Hey guys

I just purchased my first BMW! Its a 2005 545i 6 speed with nav, logic 7, sport, cold and premium packages. The best thing of all, it only has 21k miles! I wanted a BMW since i was 17, since then i have been saving up. Two years later i finally pulled the trigger on one. The motor is amazing in this car! The transmission shifts so smooth. I love every bit of it!

I have a few questions.

This is my first stick shift car (flame suit on). But for some reason i can seem to shift into 2nd or 3rd smoothly. My dad is amazing at driving a manual but he says he doesnt know what im doing wrong that my shifts are so rough. I know this is a hard question to answer but does anyone have an idea what im exactally doing wrong?

Also, for some reason the brakes are very noisey. The pads and rotors look good but the squeal everytime i hit the brakes. Ive done brakes before on my other car and never had a problem with noise. Maybe its time for a trip to the dealer?

I will get some pics up when i wash my car, its pretty dirty since ive been driving around a lot.

 

the brakes, you may need some gel to get rid of the sqeaky noise.
as for the rest, if this is your first stick shift - give yourself some time before you are perfect.
Now when i drive, i don't even have to think when to shift, it just happens. So relax and enjoy.

wow, a lot of 04/05 545i with low mileage having some issues.
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=58576
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?show...57949&hl=smoak

but yeah take some pix and enjoy the beast. maybe have it checked by the dealer if you still have warranty left on the car.


RJ H

 

and oh yes BIG CONGRATS on the new car.

 

For the shifting, when your dad drives it, does he get roughness as well? or is it just you?

If it's only you, then your are letting go of the clutch too fast or your giving it too much gas while you are still clutching. Either will kind of give you the same roughness effect.

For the brakes, I would get them checked since the previous owner could of have reset the Idrive and the brakes could be up for a change.

Good luck

 

Welcome to the forums. You may want to update your location so people know where you are from. I also have a 545 6spd, and they are great vehicles with an excellent mix of sport and luxury. I think you'll enjoy having the sport package, it is a great option.

Regarding the shifting action, I have had 3 other manual transmission cars, and this one to me is the most difficult to drive smoothly (my Audi A6 2.7T was excellent). I think it is a combination of my driving style and the CDV in these cars (clutch delay valve). The CDV prevents you from "dumping" the clutch by restricting the flow of fluid through the clutch, so when you let off the pedal, it doesn't "dump." At least that is my understanding of it. You can buy a part for about $20 that deletes this feature, and many people say that the clutch is much more linear after doing so.

The part about my "style" is that I do not like to "ride" the clutch much, so I don't peg the rpms at 3,000 and then slowly let out the clutch. I like to give it a little blip and quickly let out the clutch while pressing the gas. For some reason, that tends to cause some jerks in my car in the lower gears. If you do the former, there are no jerks and shakes, but I would be concerned about burning out the clutch. It takes a while to find the right mix.

Anyway, welcome to the forums and good luck.

 

I have found that keeping your RPMs up as you move through the gears will give you a smooth shift.

 

+1 on the CDV. I had the same problem going from another manual to my 545i 6 speed. I had to really work on the 2nd/3rd shift if I had the family with me and wanted a smooth shift. And, if I was really getting on it, my timing was so-so. The CDV is the fix. Note, that when you change it, your body will have to re-learn it's timing, but after a day, you will be golden. You can get the part from Zeckhausen racing: http://www.zeckhausen.com/BMW/E60.htm Any BMW mechanic can change it in about 30 minutes without needing to bleed the system.

If you are going to do any brake work, look into low dust pads. I have really liked the Axxis Deluxe Plus.

Other things to consider, Dinan cold air intake and throttle body. It will make you engine really sing when you hit 3000 RPM.

 

I also have a 6-speed manual. What you're describing matches what others have said about BMW's [annoying] Clutch Delay Valve, although after nearly a month of driving it I have become better and better. What I often end up doing is actually skipping gears. For example, 1st to 3rd works great for me, or 2nd to 4th, depending on what I'm doing.

Here's a web site that describes the issue/design and also sells the 'fix.' Unfortunately, they seem to be using frames, a bad idea for search engines, so you have to go all the way through the site yourself instead of clicking a direct link that I could provide for you. Just click through to the E60 series and then scroll about 3/4 of the page down. You'll see "Problems shifting your BMW E60 5-Series?" and:

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Many models of BMWs with 5-speed or 6-speed manual transmissions have a Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) installed by the factory. This valve is the culprit behind the jerky shifting that makes your BMW hard to drive, even if you have been driving a standard transmission all your life. When replaced with the Zeckhausen Racing modified CDV, your clutch is suddenly transformed into the smooth, easy to modulate clutch that should have been delivered from the factory as standard. Extend the life of your clutch and increase the enjoyment of your BMW driving experience today!

For full details of this modification, including history, theory of operation, installation instructions, and a free CDV exchange service by mail, click here.

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Def click the "click here" link for all the details you need.

Site link: http://zeckhausenracing.com/
(Save to your browser favorites and it will take you directly back to this page. Not sure how/why that works, but it does.)

Enjoy your new car - congratulations!

 

So SHIFT happens??

Congrats on the new (to you) car and enjoy the forums!!

 

+1