[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by hubble bubble

Well I know one forum member whose car \I'd never want to buy second hand....4th at 70, 80, 90 mph is stupid. Maybe a quick downshift t 4th if you need to pass a semi on a 2 lane road.

I drive in 6th at anything over 50 mph. At 60-80 the torque of the 335 means you don't even need to shift for passing 90% of the time.....or maybe that is my Dinan tune.

Find out that VIN, and make sure you never buy that as a CPO or whatever

Originally Posted by kootz

So there's a lot of hate in this forum. Maybe I should have been a bit more specific. I don't run 90 in 4th constantly, i'm running up and down between 70-90 which is 3200 to 4200 RPM. I guess I'm the only one used to a high revving engine, If I wanted a car to run at 2000 rpm I would have bought a honda accord. This engine redlines at 7000 RPM, so I don't see how running up to 4200 is a big deal. I'm not lazy, I like changing gears, and I'm not running Fort Worth to Dallas doing 90 in 4th gear. But I do like varying the RPMs (which is good for breaki-in) and if you keep shifting early it does exactly the opposite. I haven't really even stepped on it yet.

The point of the thread was to state that I was surprised at the gearing that running so fast was still fairly low in the RPM range and that there didn't seem to be a big reason to shift up since your not really pushing the engine at that point (4200 RPM). Someone mentioned running in 6th anytime over 40 MPH, that is so low in the RPMs the car even starts flashing the light trying to get you to downshift. I am really amazed at this response that everyone seems to drive their cars in the 2K RPM range, which to me is a waste of a great car. Yes, it still has torque in that range but it's so much more fun higher up the band.

Feel free to keep flaming, it's a nice welcome to the forum...

You asked for it. And also the kind of welcome it turned out to be.

If you think it is right, why post here? It is your car, do whatever you like. In any case, nobody likes to hear they are doing something wrong mostly because most other people think it is a stupid thing to do.

Originally Posted by nyknickfan

we're all here to help buddy...gotta learn to ignore the responses you don't appreciate...and many of us are used to high-revving motors...i'm coming from an rx-8 and used to be at 4k rpms in that car going 80mph on the highway in 6th gear...that's considered low for the vehicle considering its 9.5-10k redline...the equivalent strain for the 335 would be at a lower rpm as a result of the lower redline...it's all relative...

what everyone is saying is that it is unnecessary to be constantly at 3-4.5k rpms when you could be cruising at 2-2.5k rpms in 6th gear...the fact is that it is always within your control to downshift at any point you wish...that is the beauty of MTs and even DCTs/step/triptronic etc

it is your car so drive it as you wish...just remember you came and asked about people's opinions and experiences...don't get mad just because you don't like the responses from other people

in the end...just enjoy your car and take the advice you want to take...welcome to the forum and congrats on your car

+1

He does not need any help it seems. He was just sort of sharing the way he LOVES to drive HIS car.

Originally Posted by Krozi

Wait you guys use 6th gear when your on the highway? Man I have been doing it all wrong....I start in 6th and then down shift as the speed increases...I knew I was doing something wrong...when I am on the highway my engine makes a weird sound...usually the RPM's jump off the gauge...so probably like 15k rpm...I heard that revving the engine high shoots out carbon deposits so its probably good for the car anyway...

Originally Posted by Dan in PA

Wait...I think you're doing it right. I'm going to try this tomorrow.

You guys know that handle looking thing to the right of your seat? The thing where when you lift up on it, it makes a clicking noise? I've been driving with that thing up for a few weeks, the car always displays a warning in the dash cluster that says "BRAKE". Does this mean I need brake fluid?

[coh4777]

Originally Posted by preDoc 328

@Krozi: I feel that starting in this gear called R building up speed, then dumping the clutch in to 6th is the most effective way to move quickly. Give that a try...

You can hit a quarter mile in under 9sec for sure with this method!

[MRQturbo]

4th gear on the hwy.....you must be one of those guys that do 80km/hr in the fast lane when the speed limit is 100km/hr......lol......i'm in 6th on the hwy......

