears and as expected, the higher the gear the more it rolls. I also contacted my local BMW store. I spoke to a veteran tech and he was "highly alarmed" and insisted that I came in immediately. Said he has never heard of such a thing and second gear is plenty to hold back a car. I booked an appointment for next weekend and wont be driving the car till then.

I think you made a clutch decision here.