[boypaulkim]

i couldnt resist waiting another 100 miles and tested launch control on my 230i which currently has 1100 miles. (safe un-occupied road of course)

well its fun but i'm worried how much damage i've done to the tranny or the engine.

can anyone briefly explain how much of a bad idea it was for me to launch it prior to break-in?

i didn't red-line it but let it shift at 5~6k rpm. (mine is AT trannny)


so question in general is, how harmful to the engine/tranny is it to launch a car? (especially before break-in)

i know this question has been asked a lot. but i couldnt find a definitive answer to it.
my opinion is that its not as bad since all it does is hold rpm at around 2~3k and release until it almost reaches redline.

[aozer]

It's gonna put more stress on the transmission than the engine. One time isn't a big deal. If you were doing it at every red light that would be another story.

[boypaulkim]

Originally Posted by aozer

It's gonna put more stress on the transmission than the engine. One time isn't a big deal. If you were doing it at every red light that would be another story.

thanks for your response.
i wouldnt argue against it stressing engine or tranny more than accelerating at normal rpm/speed.

but would that stress be that significant as what people claim to be?
i've yet to see someone say how their engine/tranny got trashed from launching frequently.

[jmwilson125]

Put it this way. Not sure if you have the same transmission as an m235i, but Luminous has been launching his AWD m235i with stage 2 turbo for a while now and hasn't had any issues yet. Quickest 0-60 I've seen from him was 3.1seconds I think.

[boypaulkim]

Originally Posted by jmwilson125

Put it this way. Not sure if you have the same transmission as an m235i, but Luminous has been launching his AWD m235i with stage 2 turbo for a while now and hasn't had any issues yet. Quickest 0-60 I've seen from him was 3.1seconds I think.

the tranny for 230 and m235 should be the same ZF8.
any how, that's what I think. although you cannot argue the fact that it puts more pressure on the tranny/engine and what not than regular/normal acceleration, I doubt that launching significantly stresses/wears vehicle to the point where you have to seriously worry about it reducing the overall lifespan of the engine/tranny.

my opinion after all, is that all it does is to hold rpm at around 2~3k (adjustable via cruise control button) and releasing it until gears shift right before redline.

or maybe i'm just trying to find excuse to have fun driving. after all, thats why i bought this car instead of honda fit.

please correct me if i'm wrong.

[Shayan55]

Originally Posted by boypaulkim

the tranny for 230 and m235 should be the same ZF8.
any how, that's what I think. although you cannot argue the fact that it puts more pressure on the tranny/engine and what not than regular/normal acceleration, I doubt that launching significantly stresses/wears vehicle to the point where you have to seriously worry about it reducing the overall lifespan of the engine/tranny.

my opinion after all, is that all it does is to hold rpm at around 2~3k (adjustable via cruise control button) and releasing it until gears shift right before redline.

or maybe i'm just trying to find excuse to have fun driving. after all, thats why i bought this car instead of honda fit.

please correct me if i'm wrong.

how do u adjust the launch control with the cruise control button?

[boypaulkim]

Originally Posted by f22_shayan

how do u adjust the launch control with the cruise control button?

I've read either on the manual or this forum somewhere that you can adjust the rpm engine holds prior to launching via cruise control button on the steering wheel.
cant test right now though since im at work :/

[Shayan55]

Originally Posted by boypaulkim

I've read either on the manual or this forum somewhere that you can adjust the rpm engine holds prior to launching via cruise control button on the steering wheel.
cant test right now though since im at work :/

oh, i was under the impression that the launch control adjusts itself according to the amount of traction you have. but let us know if u try this out yourself later

[allthatisntnow]

BMW warranty the car with this feature from factory. The highly risk averse bean counters would not let this happen if there was any chance they would be paying out left right and centre for component damage. The transmission requires a five minute cool down between launches to help minimise wear; its the brake torquing of the torque converter that is the single most abusive action in this procedure, followed by clutch packs, then drive shaft, then engine. The less traction you have, the less shock stress is placed on the driveline. At the end of the day its a once in a blue moon event so i really wouldn't pay it a second thought. They could do it 100s of times before any negative effects would be felt.

[boypaulkim]

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

BMW warranty the car with this feature from factory. The highly risk averse bean counters would not let this happen if there was any chance they would be paying out left right and centre for component damage. The transmission requires a five minute cool down between launches to help minimise wear; its the brake torquing of the torque converter that is the single most abusive action in this procedure, followed by clutch packs, then drive shaft, then engine. The less traction you have, the less shock stress is placed on the driveline. At the end of the day its a once in a blue moon event so i really wouldn't pay it a second thought. They could do it 100s of times before any negative effects would be felt.

thanks for your response. though i would assume more traction leads to less shock stress?

so you're saying the car comes with the feature and as long as i give some cooldown periods, i should be ok?

[allthatisntnow]

Originally Posted by boypaulkim

thanks for your response. though i would assume more traction leads to less shock stress?

so you're saying the car comes with the feature and as long as i give some cooldown periods, i should be ok?

If you break traction all the power and torque is just spinning the tyres which is pretty gentle on the drive train as its just moving the wheels. Hook up and you're now moving 1.5 tonnes from a standstill and all that load is taken by the driveline. So grippier tyres - R-comp etc, in turn, will be "more abusive" in terms of wear and tear in the long run if you were launching a lot.

Yup, you should be fine. The M240s and 235s (modded ones too) are all doing just fine with their launches.

[Rayscott]

Why would they include it in the drivers manual if it would cause any serious damage. Moderation is the key and good advice on the cool down. I have not tried it yet. Car has 2500 miles, so I guess I could.

[Redbeemer]

Can anyone explain to me exactly what the procedure is to enable launch control on an M235i with automatic transmission? I have seen a number of posts about it such as the OP, but no one has actually talked about what they did to make it work. I had a buddy a few years back who had an M3 withe the V8 engine and AT and he had a hard time getting the launch control feature to work. We went out in the country and he tried it three or four times, but only got it to work once and even then we weren't sure if it was working (how do you know for certain it is working?).

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Redbeemer

Can anyone explain to me exactly what the procedure is to enable launch control on an M235i with automatic transmission? I have seen a number of posts about it such as the OP, but no one has actually talked about what they did to make it work. I had a buddy a few years back who had an M3 withe the V8 engine and AT and he had a hard time getting the launch control feature to work. We went out in the country and he tried it three or four times, but only got it to work once and even then we weren't sure if it was working (how do you know for certain it is working?).

It's easy. Sport mode traction control off. Brake all the way in w left foot. Push accelerator hard w right. If you ease into it will not work. Release brake, hold in tight.

You'll know it's working bc you get checkered flags on dash.

[Redbeemer]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

It's easy. Sport mode traction control off. Brake all the way in w left foot. Push accelerator hard w right. If you ease into it will not work. Release brake, hold in tight.

You'll know it's working bc you get checkered flags on dash.

Thanks! I guess the main difference between LC and just plain 'ole torque braking is that you floor the accelerator and it just holds a set rpm?

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Redbeemer

Thanks! I guess the main difference between LC and just plain 'ole torque braking is that you floor the accelerator and it just holds a set rpm?

Yes you need to get past the kick point.

[Rayscott]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

It's easy. Sport mode traction control off. Brake all the way in w left foot. Push accelerator hard w right. If you ease into it will not work. Release brake, hold in tight.

You'll know it's working bc you get checkered flags on dash.

At what RPM do you launch.