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      07-02-2020, 02:11 PM   #1
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Poor Stability in Wind

Does anyone else feel their 8-Series is really susceptible to cross winds? It was just a bit breezy in Phoenix yesterday and I was getting tossed all over my lane on the freeway. This is the first BMW I've had that can be so easily moved in just a slight cross wind like that and just doesn't feel right.

It's happened since the car was new, so I am pretty sure I can rule out an issue with the tires. If this isn't happening to others, I might look at alignment or something with the front end. But checking here before I go to the dealer with it (hard to time a trip to the dealer with the weather).
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      07-02-2020, 06:46 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
Does anyone else feel their 8-Series is really susceptible to cross winds? It was just a bit breezy in Phoenix yesterday and I was getting tossed all over my lane on the freeway. This is the first BMW I've had that can be so easily moved in just a slight cross wind like that and just doesn't feel right.

It's happened since the car was new, so I am pretty sure I can rule out an issue with the tires. If this isn't happening to others, I might look at alignment or something with the front end. But checking here before I go to the dealer with it (hard to time a trip to the dealer with the weather).
I'm here in Phoenix as well but didn't drive the M850i yesterday. However, I've definitely been on the freeway here and on the recent road trip to CA in which there were significant cross winds (way more windy then yesterday or today) and the car didn't budge at all. Out of curiosity what setting were you in, i.e., Comfort, Sport, etc.?
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      07-02-2020, 06:53 PM   #3
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I was in comfort - default startup settings. I was fighting the wheel to keep from drifting outside the lane dividers. Looked at other cars around me and no one else seemed to be getting blown about. The front end seemed to get really light/disconnected, especially at freeway speed.

I went out today (with no real winds) and its just fine on the same stretch of road.

Making me wonder if I've got something wrong with the front end I never knew about.
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      07-02-2020, 07:46 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
I was in comfort - default startup settings. I was fighting the wheel to keep from drifting outside the lane dividers. Looked at other cars around me and no one else seemed to be getting blown about. The front end seemed to get really light/disconnected, especially at freeway speed.

I went out today (with no real winds) and its just fine on the same stretch of road.

Making me wonder if I've got something wrong with the front end I never knew about.
Comfort mode has the most forgiving ride from a suspension standpoint and the steering is a bit looser as well. However, that still doesn't make sense as to why you'd have to be fighting the wheel to keep within the lane dividers whatsoever. The M850i is a low profile car with a decently low aerodynamic drag coefficient plus its built to be solid as a rock at 100+ MPH.

For most commuting (when there was such a thing) and local freeway driving I'm in Sport Individual with the engine/transmission set to Sport, chassis (aka suspension) set to Comfort and steering set to Sport. I definitely prefer the Sport steering over Comfort given the "looseness" of the latter. On the drive to CA though I was in Adaptive mode which adjusts to the driving conditions (fed by the road ahead with Nav engaged) as well as what the driver is doing. However, in the high crosswinds I had not issues whatsoever.

It unfortunately sounds like you may have an issue with the front-end. According to the weather history yesterday winds were at about 10 MPH and it looks like tomorrow afternoon the forecast calls for the same. If that pans out I'll take a drive on the 101 and report back on the experience.
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      07-13-2020, 06:44 AM   #5
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I have noticed my GC seems to be a bit more suseptible to crosswinds than my S-Class which had "crosswind assist".However,it seems very stable in traffic/truck turbulence.I have just downsized my wheels to 19" and noticed something else.The car seems to be a bit more planted at cruising speeds with a little more rubber underneath it.Seems to track better with a better set into long sweepers.Not quite as "skittish".Same Vredestein Quatrac Pro tires.Don't know why BMW offers the 19" wheels only with the chrome trim.Also,I really like the look of the 727M double spoke wheels as a personal preference.If you're not concerned with limit handling or do a lot of cruising it may be something to look at.
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      07-13-2020, 11:18 AM   #6
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I just drove my GC over a section of road on I-90 that crosses over the Columbia river that is well known for it's cross wind. The windmills on the hill where turning at a good clip and I could see trailered boats getting blown about pretty well behind their tow vehicles. My 8GC held steady other than the driver assist pulling me back into my lane when I diverted my eyes to a different direction and wandered a bit to the edge of my lane.
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      07-13-2020, 06:21 PM   #7
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Malfunctioning lane keep assist? Maybe car thought you were out of your lane?
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      07-13-2020, 10:52 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by LSM View Post
Malfunctioning lane keep assist? Maybe car thought you were out of your lane?
Sounds like it was as per lane departure assist's design. Some on the forums have disabled it due to the "aggressiveness" when you do get too close to a lane's defined boundaries (40 MPH or greater). I personally keep it on as an extra set of eyes in case my focus shifts for too long.

