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More seat time is what you need. Shifting is not something you have to think about it just comes natural with lots of practice.
Come back in another month and tell us how smooth your car drives.
I agree. When I think about it I try to shift as if someone riding with me wouldn't notice I have a manual. The rest of the time it just...happens. It's so automated, for lack of a better word. Don't overthink it. It's about feel, and getting used to how the engine pulls, sounds, throttle position, etc. Focusing on the position of the tach needle keeps your eyes off the road longer than is necessary.
For just cruising around, that car has plenty of power so that you shouldn't need to wind it up much at all. The rest is experience. BUT bad habits are learned only and difficult to break. So maybe some instruction is a good idea. And like someone else said, it's a great way to open the car up in relative safety.
So the bottom line is practice i see. Also Ill try to shift gears more quicker from now on. I now drive this car as my daily drive so Ill learn this car in no time. And I am looking into the BMW driving school for the chapter in my area.
Thanks for all the replies.
So the bottom line is practice i see. Also Ill try to shift gears more quicker from now on. I now drive this car as my daily drive so Ill learn this car in no time. And I am looking into the BMW driving school for the chapter in my area.
Thanks for all the replies.
Be careful about attending any driving school, high performance schools can be addictive.
I went to one school in 1988 just to see what it was all about.
Still going to driving schools but now I am an instructor.
Nobody is really going to be able to tell you how to drive on an online forum. We can give you hints and tips, but the best way would obviously be to practice. Revmatching is what makes it smooth; make sure to do it when you downshift, and give it a little bit of gas when you upshift.
Your car might have a Clutch Delay Valve. It is supposed to soften clutch engagement, but all it does is the opposite. It is fairly easy to remove with simple tools.
CDV
This website has some detailed instructions. They sell a modified CDV, but you probably don't need it. You should be able to discard the CDV and attach the line to the other fitting directly.
A few years ago, my wife and I test drove a Z4 M Roadster. This had the same S54 engine with a slightly higher-rated power output and the same manual transmission. None of us could shift it smoothly; we looked at each other with a puzzled look. To this day I have no idea what we could have done differently.
I don't think the number of gears has anything to do with it.
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