BMW Auto box gear select problem (offset drive gear???) Wierd

Hi,

I'm about to buy a 3 series BMW (318i SE Auto). This is a second hand
model and is a 2002 UK model. (The model just prior to the new angular
one).

I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar
model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear
lever can simply be slipped down directly into drive gear. There is no
need to push the stick slightly left then slip it down.

My problem is the car I'm about to buy requires a slight left movement
of the gear stick and at the same time a downwards movement in order
to go from neutral to drive mode. I don't remember any beemer
requiring this motion. Usually BMW are simplicity itself to drive, and
anything quirky is strictly not in BMW's book.

So I am concearned that

either:

1. My memory is completely going, and all BMW 3 series auto boxes
require this "left slide and downwards shift" motion to select drive.
I have simply forgotton that from the previous times I've driven
similar models.

Or.

2. The 3 series autobox does not require anything more than a simple
shift straight down from neutral to drive in order to select the
driver gear. Which means the car I'm about to drive has a damaged auto
box?

Please let me know your experience of the gear select on the 3 series
auto.

Thanks

My daughter drives a '00 325i (USA version) with an automatic transmission.
I used it recently and noticed that if the car is in N, I had to depress the
brake pedal to select D again, but if the car was in R, I could move the
shift selector to D without doing anything else.

This seems to be a safety interlock item that prevents unintended gear
changes in an unattended (by and adult) vehicle that might have a child
inside. Never mind the fact that when the driver gets out of the car, it
ought to be shut off, there are people <raising hand> that have gotten out
of cars with the motor running and a child is sitting in a position to
operate the gear selector. The kids in my world do not operate gear
selectors, but BMW has no way of knowing about all kids, so they put in an
interlock that should keep the kids from selecting gears at a time when
there is no vehicle operator present.








"richie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I'm about to buy a 3 series BMW (318i SE Auto). This is a second hand
> model and is a 2002 UK model. (The model just prior to the new angular
> one).
>
> I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar
> model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear
> lever can simply be slipped down directly into drive gear. There is no
> need to push the stick slightly left then slip it down.
>
> My problem is the car I'm about to buy requires a slight left movement
> of the gear stick and at the same time a downwards movement in order
> to go from neutral to drive mode. I don't remember any beemer
> requiring this motion. Usually BMW are simplicity itself to drive, and
> anything quirky is strictly not in BMW's book.
>
> So I am concearned that
>
> either:
>
> 1. My memory is completely going, and all BMW 3 series auto boxes
> require this "left slide and downwards shift" motion to select drive.
> I have simply forgotton that from the previous times I've driven
> similar models.
>
> Or.
>
> 2. The 3 series autobox does not require anything more than a simple
> shift straight down from neutral to drive in order to select the
> driver gear. Which means the car I'm about to drive has a damaged auto
> box?
>
> Please let me know your experience of the gear select on the 3 series
> auto.
>
> Thanks
>

In article .com>,
richie > wrote:
> I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar
> model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear
> lever can simply be slipped down directly into drive gear. There is no
> need to push the stick slightly left then slip it down.

No auto I've ever driven can be put directly in drive - too easy to knock
the lever.

--
*A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...
> In article .com>,
> richie > wrote:
>> I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar
>> model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear
>> lever can simply be slipped down directly into drive gear. There is no
>> need to push the stick slightly left then slip it down.
>
> No auto I've ever driven can be put directly in drive - too easy to knock
> the lever.

Every auto I've ever driven can be put into D without doing anything beyond
yanking the shift lever. The only condition is, the brake must be depressed
to get out of P. But, once out of P, the lever moves freely from R to N or
D. The lever has to be manipulated again to select 2 or 1, but once either
of those are selected, the driver can select D or N by simply moving the
lever to the desired location. There are no gates to prevent shifting into
D, there are only gates to prevent shifting out of D to a lower gear, or
into R or P.

My daughter's '00 3 Series is the first car I encountered that does not
follow this rule. There are conditions on this car that must be met to
select D.

On 25 May 2007 17:16:16 -0700, richie > wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm about to buy a 3 series BMW (318i SE Auto). This is a second hand
>model and is a 2002 UK model. (The model just prior to the new angular
>one).
>
>I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar
>model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear
>lever can simply be slipped down directly into drive gear. There is no
>need to push the stick slightly left then slip it down.
>
>My problem is the car I'm about to buy requires a slight left movement
>of the gear stick and at the same time a downwards movement in order
>to go from neutral to drive mode. I don't remember any beemer
>requiring this motion. Usually BMW are simplicity itself to drive, and
>anything quirky is strictly not in BMW's book.
>
>So I am concearned that
>
>either:
>
>1. My memory is completely going, and all BMW 3 series auto boxes
>require this "left slide and downwards shift" motion to select drive.
>I have simply forgotton that from the previous times I've driven
>similar models.
>
>Or.
>
>2. The 3 series autobox does not require anything more than a simple
>shift straight down from neutral to drive in order to select the
>driver gear. Which means the car I'm about to drive has a damaged auto
>box?
>
>Please let me know your experience of the gear select on the 3 series
>auto.
>
>Thanks

Well this is a new one on me ......... I have driven several auto BMWs and each
- depending on box, year and market (only driven 5s in the US) I can stat that
my '96 740i's lever - we are only talking about the mechanical interconnection
here as the 'box has nothing that will affect the lever motion - I must depress
the lever button to shift into P R and anything else other than D & N. The
movement is linear. Sport mode is via a slide switch next to the position
indicator.

