[Ab1234]

Hi, I just got a f30 2013 automatic and the car upshifts too quickly I feel. What I mean is it shifts fine if I am accelerating and reach say upto 40mph and after that if I want to go down to 30mph and release the accelerator it doesn’t downshift for a while and because of the higher gear and lower speed I get that unpleasant noise. If I put the car in sports mode then it’s perfect as it goes down to a lower gear so no noise. This happens only when driving between 20-30mph and when coming down from 40mph. Is this normal? Thanks.

[Eddamoo]

Yes mate, perfectly normal. Its all for increased fuel economy by conserving momentum.

Higher gear = Lower RPM = Reduced pumping losses = more MPG = less emissions

Sport mode shifts down earlier to keep you closer to the power band and keep the turbo spooled at the cost of reduced efficiency.

You can use XHP Flashtool to update your stock shift map to tailor the up/downshifts as you wish.

[Wills2]

I'm not sure it is normal, you shouldn't be getting a noise from the gearbox that's operating normally.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Wills2

I'm not sure it is normal, you shouldn't be getting a noise from the gearbox that's operating normally.

Yes it is the "unpleasant noise" that isn't normal.

OP, can you describe the noise? Mechanical, vibration induced? ???

Is it different if you manually make a down change in that speed range?

[Eddamoo]

I just read the 'unpleasant noise' as a 4-pot diesel labouring slightly at 1100RPM. They can be quite clattery. Agree we need to clarify the noise though!

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Eddamoo

I just read the 'unpleasant noise' as a 4-pot diesel labouring slightly at 1100RPM. They can be quite clattery. Agree we need to clarify the noise though!

We do need to know if it it is a 'normal' 320d soundtrack.

Must say the BMW 4-pot diesels I have driven over the past few years, all seem to hold more revs than I'd expect to cause labouring, in the situation described by the OP. I do wonder if it is some abnormal vibration.

[Ab1234]

Thanks everyone for your replies. With the unpleasant noise I mean the sound which you hear for example when you are driving too slow and in a higher gear for eg: driving at 20mph in a 4th gear on a manual transmission. So it’s not like its a problematic sound, it’s just the sound which you hear after the wrong gear selection.

[Hooded]

I’ve never driven one of the 4 pot diesels in an automatic (mine were always manual) but I wouldn’t have thought the engine should be labouring to the extent it sounds like you’ve selected the wrong gear in a manual. My 6 pot auto certainly doesn’t do anything like that.

You could do with test driving another one to compare really.

[Ab1234]

Hi, it does that for say 3-4 seconds and then shifts to the right gear (lower gear)

[bishbosh]

How many miles on the car? Could possibly benefit from a gearbox fluid change.

[Ab1234]

49000 miles

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by sp1234

Hi, it does that for say 3-4 seconds and then shifts to the right gear (lower gear)

You do say the car is new to you. Are you new to auto?

Could be the way you are driving and using the throttle. I'd experiment with the speed you apply and release the throttle, see if it makes any difference.

[Ab1234]

Yes, I am new to bmw auto but have driven Mercedes auto and didn’t observe this issue with Mercedes e250. Having said that if I change the gear stick to sports mode then I don’t face any issue and feels like the Mercedes e class which keeps it in lower gear. I was hoping that this would happen in eco mode but didn’t expect to happen in comfort mode.

Also as you said experimenting with the throttle does make a difference as if I keep my foot on the throttle slightly continuous it will make that noise but if I completely remove the foot then the car promptly shifts to the lower gear but takes 2-3 seconds to do that and that is what I am not liking.

[Eddamoo]

It sounds like the engine is lugging slightly - it causes a boomy clatter.

Low throttle input is not prompting the gearbox to downshift, so youre maintaining a low RPM in a gear. When you lift off, the box is just downshifting to the next gear as the car has slowed beyond the minimum RPM for the previous gear. Sport is maintaining higher RPM so less engine resonance.

My Mrs' 120d has the same engine and is noisy under light load at low RPM (Say 1100-1200). The 6-cyl engines are much happier at these RPM due to far better balancing. What RPM is yours making the noise?

As said before, you can tweak your shiftpoints with XHP. You can use the £130 license to do this and much more

[Wills2]

The ZF8 shouldn't lug the engine as the lock up clutch should disengage giving you the torque multiplying effect of the fluid torque converter at low speed and rpms.

[Ab1234]

I am getting that noise same as you, at around 1100-1200rpm when at 25-30mph. It is mostly when I gently press the throttle and try to maintain that speed.

Originally Posted by Eddamoo

It sounds like the engine is lugging slightly - it causes a boomy clatter.

Low throttle input is not prompting the gearbox to downshift, so youre maintaining a low RPM in a gear. When you lift off, the box is just downshifting to the next gear as the car has slowed beyond the minimum RPM for the previous gear. Sport is maintaining higher RPM so less engine resonance.

My Mrs' 120d has the same engine and is noisy under light load at low RPM (Say 1100-1200). The 6-cyl engines are much happier at these RPM due to far better balancing. What RPM is yours making the noise?

As said before, you can tweak your shiftpoints with XHP. You can use the £130 license to do this and much more

[Ab1234]

Hi could anyone tell me at what gears do their f30 auto shifts gears please? Mine is in the 5th gear already at 30mph and at 1100 rpm. I have had the car for 8 months now and I still get this engine lugging when driving around at 30-35 mph with light throttle. I also tried throttle adaptation reset but no use. When in sports mode it goes down to 3rd at around 1800rpm which I feel is too high. The sweet spot would be around 1300-1400 rpm. I inquired about xhp flash and I was told by a specialist that it won’t help and said this is how the f30 engines are. I do not have access to any other f30 to test so any information would be highly appreciated. Thanks

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by sp1234

Hi could anyone tell me at what gears do their f30 auto shifts gears please? Mine is in the 5th gear already at 30mph and at 1100 rpm. I have had the car for 8 months now and I still get this engine lugging when driving around at 30-35 mph with light throttle. I also tried throttle adaptation reset but no use. When in sports mode it goes down to 3rd at around 1800rpm which I feel is too high. The sweet spot would be around 1300-1400 rpm. I inquired about xhp flash and I was told by a specialist that it won’t help and said this is how the f30 engines are. I do not have access to any other f30 to test so any information would be highly appreciated. Thanks

1100 rpm for a 4-pot diesel does appear low, particularly if it is reluctant to change down with a little bit of throttle. Agree that 1300 - 1400 rpm would be better. I know the last couple of 2.0d models I've driven seemed to hang on a bit too high an rpm on light loads, in comfort mode. Particularly noticeable, compared to my 535i which happily trundles along between 1100 - 1300 rpm under light loads.

What happens if you are bit more 'urgent' in throttle application, does it adapt a bit to a lower gear, or soon settle back to the low rpm?

[Eddamoo]

Originally Posted by sp1234

Hi could anyone tell me at what gears do their f30 auto shifts gears please? Mine is in the 5th gear already at 30mph and at 1100 rpm. I have had the car for 8 months now and I still get this engine lugging when driving around at 30-35 mph with light throttle. I also tried throttle adaptation reset but no use. When in sports mode it goes down to 3rd at around 1800rpm which I feel is too high. The sweet spot would be around 1300-1400 rpm. I inquired about xhp flash and I was told by a specialist that it won’t help and said this is how the f30 engines are. I do not have access to any other f30 to test so any information would be highly appreciated. Thanks

That specialist isn't very good - a basic £130 XHP flash license (without the Stage 1/2/3 map license) can allow you to move your shift points up or down on your stock map. You can also set MAX RPM for upshifts etc.

1100RPM in a 4-pot is indeed on the limit, but i remember my old VW diesels being ridiculously economical despite being clattery at this RPM. BMW probably mapped it this way to get a high MPG figure on the old EU test cycle.

[Ab1234]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

1100 rpm for a 4-pot diesel does appear low, particularly if it is reluctant to change down with a little bit of throttle. Agree that 1300 - 1400 rpm would be better. I know the last couple of 2.0d models I've driven seemed to hang on a bit too high an rpm on light loads, in comfort mode. Particularly noticeable, compared to my 535i which happily trundles along between 1100 - 1300 rpm under light loads.

What happens if you are bit more 'urgent' in throttle application, does it adapt a bit to a lower gear, or soon settle back to the low rpm?

If I press the throttle harder it quickly moves to the lower gear but will again upshift when the throttle is light again when cruising at 30-35mph. It’s not that bad but coming from manual transmission I like the car to be in the correct gear. It annoys me.

[Ab1234]

Originally Posted by Eddamoo

That specialist isn't very good - a basic £130 XHP flash license (without the Stage 1/2/3 map license) can allow you to move your shift points up or down on your stock map. You can also set MAX RPM for upshifts etc.

1100RPM in a 4-pot is indeed on the limit, but i remember my old VW diesels being ridiculously economical despite being clattery at this RPM. BMW probably mapped it this way to get a high MPG figure on the old EU test cycle.

Is it easy if I try it myself, I just don’t want to mess things up. Is there a guide/tutorial anywhere?

[SkyJawa]

Just drive it in sport mode all the time. I never use eco or comfort