1995 M3 Lacking 1st to 2nd Power ?

[Cabra]

I just drove my friends 1995 M3 with 80K miles.
It seemed to be lacking power in first and second gear.
I wasnt able to squeel the tires between 1st and 2nd shift.

Is this normal ?
He was thinking about adding a Dinan Stage 2 chip also.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Terry
Chicago

 

[jrt67ss350]

I can easily squeal the tires on the 1-2 shift in my 1987 325e. However, there are more factors to squealing the tires than straight power. Did you have DSC turned off? Does his clutch slip at all? If it does, then it isn't going to squeal the tires. Are his tires old and worn down? If so, you may have squealed them and it just didn't make any noise.

 

[Kirby]

My guess is DSC was turned on...

 

[andreyiv]

Yup, DSC was probably on. I couldn't spin the tires from start during rain and with tires that are bad in rain, I mean REALLY bad in rain, its all the DSC, turned it off and there you go, rpms go up but the car is npot moving much.

 

[Cabra]

Did 1995 M3's come with DSC ?
I didnt see a button to turn it off and on.

Thanks again,

Terry
Chicago

 

[JGM3E3632]

the 95 M3 did not have dsc, i can easily spin the tires 1st gear and through 2nd.
Maybe he has a slipping clutch.

 

[Kirby]

Well, my 94 325i has ASC (automatic stability control) to prevent wheel spin. The switch is on the console just below the radio/computer stack. What you describe is exactly what it feels like when ASC/DSC takes control.

Since I don't own an M3 I could be wrong, but if a '94 325 has it, I would expect a 95 M3 would also have it.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Yeah surely if the car has ASC then the light would be flickering on the dash of the M3 if it was engaging. You can't miss it... although maybe in an M3 going hard you're concentrating too hard to notice...

You would feel the ASC working as well. Does the clutch engagement feel soggy? If so then what the other guys wrote about the clutch being gone are probably right. Certainly, if the car has 'lost power' between 1st and 2nd gear then you should be able to feel if there is a power delivery failure with the engine.

 

[Cabra]

Its prob the clutch
A local body shop mentioned that it might need replacement soon.

I can do donuts in first gear, which leads me to believe that theres no asc or dsc.

 

[MrElussive]

My friend has a 1995 M3 and his car does not have any form of traction control.

 

[epj3]

It sounds like you guys are being fairly hard on this car... it probably is a slipping clutch.


I bet he has half a clutch caked to the inside of his bellhousing.

 

[xxxm3xxx]

I have had a 95 m3 and a 97 and can tell you that 95's dont have traction control. It was introduced in 96 so for those people that are telling u thats its the traction control, they are wrong.