Don't know how to drive MT, need help on how to drive DCT. Thanks...

[eNCore]

Well, I don't know how to drive a manuel car and I'm getting a DCT M3 soon. Can you guys help me out on how to drive a DCT M3, so I can have an idea and be able to get the most out of the car? Sorry for the stupid questions, really appreciate it!

For normal driving, at what rpm should I shift up?
Does the car down shifts by itself? If not when do I down shift?
When I want to go fast I just shift at the highest rpm possible till I get to 6th gear right?
The higher rpm I shift at the faster the car goes right?
What differences does shifting at different rpm make?
In normal manuel cars, you can damage the car if you don't shift right. Can you damage the car using DCT?

[arr0gant]

Is this for real?

[eNCore]

-.- I knew it. Gonna get laughed at. ><

[arr0gant]

Sorry. Didn't mean to laff. Funny question, but since you're serious, I"m sure someone here with a DCT will try and help you (while trying not to laff to hard).

My best guess at your question is:

Normal driving you can shift up anywhere from 1.5k to 4k rpm
I'm sure it down shifts itself, depending on what mode you're in.
Higher the RPM the faster it is, yes.
Shifting at lower RPM the car will not get up to higher speeds quite as fast, as the car is reletivley low on Torque. Winding out the engine get you to higher speeds, faster.

[mkoesel]

OP, honestly, virtually nothing that gets said here will be as helpful to you as simply getting into the car when you get it and experimenting. You can start with the D (automatic) modes and just pay attention to when the car is shifting (watch the tach). Then go into the S (manual) modes and try emulating that. There are even shift lights to tell you when to shift if you wish.

[MDCTFTW]

Your CA will explain to you how to drive it upon delivery. I didn't know how to use it either before the day of delivery.

[Mack211]

Its extremely easy. There is not much to learn except to put it in reverse you push the lever to the left into neutral and then up into reverse. The initial 'lag' from a stop is the only difference from an automatic. If you were driving a manual this would feel as if you were slowly releasing the clutch while giving it gas. I had never driven SMG or anything of this nature and when I got to the dealership my CA had me pull the car off the floor. He gave no instructions and I had no problems.

Note: when in S mode the car does down shift for you when coming to a stop. DCT basically saves you from ever stalling.

[adamr]

For normal driving, at what rpm should I shift up?

... choose what RPM you want ... this is a personal choice ... you could just leave the car in D mode ... however when breaking in the car keep it below 5500RPM in all gears and don't exceed 170km/h ... off course don't let the car revs bounce on redline ...

Does the car down shifts by itself? If not when do I down shift?

the car will down shift automatically if your speed decreases to a point which the car at that speed cannot sustain.

you can down shift with the paddles, however if the lower gear you want to select it at too high a rev the car will not allow the down shift, so no wrong shifting is possible

When I want to go fast I just shift at the highest rpm possible till I get to 6th gear right?

you have shift lights on your rev counter when they turn red you change, this way you get the best acceleration ... although dont do this when breaking in the car ... btw the DCT has 7 gears ...

The higher rpm I shift at the faster the car goes right?

yes ... !? ... all cars work this way ...

What differences does shifting at different rpm make?

well what was your experience with the auto changing at different RPM on your 335i ... it will be the same with the M3 as it is with any other car or bicycle or anything that has gears attached to it ... weird question

[eNCore]

Thanks guys... Really helpful! xD

[valeram]

Just use the D mode and start at the lower level going up. This way you can feel and have the hang on how the trans works. Feeling your way with the different D mode will make you understand the relationship between RPM/Speed and gearing. As you fully understand the mechanics of gear selections with RPM then you can now use the S mode. Practically, the S mode is similar to the MT but without the clutch pedal. Note, it is similar but not the same. There are some idiosyncrasies on the DCT like starting from stop with a negligible lag. But as somebody mentioned already, the computer will not allow you to make a foolish mistake that an MT is not forgivable. Just enjoy it and you will get used to it. Experience is your best tutor but with guidance from this forum and similar sites.

[eNCore]

In normal manuel cars, you can damage the car if you don't shift right. Can you damage the car using DCT?

[nusevad]

Do you know how to drive a automatic w/steptronic? If yes, then no problem with DCT.

[sg///M3]

Originally Posted by ///M-Turismo

In normal manuel cars, you can damage the car if you don't shift right. Can you damage the car using DCT?

No. Computer software won't let you mechanically over-rev the engine or make any "illegal" shifts.

[!Xoible]

IMHO best way to learn DCT or any other transmission is to learn 6MT

[valeram]

Originally Posted by ///Mantis

IMHO best way to learn DCT or any other transmission is to learn 6MT

Let me put it this way, please.

The best way to appreciate DCT is to learm MT.

