1. Difference Between Manual And Automatic Operation

Porsche 997 2 owners manual. Hello Auto experts in the house, I need your opinion on this. I'm planning to buy a BMW 5 series E39 directly from Europe. I have the option of buying of one of two cars, 1 is automatic and the other is manual.

Both have mileage in excess of 200,000 km, though highway miles. Both are in great shape. Which gear system will you advise. I want something that I can use for a long period without worrying about rebuilding or replacing the gear. My preference is for automatic because of the traffic situation in Lagos, but I don't mind a manual as I've driven one before. My question is: if I can maintain the car religiously, keeping up with the oil changes, flushing, etc, is there any technical reason why i should not go for the automatic? By ( m): 6:16pm On Jul 15, 2011.

Simon, You know the answer to your question. You just needed people to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. I will be straight with you.

There is nothing wrong with automatic trans. You just have to bear and deal with it annoyances as it shows up.

Then use this BMW price tool to find the best. Auto transmission E36 M3. And harder to find a decent e36, converting the auto to manual may be a. In 1994, BMW debuted the E36 M3 Convertible with an inline six-cylinder engine the car's 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time by 0.2 seconds vs. Hi, Which is faster having quick pickup speed. Say 0-60 mph? A 325i with manual or 325i with automatic? I say manual but my friends say automatic.

Because, it will surely does. Why, Auto tranny hates heat. Its a straight ticket to its graveyard.

Traffic jam situation in Lagos will make sure of that. Only if you will have to be religiously maintaining the box, by changing the fluid regularly/frequently with quality auto box oil with recommended viscosity. Manual tranny, can be a nightmare for someone who is not an expert in driving them (lacks good knowledge of Clutch engagement). People that complain about how unreliable clutches are, are people who do not deserve such cars.

Not every person you see on the steering wheel is a driver. Final note, if you are ready to maintain the auto box, buy the auto option. It could suite your need. By: 12:30am On Jul 16, 2011. I'm an auto engineer, and my speciality is German cars. I'm an avid fan of manual transmission, despite currently running a 2002 Audi A4 3,0 V6 Quattro, with 5-speed Tiptronic.

Automatics are at their best, and most efficient on long runs, where a constant speed can be achieved. Slow-moving, or stationary traffic is not good for automatics. Heat builds up, despite the provision of transmission fluid coolers.

The ATF will degrade a lot quicker, if the car is used frequently in heavy traffic conditions. Automatics are not maintenance-free, whilst manuals are. There's little to go wrong with a manual tranny. A lot of breakers will throw away manual trannys, as they seldom sell them, and will eventually run out of storage space. Automatics on the other hand are always in demand, and are often sold before the trannys are removed from the cars, sometimes the sellers have waiting lists! I have worked on E39's, both manual and auto. I have never sold, or fitted a manual tranny, on the other hand, I have replaced 3 auto trannys in the last 18 months - a 2000 E39 528i, and two E39 523i's.

Both suffered loss of drive, the 528i lost reverse. I have also fitted several replacement TCU's, (Transmission Control Units) with some failing before 80,000 miles. I can run auto tranny, as it's my job to work on them. I know their weak points, so am unlikely to get caught out. A lot of users however, will neglect maintenance, hoping to save money. Which will become an expensive mistake later on. If you plan to run your car in dense traffic conditions on a regular basis, get a manual.

They are not affected by heat, and are maintenance-free. If you plan to do a lot of cross-state, long-distance driving on the open road, then an automatic could well be the best option. The choice is yours. By ( m): 12:54pm On Jul 18, 2011. Siena: I'm an auto engineer, and my speciality is German cars. I'm an avid fan of manual transmission, despite currently running a 2002 Audi A4 3,0 V6 Quattro, with 5-speed Tiptronic.

Automatics are at their best, and most efficient on long runs, where a constant speed can be achieved. Slow-moving, or stationary traffic is not good for automatics.

Heat builds up, despite the provision of transmission fluid coolers. The ATF will degrade a lot quicker, if the car is used frequently in heavy traffic conditions. Automatics are not maintenance-free, whilst manuals are.

There's little to go wrong with a manual tranny. A lot of breakers will throw away manual trannys, as they seldom sell them, and will eventually run out of storage space. Automatics on the other hand are always in demand, and are often sold before the trannys are removed from the cars, sometimes the sellers have waiting lists! I have worked on E39's, both manual and auto. I have never sold, or fitted a manual tranny, on the other hand, I have replaced 3 auto trannys in the last 18 months - a 2000 E39 528i, and two E39 523i's.

Both suffered loss of drive, the 528i lost reverse. I have also fitted several replacement TCU's, (Transmission Control Units) with some failing before 80,000 miles. I can run auto tranny, as it's my job to work on them. I know their weak points, so am unlikely to get caught out.

A lot of users however, will neglect maintenance, hoping to save money. Which will become an expensive mistake later on.

