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"Unofficial" E46 - Brian David Bernard

1. Answer You can roll up to a traffic light in say 4th and just step on the brakes When you stop the car SMG II automatically picks 1st gear unless you already did it with the paddle or the stick Forget about Neutral Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 12 CET 2 Question What about the gas pedal while SMG is upshifting Do you keep the throttle at the same position meaning SMG is so fast the car shifts smoothly Answer While shifting you keep your foot on the accelerator also while downshifting unless you roll up to a traffic light and want to stop the car The whole process of shifting is being executed in a very short period of time Therefore there s no need to lift your foot If you lift the foot shifts are much smoother So it depends what you want SMG II shifts are basically smooth unless you are in one of the fastest programs S6 or S5 and you shift between 6500 and 7900 rpm Then of course it is not the driver s intention to shift smooth but fast and precise and that s what SMG II does SMG II builds golden bridges between the ability of very smooth shifting and uncompromising sporty behavior Andreas Back to Selection list Friday May 03rd 2002 19 58 CET 3 Question Is there a time lag between pulling the lever and the actual shift happening Answer There s no noticeable lag The fastest shifts S6 6500 7900 rpm feel like one strong bang right at the sa
2. Answer no that s not possible I m not paid for car testing and furthermore have no adequate equipment However my car is fast plain and simple Honestly don t care whether some car mag s got some tenth of a second more or less What counts is real life performance IMO And the M3 especially with SMG II performs very well under real life circumstances Again according to my experience with my dealer s Demo car and my SMG II M3 I d say my car feels slightly faster on the same roads Then again that s only my impression nothing more and nothing less Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 24 CET 1 Question Andreas you had one of the first SMGII M3s week 26 production were they only available in Switzerland from week 25 or other markets as well UK is just available now Answer Yes that s right My car is one of the very early SMG II M3 s don t know what happened to the UK market However SMG II cars have been delivered in Germany Switzerland Austria and other European countries as from week 25 26 2001 Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 30 CET 2 Question Now that you have had your car for awhile 1 in which mode do you find yourself driving in the most 2 How many times have you used LC can t wait to get mine WK 46 3 Did you get PDC Us in the states this is mandatory with SMG Answer 1 S5 all the time unless
3. now if you are an excellent driver and you have SMG II it s even better Disclaimer MAKE NO MISTAKE not everybody is able to get the best out of SMG II A bad driver in an SMG II equipped M3 is STILL a bad driver Hope this was somewhat helpful Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 57 CET 9 Question know you guy love these questions so will appologize now for it A Do you think it is possible to hit the 4 8 sec 0 60 in S5 mode with Lauch Control off and obviously no Lauch Control You can guess Not looking for facts just opinion B Is the performance still amazing in S5 does it still make you go This is the coolist thing have ever driven or do you think will be dissapointed P S We have no chance of a test drive here in the states So you are the only good source for information The dealers have really no idea whats going on with SMG II Answer Ok enough is enough One more LC or S6 question and I m going to bust D can t take this anymore G I m going to answer this one when find the right words Stay tuned amp Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 58 CET 10 Question Guess you have answered almost any question s even the very stupid one s mostly from Uncle Sam s son s both of you deserve at least a medal from BMW s sales marketing dept or better even a credit note on the SMG II order Earlier you ta
4. Well yes speed of the shifts depends not only on the program but also on the rev of the engine The higher you rev the engine the faster SMG II shifts SMG II also adjusts according to your driving style according to my experience Drive Logic is not only a marketing thing that s what it is for sure have the impression that my SMG II changed with time Andreas Back to Selection list Monday February 25th 2002 20 18 CET 9 Question Can you downshift and use the motor to help slow the car In an earlier response posted on Sep 20 you made it sound like if you are not on the gas the car automatically goes to neutral sorry 1st or 2nd gear depending on speed Answer Absolutely Actually make this all the time you can slow down the car beautifully with downshifts often don t even have to touch the brake Furthermore it sounds very NICE But still if you do NOT DOWNSHIFT and roll up to a traffic light and then just stop SMG II will automatically pick 1st gear as you stop the car already 2nd at slow speed Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 47 CET 10 Question was wondering what happens in the shifting if you did a lift throttle just before clicking the paddles realize it s not necessary but rode with a friend in his Ferrari 360 Modena and he was shifting with lift throttle and the shifts were very tame no sudden jolt and it actually felt like a manual trans
5. 2001 11 17 CET 9 Question Is there an information on SMG from the makers of the system Answer You can find very interesting information from Getrag the makers of the Automated Manual Transmission here Leo Back to Selection list Monday December 31st 2001 21 05 CET 10 Question have had my SMGII coupe for 3 months now and am still delighted with 95 of its performance The remaining 5 is not important enough to change my mind A question about adaptive shifting You mentioned that the system learns your driving style and heard the same comment from a BMW guy at the Frankfurt Motorshow in September Is this actually apparent to you cannot say that have noticed any changes in shifting style apart from the notoriously slow 1 2 changes getting better as the car does more miles now 3400 do feel that am learning to get more from the system better throttle modulation for smoother changes etc but maybe the system is helping me more than realise also believe that the Auto mode is better than you suggest you do have to give it a chance I tend to use A3 as a good compromise maybe this is where any adaptation to driving style happens What are your thoughts on this Answer Basically Drive Logic means that every driver can find an appropriate program for his mood his needs On the other hand the SMG II system is very smart Well think my SMG II has changed a little bit with time no huge ch
6. Assuming you can go from program to neutral in gear 6 if you ve coasted long enough and wanted to get into gear 3 how would you accomplish this Say the aforementioned light turned green before you stopped completely Answer I m sorry can t exactly see your point maybe you are a bit confused with the programs and how they work would NEVER shift to N gt positon 0 when was approaching a traffic light That makes no sense at all You don t ever have to push the stick into N one exception in the car wash Don t forget the clutch is operated by a computer there s no need to select N It s up to the driver to select the right gear at the right time in S mode just if it was a regular manual car N is not involved in the process of driving whatsoever Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 11 37 CET 8 Question With SMG I shift times depended on your actual driving style accelerator position revs etc Now know that with SMG II that is what the programs are for but somehow got the impression that except for S5 6 also felt that SMG II changes shift times dependent on the way you drive Let s say you drive real easy in S4 shift times seemed to take a bit longer where as in the same S4 when you really step on it you also get quite quick shift times Does SMG II also adjust shift times according to your driving style Answer Thanks for your most appreciated feedback
7. Only this is a reason not to have SMG am refferring to tests in Sport Auto and AMS Answer Don t know That s a good question struggled with the same concern when had to spec my M3 told my dealer that wasn t too impressed with the SMG II reviews because they all got slower acceleration numbers However this must be a paper thing because my opinion is that the SMG II M3 is as fast as the manual M3 To be honest think mine feels even faster than the manual M3 which had for a testdrive my dealer s demo car BMW say that both M3 are capable of running the same times It is of course easier with the SMG II M3 Furthermore wonder whether BMW cheated with the pre production test cars Because those test results are still the best No mag managed to match their own results from their initial M3 test Sport Auto and Auto Motor und Sport now have the same acceleration numbers for the manual M3 ca 0 3 s slower than in their first review Btw Autobild actually quoted that the SMG Il was faster than the manual M3 in their test There really is a wide range of results Well just returned from a fantastic day in the Swiss mountains and it was very demanding for my car It happened today that thought to myself this car is a monster Breathtaking performance all day long up to 2600 m above sea level In the end can assure you that my SMG II M3 is a very fast car So therefore think other SMG II M3 s might
8. drive in S6 E 2 twice 3 Yes have PDC Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 37 CET 3 Question Great job guy s SMG owner picking up new car tomorrow 02 Nov 01 1 How often do you find yourself using the stick as opposed to the paddles 2 With relation to 1 is this dictated by the speed style you are driving at 3 I ve noted that you spend most of your time in S6 Do what of the time do you have the sport button engaged 4 During the initial 1200 mile run in period what mode did you find the most usable Thanks and once again great job guys Answer Thank you 1 quite often use it always and only in combination with the paddles if it is not possible to operate the paddles fast enough we already described such situation in the FAQ 2 Yes and no in some situations you have to shift with the stick regardless what speed style you are driving at 3 No that s not correct Usually drive S5 75 of the time have SPORT on 4 S5 D no problem although you should stay below 5500 rpm Good luck with your new car Would be nice if you share your impressions with us Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 46 CET 4 Question Andreas know you live in Europe and that is definitely a different scenario than that of the US know that would thoroughly enjoy SMG II if lived somewhere with nice mountains and beautiful curvy
9. speed manual does not have the sport button right So basically driving a stick M3 can be compared to driving a SMG in S6 with the sport button on all the time right So the stick M3 will have DSC on all the time but the M3 won t if the M3 is in S6 with the sport button on Please help Thanks Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Thursday March 18th 2004 07 02 CET 4 Question Many people including myself believe that a manual tranny is the best way to go for driver involvement and satisfaction despite hearing that M3 H gearing is a big laggy just see no better way to have fun driving a car than having complete control over the gear change clutch and all have not driven an SMG before but do you think that the SMG system has the same driver involvement and satisfaction as a manual transmission Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Thursday April 22nd 2004 03 40 CET 5 Question Hello Thank you for valuable info on the site I d like to ask if it possible to replace auto transmission on e46 with SMG II And if yes where can get an approx cost of such replacement Thank you Genady Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Sunday August 22nd 2004 12 49 CET 6 Question Is it necessary to press on the brake pedal when shifting your gears on the gear lever from neutr
10. Answer It was designed like that and is not broken What your seeing on the SMG display is the mode that you want to select next NOT the mode your in will admit it is somewhat wierd but you quickly get used to it Leo Back to Selection list Friday December 28th 2001 19 04 CET 16 Question Ok I just got my 2002 M3 w SMGII actually about 2 hours ago And noticed a potential problem First the large number indicator showing which gear one is in flashes after moving and continues to flash until the car is turned off Is this how it s supposed to be Second the dash light that is indicated by a gear with an in it comes on after a bit of driving The manual says this is bad and that my SMGII is malfunctioning The odd thing is I ve detected no malfunction granted just got the car and am taking it easy for the first 1k miles or so but anyone else had this issue Third when do the tach yellow and red lights move Mine have stayed at 8k rpms for redline and 7 5k for yellow this may be the aformentioned malfunction Thanks Answer I m no mechanic or SMG Engineer but 1 the number should not be flashing while your driving the car 2 as stated in the manual 3 When the car oil is cold all lights should be on When the engine warms up the lights will turn of one by one with only 1 yellow and one red remaining on would definitely take the car to a BMW service dealer Leo Back to Selectio
