Tiptronic- pros and cons

[krazy00kanadian]

Recently my aunt came up and brought her 2001 330ix with a tiptronic tranny.

I hate autos. i drive my manual 535i, but really wanted to drive her car (for obvious reasons) but the tanny is so laggy.

I would tell it to shift around 4k and i would feel it shift around 5-6k depending how 'responsible' I felt like being.

also when in "manual" mode, when I let off the gas in, say 4th gear the RPMs would sink back down the way they do in a full auto tranny.


I found myself doing preemptive shifts, shifting at 3 to make it actually shift at 4-5 which was annoying; I don’t see why anyone would choose this. True it can be set to full auto, but if you want a manual cat why not buy one?

This seems to be a completely unreasonable "mix" between the two tranny systems.

Tell me what you think on this.

~farley

[BillionPa]

even with paddle shifting if its not SMG or DCG then its just an auto... with more buttons.

[VentoGT]

It's to make idiots think they know how to drive a manual. Seriously, tips are nothing but slushboxes with limited selectable gearing. Any time I have ever driven a car with a tiptronic, I end up leaving it in D and letting the auto tranny do the work for the reasons you describe.

[Bill R.]

tiptronic since the etk doesn't list any 2001 e46 330's with a tiptronic transmission. That said my steptronic in my 2000 e46 wagon shifts exactly when i tell it to and when i back off on the gas in a gear it coasts down using engine braking just like a manual trans. Its still not a manual but its not intended to be. I suspect there is something wrong with your Aunt's car that it is shifting like that. My steptronic won't let me do something really stupid like downshift to first gear at 70 mph but other than that it will engine brake just like a manual, it also won't let me go above redline before shifting, it will go ahead and shift in that case

Recently my aunt came up and brought her 2001 330ix with a tiptronic tranny.

I hate autos. i drive my manual 535i, but really wanted to drive her car (for obvious reasons) but the tanny is so laggy.

I would tell it to shift around 4k and i would feel it shift around 5-6k depending how 'responsible' I felt like being.

also when in "manual" mode, when I let off the gas in, say 4th gear the RPMs would sink back down the way they do in a full auto tranny.


I found myself doing preemptive shifts, shifting at 3 to make it actually shift at 4-5 which was annoying; I don’t see why anyone would choose this. True it can be set to full auto, but if you want a manual cat why not buy one?

This seems to be a completely unreasonable "mix" between the two tranny systems.

Tell me what you think on this.

~farley

[t_marat]

What's the difference between tiptronic and steptronic??

[Bill R.]

Audi and VW, originally it referred to the sequential shifting automatic that porsche came out with but the name has come to be associated with the steering wheel paddle shifter models, to me implying that tip means finger tips shifting. Steptronic is bmw's name for the sequential automatic shifting setup, Sportmatic is mercedes name for the similar thing, along with volvo geartronic, saab sentronic,mitsubishi sportronic,lexus eshift, jaguar mechatronic,hyundai shiftronic, etc etc.

What's the difference between tiptronic and steptronic??

[Qsilver7]

...and I think there is a difference between BMWs SMG & Steptronic. In simple terms (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but I believe SMG is actually a manual transmission that can behave like an automatic (it actually uses a clutch)...and Steptronic is an automatic transmission that can be shifted as if it were a manual.

[DABIMR]

...and I think there is a difference between BMWs SMG & Steptronic. In simple terms (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but I believe SMG is actually a manual transmission that can behave like an automatic (it actually uses a clutch)...and Steptronic is an automatic transmission that can be shifted as if it were a manual.

This site has some more info on the SMG tranny..

[Marshy]

I have a mod on mine called Switchlogic, which is manual control over the autobox. It hooks into the winter mode of the tranny computer and uses what would otherwise be the steering column adjustment lever for the control: forward for up a gear, backward for down.

There's a software change to go with it, and it works as well as can be expected, I think, given that it's still an auto. I didn't pay the extra for the "current gear" readout as the mod itself was expensive enough.

The cute trick (if you can find a road big enough to exploit it) is the fact that you can be barreling along in 4th or 5th, jump on the brakes, yank the lever back 2 or three times to ask for second gear, and it'll change down as and when road speed allows. Probably only any use on a track, and I haven't got to a track to really play with it.

I find I drive in the manual mode all the time now as it just gives me that extra level of control to always be in the gear I want, rather than the tranny's idea of the gear I want.

So: recommended, but hard to find outside the UK, and expensive.

[George M]

tiptronic since the etk doesn't list any 2001 e46 330's with a tiptronic transmission. That said my steptronic in my 2000 e46 wagon shifts exactly when i tell it to and when i back off on the gas in a gear it coasts down using engine braking just like a manual trans. Its still not a manual but its not intended to be. I suspect there is something wrong with your Aunt's car that it is shifting like that. My steptronic won't let me do something really stupid like downshift to first gear at 70 mph but other than that it will engine brake just like a manual, it also won't let me go above redline before shifting, it will go ahead and shift in that case

Hi Bill,
Haven't corresponded in a while. Thought you would be interested to hear...you likely know this...that BMW has changed their policy on "no more lifetime" fluid. I am sure it is a calculated business decision based upon all the failed Step's out there that have not changed their fluid...not to mention BMWNA can bank big money through changing auto trans fluid through their dealer network. Have a read of this link:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=382812

Perhaps you have seen BMW's change in policy and if so have a link.
When we last spoke, you mentioned you were about to change the fluid in your E-46. Have you done so? If so, how did the fluid and filter look just under 50K miles? Have you located a cost effective Esso fluid source?
Hope all is well,
George
P.S. The Step in my E-46 is the best shifting and most versatile auto trans I have ever owned...love it.