PDA

View Full Version : Auto tranny modes- when to use? (New to BMW)



cosmowagon
07-30-2006, 10:28 AM
Just bought a '95 520i touring w/ automatic as our second car and my daily driver and needed info/advice on squeezing some life out of the anemic motor through the tranny modes (sport/economy/winter). My German owners manual is vague, my German is still in-work, I'm BMW-naive and most of all- my autobahn on ramp goes straight up hill for about 4 kliks:) Searched to no avail...TIA.

*Can I change between sport and economy modes on the fly or should I be at a stop or in a particular gear. The guy I bought it from just said "keep it in economy all of the time".

*Is it safe/necessary to move the gear lever from 4th to "D" on the fly or are there conditions to do this? Or at any time (like motoring down a hill).

*My manual says (I believe) that the automatic is a 5-speed. Is it a true five speed or a 4 w/OD?

*Sport mode top gear is 4th or...? Is OD deactivated in sport mode?

*What's the difference in driving in S4 or SD?

* Mode advice- when I drove the car before buying it the roads near the dealer were relatively flat and it moved very impressively for a 2.0 liter-driven 4K lb car- still does but gravity's a killer. In what mode combination should I be driving in to get up that hill and for just fun? Ideally I'd like to be able to switch from sport to economy on the fly once I'm up the hill and moving again. I am going to to contact EAT for a chip to help a little, have a can of berryman's cleaning the fuel system right now and a fuel filter and new plugs waiting to be put in. I have an '05 Saab 95 auto with sport mode and it's on/off whenever I want and no need to move the shift lever in conjunction- pretty simple. The BMW has too many choices...

IRONY- Yesterday I was driving on Autobahn A-48 to visit the wonderful city of Koln. I'm struggling to stay at 120Kmh up the hills. I notice a car zips past me, a German spec Probe SE 16 valver. The irony- One month ago my wife and I decided to sell my modded out Probe GT to buy the Bimmer:( Ahhh...can't fit a rear-facing seat in a Probe anyway:)

Thanks!!!

shuriken
07-30-2006, 01:18 PM
You can change on the fly. Sports mode just holds the gears longer for acceleration and makes things a bit more er, well sporty. 4th gear on the manual over ride gears means that it won't change up higher than 4th. Will still go down to 1st at junction etc. Use 2nd if on a steep down hill section or 3rd. It's so you can still use the engine breaking as you would in a manual car. Ecconomy mode is normal everyday mode, lazy up and down shifts, good for motorway and A road use (UK roads). I have winter mode too and thats for snow or icey roads where it startsoff in 2nd gear for traction. My switch has gone u/s, can switch to sport or winter from ecconomy but not back to ecconomy, without turning off the engine..:(