...I discovered something with my Steptronic

[JohnnyTT]

Hello all. So last night I was cruisng on the highway doing 75. Since I just finished my 1200 mile break in, I'm starting to see what this thing can do.

So I put the car in manual mode.. 6th gear and wanted to floor it to see how it pulled from 75 and up. I found something I never felt before. When you push the pedal far down... there is a strong resistance point which I always thought was floored. Well...this time for my 6th gear experiment I did what I've been waiting 1200 miles for.... smashed my foot on the pedal. WELL, the pedal went past that point of resistance and hit the floor board and the car automatically and instantaneously shifted to 3rd gear. It jumped 3 gears.. and the engine was ROARing.

So.... I learned 2 things.... that this thing can jump gears like that....and there is a strong resistance point on the gas pedal that I always thought was the bottom.


More experimenting to follow.

[BJDrew]

Read the manual - it's a feature of the car. Floor it like that, and you'll downshift for MAX POWER!

Toyota PRIUS - One FLAG
Bimmer 135i - SIX FLAGS!

[Red135]

That is the transmission's 'kick-down' mode.

[moff]

That's called kick-down and happens on most auto boxes. The resistance point should not be too strong though, it should feel like more of a click than a shove IMO.

It does the same on our 335d and also did it on our old E46 330i Cab.

It really annoys me when you are in the 'manual' mode and it still kicks down.

[Crowley]

Originally Posted by BJDrew

Read the manual - it's a feature of the car. Floor it like that, and you'll downshift for MAX POWER!

Toyota PRIUS - One FLAG
Bimmer 135i - SIX FLAGS!

lol

[JohnnyTT]

Originally Posted by BJDrew

Read the manual - it's a feature of the car. Floor it like that, and you'll downshift for MAX POWER!

Groovy... I didn't realize the car could jump 3 gears though.

Originally Posted by moff

It really annoys me when you are in the 'manual' mode and it still kicks down.

Yeah, I'd rather have complete control. But I wonder if I hit that res. point... is the car WOT? and when I pass it, it justs put me in the max accel gear?

[plien69]

Yes, you are at WOT without going past the kickdown switch.

[plien69]

Originally Posted by JohnnyTT

Groovy... I didn't realize the car could jump 3 gears though.

Jumping gears is touted as a feature of the ZF transmission.

Invoking kickdown like you described is the only scenario I've found so far where the tranny will jump gears. I've not been able to get it to skip gears when using the paddle shifters, for example.

[JohnnyTT]

Yeah, plien.. but I've always been able to get it to jump 2 gears.. this is the first time I got 3.

I think you and I discussed the jumping in manual mode before. It doesn't seem possible.

[Robert]

The kickdown point on the pedal is ubiquitous on most automatic cars. :-) 3 gears downshift is pretty cool.

[TagMan]

In automatic transmissions, when invoking "kickdown", there is a slight time lag, as the tranny finds the right gear. On some cars, this process takes much too long. On others, it is extremely quick. The difference between various transmissions is profound.

How much of this typical lag does the Steptronic demonstrate? IOW, how quick does it find and engage that appropriate lower gear ratio compared to other trannies?

[I-One-Da?]

So when you are in "manual" mode and you stomp the gas, will it downshift for you still? I thought that it was basically a clutchless manual at that point:iono:

I guess I will have to test this out when I pick up my 1er next week:roundel:

[plien69]

Originally Posted by I-One-Da?

So when you are in "manual" mode and you stomp the gas, will it downshift for you still? I thought that it was basically a clutchless manual at that point:iono:

I guess I will have to test this out when I pick up my 1er next week:roundel:

Yes, it will still downshift for you if you're in Manual mode. it will also upshift for you when you hit redline in Manual mode.

Those are probably my biggest complaints with the Step. Not so much the downshift, but the upshift at redline bugs me.

[plien69]

Originally Posted by TagMan

In automatic transmissions, when invoking "kickdown", there is a slight time lag, as the tranny finds the right gear. On some cars, this process takes much too long. On others, it is extremely quick. The difference between various transmissions is profound.

How much of this typical lag does the Steptronic demonstrate? IOW, how quick does it find and engage that appropriate lower gear ratio compared to other trannies?

Tag, it is very quick. The quickest I've ever experienced in an auto. It's almost scary the first time you try it.

[I-One-Da?]

Originally Posted by plien69

Yes, it will still downshift for you if you're in Manual mode. it will also upshift for you when you hit redline in Manual mode.

Those are probably my biggest complaints with the Step. Not so much the downshift, but the upshift at redline bugs me.

Yeah, that upshift in steps bugs me too. Why is it that they can't just let you bounce off the rev limiter if you want to in a step? I do not see there being any type of liability issue since I can do the same in a manual:iono:

Is there a reason that I am not thinking off besides the fact that an auto tranny cost more $$ so to protect it makes a little more sense?

[subscience]

I think the fuel injector cuts off when you attempt to pass the redline in an MT.

[JohnnyTT]

Originally Posted by TagMan

In automatic transmissions, when invoking "kickdown", there is a slight time lag, as the tranny finds the right gear. On some cars, this process takes much too long. On others, it is extremely quick. The difference between various transmissions is profound.

How much of this typical lag does the Steptronic demonstrate? IOW, how quick does it find and engage that appropriate lower gear ratio compared to other trannies?

It was really quick. So quick it shocked me. I'll do it again tonight and see just how quick it is.

[JBurer]

Love it!!
Here I thought six flags was only airing that in GA.

Originally Posted by BJDrew

Read the manual - it's a feature of the car. Floor it like that, and you'll downshift for MAX POWER!

Toyota PRIUS - One FLAG
Bimmer 135i - SIX FLAGS!

[akak1997]

Arh, little grasshopper, I see you have discovered the secret button. The way to really bad mpg can now begin.


Trust me... it's addictive... I first found out there's a button like that in my Golf, and ever since, I can't stop pressing it. I used to get around 30mpg on the Golf, after discovering the button, 23mpg... And that's in a 2.0L N/A engine.

[Qube]

How else would you pass someone on the highway with a slushbox?

On the 540 (Step) it goes 5th to 3rd and away it goes...

On the 128 I manually drop it 6th to 3rd

On the 135 I manually drop it 6th to 4th... though realistically, it still pulls in 5th or 6th!

[jmunro]

Originally Posted by plien69

Yes, it will still downshift for you if you're in Manual mode. it will also upshift for you when you hit redline in Manual mode.

Those are probably my biggest complaints with the Step. Not so much the downshift, but the upshift at redline bugs me.

Actually if you're in manual mode on the Steptronic and when you upshift, just continue to hold the "stick" forward in that gear and the engine will continue to redline or even past redline if you so dare

[instantexpert]

Originally Posted by I-One-Da?

Yeah, that upshift in steps bugs me too. Why is it that they can't just let you bounce off the rev limiter if you want to in a step? I do not see there being any type of liability issue since I can do the same in a manual:iono:

Is there a reason that I am not thinking off besides the fact that an auto tranny cost more $$ so to protect it makes a little more sense?

I drove an IS350 which just bounced off the rev limiter instead of upshifting. The test drive was a frustrating experience because red-line came so fast that I was unable to shift to keep up and the car was much slower than the 135 step I tested. That said, I still bought the 135i MT...