Hello all. I recently bought a beautiful alpine white 2005 545i with the works, including the SMG tranny, sport package, nav, comfort seats. My question is regarding the tranny. When I start the car and immediately drive off, the shift from first to second is very rough. I think its actully worse when i try to drive off gently. Is this normal? The car only has 38000 miles and is pristine. ? operator error or mechanical issues? thanks all.

PS I agree with the other postings re: mods. I see all these beautiful cars and want to make some changes to mine

 

Its hard to say if its operator error or software problem. It probably isnt mechanical if it shifts smooth in the upper range.

How many miles do you have driving SMG? There is a learning curve to SMG so if you have less than 7,000 miles of driving under SMG you're still learning and it will get smoother overtime.

Shifting from 1 to 2 is usually the hardest to learn. Try this for now. when you pull to upshift partially lift off the gas and reapply gas partially and once its fully engaged then proceed to accelerate.

So let me try to explain that again.

Pull the lever/paddle to upshift and as you are releasing the paddle release the gas but not all the way (almost all the way but feather the gas slightly ) then as the transmission engages the 2nd reapply the gas a normal amount (between 1/3 to 1/2 throttle)

Try that... be patient and practice practice practice... try different ways of shifting. You'll learn it.

Its an awesome transmission, people who say it sucks just never gave SMG the chance. As with all things there's a learning curve, keep in mind its not an automatic transmission. Good luck.

 

I have SMG in my E46 M3, not sure how similar it is to the 550 system. It took me about 1-2 months to adjust to the SMG tranny. After that period, all shifts were super smooth. You basically have to modulated the foot pedal a very tiny bit when shifting. It kind of becomes second nature after a couple months. Of course for fastest shifts and best performance, you want to keep the foot mashed when shifting. That results in a reasonably violent, but very fast shift!

 

Ditto to what the others said.

Is it always doing it from 1 to 2 or just when you first get in your car in the morning or after it sits for hours??? Because I've noticed a little longer pause when the engine is cold for the first minute or two. Though from my experience driving SMG it doesn't really effect me now but I could see how someone new to it could cause a rough/jerky shift.

Also you may want to mention it to your dealer and they would take a look at the software and update if needed since your car is still under warranty.

 

THanks for the advice. I agree with the learning curve. I feel more comfortable now than when I first bought the car...only 2000 miles ago. I think also, that maybe cold starts have something to do with it...after the car is warmed up the shift is very smooth from first to second. I will try your advice though. Thanks again. I now see why BMW drivers lover their cars

 

You're absolutley right. It only happens if the car is started and driven immediately. (I live in pheonix and it doesnt get too cold here). After I ve driven a bit and come to a stop, the shift is noticeably smoother. Thank you for your advice.

 

I tried the sport mode and full force. It is pretty unnerving at first (ive always enjoyed the smooth shifting of auto trannies) but the rush you get from the immense power of this vehicle makes the jerk totally worth it in this mode

 

it took me about a month to really get the hang of the SMG tranny.. and yes i have had the same prob from 1st to 2nd.. but getting the software update took care of that right away.. but leave the sport mode on all the time.. i never really use the auto mode.. my wife uses that auto shi#... but it will take time.. once you get it.. its the best thing since slice bread... enjoy the car it will just get better.. i hope you saved your money by the way.. the e60 is like the worst drug habbit... ... its really not funny... lololol... G/L with the car..

 

You are not lying my friend. I am already feeling the urge to make all these mods bc of the awesome cars I see on this forum. Is the software updat free if the car is under warranty still?