The First Automotive Easter Egg?

automandc writes "The October dead-tree issue of Popular Science is reporting that the new BMW M3 contains what they are calling the "first automotive easter egg" in its transmission control software. Apparently, the proper combination of commands to the electronically controlled manual transmission will cause the car to rev up to 4000rpm and drop the clutch (premitting burnout, which is normally impossible). According to the article, use of the feature more than 15 times voids the warranty in Eurpoe. Other limitations of the "acceleration-assist" feature are discussed in this Car and Driver article. According to popsci, U.S. laws won't allow the warranty limitation, so the U.S. version of the software only revs to 1500rpm, but dealers will install the european software if you ask. The only other mention I could find on the web is here."

Again....not new & you guys are easy to impres

[djupedal (584558)]

....it's was originally called the 'kamikazi dyno', where you trick out the software and the only place you can test it is out on the street.

Messing with software to control a car is not new, and I can think of many 'features' that could qualify as easter eggs, such as holding the pedal down on 1985 Fords with EEC-IV would shut off the injectors, resulting in a no start.

This is scary as hell

[by Anonymous Coward]

So who else is anticipating the day some idiot tries rolling his own acceleration software and winds up killing a dozen people?

Re:This is scary as hell

[KarmaBitch (562896)]

Make sure he enters A B A C A B B first :-).

Re:This is scary as hell

[TitaniumFox (467977)]

So *that's* why mine wasn't working correctly.. I was doing the old Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A B A [Start] thing. I kept getting unlimited ammo instead of the 4k rpm drop.

Re:This is scary as hell

[Colin Smith (2679)]

I use a vehicle on a day to day basis that's capable of 0-60 in under 4 seconds. It can accelerate terrifyingly quickly, It's far far faster than a BMW M3, but I've been completely unable to kill a dozen people so far.

No need to project your own limitations on to other people.

HTH

How To

[KarmaBitch (562896)]

For everyone that has the $141,000 car (*cough*, umm, yeah I have 2) this is how you do it.

1) Disable traction control
2) Select Agressive Shifting mode
3) Hold the shift lever forward for a few seconds
4) Slam the pedal

Your electronically limited to only 30 "acceleration assisted" burn-out's for the life of the clutch (torque converter) and only 1 per hour.

Fun but, for $141,000 I want a damn 5-speed.

Re:How To

[Paul Menage (36554)]

Fun but, for $141,000 I want a damn 5-speed.

Given that the site is fairfax.com.au, I guess that's probably Australian dollars - so more like $75,000 in US money. Still not cheap, but slightly more believable.

Re:How To

[stuffman64 (208233)]

I saw one (with SMG) for $53,000 yesterday at the local BMW dealer (fully loaded). I asked them about the launch assist, and they said they can get the euro software and install it for a fee.

If only I could afford even a used car...

Re:How To

[aluminumcube (542280)]

For everyone that has the $141,000 car

It's a US$49,000 car with the SMG II transmission. You are, of course, forgiven if you are refering to other currency. In the US, while an M3 is expensive, most of the people I know who own them work very hard in fairly regular jobs and purchased their M3's as a sort of 'Attainable,' 'Practical,' 'Dream Car.' Performance/$$$, the M3 is a lot better then almost every other high performance sports car.

life of the clutch (torque converter)

The SMG has no torque converter. Like on F1 cars, the SMG is a stardard manual gearbox fitted with computer controled actuators that do the same work your hand and left foot would do in a standard manual transmission. The clutch part #s for the manual and SMG M3s are the same.

Fun but, for $141,000 I want a damn 5-speed.

The standard transmission version comes with a 6 speed. The M3 CSL version (which will cost around US$150K, if it's even offered in the US) is only equipped with an SMG however.

Hey, you computer guys get to nit-pick technical details about obscure hardware, can't a car guy do the same?

Re:How To

[Ibanez (37490)]

Apparently you don't know much about these cars...

They start at $50k and go up to about $58k, and that is with the SMG II transmission (the one referred to in this artilcle).

