[Poochie]

I know some manual BMW lacks the "rev-matching" feature, which is a clever software than brings the RPM back in sync with the gear...

However, does the vehicle have another option called "Anti-stall" that pushes the RPM up, as you ease off the clutch pedal, from a dead stop?

I know you guys with a manual can confirm that it's almost impossible to stall this car, as long as you come off the clutch, reasonably; the RPM automatically rises to assist in getting the car going. There is no need to feather the clutch and gas pedal, like in some old school manuals. It's such awesome tool that makes driving a manual a breeze but BMW never mentions this as a "feature," anywhere, ever.

My Google search turned up limited, generic information on this subject, anyone have the 411 on this "Anti-Stall" feature... ?

[DBinOC]

This "feature" has been around since ECUs.....even my old E28 535i would behave similarly.

You can start from a stop without using the gas pedal at all - you just have to be smooth. As the revs start to drop as you transition through the friction point of the clutch, the ECU will bump the revs up for you so the car doesn't stall.

I do like the hill brake feature on the newer manuals, however. Where was THAT when I was learning to drive on my dad's 68 Chevy truck with a heavy duty clutch? It seemed like every hill was a burnout or a stall when I started. <grin>

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by DBinOC

This "feature" has been around since ECUs.....even my old E28 535i would behave similarly.

You can start from a stop without using the gas pedal at all - you just have to be smooth. As the revs start to drop as you transition through the friction point of the clutch, the ECU will bump the revs up for you so the car doesn't stall.

I do like the hill brake feature on the newer manuals, however. Where was THAT when I was learning to drive on my dad's 68 Chevy truck with a heavy duty clutch? It seemed like every hill was a burnout or a stall when I started. <grin>

Wow, if you learned to drive on a truck, current manuals must feel like auto to you.. j/k

The Hill hold feature is pretty common nowadays, I think all the remainder of auto manufacturers of MT does implement this feature, simply because it's only really software and use of the brakes that's already there, so very little overhead cost.


No one really talks about this when modern day manual transmission are mentioned; the latest advancement in MT world is the Auto Rev match. The anti-stall was slightly confusing the first time I experience it in the Mini because I remembered I kept having to give it gas when I first was letting out the clutch, so the car would not stall.. So feathering the clutch/gas pedal was etched in my subconscious.

Thanx for the info!

[oldschoolswish]

I've got a 240i on order and I'm just hearing about this anti-stall stuff in the 6MT regrets thread, it sounds really promising when you've got a spouse who's terrified of manuals and stalling in traffic. Maybe she'll be able to get comfortable driving this one.

[tripitz]

Originally Posted by uppermanagmnt

I've got a 240i on order and I'm just hearing about this anti-stall stuff in the 6MT regrets thread, it sounds really promising when you've got a spouse who's terrified of manuals and stalling in traffic. Maybe she'll be able to get comfortable driving this one.

The 6MT in my 228i is the easiest manual to drive I've ever had. Seriously.... it's super easy. While my wife is an experienced manual driver, after 2 years of driving automatics, she was able to drive in to NYC stop and go traffic on her first drive of the car with 0 issues.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by uppermanagmnt

I've got a 240i on order and I'm just hearing about this anti-stall stuff in the 6MT regrets thread, it sounds really promising when you've got a spouse who's terrified of manuals and stalling in traffic. Maybe she'll be able to get comfortable driving this one.

Well you certainly picked the perfect car; I was teaching this ditzy female to drive stick not to long ago and she barely stalled at all, it surprised me.. It IS still possible to stall the vehicle but it's not as easy as on other cars.

One thing I would suggest is you explain to your wife how the system works, so she knows the clutch pedal requires a slight modulation and no gas. After awhile, it becomes intuitive. Also, with the auto-start stop active, if you do stall, the car restarts automatically by just depressing the clutch pedal, no need for start button required. So freaking cool...

Driving a modern manual nowadays with all the helpful electronic features is such a painless experience, I don't know why anyone would opt for the auto over MT; unless you have a some sort of physical ailment or a situation where a MT would not be practical, there is really no excuse for an auto in such a small, sporty, coupe.

