[Christos]

Just when I was praising the ZF AT, a gremlin popped up its ugly head.

I was going around 20 Mph, transmission in "D" Normal Drive, when all of a sudden I feel the revs increase and the car slow down, I look at the center display and it indicates I'm in M1. All by it self the transmission switched into M1, manual 1st gear??? Then two seconds later back to "D" and all is normal

[smallseafishie]

Doesn't sound like a tranny problem but more of an electronics issue.

Maybe you bumped your shifter?

[wakeboarder109]

I didn't know it until the other day when I was driving my car but when the car is in D, you can use the shifters without putting it into manual mode.

[daixloxbmw]

yeah i think you might have bumped your shifter up or press down on one of the paddles.

[Tim2189]

yes thats usually what happens when you use your paddle shifters in D mode

[Christos]

Originally Posted by nyc328ci

yes thats usually what happens when you use your paddle shifters in D mode

Yes, I know, but I am postive I did not bump the paddle shifters.

I agree, it's probaly a electronic module issue, rather than a physical transmission one. Hopefully it was just a fluke!

[Brandondad]

Yeah my wife bumped one of the paddle shifters once, (she has never used the ds or m mode), she called freakin out. I told her thats it your never driving the car again!!!

[bhangramachine]

Here's a question regarding steptronics

When u guys drive in steptronic do u downshift as well when u slow down or make turns? i usually just let the car do it for me....when it goes below a certain RPM the car automatically downshifts for me, is this bad? should i start downshifting myself?

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by bhangramachine

Here's a question regarding steptronics

When u guys drive in steptronic do u downshift as well when u slow down or make turns? i usually just let the car do it for me....when it goes below a certain RPM the car automatically downshifts for me, is this bad? should i start downshifting myself?

if you're going to let it downshift by itself you might as well leave it in D or DS mode. Manual mode is so you can control the shift points, but most likely most beneficial when taking the car to the track. That's what I think at least. As far as whether it'll do any harm by letting it downshift itself in manual mode, that i am not sure.

[danniexi]

Originally Posted by joonsup

if you're going to let it downshift by itself you might as well leave it in D or DS mode. Manual mode is so you can control the shift points, but most likely most beneficial when taking the car to the track. That's what I think at least. As far as whether it'll do any harm by letting it downshift itself in manual mode, that i am not sure.

the auto tranny is designed to basically be idiot proof. if revs are too low or too high, even in M mode, the transmission will upshift or downshift accordingly. it shouldnt harm the car at all.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by danniexi

the auto tranny is designed to basically be idiot proof. if revs are too low or too high, even in M mode, the transmission will upshift or downshift accordingly. it shouldnt harm the car at all.

yeah that's what i figure. they really did a good job on these step transmissions.

[Tim2189]

i downshift mostly on turns to keep that high rpm going for after the turn to gain the speed again

[ibimmer954]

If I'm in normal "D" mode, I only downshift if I want engine braking down a hill or something. Come to think of it, that's about the only time I manually switch gears. If I wanna go "nuts", I just stick it in DS and floor it. I like that it'll put the car up to the redline and shift when appropriate. If it were a manual, I'd be paranoid about getting about 6000 rpm... it revs up awfully fast up there. But with the DS mode, I don't have to worry about it. Let it go to the top!

[tomwac]

Who buys a steptronic anyway...

[CFM3]

Originally Posted by tomwac

Who buys a steptronic anyway...

Someone who decided the E36M3 or E46M3 on coilovers wouldn't be good cars to commute 80 miles a day.

Next?

[tomwac]

Originally Posted by CFM3

Someone who decided the E36M3 or E46M3 on coilovers wouldn't be good cars to commute 80 miles a day.

Next?

aah, but they are both very good commuters...had them both I guess someone who can't shift. Next ?

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by nyc328ci

i downshift mostly on turns to keep that high rpm going for after the turn to gain the speed again

It'd be a little better to downshift before the turn, so when you apex, you're already back on the throttle.

Originally Posted by tomwac

Who buys a steptronic anyway...

Not again....

[tomwac]

Originally Posted by Xiaofeng

It'd be a little better to downshift before the turn, so when you apex, you're already back on the throttle.




Not again....

Sorry, but I just don't understand why anybody would by a 335i, which is considered as a fun/sporty car with an auto box. A 7 or even a 5, ok, I can see the point...with an autobox you're never, ever in total control as in which gear you are...I guess that's why there is no ///M with an auto box... + it eats power... sorry for the off-topic

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by tomwac

Sorry, but I just don't understand why anybody would by a 335i, which is considered as a fun/sporty car with an auto box. A 7 or even a 5, ok, I can see the point...with an autobox you're never, ever in total control as in which gear you are...I guess that's why there is no ///M with an auto box... + it eats power... sorry for the off-topic

Have you had the chance to drive the 335i with the new ZF Steptronic? It actually works really well. Shifts are quick, downshifts are perfectly rev-matched every time, DS mode knows how to hold gears when braking hard or cornering, and manual mode feels more like a SMG than almost any other automatic out there. The torque converter is almost always fully locked, so HP loss versus the 6MT is likely in the single digits.

If I lived in a area where I had to crawl through hours of traffic every day, I'd have no qualms with checking the ZF option.

[tomwac]

Originally Posted by Xiaofeng

Have you had the chance to drive the 335i with the new ZF Steptronic? It actually works really well. Shifts are quick, downshifts are perfectly rev-matched every time, DS mode knows how to hold gears when braking hard or cornering, and manual mode feels more like a SMG than almost any other automatic out there. The torque converter is almost always fully locked, so HP loss versus the 6MT is likely in the single digits.

If I lived in a area where I had to crawl through hours of traffic every day, I'd have no qualms with checking the ZF option.

In this situation I would buy myself a 316i, as it then makes no difference at all what engine you have...what I'm trying to say is that people buy a sporty car and combine it with an auto box ...you can say what you want, but it's still an auto box and not you, but the computer decides what the best gear is accoring to it. You can downshift till you drop, the moment the cpu decides differently it will shift up no matter what you want or do.
I had an auto X5 (cause overhere it's impossible to sell a manual X5 diesel) and it was the first and last time. Maybe when I'm 70, and my left leg does not function as good anymore, I'll consider it

PS: and yes, I drove, not the 335i but the 330d E90, with steptronic, so I know what it is...

[visor]

Originally Posted by Xiaofeng

It'd be a little better to downshift before the turn, so when you apex, you're already back on the throttle.

There is also another often forgotten but just as, if not more, important advantage of shifting before entering a turn at speed.

The engine braking helps to transfer weight to the front in order to set up the chassis for the cornering, so that you can get on the gas sooner right after the apex, while maintaining a neutral to oversteer attitude.