11. Such things are risky and not necessary You re fast enough if you just floor it 2 Yes definitely that s more effective 3 As far as know the US will get S6 So select S6 and then step on it as if you launch a car with a powerful automatic transmission It s more or less the same what goes for launching the car only one exception SMG II does NOT creep Then of course it s up to the driver to shift at the right or desired time btw the difference between S5 and S6 is not very big Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 59 CET 10 Question don t think I ve read this what happens if you are stopped say at a light you have L foot holding the brake and you touch the gas 1 Does it act like being in neutral 2 does the computer prevent the engine from revving 3 Now depending on the above IF you are stopped with L foot on brake and R depressing the gas and you release the brake Does it pop the clutch dpes it decrease engine revs am in the process of ordering an M3 in the US and have some reservations about the smgll thanks walter R in RI Answer 1 No It does act like a car in 1st gear as soon as you touch the accelerator Doesn t matter whether you have your left foot on the brake or not 2 No 3 No As a consequence why would you do this anyway Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 01 CET 11 Question Hi Lot s of excellen
12. Would you do a brake launch like an automatic car Answer Very easy Put into 1st gear and just step on it The only problem is to avoid extensive wheel spin with DSC off You can take off fast enough very easy indeed Andreas Back to Selection list Tuesday February 19th 2002 14 31 CET 5 Question So would you say that if you got good enough at the starts could you be as quick as the LC Answer No couldn t Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 38 CET 6 Question What is LC And how does it work Answer LC stands for Launch Control It gives you maximum possible acceleration for the M3 Here is how it works First deactivate DSC Then select S6 mode While the car is standing still push the select lever forward and hold it there Then fully depress slowly for optimal acceleration or fast for wheel spin the accelerator peddal The engine will then go up to 3 500 rpm 1 800 rpm in NA Now all you have to do is let go of the select lever and POW your of doing the best possible acceleration with limited slip Here the official Data sheet from BMW Leo Back to Selection list Tuesday December 24th 2002 17 44 CET 7 Question How would you rate a launch in S6 without launch control Would you be competitive if going against a good driver in a manual M3 Answer Yes you would rate it to be just as competitive going against a manual M3 Again it always c
13. fast so be prepared Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 23 CET 2 Question Is it possible to shift up down with the lever instead of the paddles Answer Yes the lever or joystick can also be used for shifting up or down gears You would need to shift via joystick when turning into very tight corners because your hand position might not reach the shift paddles as your making several rotations of the steering wheel Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 24 CET 3 Question Simple question are the SMG joystick and paddles lit up at night Answer simple answer No Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 25 CET 4 Question If you re accelerating HARD continuous max pedal where do the shift lights illuminate Always at redline Variable w the next gear Answer No not always at redline variable Don t ask me when where and how Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 26 CET 5 Question If you move from S to A does the system remember your last program i e if you last used A4 will you get that again when switching back to A from S2 for example Answer Yes When switch from S5 to A mode I m in A4 which is the last A Program that I ve driven When switch back to S mode I m back in 5 Only exception is S6 in case you switch the DSC on and off S6 is only available with DSC off An
14. roads Unfortunately don t live in such a place and have to deal with a flat and boring terrain Well at least the perfectly straight roads make up for it My question is the following 1 If you lived somewhere similar to where live with even surfaces and grid like roads would you still opt for SMG I1 2 How big a part did your environment play in your selection of SMG I1 Thanks for everything you guys have been very helpful Answer 1 Well that s just me believe I d get it also in your area But it s correct that SMG II can really make a big difference in a place with demanding twisty roads rather than in a flat area believe it is important to understand that SMG II was designed for race tracks or other demanding roads not for convenience would NEVER buy it because of the A mode That would be a mistake There are better automatic performance cars around CLK 55 AMG or C32 AMG with SpeedShift I m not the greatest supporter of SMG II A Programs OK nonetheless for one would still opt for SMG II if was in your area because those S Programs S5 and S6 are so much Fun 2 SMG II is undoubted excellent for the Swiss roads especially for those breathtaking twisty roads in the mountains It was an issue but not the main reason Thanks for your Feedback D Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 59 CET 5 Question Andreas and Leo i gotta give it to you guyz u ha
15. slip the same amount therefore fully engageing the clutch at about the same engine rpms About what engine rpm does the clutch fully engaged at c When I launch my manual transmission at full throttle I ll slip the clutch till 2500 rpms or maybe a little higher modulating the clutch pedal At lower throttles launches I ll slip my clutch less with engine speeds of 1200 1500rpm occuring when I ve fully engaged the clutch Does the SMGII compensate and allow more clutch slip to occur at higher throttle launches amp less clutch slippage during lower throttle launches D I m asking the above questions because saw the moive of you launching your car It look as though the vehicle s acceleration rate slows down as the clutch seems to fully engage also this event seems to occur at low engine rpms The full enagement of the clutch seems to delay the vehicle s acceleration a bit as the car s nose dips down slightly shortly after take off then picks back up as the engine races to high engine speeds in 1st gear Does this engagement event seem to delay acceleration amp hurt the launch feel of the car Or is this launch event smooth from in the driver s seat E During lower throttle launches does the car ever seem to shudder or buck Or is it very smooth during these lower power launch events F Sorry for all the questions but any help would be great I m ordering my car in 2 weeks Answer 1 Thank you A At rest as soon a
16. the car However you cannot park the car in neutral This would be the same as if you park a manual car between the gears no gear selected You only need this for the car wash So Park the car in any program and turn off the engine Pull the parking brake if you want That s it Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 08 CET 2 Question Can you park a BMW SMG II in 1e gear or do you always have to use the parking brake Answer Yes you can You must park the car in a gear It s basically no different than parking a manual car also what goes for the parking brake Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 11 CET 3 Question What happens when you start the engine does the SMG have to be in neutral Or the engine can be started with the SMG engaged in either S or A mode Have you experienced problems with your rear differentials Many complaints are surfacing concerning this component which appear to be poorly designed and failing at a high rate Great site by the way I m looking forward to getting my hands on a SMG M3 next week Answer You can only start the engine with the SMG II lever in position 0 that s neutral It cannot be started in S or A mode haven t had any problems so far Keep us posted with your own SMG II experiences Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 07 CET 4 Compared to an Automatic Question
17. you but just to clear somethinh up in any mode lets say for S3 for example u can shift from gears 1 6 in that specified mode right Thanks for your help Answer Yes that s right SMG II provides 11 programs with 6 gears each it s the Getrag D 6 speed gearbox known from the manual M3 Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 21 CET 7 Question am picking my M3 SMGII up from Europe in the first week of the New Year would like to get my hands on a copy of the users manual so can read up ahead of picking it up and hence get the most out of the drive back to the UK Do you know if anyone has copied or scaned a copy onto a web page anywhere Great web page you persuaded me to wait a little longer for the SMG option Answer Glad you like the website and the info we provide here Good luck with your car Andreas The 2002 M3 coupe U S owner s manual is available here The 2002 M3 convertible U S owner s manual is available here The 2003 M3 coupe U S owner s manual is available here The 2003 M3 convertible U S owner s manual is available here and Supplementary Owner s Handbook on SMG is available here The SMG training manual is available here Leo Back to Selection list Friday June 02nd 2006 18 45 CET 8 Question Is there an official SMG II info site from BMW Answer Yes click here for further information Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th
18. you experience violent staggering lurching back and forth during a 50 75 throttle accelerating just got delivery for USA 2002 M3 w SMGII and has 1000 miles now and am still experiencing this from time to time when start from stand still with 50 75 throttle in A3 A4 A5 mode not as obvious in S5 mode The lurching occurs when the car quickly rev up to around 3500rpm lurching becomes more and more violent if stay on the gas have to let go the gas for a sec or 2 and reapply the gas padel to remove the lurching effect where RPM drop back to 1500rpm Is this part of break in sympton just for SMGII Some additional info 1 Feels just like the fuel gets cut off in the middle of 1st gear acceleration abruptly and come back with frequency of 2 3 times a second 2 On slippery surface DSC will engage during hard 1st gear accelerating and acceleration goes smooth in all A mode 3 Lurching shows up most frequently under A3 mode with dry and good traction surface Under S mode the problem is less obvious 4 am in the middle of break in so no full throttle test yet but if increase pressure on gas padel when lurching happens increase pressure on gas padel worsen the situation MORE AND MORE VIOLANT LURCHING FEELS LIKE CAR IS GOING TO FALL APART 4 1 Lurching happens when I try to be hard on the throttle never happen in gradual throttle 5 No thump or clunk noise 6 No stick driving experience 7 Happen when engine is hot after 50
19. CET 8 Question With a regular manual transmission car you can have the ignition on motor off then roll down a slight grade or get a push and release the clutch with the transmission in gear my experience is that a higher gear like 2nd or 3rd is more mechanically friendly and the car will start immediately Obviously the main use for this is when there s a dead battery think the initial questioner wondered if there is a way to do a dead battery start or if as in an automatic transmission car you re stranded until you find somebody to give you a jump start If you haven t run across a way to make it happen fear that one more of the benefits of a clutch aside from just plain fun and superior control will be lost I m about 8 weeks from SMG II delivery and will install an Eisenmann exhaust as a result of the beautiful sound your car makes Answer again cannot answer this question Don t know what to do with a dead battery But guess there s still a way to start the car just don t know A dead battery is unlikely in a modern car Don t know what benefits you think are lost because of SMG II for one haven t lost anything Definitely not plain fun SMG II is more fun IMO However to each his own I m quite confident that you will like your new M3 SMG II Get the Eisenmann It s a good product and can recommend it in a heartbeat Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 13 47 CET 9 Qu
