sport mode BMW 128I 2012 E88 Owner's Manual

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Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the
road safety, operational reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance mea-
sures:
>BMW Maintenance system
>Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models
>Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this could result in serious
damage to the vehicle. Such damage is not cov-
ered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your center, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele-
phone the toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety

Driving
58
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed areas;
otherwise, the inhalation of toxic exhaust
gases can cause loss of consciousness and
death. The exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly
toxic gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle
with the engine running; otherwise, such a vehi-
cle represents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car with the engine running,
place the transmission in neutral or move the
selector lever to position P and forcefully apply
the parking brake to prevent the car from mov-
ing.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
not burned or incompletely burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the cat-
alytic converter.<
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page35.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift into neutral.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page35.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Sport automatic transmission with
double clutch
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page35.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The engine starts independent of the current
transmission position.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the Start/
Stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page57.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.

Controls
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3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page57.
Sport automatic transmission with
double clutch
1.With the car at a standstill, press the Start/
Stop button.
If the transmission is shifted into N when the
engine is switched off, you will be notified
visually and acoustically of this fact.
2.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
3.Remove remote control from the ignition
lock, refer to page57. The transmission is
automatically shifted into transmission
position P.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off a signal sounds in addition.
The parking brake is still applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page61.

Controls
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Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Move selector lever from position D toward the
left into the M/S shifting slot; the Sport program
is activated. This position is recommended for a
performance-oriented driving style.
DS is displayed in the instrument cluster.
To deactivate the sport program or manual
mode M/S, move the selector lever to the right
into position D.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
Move selector lever from position D toward the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
When you press the selector lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear.
The engaged gear, e.g. M1 is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system.
The gear selected is briefly displayed in the
instrument cluster, followed again by the gear
actually in use.
Shifting gears via shift paddles* on the
steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears
quickly since both hands can remain on the
steering wheel.>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to manual
mode.
>If you do not accelerate or shift gears using
the shift paddles for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear
plane, manual mode remains active.<
>To upshift, briefly pull the right shift
paddle +.
>To downshift, briefly pull the left shift pad-
dle –.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system.
The gear selected is briefly displayed in the
instrument cluster, followed again by the gear
actually in use.
Overriding selector lever lock
If the selector lever will not move out of
position P even though the ignition is switched
on, the brake is depressed, and the button on
the selector lever is pressed, the selector lever
lock can be overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.

Driving
62 3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard
vehicle tool kit, refer to page227, press the
red lever, see arrow, while moving the
selector lever to the desired position.
7-gear Sport automatic
transmission with double
clutch*
The concept
The 7-gear Sport automatic transmission with
double clutch is an automated manual trans-
mission with two clutches and secondary gear
sets in which the clutching and shifting is han-
dled by an electrohydraulic system.
With the 7-gear Sport automatic transmission
with double clutch, the gears are shifted without
an interruption in driving power.
You operate the 7-gear Sport automatic trans-
mission with double clutch using the selector
lever and two shift paddles on the steering
wheel.
It offers you the following functions:
>Either manual or automatic mode: sequen-
tial mode or drive mode
>Automatic downshifting and protection
against incorrect gear selection, even in
sequential mode
>Acceleration assistant, Launch Control,
refer to page66
>Automatic intermediate throttle application
System limitations
The 7-gear Sport automatic transmission with
double clutch has an overheating protection
that protects the clutch from extreme loads.
The indicator lamp lights up in yellow if
the transmission becomes too warm.
Avoid high engine loads and frequent
accelerations from zero. If the transmission is
overheated, the indicator lamp lights up in red
and the power flow to the motor is interrupted. It
is only possible to continue driving once the
transmission has cooled down.
Avoid frequent powerful accelerations from
zero and do not hold the vehicle on inclines by
pressing lightly on the accelerator while letting
the clutch slip, as this may cause the transmis-
sion to overheat.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
The selector lever position and the engaged
gear are displayed, e.g. M4.
Engaging selector lever positions
>The selector lever can be moved out of
position P only with the engine running:
interlock.
>Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise, the desired shift will not
be executed: shiftlock.

