E46 steptronics: use or dun use?

[hitmee]

hi all,

if use the "manual" mode for E46 steptronic mode, will it spoil easier? some say "maual" more fuel efficient, any comments?

 

[kenntona]

Please.

My fuel consumption improved vastly when I alternate between Drive, Sports Mode, and Manual. Vastly.

 

[littleblackalfa]

actually, i dunno if this applies, but i found the same thing as Kenntona as for my Selespeed. My fuel consumption improved a shitload once I started manual driving rather than the "city" mode. I think this is because, since u choose the RPM to shift your gear at, you can control how much it actually burns in the long run, while in auto mode, you can't.

Well, works for me...

 

[hitmee]

when u switch to "manual" mode, u mean u shift up faster to improve fuel or u drag longer? coz if shift up to fast car no power..like use up more fuel. i roughly can sense the fuel efficient too.....but havent tried a full tank.

the other issue is, if keep up down up down, scared spoil easily.

alfa: ur default is slespeed right? our default is auto. diff lah

 

[shaaz]

when u switch to "manual" mode, u mean u shift up faster to improve fuel or u drag longer? coz if shift up to fast car no power..like use up more fuel. i roughly can sense the fuel efficient too.....but havent tried a full tank.

the other issue is, if keep up down up down, scared spoil easily.

alfa: ur default is slespeed right? our default is auto. diff lah

My good friend... they call it manual for a reason right???.. so u can shift up and down without spoiling it. if u think that ur rpm shoots too fast and u say u got no power, then something wrong with your car... and when the brothers mean by improved FC, it means you controls ur revs .. not by gunning or the term you use it "drag" ur car.. if you do these 2.. forget bout making noise bout ur FC.

and if u're driving a 320, look at ur OBC (On Board Computer) look at ur miliage,if a 318 calculate urself... dun have to try on a full tank to know how good ur FC is.

:shock:

 

[Puny]

hitmee,

On the whole, the difference in FC is not that significant, but I've stuck to manual mode most of the time now and find it hard to switch back honestly. :thinking:

It doesn't seem that significant because most of the acceleration is off the traffic light - once you get up to cruising speeds, there are lesser gear changes (assuming you don't brake and overtake aggressively religiously), and cruising may take up to 80-90% of the journey timespan.

This is of coursedebatable, due to varied driving habits and routes taken; But I do feel that given most general driving styles from point A to B, it's no unreasonable to say, that the difference is usually minute (with the exception of dragging the car in manual 3rd gear from Tuas to Changi!)

1 cents' worth

 

[hitmee]

so how long have you guy been using manual? no problem with ur gear box at all after years of thrashing? ha

 

[calvin]

so how long have you guy been using manual? no problem with ur gear box at all after years of thrashing? ha

gear box gone, got warranty. thats why we pay so much

 

[shaaz]

go try it .. then let us noe.. since ur soo intrested in finding out.

 

[Racebred]

i use steptronic 100% of the time coz it gives better car control, and better predictability during overtaking.

 

[teckheng]

ur sig is making me hungry..... sweet sour pork.. eggs... curry chicken ??

 

[Puny]

One more thing..

I feel that if you find yourself depressing the step-down button very often, then it's better to stick to steptronic.

Besides the slight retardation of the step-down button which takes a while to downshift, there's always a bit of unpredictabiliy in the way the gear changing recovers after you ease up on the paddle..

So when you depress the step-down button, the car will drop gear, then attempt to almost redline from gear to gear. The moment you ease up a little, the car loses the momentum very quickly and goes up a gear very quickly too. Such scenerios are perhaps only good for more conservative overtaking where you go all out. If the traffic conditions are a tad bit tighter (ease,throttle,ease,throttle), then it actually gets quite frustrating.

 

[littleblackalfa]

when u switch to "manual" mode, u mean u shift up faster to improve fuel or u drag longer? coz if shift up to fast car no power..like use up more fuel. i roughly can sense the fuel efficient too.....but havent tried a full tank.

the other issue is, if keep up down up down, scared spoil easily.

alfa: ur default is slespeed right? our default is auto. diff lah

RPMs are RPMs. Regardless of Manual or Auto. True, the Selespeed is classified as manual. But the clutch is auto, even in manual mode. that's the bit that should fail, if any. If it fails so easily, then why build it like this? The only difference between changing gears in auto and manual mode, are this: either your car's ECU controls it, or you control it.

If on manual mode, unless you out to chiong, you relax and drive ya? so you shift faster. This means your car less stress on the engine, less fuel consumption, and less power. You cannot have power and still remain fuel efficient. One has to give way.

Another thing, learn how autos work, and you'll find that the only thing an auto will spoil from that abuse, is your lever might become lose after 10 years, especially in a BMW. The amazing thing about an auto is the hydraulic "brain" it uses. Other than that, the gearbox and clutch are pretty much the same. the lag u feel in between changing gears is because of that brain.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automatic-transmission.htm

Shift away. if the thing breaks so easily, it's not worth your money... :laughlik:

 

[Racebred]

yes if you chiong and redline your tranny very often, meaning you use it much more harshly than the average driver, then it'll be good to flush out your valve body (pictured above) with new ATF.

usual things that might spoil first include the solenoids, of which i think we have 7. your OBDII diagnostics should be able to pick it up.

 

[hitmee]

seems like all are in favour od using manual. hee hee