[Z3man]

Hi,

I have just purchased my first auto just over a week ago, and have just discovered it has kickdown after reading the handbook.

I tried it out today just quickly going to work, but couldn't really try it out properly due to traffic jams everywhere. My question is, once you have activated the kickdown and it has dropped down a couple of gears and started to fly, are you supposed to keep your foot hard to the floor, or do you then lift off the throttle slightly and just use normal full throttle without kickdown, is there any advantage to keeping the throttle hard to the floor, or is the kickdown button just to be used quickly to make the box drop a couple of gears.

Hope I've explained myself properly.

[Pacman83]

Once kickdown occurs, you can either keep your foot down (in which case the gearbox will change automatically once you reach the rev limit for each gear) or as soon as you back off with the throttle, it will revert back to whatever configuration you had previously selected with the selector lever.

[Z3man]

Thanks, does the kickdown actually give you any more throttle, or is it just a switch to make the gearbox kick down. If that is the case i would imagine once kickdown has occurred, it will make no difference if you lift off the throttle slightly to come out of kickdown mode, but I'm not sure.

[Pacman83]

Originally Posted by Z3man

Thanks, does the kickdown actually give you any more throttle, or is it just a switch to make the gearbox kick down. If that is the case i would imagine once kickdown has occurred, it will make no difference if you lift off the throttle slightly to come out of kickdown mode, but I'm not sure.

From the owners manual "Kick-down Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum performance. Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full- throttle resistance point."

Yes, it's basically a switch that asks for full throttle, but like I said before, once the revs reach the rev limiter, it'll drop a gear and repeat the process.

[gangzoom]

According to my logged runs using JB4/Procede the throttle is at 100% before the kick down button/limit is reached.

[themanthatcan]

Kickdown is literally just a switch to tell the gearbox to drop down a couple of gears as you want to accelerate as quickly as possible. The switch is right at the end of the throttle pedal travel, so you're already at WOT before it is triggered.

[russdx]

useful on roundabouts lol

[Ess]

I think the posts above explain it pretty clearly.

I really dislike this feature. Every time I want to floor it, I have to try to floor it but not too enthusiastically or it kicks down and messes up my gears!
For example you're using paddles and you decide you want a third gear pull so you select third, then you floor it and it drops you back into second :|

[AlanYoro35i]

Originally Posted by Ess

I think the posts above explain it pretty clearly.

I really dislike this feature. Every time I want to floor it, I have to try to floor it but not too enthusiastically or it kicks down and messes up my gears!
For example you're using paddles and you decide you want a third gear pull so you select third, then you floor it and it drops you back into second :|

I thought when the pedal is halfway down you be at full throttle anyway?

The auto 335i is full throttle as halfway point, not sure about the rest tho

[Nobber]

Hate this feature personally. Always wondered if there was a way to disable it, either electronically or mechanically?

[Z3man]

Now i have owned the car another week, i have had a good chance to try the kickdown out and have come to the conclusion it's not really needed. If i press the throttle down sharply it drops down the gears pretty quickly anyway and goes like stink. The kickdown would be handy if you must have guaranteed instant kickdown but the gearbox does it itself almost as quick anyway.

I have also worked out there is no point in keeping the kickdown button pressed hard to the floor as it makes no difference after the initial kickdown, you just use the throttle as normal after the kickdown has activated. It's not something you must have but it may come in handy every now and then, so better to have it.

After owning my first automatic for a couple of weeks now i think i am converted, i am really enjoying it and it is very good fun, people say they are boring, but you have drive, sport, manual and kickdown to play with. And they are very good for sitting in traffic, which i seem to be doing a lot lately due to the newport bridge being closed.

Also it is proving to be quite economical as well, i am easily getting 45mpg and that is just doing short journeys to and from work, about 6 or 7 miles each way, and a lot of that is just sat in traffic just creeping along a lot of the time.

[old grey steve]

I'm not a keen kickdown fan either TBH find it a tad annoying but at the same time if you need to react quickly its there

[Waspo]

Originally Posted by russdx

useful on roundabouts lol

Especially in Manchester

[e90_want_e92]

Is very useful for donuts and roundabouts, however terrible at the dragstrip. And that's why i got a cheap kickdown blocker from Burger tuning.

[themanthatcan]

Originally Posted by e90_want_e92

Is very useful for donuts and roundabouts, however terrible at the dragstrip. And that's why i got a cheap kickdown blocker from Burger tuning.

Are you not better off putting the 'box in manual mode on the strip? That way kickdown never actually gets used.

[Briancanadiano]

Guys, bms sells a kickdown blocker, a little peice that stops the pedal right before it can activate the downshift. You must see what kind of pedal you have, and buy that peice accordingly.

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by Nobber

Hate this feature personally. Always wondered if there was a way to disable it, either electronically or mechanically?

Mechanically: yes, don't press the pedal beyond the resistance point!