BMW 1 Series Coupe Forum / 1 Series Convertible Forum (1M / tii / 135i / 128i / Coupe / Cabrio / Hatchback) (BMW E82 E88 128i 130i 135i)
 





 

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      03-18-2009, 08:52 AM   #23
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if you want to save fuel and drive like grandad or grandma then whats the problem. If youy want to drive like a beast possessed and have lots of fun, stick it in "sport" and thrash the crap out of it........I don't understand your problem really. It has 7 gears, 6 forward and one reverse. 1st gear isn't needed when driving gently, but when you want to drive hard it will be used. sorry I don't get it ???? quite a few autos already do exactly this.
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      03-18-2009, 08:58 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist View Post
Old old olddddd news. Can't even stress how old this is.
Seriously. Old vacuum modulated ATs in some MB vehicles did this 25-30 years ago! Nothing new!

The needing to speed away from a collision point is valid, but that is NOT 99.99% of the time, if even 100% of the time the user will be in the car. Given such low probabilities, and the likelihood that the 135i starting in 2nd gear is as fast as most "normal" cars starting in 1st gear, I doubt there is a bg issue...
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      03-18-2009, 09:03 AM   #25
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Ummm...the car downshifts to first if your standing still for like 5 seconds. So get used to it because its what happens. And its not like the car doesn't have six gears. Its called accelerate smoothly then the lag you said(this is the engine lugging) won't happen. If it means that much to you hit the paddle forward. The car goes into first, stays in D, and all are happy.
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      03-18-2009, 09:16 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 'Ol Painless View Post
************************************************** ********


And no, we verified that in both modes, you only start in 2nd gear (unless you down shift). Simple, go into sport mode but don't touch the shifter. Take off from a stop; counting the number of shifts by "feel". You will only count 4.
You count only 4 because it never shifts to 6th in DS. The shifts are into 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. You can verify this by shifting into DS from D while driving at highway speed. It will immediately downshift and won't upshift again.

That has been my experience with mine.

Gill
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      03-18-2009, 09:19 AM   #27
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Hey, man... just so you know... I was only joking with you,, "the new guy" when I said you might think you've got eight toes cause you don't use the two little ones very much. Wasn't trying to be rude and I understood your post as you intended it.

Anyway, welcome to the board and I hope you love your car.



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      03-18-2009, 09:52 AM   #28
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You buy a car with an automatic, and complain that it doesn't respond as quick as you think a sports car should. Why didn't you test drive the car before hand? Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be complaining about the steptronic transmission in general, and not implying that yours is faulty. I've driven a steptronic before and it seemed just like any other auto with faster shifts...the transmission was designed to start in 2nd with normal driving to save gas and tires, and create a smoother acceleration in city traffic.

You can't expect to come onto a forum and bash the car and compare it to a domestic piece of crap, and get intelligent or friendly responses. If it really worries you that much, go to the dealer and drive another car with the same transmission and educate yourself further on BMW's technologies and features. You can't blame the car just because you don't understand it...well you can, but...

If anything blame the salesperson for "misleading" you.
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      03-18-2009, 10:06 AM   #29
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Hey, I didn't know about auto starting on 2nd gear either so this is new to me. I have a manual. So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?
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      03-18-2009, 10:08 AM   #30
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To all with the "M" wheel, if you want first, you simply click the paddle. It swaps to Manual mode into 1st gear. One teeny tiny quick simple pathetically easy 1/2 inch physical motion. After that, if you don't want to touch it, you don't have to. At redline, it shifts for you, and if you get to 6th and don't touch anything, after 30 seconds or so it converts back to plain "D" drive. WOW, that was difficult. Nuff said.

Gill@TireRack, were you on FocalJet Forum? Your name sounds familiar?
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      03-18-2009, 10:11 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by penny View Post
Hey, I didn't know about auto starting on 2nd gear either so this is new to me. I have a manual. So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?
AT will be different than MT. You "could" start in 2nd gear, since the 135 has enough torque, but it is still a bit of extra stress on the mechanical parts. A quick 1 second tap in 1st gear then shift to 2nd is still a bit better on your car and won't affect gas mileage.

On AT, it is set to 2nd, and of course AT's have a bit of slip built in so the stress is covered.
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      03-18-2009, 10:21 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbird View Post
Gill@TireRack, were you on FocalJet Forum? Your name sounds familiar?
Not me. One of my cohorts, no doubt.
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      03-18-2009, 10:26 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by penny View Post
Hey, I didn't know about auto starting on 2nd gear either so this is new to me. I have a manual. So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?
I sometimes start in 2nd with my 6MT when on a downward slope or on level ground...it doesn't seem to put any more stress on the car considering the N54's torque output. I don't do it all the time, just depending on traffic and terrain.
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      03-18-2009, 10:27 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gill@Tirerack.com View Post
Not me. One of my cohorts, no doubt.
Oh, ok. Yes, Tirerack.com has a major presence, they are always commenting in those forums, and I am glad they do.

