2001 325i - Driving Standard Tips Please

[jiggs]

Hi All,

This is my first post so bear with me please . I just got my first bimmer!! A silver 2001 325i with 70000 km on it (looks brand new ). The only glitch is that it is a 5 speed and I have never driven a standard before. I have a couple of question regarding driving a standard bimmer

1) What are the recommended speeds (km/hr) at which you should be changing gears i.e. 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th etc.

2) What are the recommended RPMs you should be changing speeds at?

Sorry for the newbie questions but I love the car and wanna make most of it .

Thanks!

[Howie]

I find shifting with the revs between 4000 and 5000 sounds wonderful in the six cylinder Beemers.... The nice thing is they pull away with such finesse even if you are in a too high gear. I used to get juddering in my 318 if I was in too high gear, such as 5th at 35mph, but the six cylinders just pull smoothly into the higher revs without complaining.... But I guess I am no racing driver.

[rsn48]

Jiggs,
Don't sweat the details, by the end of one week it will be almost second nature to you. You have to shift so many times in one trip, and how many times will you drive the car in your first week of ownership; probably lots.

The obvious is don't red line it. There is no "rules" for shifting, you'll want high revs when passing, etc. You'll want low revs some of the time when you don't want to "labour" your engine.

In snow try using second or third gear if you get stuck, not first - too easy to spin your wheels.

For passing at highway speeds, you might want to downshift one gear first before the pass, especially if you are in fifth gear. Depending on speed, you might even want to downshift two gears, if you need a quick leap forward, then quickly shift into the next gear.

Oh, and don't spill the coffee when you're shifting, very important rule.