[Rushall]

Hi guys

I've read on here that the 335d gearbox 'learns' or adapts to the owners driving style.

I spend a reasonable amount of my time either crusing on the motorway and commuting in heavy traffic; recently I've noticed the gearbox feels a bit lazy and lethargic. Therefore, I'm wondering if my dominant driving style (crusing and commuting) is impairing my weekend fun!

Is there a means of resetting the gearbox and switching off the grandad mode?


Cheers

Rush

[themetz]

I don't think there's a way to delete the gearbox 'memory'... But if you want liven things up use DS mode or flappies and press the DTC button once before you set off!!

[beemerbird]

themetz is right you can't re-set the gearbox memory as such unless you plug it into a laptop and 'fiddle' accordingly.

I know what you mean by lethargic and I know it's a few months since I had my 335d but I do remember this situation you're referring to. My gearbox soon adapted post re-map to the new 'settings' and increased power.

All I did when in weekend fun mode (or country roads on the way home from the workhouse) was use the flappy paddles or DS mode and within a few miles the gearbox adapted and became more 'keen' to play and repsonded to your updated driving style. Give it a go.

[Rushall]

Nice one guys thanks - I use DS when I want some extra va-va-voom, but the laziness in Normal Drive mode is a little disappointing when I just want some instant juice. I'm sure it's got noticably lazy all of a sudden!

Sounds like a map's required!

[toxicnerve]

Originally Posted by Rushall

Nice one guys thanks - I use DS when I want some extra va-va-voom, but the laziness in Normal Drive mode is a little disappointing when I just want some instant juice. I'm sure it's got noticably lazy all of a sudden!

Sounds like a map's required!

When that happens give your paddles a flick (ooo err).

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Rushall

Hi guys

I've read on here that the 335d gearbox 'learns' or adapts to the owners driving style.

I spend a reasonable amount of my time either crusing on the motorway and commuting in heavy traffic; recently I've noticed the gearbox feels a bit lazy and lethargic. Therefore, I'm wondering if my dominant driving style (crusing and commuting) is impairing my weekend fun!

Is there a means of resetting the gearbox and switching off the grandad mode?

There is no memory in the driver adaptive part of the gearbox. It only adapts to the installed programmes (XE or E in comfort program, S or XS in sport program) and is doing so as you drive, responding to your current conditions, sensor and driver inputs. Each time you start the car it begins again. Just flicking across to D/S breaks the adaptive pattern as well. So drive like granddad and need a quick response, just flick the stick and you are now in one of the sport programmes. Back to D and it all starts adapting again.

Adaption values in the software are a different thing altogether, not to be confused with the continuous driver adaption.

Remember... to quote BMW, "The driver-type adaptation is restarted each time the vehicle pulls away from a standstill".

HighlandPete

[YvesD]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

There is no memory in the driver adaptive part of the gearbox. It only adapts to the installed programmes (XE or E in comfort program, S or XS in sport program) and is doing so as you drive, responding to your current conditions, sensor and driver inputs. Each time you start the car it begins again. Just flicking across to D/S breaks the adaptive pattern as well. So drive like granddad and need a quick response, just flick the stick and you are now in one of the sport programmes. Back to D and it all starts adapting again.

Adaption values in the software are a different thing altogether, not to be confused with the continuous driver adaption.

Remember... to quote BMW, "The driver-type adaptation is restarted each time the vehicle pulls away from a standstill".

HighlandPete

This all goes out of the window if you have a remap of course.....

[Skid]

This is what I found out.

This only relates to those with a 2004 model onwards fitted with the 6-speed Auto transmission.

There are two types of 6-speed box, one is a low torque version and the other (i.e. for the 330d) is a high torque version.

The gearbox has 13 separate functions, but I'll only go into more detail on the Adaptive Transmission Control. the other functions are Overlap control, Starter inhibitor, Parking lock, Warming-up program, Engine intervention, Downshift inhibitor, Reverse gear inhibitor, Selector lever lock (shiftlock), Standstill decoupling, Interlock, Emergency program, Rock free from snow function.

The Adaptive transmission control is interesting though. As with earlier transmissions the 6-speed box provides the choice between comfort ('D') and sport ('DS') programs.

However, did you know that there are two separate maps for each program? These maps are compiled based on driver inputs (throttle, yaw rate, brake & deceleration etc) but in both programs the adaptive transmission changes from a basic economy map to a more performance oriented map.

In selector lever position 'D' there is an XE map (extreme economy) and an E map (economy). The EGS control unit normally selects the XE map, but in case of particular demands (e.g. load requirements) it will change to the more performance oriented E map. If the input signals change to a more gentle driving style then the adaptive controls will change back to a more economical XE map.

