SMG question

Can a SMG be used in regular automatic mode?

What do you mean by "regular" automatic mode? There are 5 different "automatic" program- they all work.

Originally Posted by Franko9217

Can a SMG be used in regular automatic mode?

SMG II has a "D" mode with 5 programs that does not require you to shift up nor down. That's the "automatic" mode. It sucks -- it's not very smooth and performance is lackluster compared to the manual "S" mode. In the 11K+ miles I've driven on my M3, maybe 2 have been in D mode.

If you are looking for an "automatic" M3, SMG is probably not what you want. But in "S" mode you actually only have to upshift. It will downshift for you automatically if you don't downshift manually.

[QUOTE=dwette][snip]If you are looking for an "automatic" M3, SMG is probably not what you want.
Agreed.

Originally Posted by dwette

But in "S" mode you actually only have to upshift. It will downshift for you automatically if you don't downshift manually.

Not quite. It will only downshift when approaching stalling speed.

It bears repeating: "S" modes (only S5 & S6 matter, the rest are practically unusable) require the same skills as ANY manual tranny (w/the sole exception of heel/toeing) and should be used w/that in mind.

Furthermore: Unlike what soem car salesmen will have you believe, SMG M3s are NOT easier to drive than a manual tranny .... IME as an instructor they are much harder to learn for the average novice.

HTH.

Peace, Love & Truth,

Richard Allen (the artist formerly known as Ronin [chuckle]).

Originally Posted by Roninpb

...Not quite. It will only downshift when approaching stalling speed...

It's not as bad as that. In traffic I don't always bother downshifting. SMG S mode does a reasonable job of doing the right thing for me. It does the downshifts at pretty low revs, so it won't leave you much torque to accelerate if you need to, but in traffic it works well enough. But for open roads, I agree it's much less useful.

Nevetheless, as we agree, it is nothing like an auto tranny. It is a manual and should be driven as a manual.

This was a concern of mine since i had never owned an manual transmission automobile. I have to say, that my brief experience driving an SMG was a success and didnt deter me from wanting to buy one at all.

Originally Posted by dwette

[snip]Furthermore: Unlike what soem car salesmen will have you believe, SMG M3s are NOT easier to drive than a manual tranny .... IME as an instructor they are much harder to learn for the average novice.

Originally Posted by Ventoux

This was a concern of mine since i had never owned an manual transmission automobile. I have to say, that my brief experience driving an SMG was a success and didnt deter me from wanting to buy one at all.

Congrats!

If you haven't already .... get a ride w/an Instructor whose intimately familiar w/SMG (in your car ..... or his; ie, some clubs allow rides for non HPDE participants).

Peace, Love & Truth,

Richard Allen.

Originally Posted by Ventoux

This was a concern of mine since i had never owned an manual transmission automobile. I have to say, that my brief experience driving an SMG was a success and didnt deter me from wanting to buy one at all.

FYI: you credit me for your "snip" but I didn't say that, Roninpb did.

Originally Posted by Franko9217

Can a SMG be used in regular automatic mode?

Maybe this might help you also: SMG II FAQ

Originally Posted by Leo

Maybe this might help you also: SMG II FAQ

Great site Leo. I'm sure i've not thanked you yet .... so please accept my (belated by far) THX! for taking so much time to help out your fellow enthusiasts.

Peace, Love & Truth,

Richard Allen.

Has anyone ever experienced the SMG NOT going down to 1st when you're slowing down to a stop? I'll be driving in stop and go traffic and come to a complete stop while the transmission stays in 2nd. I can get rolling again in 2nd when traffic moves but this seems wrong to me. Is it due to the program adapting to my driving style in the daily rush hour traffic?

Originally Posted by jimsled

Has anyone ever experienced the SMG NOT going down to 1st when you're slowing down to a stop? I'll be driving in stop and go traffic and come to a complete stop while the transmission stays in 2nd. I can get rolling again in 2nd when traffic moves but this seems wrong to me. Is it due to the program adapting to my driving style in the daily rush hour traffic?

S1, D1 will never downshift to 1st. S2, D2 might behave like that as well. I always drive in S4 or S5 (S6 at the track), so it always goes to 1st at a complete stop, unless the stop is extremely brief.

Originally Posted by dwette

S1, D1 will never downshift to 1st. S2, D2 might behave like that as well. I always drive in S4 or S5 (S6 at the track), so it always goes to 1st at a complete stop, unless the stop is extremely brief.

My one gripe with the downshift to 1st is that it only starts the downshift a fraction of a second after you've come to a full stop, and it often takes longer than one would like to make the shift. Then you have to wait what feels like an eternity before it gets it into gear and you can start moving again smoothly. Otherwise you wind up reving up the engine while the downshift completes, then SMG pops the clutch in and you get a little jerk forward. Otherwise you have to manually force the 1st gear downshift, or keep the car rolling just enough so it won't downshift, and go in 2nd.

and shifting into first while rolling acomplishes what exactly?
one thing that you likely never need, and should rarely if ever do, is shift into first while rolling.

