Steptronic vs MT for the ZHP

[Mike2003ZHP]

Can members chime in on the steptronic vs the manual for the ZHP. From what I've read, it seems to be a good transmission overall and that in sport mode, it's reasonably quick in changing gears. But step owners use the manual shift a couple of times and then just ignore it in the long run. I'm surprised that it seem most used ZHP's are steps, considering this is a performance oriented car.

[Newjack]

Can members chime in on the steptronic vs the manual for the ZHP. From what I've read, it seems to be a good transmission overall and that in sport mode, it's reasonably quick in changing gears. But step owners use the manual shift a couple of times and then just ignore it in the long run. I'm surprised that it seem most used ZHP's are steps, considering this is a performance oriented car.

There was a long thread discussing this a long while back. Hopefully someone can link to it.

Nonetheless its a good question. I own a 6mt zhp so I can't say from experience how good the auto trans is for the zhp. But those on this forum that own an auto zhp love them. The shifts are quick and as long as you keep up the maintenance (flushing trans fluid and changing trans fluid filter) it shifts smoothly. Don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure that the auto zhp has a slightly different final drive ratio from its manual counterpart. As for performance, the auto and manual are almost identical in 0-60 times and power. Its all preference.

Why are there so many more autos for sale than manuals? People that own manual cars are more often than not enthusiasts. They bought a manual because they enjoy driving one and don't see it as a chore. Because of this when the find a manual car they hold onto it for a longer time.

That's my explanation. Off the top of my head I know Rando owns an auto with a lot of tasteful mods on his zhp so he should have some sound input.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[johnrando]

Thanks for the props Rob. The question is what are you using it for? Frankly, the shifts are too slow for me in D or in S (sport) mode... and I believe that's the general consensus. (BTW, shifting it yourself isn't much better, but it helps). You have to anticipate the shift, as when you shift, the car says, "oh, I need to shift", then it does. The good think is that if you screw up and shift at the wrong time (too late), or downshift to early, there is really no penalty. It won't let you make a dumb mistake.

To help with that slower shifting, I bought the Dinan STEP s/w which ever so slightly mods the shift points and shifts quicker, and I did the paddle shift mod. So, using paddle shift makes the car much more fun to drive, especially if you're stepping (no pun intended :) ) on it. Even then, it's not as quick as I'd like. I'd rather have a manual but there were several reasons that AUTO made sense for this particular car.

The verdict: It works fine, S mode is better than D, paddle shifts are better (quicker) than shifting it on the floor, and Dinan s/w on top adds to the experience. It's OK as a STEP, because at least you can shift vs. a plain AUTO, but it's nowhere near an MT. Given a real choice, I'd go MT. Given my reasons (LA Traffic, wife not being able to drive a stick, availability, etc), STEP was the right choice. The STEP technology is better now than it was back then, so this works for what was available at the time. I hope that helps.

[wsmeyer]

That was my number one requirement when I bought my car. They even kept trying to sell me SMG M3's for the same price but I wouldn't take anything without 3 pedals. I finally found and bought my car on Oct 30th 2006. Wouldn't be surprised if it was the last 6MT ZHP in the country at that point.

[JKO_ZHP]

I don't know if I broke my steptronic system but it still seems fast to me. I never realized until just recently that S itself was a mode - I never left it on S much since I thought it was just to tell the driver that you're about to enter steptronic mode.

I used to abuse the steptronic in a past '05 325Ci. With the 330Ci I try not to although by now I can leave it on M2 or M3 and drive at 6,000+ RPMs until the very last second. I don't remember it behaving like how it does now when I test-drove it and beat it to see how the internals were.

I use Steptronic almost once a day now for short periods of time. It's been 35,000 miles over the span of 1.2 years and nothing has gone bad, just replaced the wear-and-tear usual suspect parts and do 5,000-mile Lubro-Moly oil changes. 110,000+ miles and counting with a strong transmission.

I still want to see how an auto compares with a manual. Saw a thread on here a while ago saying that the auto's 3.46 differential makes it faster than the manual, or something along those lines....

[Avetiso]

MT has it's flaws, too. It frustrates me how slow revs fall when you are flogging the car. DMF may be nice for DD, but I think flywheel is a necessary upgrade if you want to drive the car hard consistently.

