BMW M3 SMG Gearbox likes/dislikes?
Discussion
Hi all,
I am relativley new to the BMW forum so all help would be useful.
My question is this, I recently sold my much loved and much missed Porky 996 Turbo (Practicality and finances!!)and absolutely loved the tiptronic on it, extremlely responsive unbelivably smooth and even the lag wasn't too bad.
However I have recently got myself a 2002 M3 with the SMG gearbox and think it is S%^T. if i put it sport mode, use the paddles and change down a gear it literally throws me through the window, the change of gear is so clunky i am amazed, even when I am in auto mode and it decides it wants to change gear again I get whiplash.
Can anyone relate to this or is this standard and people have got used to it???
Please help.
I am relativley new to the BMW forum so all help would be useful.
My question is this, I recently sold my much loved and much missed Porky 996 Turbo (Practicality and finances!!)and absolutely loved the tiptronic on it, extremlely responsive unbelivably smooth and even the lag wasn't too bad.
However I have recently got myself a 2002 M3 with the SMG gearbox and think it is S%^T. if i put it sport mode, use the paddles and change down a gear it literally throws me through the window, the change of gear is so clunky i am amazed, even when I am in auto mode and it decides it wants to change gear again I get whiplash.
Can anyone relate to this or is this standard and people have got used to it???
Please help.
I love it. I had a normal M3, then an SMG, now a CSL and I'm gettin an M5 in March.
Just think of it as being exactly the same as a normal manual: if you go for the quickest gearchange possible, while keeping your foot on the throttle, it will be very jerky. Learn to feather the throttle slightly as you change (except on track on the straights) and you can easily make a smooth change in any mode. When you change down, you LIFT, otherwise, yes, it will throw you through the window. I'm not sure why that should be surprising! not lifting is like changing down in a manual and coming off the clutch suddenly while the revs are still high. THe system takes care of blipping the throttle for you to match revs if you do it properly. I remember having problems like this for the firs few hours, but not thereafter. Some people never like it though. Perhaps you are one of those. It's one of those things that divides people.
The auto modes are useless and superfluous.
>> Edited by Zod on Sunday 22 January 23:44
Just think of it as being exactly the same as a normal manual: if you go for the quickest gearchange possible, while keeping your foot on the throttle, it will be very jerky. Learn to feather the throttle slightly as you change (except on track on the straights) and you can easily make a smooth change in any mode. When you change down, you LIFT, otherwise, yes, it will throw you through the window. I'm not sure why that should be surprising! not lifting is like changing down in a manual and coming off the clutch suddenly while the revs are still high. THe system takes care of blipping the throttle for you to match revs if you do it properly. I remember having problems like this for the firs few hours, but not thereafter. Some people never like it though. Perhaps you are one of those. It's one of those things that divides people.
The auto modes are useless and superfluous.
>> Edited by Zod on Sunday 22 January 23:44
John, like Zod I've owned quite a few SMG equipped cars (3 M3s and now an M3 CSL). I own a variety of cars, some of which have fully manual boxes, one (a 4.8is X5) which uses the latest ZF Auto and then of course my M3 CSL. I still prefer the SMG box over all of the others, although I never use it in its auto mode (except if caught up in slow moving traffic). In my manual cars (a Mini Cooper S Works and Alpina Roadster) I constantly heel-and-toe to maintain smooth changes. I do the same in my SMG equipped CSL, blipping the throttle on downshifts to assist the SMG software and my gear changes are as smooth as silk. Smoother even than my Auto X5.
Some people criticise SMG for being less involving than a fully manual box, but that's rubbish. Yes you 'can' drive it lazily but if you do so then you will suffer because then it's neither fish nor fowl, not as smooth as an Auto and with less control than a manual. To get the most out of SMG you must become involved with it mechanically. Treat it as a manual box which you need to interact with to gain the best from, then you will benefit from a gear change system that relieves the strain on your left leg, allows you to change gears in situations that would be impractical in a regular manual, yet provides much more control than an auto.
