M3 SMG reliability
Discussion
The 'boxes themselves are identical to the 6 speed manual 'boxes, but the SMGII has the addition of the electrohydraulic pump, various sensors and an ecu which the manual does not have.
Failure of these components is not unheard of, iirc a new pump will come in at ~£1800, for the part alone.
Failure of these components is not unheard of, iirc a new pump will come in at ~£1800, for the part alone.
I've had 2 m3's both with SMG both have been fine.
The Internet is full of stories about problems with these 'boxes, but I'd say its rather biased against due to people never posting when everything is running smoothly.
Test driving both types of box is key, the SMG a great gearbox and much more "involved" than a twin clutch DSG due to the changes being really thumped home, but it obviously lacks the complete control you would have with 3 pedals.
The Internet is full of stories about problems with these 'boxes, but I'd say its rather biased against due to people never posting when everything is running smoothly.
Test driving both types of box is key, the SMG a great gearbox and much more "involved" than a twin clutch DSG due to the changes being really thumped home, but it obviously lacks the complete control you would have with 3 pedals.
Any clutch slip is easily noticeable in 1st/2nd. Had it recently....got it changed and my guy said it was on the original clutch at 98,000 miles...testament to how well it changes gear. It does this so well because it has all kinds of clever logic to avoid damaging itself.
Ironically, after i'd had the new clutch it was occasionally failing to make some cross-gate changes quickly because it needed to be 're-learned' or something. 5 minute fix for my mechanic.
So to answer your question...a 'bad one' will probably be mechanically fine....just be wary of any clutch slip at slow speeds or failure to make fast changes in every gear (should take no more than a second or two in any SMG mode...when mine was needing to be reconfigured some changes were taking up to 4 or 5 secs).
I would take the SMG over manual every time because it is a nice balance. I can decide what gear is used, unlike my old auto merc, but don't get an aching left leg in traffic. If I rarely sat in traffic, I would get a full manual, as I occasionally wish i had a pedal on mountain roads. However, if i did that, i'd lose the hilarity of the full throttle changes in S5 mode....all about 'the shove'....amazing.
You should also consider that in the manual the clutch pedal is annoyingly offset, so you feel like your legs are pointing at the front right corner of the car.
Ironically, after i'd had the new clutch it was occasionally failing to make some cross-gate changes quickly because it needed to be 're-learned' or something. 5 minute fix for my mechanic.
So to answer your question...a 'bad one' will probably be mechanically fine....just be wary of any clutch slip at slow speeds or failure to make fast changes in every gear (should take no more than a second or two in any SMG mode...when mine was needing to be reconfigured some changes were taking up to 4 or 5 secs).
I would take the SMG over manual every time because it is a nice balance. I can decide what gear is used, unlike my old auto merc, but don't get an aching left leg in traffic. If I rarely sat in traffic, I would get a full manual, as I occasionally wish i had a pedal on mountain roads. However, if i did that, i'd lose the hilarity of the full throttle changes in S5 mode....all about 'the shove'....amazing.
You should also consider that in the manual the clutch pedal is annoyingly offset, so you feel like your legs are pointing at the front right corner of the car.
I have just bought an E46 M3 Manual as my weekend car. I avoided SMG because I found the one in my E60 M5 a bit cumbersome when driving slowly (but was immense on full attack). However, do not be under the impression that the manual box is without issue. It can be a bit notchy at times when cold and from what I have been reading a gearbox oil change is recommended to help smooth things out. Once I decided to buy an E46 M3 I knew I would end up spending at least another £1k on the car just to be satisfied everything was as it should be. Will be booking it into Grosvenor Reading in the New Year for them to go over with a fine tooth comb.
Rahul uk said:
However, do not be under the impression that the manual box is without issue. It can be a bit notchy at times when cold and from what I have been reading a gearbox oil change is recommended to help smooth things out.
joema - don't know if you already know but both SMG and manual suffer from 'bunny hops' when cold in 1st (and occasionally 2nd) - I think the root cause is the engine not the gearbox. Every morning, I'm into 2nd as soon as possible because 1st is almost undriveable. I've known 4 other E46 M3 owners (manual and SMG) to confirm this isn't just my car....the engine is essentially similar to a race car engine, so it hates being cold, driving slow, etc.If you test drive one from cold, expect the hopping initially, with it disappearing after about 1 or 2 mins.
