I tried doing a search and couldn't find what I was looking for. I am wondering at what speed do you shift into another gear in steptronics mode. In other vehicles (automatic transmission) I have owned I would shift to 2nd and then sometimes to 1st when going down big hills when it is snowing. I have been playing around a little on one big hill on my way home from work. One night I just flicked the shifter towards the back seat and I was able to get into 2nd and then 1st gear. Tonight when I did the same thing, it made it go into 4th. It is supposed to snow Friday and I want to be prepared. Does it matter if you push the shifter towards the front or the back? Will it go right back into drive when I push the shifter that way while driving? I came to a stop both times I played around with the gears to put it back into drive. I hope I am making sense! Thanks!!
When to shift in steptronics mode
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When you first move the lever over to the right from normal D-drive you are in SD, sport drive, which is still fully automatic but gives you faster acceleration and more engine braking. From the SD side you can then push the lever up or pull it down. The gear change is sequential through the gears. You could only go from 2nd to 4th by pushing up twice, which is probably what happened, it doesn't take a lot of force. Up to upshift, down to downshift. It will go back to regular D- drive at any time when you move it sideways to the left. As to when to shift, in normal traffic I would shift around 3,000 rpm, higher for faster acceleration, not much point to go beyond 5,000 rpm.
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Practice IS the key to using this gearbox well! 
It's worth repeating that you really can't do much to hurt the drivetrain so try out different techniques, at different rpm (including the 6000rpm gearbox redline), and under different loads or conditions. It's a fun, very capable, gearbox.
It's worth repeating that you really can't do much to hurt the drivetrain so try out different techniques, at different rpm (including the 6000rpm gearbox redline), and under different loads or conditions. It's a fun, very capable, gearbox.
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No. If you are Selection right ("SD"), then forward one tap ("1") into Steptronic at stop, you can start out and manually shift (tap rearward) whenever you want so long as rpm is between the low rpm shift point (between 1400rpm and 2000rpm depending on the "gear") and redline (6000rpm). Or, you can let the gearbox upshift for you at redline.howardpm said:
I'm puzzeled by the free running of the motor. It sounds to me that you are shifting into Neutral. Steptronic can only be engaged after first moving the gear selector to the right into SportDrive ("SD" in the speedo), and then tapping forward or rearward to engage specific gears. Does the speedometer show some gear number like "2" before you change the lever?
hmm
I'll have to test it again, gotta find a spot where people aren't behind me, but when I tried it twice so far I was at a light on drive, then shifted to sd, then up one to 1. Then the light turned I hit the gas, and started to go, then I upshifted 1, but it never changed it just reved the engine.
Howard
I'll have to test it again, gotta find a spot where people aren't behind me, but when I tried it twice so far I was at a light on drive, then shifted to sd, then up one to 1. Then the light turned I hit the gas, and started to go, then I upshifted 1, but it never changed it just reved the engine.
Howard
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OK. Shifted to SD, then forward one tap to "1" at Stop selects first as you say.
Now, hands back on the wheel; when the light turns green, apply throttle and hold it. RPM will come up, keep coming up, until either you shift or the gearbox shifts at 6000rpm. 6000rpm will not cause problems, so try it. Accelerating onto the freeway is a great place to test because you can get several gear changes reaching 60mph.
Let us know.
Now, hands back on the wheel; when the light turns green, apply throttle and hold it. RPM will come up, keep coming up, until either you shift or the gearbox shifts at 6000rpm. 6000rpm will not cause problems, so try it. Accelerating onto the freeway is a great place to test because you can get several gear changes reaching 60mph.
Let us know.
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howardpm said:
Are you sure your not doing this the wrong way around, pull backwards to shift up. push forwards to downshift. I hate that it's this way around and cannot use it as my brain always wants it to work the other way around. Plus the selector display that shows the +/- is obscured on RHD cars by the gear stick, I just use D and SD to change performance levels. However I've ordered paddles on my new auto Cooper which are in the correct place and work in a logical way, right paddle to upshift and left to downshift!
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