Its called Launch Control. Its not an easter egg. Its designed into the transmission on purpose. Yes you are limited to 30 launches using launch control, but it is for the length of the warranty.

There are NO torque converters in this transmission. It is not a transmission like on the Porsche, etc. It is a fully manual transmission with a hydraulic clutch. They are not burn-outs. They are actual launches. When launching a car, it is your goal to spin the tires. So the car spins the tires momentarily then gets traction back as soon as possible.

Why would you want a five speed? F1 cars, the fastest, best handling race cars in the world, use the same type of transmission.

Ferrari has a paddle shift transmission. It shifts gears in 60 ms (If I remember correctly) and the BMW SMG II transmission shifts in something like 30 ms (Don't remember the exact number). It is humanly impossible to shift that fast with a normal manual transmission. This is the greatest production transmission on the market.

Keep your mouth shut unless you know what you are talking about.

HOW TO GET 30 MORE SHIFTS

[CrazyJim0 (324487)]

Take the shift stick, and shift up,up, down, down, left right left right, brake, gas then turn the key.

Re:How To

[operagost (62405)]

The six speed manual gearbox is an option.

Manual shift easter egg. Re:How To

[phorm (591458)]

I have a 5-speed 88 Camry. Standard. The "easter egg for this one is easy, burn outs rate at 90% success.
Put in first gear. Hold gas until car revs at a high rate (no tac on this car). Press gas down all the way while releasing clutch. Watch your new tires lose tread rapidly, and inhale the smell of your clutch. Enjoy the p/o'ed looks of old people in adjascent cars.

Funny, this easter egg seems to be included in most "standard" shift cars? - phorm

Re:manaul not

[tshak (173364)]

F1's are optimized for the track and even then the driver sometimes "hints" the transmission. There are also a couple of drivers who still prefer to use a manual. For consumer cars, a 5 or 6 speed is the way to go.

The only thing in consumer cars that can come close to a manual is Audi's Multitronic. Although similar in some ways to belt driven variable shifters found in many hdro-electric cars, Audi's transmission is far more advanced and is designed for performance in mind. Although it gets virtually the same gas mileage and performance as a 5 speed, it's still a tad bid slower and it adds a bit more weight to the car. Audi's other incredible transmission, the Tiptronic, is also very good, but a good driver in a 5 speed will smoke it even in "sports mode".

Re:manaul not

[evil_roy (241455)]

No current F1 cars have manual transmissions. Last year some (notably BAR) were using clutches for the start. With traction control now legal again in F1 nobody could afford to use a clutch - you'd never win a start.

Re:manaul not

[Konster (252488)]

Hints the transmission how, exactly? F1 cars are electro-hydraulic, but that doesn't make them automatic in any way. Right paddle near the steering wheels shifts up, left shifts down.

The transmissions are still very much manually actuated, as FIA rules currently ban the use of auto trannies.

Re:manaul not

[Konster (252488)]

I meant to say the transmissions in the cars are electro-hydraulic, not the cars themselves.

The rules:

Only two wheels may be driven and automatic gearboxes are banned.
Each individual gearchange must be initiated by the driver.
The minimum number of forward gear ratios is 4 and the maximum is 7.
All cars must have a reverse gear operable any time during the race when the car's engine is running.

Re:manaul not

[servoled (174239)]

Manual transmissions are more efficient in transfering power to the wheels than automatics. This is there main advantage. Because of this they will accelerate faster and usually get better gas mileage than automatics. Plus, manuals trannys are a hell of a lot more fun to drive. Give me an stick over and slush box any day.

Hallelujah

[kaladorn (514293)]

I don't have one of the rice-rockets or one of the various expensive eurosports coupes or sedans. Just a plain old Mustang with a 4.6 and a 5 speed (and only a mediocre rear end at 3.27) and no gotterdamerung ABS. But it's a hell of a lot of fun to drive hard and a bit of a challenge to handle winding down nice backwoods roads.

Sure, I could have a faster gearbox, an OEM supercharger, a lower ratio rear end, a dropped and tunable suspension, etc. (And I suppose I'd enjoy the 5.4L engine...)

