E60 Discussion Anything and everything to do with the E60 5 Series. All are welcome!

steptronic question...dynamic shifting

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08-16-2006, 07:41 AM
  #21  
Contributors
 
dlevi67's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: E61 535d Apr 05. UK spec + Media Pack, Luxury Pack & Visibility Pack
Default

Originally Posted by etmaniac' post='323147' date='Aug 16 2006, 01:45 PM
I know this has been discussed many times before, but it would be very good if BMW would be able to program the gearbox differently for each engine type. I have a 2.5D and it really does not make a lot of sense to have it shift back a gear if you hit the gas (no kickdown) and have a diesel engine rev up to 3500 rpm..

oh well, if the car would be perfect what would we have left to complain about on this forum ;-)
As far as I can tell, there is a different program for each engine type. And they keep changing it over time (witness the many complaints on here re: "before the latest software update it did/did not do x, y or z"). Whether the programmers got it right 100% of the time, I don't know, but it's a fair bet they did not!

Re: your specific complaint - are you sure it's the box shifting down, or is it simply the torque converter "freeing up" from the lock position?
Old 08-16-2006, 08:37 AM
  #22  
Contributors
 
Klepper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: 2006 550i - Titanium Silver, Step, Black Interior, Sports Pkg.,CWP,Comfort Access, Nav, Premium Sound, Sat. Radio
Default

Originally Posted by Znod' post='322989' date='Aug 15 2006, 06:01 PM
Except that DS will not shift into 6th automatically--at least on the vast majority of cars.
Mine shifts into 6th in DS, just at a lot higher RPM. I wonder why?
Old 08-16-2006, 09:41 AM
  #23  
Members
 
cliffysa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South Africa
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: E60 523i silver, black leather , sunroof , bluetooth , pdc , M sports kit , Steptronic gear box , active stearing , active cruise control
Default

Originally Posted by my530i' post='323013' date='Aug 15 2006, 07:59 PM
Yep. DS is much much better than D. If you're selling your car and let buyer drive in D, he/she'd say BMW power sucks!
when i took my car for a test drive the first thing the sales person did was slip into DS
Old 08-16-2006, 06:22 PM
  #24  
Contributors
 
znod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Default

Originally Posted by Klepper' post='323213' date='Aug 16 2006, 09:37 AM
Mine shifts into 6th in DS, just at a lot higher RPM. I wonder why?
Good question. Others report the same thing. No ideas here.
Old 08-16-2006, 07:44 PM
  #25  
DBU
Contributors
 
DBU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Klepper' post='323213' date='Aug 16 2006, 09:37 AM
Mine shifts into 6th in DS, just at a lot higher RPM. I wonder why?
For the same reason it stays longer in all gears: Performance - sacrificing fuel economy.

The folks who report theirs does not shift in to 6th probably haven't gone fast enough!
Old 08-16-2006, 08:04 PM
  #26  
Contributors
 
znod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Default

Originally Posted by DBU' post='323428' date='Aug 16 2006, 08:44 PM
For the same reason it stays longer in all gears: Performance - sacrificing fuel economy.

The folks who report theirs does not shift in to 6th probably haven't gone fast enough!
Some have even tried topping the car out in 5th to no avail.
Old 08-16-2006, 10:50 PM
  #27  
Contributors
 
dlevi67's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: E61 535d Apr 05. UK spec + Media Pack, Luxury Pack & Visibility Pack
Default

Originally Posted by Znod' post='323434' date='Aug 17 2006, 05:04 AM
Some have even tried topping the car out in 5th to no avail.
I guess it would somehow depend on whether the gear ratios allow for maximum (limited) speed to be reached in 5th or 6th... as well as the unpredictable whims of BMW/ZF programmers: why on earth did my 535i start in M3 (if I forgot to shift down), and my 535d starts in M2 with higher torque and lower overall gearing???
Old 08-17-2006, 01:17 AM
  #28  
Members
 
etmaniac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Belgium
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: 525D, auto, xenon, navsat pro, brown leather, pd, hifi, heated seats, sun-screens
Default

Originally Posted by dlevi67' post='323186' date='Aug 16 2006, 05:41 PM
As far as I can tell, there is a different program for each engine type. And they keep changing it over time (witness the many complaints on here re: "before the latest software update it did/did not do x, y or z"). Whether the programmers got it right 100% of the time, I don't know, but it's a fair bet they did not!

Re: your specific complaint - are you sure it's the box shifting down, or is it simply the torque converter "freeing up" from the lock position?
Nope definitely not the torque converter, it shifts back a gear, goes up to 4.something rpm and then shifts gear again. Could be that gearbox has adapted to my rather binary driving style. Either you hit the gas, or you don't

oh, these bmw drivers...
Old 08-17-2006, 05:23 AM
  #29  
Contributors
 
dlevi67's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: E61 535d Apr 05. UK spec + Media Pack, Luxury Pack & Visibility Pack
Default

Originally Posted by etmaniac' post='323489' date='Aug 17 2006, 10:17 AM
Nope definitely not the torque converter, it shifts back a gear, goes up to 4.something rpm and then shifts gear again. Could be that gearbox has adapted to my rather binary driving style. Either you hit the gas, or you don't

oh, these bmw drivers...
Must make for an interesting driving experience, this "PWM accelerator" of yours

Mind you - when I test drove an E39 528, it did exactly the same thing, and that was the primary reason for picking the 535. The 528 felt frantic in comparison.
Old 08-17-2006, 10:24 AM
  #30  
Members
Thread Starter
 
AceBMW5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My Ride: 2006 525xi 3.0 215 horsepower 185lb/ft torque Monocobleu Metallic paint, on beige interior.. Cold Weather Package... Heated front seats, steering wheel and headlamp washers. Standard 10 speaker soundsystem.
Default

i topped my car out in 6th gear, 5th gear gets me to about 132mph.... then 6th gear gets me to 137... which is the limit on my 525xi.... the new 2006 525xi models with the 3.0 litre engine are pretty quick, dont underestimate the 25 or the halogen lamps here is a pic proving the above... the first picture is 120 in 5th gear about 5300rpm.. its hard to tell cuz the pic got cut off, the second is 130 in 5th gear at 6000 rpm...




Quick Reply: steptronic question...dynamic shifting



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:05 AM.