Some people criticise SMG for being less involving than a fully manual box, but that's rubbish. Yes you 'can' drive it lazily but if you do so then you will suffer because then it's neither fish nor fowl, not as smooth as an Auto and with less control than a manual. To get the most out of SMG you must become involved with it mechanically. Treat it as a manual box which you need to interact with to gain the best from, then you will benefit from a gear change system that relieves the strain on your left leg, allows you to change gears in situations that would be impractical in a regular manual, yet provides much more control than an auto.
I've an e36 M3 SMG and i found that when i first bought the car i had to just `trust it` but the gearbox system also learns the particular style of your driving. If you take it to a BMW garage, main or specialist, they should be able to reset it for you for a very little, if any, fee. So then although it'll be a little jurkey or apprehensive to change gear it will learn you style of driving trust me.
In a nutshell.....I LOVE IT and i think all cars should be avaiable with this. Its the best of both worlds.
>> Edited by M3john on Tuesday 24th January 03:48
>> Edited by M3john on Tuesday 24th January 03:49
In a nutshell.....I LOVE IT and i think all cars should be avaiable with this. Its the best of both worlds.
>> Edited by M3john on Tuesday 24th January 03:48
>> Edited by M3john on Tuesday 24th January 03:49
Don't forget, if you pull back on the "down shift" paddle for a few seconds before attempting a hill start, the system will match the revs to the angle of the hill so you can pull away smoothly without moving back.... stunning gearbox. I had problems with mine sadly, got home to find hydraulic fluid everywhere... it has bascially exploded itself. When cold it's as jerky as a kangaroo on speed, but as everyone says, if you feather the throttle it's pretty good. Sometimes around town I found mine changing down just as I manually shifted down and this ended up with me going from 3rd to 1st with some interesting results... if the revs drop too low it changes down for you, but occasionally it does this when you least expect it!
Great gearbox though, for driving fast cross country it's a dream, loved it. Hope to go back to another M3 SMG after a period away from it.... I MISS IT!! :-)
Enjoy!
Great gearbox though, for driving fast cross country it's a dream, loved it. Hope to go back to another M3 SMG after a period away from it.... I MISS IT!! :-)
Enjoy!
john purdie said:
AARRGGHH I See,
So really you have to treat it as a normal manual only you have the benfit of no clutch and easy paddles to deal with.
ok sounds sensible now thinking of it, ill try it and let you know.
Thanks for all the advice peeps
So really you have to treat it as a normal manual only you have the benfit of no clutch and easy paddles to deal with.
ok sounds sensible now thinking of it, ill try it and let you know.
Thanks for all the advice peeps
How's it going?
ETA unlikely to get a response - look when he last posted!
Edited by RichBurley on Friday 16th March 16:39
cydaps said:
Don't forget, if you pull back on the "down shift" paddle for a few seconds before attempting a hill start, the system will match the revs to the angle of the hill so you can pull away smoothly without moving back.... stunning gearbox. I had problems with mine sadly, got home to find hydraulic fluid everywhere... it has bascially exploded itself. When cold it's as jerky as a kangaroo on speed, but as everyone says, if you feather the throttle it's pretty good. Sometimes around town I found mine changing down just as I manually shifted down and this ended up with me going from 3rd to 1st with some interesting results... if the revs drop too low it changes down for you, but occasionally it does this when you least expect it!
Great gearbox though, for driving fast cross country it's a dream, loved it. Hope to go back to another M3 SMG after a period away from it.... I MISS IT!! :-)
Enjoy!
Great gearbox though, for driving fast cross country it's a dream, loved it. Hope to go back to another M3 SMG after a period away from it.... I MISS IT!! :-)
Enjoy!
Not only is the car old to you, but so is this thread! You've resurrected a thread from the Ark!!!
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