20. Is SMG II an auto transmission like Steptronic or Porsche s Tiptronic Answer The SMG II M3 features exactly the same 6 speed gearbox Getrag D like the manual M3 there is no torque convertor However the clutch is operated by a computer and shifts are executed with max pressure of 85 bar SMG stands for Sequential M Gearbox Only a few car manufacturers offer such a system BMW and Ferrari are leading developers of sequential gearboxes for road cars Andreas Back to Selection list Saturday December 22nd 2001 12 09 CET 1 Question Is there an automatic mode for traffic My dealer said NO but heard YES from other sources Answer Yes there is SMG II provides 5 automatic programs 5 fastest They re OK However for one could live without them S programs are fine with me in city traffic That s comfortable enough SMG II offers too many features IMO But hey that s not really what call a problem Andreas Back to Selection list Saturday December 22nd 2001 12 10 CET 2 Question What s the difference between one of the automatic programs and an automatic transmission Answer hmm The difference is that automatic SMG II programs still shift with the 6 speed Getrag D gearbox from the manual M3 and without torque convertor The computer decides when to shift in S mode it s up to the driver SMG II automatic programs have no idle speed An automatic transmission has idle speed and a torq
21. Leds LesurS Sis BMW Rockets Helicopters Planes Painting Fotos Stuff Guestbook Unofficial E46 M3 SMG II FAQ Disclaimer We Leo Andreas are NO experts and do not have detailed nor technical knowledge on the subjects posted on this page Our Answers are solely based on experiences we have gathered with the intent of being shared with others This FAQ is intended for readers that are interested in the subject only We cannot be held responsible for completeness or accuracy Before you begin reading the FAQ please take note of some general notes that we would like to pass on If you expect SMG II to be a comfortable and fast auto transmission you re wrong You won t like it We do not recommend purchasing SMG II for the A MODE or D MODE only If you like to drive aggressively on twisty roads or race tracks then you should DEFINITELY order SMG II with your M3 That s the place where SMG II can really make a difference Always keep in mind that SMG II was created for race tracks not for convenience SMG II provides enough comfort and it allows you to drive very tame BUT that s not it s mission If you think SMG II will make you a good driver you re wrong SMG II gives you some advantages and it is quite safe to drive fast and aggressively with the system because it will never miss shift However a bad driver in a SMG II equipped M3 is still a bad driver It takes a lot more than fast and perfect shifts to be a good driv
22. MG II is supposed to be equal to the six speed in performance Thanks for your help Answer Thats correct For both manual and SMG II they are 0 60 mph 4 8 sec 0 62 mph 0 100 Km h 5 2 sec Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 56 CET 9 Question In your own opinion does the SMG II accelerate as fast as the manual M3 because in recent reviews I ve seen 0 60 acceleration figures for the manual at a disappointing 5 seconds while BMW NA claims a 0 60 of at least 4 8 seconds Then again I ve read in another magazine that the manual M3 they tested accelerated from 0 60 in 4 65 seconds Answer A very skilled driver using a manual will be just as fast as SMG II It might even be slightly faster given a perfect launch The problem is that hardly anybody will be able to launch a manual car all the time in such a perfect way On the Nurburgring both systems achieved the same lap times with pro drivers Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 15 CET 10 Fast Starts Launch Control and the S6 Program Question Do you have to fully depress gas pedal when using launch control If not would it avoid to much wheel spin Answer Yes that s correct It does avoid too much wheel spin You only have limited slip BMW say that launch control is the fastest possible way to launch the car think it took quite a while to work it out especially with the amount of wheel spin Andrea
23. a traffic light the system will automatically pick first gear as the car is about to stop While coasting and the traffic light turns to green you will experience a slight lag when hitting the accelerator while SMG is trying to engage 1st gear Well with my driving style usually avoid all these weaknesses so to speak automatically So can easily live with them Actually if one is aware of such things the problem is already solved Nonetheless those are weaknesses After all always come to the same conclusion the faster you drive the better and the more impressive is SMG II Disclaimer don t get me wrong SMG II is very agreeable in traffic Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 07 CET 7 Question What do we know about clutch slippage it seem that there are a few post about the car when at 1 2 to 3 4 throttle and 5500 rpm that the change of gears are rather slow and loss of rpm due to clutch slippage If i m at 2nd gear and 5500 rpm and hit 3rd with 3 4 throttle the gear change might feel fine but hitting the gas there is a big lag with the tack staying one place for about 1 second Answer Apparently this is no question However It all depends on your technique cannot confirm your observations 1 second That appears to be exaggerated whatsoever Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 52 CET 8 Miscellaneous Question Is there any sp
24. ack to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 10 CET 5 Question 22 under the A mode does it shift smoothly or will be a gape between shiftings D Answer tet what exactly do you mean A mode is quite smooth However the shifts are not as fast as in S mode unless you drive A5 which is quite fast So there s a rather big shift lag especially in comparison to the S Programs IMO As already mentioned I m not the greatest supporter of A mode It s OK but not exciting IMO Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 12 CET 6 Question When in A mode do you have to release the accelerator to shift or will it shift correctly just by keeping your foot on the accelerator It seems to be herky jerky in A mode by just depressing foot on the accelerator Am doing something wrong Answer never release the accelerator while shifting regardless what mode or program I m driving in Although Sometimes when have a passenger in my car slightly lift the foot in order to produce a smooth shift Now when I want to slow down or stop the car because of traffic or a trafiic light it is a different story of course then lift the foot when down shifting Otherwise there s no need to lift the foot whatsoever If you want to drive extra smoothly then you can make it change up by releasing the accelerator just slightly Your passengers might be grateful Andreas Back to Selec
25. al to reverse or 1st gear when driving manualy If your car is running and in neutral is there any safety factors to prevent your gear lever to accidently children be moved from N to 1st or reverse an will it if this happens start rolling in the gear accidenly selected Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Monday September 13th 2004 18 56 CET 7 Question IS IT IN ANYWAY POSSIBLE IF YOU SELECT 1ST OR REVERSE THAT YOUR CAR CAN STAY IN NEUTRAL Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Monday September 13th 2004 18 59 CET 8 Question What should the time delay be on shifting gears say from 5th to 3rd gear if overtaking Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Monday September 13th 2004 19 02 CET 9 Question What is the diff between the 1st SMG gearbox and the SMG 2 Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Monday September 13th 2004 19 37 CET 10 Question I m driving a BMW 330 Ci Convertable with SMG the 1 st gearbox I believe it to be the 1st cause you are explaining a lot of things on the SMG 11 that surely don t have on mine There s a few things that need to know if you would be so kind Are the following possible on this gearbox because it is happening to me from time to time 1 When selecting a gear the gear lever
26. ange though think it s quite difficult to figure out what exactly happened For me Drivelogic means that the systems provides the possibility for every driver to perform his unique style Nonetheless I m quite sure that it changed slightly For me A4 is the best compromise However have the impression that can drive just as smooth with S5 if must want I m still not the biggest A supporter But you re right one must give it clearly some credit Andreas Back to Selection list Friday May 03rd 2002 19 28 CET 11 Question want to get an M3 SMG II but my girl friend can t drive manuals Do you think that she can drive it on any of the programs Answer Yes she should be able to use SMG without any problems Andreas Back to Selection list Tuesday February 08th 2005 10 23 CET 12 Shifting Techniques Question When you downshift do you have to shift into Neutral or does the car idle in first Answer SMG II does everything for you Downshifts are extremely precise and fast It downshifts far better and faster than ever could and ever will If you lift your foot however downshifts take longer and are very smooth It s all there for you Andreas Back to Selection list Friday May 03rd 2002 19 55 CET 1 Question Sometimes in my E36 when come to a stop in 3rd or 4th just stop with clutch in and knock it to Neutral Can you do this with the SMG II or do you have to manually go from 4 3 2 1 N
27. ansmission In slow traffic you drive gently with the accelerator more or less like an automatic Be careful with the SPORT mode because the car is very sensitive if SPORT is engaged Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 10 CET 13 Question and another question as far as i understand the Al mode launches the car in 2nd gear all other A modes in 1st now regading the upcomming snow maybe in switzerland how about launching the car in 2nd gear in S modes is that only possible in S1 in all S modes or is it not possible tnx 4 a short statement btw congrats andreas and leo gooooooood work Answer Yes one can launch the car in 2nd gear in S mode You just shift to 2nd gear and then you step on the accelerator tried it today on snow and ice brrrr in S5 It was no problem Moreover it was very adequate on such an icy surface Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 13 CET 14 Question When you activate the climb assistant on level ground during start off does it help a better launch Answer No It won t help for a better launch The climb assistant cannot be activated on even surface anyway S Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 14 CET 15 Question On a manual transmission if your car is standing still for a long period say around 2 or more minutes at a stoplight or traffic jam you will shift the gear into
28. asked in 3 years and there still appears to be contradictory conclusions So here it goes have a 04 US model does my car have S6 does it have Launch Control if so how do engage use it and lastly what are the warranty implications Many thanks in advance and thanks for a great website it is by far the most comprehensive and fun site I ve ever seen hosted by enthusiasts no matter what the sport Thanks Answer Yes you re 04 has S6 To get to S6 you need to deactivate DSC Then select S6 mode While the car is standing still push the select lever forward and hold it there Then fully depress slowly for optimal acceleration or fast for wheel spin the accelerator pedal The engine will then go up to about 1 800 rpm Now all you have to do is let go of the select lever and POW your off doing the best possible acceleration with limited slip Frankly there is nothing on warranty implications that know off for the US Nonetheless would avoid using LC as it is rough on the clutch Thanks for the ultimate compliment S Leo Back to Selection list Thursday February 12th 2004 21 13 CET 14 Moving from a Stop Question What happens when you come to a complete stop Do you have to keep your foot on the brake to keep the SMG clutch disengaged Answer No You can lift your foot if you like However the car rolls on uneven surface as a consequence Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday Decemb
29. aturing the SSG transmission have been very positive about it The latest sequential transmissions are definitely very impressive that s the future Conventional manual transmissions might disappear sooner or later Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 44 CET 6 Question Is it possible to pop start the car if the battery runs down I d imagine no but was wondering I ve ordered an SMG M3 anyway because often drive in heavy traffic however besides controlling the gear in turns and heavy downshifting one reason like manuals is beause there s less to go wrong and running the battery down doesn t matter Answer Could you please define pop start All can say is that my SMG II equipped M3 has been very reliable so far didn t experience the slightest problem yet Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 51 CET 7 Question Pop starting is useful when the battery is dead Get the car rolling pop the clutch and if you re moving fast enough the engine will catch and turn over generally done in 1st or reverse So with that definition was wondering whether SMG will work to start the car if the battery is dead would guess not just wondering Thanks Answer think you re right only guessing here However unfortunately cannot answer this question Sorry bout Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 52
