Steptronic - how confusing

C

cj10jeeper

Lifer
 Lichfield, England
Since getting the Z4 I wondered why I was sometimes confused about changing up and down using the Steptronic manual/sport shift

Well it dawned on me today. in the Z4 pushing forward changes it down a gear and pulling back up one. In my X5 that I've been driving for years it's the opposite... push forward to change up and pull back to change down.

Both are clearly marked on the console, so there is nothing stupid like a reversed switch or connections. Both 3.0i petrol.

So why would BMW do something so stupid??? :? :?
 
Don't know, but thinking about it the Z4 way round seems to be the 'right' way, IMHO.
 
cj10jeeper said:
So why would BMW do something so stupid??? :? :?
Click to expand...

What year is your X5? My Dad had two E39 530is in a row. The first one was an 00 and the second and 02...both Steptronic. When he picked up the second one from the dealer, he almost took it back after 5 miles thinking the gearbox was busted...but BMW had switched the +/- around to the 'right' way, i.e. forward for down and pull back for up. Maybe the same thing?
 
The theory sounds good to me - the X5 is a 2001 and Z4 a 2003 which straddle the dates you quote.

Certainly the Z4 push for down naturally seems the 'right' way to have it.
 
The 56 plate 525 I had as a courtesy car was forwards for down, pull back for up.

I'm not just saying this because I have it on mine, but Merc uses left and right rather than up and down (they don't have to pay a Tiptronic licence fee to Porsche that way) and it feels a bit more natural that way, left for down and right for up.

As you say, if it's one or the other then you can get used to it, just when it's different for both cars it makes it very awkward :lol:
 
I've got an 03 step and it seems natural to me. I drove my wife's Golf MK5 prior to that and it had a tiptronic that is backwards of the Z4 and I could never get used to it.
 
20 ducks and Yal perhaps you missed my point. My Z4 is perfect and logical - push for down and pull for up.

The point I was making is that my X5 is the opposite (Yal - just as you note re the Golf). That's why I find it challenging as I hop from 1 to the other.

It would appear that somewhere in 2002 BMW saw the error of their ways and reversed the switching function
 
cj10jeeper said:
.........
It would appear that somewhere in 2002 BMW saw the error of their ways and reversed the switching function
Click to expand...
That's exactly what happened...
I remember the big flap about it at the time.

FWIW.... It probably wouldn't be a big job to modify so that both are the same.
Likely just a couple of wires to switch about.
 
My Racing/Track buddy just loves my Steptronic compared to his Mercedes Triptronic.

I have never driven his Merc but he says my Step is much better than the Merc. The Z just shifts smooth and right when you tell it too.

He says his is slow, like it is trying to decide if that is what you really want to do... HIs experience is that all of the Mercs do this....

I am not sure. On the track we drive his Corvette or Mazda.
 
Wondermike said:
I'm not just saying this because I have it on mine, but Merc uses left and right rather than up and down (they don't have to pay a Tiptronic licence fee to Porsche that way) and it feels a bit more natural that way, left for down and right for up.
Click to expand...
When we had a Merc (CLK) I really hated that left 'n' right for up 'n' down thing.
 
cj10jeeper said:
20 ducks and Yal perhaps you missed my point. My Z4 is perfect and logical - push for down and pull for up.

The point I was making is that my X5 is the opposite (Yal - just as you note re the Golf). That's why I find it challenging as I hop from 1 to the other.

It would appear that somewhere in 2002 BMW saw the error of their ways and reversed the switching function
Click to expand...


Yeah, I meant to post that I understood what you posted but got in a hurry about it. Strange that this is set up that way in the X5.
 
I had the same "difficulty" when I bought my Z4 after selling my MGF.
The gear stick was the same, not similar but exactly the same, but it worked in the opposite way :)
Anyhow I feel more comfortable with the Z4 approach (pull + push -).

MGF Stepspeed
immag003dt9.jpg
immag005bc9.jpg


BMW Z4
immag007zm5.jpg
immag009sp4.jpg
 
I don't get it ... my X5 3.0D from 2005 is the same as the picture above - ie, push up for down ...
 
pvr said:
I don't get it ... my X5 3.0D from 2005 is the same as the picture above - ie, push up for down ...
Click to expand...

pvr - here we go - photos of my Z4 and X5

Firstly the X5, which seems to be agreed to be the 'wrong' way to do it and the opposite to your later model X5
DSCN1911.jpg


Now the Z4 'right' way
DSCN1909.jpg
 
Postscript

Zulu95 over on X5world forum pointed me to instructions to reverse the switch wiring to make the X5 conform to the logically better Z4 orientation. I can even get a retrofit plate with the +/- rerversed to match the new configuration

Seems by the era of the Z4 they got it right... :D
 
I drove a new 5 series the other day, it had a steptronic with the new electronic gear shift. I did not, however, notice if the manual shifting was like the X5. Should be as the X5 is based on the 5 series, isn't it?
 
I just use the paddles. The gear stick thingy confuses the crap out of me. My old car was a Subaru and was opposite to the Z4. Now I just can't do it right anymore.
 
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