Cojones

Hi,

I have historically been an Audi man but recently decided to make the switch to BMW and have been driving my 04 530i for 2 weeks now. This is the first auto transmission car i have owned and whilst it makes the daily commute/traffic jams a breeze i haven't yet been tempted to use the manual up/down shift, mainly because i don't know what i'm doing. Ok, i understand it's use but i don't understand how to use it to realise it's potential.

Can any kind soul explain when using manual shift is really useful and how to use it to best effect?

Thanks for your time,

Cojo

p.s. loving the BMW so far, and i've read the whole manual too...now that's anal!!

Black BMW530iA

Hi Cojones.
Could you please explain what you are hopeing to achieve by using the manual shiftgear?
One way of using it is to put it in first gear and then floor it until the rpm-regulator says stop and then shift to second gear. Another, more efficient way (if you are looking for maximum speed and acc) is to find the rpm-range for where your engine performes at it?s best and then find the correct gear to match that.
The "Sport" mode, DS, works fine for me most of the time but of course, using the manual function is more fun

Cojones

aaah...so DS stands for "Sport" then?! Told you i was an auto virgin! So if you drive in DS will it then change 'automatically' but in M1, M2 etc you have to up/downshift? is that correct?

My aim is to understand when using manual shift and DS are appropriate and then to understand how to use them to their best capability. Obviously this won't be while i'm stuck bumper to bumper on the motorway on my daily commute but when i have a good bit of clear road or need to get past something quick. In the A6 i'd just change down and floor it!

thanks for your swift reply and it looks like we have identical cars...even wheels, colour n'all (and spookily we were born 15 days apart...sorry, i promise i'm not a stalker)!!

Black BMW530iA

We have also posted the same amount of posts (until this one )
Don?t tell me you are a boat-owner as well?

Cojones

nah...only a toy one for my son's bath time!!

KnIgHtCoM

DS mode holds the gear longer and reaches a higher rpm before it shifts. I prefer shifting myself though using steptronic/manual mode. It's useful for staying in gear and engine breaking in traffic. The one thing you'll need to unlearn is letting off the gas when switching gears. No clutch to engage, all done electronically. WOT FTW!

And don't forget to reset your tranny! Refer to this post: http://forums.e60.net/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=423737.

my2007

I do move the gear selector to DS and back without easing on the gas pedal and perform downshifts and upshifts in manual the same way (i.e without easing the gas pedal) and I am not really sure if it is better to ease off the pedal like in a manual. Will this harm the engine or transmission in any way?

Black BMW530iA

The gearbox is equiped with something called AGS (Adaptive Gear Shift? or something) and it?s function is to identify changes in the way the driver uses the car in forms of movement of the throttle, retardation, acceleration, rpm etc. Changing between D and DS should not affect the gearbox since DS just recalculates the pregiven information from AGS and uses it in a different way.
As far as I know anyway. Someone might have more info regarding this issue

Black BMW530iA

To make it even more spooky, I?m an old Audi owner as well

my2007

Thanks for the info. As this is a clutchless manual I just instinctively upshift or downshift without easing on the gas pedal. I have been doing this on my previous 2 Hondas as well and it did not seem to have any problem. The only thing that I still have to consciously remind myself is the direction of the upshifts and downshifts. In my Hondas, pushing forward is upshift and in the e60 pushing forward is downshift and I had a shock of my life when I was speeding up and had intended to upshift when I pushed the selector forward and that almost red lined the rpm.