Switchable auto?

[BUG4LIFE]

Does anyone who got an E30 with the switchable auto use the 321 mode to drive much? I reckon its ace - for short blasts and overtaking. What I like is the fact I can drop it to second, see a gap in the traffic and accelerate hard past any slow movers [and what a sweet sound!!!].Though the change from first to second is a little stiff, just gonna have to use it more?!?!

In full auto mode I hate the fact I have to trust the kickdown and matching revs is out of my hands too?

[mrLEE30]

yes its great, but a word of warning....its gets the trasnmission very hot and you can overheat it if not careful (i did on a track day) keep an eye on yer autobox fluid to ensure it stays red and not turning black (you can also smell it, if it smells burnt it needs changing as does your driving style!)

mrlee

[BUG4LIFE]

Cheers dude, good bit of advice I reckon!

[m-dtech]

switchable auto is gd for drifting as it does not shift down like a normal box apparently ?

[tourer-dan]

Well my clever switchable auto managed to cook itself without any use of the 3-2-1 mode, track use or indeed any general provokation!
Now after a Ԛ£650 rebuild it refuses to have any torque in reverse when hot, which means it just about goes backwards, but won't go backwards up a slope. The garage that rebuilt it says it's normal..........but that's another story alltogether

[mrLEE30]

tourer dan this as NOT normal and you should take it back to garage. Bentley trouble shooting guide for auto says: no drive or slipping in reverse gear - internal transmission fault , remove and overhaul/replace

mate get it back to those thiefs who ripped you off for 650 squid and make em fix it properly, this time tell them to remove the coyboy hats!

alternatively better buy a scrap car and swap the box yourself, not hard and does not require silly tools and equipment.

mrlee

[MONSPORT42]

I've tracked my switchable Sport quite a lot and usually suffer from gearbox overheating to the extent that the fluid blows out of the filler tube. I usually use sport mode and change maually. I tried using 321 when I first started because I thought it would give me more control but I found it boiled really quickly. I've got an extra ATF cooler waiting to be fitted before the next outing. For every day 'spirited' driving I still find the Sport mode with manual overide to be the most effective.

[Simon13]

i thought it was S for sideways and E for economy?

[BUG4LIFE]

Monsport42 - you saying you put the dial to 'S' and then use the auto gear-stick to switch between 1st, 2nd and 3rd?

[MONSPORT42]

Hi BUG4LIFE,
That''s about it. That way you really can drive how you like. First will overide your command and will change up as will second eventually but you really can hold the revs up high which is where all our power is. It helps if you know where your max torque band is that way you can use the manual shifts to keep it there.

[BUG4LIFE]

Cheers dude