I would like to try the highly-praised M-DCT one day before BMW axe it on the next line-up of M vehicles, like on the new M5. But something tells me the silly paddle-shifters will get old very quickly.. Best wishes>

[XutvJet]

I like the crawl feature where you can be in 1st and crawl along in really slow moving traffic with little risk of the car stalling unless you slam the brakes.

[BM dnobagaV]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Well you certainly picked the perfect car; I was teaching this ditzy female to drive stick not to long ago and she barely stalled at all, it surprised me.. It IS still possible to stall the vehicle but it's not as easy as on other cars.

...

Driving a modern manual nowadays with all the helpful electronic features is such a painless experience, I don't know why anyone would opt for the auto over MT; unless you have a some sort of physical ailment or a situation where a MT would not be practical, there is really no excuse for an auto in such a small, sporty, coupe.

This. Test drive a 235i the other day for the fun of it. The thing practically moved itself. Why would anyone opt for the junk 8spd ZF when the manual is far more enjoyable
Do M cars are have this anti-stall feature? Seems like an A+ feature.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by BM dnobagaV

This. Test drive a 235i the other day for the fun of it. The thing practically moved itself. Why would anyone opt for the junk 8spd ZF when the manual is far more enjoyable
Do M cars are have this anti-stall feature? Seems like an A+ feature.

All modern manual BMWs have this feature. Even a 2002 Mini Cooper I once drove, I couldn't stall, even if I tried.

The new Rev-matching feature is just an extension of anti-stall. If you drive a BMW without stated Rev-matching and let off the clutch in Comfort mode, at higher RPMs and you'll notice the vehicle subtly bring the RPM up to speed. Official Rev-matching just makes it more prominent and noticeable because it blips the throttle to a higher RPM instead of just stabilizing it.

There clutch pedal sensor receives the position of the clutch engagement and adds throttle to compensate, resulting a smooth take off. It's all driven by software and the prevalence of throttle by wire, making driving a manual no more complicated than an automatic.

Unfortunately, regardless of how easier they've made it to operate, we're in a different era now where new drivers don't see or care to learn the benefits of a manual transmission, so auto (or DCT) will triumph and the stick is on it's way out like the dodo bird before

[morphomeman]

"The junk 8spd ZF" is one of the most highly praised transmissions ever. With paddles, it is very hard to see what the advantages are of an MT over this tranny.
I drove manuals for most of my very long life, beginning with a McCormick Farmall tractor, which we kids were taught to drive on as soon as we could reach the pedals, in my case around 9.
My 235 is my first auto, except for the obligatory Taurus wagon that I hauled kids around in 25 years ago. I love it.

[Mason Hatcher]

My last stick was a 1987 Ford Mustang with an 88 hp 4 cylinder. I could take off without use of the throttle. I taught my wife to drive it, and that was a training tool, learning to get the car moving by just easing the clutch out without the throttle.

No surprise that a 31 year newer car is just as capable.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

"The junk 8spd ZF" is one of the most highly praised transmissions ever. With paddles, it is very hard to see what the advantages are of an MT over this tranny.
I drove manuals for most of my very long life, beginning with a McCormick Farmall tractor, which we kids were taught to drive on as soon as we could reach the pedals, in my case around 9.
My 235 is my first auto, except for the obligatory Taurus wagon that I hauled kids around in 25 years ago. I love it.

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

My last stick was a 1987 Ford Mustang with an 88 hp 4 cylinder. I could take off without use of the throttle. I taught my wife to drive it, and that was a training tool, learning to get the car moving by just easing the clutch out without the throttle.

No surprise that a 31 year newer car is just as capable.

That's cool an old vehicle like that had such a balanced throttle. BMW anti-stall is software driven though; I coded it out before, didn't like how it felt with the feature off.

My first car was a 1993 Honda Accord and I didn't know how to drive a manual yet, so I stalled like a mother.. I actually broke all the motor mounts in a few days.

So it was a pleasant surprise to drive a manual BMW with the anti-stall feature.

[Ron Jeffries]

I miss having a manual sometimes, when I'm romping around. Usually, not so much. I miss the DCT on my 135is more: it felt like a gearbox, because it is. The ZF is a good trans, no doubt about it, but operating it manually is somehow less fun than the DCT was.

Anyway, people should buy what they want, that's my advice.