And the wait is now over

[mkoesel]

M-DCT FTMFW!

Congrats Sgt B. Looking forward to hearing more, especially post-break-in impressions.

[Hammer]

Jipppiaaajehahahaaaaaa
DCT is out, briliant.
You got a beautiful baby, enjoy

[SMSgt B]

Just got back from another ride and doing some tests so I can answer some of your questions.

Originally Posted by rai

congrats

I wonder (?) does the M-button sync the tranny setting? I mean if you set accelerator, steering, shocks etc. can you also include the tranny mode?

Also how hard is to change the mode on the fly, meaning if you are in Manual mode what's involved to shift to the auto mode?

Finally what is the LC function like? I understand you didn't do it on the new car but I mean is there a sequence you have to go through before you can do LC or is is a simple process like if you are already stopped how long would it take to engage LC?

Thanks for sharing

About the M-button, you can program it to your specific tranny settings. You can also change to any settings on the fly.

The process to do LC according to the manual (yes, it covers LC in it) is:

Do not use LC too often, as the higher loads on the vehicle lead to premature component wear.

LC is available when the engine is at operating temperature, i.e. after driving continuously for at least 6 miles/10km.

1. Press the brake while the engine is running
2. Deactivate DSC
3. Select S-mode with Drivelogic drive program 6 (S6)
4. With the vehicle stationary, press the selector lever forward and hold. A flag symbol appears in the instrument cluster.
5. Press the accelerator down all the way. The engine speed when driving off is controlled.
6. If you wish, you can adjust the drive-off engine speed by up to approx. 500 rpm:
-- Increase the drive-off engine speed by approx. 100rpm: press the cruise control lever towards the dash
-- Decrease the drive-off engine speed by approx. 100rpm: press the cruise control lever towards you.
-- Reset the drive-off engine speed: press the cruise control lever with up or down.
7. The vehicle accelerates when you release the selector lever. Keep the accelerator pressed all the way down.
8. The transmission shifts up automatically as long as the accelerator is pressed all the way down.

Launch Control only becomes available again after a certain distance has been driven.

Do not use Launch Control during the vehicle break-in period.

Originally Posted by bills742

One quick question, can you turn the "creep" function off so the car doesn't inch forward if you don't press the gas? And if so, does the car roll back when on a hill? Thanks for your write up and enjoy her for us!

You can't turn off "creep" but as long as you do not tap the accelerator, it will stay in place. You tap it and it does creep, then stop and it stops it.

Also, tested the hill today. In gear on a hill, it will hold you there for about 2 seconds, then start rolling backwards while still in gear....just like having the clutch engaged on a hill.

Originally Posted by Hans Delbruck

How does it work in traffic? Just leave it in 1st and it creeps like an automatic?

As stated above, just tap the throttle and it starts creeping...rather slow.

Originally Posted by mhutchins14

Congrats on your car!! Sounds like DCT was worth the wait...

Hell, after using it for 2 days now, I would have paid an extra $5000 to get it...FANF$%KINGTASIC!!!!!

Originally Posted by mdrobc13

If you don't mind can you give us a few words on the premium sound! Am on the fence between it and regular HiFi audio.

Haven't forgot about ya but still haven't played with the stereo yet.

Originally Posted by swamp2

Unbelievable. Congrats. My predicitons that there must be a BMW/magazine/trade review before that of an owner was absolutely incorrect. As cool as this is and as great as it is for you, it is a big mistake on BMWs behalf. -1 for BMW marketing.

Congrats as well for using discretion and taking it easy on the car. We won't know the secrets of M-DCT and the peformance possibilities until someone describes the WOT, redline 1-2 shift in S6. Until then get your a$$ on the road and get those break in miles done ASAP!! Were have all waited way too long for the details!

One thing I don't understand: It sounds like you found that settings other than throttle and drivelogic settings affect the agressiveness/performance/jerk etc. You mentioned both the EDC and Power settings. It seems very improbable to me that these affect anything with the M-DCT. Again could be the whole nature of the car changes (which is definitely can) and this affects your perception of the transmission.

Congrats again, thanks for sharing and for our daily dose. Sharing your excitement on this has been the highlight of my time here on the forum in a real long time.

You are completely right and it is probably the whole nature of the car change that is making me come to these conclusions. This week I will start changing 1 thing at a time and recording how I think it changed.

Originally Posted by apw2607

Yes, congrats and thanks for taking the time out to write up a review and take some pics.

BTW ... does your owner guide cover the M-DCT? Anything interesting to report? Does it cover LC for example?

Thanks.

Yes it covers LC and also Vert stuff. The interesting stuff to report is highlighted above. I am still reading to find more interesting stuff (DCT or anything else).