[kayger12]

While not on a ZHP, I had a step in my 325i.

I had zero complaints about the transmission or driving experience with it.

That being said, I love the 6MT and wouldn't go back.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

I like em both for different reasons. If it weren't for traffic I'd have gone for a 6MT in my car.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[stephenkirsh]

I uh. I... can't drive a stick. *dodges tomatoes and shoes*.

I really wanted to learn but I literally don't know anybody who has a manual car. My dad sold his last stick in 1998 (when I was 10) because pushing in a clutch on his 100 mile Bay Area commute was destroying his hip.

So, that's how I ended up with a steptronic. I also plan to have my girlfriend/soon fiancé drive the car and hopefully get her into autocross. So that's also why I don't mind it. :shifty

I've yet to autocross my zhp (next week is the first one!!), but I autocrossed my 325 with a steptronic and it was fantastic, shifting it myself. My times were dead in the middle of the pack for all classes, so the tranny never held me back.

I drive in full manual mode 100% of the time. I don't like when the auto thinks it should shift.

Overall the tranny is a big thumbs up for me.

Also, my zhp has a ZF tranny, just for the record.

[stephenkirsh]

Oh and the differential on the steptronic is a 3.64 compared to the manual's 3.07. So that's where 95% of the zhp's speed comes from.

[Mike2003ZHP]

Great input once again.

I have nearly 11 years with my MT ZHP and I love it when the time is right. But stop-n-go traffic or typical around town driving, an MT would be better, especially
holding a cup of coffee. Just wish it would make sense to have one of each.

[stephenkirsh]

You said "MT" twice ;)

I wish the SMG was good…oh well.

[WOLFN8TR]

Step Guy here. :thumbsup

This is my first BMW so I can't give any comparison between 6MT vs Step. When I was looking for my BMW it really didn't matter to me if the car I found was Manual or Auto as I can drive both. My wife likes Auto trans better also. I really like having an Auto in traffic and driving while holding a dozen roses in a vase filled with water, LoL. I almost always drive in Sport Mode, it's so much easier to down shift to pass or slow down into turns etc. The best addition to a Step is a Sprint Booster Ver 2 which John and I both have.

[yura]

When I was hunting around for a car last summer I test-drove an Auto ZHP sedan. At the time I was driving an '06 Mercedes C230 (also auto), and the difference in transmissions was mind blowing. The Merc was as slush-box as they get - my dad's Corolla shifts faster. The ZHP's automatic felt fantastic - the car revved fast, shifted fast, and was smooth. Hit the gas and the car goes, next to no delays. It was very similar to the 6MT ZHP I had prior to the Merc. I've got a 6MT again as I still prefer to row my own gears, but have to say that a BMW automatic is the only automatic I'd ever drive.

[Pip]

I liked the auto with paddle shifters. I preferred to drive in manual mode most the time anyways.

[Mike2003ZHP]

Maybe this is for another thread, but how hard and how much is it to put paddle shifters on a step?

[WOLFN8TR]

Maybe this is for another thread, but how hard and how much is it to put paddle shifters on a step?

Ask JohnRando, he did his ZHP.

[ELCID86]

Maybe this is for another thread, but how hard and how much is it to put paddle shifters on a step?

Not hard. You just need the ///M clock spring and a wiring piece. I think we have a thread in the DIY.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[ELCID86]

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5067



Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[Au1994]

Mine is a STEP and my F30 DD and previous E92 were all auto's. A must for me in Atlanta daily traffic. Of the 3 I hate to say it but the ZHP is the worst of the 3 when driving aggressive, but still within legal legal limits of course :). I have not serviced the transmission in the month or so I have owned the car but it does hold the revs high after flogging and for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, it doesn't feel quite as in tune with the engine like the other two BMW's I've had. I'm planning on some maintenance In the coming weeks to include a trans flush so maybe that will help but will also seriously consider the Dinan tune in the future.

[Avetiso]

^clear the transmission adaptations in addition to the maintenance.

[Pip]

Maybe this is for another thread, but how hard and how much is it to put paddle shifters on a step?

It is rather simple.

