"A/M"u

[cprogrammer]

Sorry for all the questions. I have an automatic, and to the right of the gears (don't know the technical term for this) there's a button that says A and button for M. Common sense says it's for Auto/Manual. How do I work this? Do you recommend using it? Anyone use it?

 

[VANCE]

if you put it in "m" you have to shift like a manual tranny..it is ok...i have used it a few times....it takes the computer a little time from the point i move into the next higher gear and the times it shifts..resulting in very high rpm's.......just put it in 3rd...it is sport mode

 

[cprogrammer]

Thanks VANCE. But how can you start in third gear. On manuals you start in one (or two on a downhill) but how can you start in three? My friend was confusing me today he started telling me that my car (since it's an auto) only uses two gears but my car has 3 gears and overdrive doesn't it?

 

[bahnstormer]

even though u leave it in 3rd it'll start from 1

 

[cprogrammer]

thanks for the reply. so let me get this straight. I cant imagine taking a car (auto) and shifting it but i guess it's okay if you say it is. So I put it on 'M' and I drive till the engine revs, then let go of the gas, and go to 2 then 3, and after 4 goto 'D'? This is the same effect as a manual? So it's just as good as a manual.

 

[andreyiv]

It's not nearly as good as a manual because like VANCE said, it takes the tranny some time to shift so if you floor it and want to shift at or close to redline, you'd have to move the shifter over at a little higher than 5k rpm. To put it in sports mode, keep it in A but put the lever into 3rd, it will start with 1 and move throught the gears by itself just like in regular mode but it will keep in gear longer so that the engine is always in or close to the power band. Now, of you put it in M then the tranny will use whatever gear you tell it to use, and yes it will start in 4th if you keep it in D. Hope I helped a little.

 

[cprogrammer]

Thanks! So if its in manual I'm doing all the work, but if its in A and 3rd gear its sports mode. What's good about sports mode? Faster? Is it fine on the engine? Won't hurt it?

 

[VANCE]

What's good about sports mode? Faster? Is it fine on the engine? Won't hurt it?

IN KEEPS THE ENGINE FROM SHIFTING UNTIL HIGHER RPM'S....NO IT WON'T HURT

 

[gbf1lm]

also i think that when u in sport and u floor it and u keep pushig u get a click which makes it downshift. im not sure ive never drove an auto bimmer.

 

[cprogrammer]

Thanks again everyone. I'll give it a try next time I drive.

 

[VANCE]

IT WORKS IN D OR 3 DEPENDING ON SPEED


YEAH ITS CALLED A KICK DOWN BUTTON....IT KICKS IT DOWN TO THE NEXT LOWER GEAR

 

[cprogrammer]

how often do you personally keep it in 3rd, sports gear? everytime you drive?

 

[VANCE]

PRETTY MUCH...UNLESS IM ON THE HIGHWAY

 

[MrElussive]

One important thing I would like to add:
When you are in "Manual mode", where you select all the gears yourself, the car listens to you, but only to a certain point. Let's say you start from a stop and you have gear 1 selected. You will accelerate, and then you can upshift whenever you want and go through all the gears. But if you have gear 1 selected and you go to redline in 1st, it will automatically upshift to 2nd gear (so that you don't destroy your engine, heh). Also, let's say have 3rd gear selected and you are chilling in 3rd, but then you come to a full stop. At this point, the transmission will automatically go to 1st gear. When you accelerate again, it starts from 1st gear, and then goes to 2nd, and then to 3rd and it will just hold in 3rd gear. Cars just cannot start from 3rd or 4th gear, there is not enough power and car companies figure that most auto drivers probably don't know manual transmission, or at least when they are in manual mode, they still want some "auto driving" done for them. So therefore, every time you stop, the car will go back into 1st gear, regardless of what gear you are in.

 

[andreyiv]

MrElussive, I don't know but I tried putting it in 3 and M, then stopping completely at a stop sign and going on, I think it actually strated in 3rd because it was so underpowered it felt like I was towing a 2 ton boat behind me. Tried the same thing in 2nd and it was better, don't remember if I did it in D but it would probably do the same. I will try doing that tomorrow just to see if I'm wrong.

 

[VANCE]

i know mine has done it in second...took awhile to get up to speed

 

[Ghost]

When I was driving my 535I I used the manual feature many times starting in second from a dead stop due to the slippery roads and not having traction control. When in the manual mode the gear that is selected is the gear in which the car using. Also if you leave it in a gear and you reach or attempt to exceed redline the fuel shutoff kicks in, at least this is what happened on my 5er. In the auto mode it will start from first when in the ‘D’ or ‘3’ position and upshift accordingly.

 

[andreyiv]

That's what I thought it would do too (with the redline), THE_GHOST, but I was too scared to try it, heh.

 

[carcus]

MrElussive, I don't know but I tried putting it in 3 and M, then stopping completely at a stop sign and going on, I think it actually strated in 3rd because it was so underpowered it felt like I was towing a 2 ton boat behind me. Tried the same thing in 2nd and it was better, don't remember if I did it in D but it would probably do the same. I will try doing that tomorrow just to see if I'm wrong.

Yep, mine does the same. Works good in snow with a slower start. I usually keep mine in 3rd unless I am on the Interstate. I feel it shifts pretty good by itself. Again though, in snow, a higher gear start might be good for traction.

 

[andreyiv]

In snow I just don't apply as much gas but I guess using the second is a pretty good idea. BTW does anyone know what happens when you keep it in A and put it into 1 or 2? Is it an even sportier version of the 3rd by any chance?