No bottom end power or torque on the M51 so you do have to rev them a bit. Mine struggles to get up the slope out of the valley unless booted, so I let them creep up the hill slowly. I manually hold it in 2nd with the gear lever if I want to get up the hill faster. As you say, they can take off PDQ when needed, especially when warmed up. Mine warm up quickly with no viscous fan:D
I'm possibly going to say something silly now:oops::oops: but..I thougt that holding it in 1-2 or 3 just meant that the box just acted as in D but didn't change up any further than the 1-2 or 3 selected?
Although I can't see why you would need that feature. All autos have that though so , yes, I'm silly?:eek:
 
Buggrit. Coming home tonight and brake pedal started to make the same clunking noise again.. maybe i need to push forward the refurb of my old modulator!! Just wondering the chances of 2 making the same noise...
 
Sounds like mine then but I wasn't sure how an auto was meant to be having never driven one. The only thing that bugs me is the cold engine pull away, I have to over rev (in my opinion) to get her moving and accelerating which goes against my mechanical sympathy.
I have read on the internet of people saying they are dangerous pulling out of busy junctions and the like, I've not found that at all, floor it and the wheels spin and she's off like a scoulded cat BUT that's lots of revs which I don't like with a cold engine.
Have you considered some mods or mapping? The diesel with auto box is quite a slug really.
 
I'm possibly going to say something silly now:oops::oops: but..I thougt that holding it in 1-2 or 3 just meant that the box just acted as in D but didn't change up any further than the 1-2 or 3 selected?
Although I can't see why you would need that feature. All autos have that though so , yes, I'm silly?:eek:
In high range locking it in a gear will prevent it using higher gears. But it will still use that gear and any lower ones. So locking it in 2nd will mean it will use 1st and 2nd.
 
In high range locking it in a gear will prevent it using higher gears. But it will still use that gear and any lower ones. So locking it in 2nd will mean it will use 1st and 2nd.
As I thought. So, on the road, of no benefit. If it acted as a manual box in 1-2-3 I could set off in 1 and change up to 2 without over revving with a cold engine.
I need the auto box to change up quicker with less revs but gentle acceleration with lower revs doesn't seem possible. Not an issue for me when she's warmed up, it just makes me cringe when setting off cold.
To answer the mapping question, I drive a 110 200tdi and the 38 is much nippier overall, very happy performance wise, it's just this frantic revving to get her moving that makes me cringe when cold.
Would a map improve that?
 
As I thought. So, on the road, of no benefit. If it acted as a manual box in 1-2-3 I could set off in 1 and change up to 2 without over revving with a cold engine.
I need the auto box to change up quicker with less revs but gentle acceleration with lower revs doesn't seem possible. Not an issue for me when she's warmed up, it just makes me cringe when setting off cold.
To answer the mapping question, I drive a 110 200tdi and the 38 is much nippier overall, very happy performance wise, it's just this frantic revving to get her moving that makes me cringe when cold.
Would a map improve that?
I used 3 quite a bit today towing my 2A home sometimes selected 2, holds it in gear and stops the constant changing also allows the TC to lock in 3rd
 
As I thought. So, on the road, of no benefit. If it acted as a manual box in 1-2-3 I could set off in 1 and change up to 2 without over revving with a cold engine.
I need the auto box to change up quicker with less revs but gentle acceleration with lower revs doesn't seem possible. Not an issue for me when she's warmed up, it just makes me cringe when setting off cold.
To answer the mapping question, I drive a 110 200tdi and the 38 is much nippier overall, very happy performance wise, it's just this frantic revving to get her moving that makes me cringe when cold.
Would a map improve that?
I’m no expert on the BMW lump. But I’d have thought as with most turbo diesel tuning you should be able to beef out the bottom of the rev range by over fuelling and increasing boost.

as for the revs. I think it is emission tuning. To get the engine up to temp quicker. Quite a few cars of this era do the same. But yes, sadly you can’t lock it in a gear in high range. Some newer cars can. But not these. They can in low range though. But not much use on the road or wanting to keep revs down! :D
 
The stall on the converter on the diesel is quite high so mapping it will make no real difference to the low end as the box doesn't really allow use of the bottom end, the D2 TD5 Auto is the same..
 
But but but 4x4!!