[Krozi]

Originally Posted by preDoc 328

@Krozi: I feel that starting in this gear called R building up speed, then dumping the clutch in to 6th is the most effective way to move quickly. Give that a try...

I'll give it a try right now and post up results, thanks man!

[k3m0-330i]

Originally Posted by AndreyATC

My take on this is that:
you need power - downshift to proper gear based on your needs (3rd / 4th gear)
you need to get from one place to another - use 6th gear once above 50mph
Better MPG and less heat for the car

+1

[Alexander]

I still think that this is a joke.

[linlaoboo]

2K rpm in 6th gear you had to be doing 55mph. At that speed u better not be hogging up the passing lane like a left lane dick because you'd be blocking traffic and causing all kinds of accidents. old people like that won't make it in rush hour traffic haha. Not to mention our speedo over reports so u r actually doing even slower.

[davidkotok]

my first post, and im glad it gets to be such a silly topic. with max tq at 1500 why on earth would you cruise at 4k? 6th gear from 40+ has sufficient torque to accelerate and personally it gives you the opportunity to do some dancing and perfect that rev match if you need to drop to third or even second

[Alexander]

Originally Posted by davidkotok

my first post, and im glad it gets to be such a silly topic. with max tq at 1500 why on earth would you cruise at 4k? 6th gear from 40+ has sufficient torque to accelerate and personally it gives you the opportunity to do some dancing and perfect that rev match if you need to drop to third or even second

The guy obviously cannot drive and has no clue.

[ellipsis212]

i use 5th up to 65-70 and then i'll put it in 6th for cruising speed.

however, i do find that 6th takes a lot of throttle to accelerate so if the highway is hilly or there is intermittent traffic then 5th seems to provide a more economical power band below 70mph. if the traffic is such that i can stay in cruise control for more than 60 seconds than i def leave it in 6th.

[Outlaw 06]

Originally Posted by kootz

just got 2011 e90 335i and I find myself staying in 4th gear running at 80-90 mph. RPM between 3.5/4K RPM. So it's not screaming and seems to be in the sweet spot RPM wise. I'm sure my mpg will suffer, but I really don't care... Curious if anyone else runs mostly in 4th on the highway...

IMO, both 5th and 6th gears are virtually unusable on American highways. I also prefer keeping the N54 in the 4,000 to 5,000 RPM range for better throttle response. I rarely use 5th and have only used 6th when playing around to see what kind of gas mileage the car is capable of (I routinely trade-off MPG for fun though). If I put the car in cruise control, I'll shift into 5th...

[IN54NITY]

Originally Posted by Aonarch

The guy obviously cannot drive and has no clue.

davidkotok, welcome to the forum. I believe Aonarch suggests looking at this graph:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18323

Note max torque is reached at approximately 1500rpm as you know, but also ~continues~ flat across to approximately 5000rpm. Aonarch may think you should probably also look at the power generated, too. Note how much higher it is at 5000rpm than at 1500rpm. Remember: P = W / t, torque (essentially the W part of the equation here) is only part of the equation. You don't want to take all day to pass, so HP is important too. Also, I really really hope you are an expert at double clutching while downshifting from 6th to 3rd, and, ahem, to 2nd. I know I've never done that and is beyond my skill, but you're probably much better than me at that. I try to stay "ahead" (like the Hewlett-Packard commercial, always asking what if ...) of the car, whether on the track or on the highway, so that I don't have to change more than one gear.

[jaguar36]

Originally Posted by kootz

SSomeone mentioned running in 6th anytime over 40 MPH, that is so low in the RPMs the car even starts flashing the light trying to get you to downshift.

What flashing light?

And on a somewhat related topic, does anyone see the point of 5th gear? I always accelerate up to 75 or so in 4th, and then go straight to 6th.