If you plan to run your car in dense traffic conditions on a regular basis, get a manual. They are not affected by heat, and are maintenance-free. If you plan to do a lot of cross-state, long-distance driving on the open road, then an automatic could well be the best option.

The choice is yours. Thanks Siena, This was the technical analysis I was looking for. Seems I may have to go with the manual. But what do you think if the situation is this: - the automatic E39 has just had its transmission rebuilt. there is a detailed service record - I drive for about 2 hours in slow moving traffic everyday. I hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. If I'm ready to religiously do an ATF change every month, whether its due or not, do you think its worth the risk going for an automatic tranny.

The reason I'm biased towards the auto tranny, is that I have an E30 automatic that has been in use for over 5 years and has never had transmission problems. You may want to consider opening a blog to disseminate your wealth of knowledge.

You can also consider a paid subscription service that people can consult you. I for one will register.

By Nobody: 3:30pm On Jul 18, 2011. ^^^ Simon, thanks for your advice. Based on what you've posted, I would say go with an auto, if that's your preference. However, it's worth noting the BMW E30 auto transmission is purely a mechanical system, with not electronics, bar the starter motor lock-out unless in P or D feature. It's very different from the later hydro-electro unit found in an E39, so not really comparable. Another issue that would prolong reliability in an E30, is the relatively light loads on the tranny, in terms of power and torque. The most powerful E30, discounting the M3 was the 325i, with 170 hp.

There was also a South African version, the 325iS which was actually a 2,7L with 210 hp. Your time spent in traffic on a daily basis is minimal, so your unit will suffer less from heat soak, and with regular servicing, and fluid changes, the life of the transmission will be greatly improved.

By ( m): 5:50pm On Jul 18, 2011. Thanks Siena, Right now I'm veering towards the manual, cause its loaded with features. If you don't mind, i'd like you to take a look at both cars on the dealer's site and use your professional knowledge to make a recommendation. I would have pasted the links to the cars here but I'm afraid the dealers on Nairaland may quickly snatch them up because they are both great bargains!

How can I reach you, my email is kSimonTemplar@gmail.com I know you may be reluctant to put your email here because of spammers but if you send me your mail, i can send you the link to the cars. By Nobody: 8:32pm On Jul 18, 2011.

: Thanks Siena, Right now I'm veering towards the manual, cause its loaded with features. If you don't mind, i'd like you to take a look at both cars on the dealer's site and use your professional knowledge to make a recommendation. I would have pasted the links to the cars here but I'm afraid the dealers on Nairaland may quickly snatch them up because they are both great bargains! How can I reach you, my email is kSimonTemplar@gmail.com I know you may be reluctant to put your email here because of spammers but if you send me your mail, i can send you the link to the cars. Hello Op, did u get the very ride eventually?

And what has been the experience?

Fitting the E46 M3 6-speed gearbox to a US-model E36 M3 BACKGROUND Starting in 1996, BMW fitted a 6-speed gearbox to the E36 M3 Evolution, the standard version of the M3 sold in all markets except the USA. The American market cars were always unique to the US, de-contented and mechanically different in order to keep a lower price.

Principally, the US-market car differed from the Euro version in the motor (Euro 321bhp, multi throttle S50B32 engine, US 240hp, single throttle S52 engine) and in the absence of one gear. As we can see in comparison to the 5-speed gearing, both the 3.46 and 3.64 final drive change works out nicely for increasing torque multiplication while still maintaining 6th gear as an overdrive taller than the original 5-speed/3.23 combination. BMW apparently felt the lower final drive gearing to be of a worthwhile benefit in the E46 M3, which shares the same transmission ratios and tire diameter (tire diameter affects complete overall gearing). The early E46 M3 was fitted with the 3.64, later ones changed to an effectively indistinguishable 3.62.

Installing the Evolution M3 6-speed gearbox into a US 5-speed M3 is a direct parts swap; transmission, shifter assembly, driveshaft, and a differential flange change are all that are needed. What prevents more US E36 M3 owners from installing the 6-speed gearbox? Cost is a factor; figure approximately $7000 in parts brand-new from BMW.

Difference Between Manual And Automatic Operation

Used parts are definitely a viable option at a lower cost, but parts must be imported from overseas which can be considered a difficult and more expensive proposition, not to mention little resource should the parts prove to be defective. However, with the US-market E46 M3 available now for around five years, many dismantled examples are available for parts-picking right here in the USA.

The cost of a used E46 M3 gearbox is certainly reasonable and the possibility of finding one locally (with a warranty) is attractive to American enthusiasts. The E46 M3 6-speed gearbox is literally a 'bolt in' for the E36 as the engine mounting points are shared, both the E36 S52 motor (and all other previous M50 iterations) and the E46 M3 S54 are identical in that respect. With the exception of the driveshaft, all other conversion parts are available directly from BMW and/or quality aftermarket sources such as UUC Motorwerks.