I believe that some shifter mechanisms do need a sideways push to engage or
rather allow the lever to clear the 'gate' as some do not have the button
interlock. Jaguar is one that had a separate gate for sport mode as did
Mercedes at one time.

My New E65 has a fully electronic system that requires a foot on the brake pedal
before one can do anything other than listen to the radio, CD,DVD or watch TV.

To start the engine depress the brake and press START. To shift into
Forward/Reverse depress brake and move column lever 10mm up and you engage R
10mm down and you select F or drive! Press the end with the foot on the brake
and you get P.

Some earlier models could have similar programming in the 'box CPU for the
reason stated previously. I would check this out with a BMW Stealer first but I
would assume that if everything else checks out the selector is probably Ok too
--- What does the handbook say about it?? First place to look I would think.

In article <ozM5i.71$Au6.4@trndny04>,
Jeff Strickland > wrote:
> > No auto I've ever driven can be put directly in drive - too easy to
> > knock the lever.

> Every auto I've ever driven can be put into D without doing anything
> beyond yanking the shift lever.

Then that's not directly. And this feature of having to press the brake is
relatively recent - in the UK at least. My '92 E34 didn't have it - you
had to press a button on the shift lever.

--
*Red meat is not bad for you. Fuzzy green meat is bad for you.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Hi,
The safety point about accidentintal drive selection, is a good one.

But, as has been mentioned I thought this safety feature only applied
when selecting drive from parking mode, or reverse gear.
I am about 90% certain that once in drive you can freely slip the gear
shift to neutral and back again into drive, by a simple sraight flick
motion witout any fiddly left wiggling. I know this because when at
traffic lights (which are on a flat road serface) I always slip the
car into neutral and then back.

I also have a MGF tiptronic and that definately allows free linear
movment between neutral - drive and back without any fiddling.
BMW are about a billion times better than MGF's and pride themselves
on BMW simplicity, so I can't imagine them introducing a (slightly
more) "complex" gear change solution. Particulary when I look at the
auto box and the lettering on the side (PRND+/-) all reads as if it is
a 100% linear box. Mercades/ Lexus clearly have a wiggily auto box, so
any lateral movement is obvious. My VW Golf auto had an obvious linear
style auto box, but had a picture of a foot by the side of the drive
gear, indicating the brake pedal has to be applied in order to select
it. The BMW 3, does not have this, unless I'm mistaken, so I'm sill a
bit confused?

In article .com>,
richie > wrote:
> The safety point about accidentintal drive selection, is a good one.

> But, as has been mentioned I thought this safety feature only applied
> when selecting drive from parking mode, or reverse gear.
> I am about 90% certain that once in drive you can freely slip the gear
> shift to neutral and back again into drive, by a simple sraight flick
> motion witout any fiddly left wiggling. I know this because when at
> traffic lights (which are on a flat road serface) I always slip the
> car into neutral and then back.

Most certainly allow you to select neutral from drive directly. I'm not
sure about an interlock from neutral to drive is the car is at speed -
it's not something most would normally try. But none I've ever driven
allow neutral to drive directly with the car stationary - unless the
brakes or parking brake is on. Try it. ;-)

--
*When blondes have more fun, do they know it?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 26 May 2007 11:07:21 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
> wrote:

>Most certainly allow you to select neutral from drive directly. I'm not
>sure about an interlock from neutral to drive is the car is at speed -
>it's not something most would normally try. But none I've ever driven
>allow neutral to drive directly with the car stationary - unless the
>brakes or parking brake is on. Try it. ;-)

In the mid-70s, I had a '72 automatic Triumph 2000. The ignition
inhibitor switch either got out of adjustment or failed, and I could
start the car while it was in drive. I didn't get it fixed, it was
very convenient, just turn the key and mash the loud pedal. I loved
it.
--
Dan.

In article >,
Dean Dark > wrote:
> >Most certainly allow you to select neutral from drive directly. I'm not
> >sure about an interlock from neutral to drive is the car is at speed -
> >it's not something most would normally try. But none I've ever driven
> >allow neutral to drive directly with the car stationary - unless the
> >brakes or parking brake is on. Try it. ;-)

> In the mid-70s, I had a '72 automatic Triumph 2000. The ignition
> inhibitor switch either got out of adjustment or failed, and I could
> start the car while it was in drive. I didn't get it fixed, it was
> very convenient, just turn the key and mash the loud pedal. I loved
> it.

That's fine until someone else drives the car - straight into the one in
front. ISTR the old DAF variomatic belt drive required you start in drive
- dodgy considering the appalling brakes.

--
*Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.