OT...Why is the 2002 X5's Steptronic manual shift reversed for up/down gear change??? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Apples · 21st June 2002, 22:59

Can you X5 owners answer why BMW would decide to reverse the steptronic manual shifting direction of the gear changes in the 2002 models.
When l first drove an X5 4.4 at Xmas, l found it very acceptable and usable for going up a gear to push the leaver forward to go forward, and to pull it back to go back in speed and down a gear.
So now the 2002 X5's have you pull it back to go up a gear and push forward to go down a gear.....WTF is the idea on this!!!
To me pulling the stick towards you and slowing the down feels much more confortable and natural.....a bit like slowing a horse down....Woah big boy... then pushing it forward
Am l the only one that thinks the old way was miles better.......maybe ??? so they must have made this change for a good reason.......l bloody hope so.
Anyone know the answer.
Did they also change all of the other 2002 Steptronic cars in BMW's fleet to this weird set up???
APPLES

foreman · 21st June 2002, 23:22

I find it wierd as well, seems unnatural for some reason.
I believe if you buy the old style shift panel it will fit and then all you need to do is switch the up and down shift output wires at the switch. I have changed some 5 and 3 series like this, its easy... You dont even have to switch the panel but then the indicators are opposite..

Foreman

MAVERICK · 22nd June 2002, 00:55

The old way was wrong. Have you guys ever watched rally-driving or Euro touring car racing with their sequential gearboxes. Up is for downshifting and down is for upshifting. BMW has finally rectified the mistake and I like it. It feels better to push the lever up when you want to downshift. The need to downshift must be a conscious decision and must take effort. It's too easy to pull the lever down with your wrist and downshift the car by mistake when you are driving along and your hand is resting on the lever. But with the correct way, you have to consciously send a message to your arm to PUSH the lever forward when you want to downshift.

In addition, before you downshift, you are usually braking before a corner and the momentum of braking is carrying your body forward making it easier to push the lever forward to downshift.

Richard in NC · 22nd June 2002, 03:12

Maverick;
Exactly. The old way was patterned after automatics. Where D is forward and downshifting pulled the lever back. It was this way in my '99 540i and I found it logical. BMW made the switch in the '02s to make it more like the SMG and Rally/Racing shifting. Since I owned the '99, to me the new way would be confusing.

young-nyc · 22nd June 2002, 03:20

BMW made this change in all their 2002 models..
i was really confused when i was driving the loaner 330...
however the change does make sense, momentum wise
but of course logic wise up to upshift and down to downshift is easier.

EBMCS03 · 22nd June 2002, 10:46

Wooo thats something new... thanks for the info MAVERICK, I too think its MUCH easier to do up for upshift and down for down shift.... Ahhhhhhhhhh I'll just get a manual car thats even easier...

tfung · 22nd June 2002, 12:11

didn't they do the same thing for the 7 series a while back as well? 'coz our before we got our current 7, we had an older one (same generation) and the steptronic was reversed as well....

2001's X5/Z8 · 22nd June 2002, 16:55

Apples,

now you know why I kept redlining your truck.....I'm used to pushing (up) and pulling (down).......

Nonetheless, that is one hell of a vehicle you have.....Do you have enough time in a 4.4 to do a comparison write up????

CM5GO · 22nd June 2002, 23:31

Supposedly the reason they did this is because the new SMG transmission in the M3 is that way.

They did it to keep it all consistant and prevent anyone from down shifting the SMG when they meant to upshift.

The steptronic protects misshifts better than the SMG beacuse it is not as aggressively geared as the SMG transmission.

Its just the story I heard so dont hold me to it. I dont really know enough about either of the two setups to make any sort of knowledgeable conclusion on my own.

Aussie2U · 23rd June 2002, 06:17

Sounds like a future $399 Dinan "firmware upgrade" would be a natural so owners could have it like they want it! (Sort of like the old "1-4 skip shift" eliminator in the Corvettes).

Oh what joy we have to look forward to when the BMW mechanics who take our cars out for a spin forget what revision they are driving and start bumping off the rev limiter...