But the fun of driving the car is in seeing what you can do with the hardware available. The skill of the driver isn't in having the most expensive hardware, its making the best use of the available hardware.
And having fun!

Re:older cars yes...today, no way

[khuber (5664)]

When the auto shifts in 80ms and you take 10 times longer, which is going to win?

Apparently the human, Mr. Slushbox Fanboy.

The Car and Driver article said they beat the SMG M3 by .3 seconds in a manual M3.

There's more to a transmission than how quickly the gears change, sonny.

-Kevin

Re:older cars yes...today, no way

[bmajik (96670)]

First off, the SMG gearbox is NOT an automatic. It is an improvement upon a manual gearbox (the computer automatically double-clutches downshifts, etc etc)

secondly, C&D is not known for spectacularly reproducible test conditions or scientific thoroughness.

Finally, the only thing that would make a standard gearbox faster than this one would be less weight, or different gear ratios. I suspect the SMG box is slightly heavier, but do not know that to be the case.

Lets put it this way. On the ferrari SMG gearbox, schumacher had a faster laptime than on the 6 speed in the exact same car. Schumacher is also about the only person who gets a better laptime with ferrari's traction control turned off.

Hardly the first

[by Anonymous Coward]

The Honda NSX has had a nice easter egg since the early 90s. To disable the antilock brake system (this is not the traction control, for which there is a switch), no you don't pull out the ABS fuse, you do this:

1) pull up the handbrake two clicks
2) rev the engine to 4,000 and hold it there for a while (a few seconds)
3) the lights will flash
4) voila, ABS turned off!

You need to power cycle the car to get ABS back on. This is an easter egg beacuse (to my knowledge at least, I've never owned one of these, but I've driven a few for maybe a few hundred hours total)) it is not documented anywhere (at least not in the manuals a normal customer gets).

Re:Hardly the first

[WalterSobchak (193686)]

I guess the above really qualifies as an easter egg, as it is intentional and undocumented.
The Audi Climatronic also has a secret life of its own: It contains everything needed for the on-board computer, which officially is sold seperately. I am unsure if that counts as an easter egg, as it may be intentional, or just overlooked. While documented on the Web (Google Cache, original site down) [216.239.33.100], it is not found in the manuals (heck, they WANT you to spend extra for the on-board computer)

Alex

Not an easter egg...

[by Anonymous Coward]

"it is not documented anywhere"

That doesn't make it an easter egg. It usually just makes it a "power user" feature.

An easter egg is something that gets put in without approval, and makes it into the final product without being discovered.

Rice Rockets Beware!

[NeuroKoan (12458)]

I can see it now; toe to toe late one night ata stoplight. One man revs his engines, the other responds with a growl of his own. The other prepares his mind for the upcoming duel, the other is hurriedly inputing up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a.....

I'm just gonna stop there....

VW Polo

[spectrum- (158197)]

I had an 1984 VW Polo. It also had an easter egg - normally most electrical controls are locked out while the key is not in the ignition. But I discovered by chance that if I turned on the headlamps then flashed full beam headlamps on twice and then continued to hold the switch in, then I could operate most electrical circuits in the car such as the ventillation, window wipers etc.

Re:VW Polo

[BeBoxer (14448)]

That's funny. I used to do the same thing in my moms '83 Audi 4000S when I was a kid. I have no doubt the two cars are 95% identical, so it makes sense. I never knew for sure if it was something that worked from the factory, or if our car had been brutalized by a mechanic at some point (we bought it used.)

I also found that pressing the kick-down button underneath the gas pedal could sometimes cause the air conditioning indicator to half illuminate. That and when it was low on oil, I could get a warning buzzer to go off if I turned right hard enough. I used to tell my friends it was a high-G warning that my parents had installed because of my bad driving. Ahhh, I loved that car.

Ford Easter Egg

[by Anonymous Coward]

As I recall the Ford Windstar 2001 has an Easter Egg as well. Flick the windshield wiper on and off 20 times in quick succession and the wiper motor will burst into flames. Ah, those crazy minivan designers, with their silly little pranks.

