Anyone try the kickdown feature in S mode?

Powerslide · 12-28-2008, 11:20 PM

Ok - I feel a little stupid for admitting I didn't know this before - but in reading the owners' manual this weekend (after having the car for about 7k miles) - I saw that S mode has a kickdown feature (I always knew D mode did) whereby if you floor the car and downshift, the computer will automatically select the lowest possible gear and skip any intermediate gears...

So I had a chance to try it tonight - WOW - I was going 45 in 7th gear, floored it and clicked the downshift paddle - and wham! I went from 7th all the way down to 2nd!!

(the tach jumped up to somewhere between 6500-7000 rpms) - so cool to literally skip down 5 whole gears instantaneously!! (Nice to know I don't have to click down that many gears in sequence like the goofball I was up until now).

My apologies to those who already know about this feature - but to those who don't, here's a fun little trick to try next time you go for a ride!!

aajami · 12-29-2008, 02:55 AM

Does it do it automatically under those aggressive circumstances, or is it a mode that you have to turn on? Here's hoping it's the latter...

rouxeny · 12-29-2008, 04:15 AM

There's nothing to turn on. Push the gas all the way down, and downshift with the paddle at the same time.

Done.

ase2dais · 12-29-2008, 08:11 AM

hmm, didnt know that feature exist, thks

ACZakka325i · 12-29-2008, 09:53 AM

I'd be worried about lugging the engine doing 45mph in 7th gear. Are you idling going 45?!

GT3 Tim · 12-29-2008, 11:33 AM

You have to HOLD the downshift paddle for it to do this right? I thought it would only go down one gear if you clicked it? I could be wrong....but I thought that is what I read.

Can you confirm this? Do you simply have to floor it and "click" the downshift paddle for it to drop all the way down to the lowest possible gear? OR, do you have to floor in and hold down the downshift paddle?

I thought I read that you had to HOLD that paddle down, and that is how I have been doing it. I guess I could try for myself (and I will!), but I am curious what your observations are.

gr8000 · 12-29-2008, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT3 Tim

You have to HOLD the downshift paddle for it to do this right? I thought it would only go down one gear if you clicked it? I could be wrong....but I thought that is what I read.

Can you confirm this? Do you simply have to floor it and "click" the downshift paddle for it to drop all the way down to the lowest possible gear? OR, do you have to floor in and hold down the downshift paddle?

I thought I read that you had to HOLD that paddle down, and that is how I have been doing it. I guess I could try for myself (and I will!), but I am curious what your observations are.

2 step process: (a) floor it beyond the kick down point, and (b) click (no need to hold) the left paddle. simple & easy - done it many times. it is a cool function!

I only wish the S mode could laso change gears at the redline automatically (eg by flooring the gas beyond the kick down point whilst accelerating). Maybe in the next DCT software upgrade (31.3)?

aajami · 12-29-2008, 11:59 AM

That's a bit unfortunate to hear, since it sounds like the S mode is taking a little bit of control away from the driver. I'd rather that one click, under any circumstance, would be a single downshift. If I wanted to downshift multiple gears, I'd expect to click multiple times.

Ken37.73 · 12-29-2008, 12:35 PM

Press clutch, select gear, release cluch, press noisy pedal. 6MT, the man's transmission !

BarryC · 12-29-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT3 Tim

You have to HOLD the downshift paddle for it to do this right? I thought it would only go down one gear if you clicked it? I could be wrong....but I thought that is what I read.

Can you confirm this? Do you simply have to floor it and "click" the downshift paddle for it to drop all the way down to the lowest possible gear? OR, do you have to floor in and hold down the downshift paddle?

I thought I read that you had to HOLD that paddle down, and that is how I have been doing it. I guess I could try for myself (and I will!), but I am curious what your observations are.

Flooring it and one click worked for me. No holding the paddle down. Pretty cool....

BC

BarryC · 12-29-2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken37.73

Press clutch, select gear, release cluch, press noisy pedal. 6MT, the man's transmission !

Lame/unoriginal comment. Don't forget to blip the noisy pedal before you release clutch as you may not like the result....

BC

ChrisFastM3 · 12-29-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken37.73

Press clutch, select gear, release cluch, press noisy pedal. 6MT, the man's transmission !

While your at it why don't you disable your ABS brakes too? It'll make you feel more in one with your car.

consolidated · 12-29-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken37.73

Press clutch, select gear, release cluch, press noisy pedal. 6MT, the OLD man's transmission !

there you go.

GT3 Tim · 12-29-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8000

2 step process: (a) floor it beyond the kick down point, and (b) click (no need to hold) the left paddle. simple & easy - done it many times. it is a cool function!

I only wish the S mode could laso change gears at the redline automatically (eg by flooring the gas beyond the kick down point whilst accelerating). Maybe in the next DCT software upgrade (31.3)?

Ah...thanks. For some reason I thought I had to HOLD it down...

Good to know. I will try it out on the way home! woo hoo!