In the Sport program 'DS' with the selector lever in position M/S there is the basic S map (sport) and the performance oriented XS map (extreme sport). If an extremely dynamic driving style is called for, the system will change from the S map to the XS map.

The adaptive systems responds to driving uphill (or towing a trailer), driving downhill, braking/deceleration and winter driving (i.e. info from the DSC). Otherwise the adaptive systems respond to the type of driver using the car and assesses the rate of throttle movement, cornering approach (i.e. wheel speed sensors, yaw rate, road speed), constant-speed travel values and how aggressively you are decelerating.

The adaptation process is restarted each time the car pulls away from a standstill. Adaptation works by comparing the inputs with a set of threshold values that have been constructed from the moment your car was driven following it's last reset (usually at the factory).

While it's applicable to the gearbox in my car I would imagine that it is still relevant to the one in the 335d.

[HighlandPete]

^^^
+1

Just change your driving style and within a couple of moves the gearbox is up there with you.

I've had both the ZP 5HP24 in the 540i and now the ZP 6HP26 in the 330d and although the 6-speed is a more advanced (and better) box, the 5-speed was just as capable in keeping up with the conditions of use. Docile one minute and wide awake in a few moves.

HighlandPete

[BanziBarn]

Wow, that's one clever box!

[Rushall]

Thanks Skid & Highland Pete - top posts.

[Bungle009]

Is there any way of stopping the gearbox from going into extreme economy mode. It frustrates me that at 50mph, the gearbox wants to go into 6th, meaning the revs drop to 1200 RPM, where theres nothing in reserve when you want to accelerate. So you put it in sport and it goes into 4th. 5th would be perfect at around 1600 revs, so plenty of urge when you accelerate away, but unless you use the paddles, you are either in to high a gear (Drive, Extreme Economy 6th) or too low a gear, (Sport 4th)

[Captain Chaos]

I'd be happy if the thing would just learn that I don't want to use sodding second gear every time I pull away in D mode. Cue a half second of nothing and then WHAM a kick up the ass with a nice thump from the drivetrain. Proper PITA to have to keep shifting it manually because it can't learn to pull away in the gear that's primary job is for pulling away...

Other than that, it's a trick piece of kit. Local dealer said they reset my adaptive values when I complained about the above, which didn't make much sense then and makes less having read the above, but probably also explains why the problem is absolutely no different than it was before..

Some good knowledge there though, thanks.

[toxicnerve]

Pulling away in 2nd when in D is just an attribute of the 'box. There's little you can do about it other than using the paddles to make sure you're in 1st or switch to DS.

Unless some clever chappy with a laptop can reprogram the 'box??

[Bungle009]

Thats Correct.

Drive uses gears 2 - 6
Sport uses gears 1 - 5

[Jeff123]

Originally Posted by Bungle009

Thats Correct.

Drive uses gears 2 - 6
Sport uses gears 1 - 5

Hi

Don't know if my 320d box is the same, but in both D and DS modes it seems to use all the 6 gears - I have watched the tacho. and listened to the changes. If you are cruising at c80 mph in D and then select DS the revs stay the same - suggesting that the car is in 6th gear in both modes. The DS mode just appears to hold the revs longer in each gear.

Jeff

[toxicnerve]

Jeff,

I think the 6-pot engines (or maybe just the 30 and 35) use a different box due to the increase torque/power. These definitely start in 2nd on D mode and 1st in DS. Not sure about 6th vs 5th though.

[YvesD]

Originally Posted by toxicnerve

Jeff,

I think the 6-pot engines (or maybe just the 30 and 35) use a different box due to the increase torque/power. These definitely start in 2nd on D mode and 1st in DS. Not sure about 6th vs 5th though.

Mine always starts in 1st in 'D' mode and 6th is definately locked out in 'DS' unless I overeride it with paddles.

Yves

[Captain Chaos]

Interesting. I've never once seen mine use 1st in D mode unless I put it there manually..

[RichJ]

+1

[shane55]

When in D the only time the car is in 1st is when you have just moved it from P or N...so if you stop at lights and keep your foot on the brake when you release to move off you'll be in second...unless when your in DS you'll start in first...also when I'm doing 80mph in D and shift over to DS I immediately drop into fifth...possibly to do with 6cyl diesels?!

[toxicnerve]

Originally Posted by shane55

When in D the only time the car is in 1st is when you have just moved it from P or N...

How sure are you? I am fairly certain that even having just moved from P or N to D still results in a 2nd gear launch...could be wrong though.