Originally Posted by cchan

My one gripe with the downshift to 1st is that it only starts the downshift a fraction of a second after you've come to a full stop, and it often takes longer than one would like to make the shift. Then you have to wait what feels like an eternity before it gets it into gear and you can start moving again smoothly. Otherwise you wind up reving up the engine while the downshift completes, then SMG pops the clutch in and you get a little jerk forward. Otherwise you have to manually force the 1st gear downshift, or keep the car rolling just enough so it won't downshift, and go in 2nd.

You say you don't like that it downshifts to 1st until after you come to a full stop. Why is that wrong? Our driving styles must be different, because I have no issues with the way it works at slow speeds and stopped.

So, i'm not sure anyone answered my question and re-reading my post, I'm thinking it wasn't very specific. I'm not shifting down to 1st while moving. I'm driving in stop and go traffic and when I come to a stop, SMG isn't going down to first. I sit, idling, in 2nd gear until I get moving again. This isn't all the time, only every now and then. Is it a problem or just something I need to deal with? And cchan, I agree with your post. Especially when you are in a situation where you're rolling to a stop then have to punch it to get in traffic. That brief hesitation is dangerous. I've had to learn to expect it and not make any rash moves.

Originally Posted by jimsled

So, i'm not sure anyone answered my question and re-reading my post, I'm thinking it wasn't very specific. I'm not shifting down to 1st while moving. I'm driving in stop and go traffic and when I come to a stop, SMG isn't going down to first. I sit, idling, in 2nd gear until I get moving again. This isn't all the time, only every now and then. Is it a problem or just something I need to deal with? And cchan, I agree with your post. Especially when you are in a situation where you're rolling to a stop then have to punch it to get in traffic. That brief hesitation is dangerous. I've had to learn to expect it and not make any rash moves.

I am assuming that you are talking about the Z4 in your profile....

The Z4 does not have the same SMG that the M3 does....so comparing your experiences to the guys with teh E46 M3s is comparing apples to oranges.

Originally Posted by Bruce

I am assuming that you are talking about the Z4 in your profile....

The Z4 does not have the same SMG that the M3 does....so comparing your experiences to the guys with teh E46 M3s is comparing apples to oranges.

Oh, well sh*t. The whole time I thought we were discussing SMG II in the M3. Right, the SMG in the Z4 is a different animal. Everything I said applies to SMG II.

jimsled, you don't have what we have.

Originally Posted by jimsled

...Especially when you are in a situation where you're rolling to a stop then have to punch it to get in traffic. That brief hesitation is dangerous. I've had to learn to expect it and not make any rash moves.

I meant to respond to this anyway. If you're trying to enter busy traffic, it shouldn't be an issue to get the car in 1st. If you are "punching it" in stop-go trafiic, I can't sympathize with you. You're the dangerous one, not the car. You or others may jump on me for this, but I'll say it anyway. When I'm in stop-go traffic, I take it easy and go with the flow, especially so I can watch out for the impatient (bad) drivers trying to weave in and out of traffic, causing accidents as they go.

Originally Posted by dwette

Oh, well sh*t. The whole time I thought we were discussing SMG II in the M3. Right, the SMG in the Z4 is a different animal. Everything I said applies to SMG II.

jimsled, you don't have what we have.

as I read the only one not talking about SMGII is jimsled.

Realize, the automatic downshifting in SMG II is a SAFETY NET for IDIOT drivers. It just keeps you from hammering the throttle at a very low RPM in a high gear and causing serious engine damage (like holes in pistons). You SHOULD DOWNSHIFT WHEN YOU NEED/WANT TO, just like you would in a manual tranny.

Originally Posted by Roninpb

Great site Leo. I'm sure i've not thanked you yet .... so please accept my (belated by far) THX! for taking so much time to help out your fellow enthusiasts.

Peace, Love & Truth,

Richard Allen.

Thank you very much Richard.

Always happy to read when enthusiasts and future SMG owners find it usefull

Thanks everyone, for your opinions! Just to clarify one last thing... DWETTE, when I mentioned "punching it", it was to enter into traffic, not while IN stop and go traffic... two separate topics. Just didn't want to be classified as one of those stupid drivers! But I'll gladly accept that I may be a stupid thread contributor since I came into the wrong discussion here with my SMG I! LOL! Thanks again everyone for your opinions. sorry for the confusion.

Originally Posted by Bruce

as I read the only one not talking about SMGII is jimsled.

Bruce,

Not to confuse things any further, but, do you know if the new to come out MZ4coupe is equiped with the SMGll ?

We are considering a new MZ4coupe and am curious which SMG it will have ?

Originally Posted by jimsled

Thanks everyone, for your opinions! Just to clarify one last thing... DWETTE, when I mentioned "punching it", it was to enter into traffic, not while IN stop and go traffic... two separate topics. Just didn't want to be classified as one of those stupid drivers! But I'll gladly accept that I may be a stupid thread contributor since I came into the wrong discussion here with my SMG I! LOL! Thanks again everyone for your opinions. sorry for the confusion.

FYI: What's called SMG I was available for the E36 M3 in Europe. The SMG you have is just SMG (and came after SMG II in rhe U.S.), although some have referred to it as SSG (not sure what the second 'S' stands for). In any case, I've heard it just doesn't have the response of SMG II, and isn't even availbel anymore on US models (AFAIK).