545 Manual - HELP -
04-04-2006, 12:27 PM
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2004 545i Black with Balck | 6 Speed Manual | Sports Package | Moon Roof | Adaptive Steering | Smoking Package | Cold Weather Package | Adaptive Xenon | Premium Sound, LOGIC7 | Hard Wired V1 |
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2001 530i Green with Tan | Sport Package | Streptronic | Moon Roof | SOLD
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2001 Porsche C4 Cabriolet Silver with Black | 6 Speed Manual |
1958 Austin Mini Green with Black Interior 67k Miles, Fully restored in 2003 | Beach Car
Well this is somewhat ridiculous. I'm 22 years old so I can't really blame myself. I have had automatic cars all my life and have driven the occasional stick every now and then if my friends would let me. I had to opportunity to drive a Porsche C4 over my XMAS which was stick and that's how I taught myself how to do so. I did very well, IMO, partly because it was an all wheel drive car.
However, shortly after XMAS, I took delivery of my 545. I bought it from BMW Townson in Maryland and had it delivered to me in TEXAS. (Closed Trailor Ofcourse)
I stalled a few times before getting it perfect and now am able to drive it, so-so. I'm used to flooring it when I want to go faster (as I had in my previous 530i steptronic) but now I can't seem to get the timing between the clutch, accelerator and the appropriate time to shift. A few times i've gotten the "launching" feel, but for the most part, I just get my DSC light and the car sliding left to right.
If anyone could give me some point as to how I can improve my driving ability, that would be a big help!
04-04-2006, 01:12 PM
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the manual trans on the 545 has a light and really long clutch pedal travel and is designed more for comfy driving then lets say...a Porsche C4S. The only way to drive more smoothly is to shift slowly...forget about shifting fast. As you get used to the engagement point in the clutch pedal, then you can slowly decrease your shift time.
04-04-2006, 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by wingfan919' post='264625' date='Apr 4 2006, 09:27 PM
If anyone could give me some point as to how I can improve my driving ability, that would be a big help!
My advice would be to go slow for a bit and just feel the way the car responds during a change.
Very quickly you'll be able to build up to fast changes. The BMW boxes are ideal for this, but every manual BMW I have owned has had a 'fierce' clutch, meaning they are relatively easy to stall, especially if your not used to a manual.
Take it slow
04-04-2006, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by wingfan919' post='264625' date='Apr 4 2006, 04:27 PM
Well this is somewhat ridiculous. I'm 22 years old so I can't really blame myself. ...
If anyone could give me some point as to how I can improve my driving ability, that would be a big help!
Go easy... there is a lot of torque under there and it will take a little getting used to. And unlike some other cars you're not getting as much feedback from the engine in the way of noise or vibration so you'll have to `learn' how to drive it. The CDV may also take a little getting used to and add all of that together with your limited experience in stick shift cars equals more time behind the wheel.
04-04-2006, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by wingfan919' post='264625' date='Apr 4 2006, 09:27 PM
Well this is somewhat ridiculous. I'm 22 years old so I can't really blame myself. I have had automatic cars all my life and have driven the occasional stick every now and then if my friends would let me. I had to opportunity to drive a Porsche C4 over my XMAS which was stick and that's how I taught myself how to do so. I did very well, IMO, partly because it was an all wheel drive car.
However, shortly after XMAS, I took delivery of my 545. I bought it from BMW Townson in Maryland and had it delivered to me in TEXAS. (Closed Trailor Ofcourse)
I stalled a few times before getting it perfect and now am able to drive it, so-so. I'm used to flooring it when I want to go faster (as I had in my previous 530i steptronic) but now I can't seem to get the timing between the clutch, accelerator and the appropriate time to shift. A few times i've gotten the "launching" feel, but for the most part, I just get my DSC light and the car sliding left to right.
If anyone could give me some point as to how I can improve my driving ability, that would be a big help!
04-04-2006, 06:04 PM
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Originally Posted by wingfan919' post='264625' date='Apr 4 2006, 01:27 PM
If anyone could give me some point as to how I can improve my driving ability, that would be a big help!
AH glad you asked! Read this, study this, practice this, and do all the excercises at the end multiple times and you'll be a 100X better driver!
http://www.318ti.org/notebook/shifting/index.html
04-05-2006, 05:13 AM
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My Ride: #1: 2004 545i; 6-speed manual; Sport Package; Mystic Blue with a gray leather interior and Anthracite wood; CWP; Logic 7.
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With respect for high hopes, I wouldn't recommend trying to learn heel and toe shifting. I agree you should just take it slowly. If you are careful and don't totally pop the clutch, the torque in this car will spoil you and prevent almost all stalling. Just practice moderate driving with relaxed shifts at first. Pretend you're driving a limousine with some old lady in back, and keep it smooth. Then start to get a better feel for how the throttle carries through in acceleration while in a gear; then start to practice accelerating aggressively, one gear after another. All best on empty roads. Practice downshifting into 3rd then 2nd, again at low speeds as you coast to a light, just to get a feel for the gears and the engine speeds.
When you're getting better at it, you'll know when you can start to get more aggressive....
When you're getting better at it, you'll know when you can start to get more aggressive....
04-05-2006, 12:15 PM
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My Ride: My Cars:
2004 545i Black with Balck | 6 Speed Manual | Sports Package | Moon Roof | Adaptive Steering | Smoking Package | Cold Weather Package | Adaptive Xenon | Premium Sound, LOGIC7 | Hard Wired V1 |
AUX Input |
Only 13K Miles!
2001 530i Green with Tan | Sport Package | Streptronic | Moon Roof | SOLD
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.2L (Beat my 530i off the line until about 40 MPH) | SOLD
1981 320i destroyed
Other family members cars:
2008 Yukon Denali Black with Black
2007 Aston Martin DB9 Cabriolet Black with Black
2006 Mercedes G55 Black with Black |
2004 Yukon XL Denali Black with Tan |
2003 BMW X5 3.0 Silver with Black | Every option available |
2001 Porsche C4 Cabriolet Silver with Black | 6 Speed Manual |
1958 Austin Mini Green with Black Interior 67k Miles, Fully restored in 2003 | Beach Car
Originally Posted by tab545' post='264894' date='Apr 5 2006, 08:13 AM
With respect for high hopes, I wouldn't recommend trying to learn heel and toe shifting. I agree you should just take it slowly. If you are careful and don't totally pop the clutch, the torque in this car will spoil you and prevent almost all stalling. Just practice moderate driving with relaxed shifts at first. Pretend you're driving a limousine with some old lady in back, and keep it smooth. Then start to get a better feel for how the throttle carries through in acceleration while in a gear; then start to practice accelerating aggressively, one gear after another. All best on empty roads. Practice downshifting into 3rd then 2nd, again at low speeds as you coast to a light, just to get a feel for the gears and the engine speeds.
When you're getting better at it, you'll know when you can start to get more aggressive....
When you're getting better at it, you'll know when you can start to get more aggressive....
Thank you all for your contributions to my post
04-05-2006, 12:24 PM
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My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Check out the G-Meter testing thread. Bokke is having trouble with the manual. BMW gives us the worst of all possibilities. You can't turn traction control off and leave yaw control on. Not a good situation at all. You may always have some sideways problems no matter how good you get if you turn both nannies off to get DTC turned off.