
70
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*The conceptThe sequential M gearbox with 
Drivelogic is an automated manual 
gearbox with which clutching and shift-
ing is assumed by an electro-hydraulic 
system.
The SMG  Drivelogic is operated via two 
shift paddles on the steering wheel and 
the selector lever in the center console.
It offers the following functions:
>Sequential and automated shifting 
mode
>Ability to choose between different 
driving programs – Drivelogic
>Gradient assistance, refer to page 73
>Upshift display and shift lights, refer 
to page 74
>RPM matching on downshifts
>Driving dependent functions:
The respective driving situation, e.g. 
cornering, mountain driving or brak-
ing, is detected by sensors and taken 
into account for shifting, e.g. to 
achieve optimum gear selection dur-
ing deceleration and subsequent 
acceleration
>Slip recognition at the rear axle for 
increasing driving stability, e.g. dur-
ing downshifting on slippery road 
surfaces>Operating safety through protection 
against misshifting.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel 
consumption is lowest when driving in 
the first driving program of the auto-
mated shifting mode.
Selector lever positionsR: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
Forward position with one-touch mode:
>S: sequential mode
>D: automated mode
>+: upshifting in sequential mode
>–: downshifting in sequential mode.
The SMG Drivelogic is ready for opera-
tion from ignition key position two or 
higher.
For your safety, it is only possible to 
engage a driving position with the vehi-
cle stopped approx. two seconds after 
engaging position N with the footbrake 
depressed – shift-lock function. 

71
Display in instrument clusterThe selector lever position, currently 
engaged gear and selected driving pro-
gram are displayed in the instrument 
cluster.
1Engaged gear
2Selected driving program, corre-
sponds to the number of illuminated 
fields, refer to page 73
3Tapping the selector lever to the right 
switches over into the displayed shift 
mode
4'D' indicates an activated automated 
shift mode
R – Reverse positionOnly engage with the vehicle stopped 
or at low speed, e.g. for rocking free in 
deep snow.
An intermittent signal tone indi-
cates that the reverse position has 
been engaged.
If the driving situation requires, e.g. 
when downshifting on slippery roads, 
the SMG Drivelogic automatically dis-
engages and reengages the clutch, i.e. 
it is not necessary to manually engage 
position N.S – Sequential modeIn the sequential mode all forward 
gears are to be shifted by the driver.
To switch from automated to sequential 
mode:
>Tap the selector lever to the right 
toward S or
>change gears with the selector lever 
or the shift paddles on the steering 
wheel.
You do not need to reduce the throttle 
for shifting.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*
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72
Shifting gears with shift paddles on 
steering wheel:
>To upshift, briefly pull the right pad-
dle +
>To downshift, briefly pull the left pad-
dle –.
Shift paddles with various widths 
matched to the shape of your 
hand are available from your BMW cen-
ter.<
Shifting gears with selector lever:
>To upshift, pull the selector lever 
backward in the + direction
>To downshift, push the selector lever 
in the – direction.
No automatic upshifting is carried out in 
the sequential mode.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g. 
during passing, by manually downshift-
ing.
In the following situations the 
SMG Drivelogic anticipates your 
actions in the sequential mode:
>Upshifts and downshifts are only exe-
cuted at appropriate combinations of 
engine rpm and vehicle speed. For 
instance, downshifts that would 
result in excessive engine speed are 
not executed
>During a stop the gearbox is auto-
matically downshifted into the first 
gear so that, e.g. before a traffic light, 
it is only necessary to accelerate to 
continue driving
>As speed diminishes, the gearbox 
downshifts automatically, without you 
taking any action, just before the 
vehicle slows to below each gear's 
minimum speed.D - Automated modeEach time the engine is started, the 
automated mode is activated as soon 
as you move the selector lever into the 
forward driving position.
In the automated mode all forward 
gears are shifted automatically.To switch from sequential to automated 
mode: tap the selector lever to the right 
toward D. Watch the display in the 
instrument cluster, refer to page 71.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during 
passing, depress the accelerator pedal 
completely – kickdown. The gearbox 
now downshifts depending on the 
selected driving program.
Even in the automated mode, you can 
help specify the shifting point: if a gear-
dependent minimum speed is 
exceeded, you can upshift by slowly 
reducing pressure on the accelerator 
pedal. In the process, the respective 
driving situation is detected by sensors 
and taken into account.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic* 

