Manually Shifting W/ Automatic

[saj3n]

I will admit it, I've never driven stick besides 1st gear around a parking lot in a 944 Porsche when I was 12. So, my experience is limited. However, I know my 530i does have the option to switch shifting into manual mode. I wanted to know the basics of using this mode to shift as well as the benefit of manual mode in comparison to say Auto or Economy.

[calmloki]

Please don't. No good reason to and it's harder on your auto trans than letting the computer shift it on it's own. Now putting it in Sports mode is okee dokee.
Tom

[saj3n]

Yea, I liked to leave it in Sport mode every now and then.... but i literally see that gas gauge drop when flooring it merging onto freeways or just giving myself that extra space from the car who is tailing me, thinking they can keep up... ya know... a nice little press on that overdrive. :-P

[Atl530i]

I've done it before, its cool and everything, but still not a stick. Get a beater with a stick and learn in that if you do not want to mess up a nicer car.

[Monastie]

I've done it before, its cool and everything, but still not a stick. Get a beater with a stick and learn in that if you do not want to mess up a nicer car.

Bah.... It took me a day to learn on the car.
Was the clutch smelly after the first day? hell ya.. lol

but I had some practice on my motorcycle before though

[saj3n]

i was freaked out when that switch went bad and actually got stuck in manual mode. I didn't know what I was doing. Sure did take side roads home. I got the hang of it a lil bit, but not sure when to shift, if i take foot off gas when i shift, or what...

[SC David]

In an auto you can keep your foot planted to the pedal while shifting. My car doesn't even have a manual mode, but it does have the ability to shift into any gear. I use this on spirited drives that stay under 60mph, and keep the car in second gear as to avoid harming my tranny, since my allpowerful M20 would rip it shreds. When I DO use it to actually shift gears, I shift when the engine is in its powerband before redline at a little after 5k RPM's. I'm not sure where the 530 gets most of its power, but I'm sure you have a little more torque down low.

[saj3n]

Oh yea?.... Man, im curious to try it out now... Just to get the hang of it.

[emw525E34]

Yep, the M20 motor seems to have a very accurate tranny program. Maybe it was due to the Siemens ECU design which was pretty darn good for its era. In my case, my 89 auto M20 motor had Apexi SAFCIII intake mod with 535AFM. When programmed properly (which I have done), I can drive almost like a manual except for 2nd downshift. Blip the throttle over 3500 rpm to shift up and when I back-off the throttle abruptly, it will downshift nicely. The M20 motor revs pretty quick for a 12value BabySix.
I tracked my car, so in one corner I had to "force" 2nd gear by pushing the shifter into 2. Other than that, most people people swears its a manual at the rate it drives!. Very nice.

Of course, I preferred a real manual, which is why I have a Euro manual E34 Touing/Wagon. Only the first 3 seconds of 1st gear does it feel slugguish. After that, it accelerates like a rocket (in E34 terms, of course) until redline. A Real fun car and much much easier to get the tail out in corners. Real sleeper even with 2.5 Single-Vanos M50 motor. I tried several E39 but found those way to slugguish for my liking. No 540 though, that might change my perspective on at E39.

[SchnellE34]

I use it in bumper to bumper traffic to keep the car in first or second gear depending on traffic speed.

I also use it on windy hilly roads to down shift and kick the engine into a higher gear at will. (very fun, but used very very rarely)