2012 BMW Z4 SDRIVE35I transmission

8-gear Sport automatic
transmission
Transmission positions
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for‐
ward gears are available.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con‐
sumption is lowest when you are driving in po‐
sition D.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the accelerator beyond
the resistance point at the full throttle position.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is Neutral
The vehicle can roll.
N remains engaged after the engine is switched
off if the remote control remains in the ignition
lock. This function can be used in an automatic
car wash, refer to page 182, for example. P is
automatically engaged after approx. 30 minutes.
P Park
The rear wheels are locked.
P is engaged automatically when the following
conditions are met:▷The driver's door is opened while the engine
is running, the safety belt is not fastened and
neither the brake pedal nor the accelerator
is activated.▷The engine is switched off unless N is en‐
gaged and the remote control is in the igni‐
tion lock.▷The remote control is removed from the ig‐
nition lock, refer to page 45.Before leaving the vehicle, ensure that the trans‐
mission position P is engaged; otherwise, the
vehicle may begin to roll.
Engaging transmission position▷Transmission position P can only be disen‐
gaged if the engine is running and the brake
pedal is pressed.▷With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
Press on the brake pedal until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after you
select a driving position, maintain pressure on
the brake pedal until you are ready to start.◀
Engaging transmission positions D, R,
N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
When shifting out of P or into R, simultaneously
push the unlock button 1.
The engaged transmission position is displayed
on the selector lever.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to its
center position.
Engaging transmission position P
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
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Press button P.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Activating the sport program
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
The sport program is activated and DS is dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
This position is recommended for a perform‐
ance-oriented driving style.
Activating manual mode
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
Push the selector lever forward or backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster, e.g., M1.
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: press the selector lever back‐
ward.The transmission only shifts up or down if the
rpm and vehicle speed are appropriate. If the
engine speed is too high, the transmission does
not shift down.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument panel, followed by the current gear.
Avoiding automatic upshifting
When the maximum engine speed is reached,
the transmission automatically shifts up when in
M/S manual mode.
These automatic shifting procedures are not
performed and kickdown is deactivated if one of
the following conditions is fulfilled:▷DSC is deactivated.▷TRACTION is activated.▷SPORT+ is activated.
Dynamic Driving Control, refer to page 82
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shifting gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel
The shifting paddles make it possible to quickly
change gears since both hands can remain on
the steering wheel.
▷If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears while in automatic mode
D, the transmission temporarily switches to
manual mode.▷If the shift paddles are not used to accelerate
or shift gears for a certain amount of time,
the transmission switches back to auto‐
matic mode D.
With the transmission position M/S selected,
the manual mode remains active.
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▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.
The vehicle only shifts up or down at appropriate
engine and road speeds, e.g., it does not shift
down if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Displays in the instrument cluster
The gear position is displayed and the engaged
gear, such as M4, is displayed in manual mode.
7-gear Sport automatic
transmission with dual clutch
The concept
This transmission is an automated manual
transmission with two clutches and two gearbox
components in which the gears are changed
without loss of torque.
The transmission is operated using the selector
lever and two shift paddles on the steering
wheel.
Functions:
▷Choice of manual or automatic operation:
manual mode or drive mode.▷Automatic downshifting and protection
against selecting the wrong gear, even in
manual mode.▷Acceleration assistant, Launch Control, re‐
fer to page 58.▷Automatic throttle blip.
System limits
This transmission is equipped with an overheat‐
ing protection system that protects the clutches
against extremely high loads.
The indicator lamp lights up yellow if
the transmission becomes too warm.
Avoid high engine loads and driving off
frequently.
If the transmission overheats, the indicator lamp
lights up red and power flow to the engine is in‐
terrupted. You can only continue driving after
the transmission has cooled down.
Avoid driving off frequently with high accelera‐
tion and do not hold the vehicle on inclines by
depressing the accelerator lightly; otherwise,
the transmission may overheat.
Transmission positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
The gear position and the engaged gear, such
as M4, are displayed.
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Engaging transmission positions N, D,
R▷Transmission position P can only be disen‐
gaged if the engine is running.▷Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, depress the
brake; otherwise, the transmission will not
shift.
Press on the brake pedal until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after you
select a driving position, maintain pressure on
the brake pedal until you are ready to start.◀
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
When shifting out of P or into R, press button 1
at the same time.
The engaged transmission position is also dis‐
played on the selector lever.
When you release the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
N is Neutral
The vehicle can roll.
N remains engaged after the engine is switched
off if the remote control remains in the ignition
lock. This function can be used in an automatic
car wash, refer to page 182, for example. P is
automatically engaged after approx. 30 minutes.
D drive mode
In drive mode, all forward gears are shifted au‐
tomatically.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
P Park
The rear wheels are locked.
P is engaged automatically when the following
conditions are met:▷The driver's door is opened while the engine
is running, the safety belt is not fastened and
neither the brake pedal nor the accelerator
is activated.▷The engine is switched off unless N is en‐
gaged and the remote control is in the igni‐
tion lock.▷The remote control is removed from the ig‐
nition lock, refer to page 45.
Before leaving the vehicle, ensure that the trans‐
mission position P is engaged; otherwise, the
vehicle may begin to roll.
Engaging transmission position P
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
Press button P.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press the accelerator past the re‐
sistance point.
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Sport program and manual mode M/S
Press the selector lever from gear position D to
the left to activate the Sport program.
Sport program
This position is recommended for a perform‐
ance-oriented driving style.
The gear position and the engaged gear are dis‐
played in the instrument cluster, for instance S1.