30. back Well I m not sure don t think that there s a huge difference But assume that the SMG II is thirstier because of things like the throttle blip and other details With my driving style make about 400 500 Km with one filling it depends could do better though Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 02 CET 13 Question Hey do you know the 1 4 mile and 0 100 time for the M3 equipped with SMG I1 great site btw keep the awesome work up Answer No I ve only seen some test results Usually in those tests the manual test cars were slightly faster Both E46 M3 s with or without SMG II lapped the Nurburgring in the same time Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 06 CET 14 Question The F1 and Ferrari 360 shifters are hydraulic and can only change gears when the engine is running Thus there are scenarios where the engine dies while in gear and you cannot easily get the transmission into neutral for a restart or a tow Are you familiar with any such scenarios with the M3 SMG 1 For example since you park the car in 1st gear can you switch to N if you didn t have the engine started 2 Can you switch to N if you had the key off ie no battery power Thanks for the great summaries Dave Answer Hi Dave thanks for the feedback The engine dies don t think this can occur with SMG II At least can t imagine such a scenario did not e
31. be fast too Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 21 CET 5 Question Do you feel that it isn t as fun without a clutch pedal and a H pattern shifter even though the SMG does behave like a real manual transmission Answer Please read the FAQ think you ll find an answer Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 26 CET 6 Question just ordered my M3 yesterday with a manual tranny Please talk me into believing SMG isn t a lazy poseur will change my order if believe the SMG is a superior RACE option Please help Answer Please read this site and others on the web Visit message boards or forums to get more information what other people think If possible do a test drive You will have to convince yourself if you want SMG II or not Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 28 CET 7 Question Is the SMG II system in your opinion better for performance or is the manual Answer SMG II is definitely better for performance Faster shifting and no clutch activity by the driver make for higher concentration on the tasks at hand driving My opinion this puts SMG II in an unbeatable position for track use Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 36 CET 8 Question Just to clear some stuff up about the SMG II the 0 62 acceleration is 5 2 seconds and 0 60 acceleration is below 5 seconds correct Since the S
32. been available in Europe do not like auto transmissions at all However for one get even more enjoyment from driving the SMG II because the shifts are so precise and fast that find myself shifting far too many times Basically the SMG II M3 behaves like a manual car It really made me forget the clutch pedal SMG II is currently the closest thing to car racing one can get on a legal road car IMO It s one system that can be tame and comfortable but at the same time also be extremely sporty and quite brutal The best toy have ever had on a car In the end everyone must decide for themselves Andreas Back to Selection list Saturday December 22nd 2001 12 10 CET 1 Question Do you think that the SMG is equal to the 6 speed in performance Answer Yes IMO it s equal have driven both M3 s and I think performance wise they are more or less the same Furthermore BMW claim for both M3 s SMG II and manual the same acceleration numbers Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 14 CET 2 Question What is the weight difference between the SMG II and the manual Answer There was a rumor that the SMG II M3 is lighter than the manual M3 which is not correct According to the German Sports car magazine Sport Auto The SMG II M3 is actually 6 Kg ca 12 Ibs heavier than the manual M3 Don t know whether these cars have had different equipment not only SMG II which could also be responsible for t
33. cal or hydraulic THINK it is hydraulic However it doesn t take a long time it s very practical and comfortable have no experience with Ferrari s Fl System Guessing from your statements I d say it is much better what goes for the R gear Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 13 CET 21 Question What was SMG I Answer It s the first version of BMW s sequential transmission which was only available in Europe on the E36 M3 As far as know it was not a big success Most people know don t like it have never driven an E36 M3 with SMG I myself So that s all can say Perhaps anybody with SMG experience can share their impressions here Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 33 CET 22 Question Leo With SMG is it possible to use the handbrake to slide around corners or to whip the rear end around for a quick U turn To keep the engine from stalling would think that SMG would have to clutch or shift to N when the handbrake is applied does SMG know to do that If SMG does not handle this situation automatically do the controls permit you to request an immediate clutch or shift to N Thanks CD 55 roadfly com Answer can t see why this shouldn t be possible However You ll understand that didn t try it Don t know whether Leo tried such things perhaps he can add a comment on this when he s back from the US Andreas Back to Selecti
34. ck to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 27 CET 4 Question How does it work in very heavy stop and go creeping trafffic With a normal stick shift one would be driving in first gear and going on and off the clutch How does the SMG II handle this When the car is slowing does it disengage the clutch as one would do controlling the clutch manually A similar question would arise in any very slow driving regime such as in a parking garage Answer Absolutely no problem Actually it happens quite often to me that have to drive in heavy traffic was already stuck in several traffic jams SMG II is not only impressive when driven fast and aggressive but also when driven extremely slow in heavy traffic i e And don t forget you still have the auto mode for your convenience However usually drive in S5 also in heavy traffic Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 28 CET 5 Question Let s say the car comes with the SMG II If you park the car uphill when you change to 1st gear after started the car and you dont give any gas will the car move backward like the manual version or stay where it is or moving slowly forward as the automatic version Or if it is on the S mode will it be completely as the manual version and when it is in the A mode will it be completely automatic Answer The car will move backward like a manual car SMG II is no auto and has no idle speed gt does not c
35. dreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 27 CET 6 Question When you shift using SMG peddles or shift stick does it make a click sound Answer You don t hear anything at all It s absolutely quiet when pressing the peddles or shift stick joystick Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 29 CET 7 Question Is the steering wheel fixed or does it telescope If it does telescope do the paddles move with the wheel or are THEY fixed Answer The steering wheel telescopes in all directions The paddles are fixed to the steering wheel and thus move with it Check out E46 M3 SMG II Impressions or E46 M3 SMG II from Andreas for pictures of the paddles mounted behind the wheel Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 36 CET 8 Question If you are using the joystick aggresivley track event et c is there any safeguard to prevent accidentally shifting into Reverse Answer Good question don t know I m sorry But bet you cannot select R while you re in motion Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 36 CET 9 Question In SMG II can you switch to both Sport mode and switch DSC off Answer yes of course Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 41 CET 10 Question Is it possible to ruin your transmission if your in S mode and suddenly manually switch with the gear stick from let s sa
36. e much about the A mode as personally don t really like it For me driving one of the A programs is weird It doesn t feel like a real auto transmission I m not happy with the shift points in most programs actually A4 is the only program that use from time to time A5 first shift 4000 rpm if you step gently on the accelerator is just too much overdone unless you want to drive aggressively but then again S5 or S6 are of course MUCH better for this purpose All other A programs A1 A3 shift way too slow for my taste Moreover A mode is not as smooth as one of the Top auto transmissions If you want a smooth and fast auto transmission you better buy a C32 AMG if you expect SMG II A mode to be something like Mercedes SpeedShift you ll be very disappointed Therefore keep saying that one shouldn t buy SMG II only because it provides some A programs That would definitely be a mistake quite a bad one IMO So to sum it up one can say that the timing of the A programs is not for me It s just weird IMO HOWEVER A Mode is not what SMG II is all about Absolutely NOT Basically one can say that myself only use 2 programs S5 and S6 would have paid the same amount if SMG II was only available with those two programs They are well worth the money IMO Nobody will ever need 11 Programs amp 3 or 4 Programs would be enough Well what goes for your wife can image that she might not like the M3 and SMG II
37. e simpel version goes like this what happens if you spin 360 degrees on purpos or not Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Friday January 21st 2005 00 55 CET 14 Question Can you use the padddle shifters to activate any of the special features LC Hill assist or do you HAVE to use the shift lever Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Thursday March 31st 2005 19 44 CET 15 A total of 161 questions have been posted to date Home Links Live Cam Contact Currently 2 users are browsing this web site 308254 having visited since June 8th 1997 Lee Site The information contained on this site is copyrighted material So don t use it It is illegal to copy redistribute or link this information in any way without the expressed written consent of the author Web site designed by Leo Nutz Productions Copyright Leo Nutz 1997 2009 All rights reserved
38. ea Hopefully this is clear Thanks in advance Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible gt Back to Selection list Thursday November 25th 2004 02 55 CET 12 Question Wow What a nice community Also and of course thank you for all of the answers and opinions you guys took the time to post From reading many of your posts it seems to me that your opinion of the Auto mode has changed since you first got your M3 1 On a scale of 1 10 how did you feel about the A programs when you first got your M3 Why 2 How about now 3 Personal enjoyment aside how easy it is to learn how to drive the SMGII smoothly so that my girlfriend doesn t bark go ahead and laugh but this is a real problem Lol 4 Is smooth driving all in throttle modulation Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Saturday December 04th 2004 20 58 CET 13 Question prommise that have read and understud every question posted in the faq what a great faq But got an other one If you would do a 360 spin with the SMG how would it react to the suddan drop in wheelspeed Will the transmission drop to first at about 180 before release the clutch when the wheels starts going backwords And when you get around completly in the direction of travel doing about 60kmh and the wheels starts spinning again will the thing start of in 1 gear making even things worse If that got messy th
39. ecial servicing required with SMG How often is the transmission oil changed Answer don t think so at least not as far as know Anybody with different info Anyway have free service for 3 years Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 26 CET 1 Question am a gadget guy but to depend on a computer for just being able to drive your car seem kind of dangerous or annoying if the computer fails What happens if a fuse blows while your driving and the SMGI gets knocked out could only imagine that you cannot drive the car Would you know if this would be true or not Answer have no clue amp All can say is that my car my SMG II was very reliable so far 8 think it s quite safe Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 29 CET 2 Question 1 Is it possible to park the car in neutral car wash 2 Andreas you are very positive about SMG II of course it is a BMW after all However there must be a few little annoyances switching from manual to SMG 3 If you would live in the US would you still get SMG II knowing that S6 is not available Answer 1 yes of course 2 yes there are hard to explain some little things There s always room for further improvement 3 S6 is available in the US see above for one don t care too much for LC It s nice but also something that can t be used very often Andreas Back to Selection l
