Tiptronic & Steptronic

[Racebred]

these are just names.

basically, for widely commercial cars, we have the auto transmission with driver-input manual override, and then we have the clutch-pedal-less sequential manual.

 

[E46]

Re: Tiptronic & Steptronic

Can i noe from the expertise here wat is the difference between Tiptronic n Steptronic? Ever read in magz n it mention tat both r different but share the same function, izzit true? How izzit different? Cars like BMW n MITSUBISHI etc... belongs to steptronic and ALFA etc... belongs to tiptronic. If always drving wif steptronic n using engine brake, will tis stress the gears in the gearbox n shorten the lifespan?(heard some1 mentioned it b4) Tot tis type of gear r design to be driven n to be stressed in tis way so shouldnt have any problem. Pls comment....... :thinking:

For steptronic I guess its great that we can switch to clutch pedaless manual mode but you should be expecting transmission lag as it takes a while to change to the next gear. On high revs you should also expect a longer time before the gear upshifts say about ... 500-700rpm.

But SMG is supposed to be faster from what I read in the advertisement.

 

[richlee7]

both are the same thing, auto gearbox, with possible manual selection, but basically autobox (torque convertor driven)
Steptronic:BMW naming convention.
Tiptroniorsche naming convention.

then there are the sequential manual trans. These have real manual gearbox (synchro mesh operated) but using electronics to do the mechanical gear change. These are the best, IMHO if u learn to use them well.
SMG:BMW naming convention (i think only for the M and certain higher end models)
Selespeed:Alfa Romeo naming convention

 

[emiffy]

Could someone shed some light on why the + is pull-downwards for some steptronic/tiptronic, and the other way around? E.g., to shift down a gear (e.g. from 4 to 3), on the newer BMWs I would have to PUSH the lever upwards? :thinking:

 

[E46]

Could someone shed some light on why the + is pull-downwards for some steptronic/tiptronic, and the other way around? E.g., to shift down a gear (e.g. from 4 to 3), on the newer BMWs I would have to PUSH the lever upwards? :thinking:

My upshift is pull not push. factory error maybe ?

 

[emiffy]

answering my own question (E46 got me thinking... and worried...)

#5. Re: [E36M3] Review of '03 330i vs '95 M3 - from Ron BuchalskiTopDate: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 18:01:15 -0400
From: "Ron Buchalski" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [E36M3] Review of '03 330i vs '95 M3

BMW's earlier Steptronic transmissions would upshift
when the lever was pushed forward, and downshift when pulled back. When the E46 M3 and SMG were coming, BMW switched the Steptronic shift directions around so that it would be consistent with the SMG.


I also found this other reference:

There is a four(4) pin connector into the shifter. The middle two pins are for upshift & downshift (Blue gray & blue green accordingly). It's a purple connector on the right hand side of the shifter. So, by simply swapping these two wires in the connector you will reverse the shift direction.

Also, you can get a new trip plate with the Plus on the bottom and the minus on the top, you can order Part # 51 16 7 060 445

 

[Shaun]

Re: Tiptronic & Steptronic

Can i noe from the expertise here wat is the difference between Tiptronic n Steptronic? Ever read in magz n it mention tat both r different but share the same function, izzit true? How izzit different? Cars like BMW n MITSUBISHI etc... belongs to steptronic and ALFA etc... belongs to tiptronic. If always drving wif steptronic n using engine brake, will tis stress the gears in the gearbox n shorten the lifespan?(heard some1 mentioned it b4) Tot tis type of gear r design to be driven n to be stressed in tis way so shouldnt have any problem. Pls comment....... :thinking:

Use the brakes for braking and not the engine unless it is inescapable in the attempt to get into the right gear for quick exits from turns (which is mostly for track or law breaking street). Engine breaking effect is reduced on these auto transmissions anyway cos of slip.

Can't confirm stressing gearbox by engine braking that way, but I do know that something gets very rough and raspy within 2 or so seconds after letting off at high RPM and engine braking. I don't know of any auto situation in which rough and raspy is a sign of ok or good. So IMO it is bad to do it.

