Automatic Z4

Lyons said:
So if you're in "manual" and approach a junction, it over rides whatever gear you're in and changes it accordingly?
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Yes. If you're in manual and the revs drop too low, it switches back to D or SD.
 
Lyons i have an 04 3.0 Auto and its a great car to drive especially when you hit the sport button.

MPG is fine i did a test run where i sat at 85 on a long run returned 33mpg :D and i also get no whining at low speeds

When i go for a fun drive on the A roads in sport mode still get around 26 mpg
 
Jeepers, thats crazy MPG. Especially at 85.What can you reach at a lower speed on a long run?

What difference does the sport button actually make, noticably?

I assume theres no reliability issues with the auto box?
 
i have had my car 111 days now, straight from the show room, its done 2411 miles with an average of 29.35mpg, not bad for a 3l automatic, i've driven it hard some times and quite a bit of town driving, not many motorway miles
 
Lyons said:
Jeepers, thats crazy MPG. Especially at 85.What can you reach at a lower speed on a long run?

What difference does the sport button actually make, noticably?

I assume theres no reliability issues with the auto box?
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Heard people talk of 38mpg at 70 not sure if thats in an Auto.

The sport button makes the car come alive in my eyes it actually feels lighter to me not that it is just in my head the revs jump as you switch it on so your nearer the higher torque when you touch the throttle and when you lift off it sounds nice.

Do not know about box reliability fingers crossed its OK
 
I've had auto and it is very very good. The only down side is not quite having control of the gear change during kickdown.

I really miss my auto now. Economy wise - I'd get about 32 on a mixed commute, 36 on a run, all according to the trip computer. My manual M now gets 29-33 on similar trips. The only thing of course is I don't use the M for similar trips. :evil:
 
Again, good mpg figures.

cj, had a look at the how-to there and its far trickier than i expected sadly!

I dont like the sound of the soldering the wires on the gear shift selector and the potential of something going wrong!

Even the wiring for the LCM looks like a nightmare!!
 
Lyons said:
...the big selling point would probably be being able to paddle shift- which it isnt going to be able to do until i retro fit it.
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I think that the paddles are a bit of a misconception TBH and don't be too disappointed if you don't have them. I don't have them and apart from the odd occasion when I thought they would come in handy, most of the time what's the point, just leave it in auto mode.

On the odd occasion that you really want to shift yourself you can use the lever.
 
Hi,

my first Z4 was a 3.0 auto (my last two have been 3.0 manuals). Without doubt I think the auto was the nicer choice (i've looked for an auto for my last two purchases but couldn't find the right car).

The 'manual' option will just be a brief novelty, but driving in sport mode with the auto box is excellent.

MPG - nothing in it really. Auto did (average) 31 , manual, 32-33 (I drive alot of motorway miles).

Auto would be my first choice, but 3.0 manual is a pretty good 2nd!

Rgds

Chris.
 
Lyons said:
I still havent got a chance to read your DIY (I can cunningly flick between z4-forum and work related stuff on screen), but im surprised to hear that its straight forward enough. And yes, my technology days at school got my soldering down to a fine art.

Do you know would the pre-facelift SMG wheel and paddles be able to work? I reckon the standard SMG wheel without MF would be a fair bit cheaper than the M version.

Did you eventually get a guide from mrpaddleshift, or did you just tackle the project blind?
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Advantage of working at home I flick between all sorts and sometimes work. :evil:

I'm sure the SMG version woudl work as the basic is just rounding a circuit. I did it blind and never even bothered with that guy and worked it out from a partial wiring diagram and a bit of experimenting with an X5. I needed to reverse my steptronic on the X5 to match the Z4 as they were opposites (very confusing) so discovered that all the steptronic does is momentarily grounds an up or down circuit . All I needed to do is replicate that function in the paddle shifts. In fact I think I put it int he write up but at one test I had a twin core to the steptronic and drove changing up and down by grounding the wire on an earthing point :)

Anyway - go test the car next ........
 
I haven't owned a car with auto box, but really fancy the 7-speed DCT on new Z4. In auto car, you can use left foot on brake and right foot on accelerator, it saves time 0.5 sec from moving from one pedal to another. :D
 
I'm surprised to hear people don't use the steptronic function on the auto much. I still use it a fair bit after 5 years of ownership. That's when it really comes alive. Maybe it's just me :tumbleweed:
 
I assume you can use steptronic in ordinary and sport modes?

Out of curiosity, what sort of ages are you fella's with the auto models? Some folk are reckoning that at my age (25) the manual would be the more appropriate choice.
 
dont listen to them. just drive both, and so much depends on where you use it.

Any other brand of car and I don't think I'd consider it, moreover because you can't get the big Mercs as manuals I wouldn't buy one.. but if I had a 3.0 Zed or a new Zed, it'd probably be an auto.

Just not quite so much fun for things like donuts and general powerslidey stuff.
 
Lyons said:
I assume you can use steptronic in ordinary and sport modes?

Out of curiosity, what sort of ages are you fella's with the auto models? Some folk are reckoning that at my age (25) the manual would be the more appropriate choice.
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Well not really as switching to steptronic by pushing the selector left, performs much the same as pressing the sport button. The difference is with steptronic is you can manually force it up or down a gear, while in sport it will simply hold the lower gear and higher revs for a long time. Hope that made sense.
 
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