FYI there are 3 distance settings in iDrive that control when the assist kicks in. I've left mine at default but you can increase or decrease (both are discrete settings) the distance from a lane's boundary. I've toyed with decreasing the distance but so far I have no issue with the default.
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      07-15-2020, 05:42 AM   #9
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I took it to the dealer. Front end checks out fine. Tires and alignment all good. Drives just fine with no crosswinds.

On the lane departure, I don't like that feature so I have it off. It doesn't provide steering input, just a light vibration of the wheel if I drift in the lane. But it is a good thing to keep in mind the next time it happens. Seems unlikely it would randomly enable steering input only on days with crosswinds, but with an overly complicated car like this, who knows.

Guess I need to wait for another windy day and do some more experimenting or have the dealer drive it again.
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      07-15-2020, 02:30 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
I took it to the dealer. Front end checks out fine. Tires and alignment all good. Drives just fine with no crosswinds.

On the lane departure, I don't like that feature so I have it off. It doesn't provide steering input, just a light vibration of the wheel if I drift in the lane. But it is a good thing to keep in mind the next time it happens. Seems unlikely it would randomly enable steering input only on days with crosswinds, but with an overly complicated car like this, who knows.

Guess I need to wait for another windy day and do some more experimenting or have the dealer drive it again.
The drag coefficient on these cars is amazingly low from almost any angle, so I seriously doubt it's the car. A strong 30 or 40mph crosswind combined with the air turbulence from other vehicles on the road would make even a McLaren move around a bit.

I've been in a 8GC during windy conditions going well north of 100mph on the expressway and it was stable as can be. If it can't be replicated each time you drive then there's most likely nothing wrong with the car.
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      07-15-2020, 04:26 PM   #11
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That's not totally correct. The problem can be replicated every time I drive in crosswinds, we just don't have a lot of windy days in Phoenix (though Monsoon season is around the corner, but driving in a dust storm sucks), so it's not going to happen every time I drive.

And I'd expect the car to move around a bit in 30-40mph winds. But not in 15-20mph winds on a mostly empty freeway, at least not as bad as it does.

And I had the same thoughts on the low coefficient of drag, but my wife's LX570 handles a breeze better than the M850.

I need to take it on the drive to San Diego, it's always windy on the I-8 heading out there.
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      07-15-2020, 07:05 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
That's not totally correct. The problem can be replicated every time I drive in crosswinds, we just don't have a lot of windy days in Phoenix (though Monsoon season is around the corner, but driving in a dust storm sucks), so it's not going to happen every time I drive.

And I'd expect the car to move around a bit in 30-40mph winds. But not in 15-20mph winds on a mostly empty freeway, at least not as bad as it does.

And I had the same thoughts on the low coefficient of drag, but my wife's LX570 handles a breeze better than the M850.

I need to take it on the drive to San Diego, it's always windy on the I-8 heading out there.
Ironically see my prior post on this thread as I did that 4 weeks back and on both the drive out on I-8 and back I had the car in Adaptive mode and had no issues whatsoever in the high crosswinds. In fact the majority of the drive was in full Driving Assistance Mode (I created a post on that experience) and given it tracks the outer boundaries of a lane to stay in the middle it had zero issues doing so vs constantly correcting due to the crosswinds.
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      07-15-2020, 07:13 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
I took it to the dealer. Front end checks out fine. Tires and alignment all good. Drives just fine with no crosswinds.

On the lane departure, I don't like that feature so I have it off. It doesn't provide steering input, just a light vibration of the wheel if I drift in the lane. But it is a good thing to keep in mind the next time it happens. Seems unlikely it would randomly enable steering input only on days with crosswinds, but with an overly complicated car like this, who knows.