Laws of physics don't apply!!! And it's got ABS traction control and i saw a YouTube video of a professional driver in a4x4 with studded snow tyres so it must be ok
Best one I ever saw in fresh snow conditions was a 2CV years ago. Everything else dug in or spun tyres. That cut down through, plenty f ground clearance and no weight, slow revving motor so it didn't spin the tyres easily and when it got sideways a bit the rear wheels acted like rudders and pushed it straight again. Guy in it was having a whale of a time.
 
Did an auto gearbox oil and filter change on Duchess. Old fluid was black and stinky so was expecting a big improvement in the box but it seems the same although I've never driven another and I don't know anyone nearby with a diesel to compare:p.
Got between an 1/8 and a 1/4 turn on all the valve block? Torx bolts too.
It does seem 'differant' now very slightly....
Shall do another oil change in the near future:cool:.
Wanted to grease the props whilst I was underneath but I can't get me end on the nipple, end is too fat:(.
I've read of someway round this but don't recall what it was:rolleyes:
I used my bench grinder to thin the grease gun head down. Fits now;)
 
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I usedy bench grinder to thin the grease gun head down. Fits now;)

Cannot recall where I got mine from but it has never been an issue. I bought a flexible end for it though so maybe that is slimmer? Think it was the place that is now Jayar Car Parts but it was a long time ago.
 
I used 3 quite a bit today towing my 2A home sometimes selected 2, holds it in gear and stops the constant changing also allows the TC to lock in 3rd
I find ,,,Might just be mine,, ,,If i put it in sports mode when towing a couple o tones up a hill ,it comes out of lockup and locks it in 4th at say 50mph and it holds that gear at 2500 rpm ,at the top of the hill push sport off and it locks up ,in ie 5th if you know what i mean, ,also i don't use cruse on really steep roads as it revs the hell out of it,,,, drops two many gears ,,,,i find just a gentle foot it changes smother ;).
 
I'm possibly going to say something silly now:oops::oops: but..I thougt that holding it in 1-2 or 3 just meant that the box just acted as in D but didn't change up any further than the 1-2 or 3 selected?
Although I can't see why you would need that feature. All autos have that though so , yes, I'm silly?:eek:
You are correct, selecting second stops the box shifting to third. However, climbing out of our valley cold engine on a light throttle opening, the box will shift to third which then requires more throttle to maintain speed, so I hold second. I also use the gear lever to force down shifts from top on some hills rather than waiting for the car to slow down for the shift to occur automatically, equally I use the gear lever on descents to select a lower gear for engine braking.
 
Looked in to my suspension issue properly. Had replaced the entire compressor unit to no avail so started looking at the wiring. Lo and behold, problem found. 20 minutes with solder, snips, heatshrink etc got it all sorted and working again!
IMG_20211130_131351.jpg


Saved me the £500-£780 2 'specialists' wanted to charge to replace it. :rolleyes:
 
Looked in to my suspension issue properly. Had replaced the entire compressor unit to no avail so started looking at the wiring. Lo and behold, problem found. 20 minutes with solder, snips, heatshrink etc got it all sorted and working again!
View attachment 253637

Saved me the £500-£780 2 'specialists' wanted to charge to replace it. :rolleyes:

Where are those pls? they look like they are in the boot/wheel well area.

J
 
You are correct, selecting second stops the box shifting to third. However, climbing out of our valley cold engine on a light throttle opening, the box will shift to third which then requires more throttle to maintain speed, so I hold second. I also use the gear lever to force down shifts from top on some hills rather than waiting for the car to slow down for the shift to occur automatically, equally I use the gear lever on descents to select a lower gear for engine braking.
Okey-dokey Ta.
Drove her again this morning after the short test run yesterday, immediately after the box oil change, and it seems to be very slightly improved a little more. I guess the new oil has to work its way round a bit and maybe the big improvement I was hoping for may still happen. Changes were smoother, not a lot, but noticeable.
I'm definitely going to do another oil change, is it worth doing it again now? Or let the mix of old and new churn around for a few hundred or thousand miles?
I got maybe 6 litres of new in. I want to look after her best I can.
 
Okey-dokey Ta.
Drove her again this morning after the short test run yesterday, immediately after the box oil change, and it seems to be very slightly improved a little more. I guess the new oil has to work its way round a bit and maybe the big improvement I was hoping for may still happen. Changes were smoother, not a lot, but noticeable.
I'm definitely going to do another oil change, is it worth doing it again now? Or let the mix of old and new churn around for a few hundred or thousand miles?
I got maybe 6 litres of new in. I want to look after her best I can.
A few hundred miles before a second change I reckon.
 

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