Am i driving the Zed wrong? Came from a diesel..

[Beancounter1980]

Hi guys,

I came from owning a B5 Audi 1.9TDi for 9 years. My gear changes suck i think, i have become far to akin to driving a 4-pot diesel..

I seem to upshift the moment i hear the engine starting to "pull" or "rev". Before you know it I am in 6th before i have even hit 50mph.

The 3.0i seems to be a very high rev engine. Does anyone here coast in the 3.0i at 70mph??

Maybe i am just being pedantic.

 

[BobZ4]

Welcome to the club.

I am of a similar position, I have gone from a 525D to a Z4 3.0 litre. My shifts between 1st and 2nd are dreadful, though i did have this with the 330i i used to own. The problem with the shifts is the Clutch delay valve ( CDV ), i too don't tend to rev to highly which may be because i was used to the low revving diesel.

All i can say is enjoy the ride and its no bad thing to steer clear of the redline but it is nice to let loose now and again. When i go for it i usually shift up around 5-5.5 Krpm, i rarely go near the redline.

 

[Beancounter1980]

Welcome to the club.

I am of a similar position, I have gone from a 525D to a Z4 3.0 litre. My shifts between 1st and 2nd are dreadful, though i did have this with the 330i i used to own. The problem with the shifts is the Clutch delay valve ( CDV ), i too don't tend to rev to highly which may be because i was used to the low revving diesel.

All i can say is enjoy the ride and its no bad thing to steer clear of the redline but it is nice to let loose now and again. When i go for it i usually shift up around 5-5.5 Krpm, i rarely go near the redline.

Makes me feel so much better i'm not the only one!

 

[klarky]

i only have a 2.5 but for normal driving i change up at 3k, when giving it some stick i take it up to the red on the dial

your driving style should equal decent mpg, but to fan some fun you have to get some lead in your right foot lol. i find the bmw straight 6 engines really quiet, i can be doing above the legal limit in no time and merrily chatting to a passenger.

 

[+49]

I'm in 4th gear by 25mph... and at by 40mph I'm at 6th gear..lol

That's without straining the engine or putting alot of load on the engine etc..actually pulls smoothly from 1200-2000rpm without massive stabs of throttle.

This is how i drive when the engines cold..Basically until the needle is half way on the temp readout.

yes it rev's ok compared to a TDI..But it's not a really a "revy" engine.Altho it enjoys to rev..Theres a very sligth higher step/change in sound at 4000-4500.. And best shift point is around 5900-6100rpm for max power..But will pull into its redline no problems..Just not much point as the power's dying out sligthly.but the Car has Good urge at basicaly any rev's mate...

 

[mcbeee]

It all depends how fast you want to get to speed, I let the car shift (DCT) by itself and it usually goes at about 3K, more gas pedal and it goes up in the 4.5k range. If I put it in manual mode I shift the same unless I want to get there faster. Sometimes I get to speed (say 60mph) and then upshift two or three gears to cruising rpm , 7th gear and about 2400rpm. You should be able to drive anywhere in a city in 3rd gear. Your fuel economy will suck but the car gives you the option of how to drive it. ...Fast and sporty or slow and pokey like your grandma.

You're not in a diesel anymore.... ...step on it let it go. Shifting should be at the top of the torque range, not the bottom.

 

[peddy]

in cold... i change at sub-2k

normal driving...

1st: 0-10mph
2nd: 10-20mph
3rd: 20-30mph
4th: 30-45mph
5th: 45-60mph
6th: 60mph+

cruising/max mpg:

1st-3rd: the same
4th: 30-40mph
5th: 40-50mph
6th: 50mph+

spirited driving....

change somewhere between 4500 to 5900 depending on how spirited it is.

 

[Beancounter1980]

Thanks for the tips guys...

Yeah in the cold i don't go any higher than 2k. Will start putting my foot down a bit more and quit babying the car!

 

[Lucy]

in cold... i change at sub-2k

normal driving...

1st: 0-10mph
2nd: 10-20mph
3rd: 20-30mph
4th: 30-45mph
5th: 45-60mph
6th: 60mph+

cruising/max mpg:

1st-3rd: the same
4th: 30-40mph
5th: 40-50mph
6th: 50mph+

spirited driving....

change somewhere between 4500 to 5900 depending on how spirited it is.

I'll not even bother typing all that again. It's exactly the same for me

 

[cj10jeeper]

It's interesting to watch an auto box when not rushing things as to how high a gear and how soon it grabs it. You could easily drive all day and not exceed 2500 rpm until eventual speed in 5th causes it to rise higher. Indeed it's often working away under 2k rpm. If you use the paddles you're invariably a gear lower than it would hold.

Stick it in sport and drive hard and it'll never drop below 5.5k.

Point being I think the average driver revs too high for too long in any given gear under normal driving circumstances compared to what a box of electronics and a torque converter deems as correct. Same to a large extent applies to manuals

 

[mcbeee]

It's interesting to watch an auto box when not rushing things as to how high a gear and how soon it grabs it. You could easily drive all day and not exceed 2500 rpm until eventual speed in 5th causes it to rise higher. Indeed it's often working away under 2k rpm. If you use the paddles you're invariably a gear lower than it would hold.

Stick it in sport and drive hard and it'll never drop below 5.5k.

Point being I think the average driver revs too high for too long in any given gear under normal driving circumstances compared to what a box of electronics and a torque converter deems as correct. Same to a large extent applies to manuals

X2 Mine will usually kick down a gear if I switch modes from Auto to Manual.

 

[un1eash]

I only have a 2.0i so its redline all the way.

Im use to driving high revving 1.6 petrols which dont have much go below 4000rpm.

 

[sandere85]

you can have the clutch delay valve modyfid

then the gearchanges wil be smoother!

and the feeling of always beeing e little to late with the clutch wiil be gone!!

 

[JUD]

Wow - there is a lot of science in some of these answers!

I too came from a diesel BMW to a Z4. Power delivery is more linear and you don't get that diesel "urge" that you get when a turbo spools up.

Simple fact is take it easy till it warms up and if you want it a bit exciting then watch what happens in the 4-6k rev range :evil:

My bike-engined kit car revs out to 12k - so I guess I am used to having to wring it's neck a little to get it going Lessons that can be carried over to the Z

 

[shambolic]

In the manual 2009 Z4 there is a shift indicator which wants you to shift up in every gear about 1.5K revs, although if you push the Go peddle a bit the indicator turns off in the huff

 

[lacroupade]

Changing at too low revs isn't good for the engine either - its most stressed under such conditions.