houbmw

Ok, so been driving my 2007 black 530i SMG. Some things about the transmission is different to me because I used to drive a auto. First, when in auto mode, When the car goes from first to second, it takes quite a while for the clutch to initiate. Is it because I am driving so slow. I have not been pushing the car and havent gone over 3000 rpm in any gear. When shifting from first to second and from second to third, the delay is very long. IT FEELS JUST LIKE A MANUEL, as it should, but the switch is very slow. I think its because I am driving to slow, any suggestions? Also, I have never owned a manual, so when I am approaching a stop and im in 6th at 60 mph, when do I know when to downshift and should I go all the way down to one or can I stay in second and the switch to first at a complete stop?? Also, do I need to feather (what is that??)? ANy other suggestions would be helpful for a first time smg driver.

When i tried using the paddels, the speed was just as slow. Do you have to be at a certain rpm before you can go from 1 to 2?? Or what speed??

hollywoodtrash

Houb try using sport mode on auto and see if it shifts faster. I've only used auto once or twice and I have about 500 miles already, so I haven't got the total feel of the auto yet.

Also when your in 6th and you approach a stop, just leave it in 6th and use the brakes normally because it will automatically downshift for you. The computer knows if you slow down to a certain speed, it will match the speed with a lower gear. That's what I really like about the SMG.

Feathering the throttle? Is that what you mean? Just before you shift from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th, let off the gas a little bit. It's a smoother shift. You'll get used to it.

Have fun

AlexFW

When my car was new the smg shifted slower than now .. Also the engine sleeps ...

houbmw

how are the shifts in auto mode for those who have used it?? And since I am in the break in period, i cant use the sport mode, right?

hollywoodtrash

Of course you can. Sport mode is just a faster shift. I think it was 90ms shifts or something. I might need Znod or Rudy to back me up on that one, I forget.

But as far as using sport mode during break-in, I don't see why that would be bad for the car in anyway.

ICEMAN 316

Well the manual says you're not suppose to use sport mode during breakin period.. What I noticed on my SMG is when I push the car harder the car shifts faster. Anyone else notice that?

subterFUSE

The shift speeds while in AUTO depend on the mode (normal or Sport), and how hard you are driving.


Here is why:


1. Obviously sport mode shifts faster. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that.


2. When you drive harder, you will obviously get the RPMs up higher. This means that when the car does shift, it has to match revs for the next gear. If you are revving high, then the RPM will need to get down before the clutch disengages.




I would say that not using Sport mode during the break-in period is a good idea.






You should try not to use the AUTO mode, however. The car will drive much smoother once you learn how to shift, and take care of it on your own.


Here's the procedure:


1. From a stop, accelerate in 1st gear.

2. When you are ready to shift into 2nd gear, lightly release some pressure on the gas pedal. Not a lot of pressure... just a little bit. (Instead of lifting your shoe off the pedal, think of it like lifting your foot inside your shoe.) This will cause the car's weight to shift forward and off the rear tires a bit.

3. Then click the shifter to move into 2nd gear.

4. Wait for the clutch to disengage, and then accelerate in 2nd.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the rest of the gears.

Rudy

It's going to be pretty tricky to explain all the different aspects of how to drive a manual to someone who's never driven a manual. Clearly, like anyone just learning to shift manually, you're going to need to practice and figure out many things through experience.

Getting used to an SMG is tricky for people who understand how to drive a manual so it might be even trickier figuring things out if you've never driven one before. The only positive I can see is that you may not have developed any habits that you need to break so it might work out nicely for you after some time and patience.

I don't remember seeing in the manual anything about not using sport mode during break in. The key to break in is simply not to go over a certain RPM (was it 4000?), not to go over 100 MPH (I think), and not to stay at the same speed for long periods of time.

That said, here are a few pointers about driving the SMG...

First, I totally disagree with the above suggestion that you shouldn't manually downshift the car when using manual mode. Yes, the SMG will downshift for you but it will do it much later than you would if you were driving a traditional manual. Believe me when I say that it's always better to be in the gear you need to be in before the car feels it's necessary to shift for you. I know some people don't agree with me on this one so try it both ways and decide for yourself. For me, after driving the SMG for over two years and about 24,000 miles, I'm certain that manually downshifting before the car does gives me much greater control over things and never causes any unexpected transmission slams or other surprises.

The key to driving a manual is to always be in a gear that will enable you to accelerate without too much "laboring" of the drivetrain. You'll have to anticipate hills or other areas where you're going to be pressing the gas pedal. If you feel the car isn't responding to your right foot, you're probably in too high a gear. Again, this is where practice will help you figure out when to up and down shift. The nice thing about the SMG is that you can anticipate acceleration while braking by downshifting while your right foot is using the brake. For example, say you're making a 90 degree right turn. You might be going 35 MPH in 4th or 5th gear as you approach the turn. At some point, you'll apply the brakes to slow you down to say 20 or 25 MPH for the turn. While you are on the brakes, you could be downshifting to 2nd or 3rd so you're ready to re-apply the throttle once you've completed the turn. (I don't know what car you have so the MPH and gear selections I used in the above example may vary depending on how much power your engine has.)

As far as feathering the throttle, hollywoodtrash and subterFUSE explain it pretty well. Just remember to lift the throttle slightly just after pulling the paddle. The trick is to learn exactly when to lift and exactly how much to lift. The timing of these things will vary depending on RPMs and other things. The other trick is to learn just when to reapply the throttle after the shift is completed.

One more very important detail that I think I should mention since you're used to an automatic and not a manual -- DO NOT use the gas pedal to hold the car stationary on a hill! If you are stopped, your foot should be on the brake. The only time your foot should be on the gas is if you are trying to move. Using the gas to hold the car still on a hill will damage the clutch and cause many problems with the transmission.

Good luck and keep practicing -- don't expect to figure everything out quickly. For someone who's never driven a stick or an SMG, I'd say you'll need a few months (at least) to start to feel comfortable...

houbmw

thanks for all the imput guys. Also, when you turn the car off, what do you leave the car in, my friend told me to leave it in gear, such as reverse and alpply parking brake so the car wont be just relying on the parking break, any suggestions??

Rudy

Yes, park it in gear and use the hand brake.

The general rule is if you're parking facing down hill, park it in reverse. If you're parking facing uphill, park it in 1st.