2002 BMW Z3 automatic transmission

62n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You can drive as with a normal auto-
matic transmission. In addition, you can
also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever from
the "D" position to the left into the M/S
range, the performance-oriented shift
programs of the automatic transmission
are engaged. As soon as you briefly tab
the selector lever in the "+" or "Ð" direc-
tion, Steptronic changes the gear. The
manual mode is engaged. When you
wish to use the automatic transmission
mode again, move the selector lever to
the right into the "D" position.
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 shift programs
are automatically engaged.
For additional details concerning the
ATC, please refer to the chapter
"Advanced technology" on page 164.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + Ð
Starting the engine The engine can only be started in
selector lever positions P ("Park") or
N ("Neutral"). Range selection A detent prevents inadvertent shifts to
the "Reverse" or "Park" selector lever
positions. To disengage the detent,
press the button on the front side of
the selector lever knob (arrow). 367de703
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. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.<
If you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to the "Park" or "Neutral" position
and apply the parking brake. If you fail
to do this, the vehicle could move.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsMaintenanceControlsOverview
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
P Ñ Park Select only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R Ñ Reverse Select only when the vehicle is
stationary. N Ñ Neutral Select only if your journey is interrupted
for a longer period. D Ñ 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 Ð 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
"Ð" 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 Ð to pass another vehicle, for
example Ð 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 Ð 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 Ð when
driving in adverse winter conditions,
for example Ð the transmission may
also start out in 2nd or 3rd gear.

64n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Turn signals/High beams
Available displays
S M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
there is a fault in the transmis-
sion system.
All of the selector lever positions can
continue to be used; in the forward
drive positions, however, the vehicle
will be operating with restricted gear
availability.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest BMW
center.
367us723
Do not work in the engine
compartment when a drive gear
(forward or reverse) is engaged. If you
do so, the vehicle could move.<
Information on jump-starting, tow-
starting and towing, refer to
pages 158, 159.
1 High beams (blue indicator lamp)
2 Headlamp flasher (blue indicator
lamp)
3 Turn signal indicators (green indicator
lamp and rhythmic clicking of the
relay)
If the indicator lamp and the clicking
from the relay are both faster than
normal, one of the turn signal indicators
has failed.To signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond
the pressure point. It then returns to the
center position when released.367us024

67n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsMaintenanceControlsOverview
Cruise control
*
You can maintain and store any desired
vehicle speed above approx. 25 mph
(40 km/h).
The system is switched off and the
stored speed deleted from its memory
when you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 0.
Do not use the cruise control on
winding roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed, when the road surface is slick
(snow, rain, ice) or when the road
surface is loose (rocks or gravel,
sand).< 365us059
To maintain and store speed/
to acceleratePress the lever briefly in direction 1:
The system maintains and stores the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
briefly press the lever, the speed
increases by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Hold the lever in position 1:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the lever, the system main-
tains and stores the current speed.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine
braking effect is not sufficient, the
controlled speed can be exceeded.
Speed can drop on uphill grades if the
engine output is insufficient.< To deceleratePress the lever briefly in direction 2:
If you are already driving with active
cruise control, the speed is decreased
by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h) every time
you briefly touch the lever.
Hold the lever in position 2:
With the cruise control active, the
system automatically reduces the
throttle opening to slow the vehicle.
When you release the lever, the system
maintains and stores the current speed.Call up stored setting (resume)Press the lever briefly in direction 3:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored.To deactivatePress the lever briefly in direction 4:
The cruise control is deactivated imme-
diately.
In addition, the system is also automati-
cally deactivated in response to the
following conditions:
>When you apply the brakes
>When you depress the clutch or move
the automatic transmission selector
lever from "D" to "N"
>If you exceed or fall below the preset
speed for an extended period (by
depressing the accelerator, for
example).