[MusclezMarinara]

thats a funny one....6th.....
unless you want to waste all your fuel then run map 7 in 4th

[srcstc]

Originally Posted by TJDiCandido

IMO, both 5th and 6th gears are virtually unusable on American highways. I also prefer keeping the N54 in the 4,000 to 5,000 RPM range for better throttle response. I rarely use 5th and have only used 6th when playing around to see what kind of gas mileage the car is capable of (I routinely trade-off MPG for fun though). If I put the car in cruise control, I'll shift into 5th...

And this is why I won't buy a used car if I have a choice in the matter.

[ellipsis212]

i don't get why people use 6th gear at 40-50mph

[ellipsis212]

Originally Posted by jaguar36

What flashing light?

And on a somewhat related topic, does anyone see the point of 5th gear? I always accelerate up to 75 or so in 4th, and then go straight to 6th.

5th slots quite nicely between 4th and 6th for fluctuating speeds between 60 and 70mph. 4th isn't economical at those speeds and 6th isn't responsive enough for my taste.

[Edward]

If you're not going to use the power, there's no real point in running a higher rpm than necessary. It just causes excessive oil use, gas use, and over a long period of time, if you make this a habit, the engine's internal components will be subjected to more stress which isn't a great thing at all. If you're just cruising around, keep the rpms lower but not to the point where the car is struggling to move. Being in 6th at 40 mph isn't necessary. Even an automatic might not shift into 6th at that speed.

[Outlaw 06]

Originally Posted by srcstc

And this is why I won't buy a used car if I have a choice in the matter.

FYI, the BMW factory rev limiter on the N54B30 engine is set at 7,000 RPM, so operating the N54 at 4,000 RPM to 5,000 RPM is just 60% to 70% of the engine's rated RPM. Does anyone really think that continuous operation in this range is harmful to the N54 engine or driveline? As another poster mentioned, this range is the N54's RPM "sweet spot" and if you're not operating it there then you're missing out. I consistently operate my M3's S54B32 engine at 4,500 RPM to 7,000 RPM, which is where the engine is designed to be operated.

[Baldur Abendroth]

Originally Posted by TJDiCandido

FYI, the BMW factory rev limiter on the N54B30 engine is set at 7,000 RPM, so operating the N54 at 4,000 RPM to 5,000 RPM is just 60% to 70% of the engine's rated RPM. Does anyone really think that continuous operation in this range is harmful to the N54 engine or driveline? As another poster mentioned, this range is the N54's RPM "sweet spot" and if you're not operating it there then you're missing out. I consistently operate my M3's S54B32 engine at 4,500 RPM to 7,000 RPM, which is where the engine is designed to be operated.

For an hour long drive on the freeway, for cruising, WHY? On a 10 min strip of curvy road, yes. You will burn oil like a motherfucker in a 335i doing this all the time.

[ellipsis212]

Originally Posted by TJDiCandido

I consistently operate my M3's S54B32 engine at 4,500 RPM to 7,000 RPM, which is where the engine is designed to be operated.

race cars also are operated in said sweet spot at all times and consequently break down frequently because of the stress that it places on the engine.

if you've got a crew of mechanics on standby, a garage full of spare parts, and a huge slush fund for speeding tickets then by all means...

but you know, i get it. cars don't last forever anyway so you might as well enjoy them while they last.

[jaguar36]

Originally Posted by TJDiCandido

Does anyone really think that continuous operation in this range is harmful to the N54 engine or driveline?

It depends on your definition of harmful. Is your engine going to explode, of course not. Is it going to increase wear on the engine, of course. The real question is does that additional wear matter. That depends on how long you plan on keeping the car. If you plan on the car being your daily driver for the next 50 years, then its certainly going to matter. But lots of other things are likely to fail on the car first (*cough* HPFP *cough*).

Engine life is really measured in number of revolutions that it has run (combined with number of cold starts), not in miles it has gone. So buy running in 4.5k instead of 2.5krpm, you're probably decreasing the life of your engine by half. Of course a properly maintened engine will run for a damm long time, so it probably doesn't matter. I'd bet that you're going to get rid of the car before you see any ill effects of running in 4th gear at highway speeds.