I am a BIG fan of Tirerack.com! Only set of tires I bought of the last 5 or so, I only got local because they matched your price which saved me the $35 shipping. But other than that, you guys have the best selection and pricing.
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      03-18-2009, 10:30 AM   #35
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"So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?"
Sure can.
Actually - with the MT you can start in 3rd if you work with it. And have some patience ...
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      03-18-2009, 10:31 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hlmiii View Post
"So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?"
Sure can.
Actually - with the MT you can start in 3rd if you work with it. And have some patience ...
I had to start in 3rd in the snow a few times to get off from a stop.
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      03-18-2009, 10:37 AM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hlmiii View Post
"So you guys are saying I can start on 2nd at a complete stop for a smoother ride and this won't hurt the engine?"
Sure can.
Actually - with the MT you can start in 3rd if you work with it. And have some patience ...

You're increasing wear and tear on your clutch for no good reason starting in second or third...espeically in third!

The N54 has good torque, but it also does have turbo lag before that torque as available. You're slipping the clutch much more than you need to to take off in higher gears. Second isn't too bad, but using third is just asking for early clutch replacement.

The torque converter in an automatic transmission makes taking off in second gear entirely different in their case. You have a fluid coupling that converts the slippage to heat, which it is designed to absorb without damage.
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      03-18-2009, 10:45 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyc74 View Post
You're increasing wear and tear on your clutch for no good reason starting in second or third...espeically in third!

The N54 has good torque, but it also does have turbo lag before that torque as available. You're slipping the clutch much more than you need to to take off in higher gears. Second isn't too bad, but using third is just asking for early clutch replacement.

The torque converter in an automatic transmission makes taking off in second gear entirely different in their case. You have a fluid coupling that converts the slippage to heat, which it is designed to absorb without damage.
Thank you Jeremy, that's was I was trying to allude to in my post.
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      03-18-2009, 11:07 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyc74 View Post
You're increasing wear and tear on your clutch for no good reason starting in second or third...espeically in third!

The N54 has good torque, but it also does have turbo lag before that torque as available. You're slipping the clutch much more than you need to to take off in higher gears. Second isn't too bad, but using third is just asking for early clutch replacement.

The torque converter in an automatic transmission makes taking off in second gear entirely different in their case. You have a fluid coupling that converts the slippage to heat, which it is designed to absorb without damage.
Well... in addition I would venture to guess that the gear ratios in the automatic are not the same as those in the manual... maybe someone here has the time to post those ratios for comparison and see if I am right.

There's also a pretty good chance that 2nd gear in the automatic is a lower (and easier) gear than the 2nd gear in the manual. As I said, if someone has the time to post the comps between both trannies, we'll get a better look at the reality of the differences between the gear ratios of the AT and the MT.



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      03-18-2009, 11:17 AM   #40
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Manual gear ratios – I/II/III
4.06/2.40/1.58 :1

Manual gear ratios – IV/V/VI/R
1.19/1.00/0.87/3.68 :1

Manual gear ratios – Final drive ratio
3.08 :1

Automatic gear ratios – I/II/III
4.17/2.34/1.52 :1

Automatic gear ratios – IV/V/VI/R
1.14/0.87/0.69/3.40 :1

Automatic gear ratios – Final drive ratio
3.46 :1
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      03-18-2009, 11:31 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JHZR2 View Post
Seriously. Old vacuum modulated ATs in some MB vehicles did this 25-30 years ago! Nothing new!
And IIRC, the 4 speed GM Hydramatics normally started off in 2nd back in the 1950's (if not before). And they had a lot less engine power and no torque converters.

I do think, howver, that the OP raises one valid point - the manual does not adequately describe the behavior and control of the Steptronic.

Glad I have a MT!

Tom
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      03-18-2009, 12:01 PM   #42
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my mom's mercedes does this, my dad's cayenne S does this, and my sister's audi does this...

it's very normal for automatics to start in 2nd. and no, none of those car companies told us that the automatics did that, because it doesn't matter.

i used to drive my dad's old manual transmission porsche starting in 2nd sometimes. it was completely fine.
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      03-18-2009, 12:22 PM   #43
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let me see if I understand...

an automatic transmission is automatically selecting what it thinks is the proper gear to use...

shocking.
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      03-18-2009, 12:22 PM   #44
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"You're increasing wear and tear on your clutch for no good reason starting in second or third...especially in third!"
Uh, yeah. Of course.
I wasn't recommending it - just stating the possible.
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