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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > Picked up my AW 330! and gotta question about manual shifing



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      03-04-2006, 11:12 AM   #1
jigga
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Picked up my AW 330! and gotta question about manual shifing

Hey guys,

First off... the car looks hot! I love this Alpine White color. Its a 330 with sport package and comfort access, an option which is uber cool

This is actually my first standard car and although I have the basics down and did not stall the car yet, I've got a question:

I know it may be different amongst all drivers but around what speed ranges do you shift gears?

ie:
0-20 = 1st
20-40 = 2nd
and so on and so on...

I'm just trying to get an idea of what gear I should be in at what speeds.

Thanks a lot! And not that you don't know what the ride looks like, but I'll post pics in the AW thread later!

Ciao!
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      03-04-2006, 11:18 AM   #2
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I dont have a manual but dont you shift depending on RPM's not speeD?
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      03-04-2006, 11:18 AM   #3
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Hi there,
Nice choice on the color. I have the same combo with no confort access :-) I actually don't pay attention to the speed. I look at the tech instead. I shift around high 2000s to mid 3000s during daily normal drive. Most of the time it's too grandma driving but oh well.
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      03-04-2006, 11:24 AM   #4
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hey 325 baller,

yeah, i know you're right about that but I thought that as a secondary measure people do pay attention to speed as well? that's why i was asking.
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      03-04-2006, 11:26 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FE9000
Hi there,
Nice choice on the color. I have the same combo with no confort access :-) I actually don't pay attention to the speed. I look at the tech instead. I shift around high 2000s to mid 3000s during daily normal drive. Most of the time it's too grandma driving but oh well.
thats where i shift too.. i read someone else on here mention they shift at 3.5 to 4.5 also.
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      03-04-2006, 11:28 AM   #6
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o alright my bad, i just have never heard of looking at your speed to shift.
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      03-04-2006, 11:32 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325 Baller
o alright my bad, i just have never heard of looking at your speed to shift.
its all good... you're probably right.
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      03-04-2006, 01:14 PM   #8
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In full throttle situations, when you feel that the acceleration has peaked and started to fall off, shift up.

Otherwise, shift up when the engine is too noisy and shift down when it starts to bog.
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      03-04-2006, 01:17 PM   #9
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I believe at full throttle you can go just past 60 in 2nd. I have a spreadsheet somewhere that had the rough calculations for the RPMs in each gear at a given speed.

EDIT: I found the spreadsheet. Redline is 7000 rpm, so you can see how far you can get in each gear. I believe in my real-world check, it was off by about 500 RPM in some cases. Haven't figured out why.

Also - I don't take credit for this. Someone else posted this and I cleaned it up cuz it interested me.

EDIT 2: Espo89 provided the initial version of this spreadsheet in this thread
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      03-04-2006, 01:18 PM   #10
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Just drive, it will come naturally
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      03-04-2006, 01:34 PM   #11
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When I learn I had no tac... I would drive by the sound of the engine before speed. Throw that into the mix and you'll be able to drive any stick. Also try to feel where your clutch engages.

just 2 cents.
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      03-04-2006, 01:41 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RR
Just drive, it will come naturally
Exactly.

For those of you that have read the most recent BMW magazine, I found it interesting how they talk about fuel saving abilities of the new inline 6 due the wide range of available torque. It's a little easier for me too since there are no hills to contend with, but very often I skip 2 or more gears. If you're not pushing hard, 2nd to 5th is a snap.
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      03-04-2006, 02:32 PM   #13
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hey guys thanks for all the feedback and pete for the spreadsheet..i will study it later.. right now, i'm out having a blast driving this car in the beautiful weather.

and you're all right...just drive it and it comes naturally. see ya!
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      03-04-2006, 04:13 PM   #14
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Here's a more advanced version of the spreadsheet. Based on the other thread I linked to, it seems tire RPM (rev per mile) is more accurate to calculate diamater than just using the static wheel + tire diameter. So I've added that ability to the spreadsheet.
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File Type: zip Gear-Speed Calculator.zip (7.5 KB, 89 views)
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      03-04-2006, 04:24 PM   #15
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Do all you people out there actually bother with gauges in day-to-day driving?
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      03-04-2006, 04:26 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RR
Just drive, it will come naturally
Yeah, you'll learn when to shift the car from practice.
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      03-04-2006, 06:01 PM   #17
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wow petesampers, impressive homework! To answer your question though, if you are just cruising and don't need all the hp, then I shift around 3,200 RPM. I stay out of 6th unless going over 65mph and am keeping a steady speed, to keep the mpg in check becuase you are giving too much gas and not in the right power range. It will come natural though, and just have fun. Oh yeah, don't baby the clutch too much, you don't want to hold it anywhere in the middle too long and start wearing it out, either in or right out.
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      03-04-2006, 06:20 PM   #18
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I go by sound as well shifting somewhere after 3k rpm, over 60mph, I just go back to D or DS.
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      03-04-2006, 06:29 PM   #19
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Your shifting should simply match the type of acceleration you're looking for...harder acceleration means holding each gear longer. There's no set RPM to shift at in each gear.
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      03-04-2006, 09:03 PM   #20
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i shift around 3-4k. sometimes earlier, like on the freeway.
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      03-05-2006, 06:04 AM   #21
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Just shift before 3500 RPM until the break in is over. After that do it when it feels right. You will learn the car after awhile.

-Croaker
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      03-05-2006, 07:40 AM   #22
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You will eventually start to shift based on the sound of the engine more than anything. For starters though, watch the tach as you approach the upper threshold of a gear. Keep in mind that the tach is not linear - and the closer you get to shift point the higher it will rev.

What is less intuative and will take you a bit more practice is proper downshifting. Have fun... play with it!
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