40. er If you are a motor sports freak then we are more than convinced that you ll like SMG II because it is as close as you can get to Formula racing If you are always compelled to driving fast you ll be driving even faster with SMG II The more demanding a track the bigger the advantage of SMG II This is because you have both hands on the steering wheel and you can focus on other more important things like track and traffic On rare occasions you might have to shift with the lever though Select a category Basic Info Shifting Techniques Braking Parking Compared to an Automatic Compared to a 6 speed Manual Fast Starts Launch Control and the S6 Program Moving from a Stop USA version European version Controls Paddles Stick Etc and Displays Personal Observations of Leo and Andreas Miscellaneous Open Questions Basic Info Question Does SMG II disconnect the driver from the car Answer IMO NO I d say the opposite is true Feeling connected to a car is not a matter of having a clutch pedal Since having the SMG II transmission feel more involved in the process of driving SMG II gives the driver full command and the freedom to concentrate on other more important things like traffic or road condition because it will never miss shift Anyway to each his own Andreas Back to Selection list Tuesday August 21st 2001 21 38 CET 1 Question Where can find a FAQ with general E46 M3 q
41. er 23rd 2001 00 20 CET 1 Question How about that hill start program can you tell us a little about how that works Answer That is one useful and neat feature One must only pull and hold the left paddle for ca 1 2 s foot on the brakes The computer measures the ascent of the hill and matches the revs so that the car almost holds the position it still rolls slightly backwards One should activate the assistant just before the hill starts as it only matches the revs for ca 4 s from the moment when one lifts the foot from the brakes If one keeps the foot on the brakes the system will hold the revs for one wouldn t keep the assistant activated for a longer time Andreas Back to Selection list Saturday January 19th 2002 18 07 CET 2 Question 1 Can you rev the motor while stopped at a light sia 2 If the answer is yes you put it in neutral can you also do this while the car is moving Answer 1 Yes you can Push the joystick one position to the left and you re in neutral Then you can rev the engine of course 2 If remember correctly tried this once and it wasn t possible to push the joystick to the left while driving Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 22 CET 3 Question At how many revs does the clutch start to engage when parking or slowly moving away on a flat surface Answer I m sorry can t give a precise answer here At very low revs Andreas Ba
42. estion Can you make donuts using the SMG II Answer Ofcourse you can make donunts Big ones small ones You decide Leo Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 10 18 CET 10 Question am planning on getting the 2002 M3 with SMG II however do you think that BMW is going to put the SMG II into the M5 this would alter my decision to buy the M3 hence i would get the M5 thanks for your help Answer Neither Andreas nor myself know what BMW s plans are However would not be surprised if BMW put SMG into the new upkomming 10 cylinder M5 Maybe even an improved SMG SMG 111 It remains to be seen Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 56 CET 11 Question Hello again ter With all the questions about this CLUNK noise in the transmission do you hear it with the smc Answer No there s no unusual noise so far So don t have it Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 00 CET 12 Question Hi Guys Congrats for some outstanding work on this site Keep it up am from Perth Western Australia and own a M3 coupe no SMG II June build with 3000km Just wondering how s the fuel consumption read in a UK magazine that the BMW s with sequential gear box are far more thirstier than the manual ones What are your experiences Thanks guys and enjoy and keep up the good work Answer Hi there Thanks for your comment and feed
43. he weight difference Nonetheless here are the Sport Auto results manual M3 1584 Kg SMG II M3 1590 Kg Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 16 CET 3 Question What happens as the clutch wears If it starts to chatter do the electronics compensate or does it just get rougher and rougher over time like a chattering manual clutch Perhaps the computer treats the clutch so gently its life is extended but would find that hard to believe Answer I m sorry cannot answer this question because only have 7000 Km on my car right now Nothing changed so far However think generally the computer treats the clutch gently can imagine that the SMG II clutch might have an extended life in comparison to a manual clutch Or at least it shouldn t be worse SMG II shifts better than do in a manual car What know for sure is that the launch control wears the clutch of course as per BMW the launch control is something that shouldn t be used frequently have been told when picked up my car that the warranty is void when bring in my car with clutch problems and they discover on the black box that used the launch control many times So it would be a mistake to believe one can use launch control every day Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 20 CET 4 Question How come all tests of the E46 M3 with the Manual have been faster acceleration than the SMG version
44. ial Answer In the US the PDC option is included with SMG at no additional charge as of Nov 01 Otherwise PDC is optional with SMG Leo Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 19 CET 4 Question How much the SMG II option cost in the u s Answer Please visit BMW USA for prices Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 04 CET 5 European version Question Is the SMG II available on the 330Ci in Europe Answer No SMG II is only available on the E46 M3 The regular 3 series cars feature SSG slightly detuned SMG II Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 00 CET 1 Controls Paddles Stick Etc and Displays Question Can the position of the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel be adjusted to fit different size hands Answer No that s not possible However believe it shouldn t be a problem for anybody have been told however that BMW offer paddles of different sizes but can t confirm it at this time Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 15 CET 1 Question How long did it take you to get used to changing gear with the paddles Answer Actually you learn quiet fast There are just a few things you have to remember SMG II has no clutch pedal so one foot rests You don t have a stickshift to change gears with Your hands do all the work now Gear changes in mode 5 or 6 are
45. if she likes her 5 Series with auto transmission especially when she thinks that the 5 Series was is her best car just had such a car 525d A as a spare car when my M was in for a diagnostic check because of an SMG II failure The M3 is of course extremely harsh in comparison to any 5 series exception M5 Furthermore SMG II is nowhere as smooth as a BMW auto transmission regardless what mode you take SMG Il was not created to be smooth Actually that s one of the main reasons why like it For my taste it is smooth enough for a daily driver But know that some will not like it and that s OK Alright hope this was helpful eS Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 15 CET 8 Question Is it hard to adjust from an automatic transmission to the SMG Can someone that can t drive stick drive with the SMG Answer It is very easy in my opinion The thing you have to remember is that the shifts won t be as smooth as with a real automatic The smoother you press the accelerator the smoother the shifts will be however Anyone can use the A modes Leo Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 11 25 CET 9 Compared to a 6 speed Manual Question Do you think a 6 speed owner would get as much fun from driving the SMG II M3 Answer Well this of course is very subjective have only driven manual M cars before so no E36 M3 with SMG And btw M3 s with auto have never
46. ise For me the downshifts are maybe the most impressive part of the System 1 Don t worry the shift from 4th to 3rd will be fast enough provided you have your foot firmly on the accelerator SMG II downshifts immediately with virtually no delay at higher rev s It matches the rev s perfectly well don t know how quick those shifts are but they are FAAAAAAST D So the answer is b Well according to experts SMG II is the best and fastest sequential gearbox that is currently available So it performs AT LEAST as good as the F1 system known from the 360 modena my very personal rating it s a blast Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 03 CET 13 Question When f e drive in a manual mode S5 or S6 or whatever in the 1st gear and when i hit the rev limiter will the car remain in the 1st gear with the car at max reves or would it rather shift up Or it doesn t shift automatically otherwise than stopping Answer It will hit the rev limiter It won t shift automatically Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 46 CET 14 Question Can you explain what actually changes in the sequential programs understand the automated programs A1 A5 vary the shift points But in sequential mode the driver shifts on his own so what is the difference between S1 S2 S3 etc Thanks Brian Answer C mon Brian you are kidding right amp Read the manual and you l
47. ist Monday December 24th 2001 01 10 CET 3 Question have ordered a convertible m3 with SMG II Do you know if there is a loss in accelartion 0 62mph compared to the Coupe Answer M3 Coupe 0 100 km h 0 62 mph 5 1 s 1570 kg 3461 pounds M3 Cab 0 100 km h 0 62 mph 5 5 s 1730 kg 3814 pounds Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 35 CET 4 Question With my SMG find 2 significant annoyances 1 Changes into 2nd gear from 1st or 3rd at low engine speeds say 2500 3000rpm are very slow regardless of program 2 The throttle blip on downchanges is way too aggressive if you leave any even slight pressure on the accelerator Do you notice these annoyances too Answer 1 What s fast for you those shifts are absolutely adequate If you shift at 2500 3000 rpm it s obviously not your intention to drive fast or aggressive Those shifts are OK IMO 2 no don t think so However that s maybe my preference like aggressive downshifts It s just about right for me Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 39 CET 5 Question any idea what the SMG SSG will be like on the 325 or 330s can t afford an M3 now but I m really impressed by the new tranny However the SMG on 325s or 330s are availiable in Europe now am still waiting for it to arive NA market Answer I m sorry can t really help here amp But first reviews in Germany fe
48. l see that speed of the shifts vary S6 is fastest and S1 shifts slowly winter mode like A1 It depends on rpm and program how fast a shift will be executed There are some very detailed graphs available on this oh well bet you already knew this amp Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 43 CET 15 Question a Lets say your on the freeway and you want to downshift to 5th do you have to take your foot of the gas or could u jus down shift while the foot is still on the gas b Lets say ur on the freeway and want to down shift to 4th gear but your accidently goto 3rd would the computer let you do this or no Answer a You need not let of the gas while downshifting b In certain simuations the computer will not shift gears if it would damage the engine Leo Back to Selection list Thursday May 05th 2005 02 34 CET 16 Question When drag racing 1 4 mile and in S6 can you keep the gas floored and shift or would you need to lift a little Answer You can always keep the gas floored and shift Leo Back to Selection list Monday June O5th 2006 10 31 CET 17 Braking Question What happens when you make an abrupt brake maneuver In a traditional manual gearbox one would depress the clutch What happens in SMG Answer You just hit the brakes that s it Everything else is managed by the system If you stop the car in S mode it will automatically pick 1st gear already 2nd at ve
49. lked about LC S6 and some limited warranty based on how many LC starts your SMG II system would had to sustain Sounds rather unlikely that a company like BMW would market such a system under these conditions French sport auto magazine in its comparison of M3 SMG vs F360 in which the SMG II is rated higher then the sequencial gearbox from the F360 just talked about a big bang coming from the differencial at each gear change in LC mode They say that only time will decide on it s reliability 1 Is there any clearly written evidence on this fact in the user manual or is this just a nice joke from your dealer 2 Is there any clear statement about a certain number of permitted LC starts covered by the warranty 3 How would this comply with the unlimited 100 000 km warranty BMW offers in Switzerland Should get my M3 SMG arround April 2002 fire by then my M3 Lim will round up 200 000 km which ordered after a short test drive arround the block Thanks for your patience Answer thank you very much 1 2 Well regarding LC didn t find anything in the SMG II manual It only states that LC wears the clutch above average According to BMW one LC start equals 10 000 Km of normal driving in clutch wear However there s no official limit as far as know Yes SMG II shifts can be quite loud know what bang they mean Nonetheless there s nothing that wouldn t consider normal hey man that s a sports car not a l