CLK320 said:
joema - don't know if you already know but both SMG and manual suffer from 'bunny hops' when cold in 1st (and occasionally 2nd) - I think the root cause is the engine not the gearbox. Every morning, I'm into 2nd as soon as possible because 1st is almost undriveable. I've known 4 other E46 M3 owners (manual and SMG) to confirm this isn't just my car....the engine is essentially similar to a race car engine, so it hates being cold, driving slow, etc.
If you test drive one from cold, expect the hopping initially, with it disappearing after about 1 or 2 mins.
Yes, most are like that. It's normal.If you test drive one from cold, expect the hopping initially, with it disappearing after about 1 or 2 mins.
Savour it, appreciate that it's one of the last highly tuned naturally aspirated bespoke M engines that hasn't had all character engineered out for the sake of scoring a couple of extra daily use points and you soon soon forgive
0836whimper said:
Yes, most are like that. It's normal.
Savour it, appreciate that it's one of the last highly tuned naturally aspirated bespoke M engines that hasn't had all character engineered out for the sake of scoring a couple of extra daily use points and you soon soon forgive
It's bloody annoying at my work's multi-storey underground car park. It's always freezing when you're leaving on Winter evenings and you have to use 1st for a while uphill on all the steep ramps to get out of the car park...... the bunny hopping makes it look like you can't drive!Savour it, appreciate that it's one of the last highly tuned naturally aspirated bespoke M engines that hasn't had all character engineered out for the sake of scoring a couple of extra daily use points and you soon soon forgive
But even with this considered, I wouldn't have anything else right now. Show me a car for 10-15k with better character/pace/looks/practicality and 'reasonable' costs vs these abilities.
CLK320 said:
It's bloody annoying at my work's multi-storey underground car park. It's always freezing when you're leaving on Winter evenings and you have to use 1st for a while uphill on all the steep ramps to get out of the car park...... the bunny hopping makes it look like you can't drive!
But even with this considered, I wouldn't have anything else right now. Show me a car for 10-15k with better character/pace/looks/practicality and 'reasonable' costs vs these abilities.
Just chill out with it running for a few seconds and things will improve. Also, some say the bird feeder air box mod helps, I don't know if it was my mind playing tricks but mine seemed to improve when cold with the mod.But even with this considered, I wouldn't have anything else right now. Show me a car for 10-15k with better character/pace/looks/practicality and 'reasonable' costs vs these abilities.
As for SMG v manual it's personal choice. If it breaks, it's unlucky. With a M3 you'd reckon on having a bit of spare cash in case it needs something like brakes, clutch or SMG pump. Also, at that budget you should get a sub 10 year old car so still in the subframe goodwill period. Any older and get it checked on a ramp or budget £800 or so for a re-inforcement from Redish Motorsport. BMW will pull your pants down without the goodwill.
My old man had a brand new 2004 E46 M3 Coupe SMGII in Mystic Blue Metallic Paint. He had from 2004 - 2007. No issues what so ever and great to use especially in Manual mode S5. I mainly used S3 to save wear on the drivetrain but am not sure if this helps or not I think it does ? Really easy to get the hang off and adds to the character of the M3 and really fun in Manual mode. Avoid auto mode as is boring.
I have a M3 CS Coupe with BMW Manual Gearbox. I think Manual V SMGII affects the character of the car. SMGII great fun for full bore up shifts and downshifts. Manual is more fun more of the time perfecting the gear changes. SMGII makes most sense when driving fast. SMGII can up shift and downshift pretty much faster than any human being.
I have a M3 CS Coupe with BMW Manual Gearbox. I think Manual V SMGII affects the character of the car. SMGII great fun for full bore up shifts and downshifts. Manual is more fun more of the time perfecting the gear changes. SMGII makes most sense when driving fast. SMGII can up shift and downshift pretty much faster than any human being.
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff