tiptronic
 

ok stupid question, when shifting down earlier than i guess the X wants to it experiences a severe slow down now i know that cant at all be good or at least doing that extensively what is the proper way to drive in tiptronic mode? (never drove a stick)

Some general guidelines:

You say that when shifting down, the car experiences a severe slow down. I presume that you have shifted to a lower gear and are experiencing an engine-braking effect. If the revs don't climb too high (watch the tachometer) then it isn't harming the car once it has shifted, but at the point of engagement you are putting more stress on the clutch packs than necessary. Try to match the revs a little, by giving it a little gas when it shifts so that it doesn't jerk as it downshifts.

You aren't usually likely to be shifting more than one gear away from where the auto would have selected a gear. I find myself using manual mode to drop a gear on long downhills, or raise it a gear on a long uphill where it wants to shift, but won't quite go unless I speed up (and I don't want to speed up in that residential neighbourhood).

If you want to go down through the gears using the manual mode, then do it one gear at a time, not all at once. See point 1 for matching revs.

Realize that this manual shifting is likely to use more fuel than just letting the automatic shift for you.

Finally, refer to it as steptronic, not tiptronic, at least on a BMW. Steptronic is the name of the transmission, the three shifting modes are drive, sport, and manual.

Good luck.

hey thanks for that explanation, I do switch one at a time, and unfortunately yes it does eat more gas than auto but once in a while i like to get a bit more passing power quicker without flooring it. heres the other thing at what speed can i move from auto to manual and when should i give it a bit more gas? when you mentioned engine braking thats exactly what i meant but it happens if say im doing 40mph and im at 2.5revs ill drop it to say 2nd and i feel the slowdown and as proper the revs go up a bit... in that situation how would giving a bit more gas help?

im trying to learn sorry for the questions

Glad that helps a bit.

I can't connect the numbers 60 kph and 2500 revs at the moment (my X5 is in a different country than me this week), but here goes.

Pressing the accelerator and speeding the engine up yourself while dropping it a gear in manual mode will reduce the load on the clutch packs in the transmission. Imagine that there are two shafts spinning at different speeds, one connected to the engine and one to the wheels. There is a clutch connecting those two shafts. If you match the revs, you will reduce the shock load on the clutch. If you don't, the clutches will reduce shock to the engine and the driveline and cushion it, but when they do so they wear. Wear is normal, but there is no sense making it happen faster than it would by driving with correct technique.

Hope that helps.