50. mal wanted to know if you have experienced any problems such as this or any unusual noises or unusual shifts Thanks Answer There s no noise that wouldn t consider normal Anyway since have the Eisenmann exhaust on my car don t hear much from the gear changes Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 12 CET 19 Question To both of you great job Pick mine up on Saturday after a year wait slipped slots to the SMG your site really helped the decision J ust eanted to give those accoaldes and give a hand with the next question Gradiant Assist according to SMGII video from BMW COM is usable in reverse Also if you are in A mode and Cruise Control and select S mode Cruise Control is shut off automatically don t know if a s gear change while in CC would do the same one would assume so Answer Thank s for your help with question 119 Hope you like your car Keep us posted with your feedback in the owners observations section Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 12 CET 20 Question another question how about changing from forward to reverse and vice versa how fast is that change do you know if that is a real mechanical change or a hydraulical one if you shift to reverse in an F360 modena you can wait for hours not very comfortable if you d like to park your car tnx amp take care Answer Don t know for sure whether it is mechani
51. mation to no avail please help Answer glad we could help 32 I m sorry We don t know anything about BMWNA and their plans No clue when SMG II is going to be available in Canada Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 49 CET 25 Question You ve done a great job with your site keep it up I m finding it very informative thus far A few questions regarding a recently bought M3 w SMGII USA version 1 When shift into reverse other than after just starting the car hear a loud scratchy noise that doesn t sound too healthy Is this normal If not do you know the remedy 2 Do the shift lights only come on at about 8000 8500rpm Or is there a certain way to activate them I m asking because can t figure out how to get them to come on in sequential mode and haven t taken it to 8000 8500rpm yet 3 Is there a trick to the hill rollback assistant I ve tried holding the left paddle for about 2 seconds and it doesn t seem to activate Thanks for your time Answer Thanks 1 don t hear such a noise However agree that sometimes the changes are quite loud metal noise That is not unusual for M cars though But think the noise that you described is different 2 Shiftlights come on in the higher rpm s don t know exactly where maybe 6500 7000 rpm up to redline 3 Yes there is it takes a certain minimal incline otherwise it is not available Then stop the car s
52. me time when you operate the paddle very cool indeed Maybe one could measure a lag with some high tech equipment However not noticeable for the driver Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 19 13 CET 4 Question 1 frequently make 2 5 or 3 5 shifts is this do able w smg2 Is it necessary to hit each gear in sequence Perhaps not in S 6 but in other more everyday S modes 2 also frequently shift to nuetral and coast watching a light or traffic anead is a 6 N shift achievable 5 N Again I m guessing NOT in S4 6 but maybe in S1 3 Answer 1 Shifting from 2 5 or 3 5 is possible even 3 gears in one is possible if you re fast enough This is done by pressing the paddles as fast as possible depending on the number of gear changes you want 2 Shifting from any gear to nuetral is possible The only requirement is that you let go from the gas pedal Leo Back to Selection list Monday February 25th 2002 20 23 CET 5 Question Let s say you re driving around 60 KM h and you re approaching a red light no cars at the light in front of you You re in 5th gear in S mode You re maybe 50 meters away from the light and you re just rolling no downshifting Now the light turns green you re still going maybe 30 KM h DO you a Downshift and step on the gas from 5th to 2 3rd b Just step on the gas and the SMG will select the right gear for you Just wondering because do that a l
53. miles of highway or cold Shane Answer have experienced this If you lift too abruptly it will lurch Try not to lift too much in 1st or 2nd gear Jaimito Andreas Back to Selection list Thursday September 19th 2002 05 56 CET 29 Open Questions Question IS IT POSSIBLE TO INSTALL AN SMGII TRANSMISSION TO MY 2002 M3 THAT HAS 6SPD MANUAL WHERE CAN FIND A USED SMGII WITH ALL THE ELECTRONICS Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Wednesday January 07th 2004 05 42 CET 1 Question So what s better SMG or manual Just kidding My question is regarding gradient assistance Does the clutch re engage enough to start holding the car in place after releasing the brake or before Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Friday February 27th 2004 02 10 CET 2 Question In a sudden oversteer situation for ex rear tire failure you should declutch an countersteer immediately to avoid spinning I had the opportunity to practice this on a training area and was able to catch the car at medium speeds after a few trials How would you do this with a SMG Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Wednesday March 03rd 2004 23 23 CET 3 Question am getting a 2002 M3 coupe with SMG Is the M3 faster in S6 with the sport mode off or with S5 with the sport button on A 6
54. mission with an external clutch was wondering if shifting like this would preserve the clutch and lessen the jolt in normal driving Of course it s really not the way to drive it but was just wondering if the computer gets confused Answer It behaves quite similarly Shifts are very tame when you lift your right foot before shifting But there s no need to do so read below The system doesn t get confused at all As shifts get faster the higher you rev the engine you do not have to lift the throttle for this purpose because those shifts around 2000 3000 rpm are agreeable and tame Even in the faster Programs Now the closer you come to the redline the more aggressive and faster SMG II shifts That s something that appreciate the most because it is excellent for daily driving you have the best of both worlds at your fingertips easy cruisin and or fast and aggressive action Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 12 CET 11 Question When approaching a stop light in a manual depress the clutch and coast up near the light then apply the brake do not downshift from 4 3 2 1 using the transmission to slow me down What does SMG II do in this scenario assuming you are in 4th gear and you let off the gas pedal to approach a stop light does it engage the clutch and coast or does it stay locked in 4th gear Answer We have already answered this question several times D Please take a cou
55. n list Sunday December 30th 2001 20 46 CET 17 Question Leo and Andreas thanks for your wonderful page on the Engineering masterpiece SMG II 12 saw a question about the gear display blinking and the SMG warning light coming on This happened to me as well hours after picked up M3 I immediately called the dealer and took it to get serviced The light only came on after tha car had been driving for a while so wasn t able to reproduce the warning light for the BMW mechanics However the gears still blinked but nothing seemed mechanically wrong so continued driving The light came on a few more times and the gears continued to blink After the 1200 mile service saw the warning light come on only 1 time more then one day everything went back to normal gears stopped blinking and the warning light has yet to return Was there a glitch in the early US 2002 SMG II M3 models got mine in December Thanks Brian Answer Is it possible that the hood of the car or one of the doors was not properly closed If that was the case the gear number would have blinked 322 Otherwise it would be strange Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 44 CET 18 Personal Observations of Leo and Andreas Question If it is possible can you have some one time you 0 60 or can you do it youre self Some magazines say that manual 0 60 4 7 Sec some say 5 2 Sec would like to know what will it be using the shifters
56. n upshifts at lower RPM whereas the higher the setting the engine goes to a higher RPM and stays there longer before the gear upshifts Other Observations There s a lag when the gears are upshifting You can feel it as it s very distinct Downshifts seem to be faster less noticeable lag Sometimes the lag can be too long For example in between gear 1 and 2 there is no power for a second or two You hear the engine roar but there is no surge It seems like that it took a while before gear 2 was engaged The SMG cars make the same clunking noise that manual transmission owners are reporting But the clunk just comes on every now and then The gear shift lever is just superb It s short and stubby and right where you want it Looks better than the manual whereby you get this long stick poking out Answer thanks for your comment Well select S5 or S6 take it above 6500 and then tell me again there s a lag No way However as you are currently braking in the car understand your statement Don t forget the golden rule ALWAYS keep your foot firmly on the accelerator eS ohh and regarding the clunk believe some people are quite paranoid The M3 is a Sports car and therefore it makes some noises from time to time hear NOTHING that wouldn t consider normal Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 10 CET 16 Question Greetings to both Leo and Andreas Great work on the faq an informa
57. neutral to avoid having to keep the clutch depressed With SMG II is better to follow this practice to save wear and tear on the clutch or is it unecessary That means shifting from 1 to O and then back to 1 when you are ready to go Answer wouldn t shift to 0 Actually never push the lever to position 0 You can easily leave your car in the program for a longer time without moving SMG II manages the clutch for you However cannot tell you about technical details of course Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 14 CET 16 USA version Question Is the M3 SMG II currently available in the US or do you need to special order it through your dealer Answer It is available for order in the US as of November 2001 Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 00 57 CET 1 Question have read on the bmwusa com web site that the SMG II for US will not have the S6 option does this mean that it wont have the 08 seconds shifts and Launch Control will be removed Answer It has been confirmed that the US version has the S6 program with the 08 second shifts and have Launch Control albiet launch will be at 1 800 rpm instead of 3 500 rpm Leo Back to Selection list Thursday December 27th 2001 00 47 CET 2 Question SMG II USA ee Confirmed that S5 mode for US will have 80 millisecond gear changes That means you will get the same performance as the Euro M3 in S6 amp Thi
58. omes down to driver skills Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 19 14 CET 8 Question Do you think you can achieve a 0 60 time of under 5 0 sec if launching in S6 without lauch control know you don t have the equipment to precisely answer this question but a rough guess would suffice am just trying to get an idea of how fast a lauch without LC is or could be Thanks for all the help Answer think you ll understand that cannot answer this Q with yes or no because just don t know and can t measure it Here s what I can say you can launch it FAST in S6 without LC I did only 3 launches so far with LC you re constantly fast Don t think that could launch a manual M3 CONSTANTLY faster The manual might should be slightly faster given a perfect launch IMO launching an SMG II equipped car is a sure bet no mistakes gt great if you like street racing Only problem is to avoid too much wheel spin if you really step on it aggressively wasn t able to launch my manual M Roadster as fast as the M3 Don t think that there are many people out there who are able to launch a car faster than SMG II S6 trust me it s fast and it provides plain REAL LIFE performance I d take SMG II every day over a manual for any kind of performance driving because it takes an excellent driver in a manual car to equalize the advantages of SMG II given a good driver
59. on list Monday January 21st 2002 18 54 CET 23 Question Your site is FANTASTIC Thank you so much My question is maybe a bit too simple but even after reading the on line owners manual I still cannot imagine How does the car wash guy drive the SMG II without ever seeing one before I m worried it would be a huge ordeal at the car wash or valet at a parking garage Where I live in the U S you don t drive it through yourself you get out someone pulls the car up it goes through the wash by itself and them antoher attendant pulls it out for drying Thank you Answer Thank you very much that s a good question You re right things ar different in Europe drive my car through the carwash myself So I m only guessing here can imagine that one must explain it briefly to the responsible person However when you come to the carwash or parking just don t turn off the car and tell him her that she he must switch to 0 and back in order to engage a program Best would be if you let them drive in one of the A programs so that she he can drive it like an Auto So after all it shouldn t be a big concern think they will get used to it Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 37 CET 24 Question First of all thanks for the great site learned a lot from it My question is do you know if SMG II is will be available in Canada If so when have been trying to find out that infor