73
DrivelogicDrivelogic makes various driving pro-
grams available to you.
Press the Drivelogic repeatedly until the 
desired driving program is shown in the 
SMG display of the instrument cluster, 
refer to page 71.
In the automated mode you can select 
from five driving programs ranging from 
convenience mode/winter operation to 
sporty and highly dynamic.
In the first automated driving program, 
starting off takes place in second gear, 
which is advisable under winter road 
conditions with ice and snow.
In the sequential mode you can choose 
from six driving programs ranging from 
balanced, dynamic driving – 1 – to 
sporty, puristic driving – 6. The sporty, 
puristic driving program can only be 
activated when Dynamic Stability Con-
trol DSC is switched off, refer to 
page 86.
To maintain vehicle stability, 
always drive with the DSC acti-
vated on whenever possible.<
Following each change between the 
sequential and the automated mode, 
the last driving program selected in the 
respective mode is active. Exception: if 
program 6 had been the last selected 
sequential driving program, program 5 
is activated instead.
Your vehicle is set so that when 
the engine is started, the last 
selected driving program saved in your 
key is activated for each shifting 
mode.<
Gradient assistanceThe gradient assistance enables start-
ing off on grades with virtually no roll-
back. It can be activated in the sequen-
tial and automated mode with the vehi-
cle stopped and can be used for both 
forward and reverse driving.
The vehicle may roll slightly before 
it is held by the gradient assis-
tance after releasing the footbrake.
Two seconds after the footbrake is 
released, the vehicle begins to roll, as it 
is no longer held with the gradient 
assistance.<
1. Depress footbrake with vehicle 
stopped
2. Activate the gradient assistance by 
pulling the left paddle for at least 
0.5 seconds. An increase in the 
engine speed indicates that the gra-
dient assistance is activated
Briefly pulling the left paddle again 
deactivates the gradient assis-
tance again.<
3. Release the footbrake and start off 
within two seconds.
The gradient assistance must be reacti-
vated before each use.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*
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79 Everything under control
Odometer1Odometer
2Trip odometerOdometerYou can activate the displays shown in 
the illustration with the ignition key in 
position 0 by pressing the left button in 
the instrument cluster.Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero, 
press the left button with the ignition 
key in position 1 or higher.
TachometerVariable pre-warning zoneThe yellow pre-warning zone displays 
current permissible engine speeds, 
depending on the engine temperature. 
As the engine temperature climbs, 
some of the sectors for this pre-warning 
zones will go out one after the other.
Avoid engine speeds in the early warn-
ing zone if possible.
Never allow the engine to operate with 
the needle in the red overspeed zone of 
the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is 
interrupted when you approach this 
sector.
Engine oil temperatureThe general operating temperature lies 
between 1757/806 and 2507/ 
1206. During high-performance driv-
ing, do not exceed a maximum value of 
3007/1506.
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81
Service interval displayRemaining distance to next 
serviceThe displays shown in the illustration 
appear for a few seconds when the 
ignition key is in position 1 or higher or 
after the engine is started.
The next service due appears with the 
message OIL SERVICE or 
INSPECTION, together with the dis-
tance remaining in miles – in kilometers 
in Canada – before the next scheduled 
service.
The computer bases its calculations of 
the remaining distance on the preced-
ing driving style.
A flashing message and a '–' in front of 
the number mean that the service inter-
val has already been exceeded by the 
distance shown on the display. Please 
contact your BMW center for an 
appointment.
Check ControlDisplayWhen the ignition key is in position 2, 
the following information and/or condi-
tions are indicated using symbols until 
the conditions have been corrected.
1Inspect the low-beam and high-beam 
headlamps, as well as the parking 
lamps
2Door open
3Luggage compartment lid open
4Check brake and tail lamps
When you open the driver's door after 
having turned the ignition key to posi-
tion 0, you will hear an acoustic signal 
for a few seconds to remind you that 
the lamps have not been switched off.
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82
ClockIf you wish to have a permanent time 
display, you can make this adjustment 
in the car radio display, refer to the 
Owner's Manual for Radio.
You can set the time of day, and the 
display for the car radio, as follows.
Setting
Before the clock can be set, the 
time must be showing in the 
instrument cluster display.<
With the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher
To set ahead: turn the right button to 
the right.
To set back: turn the right button to the 
left.
The adjustment speed will increase the 
longer you continue to hold the right 
button.
To change the display mode: press the 
right button briefly.
Every time you press the button, the 
clock display alternates between the 
12-hour and 24-hour mode.
In ignition key position 0: the time is 
displayed for a few seconds after you 
press the left button, refer to Odometer 
on page 79. 

83
ComputerMode selectionWith the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher, you can use the onboard com-
puter button BC in the turn signal lever 
to retrieve information from the com-
puter for display in the instrument clus-
ter. 
Every time you tap the onboard com-
puter button BC, the display changes to 
the next function in sequence.
Order of the displays:
>Clock
>Outside temperature
>Average fuel consumption
>Range
>Average speed.
When the ignition key is in position 1 or 
higher, the last active setting is dis-
played.
Outside temperatureYou can change the units of measure – 
7/6 – for the outside temperature dis-
play by pressing the right-hand reset 
button in the instrument cluster while 
the temperature display is active. The 
units of measure – 7/6 – in the tem-
perature display of the automatic cli-
mate control change automatically, 
refer to page 94.Ice warningIf the outside temperature drops to 
about 37.57/+36, then the computer 
will automatically switch to a display of 
the outside temperature. In addition, a 
signal sounds as a warning and the dis-
play flashes for a brief period.
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