DCT on Track & Downshifting Problem

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by LandShark

another disappointed MDCT owner here!!

just took the car to the track the past 2 days (instructing). and had experienced the same downshift problem!! what happened to me or I found out is, it (MDCT) works perfect and fine for like 3-4 laps, then all in a sudden, it either won't allow me to downshift (5-4-3) OR it WILL downshift with a 2sec delay (5-3) when I right pass the apex by itself finally or I could try again after the apex, and it will downshift now....

I must say, I was very frustrated!! and very disappointed!!!

on my old e46 SMG, it works flawlessly at track!

Are you going to be instructing at the BMWCCA Thunderbolt event 22-24 Aug? If so, I'll be there with my DCT car as a student.

Did you run the stock tires? If not, what did you run?

------------------------

It seems the issue might be related to transmission temperature.

We need to enlist BMW NA assistance in getting this resolved.

Larry Koch, are you out there???

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by enigma

Driving at a track is not racing. There is nothing in the manual about racing. Perhaps I missed the part where you were a BMW factory driver?

Whats with the attitude? Don't be a dick. I didn't attack you I was attacking the attitude of many dealers. So do me and everyone else a favor and STFU. I meant track time, not racing in a crowd.......sorry I didn't explain enough for you.

[LandShark]

Originally Posted by skierman64

Are you going to be instructing at the BMWCCA Thunderbolt event 22-24 Aug? If so, I'll be there with my DCT car as a student.

Did you run the stock tires? If not, what did you run?

------------------------

It seems the issue might be related to transmission temperature.

We need to enlist BMW NA assistance in getting this resolved.

Larry Koch, are you out there???

I too have a feeling it's due to the heating/temp issue?? wrong temp reading from sensor?? or software glitch??

I was running the car in bone stock just try to have a feeling of the car and see what needs to be done. to my surprise, the stock brakes and PS2 are pretty good! I'm so used to R comp tire and race pads, haven't driven on street tire and pads on track for years, but the stock one really impressed me! (not saying it's anywhere as good as r comp and race pads, but for a street tire/pad, they are really quite good imho!)

I'll try to make the Thurderbolt event next month..... but I've never been to that track tho.... so, I might not be instructing.... but real life and work might preventing me to attend that event....

I really hope BMW will fix this issue asap!! otherwise, it's really NOT enjoyable for the track at all!! and it might be the last trackable M I would owe! heck, even my old E46 SMG can do a proper downshift at speed!!!

at the moment, I would say the E92 still has a loooooong way to go when compare to my old fully sorted out E46!! (man.... I'm missing my old E46.......)

[enigma]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

Whats with the attitude? Don't be a dick. I didn't attack you I was attacking the attitude of many dealers. So do me and everyone else a favor and STFU. I meant track time, not racing in a crowd.......sorry I didn't explain enough for you.

How was I to know you didn't actually mean what you wrote?

Part of the reason so many dealers are a PITA is because they fear getting screwed by owners that have unreasonable expecatations. i.e. using a set up brakes up in a weekend is covered by the normal service plan.

I don't like seeing this attitude towards the dealers since it produces attitude back towards us, potentially including me.

[enigma]

Originally Posted by LandShark

I too have a feeling it's due to the heating/temp issue?? wrong temp reading from sensor?? or software glitch??

I was running the car in bone stock just try to have a feeling of the car and see what needs to be done. to my surprise, the stock brakes and PS2 are pretty good!

I would be surprised if its strictly a temp thing, it happened to me at an autocross not a track day so the car was not at all hot in my case. However, I was probably also giving more violent steering and brake inputs than would be normal for a track. Still a mystery.


Good to hear about the brakes, perhaps they finally sorted the stock brakes out.

[footie]

From what I was told the stock brakes this time round are very much up to the job of normal track work and all that would ever be required if you wanted to be a little more serious is racing pads. That has to be a good thing and will save thousands for those interested in working their cars hard.

The gearbox (M-DCT) problems are unfortunate, but will more than likely be sorted in the not to distant future. This putting a product out there with potential problems for the consumer to give feed back is similar to Microsoft's thinking with their products. You do kind of expect better from someone like BMW.

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by enigma

How was I to know you didn't actually mean what you wrote?

Part of the reason so many dealers are a PITA is because they fear getting screwed by owners that have unreasonable expecatations. i.e. using a set up brakes up in a weekend is covered by the normal service plan.

I don't like seeing this attitude towards the dealers since it produces attitude back towards us, potentially including me.

Dude, I'm the biggest support of my dealer and other dealers. But I don't really care what anyone thinks. If the manual says I can do it, the SA has got to STFU and deal with it.

[T Bone]

Originally Posted by enigma

I would be surprised if its strictly a temp thing, it happened to me at an autocross not a track day so the car was not at all hot in my case. However, I was probably also giving more violent steering and brake inputs than would be normal for a track. Still a mystery.

There is also a seperate and independent issue of MDCT's stalling.

I don't think there is enough data to say it is heat related at this point. Could be just some funky software.

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by T Bone

There is also a seperate and independent issue of MDCT's stalling.

I don't think there is enough data to say it is heat related at this point. Could be just some funky software.

