6 speed transmission DS mode starts in 1st or 2nd gear?

autoque · #1 01-15-2011, 01:45 PM

D mode starts in 2nd gear but I can't tell if the DS mode starts in 1st or 2nd. I heard somewhere it's the same 2nd gear but on other BMWs I heard otherwise.

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ChuckG · #2 01-15-2011, 07:20 PM

It starts in 2nd in DS mode. You can start in first if you go to the manual mode and shifting to first.

Chuck

goodthomas · #3 01-17-2011, 01:10 AM

1st my car start at 1st no mater D, DS

Kloogy · #4 01-17-2011, 01:52 AM

No. Most of thet time it will start in 2nd. It's such a low gear that you might think it's 1st, but it's actually 2nd.

Alan Smithee · #5 01-17-2011, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodthomas

1st my car start at 1st no mater D, DS

Same here; perhaps due to a heavy foot.

What makes no sense to me is why it defaults to M2 in manual mode.

Lawfarm · #6 01-17-2011, 10:41 AM

It isn't defaulting to M2 in manual mode. If you stop in Park, and then shift to drive, and then move to DS, it will be in M1. The reason it 'appears' to default to M2 in DS is because of the shifting logic. It only 'downshifts' to a lower gear when speed and RPM require it...that's why you can't stop in M5 or M6. So as you slow down from speed, it shifts down to M5, M4, M3, M2, and then stops. The car is capable of starting from a stop in M2 (which is ostensibly useful for slippery conditions), so it doesn't 'require' a downshift to M1.

autoque · #7 01-17-2011, 06:01 PM

I read in another forum that if you use manual mode and come to a stop it'll be in M2, meaning it won't go to M1 unless you shift it. If you set it to DS Auto, then it'll use the first gear.

jharms · #8 01-17-2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodthomas

1st my car start at 1st no mater D, DS

Same here! Always starts in 1st. I've counted the shifts on numerous occasions. It also frequently lunges forward when trying to start slow and easy. I've come to the conclusion that this is a design defect as we've had it in the shop many times with no resolution.

autoque · #9 01-18-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jharms

I've counted the shifts on numerous occasions.

If you count in the DS mode, you should only be able to count 4 gear changes as the DS mode doesn't use the 6th gear.

Alan Smithee · #10 01-19-2011, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autoque

I read in another forum that if you use manual mode and come to a stop it'll be in M2, meaning it won't go to M1 unless you shift it. If you set it to DS Auto, then it'll use the first gear.

Correct. Makes no sense that in the 'sportiest' mode, it defaults to a 2nd gear start.

Quote:

Originally Posted by autoque

If you count in the DS mode, you should only be able to count 4 gear changes as the DS mode doesn't use the 6th gear.

It will definitely hold on to 5th gear longer in DS, but it does eventually reach 6th.

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