[happy_chrissy]

Originally Posted by mge.92

The transmission should learn how you drive over time .... You have to drive it like you stole it and it will become less jerky supposedly

Drive it like you stole it? OMG so funny!

[philtrick123]

Just been doing some unscientific tests on this subject (with a 30d).
I'm not displeased with the gear changes down but you can feel them.
It seems that riding along at 30MPH, if you release the accelerator and try and freewheel up to traffic lights in the distance. Its smooth down to 20MPH, then it kicks down a gear, then within a couple of seconds it kicks down again. I'm guessing it's going 4 to 3 to 2. The two changes below 20MPH really slow the car down quite quickly.
As has been said because there are 8 gears and X3 seems to want to put you into the best gear for if you want to accelerate away- when actually sometimes you almost want the car to flip into Neutral until you need to accelerate. (Does Audi have this feature on some models?)
My previous 6 speed auto, seemed to hold the gears for a lot longer when decelerating- but it was often caught out when you needed instant power.

I presume as well the car doesn't know what load you are carrying in the car. So you could be fully loaded and towing a caravan, in which case you want the lower gearing to kick in.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by exon

Interesting, any detailes on the that update? My dealer's default answer is "your car is up to date" unless I throw the TSB# in their face...

Actually either sport and eco mode helped: sports mode holds a gear longer, eco mode prevents premature downshifts. The comfort mode is the least comfortable of all under stop and go traffic.

If your problem is too many downshifts when coasting to a stop, the TSB is not going to help you. The TSB is for jerky transmission when accelerating quickly from a stop or accelerating quickly while coasting at low speed. Most BMW or Audi are design to downshift when coasting to a stop, as mention above, it is in the optimal gear for quick acceleration. It will smooth out a bit as the car age, how many miles do you have on the X3? In my 2015 535i, there is a coast mode when I am in the eco mode. When in eco mode, once I let go of the gas, the tranny switch into neutral and the rpm drops and automatically switch back to drive when I hit the gas. I am not sure if the LCI X3 has that or not, give it a try the next time you are coasting to a stop.

[philtrick123]

Re. Coasting mode. The only info I can find is old and not directly related to the X3-
http://www.techradar.com/news/car-te...keover-1098960

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by philtrick123

Just been doing some unscientific tests on this subject (with a 30d).
I'm not displeased with the gear changes down but you can feel them.
It seems that riding along at 30MPH, if you release the accelerator and try and freewheel up to traffic lights in the distance. Its smooth down to 20MPH, then it kicks down a gear, then within a couple of seconds it kicks down again. I'm guessing it's going 4 to 3 to 2. The two changes below 20MPH really slow the car down quite quickly.
As has been said because there are 8 gears and X3 seems to want to put you into the best gear for if you want to accelerate away- when actually sometimes you almost want the car to flip into Neutral until you need to accelerate. (Does Audi have this feature on some models?)
My previous 6 speed auto, seemed to hold the gears for a lot longer when decelerating- but it was often caught out when you needed instant power.

I presume as well the car doesn't know what load you are carrying in the car. So you could be fully loaded and towing a caravan, in which case you want the lower gearing to kick in.

Interesting that you are experimenting.

I don't quite understand exactly what the issues are here, as there are so many different installations and model features within the use of the 8-speed gearboxes.

Have you tried different accelerator lift off speeds? Reason I say this, part of driver adaption is information fed from the accelerator pedal movement, just as how we use the brakes, feeds data to the gearbox management.

As a general comment on this topic, I don't see how we need to use 'sport' to get a more smoothed out gearbox function. I see just the opposite, too many revs and 'finer' driver inputs being even more critical for smooth progress.

I do wonder how much driver input is involved in this "busy" or "less than smooth" issue, erratic movements of brakes and/or accelerator can cause the gearbox to hold gears and/or change gears unnecessarily, waiting for the next driver input.

Plus why some feel sport mode is required. Moving to sport mode breaks the current driver adaption, may be one reason some users feel it smooths out the transmission, it starts again in a sport program.

I'm driving a 2011 build (5-series) 8-speed, the gearbox is near perfection, none of the characteristics I read in this topic.

I know with my car I can run down to 0mph with virtually no engine braking, lift off faster and I get more engine braking. All part of the gearbox programming in my experience.

Keep experimenting, try different throttle lift offs, to instigate different deceleration rates, see if that changes the way the gearbox responds.

HighlandPete

[exon]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Interesting that you are experimenting.

