BMW Winter Driving Tip: Eco Pro On, Coasting Off

As with every other economical driving mode, BMW’s Eco Pro changes how the 8-speed automatic transmission shifts, all for fuel economy’s sake. Then there’s the changes brought to the vehicle’s throttle mapping, the reason why the loud pedal feels numb and acceleration seems somewhat un-BMW-ish.

BMWs these days are all about turbocharging, and this spells trouble for winter driving. The low-end torque produced by this type of forced induction is yet another pitfall of driving a BMW in the winter, chiefly because turbocharged engines break traction noticeably easier than a naturally aspirated powerplant. Happily, however, Eco Pro limits torque delivery.

Using Eco Pro to reduce wheel spin is but the start.

The second lesser known trick to driving a BMW in the cold season is turning off the coasting function. Often referred to as freewheeling, coasting means disengaging the drive shaft whenever it begins to turn more rapidly than the engine. In the case of a manual transmission, coasting means keeping the clutch pedal pressed or shifting into neutral while the car is moving.

Automatic transmissions, meanwhile, are gifted with something called a freewheel mechanism. The ZF-developed 8HP has one of those and, as expected, it can be controlled via the vehicle’s iDrive system. To get to the respective menu, go to Menu, then go through Settings – Driving Mode – Eco Pro – Configure Eco Pro – Coasting. Now turn the coasting function off.

“Wait a minute. Doesn’t that mean less fuel efficiency than normal?”

It does, chiefly because regenerative braking takes more effort from the car’s part. But if you want your BMW to be easy to drive in wintery conditions, the Eco Pro driving mode’s coasting function needs to be turned off. As you might have guessed by now, engine braking is the name of the game here.

Here's a quick recap: Eco Pro on, Coasting off. That's all.