Johndoe · 12-29-2008, 02:31 PM

assume if you floor it/ kickdown in D5, wouldn't it also shift to the lowest gear possible.....?

Also in S mode, does one have to be in any particular drivelogic ie. D3 and above or will the above S kickdown work in all modes S1-S6..? (I don't have my M3 yet so learning through you folks ......)

gr8000 · 12-29-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johndoe

assume if you floor it/ kickdown in D5, wouldn't it also shift to the lowest gear possible.....?

yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johndoe

Also in S mode, does one have to be in any particular drivelogic ie. D3 and above or will the above S kickdown work in all modes S1-S6..? (I don't have my M3 yet so learning through you folks ......)

will work in any S mode (this D3 is a bit confusing, probably you meant S3)

gr8000 · 12-29-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aajami

That's a bit unfortunate to hear, since it sounds like the S mode is taking a little bit of control away from the driver. I'd rather that one click, under any circumstance, would be a single downshift. If I wanted to downshift multiple gears, I'd expect to click multiple times.

No loss of control at all! If you want multiple manual downshifts on demand (eg gear by gear as you say) you just floor it in S mode but without going beyond the kick down point. Then you can downshift one gear, then another, then another on demand.

If you want the best possible gear selection for max acceleration at any given speed, just floor it beyond the kick down point & click on the left paddle. It will then downshift as many gears as needed to reach the optimal gear for max acceleration.

icemang17 · 12-29-2008, 03:46 PM

I also think you need to hold the paddle for a little bit to get this to happen...but man is it FUN when it does!!

09E92M34ME · 12-29-2008, 04:12 PM

That's a cool feature. Thanks for sharing. I get my tomorrow hopefully and I've been learning a lot from this forum. I do plan on reading the manual as well.

aajami · 12-29-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8000

No loss of control at all! If you want multiple manual downshifts on demand (eg gear by gear as you say) you just floor it in S mode but without going beyond the kick down point. Then you can downshift one gear, then another, then another on demand.

If you want the best possible gear selection for max acceleration at any given speed, just floor it beyond the kick down point & click on the left paddle. It will then downshift as many gears as needed to reach the optimal gear for max acceleration.

Thanks for clarifying, but what exactly is the kickdown point in the accelerator?

And apologies for the newb questions. I still learn something new about the M3 everyday as I wait on my order...

NewM3driver · 12-29-2008, 04:58 PM

I just depress the clutch and move the shift to 2nd... so natural I don't even realize I'm doing it.

urbo73 · 12-29-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

I just depress the clutch and move the shift to 2nd... so natural I don't even realize I'm doing it.

+1 "kickdown"

6MT for the skilled!

