Steptronic question?

Question

is using steptronic, tiptronic, those semi auto transmissioin frequently bad for your car?? would ur transmission blow out??? can i use them all the time without worrying that it is goin to break down?

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with using this feature on a car, especially something like a BMW. There is no reason to suspect that it would cause any more wear and tear unless you drive like an idiot and constantly redline the car, which is going to be a problem if you do this manually or automatically.

But I think that redlining now and then is good for a car.

Answer 2

No. The BMW Steptronic transmission shift is actually controlled (and protected) by a computer. Even if say you tried to shift it to 1st gear when doing 60mph, the computer simply will not allow it. The computer will allow you to shift to a minimum gearing based on its pre-programed limits (near redline) and revert to "sport" mode.

So, shifting "manually" will give you a little more control on the car's performance based on your driving preference. But it will not "break" the car.

With that said, when Mazda 5 was first launched in the US, they had a software glitch. The system didn't protect the transmission from being abused. As a result, some drivers had it on manual shift mode and ran the car on 2nd gear until they overheated and caught fire! Mazda recalled all the Mazda 5 cars for reprogramming immediately after.

Answer 3

It's there so you can use it. Is using stick shift on a manual car bad for it? No, it's how you're supposed to drive it. Just don't drive like a bat out of hell all the time, and you'll be fine - but that's just a general recommendation, not specific to the manu-matic transmissions.

Answer 4

it will have negligalbe effect they all go boom boom any mileage after 100k are bonus miles.