BMW STEPTRONIC - HOW TO GET IT THE RIGHT WAY AROUND
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- Ever since I got my first Steptronic automatic gearbox on my BMW E38 740i I have thought it was back-to-front. It just makes no sense to pull the shifter backwards to get first gear. Having been brought up driving 4-speed manual gearboxes where you push forwards into first gear and then pull backwards into 2nd gear as you accelerate and then push forwards as you slow down makes much more sense. The same is true for my 8-Series 840ci.
This video shows how to swap the Steptronic direction so that you push forwards into 1st gear and can be used for the E31, E38 and early E39 5-Series. It's not difficult, but it is a bit fiddly!
Why I think the Steptronic pattern is wrong 00:00
How to remove the gaiter and shifter plate 03:24
How to disconnect the shifter plate loom 05:21
How to swap the Steptronic Legend Plate 07:44
What are all the components under the shifter plate 11:17
How to reverse the Steptronic Direction 14:47
How to refit the Shifter plate and Gaiter 20:18
How to use a pre-Steptronic shifter as a Steptronic 23:28
Roundup 25:13
#BMW, #Steptronic, #Reverse, - Авто та транспорт
Just what I was looking for, very detailed and accurate, as it should be, great job.
Glad it helped my friend
This and Sreten's channel are the only ones where a new episode goes straight to the top of my Watch Later list without havng to queue. Great video Timm, I always learn something useful. Just carried this out on my 98 530d E39 and watched it 4 times before and during 😅
Brilliant Andy, that's what I like to hear, good man!
Nice. I always wondered why some of them do this backwards! Makes more sense when slowing down that your mass is moving forward. Shifting by pushing forward is more comfortable under deceleration.
Thanks Danny!
Hi Timm this is Alvin your number one fan. Wow great tip. Keep the videos coming my friend. Blessings
ALVIN!! There you are! Great to hear from you and hope you are doing well.
Nice swap Tim, my old E46 steptronic was backwards like that, I had to retrain my brain to get used to it. Then when I got the SMG M5 which was the right way around, it felt much better but had to retrain the old brain again to avoid the confusion!
Yes, it is a bit confusing seeing as my 650i is the right way around the the E31 wasn't!
Hello ! Brilliant video, as always. Superbly done. Thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge in this way. I sincerely hope that you will never tire of making them. Honestly, I will not bother with this switch as I am really not put off by the reverse pattern. So be it. But I always learn much about these fantastic touring cars on each of your videos nevertheless.
My 2001 E38 Sport / 196,000 kms is holding up very well; meticulous frequent oil changes (no plastic, or other bits in the sieve) plus a new guide tensioner every 80,000-ish kms is keeping it purring nicely. I hope it never let us down. Only compliant: the western Canadian winters. Much caution required on snow, in spite of Steptronic. Cheers
Thank Jean, 196K is nothing for these engines no matter what others say! You are doing all the right things!
Great video - thank you! I have a 2001 E53 (4.4) and a 2005 E64 (4.4) and as you said, the E53 is backwards... i've been considering swapping it to match the E64... so this is very helpful. Keep up the great videos!
Glad it helped and Thanks!
Timm! You are a legend!
Thanks my friend, see you on the Forums!
Another brilliant video Timm. In my 97 540i, it's always felt natural the way it is. Pulling down for shifting down etc. I just reckon all manuals were round the wrong way all those years ;-)
Thanks Bernard!
I'd never driven an automatic let alone a tiptronic up until a few years ago but found it completely intuitive,
You push up to go up a gear and you pull down to go down a gear🤷♂️
The Steptronic is great fun!
Superb Sir 👍
Thanks Robert!
Backwards gear up is most natural
Yes I agree!
Thanks, I need to do that.
Thanks, I should have done it a long time ago!
I would love to see Tim do a manual swap on that 840!
I'm English and that means I drove manual cars for 40 years until I got my first auto - and I'm not going back - ever!
Early E39 are not the only one that are swapped around.
I have the same problem with my 330i (e46)
I am planning to do the same modification to my E39 as well.
The procedures are actually quite similar except the two center wires are different colour.
You would have thought that they would use the same switches and loom!
A sequential box operates back to shift up and forward to shift down. I personally feel this is more natural as you accelerate you reach for the shift and pull back and while breaking the inertia pushing you forward makes sense to push the leaver away from you. So I prefer this way, it confuses my head the opposite way around.
Good point! And thanks!
Very well explained, it definitely feels more natural this way! How's the automatic in the older M60 cars, is it a good gearbox?
Thanks!
I want to remove the automatic upshift on my E46 318ti. I think that would make it a fun drift missile. But it'll literally be more dangerous if the gearbox doesn't let you redline freely. I wonder if there's any hope, or if the only reasonable option is a manual gearbox swap. I basically have the perfect car for this, if only it didn't want to decide the appropriate gear instead of me.
