BMW Z3 COUPE 2002, Owner'S Manual

Page: 63 / 187

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Index
Data
Te
chnolog
y
Repairs
Maintenanc
e
Controls
Overview
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
P — Park
Select only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.
R — Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is
stationary.
N — Neutral
Select only if your journey is interrupted
for a longer period.
D — Drive
(automatic shift program)
This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.
Kickdown
In the kickdown mode, you achieve
maximum performance and in
position D, you reach maximum speed.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S – manual mode and
Sport Program
When you change from D to M/S, the
Sport Program is activated. This is
indicated by "S" in the gear selection
display. The M/S mode is recom-
mended for performance-oriented
driving.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport
Program to the manual mode. When
you tab the selector lever in the "+"
direction, the transmission shifts up.
When the lever is tabbed in the
"–" direction, the transmission shifts
down. M1 to M5 is indicated in the
transmission range display.
Upshifts or downshifts will only be
carried out by the ATC at appropriate
engine speeds and road speeds. If the
367de704
engine speed is too high, for instance,
the downshift will not be executed. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the
current gear.
If you are driving in the manual
mode and wish to accelerate
rapidly – to pass another vehicle, for
example – shift down manually or with
the "Kickdown" function.
<
You can only change from M/S to
selector lever positions "P", "R" and "N"
via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Steptronic
"thinks" for you in the manual mode:
>
In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts
automatically to the next higher gear
shortly before the engine speed
cutoff point
>
At low speeds, the transmission
shifts down automatically – you do
not have to act
>
In the kickdown mode, the transmis-
sion shifts down to the lowest possible
gear based on the engine speed
>
Depending on the situation – when
driving in adverse winter conditions,
for example – the transmission may
also start out in 2nd or 3rd gear.