All, thanks for the comments and really wish everyone waiting would get theirs ASAP!! It is hard to describe how this machine works. I see my pics SUCKED so I will get some more out later. Also, I am bringing in the camera to work tomorrow so I will get a coworker to take some videos while driving/shifting ... my goal is for you to see and hear shifting.

Any other recommendations/questions you guys have just post them and I will try and get you the answer ... keeping it within the break-in period though..

[mkoesel]

Thanks for that info SMSgt B. Exciting stuff!

Originally Posted by SMSgt B

The process to do LC according to the manual (yes, it covers LC in it) is:

Awesome. It will be interesting to see how (if at all) this differs from the European LC. I also wonder how it differs from M5/M6 LC, either US or European.

You can't turn off "creep" but as long as you do not tap the accelerator, it will stay in place. You tap it and it does creep, then stop and it stops it.

Couple questions about that. First, does the tranny register as being neutral when you are stopped? If so, does it then register as being in first gear when you creep? If both are true, I wonder if you can shift back to neutral while creeping in order to have the car coast back to a stop?

[rai]

I did change my order to the DCT, I was leaning that way but you helped me make a decision.

Not that I consider the R8 as anywhere near the same class but fwiw the R-tronic (SMG) is a $9K option.

I did not look at MB, Lexus or Audi but was going for the M3 anyway, but I think the DCT is a huge plus (if it works as good as you say for me). Hope it has some better performance than the MT and/or some better fuel mileage,y but even if not I could live with it as the 6MT has all the performance I'm looking for.

I took my wife and 2 kids on the test drive yesterday and I was doing a few starts to test out the 6MT again and they said they hope I get the DCT. Not that I got it for them but it probably would be good to have a smoother shifting car from for when I am driving the family around. Now to be fair I was not trying to drive the 6MT smooth I was more or less trying to see how it was at 70% power starts to make sure the V8 was strong enough for me and it was.

[SMSgt B]

Originally Posted by rai

I did change my order to the DCT, I was leaning that way but you helped me make a decision.

Not that I consider the R8 as anywhere near the same class but fwiw the R-tronic (SMG) is a $9K option.

I did not look at MB, Lexus or Audi but was going for the M3 anyway, but I think the DCT is a huge plus (if it works as good as you say for me). Hope it has some better performance than the MT and/or some better fuel mileage,y but even if not I could live with it as the 6MT has all the performance I'm looking for.

I took my wife and 2 kids on the test drive yesterday and I was doing a few starts to test out the 6MT again and they said they hope I get the DCT. Not that I got it for them but it probably would be good to have a smoother shifting car from for when I am driving the family around. Now to be fair I was not trying to drive the 6MT smooth I was more or less trying to see how it was at 70% power starts to make sure the V8 was strong enough for me and it was.

I hope I am glad I helped out. Seriously, I am positive you are going to enjoy the hell out of it ... especially in Maryland.

[rai]

Originally Posted by SMSgt B

I hope I am glad I helped out. Seriously, I am positive you are going to enjoy the hell out of it ... especially in Maryland.

I don't have a lot of SMG or DSG experience under my belt have driven some but not extensivly. But everytime I did was a blast. I will keep my S2000 so I have a 6MT shift when I want to and the M3 for most daily driving as well as back road blasts (we have a lot of hilly and curvy B-roads around here).

[vietmunki]

Wow, I was gone for the weekend and I come back to this?!

Amazing! congrats man! I'm looking forward to post break in reviews.

[Epacy]

Congrats!
Car looks mean with the 18s.

[SMSgt B]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Thanks for that info SMSgt B. Exciting stuff!



Awesome. It will be interesting to see how (if at all) this differs from the European LC. I also wonder how it differs from M5/M6 LC, either US or European.



Couple questions about that. First, does the tranny register as being neutral when you are stopped? If so, does it then register as being in first gear when you creep? If both are true, I wonder if you can shift back to neutral while creeping in order to have the car coast back to a stop?

Once you put it in 1st gear, it shows 1st gear even if you are stopped ... so no it doesn't show neutral when stopped. You can shift to neutral and coast to a stop from any speed.

Now you got me thinking on something. According to the manual, on a flat road, you can start out in 2nd gear. So, I am going to try and see if the Low Speed Assistant will work from 2nd gear at a start. I will report back on this.

[trah23]

Smsgt, awesome car man

quick question, did the LC come standard with the M-dct or is it part of something else ( i hope its standard) and also (dumb question time), LC is just so can accelerate 0-60 in the fastest possible time right, which to me is very very appealing.

[SMSgt B]

Originally Posted by trah23

Smsgt, awesome car man

quick question, did the LC come standard with the M-dct or is it part of something else ( i hope its standard) and also (dumb question time), LC is just so can accelerate 0-60 in the fastest possible time right, which to me is very very appealing.