The auto's can be locked in a gear (using the 4,3,2 setting on the shifter) but it will change gear if it feels the revs are excessive...
Tim I have a DTC 27bd exhaust camshaft control output stage and it keeps car in limp mode CAN u help I switch around cam sensor and vanos solenoid problem didn't move to the intake are it fix the exhaust side
My 1998 E36 M3 has the SMG.....Sequential Manual Gearbox......and that has it the right way for my taste, in that you pull the lever back to go up through the gears, and push the lever forward to go down through the gears. To me this seems more logical, as I've ridden Motorcycles since I could walk, with the gear lever on bikes pushed up with the left foot, to go up through the gears (1-5 typically), and pushed down, to go down through the gears (5-1). My 2001 E53 3.0 M54 X5 has the usual Steptronic Auto with the reverse pattern, and I always have to be conscious of it at first, because it doesn't come intuitively & automatically, as it does to shift gears the other way.
Another thing to consider in cars with a sequential gearbox or sequential shift gate, when you accelerate HARD, G-force pushes you back against your seat, which makes grabbing gears by PULLING the lever back towards you easier and more intuitive, than fighting the G-forces pushing you back, by trying to lean forward against that force, to extend your reach and push the lever forward. Conversely, under HARD braking & downchanging, G-forces, momentum & inertia want to throw your body forwards, straining against your seatbelt or racing harnesses, which makes pushing the lever forwards easier, more logical, & intuitive by my reckoning....essentially, you're shifting up or down sequentially, in line with the dynamic forces and principles of physics that result from your intent & motion. That's why production car SMG's like the BMW E36 M3's, and even the Ferrari F355's which had a virtually identical system, were set up this way, emulating the competition SMG systems used in all forms of motor racing including F1.
Which brings me to a point.....I've heard endless criticisms of the SMG on my E36 M3, exclusively by those who don't and have never attempted to understand how the system is SUPPOSED to operate or SHOULD feel, and who've NEVER even driven, let alone owned one, but came by their "profound wisdom" by "hearing it from someone or reading it somewhere"..... someone or somewhere credible? By someone who's never driven one either?! 🙄I suppose the BMW SMG must be crap if everyone who hasn't a clue says so, because the "Court Of Blind Public Opinion" is never wrong??!!? 🙄🤣By that logic, most of the world's COVID-vaccinated population must now be victims of a giant "Illuminati Conspiracy", because millions of uninformed "Anti-Vaxxer" tossers subscribe to that nonsense??!! Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I couldn't care less, actually, about those which are based on ignorance rather than any ACTUAL knowledge or 1st hand experience. I don't think it's a coincidence that all owners or ex-owners of SMG equipped M3's don't appear to share the same criticisms or negative opinions. I was under the illusion, to express a valid opinion, you had to actually have one? Apparently, not.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting to note that BMW & Ferrari were in a race at that time to be the FIRST manufacturer in history to bring a production car with the SMG system to market. BMW beat Ferrari to the punch by 3 months, to claim that title. In the endless reams of "expert" criticism of the BMW's system, when it comes to the Ferrari's system, which is virtually a carbon copy of the BMW's in design, execution, & functioning, NO ONE EVER dares say a bad word about it. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. Basically the same gearbox is genius in a Ferrari, but crap in a BMW??!!?!? In Europe, the E36 M3's with SMG outsold conventional 6 spd manual versions 3:1. Personally, I think E36 M3's equipped with EITHER gearbox option are fantastic cars and would own an immaculate example of both if I had the means, so why would anyone resent having the option of an additional driving experience? If you don't like the SMG, buy a conventional 6 speed manual, and let the people who like the SMG M3's enjoy theirs. Must EVERYONE confine themselves to buying ONLY M3's with the standard 6 Speed Manual Gearbox, because YOU prefer them......?
When I point these facts out to these "expert" critics, I only ever get blank stares and vacuous silence in return....and I can almost see & hear the gears turning in their heads.
Before changing sequentially! 🤣
Yes, that makes more sense!
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation Cheers.
Your beautiful 840Ci sounds EPIC! Not sure whether it's a function of your camera's audio quality? Or, whether your E31 has intake & exhaust enhancements that contribute? Or, perhaps both. Haven't had a chance to watch all your previous videos on the 840, which may mention it. Nevertheless, I've never seen a video of one that sounds better, or, that better demonstrates how good the M60/62 Series V8's sound. It's the deep, baritone soundtrack of a menacing presence with sinister intent, fully realised in the rising decibels of a pissed-off, thunderous roar under hard acceleration. The endearing characteristics of "Big-Cube", big horsepower American V8 Muscle, minus the crudity, tempered by the class & sophistication of superior Teutonic engineering, in the internal combustion symphony of a hard charging 840Ci. Fuel economy would be a necessary sacrifice; the collateral damage of acoustic addiction, mashing & stomping the loud pedal, for another fix! The thinly veiled aggression under the bonnet, contained under that "Hugo Boss Suit" of a body, is one of BMW's finest moments in coupe history, alongside the E24 635CSi's, in my opinion. Those BMW V8's sound better than contemporaries, too. My buddy had a black on black, manual Porsche 928 V8 that are a kool & desirable car, but, I still feel the E31 sounds better, looks better, and has the rarity factor. Same applies to the Mercedes V8's....nice powerplants, but they tend to have a slightly lazier character, probably attributable to MB preference for larger, American-scale capacities of 5 or 6 litres, and over. I just prefer BMW product.