[jm1234]

Upshifts will cause rpms to drop by 1000 to 3500 rpm. Downshifts will cause rpms to rise by 1000 to 3500 rpms. The higher differential is when the engine is running closer to redline. For example, if you shift from 1st to 2nd at 2000 rpms the engine speed will drop to near 1100 rpms. If you shift from 1st to 2nd at 8000 rpms the engine speed will drop to near 4700 rpms. For very aggressive driving keep the rpms between 5000 and 8000. For very casual driving shift around 2000 to 3000 rpms (or just put it in D). You shift up to a higher gear (1st to 2nd) to make the rpms go down or down to a lower gear (5th to 4th) to make the rpms go up. Of course you can shift whenever you want, the only thing you should be aware of is what a shift will do to the engine rpms. You can't hurt the engine (at least not too much) because you'll hit the rev limiter at the upper end and you just bog the engine down on the low end (no acceleration, perhaps a stall). You will look foolish but no worse than posting this question here. If you can handle the crap you'll get in this thread, then you can probably handle the stupid driver looks you will get out on the road.

Have fun, and remember it's really an automatic. You can treat it as such and not have to bother with any of this.

[drburton]

Just to clarify a few things:

1) To accelerate quickly you want to shift at a high RPM (close to redline), but you need to shift the second you get there (ie don't drive the car at redline).
2) In normal circumstances, accelerating to redline would only be for a couple of gears. I don't have the M3 yet, but on my Porsche you would be close to 70mph at redline in second gear. So if you plan to go to redline all the way through 6th gear you would be going 150+ mph
3) Once you are at cruising speed you don't want the car working so hard, so then keep the RPMs down by using a higher gear (under 4000rpm). If you need to accelerate (pass a car etc..) then downshift.
4) You will need to get used to what gear works best at what speed. Alot of this can be done by sound of the engine (how hard is it working) or by just looking at your rpms (you won't need to look after awhile)
5) Downshifting at the correct time takes some practice but you will regularly be skipping through gears on downshifts. Like if you are on a highway in 6th, and get off on a ramp with a tight turn, you may drop to third.
6) Don't forget that your fuel economy will be driven by how aggressively you shift.
7) Elevation requires lower gears. You don't want the car working its way up a hill in 6th gear. Lower the gear for large hills. Just like a bike, you lower your gears to go up a hill or you can't push the pedals.
8) Usually a bad idea to downshift to first gear unless you are barely moving or stopped.

This information may be way to basic, but may help.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by ///M-Turismo

-.- I knew it. Gonna get laughed at. ><

I wouldn't care about the getting laughed at part. But maybe a relevant question to consider is if you are making the right purchase with this car.

[TheBry]

Originally Posted by lucid

I wouldn't care about the getting laughed at part. But maybe a relevant question to consider is if you are making the right purchase with this car.

Bingo, Lucid.

And, ///M-Turismo, did you intentionally misspell Los Angeles beneath your avatar?

[subterFUSE]

I think the original poster made a valid question, and I am intrested in the replies from current DCT owners.

I am currently a 2005 545i owner, and my car has the SMG. I purchased the SMG without ever experiencing one before. My dealer cautioned me that people reported the "shifts are rough." But I ordered the car anyway.

Sure enough, when I drove off the lot the car did shift rough on me. And for the first week or so, I had to drive in Automatic mode because I couldn't remember to shift gears. (I do know how to drive a manual, but my previous car had been an auto)

After that first week, I became more familiar with the SMG and figured out that if I feathered the throttle slightly while shifting I could smooth out the shifts. Now I can drive the SMG as smooth as an automatic, while still pushing it hard. It's all in the technique, just like a true manual.

With the SMG, I found that the best procedure for shifting is as follows:

1. Begin from a stop. Accelerate in 1st gear.
2. When ready to shift into 2nd gear, slightly ease off pressure on the accelerator pedal. (Don't lift shoe off pedal, but just ease up a bit. I tend to just curl my toes upward inside my shoe)
3. Click to shift gear.
4. Wait for the gear to engage, and then press down on the accelerator again.

If you shift and hold the accel pedal down, then the SMG will cause an ubrupt jerk when the next gear engages. So the trick is to wait for that shift and then apply pressure back to the pedal.

I absolutely LOVE my SMG now. It's the most fun I've ever had driving a car. For that reason, I am considering the purchase of a new M3 with the DCT tranny.



So my question to all you DCT owners is....


Does the DCT have any special tricks to driving it, similar to the SMG?

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

There are even shift lights to tell you when to shift if you wish.

Actually the shift lights won't help with everyday driving. The shift lights are only there to warn of impending redline. They never come on for me in day to day driving but will be invaluable on the track.

[eNCore]

Do you guys ever use first gear? The reason why I asked this is because when I am at a red light with my 335i in MT mode (not stick), it always down shifts to 2nd gear and not 1st. When do you use first gear?