Murray

My ride to and from work includes a couple of steep hills. With the transmission in Auto, the car changes back down a gear (sometimes 2) going down these hills. Obvious result is a car in the wrong gear screaming at about 1000-2000 RPM greater than it should be . Usually I am either braking slightly, or have lifted my foot off the accelerator when this occurs.

Solution is to put the car into 'manual' and change gears up to where it should be, then revert back to auto when the car starts up the hill.

Anyone else have similar auto transmission issues ?? Not using cruise control or anything else. Only happens going down very steep hills and doesn't occur all the time, just often enough to make it annoying...

Rudy

Do you have an Xi? If so, is it possible that you activated the hill decent control?

If you don't have an Xi, you could try the following reset procedure to see if that helps:
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=40018

The adaptive nature of the transmission does take into account hills, etc. so there may be something messed up with the program...

artc

In the 2 BMWs with 'standard' auto boxes I have owned, this is completely normal behavior.
Engaging a lower gear increases engine braking and gives you more control.....

smarty156

Yes, mine does the exact same thing, although strangely it wouldn't do it recently so maybe it's "learned" that I don't like it!
It's very annoying, especially with passengers in the car - they look at you like it's your fault.

Hyper_545i

My car does the exact same thing when slowing down. I think the Steptronic Trans. is actually trying to slow the car down via engine braking and also attempting to keep the car in the powerband should you have to accelerate right away.

noonehome

Both my e60 and e90 do this...

It's one of the little things that make me love my BMW...

I wish my truck would do this too so I don't go barreling down hills and have to ride the brakes

boltoa

If you're going down a steep hill with your foot on the brake, then frankly, you're doing it wrong. You'll just end up with cooked brakes. Engine braking (by changing down) is much more mechanically sympathetic.

People-who-haven't-been-brought-up-on-autos FTW

EBMCS03

Thats normal. even for regular non xi steptronics.

Driving downhill
If the EGS control unit detects downhill driving, it will automatically shift down a gear if the vehicle's speed picks
up. This enhances the engine's braking effect. A downshift is only effected if the engine speed is below the
maximum speed of the lower gear.
The EGS control unit detects downhill driving on the basis of signals from the throttle valve potentiometer (load),
wheel speed sensor (road speed) and brake light switch (brake activation).

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?autocom=ga...si&img=2002

noonehome

I would not say I'm doing it wrong...sometimes I just coast down the hill to an unsafe speed and then brake. I down shift when it's approriate. I live in a hilly urban enviroment and I'm not going to drive my 16 year old beater like a manual, it was not designed to be. I guess my point was the BMWs anticipate the needed gear and chooses it before before or during the situation. The ford picks the highest(not lowest) capable gear and runs with it. Besides brakes are cheaper than a transmission with 115,000 miles.

baadaaboo

are you sure that is "screaming"? I hope you're not babying your ride. Unless, yours is a desel.

The RPM should hardly below 2000, if not, you are "loading" the engine.

Good luck!