Yes it is standard and can only be applied from a stop so this will be very very appealing to you. Now, I just wonder if the Euro model can adjust the rpms more than 500 or do we (US) have the same LC as them? Something I am waiting to hear about.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by SMSgt B

Once you put it in 1st gear, it shows 1st gear even if you are stopped ... so no it doesn't show neutral when stopped.

Interesting. So I wonder, does this mean the clutches are technically not engaged when you are stopped then? That's cool I guess. But I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that the car says its in 1st gear but yet is not moving. I'd rather it just dropped into neutral.

[gorun]

Sms tell us more about the auto modes are they a real torque converter alternative. How does the gearbox react when braking and then accelerating fairly strongly again before the car has come to a complete stop? This tends to catch a few semi-autos unprepared.

[trah23]

hey smsgt, on step 3, select s mode from drive logic program, how do u do that since LC is suppose to come standard with no Mdrive, etc ?

[WCH]

Thanks for all the fabulous info. Very happy I got M-DCT and can't wait for it to get here!

[rai]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Interesting. So I wonder, does this mean the clutches are technically not engaged when you are stopped then? That's cool I guess. But I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that the car says its in 1st gear but yet is not moving. I'd rather it just dropped into neutral.

this is a puzzelment to me when I first drove a SMG car. I know these are different. But the fact I'm used to driving a MT and you can't be 0 mph and in 1st gear or you'd stall. But you have to be in 1st gear to start. So IDK how it works but you are dead stopped it would seem like you are in Neutral but you are in 1st.

When I was driving a SMG for the first time, I was trying to figure out how do I stop without stalling but it does. You don't want to be shifting the car into 1st gear everytime you stop so it starts out in 1st.

I believe there was a mode for the DCT that starts out in 2nd gear.

[Davinhci]

Congrats, I'm jealous

[vietmunki]

we need videos ASAP!

[M-Maika]

Congrats!!

Cant wait to get my hands on mine.

[Wads]

Originally Posted by SMSgt B

2. So, is there a delay in shifting? Yes, but let me explain. Depending on what settings you have it set to and how aggressive you are accelerating will dictate the amount of delay. For instance, when I was in manual mode, no EDC/Power and softest, the delay was greater than if I just adjusted it to the stiffest setting or got more aggressive with the gas pedal. Driving in this setting is like when you are driving a manual and just take you time to shift. Now EDC/Power on and stiffest setting is another story. Yes there is still a very slight delay but it is almost right at the release time it changes gears. Now the delay I am talking about is the time you release the paddle/shifter to the time you feel the next gear engage. Also, remember I was only doing 1/2 throttle under 5500rpm shifts.

Congratulations!!! I have to confirm my E93 M3 order tomorrow (Monday) and the one thing I've always worried about is a delay with the M-DCT..... could you say a few more words about how long the delay is when shifting in the more agressive manual modes..... I know you can't use full throttle yet so that may make a difference but can you have a stab at describing the lenght of delay in S5 at half throttle from pulling the paddle to when the shift takes place..... eg. paddle/bang no noticable delay, paddle///bang a tiny delay, paddle/////bang maybe 1/2 second delay, paddle////////bang very noticable delay

I've always been a manual guy so the M-DCT is a bit of a risk for me so any help on this would be massively appreciated

The UK dealer I'm using only has 2 M3 vert build slots and I'm hoping to tie up the 2nd one tomorrow.

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Interesting. So I wonder, does this mean the clutches are technically not engaged when you are stopped then? That's cool I guess. But I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that the car says its in 1st gear but yet is not moving. I'd rather it just dropped into neutral.

Originally Posted by rai

this is a puzzelment to me when I first drove a SMG car. I know these are different. But the fact I'm used to driving a MT and you can't be 0 mph and in 1st gear or you'd stall. But you have to be in 1st gear to start. So IDK how it works but you are dead stopped it would seem like you are in Neutral but you are in 1st.

When I was driving a SMG for the first time, I was trying to figure out how do I stop without stalling but it does. You don't want to be shifting the car into 1st gear everytime you stop so it starts out in 1st.

I believe there was a mode for the DCT that starts out in 2nd gear.

This is no different than an SMG car. When you come to a stop the computer pushes in the clutch (hydraulically), just as you would do when driving an 6MT car. Coming to a stoplight or stop sign, you push in the clutch so the car won't stall.

If you prefer, you can select neutral on the gearshift lever by moving it to the left (see avatar) then when you are ready to go you move it back to the right and the transmission selects first gear.

I do have one question, Senior B you say you can select neutral while the car is rolling, however can you put it back into gear from neutral while the car is also still rolling?