Manual mode
When you press the selector lever forward or
backward, or when you pull one of the shift pad‐
dles, manual mode is activated and the gear is
changed.
The gear position and the engaged gear are dis‐
played in the instrument cluster, for instance
M1.
The transmission provides assistance in the fol‐
lowing situations:
▷Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combina‐
tion of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for
example, a downshift that would cause the
engine to overrev will not be executed by the
system.▷When the vehicle stops, the transmission
automatically shifts down to first gear.▷Shortly before the vehicle slows down to be‐
low the minimum speed of the gear currently
engaged, the transmission automatically
shifts down without requiring your interven‐
tion.Shifting down rapidly: even in manual mode, you
can skip several gears to achieve optimal accel‐
eration. Do so by pressing the accelerator past
the resistance point.
Changing to drive mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
In manual mode:▷To shift up, pull back the selector lever.▷To shift down, push it forward.
Shifting gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears with‐
out taking your hands off the steering wheel.
You do not need to raise your foot from the ac‐
celerator when doing so.
▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.
Gears can be shifted using the shift paddles in
drive mode or in manual mode.
Gear change in manual mode
When manual mode is active, refer to page 57,
gears can be changed using the shift paddles or
the selector lever.
Gear change in drive mode
The shift paddles can be used to change gears
in drive mode as well.
Afterwards, if the shift paddles are not used for
some time and vehicle acceleration is insuffi‐
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cient, the forward gears are changed again au‐
tomatically.
Launch Control
Launch Control enables you to drive off with an
optimal vehicle acceleration on a high grip road
surface.
Do not use Launch Control too often
Do not use Launch Control too often, as
the higher loads on the vehicle lead to premature
component wear.◀
Launch Control is available when the engine is
at operating temperature, i.e., after driving con‐
tinuously for at least 6 miles/10 km.1.With the engine running, depress the brake
pedal with your left foot.2.Activate the SPORT+ program of the Dy‐
namic Driving Control, refer to page 82.3.With the vehicle stationary, activate manual
mode and select first gear.4.Press the accelerator all the way down. The
engine speed when driving off is controlled.
A flag symbol appears in the instrument
cluster.5.The vehicle accelerates when you release
the brake pedal. Keep the accelerator
pressed all the way down.6.The transmission shifts up automatically as
long as the accelerator is pressed all the way
down.
Launch Control only becomes available again
after a certain distance has been driven.
Launch Control can only be used after the
break-in phase, refer to page 108.
To maintain driving stability, activate DSC
whenever possible.
Manually releasing and engaging the
transmission lock
If a power failure occurs, e.g., if the battery is
discharged or disconnected, the transmission
lock must be released manually, otherwise the
rear wheels are blocked and the vehicle cannot
be towed.
Release the transmission lock manually for tow‐
ing only and set the parking brake beforehand to
prevent the vehicle from rolling. After parking
the vehicle, engage the transmission lock again
manually, refer to page 59.
Manual release1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever un‐
til the sleeve is inside out.3.Unclip and raise cover frame.4.Insert an Allen wrench of the right size into
the cap.5.Turn the cap with the Allen wrench, arrow 1,
and remove it, arrow 2.6.Insert the Allen wrench into the opening, ar‐
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Turn the Allen wrench in the correct
direction
Do not turn the Allen wrench in the opposite
direction as this may damage the mecha‐
nism.◀7.Turn the Allen wrench as far as it will go, ar‐
row 2. The transmission lock is released.8.Draw the Allen wrench out of the opening.
Locking the transmission lock again
After parking the vehicle, lock the trans‐
mission lock again to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.◀
Locking manually
1.Press the button, see arrow. The transmis‐
sion lock is locked again.2.Clip the cover frame back into place.3.Clip the sleeve of the selector lever back in
place.4.Set the parking brake.
Jump-starting, refer to page 177, towing, refer
to page 179.
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Driving comfortVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series.Therefore, it also
describes equipment that may not be found in
your vehicle, for instance due to the selected
special equipment or the country version. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
Cruise control
The concept
Cruise control is available for use at speeds of
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h and higher. The car
then stores and maintains the speed that you
specify using the lever on the steering column.
In order to maintain the specified speed, the
system brakes the vehicle when the engine
braking effect is insufficient on downhill gradi‐
ents.
Do not use cruise control
Do not use the system if unfavorable con‐
ditions make it impossible to drive at a constant
speed, for instance:▷On curvy roads.▷In heavy traffic.▷On slippery roads, in fog, snow or rain, or on
a loose road surface.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident.◀
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti‐
vated. An indicator lamp notifies you that you
should shift gears when you drive for an ex‐
tended period at very high or very low engine
speeds, or the system is deactivated.
One lever for all functions1Storing and maintaining speed or accelerat‐
ing2Storing and maintaining speed or deceler‐
ating3Deactivating cruise control4Resuming a speed stored beforehand
Maintaining current speed
Push the lever, arrow 1, or pull it briefly, arrow 2.
The car's current speed is stored and main‐
tained. It is displayed on the speedometer and
briefly in the instrument cluster.
On uphill gradients, it may prove impossible to
maintain the set speed if current engine power
output is insufficient. If the engine braking effect
is insufficient on downhill slopes, the system will
brake the vehicle slightly.
Increasing desired speed
Repeatedly press the lever to the resistance
point or beyond, arrow 1, until the desired speed
is reached.
▷Each time the lever is pressed to the point of
resistance, the desired speed increases by
approx. 1 mph/1 km/h.▷Each time the lever is pressed beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed is in‐
creased by up to 5 mph/10 km/h.
The system stores and maintains the speed.
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