This is classic

[yobbo (324595)]

Imagine all the CEO's who read this article and thought 'SWEET!' , ran into the car park, got in their beamers and drove out the back of the building to lay a fat one.

Acceleration assist documented in manual

[Jabes (238775)]

Sorry to disappoint (and it would be a waste of a whole slashdot story), but the acceleration assist is documented in the manual.

You need an M3, and you need SMG (the Sequential M Gearbox).

Basically, you stop the car; turn off DSC, change the drive logic to (S6).

Now, hold forward the gear selector, and floor it.

When you release the gear selector you will launch. Get ready to change gear quickly, first gear doesn't last too long. The warm-up lights become "gear change indicators" and flash at you when its time to change gear.

One thing that isn't mentioned in the manual is that if you press the accelerator quickly when setting this up, then it will do a "burn out" start, but if you press it more slowly then you will get a traction controlled start.

Pretty awesome.

And yes, I own an M3.

Re:Acceleration assist documented in manual

[-homb- (82455)]

Floor it? Is the sole purpose of this to simply do a burnout or possibly a 360? This will not get the car out of the hole faster then a controlled start. With advice like that I can see why they electronically limited this.

No, the purpose of this is to launch the car with the engine already at an RPM level that is in the max torque range. Basically you trade off wasted rubber and a bad transmission experience for the 10th of a second or so that you would have wasted to bring the engine up to max power.
Even though the 3.2 liter engine is awesome across the RPM band, it is clearly weaker under 4000 rpm. I know, my wife has one (an SMGII).

I have a measly ~250RWHP Mustang with a 2.73 differential. Dumping the clutch (or faster then normal release) at anything higher then 2000 rpms on street tires sends the car into almost an immediate sideways condition. At the track its worse, without a concrete launchpad its about 1500 rpm's and asphalt you can not avoid spin at any RPM.

That's weird. I have a '99 Mustange cobra, ~260RWHP, 2.73 gears. Maybe it's thanks to the independent rear suspension (IRS) that your model may not have, but the perfect launch in my cobra is at 2,400 RPM. There is very little no wheel spin, and the car is almost instantly at the sweet and sick power range starting at 4,000 rpm.

At the track, if you warm your tires properly, you should be able to go even higher. In any case, with the proper 2,400 rpm launch you can easily smoke Carreras. The M3 though will eat your lunch, considering that it has more power on the low range (
Which is why I totally disagree with the AU article posted to start this discussion: the guy correctly states that one could potentially shift like the SMG II, but he incorrectly assumes that one will do that not only consistently on the upshift, but will also never blow a heel & toe downshift. That's totally wrong.

The only little gripe about the SMG II is that sometimes you wish it would start the downshift a little quicker. There is a split-second delay between your request for a downshift and the start of the neutral->throttle blip->downshift sequence.

I want one!

[aluminumcube (542280)]

As a hardcore BMW geek, I am really glad to see the M3 and it's very cool SMGII transmission make it to the front page of Slashdot. For more info, check out:

BMW's Flash SMGII Transmission Presentation [bmw.com]

The Unofficial BMW E46 FAQ [roadfly.com]

I wouldn't call Launch Control an easter egg however. If you explore the BMW Flash presentation, they mention it. While BMW North America said it would be disabled on US cars, as soon as the M3 SMG came over, the first (privilaged lucky bastard) owners tried it out and it worked.

I have a new 325Ci (5 speed) and a previous genneration M3 race car that I built up from a crashed car and used parts. My only regret is that many people view Bimmers as yuppie mobiles, when in fact, they are amazing to drive, very technically advanced and probably the best overall vehicles on the road. Oh well... that feeling goes away when I am at the track or on an empty road.

Freude am Fahren

Sweet!!

[SuperDuG (134989)]

I just was just about to go try this out, then I relized this doesn't work on my 15 year old minivan out back. For the price of this car, why don't you just go out and buy a real muscle car, with enough time you could probably write your name in the parking lot. Peeling out is cool, all you have to do is bald your tires!!

