So I've put about 7000 miles on my car since owning it, and I was wondering about the larning feature on the transmission. Does the transmission ever actually unlearn the driving preferrences of the past owners? My transmission has been shifting a little rough at times since I've owned the car, but I've never gotten any codes for it, and I have no problems if I don't drive it too aggresively. What I'm saying is I'm wondering if my transmission being rough has anything to do with the learning feature. I am planning on getting the trans serviced just in case when I go to get the oil changed in the next week or so.

I didn't know if the E38's had the particular feature you're referring to... But I do know it will handle the tranny based on how you're hitting the throttle... IE: If you slowly go to full throttle, it still shift smoothly, and maybe a little early, rather if you punch the throttle, it will be a little more aggressive. But I dont know for fact if it learns your drive style.

I didn't know if the E38's had the particular feature you're referring to... But I do know it will handle the tranny based on how you're hitting the throttle... IE: If you slowly go to full throttle, it still shift smoothly, and maybe a little early, rather if you punch the throttle, it will be a little more aggressive. But I dont know for fact if it learns your drive style.
As far as I know it is a learning trasmission. Normally I don't stab the throttle because I like getting good gas mileage. If I do go WOT, it's a gradual press.

You can reset the autobox to the factory settings by doing the following:

1)Insert the Key into the ignition (DON’T HOLD THE BRAKE).
2)Turn the key, just so the car electronics start and show the Engine light is on. (Don’t START the Engine).
3)Press and HOLD the accelerater all the way down for 25 seconds.
4)After those 25 Seconds, proceed to Starting the Engine and drive your car.

If done correctly you should feel the car to be more responsive and shift better as it resets the memory in the transmission, I do this every few weeks on my E38 730i & it's amazing how smooth the transmission is when reset - although if you drive the box hard again, then it soon can start to feel a bit jumpy.

Hope this helps,

TSC.

You can reset the autobox to the factory settings by doing the following:

1)Insert the Key into the ignition (DON’T HOLD THE BRAKE).
2)Turn the key, just so the car electronics start and show the Engine light is on. (Don’t START the Engine).
3)Press and HOLD the accelerater all the way down for 25 seconds.
4)After those 25 Seconds, proceed to Starting the Engine and drive your car.

If done correctly you should feel the car to be more responsive and shift better as it resets the memory in the transmission, I do this every few weeks on my E38 730i & it's amazing how smooth the transmission is when reset - although if you drive the box hard again, then it soon can start to feel a bit jumpy.

Hope this helps,

TSC.
Thank you kindly! Now I'm just wondering, do I keep the accelerator depressed as I start the car, or do I release after 25 seconds and then start it?

Thank you kindly! Now I'm just wondering, do I keep the accelerator depressed as I start the car, or do I release after 25 seconds and then start it?


Actually, the car always starts with factory settings.....Your particular driving style is NEVER stored, as the Tranny is ALWAYS adapting to your driving.
Read up on some tranny issues here....you'll get a kick-a$$ education on it.
This 'reset procedure' actually puts the car in AUTO SPORT MODE before you start it by simulating a Wide Open Throttle condition followed by braking. You can do this much more easily by going to #4 with the shifter. That is SPORT mode as well, but cuts out 5th gear so you can really hammer it....

Thought this might help.....your tranny is self-adaptive and better left alone....EVERY SINGLE MECHANIC that I speak to whether BMW or Independent, tells me to leave well-enough alone, and not bother with a service. A software-upgrade can't really hurt, and it's possible your car just hasn't had it done in a while....not a big deal....mine hasn't either!!
Enjoy your 7 and don't flog it too hard....trannies CAN and DO break if abused...
W.

Oh....no offense to anyone here.....but the 'reset-procedure' is not much use..it's just a little trick.

Oh....no offense to anyone here.....but the 'reset-procedure' is not much use..it's just a little trick.
First, I have a Sport, and therefore a Steptronic transmission, no position 4 for me. And if you read some of my other posts, I rarely, if ever, flog my car in any way. It probably is due for a service, and I want one anyway since I don't know when the last time is that it had one. I do believe a software update is in order as well.

Oh....no offense to anyone here.....but the 'reset-procedure' is not much use..it's just a little trick.
It won't last long, granted - but it certinly makes my transmission smoother for a while.

Now I'm just wondering, do I keep the accelerator depressed as I start the car, or do I release after 25 seconds and then start it
Release the pedal before turning the ignition. Other members clearly think this procedure is a waste of time, all I can say is try it once - you don't have to keep using it if you feel it doesn't help.

Cheers,

TSC.

Oh....no offense to anyone here.....but the 'reset-procedure' is not much use..it's just a little trick.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...I have to reach for duct tape to wrap my head to keep it from exploding everytime I read this "fake" reset procedure...you are absolutely correct that it's just a convoluted procedure to get ATC (adaptive transmission control) to go into the adaptive sport mode instead of the normal "economy mode"....or the "extreme economy" mode for those with the "timid toe" syndrome (aka "granny-foot"). :lol

Let me state for the record...if done correctly...your car WILL shift differently for a while...but if you are NOT an agressive driver...it will eventually "re-adapt" to how you are currently driving the car...and if the car is still in the adaptive sport mode at the end of your journey...when you turn the ignition off...the car will resume it's normal operation and be ready to "adapt" to whatever type driver gets behind the wheel next.

I've explained this in several threads...and just posted it again back on 2/2/08...here it is explained again below...plus the links at the bottom refer back to a previous thread from June/2007 that has some BMW tech info on how the ADAPTIVE transmission works (its' an adaptive tranny...which has a slightly different connotation from "learning"). The driver influenced evaluations picked up by the tranny control module does NOT store the information after the ignition is cut off....anyways...just read the info below and check out the links.
************************************************** *

(reprint of post from 2/2/08)

Geez :rolleyes gotta explain the "great thread of misinformation" again from Bimmerfest...it's actually NOT a "reset" as they "assume" that it is.

All they are doing is forcing ATC to choose the (adaptive) sport mode which is different than than manually selectable EXTREME sport mode. ATC (adaptive transmission control) has 3 basic "driver influenced" modes that are chosen based on the "KICK FAST FEATURE"...where extreme economy, economy, or sport mode is chosen based on the speed and depth of the accelerator pedal versus the amount of "throttle" that the driver uses .

In a normal circumstance, an aggressive driver will press the accelerator pedal fast and further than a more timid driver...an aggressive driver will usually maintain pressing the pedal further, thus the system evaluates an agressive driver and chooses sport mode.

The "tranny reset" (fake trick) that is proposed on Bimmerfest imitates the movments of an aggressive driver by following the procedure that was just typed:
key in the ACC mode (this turns on all electronics thus accelerator pedal movement and throttle information is ready to be interpreted)
hold gas pedal to the metal (kickdown switch depressed as well) for 30 seconds (ATC is interpreting this action as aggressive driving behaviour)
take ur foot off the gas and hit brakes (ATC is continuing to read this as aggressive driving...pedal to the floor then strong braking)
start up the car (since the ignition was not turned off...the information previously detected is not erased, thus the adaptive sport mode will be retained)

The major thing is...this does NOT reset the transmission because the driver influenced evaluations of AGS are not stored after the ignition is turned off. You would have to do this everytime you restart the car, or just drive agressively, or move your gear select lever into the (extreme) manually selected sport mode.

Again, I've posted a response to this "reset" trick with the technical information from BMW to explain it...but I guess not enough people have read it because the false rumor persists.

Here's links to past post with more info:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9819532&postcount=7
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9823390&postcount=14

That makes a lot of sense Q.

Thanks, that helps to further narrow down my search. I think I'm just gonna end up taking it to the indy next week.

Flash the DME which will reset it to original factory settings and then it will learn how [B]you[B] drive. You can do this to the DME only 13-14 times.

Flash the DME which will reset it to original factory settings and then it will learn how [B]you[B] drive. You can do this to the DME only 13-14 times.

How much does it cost to ship an e38 to the Netherlands so that Homerass (Edwin) can do this for you? :D

$50 but you have to live in Ca. or Texas!
Had it done, shifts smoother, flogged it a bit and mileage may be lower. Everything else is on in my car so that was the only thing I had done.
Since 02 this is the first time I've ever heard of this being done. I'm glad to have taken part in it even though there were only 6 of us there at Tyrones.
You can have anyone flash it but they better know how to use GT1. I think it was about $120??? Or mail a DME to Edwin.