You learn anything this weekend in Virginia regarding the M-DCT not shifting when you asked?

[T Bone]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

You learn anything this weekend in Virginia regarding the M-DCT not shifting when you asked?

I go in a few weeks.

[MarksM]

I had the car looked at by the field rep and he experienced the downshift problem.

Answer I got back from Serv Mgr next day was that a New set of Software (SP1) is due in mid to late September to solve this and other model year problems.

Kudos to the dealer and BMW, My brakes and disks were fried at 5600 miles. (my fault) Replaced both without my even asking. In fact I was going to replace pads anyway.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by MarksM

New set of Software (SP1) is due in mid to late September

SP1? Yikes, like a Microsoft update? I hope it doesn't break everything else in the process.

BTW, that would coorespond with start of MY2009 production it seems.

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by T Bone

If you really want the best acceleration from the MDCT, you would use "D" mode.....the computer is best to pick the upshift points.

True for SMG / MDCT / old F1 cars....

Hitting the rev limiter is easy and very bad for acceleration.

Oh, but its so much fun

[TLud]

If a new software update will be implemented in mid to late September, the first couple weeks of production will not receive the update (at least not until they hit the VPC or the dealer).

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by MarksM

I had the car looked at by the field rep and he experienced the downshift problem.

Answer I got back from Serv Mgr next day was that a New set of Software (SP1) is due in mid to late September to solve this and other model year problems.

Kudos to the dealer and BMW, My brakes and disks were fried at 5600 miles. (my fault) Replaced both without my even asking. In fact I was going to replace pads anyway.

More confirmation of this update rumor. I will be curious to see how it affects/changes the performance/operation of the M-DCT. Actually, as much as some of us are really concerned about the downshifting under threshold breaking the more I hear about the stalling issue, that probably is the biggest issue of all.....

[Dascamel]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

More confirmation of this update rumor. I will be curious to see how it affects/changes the performance/operation of the M-DCT. Actually, as much as some of us are really concerned about the downshifting under threshold breaking the more I hear about the stalling issue, that probably is the biggest issue of all.....

Issues like this don't freak me out. I would be more concerned with actual mechanical failures w/o reason.( ie-wrong type of fluids used)

Regarding the Service Pack 1 revision in late Sept, fairly quick turn around if it does address the problems at hand.

[enigma]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

More confirmation of this update rumor. I will be curious to see how it affects/changes the performance/operation of the M-DCT. Actually, as much as some of us are really concerned about the downshifting under threshold breaking the more I hear about the stalling issue, that probably is the biggest issue of all.....

They did something similar to SMG in the E46. IIRC: my car went through 2 software updates. The first one minor and the 2nd one really changed the gearbox (mostly for the better).

The one thing they did change in the 2nd E46 update was D mode would no longer restart in D2 after turning the car off. Similar to how the gearbox always goes back to S3 from S4 or S5 in the E92.

I wouldn't worry about the SW update. They always run into unexpected usages once products are in field use.

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by Dascamel

Issues like this don't freak me out. I would be more concerned with actual mechanical failures w/o reason.( ie-wrong type of fluids used)

Regarding the Service Pack 1 revision in late Sept, fairly quick turn around if it does address the problems at hand.

Agreed on both counts, in many ways the threshold breaking is my biggest concern. I liked how the old SMGs really would let you do anything you want, almost as with an MT.

Never worried that the M-DCT had any hardware problems, always thought it was a software issue and some tweaks they needed to make. The problem was were they going to make them.......but it appears they are going to .

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by enigma

They did something similar to SMG in the E46. IIRC: my car went through 2 software updates. The first one minor and the 2nd one really changed the gearbox (mostly for the better).

The one thing they did change in the 2nd E46 update was D mode would no longer restart in D2 after turning the car off. Similar to how the gearbox always goes back to S3 from S4 or S5 in the E92.

I wouldn't worry about the SW update. They always run into unexpected usages once products are in field use.

I like that they do updates and can do them so easily, really allows BMW to watch the "real world" use and issues and then adjust to make everything "perfect"

[ThirdMartini]

Interestingly enough I just got a call from my BMW Service Advisor telling me that there is a DCT Transmission Firmware update available and they will like to get that updated when I bring her in for the 1200 mile service. ( I'm at ~650miles in now )

[M3Rad]

Didn't BMW test the M3 DCT at the Nurburgring? They should have experienced the issue over there, but probably the cars were in their way to production.

Nothing that the software code won't fix, the mechanical/electronic capabilities are already in the transmission.

[footie]

Originally Posted by M3Rad

Didn't BMW test the M3 DCT at the Nurburgring? They should have experienced the issue over there, but probably the cars were in their way to production.

Nothing that the software code won't fix, the mechanical/electronic capabilities are already in the transmission.

Of course BMW did test on ring among other tracks but everyone is forgetting the the M3 is a road car and as such it's setup leans toward safety.

I know some of you have an issue with not getting the downshift you require and can see how this will be a pain when driving hard on a track, especially among other track users. But it isn't the real problem I have, it's when you request something and the system gives you something totally different like asking for 2rd and getting 6th or 7th as someone reports getting on here. That is the real thing needing addressed.