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Shifting into N, D, R
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired
direction, overcoming a resistance point if nec-
essary. When shifting out of P or into R, simul-
taneously press the button 1.
The engaged selector lever position is also dis-
played on the selector lever.
When you release the selector lever, it returns
to its center position.
Shifting into P
Press the buttonP.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The rear wheels are locked.
The transmission is shifted into P if, with
the engine running, you open the driver's
door, do not have your safety belt fastened, and
subsequently actuate neither the brake pedal
nor the accelerator. Before leaving the vehicle,
make sure that the automatic transmission
selector lever is in the park position. Otherwise,
the vehicle may begin to move.<
The transmission is shifted into P as soon
as you switch off the engine, unless the
transmission is in N and the remote control is in
the ignition lock, refer to page57. As soon as you remove the remote control from the ignition
lock, then the transmission is shifted into P.<
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example.
The vehicle can roll.
After the engine is switched off, the trans-
mission remains in N if you leave the
remote control in the ignition lock. You can use
this function at a car wash, for example, refer to
page224.<
D Drive mode
In Drive mode, all forward gears are shifted
automatically.
Kickdown
For sudden acceleration maneuvers such as
passing, depress the accelerator past the resis-
tance point. This provides maximum accelera-
tion.
Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Push selector lever toward the left from the
selector lever position D, the Sport program is
activated. This position is recommended for a
performance-oriented driving style.
The engaged gear, e.g. S1, is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
When you press the selector lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear.

Driving
64 The engaged gear, e.g. M1 is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
In the following situations, the 7-gear Sport
automatic transmission with double clutch
does the thinking for you:
>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 could cause the
engine to overrev will not be executed by
the system.
>At a stop, the transmission is automatically
shifted down to the first gear.
>Shortly before the speed falls below a gear-
dependent minimum speed, the transmis-
sion automatically downshifts without your
intervention.
Quick downshifting: even in sequential mode,
you can skip over several gears in order to
achieve an optimum acceleration. To do so,
depress the accelerator past the resistance
point.
To return to automatic mode, push the selector
lever to the right.
Gear shifting
Upshift or downshift using the selector lever or
the shift paddles. You do not need to lift your
foot off the accelerator when doing so.
Using the selector lever
>To upshift, pull the selector lever toward the
rear.
>To downshift, push it toward the front.
Using the shift paddles on the steering
wheel
You can also shift manually using two shift pad-
dles on the steering wheel. The shift paddles
allow you to shift gears quickly since both
hands can remain on the steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to manual
mode.>If you do not accelerate or shift gears using
the shift paddles for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to
automatic mode if the selector lever is in
position D.
>To upshift, briefly pull the right shift
paddle +.
>To downshift, briefly pull the left shift pad-
dle –.
Driving dynamics control
The driving dynamics control permits you, at
the push of a button, to have your BMW react in
an even more sporty fashion when driving:
>Optimal use is made of the engine's speed
range.
>Gear changes occur more quickly.
>The engine reacts more spontaneously to
accelerator pedal movements.
Activating the system
Press the SPORT button.
The LED in the button lights up.
Deactivating the system
>Press the SPORT button again
>Switch off the engine

Things to remember when driving
118 with the road surface, so that neither the car can
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page213.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a
lengthy period using the clutch; use the
parking brake instead. Otherwise, greater
clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page84.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most
effective way of braking in situations in which
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Objects in the movement range of the
pedals
Keep floor mats, carpet, and other objects
out of the movement range of the pedals;
otherwise, they may inhibit the function of the
pedals during driving.
Do not place additional floor mats onto an exist-
ing one or onto other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for
the vehicle and can be appropriately fastened.
Make sure that the floor mats are securely fas-
tened again after they have been removed, e.g.
for cleaning.<
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page61.
Sport automatic transmission with double
clutch never drive with the transmission in
neutral or with the engine switched off; other-
wise, there will be no engine braking action and
no power assistance to the brakes and steering.
Manual transmission: never drive with the
clutch held down, with the transmission in neu-
tral or with the engine switched off; otherwise,
there will be no engine braking action and no
power assistance to the brakes and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum