SSG Gearbox Question

[Juber]

What is the difference between SSG Gearbox and SMG? i have tried researching it on the net not no joy!

Any ideas Techies?

[churchwa]

I think one is an auto box with paddles and the outher is a manual with an auto clutch (SMG).


SMG being much better

[mystic sport]

My understanding of it is that SSG is the non M manual gearbox controlled by hydraulic actuators and is not held in very high regard (ask Peppernick), I believe for some reason the later versions of SSG were also called SMG. SMG is the proper M gearbox, a far better SMG unit controls this and having driven a coupl eof Ms with it, it would be on my shopping list.

[N5CKO]

I belive i have an SSG gearbox..my BMW manual tells me its SMG... [hmm i never set out to buy a car with this box.. but it just so happend the 330 i was very intrested in had it, i test drove it and thought it was ok, so i thought why not... maybe i should of done a bit of research myself before i done the deal with the company because at the time i had never heard of this gearbox before. Anyway as mystic sport points out it is an auto with the function of up and down gear change on the steering wheel..the car has an auto mode but doesnt do much for the car IMO..(gearchange can be very clonky) you do get used to it, but i tend to drive it in sport mode.. much much smoother gear change :) iam not sure how many of these cars were made but i couldnt turn down the car for the money so i went ahead.. if i had the chance to buy again i would defo get a manual in the 330 but M3 it would have to be the latest SMG :D

[N5CKO]

Not the best pics but they might help.. http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/N5CKO/BMW093.jpg http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/N5CKO/SMG001.jpg http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/N5CKO/SMG002.jpg

[peppernick]

SSG is the UK description of the sequential manual gearbox found on non-M E46 325/330s. The rest of the world term it SMG. It's a manual gearbox with the clutch operated by hydraulic actuators and software from Magnetti Marelli, same as the one on Alfa Romeo Selespeed. From 2004 onwards, the SSG is once again termed SMG by the UK dealers and the gearbox is also found on the Z4 2.5/3.0 as well as the new 5 and 6 series.

The SMG2 is the much more advanced sequential manual gearbox found on E46 M3s only. The clutch is still operated by hydraulics but the software is a lot more advanced and produced by Siemens. You get 6 different shift modes.

To confuse matters, the SMG was also found on the E36 M3 Evo. It's very similar to the SSG and it's primitive.

[Juber]

cool thanks for the advice every one.

Ile cut to the chase, is it good or crap? do you just go for an auto?

[Vin]

sorry to complicate matters

but is there a difference between automated manual and a sequential box?

im sure i read somewhere that 325 330 uses automated manual and m3 has sequential

that means there must be a diff more than just software

[peppernick]

They are both sequential manual gearboxes. Automated manual is contradictory ;) How they work is similar, only the hydraulics and the software controlling them are very different.

[big pimp]

what is mine then? automatic with tiptronic manual selector?