535i AT in Manual Mode vs. Economy Mode

[xtmsports]

When I have the car in the "M" mode or manual mode for performance, the acceleration from 0mph is very slow. feels almost like it was trying to take off in second gear.

Does anybody have this problem too? Or maybe the "M" mode is only suppose to be turned on when driving at a certain speed.

I have had this car for 6 months and still haven't really figured out how to use it.

[digitaldragon03]

If you are in M mode, you should have the lever in position 1 or 2. Then as the rpm rises, shift into a higher gear as you feel the need to. If you are in M mode, but still have the lever in D, then you are starting in 3rd or fourth gear which is bad for the tranny.

[xtmsports]

Oh dang, I knew something wasn't right. Thanks for the info. The owner's manaul wasn't clear about the procedure.




If you are in M mode, you should have the lever in position 1 or 2. Then as the rpm rises, shift into a higher gear as you feel the need to. If you are in M mode, but still have the lever in D, then you are starting in 3rd or fourth gear which is bad for the tranny.

[xtmsports]

Is it okay to shift into the M mode while driving about 60-70mph to help with acceleration to pass other cars? Or will that ruin the tranny too?



If you are in M mode, you should have the lever in position 1 or 2. Then as the rpm rises, shift into a higher gear as you feel the need to. If you are in M mode, but still have the lever in D, then you are starting in 3rd or fourth gear which is bad for the tranny.

[digitaldragon03]

No, that would be okay since 4th gear would the appropriate gear for those kinds of speeds (Suppsoing you still have the lever in D), but i wouldnt do it. I just do a kickdown, and have the transmission downshift for me without touching the lever or changing into M mode.

[Kalevera]

yeah....

Never start the car from a standstill in MD if you want to keep your trans around for a while. Especially with the 4hp-22 and its clutchpacks that are probably more suitable for a motorcycle than a 3500 pound car. I only switch to M while in D at ~ 40mph, as it locks the trans in 3rd, and rarely at that. I only find S3 and ED useful at this point.

You're right...the owners manual sucks regarding this.

best, whit

[Javier]

is to be able to start the march in 2nd or 3rd gear, basically over ice or slippery surfaces. This will reduce the starting torque and prevent the wells from spinning. In some 520i BMW´s, the sing of manual mode in the switch is a snowflake.

When in manual mode, I think I recall you can not get 4th gear, only up to 3rd (Think is a safety interlock to prevent starting the movement in 4th). Then switching to M wile moving, will take you to the selected gear, no mater the speed, except that D and 3 will both take you to 3rd. Think you will not notice much difference, unless in D, as you will down shift to 3rd if in 4th. If you are developing speed in D, and switch to M, you will jump to 3rd no mater the car was going trough lower gears. The only extra use for this M mode would be to control the gear you are in (Like in a manual trany), think the sport mode give you the extra power you may need, and controlling gears will have no other practical reason.

I also use M mode when in heavy traffic, leveled grounds, as to avoid the car shifting 1 to 2 at every 10 mts, I use M2 for that.

Javier

[xtmsports]

So when the car is in M mode, its basically like a stick shift without the clutch?

Start off in "1", the shift to "2", then "3" and that puts the car in S3 mode, whatever that is.

When I come to a stop, I put the gear back into "1"

Is this the proper way to use it?



yeah....

Never start the car from a standstill in MD if you want to keep your trans around for a while. Especially with the 4hp-22 and its clutchpacks that are probably more suitable for a motorcycle than a 3500 pound car. I only switch to M while in D at ~ 40mph, as it locks the trans in 3rd, and rarely at that. I only find S3 and ED useful at this point.

You're right...the owners manual sucks regarding this.

best, whit

[Kalevera]

Sounds right, but I'm paranoid about having my trans die again so I don't really mess with manual mode at all. Just selecting 3rd (on US models) will put it into S3, which changes the shift points up a bit and allows the car to hit ~ 5000/6000 RPM in the lower gears. But the 4hp-22 was never geared to have good off the line acceleration. It's much better at around 30mph, as you probably know :)

The more I think about it, the more I agree with what Javier said regarding the intention of "manual" mode. They just stuck a sporty sounding name on a feature that, beyond the ability to shift a bit quicker, is common in all cars with ATs.

best, whit

[Qsilver7]

like what you find in the modern cars. The M mode is for the times you need your transmission to remain in one gear without any upshifts or downshifts...it is not for spirited driving etc. (I think Javier tried to say this in a previous post). The M mode should be used in low traction situations like snow or ice...or steep inclines or declines when you want the tranny to remain in one gear or upshift/downshift on your command. If you're stuck in a huge traffic jam, you may find this feature handy if the upshifts/downshifts of the auto program becomes annoying...you can move the selector to M and the selector to 2nd gear then shift up/down according to traffic/speed conditions until you can go back to an auto setting.

If you want spirited driving...you should use the S mode (sport mode). Depending on what year your 535i was mfg'd...if you have the SEM tranny switch then all you do is move the switch into S. If you have the A / M switch then Sport mode is obtained by moving the gear lever back into 3 . Sport mode ... S3 ... changes the shift patterns of the tranny and you will experience longer shift patterns. When in S2 and S1, the tranny will only shift up to the gear selected...for example, in S2, the transmission will only shift up to 2nd gear...which may be useful on steep inclines and declines, too.

The attached image is from the e38 owners manual and it describes how the S (sport mode) works (exception: the 5 speed tranny Sport mode is obtained by moving the lever to 4 instead of 3). It also explains the M (manual mode). IGNORE the text about ATC and adaptive programming...that does not apply to your 535i (ATC/Adaptive trannys were only in the V8 e34...530i/540i)
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_45_full.jpg

[JonE]

"But the 4hp-22 was never geared to have good off the line acceleration. It's much better at around 30mph, as you probably know :)"

I guess the acceleration is significantly improved with the 4.27 differential...