Automatic transmission "manual" mode

[King Hax]

hey guys i have another quick question here regarding the transmission in my car. I have a 99 323is with an automatic tranny. i noticed that it has a toggle switch beside the shifter with an A for "Automatic" and a M for "Manual". i know that when in Automatic, D is drive, 3 is a sport mode, and 2 and 1 are for hills and towing.

what i want to know is what Manual mode does. is it like a sort of Tiptronic shifter mode? my friend says it is, but i dont want to try it if its going to hurt my tranny or mess with the computer.

what does Manual do? and what do i use it for?

also, what kind of differencial does my car have and should i keep it or swap it for an M3 diff?

[Kody]

When you press M the 1 gear is 1st 2 is 2nd 3 is 3rd i think its only 3 speed in M mode

[King Hax]

Thanks Kody for the heads up.

D isnt 4th gear? can i drive this thing on the highway like that? will my overdrive engage in M?

[Yovi]

M keeps it in whatever gear you are in when you press it

[flyfishvt]

This is from the e36 owners manual. It is not a good idea to drive in anything other than D for extended periods.

Index Data Technical Repairs Car care Controls At a glance

D - Drive (automatic shift program)

This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are selected by the
transmission as necessary.

3 - Sport Program, direct control

This position is designed for performance-
oriented driving, and features
delayed upshifts for optimal utilization
of the vehicle's power reserves.
When D is engaged, the transmission
may respond to certain conditions by
repeatedly shifting between 3rd and 4th
gears. You can select this position to
suppress upshifts into 4th gear and prevent
the transmission from "hunting" in
this way.

2 and 1 - Mountain ascents and
engine braking

Select these positions to prevent undesired
shifts on mountain roads or
extended uphill and downhill stretches.
These ranges let you use the engine's
braking effect to maximum advantage.
The transmission upshifts only as far as
the selected gear (1st or 2nd).
Do not move the selector lever to either
of these positions when traveling at
speeds of 108 mph (170 km/h) or
above. The transmission downshifts
only at correspondingly low speeds.

"Kickdown" (automatic downshift)

To obtain maximum acceleration, the
accelerator pedal can be depressed
beyond the normal to the full-throttle
position, at which a pressure point must
be overcome.

Shift programs

A - Automatic program
For economical driving. This is the initial
position each time the engine is started.
M - Manual program
This program is for driving conditions
under which the selected gear is to be
retained. The transmission then remains
in this gear both when starting off and
during acceleration. With this program
you drive only in 3rd gear in position D.
It is advantageous, e.g., on slopes or
when towing a trailer, to drive in selector
lever position 1 or 2, or in winter on
slippery roads in selector lever position
3, which enables gentle starts and prevents

undesirable shifting.

[Kody]

Thanks Kody for the heads up.

D isnt 4th gear? can i drive this thing on the highway like that? will my overdrive engage in M?

Well from my personal experience my car has never shifted into 4th when I went into D in manual mode.

[flyfishvt]

One thing you need to understand is the e36 auto tranny was never designed or intended to be used like a manual tranny. Sport mode and manual mode are only supposed to be used temporarily under very specific circumstances like those outlined in the owners manual.

If you find you're in traffic and it's constantly on the edge of 3rd and 4th or 2nd and 3rd then put it in sport mode and the shift points will be delayed so you aren't constantly bouncing between gears.

If you are towing or need extra braking going down hill or if you're stuck in a snow bank then use manual mode so it stays in one gear.

I never understood why BMW used the term "Sport Mode". It makes people think they can use it like a 5 speed nothing could be farther from the truth.

[King Hax]

so... not good for my car then? unless im racing or towing a trailer (yeah right...) or driving up a snowy mountian road with a trailer while racing?

[flyfishvt]

I understand but you could always ask yourself how long am I going to keep this car? 1 year? Maybe 2? I'm nit here to rake you over the coals for using it incorrectly. You asked...I answered. It's your car.

[Kody]

Yeah i've heard that using the "manual" mode shortens the life of the tranny.

[rxbahamut]

Can driving it in M hurt the transmission if you do it constantly? My friend drives his in M all the time.

[flyfishvt]

if your friend has an e36 its not recommended. The other side of this is that these are 15 year old cars. Its not like you're going to void the warranty on them.

[Dash01]

If I understand correctly, A mode sends the shift signals to the solenoids via the mode range switch at the base of the shift lever, inside the console. M mode is a cable link from the shift lever to another smaller lever on the valve body, which controls a slider valve to send hydraulic pressure to the selected gear.

If this interpretation is correct, it may be useful in diagnosing shifting problems, as it may isolate given solenoid(s) or range mode circuits as possible faults. In that case, if the car shifts OK in M mode, but not OK in A mode, then the respective solenoids or circuits for that gear in A mode may be suspect.

So, anybody who knows about this, please chime in.

[flyfishvt]

I belive you have it a little reversed. M=manual

When its in manual mode the tranny stays in the selected gear. it doesn't shift. The rest of your logic seems to work though.

If you mean "D" when you say "A" then that is automatic or normal mode.

sport mode is when you use the shifter to slide down to 3 and lower. this is supposed to delay the shift points until you reach a higher rpm.

[KillahKal88]

good to know.

[King Hax]

I understand but you could always ask yourself how long am I going to keep this car? 1 year? Maybe 2? I'm nit here to rake you over the coals for using it incorrectly. You asked...I answered. It's your car.

haha yeah thanks im being sarcastic good info though. its really disappointing these cars didnt come with a sort of Tiptronic option. id love a 5-speed, but id need to swap one in. thats money and time i dont have right now

anyone know of any sort of sequential or paddle-shifter mod these e36's can take? sequential would be sick

[usarmy188]

Well from my personal experience my car has never shifted into 4th when I went into D in manual mode.

Mine does