Used SMG wheel - $200-250
New clockspring - $110
Wiring piece and connectors so it is OEM and reversible - ~$34

The DIY is pretty straightforward and the total cost is roughly $344-394. You can of course source the parts used if you find someone parting out.

[johnrando]

The paddle shift mod is surprisingly easy, especially if you can buy an already made harness... then it's plug and play. You have to get an M3 SMG clock spring, and M3 SMG steering wheel with the paddles (I changed my paddles out), and the wiring harness (that you can make). See the DIY posted. Happy to provide more detailed input if necessary.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[WOLFN8TR]

^clear the transmission adaptations.

How do you clear the Trans adaptations? My tranny occasionally holds the gear on hard acceleration and won't shift until I let off the gas.

[Avetiso]

How do you clear the Trans adaptations? My tranny occasionally holds the gear on hard acceleration and won't shift until I let off the gas.

Via software, but I don't know the specifics.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[WOLFN8TR]

Thanks

[wsmeyer]

How do you clear the Trans adaptations? My tranny occasionally holds the gear on hard acceleration and won't shift until I let off the gas.

On our X5 the adaptation can be reset...

Key in position 2
Fully depress the gas pedal
Hold for 25 seconds
Start car

Can't hurt to try it on an E46

[WOLFN8TR]

Cool, worth a try. So after you hold the pedal for 25 seconds do you let off before starting?

[wsmeyer]

Cool, worth a try. So after you hold the pedal for 25 seconds do you let off before starting?

I do but not sure if it matters. On the X5 the difference is pretty substantial after getting stuck in traffic and being forced to drive it slow.

[tkundhi]

BMW automatics have come a long way in the last few years. The 7/8spd units in the newest cars are pretty amazing. No way a ZHP auto will function like the newer units.

I prefer manual trans for control and speed of gear changes. The new BMW autos change gears amazingly fast. But they still don't give you total control. I'm not sure if that can or can not be fixed through software.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dearg-due]

Why are there so many more autos for sale than manuals?

Because the universe wishes to torment me?

A couple of weeks ago there were something like 18 ZHPs listed for sale on Autotrader within 500 miles of me ... and only ONE of them was a 6mt (and it was a dog).

That's just cruel ...

[ELCID86]

Because the universe wishes to torment me?

A couple of weeks ago there were something like 18 ZHPs listed for sale on Autotrader within 500 miles of me ... and only ONE of them was a 6mt (and it was a dog).

That's just cruel ...

Hang tough. The right car will show itself!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[Dearg-due]

Hang tough. The right car will show itself!

I know, it's just frustrating how few 6mts show up on the market ...

Especially since the manual gearbox in these cars is simply a delight ... I can't even begin to express how much cleaner it is than the 6mt I've got in my '03 GLI.

Sigh.

[orange260z]

A few years ago I had a 2006 330i (E90) sedan with a 6-speed step. That transmission was quite a bit more responsive than the 5-speed step in my 2005 e46. I may try the Eurocharged tune - I believe that also changes the step tuning? Would love to hear any comments on that.

[stephenkirsh]

I'm sure the newer ones are much faster. I sore an f30 with an 8 speed. Too many gears!

"Should I be in 3? 4? Nope, 2. Now back into 3."

I'm sure I'd get used to it after owning the car, but it wasn't very pleasant for a test drive.

[johnrando]

According to them, Eurocharged does indeed modify the STEP shifting. I already had an AA tune or I would have gone with them.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[WOLFN8TR]

Euro Tune next on my list!

[ELCID86]

Not hard. You just need the ///M clock spring and a wiring piece. I think we have a thread in the DIY.

It is rather simple.

Used SMG wheel - $200-250...


Oh, yeah, I guess I'm simple to have forgotten that!

[elsanto]

Step owner here as well, the trans is a great trans for an auto, if you want a manual transmission car though just buy one, there is no substitute for a 3rd pedal. I'm sure it's been mentioned but with the step you also get the archaic clutch driven fan which I find to be really noisy.

[WOLFN8TR]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but with the step you also get the archaic clutch driven fan which I find to be really noisy.

Untill you Delete it. One of the best mods I did! Link is in my sig below.