Curse you! Hearing your E31 reawakened my dormant prior desire & resolve to get one. Had the M3 on the market a few years back, to make room & generate funds for an M62 840Ci. Offers on the M3 didn't do it justice. Meanwhile, new projects took precedence, like a 1969 BMW E3 2800 Manual Sedan driven by former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, purchased from his deceased estate. I'd forgotten how badly I wanted an 840Ci until I heard yours.
Kudos on your videos. Watched several now, and subscribed to your channel, aiming to slowly get through your back catalogue as time & opportunity permit. Your videos are better informed, presented, filmed, & edited than most.
My Father was a BMW Mechanic at the Main Dealer in our city. I was also a mechanic, running the family business as an independent BMW specialist, servicing & maintaining customer cars, and a lifelong enthusiast, collector, restorer, & dealer of classic BMW cars & motorcycles. Injuries from motorcycle accidents ended my professional career. However, over a dozen classic BMW's in our collection (Several E24's, E30's, a 2002Ti, E23 & E32 Sevens, `69 E3 Sedan, etc) call our sanity into question, and keep me busy between bouts of pain.
Cheers Amigo. Look forward to your other video's.
Hi again
And thank you for your time!
I have a tiny hole from oxidation on a aluminum pipe just before the transmissions oil cooling radiator.
What is the easiest fix?
I'll replace it in the future but for now what can be done.
Oil it! That will stop further deterioration until it is replaced
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation It's leaking transmission oil when I start the engine.
How can stop the leak?
Do you think soldering can help?
Great video Timm. I had no clue it was like that on the E31. My 2003 540i has it the way you prefer, as you mentioned.
Do you have a tune on your E31? I have a Dinan Tune on my 540i which safely raises the rev-limiter and top speed limit along with adding 9HP and 11 ft-lb torque. Great addition for the steptronic!
Thanks! I have 3.15 diff and performance exhaust to get the 6.0s and that's it!
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation Very nice! I have the 3.15 diff too (03 model auto 540i msport and M5s got the 3.15!).... I'm trying to figure out the best exhaust option for my car which has been a difficult decision. Thanks again for your videos Timm!
@@Jazoolz_e39 I'm trying to figure out an exhaust for my 540 too. I could be pricey and get a supersprint resonator for the lungs and a muffler at the end, or i can catback straightpipe for much cheaper. Unsure what I want to do
@@thelastflash668 Yeah I was debating deleting the resonator because it sounds heavenly at full throttle, but catback straightpipe can be raspy and too loud at low speeds cruising around town. Might make it hard to live with. I will probably get an exhaust shop to replace the Y-res with something else and muffler delete. I'm looking to do dual exhaust as well but most shops are turning me away because they don't want to modify the spare wheel well or route pipe around the spare ...
Wonder if you could do a video on an issue where after night or when parked PRND lever "thinks" you are at "R" and the engine won't start. In this case to start an engine you have to re-run the lever PRND-DNRP. Problem reappears sometimes when the car is left again on "P", and you go back and want to drive. Let's say E39 540iA 2002.
Your gear selector switch has failed, it is either on the side of the gearbox or under the shifter cover - I discuss it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/0zbhnlmjXCE/v-deo.html
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation Thank you.
You 840 seems to banging about a bit? Maybe time for new top mounts?
Nah, just a rattly camera mount!
1:13 Oh my! :D
Just warming up......
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation I can only hope to get my e38 to sound that good.
Tim, I reversed when driving on interstate. I heard loud noise. What damage would be? Car drives fine after two reverse.
Nothing to worry about, the EGS will not allow a gear selection that could damage the gearbox!
Hi, been using your advice since getting my E31 in 2012 and now need a bit of advice that I can't locate on your site. Is there a way I can contact you?
Yes, Bimmerforums.co.uk - but always address the Forum and not me!
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation All done, hope to hear from you
My E53 has it the right way, because it is a 4.4 Sport. However my E38 740d has it the wrong way, so I just never use the manual mode.
BMW changed the direction around 2002 - so that missed all the E38's and just caught the last E39's
@@TimmsBMWRepairsandInformation Maybe. My E53 is 2002 and my E38 is 2000.
Do you ever sick of 15mpg on both your bmws
I would if I did!