2001 BMW 540I SEDAN automatic transmission

70n
Parking brake Manual transmissionThe parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.To engageThe lever engages automatically and
the "PARK BRAKE" or "BRAKE" (in
Canada "P") indicator lamp comes on in
the instrument cluster in ignition key
position 2. Refer to pages 22 and 23.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.390de042
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply mod-
erate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces, since not even placing the
lever in 1st gear or reverse may not
provide adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill (at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance), provided that it is safe
to do so.
BMW 525i, BMW 530iEvery time you shift gears, always
depress the clutch pedal all the way
down, pushing the manual-shift gear
lever into the respective end position.
Depress the clutch even when starting
the engine, otherwise, a lock will pre-
vent the engine from being started.
The shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.360de044

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
71n
Manual transmissionBMW 540iEvery time you shift gears, always
depress the clutch pedal all the way
down, pushing the manual-shift gear
lever into the respective end position.
Depress the clutch even when starting
the engine, otherwise, a lock will pre-
vent the engine from being started.
The shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.380de044
When shifting gears in the 5th/
6th-gear plane, be sure to press
the gear lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th-gear plane.<
ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary. Press the shift lever to the
left to overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Riding the clutch causes increased
clutch wear.<

72n
Automatic transmission
*
The automatic transmission of your
BMW is equipped with Adaptive Trans-
mission Control (ATC), a system which
reacts with precision to your individual
driving style and the driving conditions.
To achieve this, different driving pro-
grams are automatically engaged.
For details concerning ATC, please
refer to the chapter describing
"Advanced technology" on page 206.390us625
Selector lever positions
P R N D 4 3 2
The transmission range display varies
according to model (refer to illustra-
tions).
Starting engineThe selector lever must be in "Park" or
"Neutral" before it is possible to start
the engine.390us045
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To
release the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front of the selector
handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in
order to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 390de046

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
73n
Automatic transmission
*
Before leaving the vehicle when
the engine is running, shift the
selector lever to the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake.
The vehicle could move if this is not
done.
Never leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
If you should accidentally select
"Neutral" while traveling at high speed,
remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal immediately. Allow the engine
speed to drop to idle before selecting
the desired drive position. Damage
could otherwise occur due to excessive
engine speed.<
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 long period.D Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.4 – Sport ProgramThis position is recommended if you
wish to select a performance-oriented
driving style.
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 shifts up only as far as the selected
gear."Kickdown" In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
To activate this mode, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle position, at which a resistance
point must be overcome.

74n
Automatic transmission
*
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or if the message "TRANS.
FAILSAFE PROG" appears in
the Check Control
*, there is a malfunc-
tion in the transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop, select the
"Park" position, apply the parking brake
and shut the engine off (ignition key po-
sition 0). Restart the engine after a few
seconds. If the indicator lamp goes out
again after a few seconds, the normal
transmission functions have been re-
stored. You may continue to drive as
usual.
If the indicator lamp does not go out,
you can place the selector lever in all
positions. However, the vehicle will now
only drive forward with limited gear
selection.
Under these circumstances, avoid ex-
treme engine loads and consult the
nearest 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 jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 200 and 201.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
75n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You can drive just as you do with a nor-
mal automatic transmission, including
Adaptive Transmission Control (ATC),
but in addition, you can also shift manu-
ally.
For individual gear selection, move the
selector lever from the "D" position to
the left and into the M/S range. This
selects the Sport Program of the auto-
matic transmission. As soon as you
move the selector lever in the "+" or "–"
direction, Steptronic changes the gear.
If you wish to utilize the automatic driv-
ing position once again, move the se-
lector lever to the right and into posi-
tion "D."
For details concerning ATC, please re-
fer to the chapter describing "Advanced
technology" on page 207.
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").390us607
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts to
the "Reverse" or "Park" selector lever
positions. To disengage the detent,
press the button on the front of the shift
knob (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in
order to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 390de140

76n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Before leaving the vehicle when
the engine is running, shift the se-
lector lever to the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake.
The vehicle could move if this is not
done. Do not leave the car unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
If you should inadvertently select "Neu-
tral" while traveling at high speed, re-
move your foot from the accelerator
pedal immediately. Allow the engine
speed to drop to idle before selecting
the desired drive position. Damage
could otherwise occur due to excessive
engine speed.<
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 long period.
D Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving un-
der all normal operating conditions. All
forward gears are available."Kickdown" In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
To activate this mode, depress the ac-
celerator pedal beyond the full-throttle
position, at which a resistance point
must be overcome.
M/S Manual mode and
Sport ProgramWhen you change from "D" to "M/S,"
the Sport Program is activated. This is
indicated by "D S" in the gear selection
display. The Sport Program is designed
for performance-oriented driving.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport Pro-
gram to the manual mode. Whenever
you move the selector lever forward in
the "+" direction, the transmission shifts
up, and when you move it backward in
the "–" direction, the transmission will
shift down. M1...M5 will be displayed in
the gear indicator.390de323

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
77n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Upshifts or downshifts will be carried
out by the ATC only at appropriate
engine speeds and road speeds. For
instance, if engine speed is too high, a
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 from low road speeds (when
passing, for instance), you must 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 Step-
tronic "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 RPM cutoff point
>At low speeds, the transmission
shifts down automatically – you do
not have to act.
>In the "Kickdown" mode, the trans-
mission shifts down to the lowest
gear which is possible, depending on
the engine speed.
>According to the situation, for
instance in wintry conditions, the
vehicle can be started in 2nd or
3rd gear.Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or the message "TRANS.FAIL-
SAFE PROG" appears in the
Check Control
*, there is a fault in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to "P." Set
the parking brake and turn the engine
off (ignition key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission
performance has been restored. You
may continue to drive as usual. If the
indicator lamp does not go out, you can
place the selector lever in all positions.
However, the vehicle will now only drive
forward with limited gear selection.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest 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 jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 200 and 201.