Optimum shift indicator

[farishat]

Originally Posted by M Drei Fahrer

That's why you don't have it.

HAHA, makes sense

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by farishat

HAHA, makes sense

As other have posted, some DCTs have it. Further, look at the pictures in the OP, it is clearly a DCT car because there are the Drivelogic bars in the display

[f82fanatic]

I wish my car arrives without this feature. I had it in my old Porsche and I absolutely hated it; I would get an arrow constantly because I drive very differently to what my car wanted...

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by f82fanatic

I wish my car arrives without this feature. I had it in my old Porsche and I absolutely hated it; I would get an arrow constantly because I drive very differently to what my car wanted...

It is not that big of a deal. It's just a visual indicator below the tach. I don't even notice mine anymore.

[shortseller]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

As other have posted, some DCTs have it. Further, look at the pictures in the OP, it is clearly a DCT car because there are the Drivelogic bars in the display

Nothing to see here...
This feature is a complete waste btw, you are not missing anything other than foolish fuel saving guidelines imposed on BMW by the EPA.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by shortseller

Nothing to see here...
This feature is a complete waste btw, you are not missing anything other than foolish fuel saving guidelines imposed on BMW by the EPA.

I know, I really could not care less about this gizmo.

I was just curious as to why I did not get it. Maybe I just got lucky

[///MFanatic]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

I know, I really could not care less about this gizmo.

I was just curious as to why I did not get it. Maybe I just got lucky

Consider yourself lucky! This thing has bugged me from day 1. I'm driving around in a M3 and my car wants me to be in 6th at 35mph...35MPH?! I've since learned to ignore it, but still blows my mind BMW would add this feature to any M car.... A 328d sure, but an M3???

Hey BMW, if I was planning on driving your track focused car efficiently I would have bought a Leaf instead. What a waste of some engineers time.... I think they added this feature to screw with us. Unkay, zist is ze plan... Ve vill makes un car constantly indicate a shieft. Zis vill get ze Amerdicans uze to German commands.

[MWA]

Originally Posted by farishat

HAHA, makes sense

I have DCT and I have shift indicator

[dmnc02]

I have this (turns the Gear Shift Indicator on and off at will ):

[Joe250]

I checked my car this morning and it does not have 'Shift Point Indicator' listed like your car above. Anyone know of a way to get it?

[dmnc02]

Originally Posted by Joe250

I checked my car this morning and it does not have 'Shift Point Indicator' listed like your car above. Anyone know of a way to get it?

I was wondering if anybody would notice

HU_NBT > SPA_CHECKBOX = aktiv

[brianeck]

Originally Posted by AMPowerJ

I have it on my 6MT but IMO it is a complete waste of a feature. Just tells me to be in 6th gear 99% of the time. It's probably there for some sort of check box on a fuel efficiency reg.

Mine is active, and that is basically all it does haha.

If yours isn't active I've come up with a clever solution which will effectively give you the same functionality that the feature offers, designed specifically around the gearing of the DCT:

1. Draw a white "7" on a piece of black paper with whiteout approximately 3/7 inch in height. Cut the 7 out carefully, trying to minimize the surrounding perimeter.
   
2. Draw a white "6" on a piece of black paper with whiteout approximately 3/7 inch in height. Cut the 6 out carefully, trying to minimize the surrounding perimeter.
   
3. Tape the 7 into the indicator position as noted above in the attached photos.
   
4. Tape the 6, but only from the top end, directly over the 7.
   
5. If going <37mph, the 6 is what the car would be saying, so no effort is necessary.
   
6. If going >37, flip the 6 up to reveal the 7 below, and then remember to flip your paddle to optimize fuel efficiency.

If your car is a manual and you don't have the software enabled, skip steps 1, 3, and 6.

Seriously guys, that's about how useful the feature is

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by dmnc02

I was wondering if anybody would notice

HU_NBT > SPA_CHECKBOX = aktiv

Thanks for figuring this out and posting it.

Now, for those who simply want to permanently deactivate it, do you know if it can be coded to "Off" without the need to first activate the setting in iDrive only to uncheck the box and never touch it again?

[dmnc02]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Thanks for figuring this out and posting it.

Now, for those who simply want to permanently deactivate it, do you know if it can be coded to "Off" without the need to first activate the setting in iDrive only to uncheck the box and never touch it again?

