1998 BMW 740I manual transmission

62n
Automatic transmissionSelector lever positions
P R N D 4 3 2
Shift programsLever positions:
>A (Adaptive/Economy)
>M (Manual)
Selector lever in position 4:
>S (Sport program)
For an explanation of the programs, re-
fer to the next page.Starting engineThe engine can only be started in posi-
tions "Park" or "Neutral."380us045
Changing the selector lever
positionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front side of the se-
lector handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in or-
der to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (shift-lock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 380us046
Before exiting the vehicle when
the engine is running, place the
selector lever in the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake. If
you do not, the vehicle can move.
Do not leave the car unattended with
the engine running.
An unattended vehicle with a running
engine represents a potential safety
hazard.<
P - ParkSelect "Park" only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R - ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary.N - NeutralSelect "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a longer period.D - Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving un-
der all normal operating conditions. All
forward gears are available; the Adap-
tive Transmission Control (ATC) is fully
operational.

63n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission4 - Sport programThis position is recommended if your
driving style is performance-oriented.3 and 2 - Shift limiterSelect this range when you wish to limit
gear changes (on steep uphill or down-
hill slopes, for instance). The transmis-
sion upshifts only as far as the selected
gear."Kickdown"
(automatic downshift) In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
Press the accelerator pedal past the in-
creased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.Shift programsThe automatic transmission of your
BMW is equipped with the Adaptive
Transmission Control (ATC) as standard
equipment.When you select program A, the ATC
system automatically adapts to individ-
ual driving styles and road conditions to
provide optimal performance with the
selector lever at position D.
Because of this, the remaining selector
lever positions for forward driving are
only required in extreme situations such
as those listed in the description of po-
sition 2.
A - Adaptive programThis is the initial position that the trans-
mission selects at every start. In the po-
sitions for forward driving, the ATC
(Adaptive Transmission Control) auto-
matically selects the optimal gear from
different shift programs. To achieve
this, the system constantly adapts to
driver characteristics (such as a moder-
ate or performance-oriented driving
style), road condition factors (slick
roads or extreme slopes, for instance)
as well as the current driving situation
(winding roads or mountain travel, for
instance).
For details concerning ATC, please re-
fer to the chapter titled "Advanced
Technology" on page 184.
M – Manual programThis program is for driving in one gear
(4th gear when D has been selected).
The transmission then remains in the
selected gear both when underway and
when starting off. For instance, when
you make a steep ascent with the se-
lector lever in position 2, the transmis-
sion does not make undesired upshifts.
The same principle applies during oper-
ation on ice-covered roads: By placing
the selector lever in position 3 you can
move off gradually, and the transmis-
sion will also suppress subsequent
shifts into higher gears.Selector lever positionsPositions 4, 3 and 2 have the function of
enhanced control over shifting – control
which is desired and intentionally se-
lected.
The ATC also functions in these selec-
tor lever positions – of course with limi-
tations for gear selection imposed by
the lever position.

65n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You may drive your vehicle as with a
typical automatic transmission, but you
may also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever to
the left from position "D" and into the
M/S shift level, the performance-ori-
ented shift programs of the automatic
transmission are activate. As soon as
you move the selector lever in the "+" or
"–" direction, Steptronic changes the
gear and the manual mode is active. If
you wish to utilize automatic shifting
once again, move the selector lever to
the right and into the D position.
The automatic transmission of your
BMW is equipped with an Adaptive
Transmission Control (ATC). This sys-
tem reacts with precision to your indi-
vidual driving style and the current driv-
ing conditions. Different shift programs
are utilized to achieve this.
For details concerning ATC, please re-
fer to the chapter describing "Advanced
technology" on page 184.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting engineThe engine can only be started in selec-
tor lever positions P ("Park") or N ("Neu-
tral").380us667
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front side of the se-
lector handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in or-
der to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (shift-lock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 380de211

66n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Before exiting the vehicle when
the engine is running, place the
selector lever in the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake. If
you do not, the vehicle can move.
Do not leave the car unattended with
the engine running. An unattended ve-
hicle with a running engine represents a
potential safety hazard.<
P - ParkSelect "Park" only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R - ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary.N - NeutralSelect "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a longer period.D - Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving un-
der all normal operating conditions. All
forward gears are available; the Adap-
tive Transmission Control (ATC) is fully
operational."Kickdown" (automatic downshift)In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
Press the accelerator pedal past the in-
creased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S - Manual mode and
Sport ProgramWhen you change from "D" to M/S, the
Sport program is activated. This is indi-
cated by "D S" in the gear display. This
position is recommended if your driving
style is performance-oriented.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport pro-
gram to manual mode.
When you move the selector lever for-
ward in the "+" direction, the transmis-
sion shifts up. When moved back in the
"–" direction, the transmission shifts
down.
Depending on the version, "1 to 5" or
"M1 to M5" appears in the gear display.380de659

67n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
The ATC will execute upshifts or down-
shifts only at appropriate engine and
road speeds. For example, the trans-
mission does not shift down when the
engine speed is too high. The selected
gear will appear briefly in the instrument
cluster, followed by the current gear.
In the manual mode for rapid ac-
celeration – when passing, for ex-
ample – manually or a shifting down to
the kickdown point.<
You can only change from M/S to the
selector lever positions "P," "R" and "N"
via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts au-
tomatically to the next higher gear
shortly before the RPM 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 gear
which is possible, depending on the
engine speed.
Electronic transmission control
moduleIf the "TRANS. FAILSAFE PROG" mes-
sage appears in the Check Control,
there is a malfunction in the transmis-
sion system.
You can still place the selector lever in
all positions. However, it is possible
that not all gears are available for the
vehicle's forward drive.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing, tow-starting and jump-
starting, refer to pages 179, 180.

90n
Park Distance Control (PDC)
*
The PDC assists you when you are
parking. Acoustic signals warn you
of the distance to an obstacle. In addi-
tion, four ultrasonic sensors in each the
front and rear bumpers measure the
distance from the nearest object. The
monitoring range for the four front sen-
sors and that of the two rear corner
sensors ends approx. 2 feet (60 cm)
beyond the respective bumper. The two
center sensors cover a distance of
approx. 5 feet (1.50 m).380de619
The system starts to operate automati-
cally about one second after you move
the selector lever to "R" when the igni-
tion key is in position 2. It is similarly
deactivated when you move the selec-
tor lever position from the "R" position.
The indicator lamp in the button (arrow)
comes on to signal the active status.
Manual activation/deactivation is possi-
ble using the button in the center
console (arrow) (indicator lamp comes
on/goes out). The system deactivates
once the vehicle travels approximately
160 ft (50 m) or exceeds a speed of
about 18 mph (30 km/h). It must then be
switched on again as desired.
Acoustical signalsThe distance to an obstruction in the
front is indicated by a higher interval
tone, while the distance to an obstruc-
tion in the rear is indicated by a deeper
tone. As the distance between vehicle
and object decreases, the intervals be-
tween the tones become shorter. A
continuous tone indicates the presence
of an object less than 1 ft. (30 cm)
away.
The warning signal is canceled after ap-
prox. three seconds if the distance to
the obstruction remains constant during
this time (if you are moving parallel to a
wall, for instance).
System malfunctions are indicated by a
short, continuous tone and a flashing
indicator lamp (indicator lamp only
when the system is activated by shifting
the transmission into "R").
Switch the system off and consult an
authorized BMW center to have the
problem corrected.