60. ot usually downshift with my manual but I m wondering if you have to do the same with the SMG II Answer The answer is gt a SMG II S mode will NOT downshift automatically UNLESS it is forced to gt driver slowing down all the way without shifting It will pick the next possible gear and for sure 2nd gear at very low speed unless you touch the accelerator again and then it will shift down to first just as the car is about to stop foot on the brake Andreas Back to Selection list Monday February 25th 2002 20 16 CET 6 Question In one of the previous questions you mentioned that shifting from X N was possible as long as you lift from the accelerator pedal If you went 6 N how would you go from N 3 That is can you change the gear you will engage while in neutral or must you engage the gears then downshift from where you left Answer You switch from a program to N not from a gear to N If you switch back you find yourself again in the same program that you have had before Anyway you wouldn t do this while the car is in motion Hope this answers your Q If not feel free to post again Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 10 CET 7 Question Can you coast in neutral with SMG Pressing the brake might disengage the transmission and lifting the gas might provide engine braking but how would you coast Say approaching a red light you don t need to brake for just yet
61. ple of minutes and read the FAQ ee Andreas Back to Selection list Wednesday January 23rd 2002 20 13 CET 12 Question Hi find your site very helpful Great work have a euro spec E36 M3 EVO My next choice will be an M3 SMGII Here is a short story Once was racing with a 360 Modena F1 When we came to a highspeed turn he easily downshifts and heard the blip of a throttle perfectly matched revs was very impressed At that turn a long high speed left hand turn going 240 km h first then had to decrease speed to 190 km h and had to shift 4th from 5th couldn t even shift because couldn t take my hand of the wheel I m more concerned about downshifting Because it is possible to upshift fast but difficult to downshift fast and it is very hard to do perfectly matched heel toeing everytime 1 what happens when coming to a turn in 4th gear doing 180 km h and then brake hard to 120 km h downshift to 3rd gear and turn in How does SMGII change gears a Any delay or slip clutch while doing slow rev catch up or b immidiate downshift with a small throttle to match up revs Is it also 080 sec quick while downshifting I m only asking in S6 mode My friend has an M3 SMGI and his car doesn t downshift as 360 Modena F1 does He bleps the throttle while downshifting just after a hard brake for a turn Thank you for your time Answer Thank you SMG II downshifts are very impressive extremely fast and absolutely prec
62. reduce the engine power or shift to the next gear in A at 5500 rtm Answer Glad you enjoy our FAQ Good luck with your car hope the wait is not killing you Btw ordered SMG II blindly too and love it So don t feel bad just because you cannot test drive it It s a good thing Alright the warm up lights to be honest don t know never rev my car immediately to 5000 rpm when cold Therefore don t know whether the light s are just kind of recommendation or a real limiter THINK it s only a recommendation Anyway believe it s important to warm up the car gently Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 58 CET 14 Question 1 Does the valet key have any effect on SMG For example will the valet key permit operation only in the A modes 2 When you start the car does it start up in the mode you last left it in Thanks for your help Answer 1 that was a good question also useful for myself as had to try it didn t notice any effects or changes with the valet key my car SMG II does exactly the same 2 have already answered this question in the FAQ please look it up S Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 09 CET 15 Question My SMG dashboard display seems to be backwards When am in automated mode the display indicates S and when am in 22 sequential mode the display indicates A Why is this Can it be fixed
63. reep There s no difference between S and A mode what goes for this However depending on the ascent of the hill you may use the climb assistant Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 28 CET 6 Question Does the car creep up when you have it in Gear and the foot off the brake and gas of course just like an automatic Or does it stay in place as it would if you have the clutch pushed in all the way Please answer for both S and A modes Thanks and keep up the good work Answer SMG II does not creep at all Leo Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 29 CET 7 Question How do you get the fastest acceleration from a stoplight using the SMG Answer select S6 or S5 switch DSC off and floor it It needs some practise because otherwise you have too much wheel spin Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 31 CET 8 Question 1 You guys are doing a great job A When you start the car at rest amp then proceed to select 1st gear before applying the gas pedal you are in a netrual state where the engine speed is at idle amp no vehicle movement occurs is this correct B As you apply the gas pedal in 1st gear the clutch slips and then fully engages at some engine speed amp vehicle speed Say you launch the car at 1 4 gas pedal movement then 1 2 pedal movement amp then full pedal movement flooring it Will the SMGII allow the clutch to
64. ry slow speed Andreas Back to Selection list Saturday December 22nd 2001 12 08 CET 1 Question Is it necessary to press on the brake pedal when shifting gears with the paddles mounted to the steering wheels Answer uhhh Please read the FAQ if you don t mind amp Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 45 CET 2 Question Do you use left foot braking since the left foot has nothing to do Answer No under normal circumstances your left foot will go into retirement However left foot braking is theoretically possible maybe difficult for tall people Leo Back to Selection list Monday February 25th 2002 20 21 CET 3 Parking Question How does one back into a tight parking space using SMG Answer Parking is in principle no different than parking with a 6 speed manual M3 To park backwards just press the joystick to the left to select reverse gear as if you select R with the manual stick It s no problem at all to operate the clutch with the gas pedal gt in fact the computer operates the clutch precisely enough to park your car in a tight gap SMG II offers unlimited daily driver ability Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 08 CET 1 Question How do you park What gear mode do you put it in before you turn off the engine and pull up the parking brake Answer Basically it doesn t matter what gear and mode you are in when you park
65. s Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 13 CET 1 Question Can you burnout the same in an M3 SMG II as in a regular M3 And if so how do you do it Answer Yes One can beautifully burnout an SMG II equipped M3 Just step on it as hard as you can and really mean hard DSC off of course and your tyres are going bye bye practised burnout s today and still have this big grin on my face Way cool Andreas Back to Selection list Monday December 24th 2001 01 16 CET 2 Question are you able to post faster times without LC 1300 rpms and very little wheelspin M T magazine netted 0 60 in 4 65 seconds with this technique No need for LC with 3500 rpms clutch drops Answer cannot answer this question However LC is the fastest possible way to launch the car as per BMW I m not able to match the LC performance whatsoever The biggest advantage of LC is that the system controls wheel spin gt limited slip You need good grip though Andreas Back to Selection list Thursday January 03rd 2002 21 14 CET 3 Question With your LC How many times are you allowed to use before your warranty is void hear 30 Answer Don t know if there is an official limit However have been told that shouldn t use it too often only used it twice so far Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 36 CET 4 Question How do you launch the SMG car when not using LC
66. s is without Launch Control BMW USA states they do not feel the Launch Control feature is worth the cost and damage it can cause to the transmission amp They also do not feel that DCS should be turned off at anytime which is a requirement of Launch Control So they just revamped the S5 mode to equal S6 in performance amp An yes you can still turn DCS off at anytime Confirmed 10 11 01 BMW usa More info at bmwusa com go to build bmw then m3 coupe then options next to SMG II see small note pad to right click and you will see they have more clearly addressed the 80 millisecond gear changes JT Florida USA Answer 1 yes hope S5 in the US equals S6 in Europe 2 LC is not very important IMO used it only twice so far 3 You can switch DSC off in every single program It has nothing to do with S6 However S6 is ONLY available with DSC off Think you mixed something up 4 if you can a switch off DSC and b have 0 08 s shifts everything is OK Updated 26 Dec 01 The US has the S6 program As far as we know US S5 Europe S5 and US S6 Europe S6 Europe LC is 3 500 rpm US Launch Control is 1 800 rpm Andreas Back to Selection list Thursday December 27th 2001 00 51 CET 3 Question Is it true that SMG comes with the rear park distance control don t need a computer to help me parallel park and personally think the modules on the bumpers are a total eye sore Thanks for the wonderful reading mater
67. s you select the program you re automatically in 1st gear So actually you select the program not the gear The car will not move unless you are on uneven surface B I m sorry but this question is almost impossible to answer All can say is that everything happens very quick C cannot answer this question Everything happens extremely precise and fast far better than could ever do it with a manual transmission D Please note that in the Video with my car we had a rolling start So didn t launch the car in that movie Nothing slows down or gets delayed at all The acceleration is immediate and strong The acceleration gets stronger the closer you come to redline The launch feel is relatively linear smooth and strong No delays no lags no miss shifts E It depends on your driving style Basically it is smooth and immediate However the car is very sensitive with SPORT on same as the manual it all depends on the driver F Good luck with it Hope this was somewhat helpful Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 42 CET 9 Question 1 can I put the car in nutral rev the engine to 1500 rpm then pop it into 1st and run through the gears 2 Or would it be more effective to just have the car in 1st and nail the gas 3 Without S6 amp Launch Con what do you think is the best way to optimise the 0 60 time Answer 1 hmm good Question don t know didn t try it
68. sometimes will move from N to R or 1st gear without the break padel being pressed Then the gear console indicator reference shows reverse or 1st gear was selected hoever the instrument panel display shows neutral When trying ro pull off there is no movement of the car 2 Answer An answer will be posted as soon as possible Back to Selection list Tuesday September 14th 2004 08 00 CET 11 Question Howdy Nice site and this is my second trip here the first being before ordered my car with SMG My question is about driving on the track have been driving my car for a couple of months and 5k miles The situation I m wondering about is coming down a straight in 5th then braking hard and downshifting to third for a corner was getting relatively good at heel toe with my old manual I d brake while shifting blip the throttle and let the clutch out just as was turning in When use a similar timing granted this is on the street the SMGII is slow and won t always rev match and downshift until after I m on the throttle leaving it in neutral for a bit off brake which is what I m trying to avoid or if do it too early while braking it doesn t rev match and feel the pull of the downshift What is the appropriate timing for downshifting in this situation Playing with it a bit it seems that it works best if shifting just at turn in later than a manual but then I m still in neutral for just a bit Anyone have a better id
69. t info Here s my question Is the hill assist really necessary Why not just use the hand brake to hold the car just like a standard manual gearbox When you feel the car start to go just release the hand brake This we seem to be easier on the clutch Just curious hopefully get my US spec car in 3 5 weeks just ordered it last Saturday The Scotsman Answer thanks Yes that s a good question And believe you re right You can use the hand brake of course The hill assistant is nice though it s a toy basically there are three possibilities for hill starts 1 you just lift your foot from the brake and immediately step on the accelerator 2 SMG II hill assistant 3 regular hill start with hand brake Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 03 CET 12 Question frequently drive my manual transmission BMW s in very slow traffic either engage the clutch slowly in first gear without pressing the throttle or very lightly press the throttle while engaging the clutch slowly and then release the throttle immediately Either way the car then moves at idle speed in first gear Is this possible with the SMG II tranmission Thank you for your time and response Answer No that s not possible SMG II has no idle speed it does not creep SMG II does everything that is necessary in such a situation But it doesn t feel exactly the same as if you do what you described with a manual tr
