525D autobox software

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sydspence@btinternet.com - 10 May 2005 23:24 GMT

I have one of these, May 2004, one of the first and I have never been
impressed with the settings controling the gear changes.
For such a torquey engine it holds the lower gears much too long often
making it feeling undergeared. I have asked the local dealer a number
of times if there is a reprogram available but they don't seem to know
what I am talking about!

The car was in recently for attention to another (engine) fault and I
was loaned a 525i. Its speeds for change (up or down) bore no relation
to my car. I use mine very often in 'manual' just to get into higher
gears but this other car was fine and when I tried it in manual it was
much slower to drop to a lower gear.

Fuel economy is poor for a diesel, it gets the same to the gallon as my
previous petrol A6.

Anyone any info?

Thanks

Syd

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Dave Plowman (News) - 11 May 2005 09:06 GMT

> I have one of these, May 2004, one of the first and I have never been
> impressed with the settings controling the gear changes.
> For such a torquey engine it holds the lower gears much too long often
> making it feeling undergeared. I have asked the local dealer a number
> of times if there is a reprogram available but they don't seem to know
> what I am talking about!

I thought this too on the only (earlier) E39 diesel I've driven.
My guess was that it's to prevent torque convertor overheating - and
possibly for economy, given that if the engine is constantly running in
the area where the TC is working hard, all that wasted heat has to come
from somewhere.

> The car was in recently for attention to another (engine) fault and I
> was loaned a 525i. Its speeds for change (up or down) bore no relation
> to my car. I use mine very often in 'manual' just to get into higher
> gears but this other car was fine and when I tried it in manual it was
> much slower to drop to a lower gear.

The one I drove wasn't a steptronic. But on my petrol steptronic, you
can't persuade it to stay in a higher gear than it would in auto anyway at
low speeds.

> Fuel economy is poor for a diesel, it gets the same to the gallon as my
> previous petrol A6.

Was that an auto or manual? But anyway, that surprises me.

FWIW, I think the real way forward with diesel autos would be to have no
torque convertor. So a form of SMG. When BMW get round to adopting the
Audi twin clutch system to give changes near as smooth as a 'conventional'
auto.

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Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
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+ Rob + - 12 May 2005 11:08 GMT

> > I have one of these, May 2004, one of the first and I have never been
> > impressed with the settings controling the gear changes.
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> Audi twin clutch system to give changes near as smooth as a 'conventional'
> auto.

A little off-topic........but I love the Audi DSG tranny in my TT. I
have a "real" manual when I want it. And, for traffic jams or when I'm just
feeling a bit lazy, I have a silky-smooth autobox at my disposal.

Rob

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Dave Plowman (News) - 12 May 2005 13:17 GMT

> > FWIW, I think the real way forward with diesel autos would be to have
> > no torque convertor. So a form of SMG. When BMW get round to adopting
> > the Audi twin clutch system to give changes near as smooth as a
> > 'conventional' auto.

> A little off-topic........but I love the Audi DSG tranny in my TT. I
> have a "real" manual when I want it. And, for traffic jams or when I'm
> just feeling a bit lazy, I have a silky-smooth autobox at my disposal.

Yes - I was impressed by the one I tried. Do Audi offer it on a diesel?

The good news is that the BMW SMG will adopt the twin clutch system in a
couple of years.

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Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
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sydspence@btinternet.com - 13 May 2005 16:44 GMT

Thanks for the replies but I'm still left wondering if new software is
available or possible to reset the gearchange points.

I hope its not set like this because its a diesel, sort of defeats the
benefit of all that torque.

The fuel comparison with my previous A6 is even more odd because when I
had it I used it mainly for going to my city centre office, about
15minutes of nose to tail. Since I've had the BMW I have 5 minutes of
suburban driving and then 15 miles or so of 50-60 mph driving!

The second A6 I had was a 1.8T and I would have expected the smaller
engine in a largish car to be quite thirsty but not so. The Audi auto
box is apparently just about the best in the world and actually gives
better acceleratiion and mpg than the manual.

Syd

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