SIUHEN

When I shifted the transmission into Tipstronic mode, the gear indicator is always started at 4th speed, no matter I was completely stopped or moving.

Is it normal?? This is my wife's car and I don't usually drive it, but my bmw doesn't act like this.

Thanks in advance guys

Giggity

"Tipstronic"

javyLSU

iTrader: (21)

Yes, it's by design. 4th is the 1:1 gear in the 2IS.

The S-mode and accompanying paddle shifters are not really "shifters" in that they don't actually shift gears, nor were they designed to - they're merely a mechanism for manually selecting the gear range. Following is Lexus' description of the paddle shifters, taken from the New Car Features section of the FSM:


Here are the rules by which the different 2IS transmissions allow downshifting:


As you can see, 4th gear allows a top speed of 109, 113, and 109 mph, respectively. You have to be going insanely fast for 4th gear not to be appropriate for the speed at which you're driving.

Javier

Fizzboy7

That is normal. It always defaults to number 4 whether you are in that gear or not. Yes, it's retarded and most other cars do not show a number your car isn't in. Check your owners manual. It's all in there.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Your car does not have a tiptronic transmission, it has an automatic transmission that you never, ever, have direct control of.


Now, your car does also offer a "top gear limiter" which is the feature you're trying to use.

All is does is restrict the car to a top max gear. It will still operate, fully automatically, within the range you allow.

So when you move over to 'S' mode, by default, it selects 4th as the max gear, because that's the 1:1 gear. The car is not actually being put IN to 4th gear, it's just setting 4 as the max gear. The car will remain in whatever gear, between 1-4, that the transmission computer feels is correct.


Move the shifter/paddle so that display says 3, and now the car will continue to act, fully automatically, within gears 1-3.

You never shift the car, the computer always does.


Move that lever all the way down to 1, giving the car no options but 1st gear, and you can sorta simulate the illusion of shifting up yourself, but you aren't... you're just gradually increasing the allowed max gear, the car still shifts based on the computer.

XhyDra

iTrader: (8)

It's the automatic illusion
nonetheless if you're getting on an on-ramp and want to gain
speed quickly just leave it from 1-4 and you'll be flying in no time.

I've maxed out my 4th gear at 130mph

4th gear is ***** out

Enjoy!

Tmirk

iTrader: (3)

Except when downshifting. You do have complete control of downshifts assuming you are not going over the posted speeds seen in the chart above.

blk250

iTrader: (3)

good to know

dangy

iTrader: (1)

No man thats not normal. Go get your car fixed asap

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

No, you don't.

The TCU still initiates the shifts.

If you have it set to max of 4, and you move the paddle down to set a max of 3, and you're IN 4th gear, the TCU will then command a shift to 3, since it's not allowed to be in 4 anymore.

But the TCU is still the one doing the shifting (hence why the shift isn't instantaneous like it would be on a real SMG or even the IS-F transmission)

Likewise, if you have it set to 4, and you're only going 15 miles per hour, you're probably not IN 4th gear, and moving the paddles down to set the max at 3 won't change your gear at all.

It's an automatic that you can set the max gear of. Sometimes that'll require the TCU to command a shift, sometimes not. You -never- shift the car directly.

Tmirk

iTrader: (3)

So basically now you are arguing that the speed of the speed of the shift makes it not user controlled? Just about every single auto tranny made today has an electronic brain. Wouldn't this put this tranny in the same realm?

If you are in 4th gear, and down**** to 3.... does it not downshift?

leokcm

That's exactly normal

Don't worry about that ^^

Also, Tiptronic is for Audi or some other brand's name of transmission.

I don't know the exactly how it works, but I heard that it awesome

Koz

You do have complete control of keeping the trans in whatever gear you want. This comes in handy when going through twisties. It helps braking when trying to shed speed. It also allows you to keep the engine's RPM in the power range when anticipating a pass.

Koz

Bichon

If you want to see the gear indicator, push the "display" button on the steering wheel repeatedly until the gear display comes up in the trip computer display. That's the one that will show the gear you are actually in.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Except, you don't.



If I'm going 20 miles per hour, but I want the transmission in 4th, I have absolutely no power to make it do that.

The sport mode only -ever- controls the maximum gear the car is allowed to use.

It offers 0 direct control over shifts or gear selection, other than when you put it all the way down to 1, in which case the TCU has no options but to keep the car in 1st gear.



If you are in S mode, and have '4' in the display, it doesn't mean you're in 4th, it means that 4th is the highest gear you're allowing the TCU to shift into.



The car will not hold any gear at all, other than 1 if you force it to only have the option of 1.

It will continue to shift, automatically, all on its own, within whatever range you allow it in S mode.

A true SMG on the other hand in "manual" mode will not shift, ever, unless you tell it to. And it will hold every single gear to redline until you tell it not to. When you shift with a paddle you're electronically actuating a clutch to initiate a shift.

That's why our transmission isn't anything even remotely like an SMG, and you never shift it. With our cars when you move the paddle you're just changing how many different possible gears the car can be in, and the TCU will put it in whatever one, within that entire range, is most appropriate for the speed and throttle input.