12-28-2008, 11:20 PM	#1
Powerslide Colonel 1099 Rep 2,286 Posts Drives: 2018 F80 ZCP Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago Illinois USA iTrader: (0)	Anyone try the kickdown feature in S mode? Ok - I feel a little stupid for admitting I didn't know this before - but in reading the owners' manual this weekend (after having the car for about 7k miles) - I saw that S mode has a kickdown feature (I always knew D mode did) whereby if you floor the car and downshift, the computer will automatically select the lowest possible gear and skip any intermediate gears... So I had a chance to try it tonight - WOW - I was going 45 in 7th gear, floored it and clicked the downshift paddle - and wham! I went from 7th all the way down to 2nd!! (the tach jumped up to somewhere between 6500-7000 rpms) - so cool to literally skip down 5 whole gears instantaneously!! (Nice to know I don't have to click down that many gears in sequence like the goofball I was up until now). My apologies to those who already know about this feature - but to those who don't, here's a fun little trick to try next time you go for a ride!!
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12-29-2008, 02:55 AM	#2
aajami Brigadier General 432 Rep 4,567 Posts Drives: Space Gray '09 E92 M3 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Manhattan Beach, CA iTrader: (4)	Does it do it automatically under those aggressive circumstances, or is it a mode that you have to turn on? Here's hoping it's the latter... __________________ '09 E92 M3: Space Gray, Black, Carbon Leather \| ZTP 2MK ZPP 2MT 6FL \| link 1 / link 2 Mods: M Performance exhaust \| ZCP retrofit \| Euro airbox \| GTS DCT flash \| JPN 240 ECU flash \| Euro LCI taillights \| CRT lip \| OEM alarm retrofit \| Space Gray bumper plugs \| BMW Performance: Mk. II spoiler / Mk. II non-electronic steering wheel / mirror caps / front grilles / side gills / intake louvers / emblem
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12-29-2008, 04:15 AM	#3
rouxeny Living the aloha 241 Rep 449 Posts Drives: 2017 LBB M2 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Maui iTrader: (0)	There's nothing to turn on. Push the gas all the way down, and downshift with the paddle at the same time. Done.
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12-29-2008, 08:11 AM	#4
ase2dais //Mdicted 348 Rep 9,988 Posts Drives: a Cop Magnet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: 495 Ring iTrader: (18) Garage List 2009 e92 M3 DCT CF ... [10.00] 2015 S-Works Roubaix [0.00] 2013 Trek Madone 5.9 [9.50] 2012 Scott - CR1-Pro [10.00] 2008 e92 M3 6MT (Up ... [10.00] 2002 e46 M3 Cabriol ... [7.00] 2006 e90-325i (DD) [7.00] 2002 e39 M5 (retired) [9.50]	hmm, didnt know that feature exist, thks __________________ Oo\(lll)'(lll)/oO : 2009-e92 ///M3 SpaceGry DCT CF Rf/Trim ZTP ZPP ZCW Sat/PrmSd : \_lOOl___lOOl_/<< Clickies
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12-29-2008, 09:53 AM	#5
ACZakka325i Colonel 278 Rep 2,008 Posts Drives: 2 stroke Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: CT iTrader: (2)	I'd be worried about lugging the engine doing 45mph in 7th gear. Are you idling going 45?! __________________ (Waitlist): #1 M2CSL (Current): 2016 F15 X5 3.5xdrive - 2010 997.2 C4S Coupe (Past): 2016 F30 340xi M-Sport -2013 535i xdrive 2008 E92 M3 - 2006 E90 325i 2002 E46 325xi - 1991 E30 325i
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12-29-2008, 11:33 AM	#6
GT3 Tim Moderator 94 Rep 1,920 Posts Drives: 2014 MB E63S Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sacramento, CA iTrader: (0)	You have to HOLD the downshift paddle for it to do this right? I thought it would only go down one gear if you clicked it? I could be wrong....but I thought that is what I read. Can you confirm this? Do you simply have to floor it and "click" the downshift paddle for it to drop all the way down to the lowest possible gear? OR, do you have to floor in and hold down the downshift paddle? I thought I read that you had to HOLD that paddle down, and that is how I have been doing it. I guess I could try for myself (and I will!), but I am curious what your observations are. __________________ Tim <--- apparently likes "3" cars 2014 E63S -- The Rocket 2014 F30 328i -- Kids car 2008 E90 M3 -- Sold 2004 GT3 -- Sold 1997 M3/4 -- Sold 1995 M3 -- Sold
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12-29-2008, 11:59 AM	#8
aajami Brigadier General 432 Rep 4,567 Posts Drives: Space Gray '09 E92 M3 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Manhattan Beach, CA iTrader: (4)	That's a bit unfortunate to hear, since it sounds like the S mode is taking a little bit of control away from the driver. I'd rather that one click, under any circumstance, would be a single downshift. If I wanted to downshift multiple gears, I'd expect to click multiple times. __________________ '09 E92 M3: Space Gray, Black, Carbon Leather \| ZTP 2MK ZPP 2MT 6FL \| link 1 / link 2 Mods: M Performance exhaust \| ZCP retrofit \| Euro airbox \| GTS DCT flash \| JPN 240 ECU flash \| Euro LCI taillights \| CRT lip \| OEM alarm retrofit \| Space Gray bumper plugs \| BMW Performance: Mk. II spoiler / Mk. II non-electronic steering wheel / mirror caps / front grilles / side gills / intake louvers / emblem Last edited by aajami; 12-29-2008 at 12:55 PM.. Reason: Grammar police
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12-29-2008, 12:35 PM	#9
Ken37.73 Private 1st Class 23 Rep 473 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Jet Black Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ireland iTrader: (0)	Press clutch, select gear, release cluch, press noisy pedal. 6MT, the man's transmission ! __________________
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12-29-2008, 02:31 PM	#15
Johndoe Second Lieutenant 32 Rep 257 Posts Drives: 09 M3 sedan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Houston iTrader: (0)	what happens if you try same in "D5" mode... assume if you floor it/ kickdown in D5, wouldn't it also shift to the lowest gear possible.....? Also in S mode, does one have to be in any particular drivelogic ie. D3 and above or will the above S kickdown work in all modes S1-S6..? (I don't have my M3 yet so learning through you folks ......)
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12-29-2008, 03:46 PM	#18
icemang17 Captain 41 Rep 644 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 DCT Join Date: May 2008 Location: Stockton CA iTrader: (0)	I also think you need to hold the paddle for a little bit to get this to happen...but man is it FUN when it does!! __________________ Brian 2008 E92 M3, MR, DCT, extended BB leather, loaded! 1988 Porsche 928S4, Guards red/Champagne leather 1989 Porsche 928S4 track beast!!!
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12-29-2008, 04:12 PM	#19
09E92M34ME Captain 71 Rep 920 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 M3 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: VIRGINIA iTrader: (0)	That's a cool feature. Thanks for sharing. I get my tomorrow hopefully and I've been learning a lot from this forum. I do plan on reading the manual as well.
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12-29-2008, 04:58 PM	#21
NewM3driver Colonel 1110 Rep 2,007 Posts Drives: 2017 M3 ZCP Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	I just depress the clutch and move the shift to 2nd... so natural I don't even realize I'm doing it.
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