Not quite an easter egg.

[occam (20826)]

That's a real feature of the transmission.

NB: the transmission in question is not a normal manual (i.e., with a foot clutch and stick). It's a hybrid auto-manual which has an electronically controlled clutch (i.e., there's no foot pedal since the computer controls the clutch entirely). The gearing is controlled by the computer or (as desired) by two paddles (+/-) along the steering wheel for up/down shift. BMW calls its version SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox).

Ferrari and F1 cars also have this feature (similar technologies).

The acceleration assist is a genuine feature which basically tells the SMG to accelerate hard from a standstill as a special case (F1 cars also have launch control). It's a genuine feature, not an easter egg.

Cool car, M3! :-)

Easter Egg? No.

[guttentag (313541)]

"Self-Destruct Mechanisms" are not easter eggs.

Computer: Thank you for pressing the self-destruct button.
President Scroob: Hey Helmet! Check this out! I found an easter egg in the ship's computer.
Computer: nine... eight... six...
Helmet: And a pretty major bug. What happened to seven?
President Scroob: No, Gates said that was a feature.
Computer: Just kidding...

Calling all hackers, calling all hackers!

[Alsee (515537)]

So where's the post detailing a hack to reset or eliminate the 30/lifetime and the 1/hour limits? Oh, and don't forget the 155 mph governor.

-

BMW Films

[pjammer (90700)]

Speaking of BMWs, to those of you who are unfamiliar with their short film series this is old news, but to everyone else: BMW paid a bunch of A-list hollywood directors (Wong Kar-Wei, John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie, Alejandro Gonzales-Inarritu) a year ago to create a series of short films featuring BMWs BMW Films [bmwfilms.com]. Watch them jump a BMW M5 several feet in the air ("Star", directed by Guy Ritchie) and other extreme-driving stunts - all told within some highly entertaining stories - starring the charismatic Clive Owen.

Unfortunately, the best (in my opinion) short film of the lot, "The Follow" (a moody story of betrayal and subterfuge featuring one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I've ever heard) is NOT posted on the BMW Films website right now. The Follow IS on the BMW Films DVD ... story of how I ganked the DVD is posted here on my journal [livejournal.com].

Easter Egg or Cheat Code?

[Bakajin (323365)]

Is this really an Easter Egg? It strikes me as more of a cheat code. Easter Eggs seem to be pretty but basically useless feature. They often times display the developer's names or give you some little extra bonus. But cheat codes are designed to unlock hidden potentials in the system, to circumvent rules, or basically... to cheat.

NOT the first by a long way

[mosschops (413617)]

Don't you all remember the Easter Egg in the De Lorian, triggered by reaching 88mph? I seem to remember that from about 1985.

Dyno

[Konster (252488)]

.....it's was originally called the 'kamikazi dyno', where you trick out the software and the only place you can test it is out on the street.....

You need to hack the control unit in order to get an accurate dyno reading from an M3, since the front tires need to be spinning at the same rate as the rear wheels. If this isn't the case, the spark timing is retarded quite a bit, reducing horsepower (by quite a lot). The hack supplied by BMW also negates this. Remember to do this prior to putting your new M3 on a dyno.

Also, make sure the dyno shop has a cooling tower. Running a stationary M3 at redline without the proper cooling also invokes the dreaded spark timing retarder. It also might invoke the dreaded Abuse clause in your warranty.

Real BMW easter egg

[fstrauss (78250)]

As many people have mentioned, the article here's easter egg is actually a documented feature. A real bmw easter egg however, is in the e36 models, hold 10 and 1000 buttons on the onboard computer in at the same time. You'll then be prompted for a test number. These 'tests' can display things like litres of fuel in your tank, current speed according to computer etc, which are not normally visible.
check here [unofficialbmw.com] for a list of what all the tests do.

Talking Montego/Maestro

[Martin S. (98249)]

The talking dash version Austin Montego/Maestro had a 'Marvin Paranoid Android Mode' where it complained about the abuse it was receiving from the driver.

