A versus M Shifting

[mounty95]

Good Afternoon,

I just purchased a 1995 325i and getting to know the nuances of the BMW and am very confused as to what the A versus M toggle beside the shifter does. The transmission is automatic but is there something specifically this toggle that makes the transmission manual and if so how does it work with the shifter in some way? Or am I really off.

Thanks,
Pat

[jijacob]

Search, son.

Cliffs: Don't use it, you will kill your tranny. Having the shifter in D pulls up the standard shifting points, and 3 pulls up the sport shifting points (redline shifting). Both of this while in A. Switching to M forces the car into the gear you choose. And will kill it quick.

[amancuso]

Search, son.

Cliffs: Don't use it, you will kill your tranny. Having the shifter in D pulls up the standard shifting points, and 3 pulls up the sport shifting points (redline shifting). Both of this while in A. Switching to M forces the car into the gear you choose. And will kill it quick.

+1 the M mode is only for gear selection going up hill or starting off in icy conditions.

[jhstealth]

Well waht the a/m does is the a works like a regular auto and the M keeps the car in whichever gear you put it in so it works like a manual sort of. As far as braking the car if u use it correctly it wont harm anything myne has 140 on it and its still purring. just dont downshift downshift when your stopped and like redline the car and you should be fine.

[jijacob]

Do you use the M modes often?

[DU09]

Well waht the a/m does is the a works like a regular auto and the M keeps the car in whichever gear you put it in so it works like a manual sort of. As far as braking the car if u use it correctly it wont harm anything myne has 140 on it and its still purring. just dont downshift downshift when your stopped and like redline the car and you should be fine.

OT
hows the 50 shot treatin ya?

[CreamySmooth]

i have a 2002 325I. i've used the manual mode quite a bit .......red lining etc and just driving around. so far i've got 61k miles never had any problems with the transmission at all.

[clor0x]

Can we set this story straight for a second? The M mode in an automatic BMW does not "make it a manual" by any stretch of the imagination. It is for locking a single gear, such as going up a hill or starting off in icy conditions, as said earlier. If you are putting it in M and shifting around thinking you are driving a manual, your car has an identity crisis. Leave it in A mode and put the selector to D or 3, the "Sport" mode in an automatic. If you want a manual, buy a MANUAL BMW. Cheers! :banghead: