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Steptronic/automatic owners unite

30K views 204 replies 72 participants last post by  GotVANOS? 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a 2002 330Ci Sport package with 56,000 miles on it. It is indeed a steptronic which was not my first choice but I couldnt let it go for the price and condition the car was in, I do plan on modifying it regardless of it not being a manual.

If you have a step, post up a picture.

What are your current mods?
What are your future mod plans?
What is your year, model and mileage?

Overall I am happy with the car and here she is bone stock

 
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#101 ·
Who cares what type of transmission somebody has? It's all personal preference really. If the manual guys don't like autos... who cares? If auto guys don't like manuals... who cares? I really don't care if anybody likes my Steptronic 323i. I like it and that's all that matters.
 
#105 ·
I can't say I love mine, but I don't hate it. The fact is, I had seen so many beat up 330ci's before I found my car, I was just happy to find a car in such good shape. I did not think twice about buying it after I drove it. My long term plan is to just do a 5 speed conversion when the automatic dies. I was tired of driving all over the place to look at a "great" cars that ended up being beat all to Hell, and meeting all of the lying bastards who were selling them. The car I checked out right before I found my current car was a POS. The Indian dealer who was selling it tried to tell me it was perfectly normal for a manual transmission to rev up to 6k rpm before the car would move, and that the clutch was new. He actually followed me out the door, yelling at me for not buying the car. I was glad to get my car, automatic or not. :)
 
#114 ·
Fixing a beat up interior is usually cheaper and much easier than fixing a transmission. I'd rather buy a beat up manual than a pristine slushbox.

You also don't have to put up with it while waiting on parts to fix it.
 
#116 ·
bro, go put some miles on that car bro, then come back and rave about your steptronic. I mean MILES. you have hardly any miles on that e46 there. get up over 100, then wonder about changing fluid, be scared, do it, maybe not do it, think about it some more, when the tranny starts getting slow to change gears around 160K, then think some more, and let me know what you do, cause I don't know what the hell to do with the wife's slushbox now that she's around 160K and the shifts are taking some time.
 
#121 ·
+1. I'd say get up above 200k, THEN come back and rave about steptronic.

If my 323i starts shifting poorly, I can just replace the probably sleeping driver. Problem solved.
 
#117 ·
This is the thing that drives me nuts... Ever since BMW started calling certain fluids "lifetime", what they don't tell you is that means lifetime of the tranny until it breaks, not "lifetime" as though the fluid will be good forever. Ever since BMW started taking maintenance responsibility of all new cars sold for the first 50k or 60k miles, suddenly BMW's instructions are 15,000 mile interval oil changes and lifetime fluids so BMW's responsibility is drastically reduced.

Back in the old days, BMW's maintenance regime for fluids was replacement on shorter mileage intervals because back then, maintenance responsibility fell upon the customer, not the manufacturer. Then at some point when manufacturers lure the public into thinking their maintenance cost will be zero for "X" years, that's great, but those who know better, meaning more mechanically inclined, know there is no such thing as lifetime fluid.

Ah well, as with anything in life, you gotta pay to play, and if you want a BMW, do like what acronym says to do, meaning Bring More Wrenches, or if your at the dealer, Bring My Wallet.
 
#126 ·
Wow you manual guys are so superior and more skillful than all of us. All hail the manual drivers. The only negative of our autos is the durability. If mine lasts till 150K that's fine with me. I'll have another car by then. Probably another E46, but M3 manual haha.
 
#143 ·
It must make you haters feel good to find a target rich thread like this. How bout this.................You silly asses with 3 pedals bought an old used car that was 1700 bucks cheaper than the Step equipped car. Sorry that you are such a broke ass biotch, and couldn't afford a more expensive model. Oh, and you still have to change the transmission oil and, yep you will have several clutches to go through, and then there is the known shifter problem and ............there is more. Sure you want to go down this road? We can get into the rear subframe mount problem that is more prevalent with the manual transmission equipped POS too. You really sure? C'mon punk, make my day.........
 
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