 

[Alvin666]

Wow so much feedback ya.... Thanx for the infor!

 

[Racebred]

basically there are reasons for why the + is up-motion or down-motion, and vice versa.

most lay people associate + with up, so BMW made that initially to cater for the mass market

come 2001 (i think) they reversed the motion. This is due to the instinctive actions of people wanting to down or upshift. One downshifts as one is braking, and the inertia pushes one forward. So the downshift becomes a forward push. With acceleration, you need to upshift, and the inertia pushes you back on the seat. Therefore you pull back to upshift.

this change brings the Steptronic motions in line with the existing racing sequential boxes' actions.

yes, you can simply reverse it yourself by reversing the 2 wires in under your gearstick panel.

I have a 2000 M54 E39 520i, with + as push, and a 2002 E46 320i, with a + as pull. Without using paddleshift, you can be sure as hell i mis-shifted every single gear in the e39. hahahah

Is Audi and Mercedes also called Tiptronic? Issit a "German-use" term? Hyundai calls it H-matic. It's all the same thing. Auto boxes.

BMW uses SMG, used to call non-M's SSG, alfa calls it selespeed, Ferrari calls it F1 shift, Maserati calls it Cambiocorsa, Lamborghini calls it E-gear. A similar system but with 2 clutches in the Audi is called the DSG. It's all the same concept.

Different names are due to marketing. Each company would like their lay customers to think that it's a newly developed technology unique to the brand.

 

[E46]

basically there are reasons for why the + is up-motion or down-motion, and vice versa.

most lay people associate + with up, so BMW made that initially to cater for the mass market

come 2001 (i think) they reversed the motion. This is due to the instinctive actions of people wanting to down or upshift. One downshifts as one is braking, and the inertia pushes one forward. So the downshift becomes a forward push. With acceleration, you need to upshift, and the inertia pushes you back on the seat. Therefore you pull back to upshift.

this change brings the Steptronic motions in line with the existing racing sequential boxes' actions.

yes, you can simply reverse it yourself by reversing the 2 wires in under your gearstick panel.

I have a 2000 M54 E39 520i, with + as push, and a 2002 E46 320i, with a + as pull. Without using paddleshift, you can be sure as hell i mis-shifted every single gear in the e39. hahahah

Is Audi and Mercedes also called Tiptronic? Issit a "German-use" term? Hyundai calls it H-matic. It's all the same thing. Auto boxes.

BMW uses SMG, used to call non-M's SSG, alfa calls it selespeed, Ferrari calls it F1 shift, Maserati calls it Cambiocorsa, Lamborghini calls it E-gear. A similar system but with 2 clutches in the Audi is called the DSG. It's all the same concept.

Different names are due to marketing. Each company would like their lay customers to think that it's a newly developed technology unique to the brand.

cheers bro, pretty much answered most of my doubts

 

[Alvin666]

My E46 when coming to a stop at traffic light (when in steptronic mode) the dear down to 2nd gear instead of the 1st gear. Do all the E46 out there have the same gear down shift? If is design to be like tis, why izzit so. Tot normally car starts from stationary is always starts from gear 1! :thinking:

 

[Racebred]

1st gear too much engine brake, very uncomfortable. you try it yourself manually. thats for thr decelerating part.

the gear remains at 2 while moving off also. if you move off slowly enough in fully auto mode, it'll be 2nd gear too. watch your speed/rpm ratio and you'll realise it. cars with winter mode or slippery mode will also move you off at gear 2.

 

[E46]

My E46 when coming to a stop at traffic light (when in steptronic mode) the dear down to 2nd gear instead of the 1st gear. Do all the E46 out there have the same gear down shift? If is design to be like tis, why izzit so. Tot normally car starts from stationary is always starts from gear 1! :thinking:

I did try engine brake in gear 1 but apparently it just stays at gear 2. According to the manual, the OBC determines if the gear you want to change to will over rev the engine therefore restraining it to the lowest gear possible within safe RPM range. Not much of a use I must say coz gear 1 is when you wanna move off quick.