Guess I need to wait for another windy day and do some more experimenting or have the dealer drive it again.
Agreed that it should have no bearing on the situation especially since you have set it to vibration only mode (which is what the iDrive/LD in my wife's 2017 X5 supports so am familiar with that). My comment regarding LD was in regards to Pictor's post in which it was properly pulling him back into the lane as per default settings.
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      07-16-2020, 03:02 AM   #14
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There are many things you can complain about the m8 (like the faulty AC units), or the software problems for the early drivers of the m850i ; but wind isn't a problem.

There must be something wrong with your unit, because there is zero (0) problems with wind or stability in these cars.

Maybe check with your dealership, because while they have some faults, ground stability isn't one of them.

do you have the gran coupe or coupe? m850i or 840?


Also, I'll admit I noticed a big difference when I installed the front splitter on my car. Since I was the first m850i buyer, my dealership didn't know that you could install the parts the came from the factory that were in the trunk. If you're looking for more stability, you might need to install the front splitter if not done already.
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      07-17-2020, 10:55 AM   #15
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I've got an M850i Convertible. Wondered if the soft top creates more drag in a crosswind, but I'm reaching there.

And yes, I had the front splitter in the trunk installed.
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      07-17-2020, 02:32 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
I've got an M850i Convertible. Wondered if the soft top creates more drag in a crosswind, but I'm reaching there.

And yes, I had the front splitter in the trunk installed.
I also have a 2019 M850i convertible and granted I'm in DC with limited open areas for pure wind. However I've had no winds problems.

I will admit a slight sound as the soft top flaps; however I've never felt the car go sideways due to winds. 90% of the time the top is down, but above 80 mph, I do like to have the top up.

I've had it up to 140 mph and 0 wind problems, but it's probably not the same in DC as AZ with open highway around Phoenix.

I assume you have the stock 20" run flat high performance summer tires??

Maybe it's a tire issue?
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      07-17-2020, 07:41 PM   #17
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First off - thank you to everyone that replied. It's a great forum and it's awesome to see people try to help out.

Resjudicata - seems we are sporting the same car. I don't like driving 80+ with the top down either. Only so much buffeting the wind deflector can help with. But overall, the top-down wind management is really very good - its my 5th BMW convertible and the best one in that regards. And yes, I have the 20" summer tires on the car (given we have no winter here).

The tires were inspected when the front end was checked. They are fine. Only 2500 miles on them and the car. But interesting point is that I took a drive to Flagstaff in Northern AZ and the car was very planted on the mountain road. But every once and a while I'd get turbulence off a truck or a gust from a mountain pass and it would push the car around in the lane. I found that if I went faster, it would hunker down more and the stability got better. Guess that means I have to drive 100+
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      07-17-2020, 09:11 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotchtion View Post
First off - thank you to everyone that replied. It's a great forum and it's awesome to see people try to help out.

Resjudicata - seems we are sporting the same car. I don't like driving 80+ with the top down either. Only so much buffeting the wind deflector can help with. But overall, the top-down wind management is really very good - its my 5th BMW convertible and the best one in that regards. And yes, I have the 20" summer tires on the car (given we have no winter here).

The tires were inspected when the front end was checked. They are fine. Only 2500 miles on them and the car. But interesting point is that I took a drive to Flagstaff in Northern AZ and the car was very planted on the mountain road. But every once and a while I'd get turbulence off a truck or a gust from a mountain pass and it would push the car around in the lane. I found that if I went faster, it would hunker down more and the stability got better. Guess that means I have to drive 100+
Haha, yes with the windows up even without the wind deflectors, it's pretty good wind management. Obviously better with everything up and top down, but even top up is fairly quiet.

I'm glad you enjoy it and it's not too bad when you're not getting blown around by trucks!
I'll admit with DC traffic, I'm almost always on the brake or gas. So it could be a problem with coasting.

It's probably not the same, but next time I'm driving on a windy day(might be a while); I'll try finding an open road and coasting around 30, 40, 50, and 60 mph and see if I get blown around or a truck blows me around.

I've had race cars that need time for the tyres to get grip and engine to warm up; but I've never noticed that problem in the bmw M850i.
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