someone asked about this over on mini2, but I thought it might get more of a response on NAM.

one thing I've come to dislike on the MCSa is thumbing the paddle to downshift - it just feels more tour de france than formula one. I much prefer pulling the paddle towards me - so I was wondering if they could be rewired such that you downshift by pulling the left paddle and upshift by pulling the right.

I found a picture of the wiring set up - I know next to nothing about electrical systems, but to me it looks as though there are separate wires for up and down shifts that could be unplugged from the bus and swapped over (also making it potentially easy to change back if one wanted to).

any thoughts?

 

Not enough detail in those pics.

BUT there should be at least THREE wires coming from each switch - the "click towards", "click away" and "common" signals ...

 

Interesting idea Beekman. I was struct with the same idea when the car came out that both buttons do the same thing. The only thing I had really considered was making the buttons bigger like how M3s with SMG are.

 

I found them by following the MINI oem data link on your website - a great source of information, BTW.

What do you mean by a "common" signal wire?

 

Can't tell you, but if this helps people managed to switch the direction of shifting on the steptronic E46's shifter. Of course this may be more complicated as the paddles currently match each other as well as the direction of the shifter and you are trying to make a single side asynchronous, but it seems like a reasonable change to manage on the face of it..

 

OK if the system truly is push pull on both sides you simply need to eliminate the offending circut on that side.

If you want upshift on the right eliminate the downshift connections on the right side and vice versa on the left. Eliminate the up shift connections.

I wish that BMW would finally admit that MINI is BMW and give us a true BMW powerplant and SMG.

 

looking around I found a company that installs SMG type steering wheels in steptronic BMWs.

http://www.bmw-paddleshift-retro.com/

they also retrofit paddleshifters into the CVT. nothing on the MCSa though.

 

Lol, I'm sure that is the same guy I knew from E46fanatics! Funny, glad he did well for himself, guess he manages with whatever liability issues he could have. Nice guy, I'm sure he does a good job - perhaps he can give you some insights on the topic in general.

 

That wouldn't necessarily be a good thing; TTAC's M5 review was decidedly non-positive with regard to the SMG. I've read the same thing elsewhere.

Now, if we were talking VW's DSG, then we'd be on to something! :-)

 

i also wish my 2006 MCSa would shift like my 2005 M3 SMG. the difference is confusing. i would definitely rewire if the correct schematic was available.

 

bmw is developing their own version of DSG, I think it will be called KSG. perhaps it may eventually find it's way down to the next gen MINI (JCW in particular I'd guess) unless they reserve it only for BMW as it's the "luxury" brand.