XSeries-forum

When I push the gear selector lever sideways so as to shift manually the gear changes to 5th if it is in 6th but not to 4th if 5th is running is this normal, if anything can be considered normal for a BMW. I haven't tried to adjust anything yet.

If it’s anything like mine used to be then you need to be above 100mph (160kph) for 6th to engage when you select Sport. Once you start manually shifting it should select 6th though. I know that for driving in Melbourne last year I was advised to stay below the limits (even a couple of kph would get me shouted at) so I expect Queensland’s rules will be the same meaning you need a very quiet road to try it on....

Thanks, it does select all 6 gears correctly and I have just finished a transmission service and it all looks good so I figure it is OK. I just didn't want to start adjusting something that was OK.

Same here, unless doing 100mph+ the gearbox will drop to 5th gear

Sorry to Hijack the post, but I did a little project on my discovery D-sport.

Steering wheel paddle fit.

I wanted gear change paddles on my steering wheel, but soon realized this was more complex than expected due to lack of contact rings on the steering wheel rotation mount.

So, I found a pair of paddles that looked good from an Range Rover Evoke - ebay £28.
I did a bit of sanding to get them to suit the D-Sport steering wheel rear surface profile, drilled and tapped a bore/threads in the steering wheel aluminium chassis arms to fit the paddles.

I then needed a way of activating the sport-mode gear change in the gear-box... (knowing it only works when the shifter on the auto box is pushed to it's left side)

I found a small USB powered remote radio transmitter & receiver on ebay that works 2 channels & drives relays at the receiver - ebay £12.
The transmitter lives in the steering wheel centre, takes its power from the LED illuminations of the steering wheel buttons to charge the transmitter battery via broken down USB charger 12v to 5v £3.50 - ebay again.... & keeps a tiny little lipo battery topped up for the transmitter power pulses.

This transmitter was torn down & hooked up to the switches on the paddles, & now triggers one or other relays at the receiver end under the gear-stick mount area, which are spliced into the UP-DOWN shift change connections at the gear stick.

I looked into doing the mod with a fancy BMW steering wheel & connector ring, but concluded that it was very expensive & a lot of work work & had to strip a tonnage of stuff off the steering column & dash + i didn't want to accidentally fire the air bag into my face in the process.

Total cost under £50 & an afternoons tinkering.
The hardest part was getting the air-bag horn push off the steering wheel lol

And your next project is to add a full Tesla-styli Autopilot then .....

Well the remote shift changer was not complicated... & was simple enough... and i enjoy using the paddles... its just a shame the BMW gear box is so slow to change up/down.

But I must say, I like the idea of a Fusion Drive & an anti-tank canon on the back....
Maybe a couple of lasers & machine guns...

Why stop there...
I will add a teleportation device too, then it wont need an engine at all ha ha

Two of my AMG's had paddle shift on the wheel most of the Automatics we have owned have had a manual option since the late 90's even before that most had a shift option and I have to say very rarely used.
Yes I have played with it but the novelty wears off quickly and 99.99% of the time it sits in "D" either due to traffic or because I am in cruise on the Motorway. The only time I use manual in the X5 is on slippery surfaces, snotty gateways and slippery grass fields when towing the horse trailer or muddy tracks when out shooting just select manual 3rd and let the torque do its work. Snow I have had to travel to find for the last 5 years so don't really consider it now.
Maybe it's being Old

I must admit GreyDog is correct,

The novelty of the paddles soon wears off, and becomes a ball-ache to constantly use.....

but it is useful to hold a gear in muddy conditions or towing some times.

Two years in and only used the paddles a couple of times, mainly downhill, but the auto box is very clever and often is ahead of me.
Wondered how we we could manage coming from a disco 4 with all the off road gizmos and a low ratio box but in reality the x5 has been brilliant even with a two ton caravan attached.

We sold a horse lorry as unless your using them every week at least they become a very costly hobby, we decided to replace it with a trailer and 4x4 . I didn't like the ML and had had a very troublesome RR so brought the first X5, one one of my friends I shoot with is a big Landrover Fan and Disco owner said "are you mad they're crap off road" Well we were in Yorkshire following a very muddy rutted track out onto the moor, he was leading when he drove into a couple of water filled ruts so deep he grounded and couldn't move As he had been kind enough to find the problem the rest drove around him and being last man I broke out the tow rope and pulled him out
In reality very few 4x4's go as far of road as I do and I don't consider my use as "true off roading" So for me at least the X5 is great as an Auto comfortable and reasonably quiet on the Motorway quick when I want it, OK off road and reasonable to run. Plus I haven't owned a manual car since the mid 80's so probably wouldn't know how now