silver55

I have a fairly new 2005 E55 and since break-in was concluded I have hit the rev limiter a number of times. It seems this always occurs with shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. I can press the steering shifter to change the gears at around 6000 rpm but before the gear change actually occurs the car hits the rev limiter. So the lag time between when I press to shift and when the car actually shifts is the problem. The sales rep whom I bought the car from told me he has heard of this problem before and that I need to anticipate a bit sooner when to shift to avoid this. I think that is a bogus way to handle the problem. I want it to change gears like a manual...in other words when I hit the shift button there is no lag and the damn thing shifts.

Has anyone else experienced this issue and is there a ready solution to fix this problem? thanks.

jparch

Before i purchased my 03 e55 I was under the impresison that the AMG speedshift was close to a manual in shifting also, but an automatic will never be as fast as a manual. The only way to get that kind of shifting you will have to buy a Ferrari with the F-1 gearbox option ( which is a computerized manual gearbox)......

SSpray

Yep, unfortunately shifting with an auto isn’t instant…you’ll need a F1 or e-gear for that.

Rock

I have new 05 with same "problem".

I have two suggestions:
1. When sifting manually, make sure the car is in manual mode and not "sport."
2. If you need to have max. acceleration, then keep the car in "sport," floor it, and let the computer do the shifting. If the engine is at OT you will get fast and aggressive shifts.

If you want a good sequential gearbox get an E46 M3 with SMG. Unfortunately the Merc. comes up a little short with the current five-speed auto/manual.


Good luck

BMWEATR

to be honest i think the button shifters on the steering wheel are a joke and a gimmick! there alright for dink'n around down the street but don't go and try and race with them or use on track day cause they suck and you'll loose time using them sport mode is the best.

medici78

I agree. I've ridden in American cars with built autos that shift EXACTLY when you tell them to. If I can do this with a Chevy, why the hell can't M-B get on the ball and do the same?
I bought the car mainly because it was an automatic and didn't want to shift, so this doesn't bug me as much as it would other folks.

tofumann

My "ex", aka M3 w/ smg, shifts much quicker than the E55. Oh well....

OzE55

I think the answer to the problem (MBZ not ours) is 700Nm.

I suspect the engine management system conspires to cut power and slow the shift to stop the drive train from spreading itself all over the road.

Do any of the techies on the board have any info on this?

medici78

Apples to oranges, my friend. E55 is a true automatic, whereas the SMG is a clutchless manual.
I also ditched my '04 M3 (w/ SMG) for the E55.

E55GG

I just ditched my 575m because the god damn thing would break down by just looking at it the wrong way... LOL Shifted awesome though.. It was just incredible but I just got tired of it being in the shop.

silver55

It appears this is a common problem, then. And it doesn't seem to matter if I shift with the paddle shifter on the steering wheel or the center console shifter, I still get the same delay. I've also had American muscle cars that shift immediately but this thing (which I absolutely love otherwise) shifts like an old maid is driving it.

Does Kleeman, Renntech or any of the aftermarket tuners do anything about this? If Cory with Kleeman is looking in on this thread maybe he has a response.

Kev04C320

KLEEMANN does retrofit non-speed-shift vehicles with speed shift

MKB has a transmission upgrade for the AMG transmission

Cory @ Kleemann

Unfortunately, one cannot make the MB 5-speed shift much faster without increasing line pressure. The only other thing you can try is disconnecting the neg. batt. cable (resetting all control units to a base value) for a couple of minutes, then drive the car like you stole it for 100 or so miles. The EGS controller will then "re-learn" it's shift points/speed. This seems to work better on cars that haven't been driven aggressivly.

tommaey

I don't drive the E55 at home, my dad does.
But you say you want to shift like you would in a manual car. If u don't want to hit the rev limiter when u change gears, just let off the accelerater when you shift - like you would in a manual car.

I don't get to drive the thing yet so I don't know what the throttle response is like... Would it stop acceleration 100% if you let off the throttle during your upshift?

Just a thought

Xeron

I used to own a M3 with SMG. That car shifted great. the buttons on these cars act like a glorified automatic.

silver55

That is disappointing to hear Cory. But thanks for the info.

I find it somewhat amazing that AMG didn't take this up as a cause. Here we have one of the most powerful cars in production (ok, sedans) and, number 1 they don't offer it in a manual (I, for one, would love that), and number 2 the automatic , even in manual mode, still shifts like, well, an automatic.

I still love this car.

E55AMG99

I think most understand what you are saying but the SMG still has a clutch. The SMG transmission shifts by wire using electrohydraulic actuators (think solenoids) integrated in the transmission housing. Using hydraulic fluid under high pressure flows into the clutch master cylinder within fractions of a second. Solenoid controlled hydraulic cylinders in the gearshift actuator move the shift levers as well.

People seem to think the AMG transmission is more like a manual because of the steering wheel mounted shift buttons. Some are even calling it a "manumatic". The buttons on the AMG steering wheel are no different than the electric shift selector on the console. It is still an automatic and will never shift like the SMG.

MB shifting has always been on the soft side for a performance vehicle but perfect for a luxury car, IMO. The only way to make it shift faster is to reprogram it for higher line pressure but even that (if possible) will only net a minimal improvement.

regor60

Well if you consider the total time it takes to shift a manual, pushing the clutch,shifting and then gear engagement, compared with the slight nudge or click and gear engagement with our cars, I think the time delay is not as great as some think.

E55AMG99

The time delay is huge compared to the F1 or SMG which shift the instant the button is pressed. There are no delays. Even in "manual mode", the auto transmission has a slew of parameters that it monitors before beginning the deliberalty smooth (slow) shift process.

If you understand how an automatic transmission works, you would realize that a decent driver can shift a manual transmission much faster. Automatics can be made to shift extremely fast but only in exchange for smoothness.

Some VERY basic but helpful info can be found here.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automa...ansmission.htm
http://www.familycar.com/transmission.htm

BTW, I have built a fair number of fast shifting automatics over the years and becasue of some odd shifting behavior in my E55, I've done plenty of research on the AMG slushbox.

silver55

I absolutely agree E55AMG99. I KNOW I can manually shift faster than this automatic, as I am sure many can. I would be very interested in your research on the AMG slushbox and any ideas you may have to improve the response time, even if it is taking baby steps. thanks.