To be clear, the checkbox turns on/off the entire gear shift indicator, which includes not only the small upshift/downshift arrows, but also the currently selected gear. It does not affect the shift lights around the tachometer. I like it for spirited driving (at least with 6MT) since the HUD is cleaner this way, just showing the tachometer and the current speed.

I tried SPA_ENABLE and SPA_SPORT_ENABLE in KOMBI to see if it was possible to permanently get rid of just the small shift indicators, but that did not work. If I find anything, I will post an update.

[Miamiboyca]

Originally Posted by dmnc02

To be clear, the checkbox turns on/off the entire gear shift indicator, which includes not only the small upshift/downshift arrows, but also the currently selected gear. It does not affect the shift lights around the tachometer. I like it for spirited driving (at least with 6MT) since the HUD is cleaner this way, just showing the tachometer and the current speed.

I tried SPA_ENABLE and SPA_SPORT_ENABLE in KOMBI to see if it was possible to permanently get rid of just the small shift indicators, but that did not work. If I find anything, I will post an update.

So is there to a way to show the current selected gear but not the indicator? I like the number (sometimes I forget...LOL) but I can hear when I need to shift (don't need or want an arrow to remind me)

[dmnc02]

Originally Posted by Miamiboyca

So is there to a way to show the current selected gear but not the indicator? I like the number (sometimes I forget...LOL) but I can hear when I need to shift (don't need or want an arrow to remind me)

The only functions in KOMBI (the module that controls the instrument cluster) involving the acronym SPA (SchaltPunktAnzeige = Gear Shift Indicator) are SPA_ENABLE, SPA_SPORT_ENABLE, SPA_IST_GANG_ENABLE and SPA_KOMBISELECT_DISABLE. Setting SPA_IST_GANG_ENABLE to "nicht_aktiv" disables the current gear indicator. The other three appear to do nothing, so it looks like you need to have SPA on with SPA_IST_GANG_ENABLE set to "aktiv" in order to see the current gear, but if you have SPA on you cannot just disable the shift indicator.

On the other hand, if there is anybody who has the current gear indicator without the shift indicator and he can share his CAFD files, I can easily isolate the relevant code.

[mkoesel]

Oh, ok. Still nice to know.

Originally Posted by dmnc02

To be clear, the checkbox turns on/off the entire gear shift indicator, which includes not only the small upshift/downshift arrows, but also the currently selected gear.

...

I tried SPA_ENABLE and SPA_SPORT_ENABLE in KOMBI to see if it was possible to permanently get rid of just the small shift indicators, but that did not work. If I find anything, I will post an update.

[rr006rbc]

Originally Posted by AMPowerJ

I have it on my 6MT but IMO it is a complete waste of a feature. Just tells me to be in 6th gear 99% of the time. It's probably there for some sort of check box on a fuel efficiency reg.

Mine tells me to get into 6th gear at 35mph. I...would rather not lol. I'm lucky to be out of 2nd at 35mph let alone anywhere near 6th. #shiftwheniwant

[AM4ZING]

Originally Posted by rr006rbc

Mine tells me to get into 6th gear at 35mph. I...would rather not lol. I'm lucky to be out of 2nd at 35mph let alone anywhere near 6th. #shiftwheniwant

lmao same here... Once i shift into 2nd it indicates "go to 4th" then once i go to 3rd it indicates "6"

Im guessing thats how the DCT transmission would be shifting if left in automatic mode

6MT ftw

[Miamiboyca]

Originally Posted by AM4ZING

lmao same here... Once i shift into 2nd it indicates "go to 4th" then once i go to 3rd it indicates "6"

Im guessing thats how the DCT transmission would be shifting if left in automatic mode

6MT ftw

Does the same thing in manual...

[F83]

Originally Posted by shortseller

Nothing to see here...
This feature is a complete waste btw, you are not missing anything other than foolish fuel saving guidelines imposed on BMW by the EPA.

+1 to that. The shift recommendations are so ridiculous that it took me a while to figure out that's what they were. "Really, I'm at 2000 RPM in 4th and you want me to go to 6th??!?" Useless government mandated "feature".

[AM4ZING]

Originally Posted by Miamiboyca

Does the same thing in manual...

Yes, i have a manual... what i meant was, if the car was DCT and left in auto, it would find every opportunity to shift into the highest gear as soon as possible.. would be very annoying