paddle shift...fail
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Members
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 56
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From: North Bay Area
My Ride: 2009 550i M Sport - All options except HUD
Lately I've decided to use my paddle shifters and today had the good fortune of being in the pole position at a light that joins the highway with a long on ramp. a dodge dart pulls up next to me. It was a college girl and I knew I didn't have to try to hard to pull this off. Sure enough, light turns green and I hit it, easily pull away although she was for sure looking to get in front.
Anyways, I hit the right paddle to shift to 2nd, and end up hitting the windshield wiper
now i'm redlining and shit with my window wipers on turbo mode. i figure it all out, shift to second with my left hand, then third, etc etc. I decide to shift back to auto mode so i can focus on getting the window wipers to stop.
anyway, pretty embarassing fail on my part. either i have freakishly long fingers or that is an ergonomic flaw with the spacing between the paddle shifter and window wiper stick. Am i alone on this?
Anyways, I hit the right paddle to shift to 2nd, and end up hitting the windshield wiper

now i'm redlining and shit with my window wipers on turbo mode. i figure it all out, shift to second with my left hand, then third, etc etc. I decide to shift back to auto mode so i can focus on getting the window wipers to stop.
anyway, pretty embarassing fail on my part. either i have freakishly long fingers or that is an ergonomic flaw with the spacing between the paddle shifter and window wiper stick. Am i alone on this?
New Members
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 234
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From: massachusetts
My Ride: 2010 BMW 550i m sport lci
lmao havent done that but have down shifted to the point to where the torque has ripped my hands from the steering wheel and the car taking of like an angry bull
Contributors
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 10,496
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
My Ride: 2008 550I LOADED, all options except HUD and NV
LOL, I really haven't tried my SAT like that yet. However, I can imagine doing the exact same thing, I have huge bear paws for hands (comes with the territory at 6'4"). So thanks for the warning, I will keep it in mind when I try it out.
I haven't missed a shift using the SAT Paddles yet. The worst I've done is had my hand on the SAT gear selector and the G's pulling me back on launch put me into sport manual mode without knowing it until I bounced off the rev limiter... funny stuff.
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Senior Members
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 305
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From: Queens NY
My Ride: 2014 535 Alpine White
I have a 6 speed manual and i was sprint driving and i went to shift from 4th to 5th but went into 3rd. Felt like i was going to go through the windshield LOL
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,084
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From: Thousand Oaks, California
My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
And you want to be my Latex salesman!
On numerous occasions, I have activated the windshield wipers when I was trying to put my 550 in park. I drove an MB ML500 for long enough and MB puts their shifter in the exact spot where the 550 has its wiper controls. The funny thing is that on the MB, you push in the side of the stalk to put the tranny in park. On the 550i, pushing the stak activates the rain sensing wiper. Both stalks are similarly sized. It was been a point of embarrassments on a few occasions.
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BrandonSS
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