[rpiano78]

Bimmer Magazine has a cool DIY tech article this month about how to change the direction of your shifts on the Step tranny (away for down and toward you for up) seems preaty easy
I dont have the mag,if i pick it up this weekend ill post the article,just wanted to give you guys a heads up

 

[GarrettF]

yeah this is old news.. i did it on a loaner 325i when i had it for a week, i never did change it back though.. oh well

 

[D_Ultim8]

I wonder why BMW changed that?

My friends 2001 330ci if you move it up = upshift
if you move it down = downshift

My 2003 325i if you move it up = downshift
if you move it down = upshift

 

[rpiano78]

The article said BMW changed it in 02 i think
this was a new idea to me,so maybe some others havnt heard it yet

 

[D_Ultim8]

yeah this is old news.. i did it on a loaner 325i when i had it for a week, i never did change it back though.. oh well

How did you do that?????

 

[soheilm3]

there was a DIY made waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day by Mr. Paddle Shift himself.
--soheil

 

[325 & 55]

I wonder why BMW changed that?

My friends 2001 330ci if you move it up = upshift
if you move it down = downshift

:werd: Mine has always been this way; the right way, IMO. :thumbup:

My 2003 325i if you move it up = downshift
if you move it down = upshift

Now this seems completly azz backwards to me; why would BMW ever change this :dunno: Besides, I never realized there was a difference with the later model years

 

[CC Nomada]

I personally like it away=upshift, toward you =downshift. I know someone who's step is the oposite of that and I thought they were all like that. So one day they give me a 325i step and I was thinking it was my friends, so as I leave the dealership I'm all pulling it toward me to upshift and its not, so as I approach 6k I say F*** it and throw it back into auto and pull over. I look down and luckily for me it was the way I like it and not backwardsass.

IDK why the hell they would change it.

 

[Commander FAT]

Down for upshifts and up for downshifts just seems like it makes more sense than down for downshifts and up for upshifts.

 

[CC Nomada]

Down for upshifts and up for downshifts just seems like it makes more sense than down for downshifts and up for upshifts.

It might just be me, but I feel down for downshifts and up for upshifts makes more sense. Maybe its because I drive manual and going into sharp curves and turns I'm usually downshifting to 2nd gear, so I'm pulling the shifter down toward me, so it is more comfortable for downshifts to be down/toward me. I just wouldn't be comfortable pushing the shifter away from me to downshift going into a curve/turn, would kinda throw off the balance of things for me.

 

[uncle_rob]

i shift down for upshift and up for downshift. for me i prefer it this way because imo first is most powerful, nd when i race it feels better downshifting into first, as opposed to upshift from 2nd to third. i don't think i would change it, interested to see how to do it though?

 

[kyle5574]

I don't drive a step, but I've always thought toward you for upshift was better because when you accelerate (i.e. when you're upshifting), your body is pushed back into the seat, so you pull the lever back to accelerate more (downshifting is the same but opposite). Makes sense to me. :dunno:

 

[tkogto]

I've never driven a manual so STEP was 1st experience with shifting. I thought up to downshift and down to upshift seemed backwards. Still does but accustomed to now.

The wife forgot to pay my Bimmer subscription invoice so I'll miss this month. If anyone can post the DIY it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[edwyn C]

step sucks

 

[Cecil328i]

step sucks

Affirmative.

but better than just a regular automatic.

 

[Alberto_jr]

I thought this was a bmw thing. My friend drives an 2001 Eclipse gt step. His step is the oposite of mine which is upshit pressing up. Not only that but to place it in the Step Mode he places the shift knob "away" from him instead of "towards" the driver like the bmw.

 

[LAbadia]

Emulate Racing Applications

I would imagine BMW made the change to reflect sequential racing gearboxes. I've yet to see a WRC/DTM/Indy/CART/ALMS/Le Mans (prototypes/GTS class for the last two) race car follow the convention of pushing away to upshift. I've always seen them pulling at the shift lever to change up. Even the smaller hobby race-cars (Radical/Westfield) that carry motorcycle engines (Suzuki Hayabusas are popular) follow a pull to upshift method.

Formula 1 style doesn't really enter into this since it's pulling on paddles to do both. What's interesting is that in, at least, the Ferraris the paddles are really one piece that pivots at the center. An upshift can be done by pushing away on the left "paddle". This issue was brought up after people were calling foul on Michael Schumacher making brake bias adjustments with his right hand while upshifting (Formula 1 has banned fully automatic shift changes).

 

[Cecil328i]

Formula 1 style doesn't really enter into this since it's pulling on paddles to do both. What's interesting is that in, at least, the Ferraris the paddles are really one piece that pivots at the center. An upshift can be done by pushing away on the left "paddle". This issue was brought up after people were calling foul on Michael Schumacher making brake bias adjustments with his right hand while upshifting (Formula 1 has banned fully automatic shift changes).

That's pretty interesting, and funny, too, haha.

 

[pardi]

The change was made by BMW so that it could be more "in line" with the way SMG works. On a car with SMG, pulling the stick toward you = upshift; pushing the stick away from you = downshift.

I prefer the "old" way because I find it more intuitive. Or maybe I've got used to it as that's how it works on my last car...

 

[Jspeed]

I don't drive a step, but I've always thought toward you for upshift was better because when you accelerate (i.e. when you're upshifting), your body is pushed back into the seat, so you pull the lever back to accelerate more (downshifting is the same but opposite). Makes sense to me. :dunno:

Ding ding ding~ We have a winner. This is the reason why sequential transmissions in race cars use the push-to-downshift pattern.

Also, on a conventional manual, within any given longitudinal plane, you pull back to upshift. (1->2, 3->4, 5->6)