DeLorean Easter Egg!

[jamesjw (213986)]

I heard somewhere there was an easter egg hidden away in some GMC DeLoreans that enabled time travel, steps go something like:

1. Ensure Mr. Fusion is fitted, if not source Plutonium (In order to supply 1.21 'Jigga'watts)
2. When in front of steering wheel, enable time circuits on mid console... Be sure to check your destination date, year is correct on the dash..
4. Check that Flux capacitor is 'Fluxing'
5. Start driving, aparently when you hit 88 mph the easter egg will activate (indicated usually by a large flash of light) sending you back (or indeed forward) in time.

Please note I have never done this, so i cannot verify its success. :-)

Ok so its a lame post.. oh well..

Car recommendation?

[SiliconEntity (448450)]

This is OT but I'll ask it here because you guys seem to know a lot about cars.

What would be a good car for a /.er who doesn't know much about cars and isn't interested in racing, but likes tech stuff? Something with a lot of cool accessories and automation? Let's say you could spend a lot, $40 or $50K. Thanks!

Re:Mortal Kombat

[crazyprogrammer (412543)]

more on topic:

Crusin' USA for N64

Brake, Brake, Brake, Gas, Brake, Gas - Nitro boost

if only that could be an easter egg in a car!

Re:What fun......

[idiotnot (302133)]

I've always hated automatic boxes (and in the UK, they're in the minority, thank goodness). They take away all the fun from driving; they never seem to be in the right gear.

I think I read that something like 89% of new vehicles sold in the US now come with a slushbox. I have never owned one, nor do I want one. Especially in a car with no torque.

But the SMG is very, very fun. It's not big or clever to be able to use a manual gearbox. Heck, every 17 year old over here can do it (we learn just about exclusively in manual cars).

See above. I know far too many people who turn the color of an iMac when asked to drive a stick. It is disgusting, indeed.

But being a "yank," and no disrespect to the Europeans, I like this [dodge.com] better. And yeah, it's got a real clutch. :-D

Re:What fun......

[G-funk (22712)]

Yeah I'm with you. Auto and "clutchless manual" gearboxes suck.

Not to mention all the "clutchless manual" boxes in Australian cars aren't at all, they're just a standard old slushbox with a selectable gear so long as the computer thinks you're doing the right thing...

Give me a nice mechanical shifter and 3 pedals thank you very much. I like to be in control of my car, not giving hints to a computer and hoping for the best.

Torque multiplication

[idiotnot (302133)]

This is one of the things that the 4x4 guys argue about all the time. The thing about it is that the multiplication (in most cases) drops off pretty quickly as you move up the RPM band. As for the five speed thing....what I've found is that many cars with a decently-sized engine don't need that low first gear to get off the line. I rarely use first gear in mine, because it's got enough oomph (242 cid I-6) to get out of the hole okay.

And I agree with the slushbox on a boat......one of the most fun cars I've ever driven was a Chevy Impala SS. *drool*

Re:Cool!

[Cryptnotic (154382)]

Now for someone to find the easter egg that'll cause the car to skid out on the freeway, flip over the guardrail, and burst into flames.

1. Accelerate to at least 80 miles per hour (130km/h) while on a freeway.
2. Wait for the freeway to change direction.
3. Turn the wheel sharply to the left or right, then bring it back straight.
4. At the same time, slam on your brakes, then release them.
5. You will probably skid at first. After that, you will hit the center divider or another car.
6. This is the point where you detonate the exlposives in the gas tank, causing the fuel to spray out into a cloud.
7. Detonate the secondary incindiary device which causes the fuel to ignite. (This step is not necessary if the fuel is already ignited).

Spectators are guaranteed to be awestruck. Emergency personnel will probably be confused, until they figure out the explosive devices and determine that the accident was actually an elaborate suicide.

Re:I hate Easter Eggs, and now they get dangerous

[DrEldarion (114072)]

Way to understand how it works.

Part of doing the easter egg is FLOORING THE PEDAL.

Somehow I don't think this will be triggered by accident.

-- Dr. Eldarion --