transmission mode switches-what's difference?

[shogun]

See this question. I have in my 750 S-E-M positions.
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/95323

[shogun]

aha, found the answer already on roadfly. "Q" once said:
cars with transmission switch that reads A/M...are put into the S (sport mode) by pulling the gear select lever back to 4 (in the 740i/il) or 3 in the 750/735iLs. The S will illuminate in the instrument cluster display as well.

These cars go into the manual M mode just like yours...except the 740i/iL has an * instead of an M to indicate "winter mode". Winter mode operates basically the same as "manual" mode. To get out of manual mode...the drivers has to move the switch back to A (automatic/economy) mode or move the gear select lever back to D to get out of "sport mode".

[winfred]

on the zf 4hp22 and id guess it's the same for the 4hp24 that some of the v12s had, the change was due to a different computer (not just the computer was different as the tranny is not interchangable), the early cars you selected sport with the switch, the later cars (later is around 90 on a 735/535) you select sport with the shifter by taking it out of drive and putting it in 3 2 or 1, atleast in the us