I'm driving a 2011 build (5-series) 8-speed, the gearbox is near perfection, none of the characteristics I read in this topic.

HighlandPete

i had a 535i loaner and the engine/tranmission is very well tuned, smooth and responsive (328i loander i had drove well too). I felt like BMW has spent a lot more resource on 3/5 series than x3/x5. X5's engine/tranmission programing felt similar to x3 but due to larger weight x5 feels lazier than x3.

[exon]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

As a general comment on this topic, I don't see how we need to use 'sport' to get a more smoothed out gearbox function. I see just the opposite, too many revs and 'finer' driver inputs being even more critical for smooth progress.

I do wonder how much driver input is involved in this "busy" or "less than smooth" issue, erratic movements of brakes and/or accelerator can cause the gearbox to hold gears and/or change gears unnecessarily, waiting for the next driver input.

Plus why some feel sport mode is required. Moving to sport mode breaks the current driver adaption, may be one reason some users feel it smooths out the transmission, it starts again in a sport program.


HighlandPete

I know it sounds stupid to switch to sport mode for smoothness, but sports holds a gear longer and is much more predictable with less shifts, so throttle response is consistent => you know how much throttle you need to achieve the needed acceleration, same for eco mode (but at a slower pace).

In the comfort mode, it once you step on the throttle you are really at the mercy of the transmission. sometimes it decides to pull slowly from 1100 rpm, sometimes it will quickly downshift from 1200 to 1500. even though the gas pedal are pressed down to a similar degree. inconsistency is one of the issues here.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by exon

I know it sounds stupid to switch to sport mode for smoothness, but sports holds a gear longer and is much more predictable with less shifts, so throttle response is consistent => you know how much throttle you need to achieve the needed acceleration, same for eco mode (but at a slower pace).

In the comfort mode, it once you step on the throttle you are really at the mercy of the transmission. sometimes it decides to pull slowly from 1100 rpm, sometimes it will quickly downshift from 1200 to 1500. even though the gas pedal are pressed down to a similar degree. inconsistency is one of the issues here.

To me that does appear to fit condition based and driver adaption. In sport the 'box is alive, in comfort is adapting to relaxed use. The different response when "stepping on the throttle" can fit the adaption model, I find it often depends on how long you are driving light. I do wonder if this is part of the issue.

An example for me would be driving in a steady flow of traffic and making an overtake, the gearbox has to "wake up", compared to driving faster and coming up behind a car at that same cruising speed (as the steady flow situation) and making the overtake, the gearbox is in a different place entirely, than the 'steady flow' scenario.

Many users have the wrong idea about driver adaption, adapting to our driving style, as if it then responds to some magical user profile. It is adapting in real time, drive steady for a mile or so, it adapts to that situation, change our pace and add a few aggressive actions, it adapts to that change as we drive.

Hence in my example of two different approaches to overtaking, two different responses. What I'll do in that steady flow overtake, is flick the shifter to M/S, break the adaptions and wake the 'box up ahead of the overtake. You can then make the overtake either in sport or flick back to D and eliminate the delay in response.

Has anyone with the issues in this topic experimented with moving the shifter to M/S and back again, in the low speed situations, to see if waking up the gearbox reduces the problem?

HighlandPete

[exon]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Has anyone with the issues in this topic experimented with moving the shifter to M/S and back again, in the low speed situations, to see if waking up the gearbox reduces the problem?

HighlandPete

Good idea, I'll try this trick and see if it works! Thanks Pete!

I agree with your explanation of driver adaption, that's how I feel the car is working too. I think the biggest issue is that the adaption takes time. Most daily commute is steady cruising with a few quick overtakes in between, instead of 10 mins of steady flow situation flowed by 5 mins of constant sporty driving. That means most of the overtakes actually happens in the "steady flow mode" before the car can even adapt and switch to the "sporty driving mode".

I do see its benefits (potential fuel savings), but personally I think it is a bit over-engineered and adds to inconsistent throttle reponse and reduced driver confidence & comfort...

[lbjgh]

You may want to reset the transmission by:

1. pressing the start button without having your foot on the accelerator. At this point the lights on the dash will all light up.
2. Push the accelerator to the floor and hold it for about 30 seconds.
3. Power off completely
4. Start the car and drive as you normally do....

[malicem3]

Bumping this. My wife and I drive quite a bit differently. I like to coast and let off the accelerator quite often.

That said, the car searches for gear at low speeds and downshifts a bit abruptly.

Just wanted to share.