68n
1 OdometerYou can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the button in the
instrument cluster (arrow).2 Trip odometer/Gear indicator
for automatic transmission with
Steptronic
*
Trip odometer:
To reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button (arrow) with the igni-
tion key in position 1 or higher.
Gear indicator:
>S for Sport Program
>M1 to M5 for manual mode.367us710
Never allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed sector
of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the engine-
management system automatically
interrupts the fuel supply in this range;
you will notice a loss of power.367de005
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
Once the indicator lamp stays on
continuously, there are still approx.
2.1 gallons (8 liters) of fuel in the fuel
tank.
Tank capacity: page 173.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies (extended
driving in mountainous areas, for
example), the needle may fluctuate
slightly.
Please refuel early, since driving
to the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter.< 367us006
Odometer Tachometer Fuel gauge

106n
Winter operation Power steeringIf it should occur that the ABS does not
respond in a critical braking situation
and the wheels lock: reduce the pres-
sure on the brake pedal until the wheels
just start to roll again while still main-
taining enough force to continue
braking. Following that, increase pedal
pressure again. Reduce the pressure as
the wheels lock, then reapply pressure.
Repeat this process.
This type of staggered braking will
shorten the braking distance, and the
vehicle still remains responsive to
steering.
You can still attempt to steer around
hazards once you have reduced the
pressure on the brake pedal.
Do not shift down on slick road
surfaces. Doing so could cause
the rear wheels to lose traction and
skid, which could result in the loss of
vehicle control.<
Declutch during hard braking on
road surfaces which provide only
poor or uneven traction.<
Skid controlDepress the clutch and release the
accelerator pedal, or place the selector
lever of the automatic transmission into
the "Neutral" position. Countersteer
carefully and attempt to regain control
of the vehicle.ParkingEngage 1st or reverse gear. If your
vehicle is equipped with an automatic
transmission, place the selector lever in
"Park". On vehicles with manual trans-
mission, also apply the parking brake
when parking on inclined surfaces. In
order to prevent the parking brake
linings from locking due to frost or
corrosion, dry them by gently applying
the parking brake as the vehicle is
coming to a stop. Make sure that
following traffic is not endangered.
The brake lamps do not light
up when the parking brake is
applied.<
If you notice a change in steering
response (high steering effort, for
example):
Consult a BMW center to have the
system checked.
If the power steering fails,
increased effort will be required
to steer the vehicle.<

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsMaintenanceControlsOverview
Engine oil To check oil level1. Park the vehicle on a level surface
2. Switch the engine off after it has
reached normal operating tempera-
ture
3. After approx. 5 minutes, pull the
dipstick out and wipe it off with a
clean lint-free cloth, paper towel, or
similar material
4. Push the dipstick carefully all the way
into the guide tube and pull it out
again
5. The oil level should be between the
two marks on the dipstick.
As with fuel economy, oil consumption
is directly influenced by your driving
style and vehicle operating conditions.367de738
The space between the two marks on
the dipstick corresponds to approx.
1.1 US quarts (1 liter). Do not fill beyond
the upper mark on the dipstick. Excess
oil will damage the engine.460de189
To add oilWhile you should wait until the level has
dropped to just above the lower mark
before adding oil, you should never
allow the oil level to fall below this
mark.
BMW engines are designed to
operate without oil additives; the
use of additives could lead to damage
in some cases. This also applies to the
manual and automatic transmission, the
differential and the power steering
system.< 367de344

160n
Towing the vehicle
The towed vehicle should always
be the lighter of the two vehicles.
If this is not the case, it will not be
possible to control vehicle handling.<
Tow-startingIt is not possible to start the engine of a
vehicle with an automatic transmission
by towing or pushing the vehicle.
For instructions on jump-starting, refer
to page 158.
Never attempt to use your vehicle to
push another vehicle. This could result
in damage to the energy-absorbing
bumpers.
Towing a vehicle with automatic
transmission1. Place the selector lever in
position "N"
2. Towing speed:
max. 45 mph (70 km/h)
3. Towing distance:
max. 95 miles (150 km)
4. Leave the ignition key in position 1 to
ensure that brake lamps, turn signal
indicators, horn and windshield
wipers remain operative, and to
prevent the steering lock from
engaging
5. Switch on the hazard-warning
flashers (observe applicable legal
regulations).
Find some means of identifying the
vehicle in tow. Place a sign or warning
triangle in the rear window, for
instance.
Even when the electrical system
has failed, make sure that the igni-
tion key remains in position 1 to prevent
the steering lock from engaging.
The steering and brakes are without
power assist when the engine is off.
This means that increased effort is
required for steering and braking.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck>Do not tow with sling-type equipment
>Use a wheel-lift or flatbed equipment
>Comply with applicable towing laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.
Never attach tie-down hooks, chains,
straps, or tow hooks to tie rods, control
arms, or any other part of the vehicle
suspension, as severe damage to these
components will occur, leading to
possible accidents.< 367us124