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Thread: Steptronic +/- Switch-a-roo: The Whole Story

  1. #1
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    Steptronic +/- Switch-a-roo: The Whole Story

    Proceed with caution on this DIY. Any mistakes will be your own, and nobody else.

    This DIY was spawned by two things. Knowing it can be done after seeing an incomplete DIY on another site, and my inability to adapt. The original DIY was on a 7 series with out pics. Also it never realy mentioned anything about how to change the shift pattern plate (it's covered here).

    As far as my inability to adapt. For quite a few years I have tried to trick my mind into believing that forward was down shifting, and pulling back was upshifting. This is backwards from what is taught in elementary school geometry. It has to do with a four quadrant graph. The top and right being (+), and lower and left being (-). By all logic positive is forward, and negative is backward.

    The early e39's were exactly this. Forward +, and backward -. Anyhoo if you want to change the pattern from one way to another. Here's how to do it. The whole story.

    Tools:
    1- jewler's screw driver
    2- Shift gate with the new displayed pattern of your choosing.
    3- opposible thumb and at least two functioning fingers on that same hand
    4- that's it, nothin' else

    Part one:

    Disconnect the battery. Pop off the shift knob by depressing the button while in park and pulling up.


    Pull up on the leather shift boot. The whole assembly should come up also as one piece.


    Disconnect the 3 electrical molex connectors.


    If you want to take off the shift lever boot. There are 4 tabs holding it in place. Depress two of them on the same side, and it should drop out easily.


    The opposing shift gates. I got the replacement off ebay for $20. The seller said it was from a 97 525. New from the dealer expect to pay about $120


    Use the jewler's screw driver to remove the 4 screws behind the shift pattern on the replacement shift gate. Gently pull up the electrical component, and the white plastic peice behind it.


    Pull out your new shift pattern.


    Now on the original gate that came with the car. Do the same as above to remove the pattern. Place the new pattern in the original gate that came with the car. Do this because one of the elec connectors changed slightly over the years. Still the same functions and wires. Just the plastic fitting is slightly different. Reassemble.

    Part Duex:

    Inside the righthand side of the cosole where the shift gate was. Locate the four pin connector. Pull it out, and un-hook it. There is not much slack in the wires.


    One side of the connector has a black cover that slides to the side. Take it off. Reverse the center two wires. They should be blue and purple. Take the flathead part of the screwdriver and lightly depress as shown. The wire leads have a tiny clip built in and will slide out of the connector when depressed.


    Reconnect the four pin connector. This is what actually tells the trans to shift in the desired fashion.

    Put it all back together.

    Turn the car on. (Don't forget the battery. Out of sight, out of mind . ) With the foot & parking brakes on test out your new DIY. The new shift direction should be displayed in the instument cluster.



    FIN

  2. #2
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    Nice write up. Not sure how many stubborn people will want to do this but should be parked in DIY section IMO.

  3. #3
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  4. #4
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    i wanna buy your old one... i prefer the downshit to be forward and up shift back... we could have esentially switched... lol no pun intendedbut yeah tell me i wanna but the old switch....

  5. #5
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    PM vacman to request this be moved to the DIY section- this is good stuff.

  6. #6
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    nice write up

    and good work

    but i don't see the point of this. no offense to you or anyone else that has done this

    i know its reverse compared to other 'step' tronics...

    i find its easier to up shift when driving with both hands by just naturally dropping your hand from the steering wheel and hitting the shift lever to upshift...
    2003 540i M-Sport - Sterling Grey/Black Leather
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by xxpanipuri View Post
    i find its easier to up shift when driving with both hands by just naturally dropping your hand from the steering wheel and hitting the shift lever to upshift...

    Some people love the way the 1-2 downshift, pull back look.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by xxpanipuri View Post
    nice write up

    and good work

    but i don't see the point of this. no offense to you or anyone else that has done this

    i know its reverse compared to other 'step' tronics...

    i find its easier to up shift when driving with both hands by just naturally dropping your hand from the steering wheel and hitting the shift lever to upshift...
    The point is to mod the car according to one's subjective preference.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJB View Post
    The point is to mod the car according to one's subjective preference.
    i understand that...i'm simply stating my opinion
    2003 540i M-Sport - Sterling Grey/Black Leather
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  10. #10
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    Wow Jack thats great work and awesome pics!!!!!!!

    Actually i personally prefer the way it is. I have played many video games especially flight simulators where back is climb and forward is drop. Same concept.

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  11. #11
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    Before I tried driving a car with steptronic, I thought that I would have the same problem, but I actually found it to be natural the way it is. Nice mod though, I'm glad that you made it work for you. props

  12. #12
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    Great mod there. When I first got mine, I had trouble with the sportronic, also preferring it the other way around but I've gotten used to it now.

  13. #13
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    My steptronic up-shifts pushing the shifter forward, and down-shifts pushing backward.
    My car is a 2001, but manufactured date is 2000/ 09...
    I like the way mine is.
    It's very intuitive, IMO.

    Awesome write-up!
    Love it!
    Thank you!
    Jason

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  14. #14
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    Will this work in a manual transmission car???

    lol...I keed!


    That is pretty slick! Well done!
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  15. #15
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    mine also upshifts when pushed forward & downshifts when pulled back ??????? build date feb 2001....cool diy though

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJB View Post
    The point is to mod the car according to one's subjective preference.
    Quote Originally Posted by xxpanipuri View Post
    i understand that...i'm simply stating my opinion
    Baaaah... gotcha

  17. #17
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    Nice! I've always wondered why, my bro's Acura RSX is the same way, I get confused.

  18. #18
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    I actually like down being up, and up being down. I guess im used to the regular manuals where down is 2nd gear ect. But thats a cool DIY, wish i had Steptronic... =[

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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by e39dream View Post
    PM vacman to request this be moved to the DIY section- this is good stuff.
    Thanks for the tip . I just PM'ed him




    Quote Originally Posted by gumbi4u View Post
    Wow Jack thats great work and awesome pics!!!!!!!

    Actually i personally prefer the way it is. I have played many video games especially flight simulators where back is climb and forward is drop. Same concept.
    Thanks everyone for the support.

    I even tried this idea, but with little sucess. I found my self thinking too much before the shift instead of actually driving.

  20. #20
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    diggity piggity bump-a-roo

  21. #21
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    nice write-up...

    but elementary?... all arcade games I ever played, upshift was always pull... I get into my mothers lexus with the + forward and - pull and I always downshift instead of upshift... bah... not fun...

    Also the fact that you always push to go into first and pull to go into second on a manual transmission... which is the concept on the pull + push -... push it into first then pull it for second gear...

    ignore my rambling though... preference will be preference... still a nice write up in case I end up in a push + pull - so I can reverse it... lol

  22. #22
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    I have a 99 540i and my steptronic wiring is a tad different. Instead of the Gray/Blue/Purple/Green I have Blue/Black/Green/Gray. Should I try and swap the Blue+Black?

    Any help?

  23. #23
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    Sorry to dig out an old thread. I just reverted my older 99 540, so if anyone of you "geometry logic" reasoning folks want an older faceplate mine is up for grabbin.

  24. #24
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    I'm interested. The old school hot-rod way is more natural to me.

  25. #25
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    Da Beemers clear you PM's I uploaded you the file you asked and I cannot send you the link.

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