auto box vs manual box

Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:47 pm

Whats the difference in performance between a auto sport box on a 325 sport and manual box also 325 sport.

Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:18 pm

i would also be v.interested to know the pro's and cons

Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:29 pm

I'd be interested to know how reliable/robust the auto's are - have thought about it, but tend to break most automatics with my driving style

Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:42 pm

miniblob wrote:I'd be interested to know how reliable/robust the auto's are -

I have been driving my auto for 4 years without problems (touch wood), its running a (mild) Zone chip and I have a heavy foot.

They say auto's rob power but I have had mine on a rolling road and it was pushing out 165bhp at the wheels which is about right. Its a bit slugish off the line though.

Gotta love that double kickdown

didnt read the question properly. I dont have a sport auto, not even switchable

Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:04 pm

kool

whats double kickdown by the way?

Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:15 pm

where the box drops from overdrive 4th to 2nd.

a sport is supposed to be manual, defeats the point of a sport with an auto box strapped to it imo.

Auto boxes do take power cotty, its that bloody torque converter. My auto seems to go well for what it is but it's not a touch on manual car or at least it feels like it isn't

auto boxes can do the miles my 325i auto box has done 145k and counting, depends if the fluid and strainer ever get changed ever really, but they do wear out.

Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:20 pm

My touring has the switchable box, the performance isn't as bad as I initially thought, but I still think a manual box is quicker.

Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:02 pm

Cotty180 wrote:it was pushing out 165bhp at the wheels which is about right.

I thought that bhp figure was at the fly?

Never drove the auto on the 2.5 but when i done the 2.5 conversion i chucked on a manual box straight away LOL ........the 2.5 had an autobox on it.

Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:52 pm

jonbuoy wrote:
Cotty180 wrote:it was pushing out 165bhp at the wheels which is about right.
I thought that bhp figure was at the fly?

I think your right, where's me coat

Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:11 pm

Had both manual 325i sport and auto convert last year. Manual quite a bit quicker from standstill and generally more flexible all round.

Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:40 pm

I'm a devotee of auto boxes I guess. Did 270,000 miles in my old 323i auto. It was great for commuting into London. I'm now running a 2.7 Sport with the EH gearbox. The extra torgue from the 'undersquare' 2.7and the EH box, in my opinion, is a marriage made in heaven. I did run it with the original 2.5 lump for a while. That engine is 'oversquare' and the torque converter really did soak up the revs. It was like you put your foot down and got a great response from the engine but nothing happened on the road. The original EH box gave up the ghost after 185,000 miles. Toyed with the idea of swapping to manual then but ended up putting in another auto. I think my car showed 222bhp at the zones RR day at Bexley and it has been measured on the same RR on a crisp winter morning at 237bhp. The autobox handles all that very comfortably.

Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:50 pm

As autoboxes go, E30 ones seem to be very reliable, but they do absorb power, and you are a whole gear ratio missing.

Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:44 am

hello all , i see were engaging in a chat about auto/manual gear boxes.
Well i for one have the auto and i like it well, i've never drivin the manual but think it may add to the sexy appeal that the e30 already has to offer.
I'm not sure how but theres a bloke on BIMMERFORUMS.COM that "claims"
he's attached a B&M high performance torque converter to boost his performance on the auto box. I've tried to question his allegations and have gotten zero response. Has anyone ever heard of an aftermarket "STALL CONVERTOR" for the auto ??? Also another point i was going to make is this
for those of you with smaller engines OR even the 2.5 and up with the auto box that want a better advantage off the line check your differential ratio and
if possible switch to the 4:10. as i believe ALL cabrios received this ratio and even if you've got the auto it is a good advantage for off the line quickness.

Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:16 am

delphini wrote:if possible switch to the 4:10.

I can confirm this. I recently changed my diff from 4:11 to 3.64 (for economy and because the old one sounded terrible). The difference in performance is very noticeable, especially on pull away and when using the kickdown function.

I kinda miss my old diff

Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:09 pm

yeah im toyin with the idea of changin my auto to a manual but it quite a bit of work but i think it would be worth it

Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:23 pm

delphini wrote:
I'm not sure how but theres a bloke on BIMMERFORUMS.COM that "claims" he's attached a B&M high performance torque converter to boost his performance on the auto box. I've tried to question his allegations and have gotten zero response. Has anyone ever heard of an aftermarket "STALL CONVERTOR" for the auto ???

I know a lot of drag racers use auto's and use a "High stall converter"
Here is a little bit of info I just found

http://www.chevelles.com/archive/files/stall_no.html

Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:12 am

Cotty180 wrote:

I know a lot of drag racers use auto's and use a "High stall converter"
Here is a little bit of info I just found

http://www.chevelles.com/archive/files/stall_no.html

does anybody know who might manufacture a unit for the BMW ?????

Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:16 pm

Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:45 am

delphini wrote:
Cotty180 wrote:

I know a lot of drag racers use auto's and use a "High stall converter"
Here is a little bit of info I just found

http://www.chevelles.com/archive/files/stall_no.html
does anybody know who might manufacture a unit for the BMW ?????

NOBODY ???? surely some bloke has some info on this , here in America theres little or no info on this kinda shit, common guys help me out here .