70. tep on the brake and hold the paddle for ca 1 2 seconds Andreas Back to Selection list Friday February 15th 2002 17 57 CET 26 Question Invaluable help thanks so much for doing this site You mentioned taking your M3 in for repairs and you have had your car under 7000 miles Do you have any concerns about mechanical problems associated with a first production year car Thanks a lot Answer Yes indeed my car was in because of a rather minor SMG II problem They replaced a part Otherwise didn t have any problems so far have no concerns the car is reliable so far Andreas Back to Selection list Friday February 15th 2002 18 00 CET 27 Question Hey Andreas and Leo great site have to admit that BMW should be paying you guys for all this information because think with out you two to getting things started we would not be as ready as we are after reading all this info Thank you Ok my question you talk about hill assist using the paddle or the hand brake Could you use just the normal brake using your left while giving gas with your right foot also Maybe you wouldn t even want to do this don t know receive my car in a week Thanks Answer Thank you Honestly I m not sure what you mean that makes no sense IMO 3 There are different ways to hill start an SMG II equipped M3 It s VERY easy Andreas Back to Selection list Friday February 15th 2002 17 59 CET 28 Question Have
71. tion list Saturday January 19th 2002 18 06 CET 7 Question FIRST OFF TREMENDOUS SITE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST INFROMATIVE PLACE ON THE WEBB CONCERNING THE SMG Il TRANI I VE GOT A MID JANUARY BUILD DATE FOR A TITAN SILVER EMOLA RED CONVERT WITH SMG II THE EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE IS LATE FEB EARLY MAR READING THIS SITE JUST INCREASES MY ANTICIPATION WAKE UP SOME MORNINGS WITH A BIG GRIN ON MY FACE JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS AUTO THIS WILL BE OUR FOURTH BMW AND THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN DAILY BY MY WIFE WHO WILL WITHOUT SOLICTATION TELL YOU THAT HER CURRENT 5 SERIES AUTO TRANI IS THE BEST CAR SHE HAS EVER OWNED DRIVEN BUT SHE IS NOT AN AGRESSIVE DRIVER SHE HATED MY 89 944 S2 TURBO AND TO THIS DAY HAS NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THAT POCKET ROCKET ALTHOUGH HAVE HAVE MISSED IT SINCE SELLING IT IN 92 THE M3 WILL BE DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY MY ME BUT IT IS BEST FOR ALL IF SHE CAN FIND SOME HAPPINESS BEHIND THE WHEEL DESPITE YOUR HESITATION TO DISCUSS THE A MODE ON THE SMG II AND THE FACT THAT YOU DON T OFTEN IF EVER USE IT CAN YOU GIVE ME AND OTHERS OUT THERE WITH THIS SIMILLAR DELIMA SOME INSITE TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DRIVING IN THE AUTO MODE SHOULD BE SEARCHING FOR MY PRENUP AGREEMENT OR CAN THIS BE A LIGITAMENT COMPROMISE MLMOSS HOTMAIL COM Answer thank you We do our best All you read on this page is based on our very own experience and a A site like this is always very subjective Therefore didn t writ
72. tive and entertaining read My question is rather simple will SMGII allow the engine to stall Eg selecting a high gear or moving off on an incline but not applying enough gas Will the SMG automatically declutch in these situations or what Keep up the excellent job your doin Answer No can t imagine such scenarios SMG II will not allow the engine to stall However provided you drive with like 15 mph and you want to select 5th gear hehe who knows SMG II will not execute your command The highest gear you can use at such a speed ca 15 20 mph is 4th believe Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 11 CET 17 Question 1 does the hill start assistant also work in reverse 2 if you are in A mode and engage the cruise control does CC stay on if SMG does a gear chance 3 same as 2 for S modes if you do a manual gear chance tnx very much and always stay cool amp Answer Thank you We do our best 1 Yes it does 2 didn t use cruise control so far Therefor cannot answer this question right now I m sorry Have to check the manual E 3 dito 2 Andreas Back to Selection list Thursday September 19th 2002 05 59 CET 18 Question have heard of many people with the manual transmission who have experienced a rattling clutch in low gears only after a few hundred miles They have taken it to the dealer but the dealer says that this is nor
73. ue convertor Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 20 CET 3 Question Is the SMG II system up to A5 or A4 If so can sub 5 second 0 60 accelerations be obtained with the A5 Thanks for your help Answer up to A5 don t know how fast one can accelerate to 60 in A5 However it s definitely one fast auto program Actually it s the most aggressive Auto that I ve driven so far weird shifts though Once again never use A5 If ever use one of the auto programs it s A4 for one could do without the A mode Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 38 CET 4 Question HI Great site am probably beating the horse to death but My wife wants an automatic and need a stick for my speed jones Will the A modes satisfy my wife The reason she needs an auto is due to an accident where she cannot use her left foot for driving Thanks Answer Well she might find the A mode somewhat weird as it shifts behaves not exactly like a real automatic transmission amp She could also use the S mode of course not sure whether she would like it suggest she makes a test drive as soon as possible she must decide for herself It s very hard to answer this question reasonably from my point of view for one would not buy SMG II because of the A mode SMG II is a thing for speed addicted people or track freaks So she might find it annoying who knows Andreas B
74. uestions Answer There is an excellent E46 M3 FAQ by loki here EDIT The above link is no longer avaliable Leo Back to Selection list Monday December 31st 2001 21 07 CET 2 Question Is it worth 2500 US Answer paid 2700 US in Switzerland and believe it s a bargain That s one fantastic package for the However everyone must decide for themselves Andreas Back to Selection list Friday August 17th 2001 00 43 CET 3 Question Is there any visible clue that a M3 is equiped with SMG2 beside the shift lever and the paddles Answer not from the outside From inside the car yes The display LED the parts you already mentioned and the lack of a clutch pedal Andreas Back to Selection list Monday August 20th 2001 00 53 CET 4 Question Can you change programs on the fly while driving Answer Yes Anytime anywhere at any speed One can change the mode and or the program Andreas Back to Selection list Thursday August 23rd 2001 22 16 CET 5 Question With the SMG when you drive away do you hear each distinctive gear like the manual or do you just hear one smooth continuous tone like an automatic or tiptronic car Answer SMG II is a manual and thus you hear the car behave just as a manual An expert however might hear a difference Leo Back to Selection list Friday May 03rd 2002 19 21 CET 6 Question know this is going to sound kinda dumb to
75. uxurious cruiser such a car makes some noises Anyway since have the Eisenmann exhaust don t hear the shifts anymore 3 Clutch wear is anyway not covered by the Service Plus warranty free Service for 100 000 Km or 3 Years Keep us posted with your own SMG II experiences Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 08 CET 11 Question True or false You have to switch DSC OFF before the S6 program is made available I ve heard that this is true in the U S but don t know about other markets Answer This is true Same goes for Europe Leo Back to Selection list Thursday December 27th 2001 00 45 CET 12 Question Thanks for all the info was under the impression that SMGII in launch control automatically did the 1st to 2nd upshift Got lucky and have both the speed restrictor disconnected and the 3500 RPM launch control from the factory My previous E46M3 manual also was speed derestricted However on my U S car the Launch control won t shift to 2nd automatically is this normal for all SMGIIs or just N A Dan Law U S A Answer SMG II in LC does not shift automatically from 1st to 2nd it never did and it never will You were missinformed Andreas Back to Selection list Monday January 21st 2002 18 48 CET 13 Question pose this question at risk of it going unanswered per your rules on repetitive querys but in reading all the posts this question hasn t been
76. ve the most awesome site about the SMG II on the web Well when you relieve the stress of answering all those questions answer this one hehe What s the highest speed you ever gone on your SMG II equipped M3 Once again great site and keep up the good work Answer 178 mph when I m done with mine Oh the wait is a hurt n Leo that was about 155 mph on the German Autobahn Thanks for your feedback Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 00 CET 6 Question 229 What weaknesses of SMG II did you discover so far Answer What goes for the shifts think can name three weaknesses S mode 1 When one is slowly driving in 2nd gear and then needs to downshift to 1st foot tamely on the accelerator not coasting the actual shift happens very slow That makes sense of course because the revs are very low and one doesn t need a fast shift as one is obviously not in a hurry Nonetheless those lowest end shifts can sometimes be annoyingly slow B don t forget the higher the revs the faster SMG II shifts 2 When let the brake go and the car rolls a little bit backwards hill start for example without assistant or hand brake the system appears to be slightly confused and needs a moment to engage 1st gear that s maybe the biggest lag you can experience with SMG II IMO You step on the accelerator and nothing happens for a short moment 3 If you re coasting towards
77. xperience such scenarios whatsoever after 7400 miles haven t had any problems at all yet 1 No don t think so You can push the lever to position 0 then it s blocked you can t push it back to the right hand side However believe the car remains in first gear tried to move the car from the outside and it wasn t possible it won t move 2 No gt dito 1 think should look up in the SMG II manual what to do with a dead battery although that appears to be very unlikely Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 01 07 CET 15 Question Before ordering the SMG was apprehensive about how it would perform using the A setting for everyday city driving with heavy traffic as well as climbing mountainous terrain Both are what face on a daily drive After a week with my PY Kiwi SMG M3 here s some opinions 1 In heavy bumper to bumper traffic the A function performs well Just like a normal automatic car Brake and Throttle Only when you are facing stop and go on an incline you need to watch it as the car will roll backwards or forward if decline the second you release the brake pedal There s the hill assist but find it simplier just to keep my left foot on the brake and right foot on the gas pedal 2 Also if you are climbing steep slopes you have to set to level 4 or 5 otherwise the car doesn t appear to have enough power If set at the lower levels 1 to 3 the transmissio
78. y 4th gear to 1st Answer No that s not possible The computer will avoid such stupid things Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 42 CET 11 Question A visual aesthetics question Bu you know if the joystick and or its surrounding base will be or are currently available in any other styles eg black high gloss or wood trim Answer don t think so However don t know for sure Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 43 CET 12 Question I ve seen pictures of the rev LEDs and one picture showed two red LEDs at the high end and one at the lower end understand that the high red LEDs indicate when u shld shift up but what am wondering is are there red LEDs on the lower end signalling when to shift down Answer No there are no LED s that indicate when one should downshift Andreas Back to Selection list Sunday December 23rd 2001 00 43 CET 13 Question Andreas and Leo thanks for all the good work in this FAQ have read all the questions and answers ordered my M3 SMG 2 in september 2001 It will be delivered in april 2002 Here in Holland it is impossible to make a test drive in a SMG even if you are a serieus buyer BMW Holland is not a nice company to work with Now my question when the engine is cold the shift lights indicate the moment to shift gear for example at 5500 rtm Does it only give an indication or does it really

"Unofficial" E46 - Brian David Bernard

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&quot;Unofficial&quot; E46 - Brian David Bernard

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"Unofficial" E46 - Brian David Bernard