engine BMW 740I 1998 User Guide

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Steering/Ignition lock Starting engine0 Steering lock engagedThis is the only position in which the ig-
nition key can be inserted and removed.
An acoustic warning sounds when you
fail to remove the ignition key before
opening the driver's door.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.380de010
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock. For this reason, the ignition key
cannot be turned to position 0 and re-
moved until the selector lever is in posi-
tion P.
In addition, the selector lever is locked
in position P when the ignition key is in
position 0 or removed from the ignition
switch.
To move the selector lever out of P, the
ignition key must be turned at least to
position 2.1 Steering lock disengagedYou will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.
Individual electrical equipment and ac-
cessories are available for use.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting engineBefore starting
>Press the parking brake pedal
>Place the selector lever of the auto-
matic transmission in P or N.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Breathing the exhaust gases poses
an extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Never leave the car unattended with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.< Starting engine>Start the engine. Do not press the ac-
celerator pedal.
Your BMW is equipped with the
convenience starting feature.
Simply turn the key to position 3 (starter)
and then release it immediately.
The starter continues to operate auto-
matically until the engine starts.

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Starting engine Switching off engineIf the battery's voltage is not adequate,
the automatic starting procedure is not
initiated, or it is interrupted. Should this
condition arise, it remains possible to
jump-start the engine (refer to page 17 9).
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle re-
mains stationary. Instead, begin driving
immediately at a moderate engine
speed.<
Should the engine fail to start on the
first attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
BMW 740i/L:
Cold starts at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. +57 (–156)
and at elevations above 3300 feet
(1000 meters):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, always switch off any electrical de-
vices not in use, as well as the ignition
when the vehicle is not being driven.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
The vehicle must be stationary
and the selector lever in "Park"
before you can remove the ignition key.
Always remove the ignition key and en-
gage the steering lock before leaving
the vehicle.<

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Automatic transmissionSelector lever positions
P R N D 4 3 2
Shift programsLever positions:
>A (Adaptive/Economy)
>M (Manual)
Selector lever in position 4:
>S (Sport program)
For an explanation of the programs, re-
fer to the next page.Starting engineThe engine can only be started in posi-
tions "Park" or "Neutral."380us045
Changing the selector lever
positionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front side of the se-
lector handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in or-
der to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (shift-lock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 380us046
Before exiting the vehicle when
the engine is running, place the
selector lever in the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake. If
you do not, the vehicle can move.
Do not leave the car unattended with
the engine running.
An unattended vehicle with a running
engine represents a potential safety
hazard.<
P - ParkSelect "Park" only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R - ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary.N - NeutralSelect "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a longer period.D - Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving un-
der all normal operating conditions. All
forward gears are available; the Adap-
tive Transmission Control (ATC) is fully
operational.

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Automatic transmissionSpecial functionsIn program A, the Adaptive Transmis-
sion Control influences several special
functions in the selection of the drive
gear.
With the system active, some shifts that
would be made in other modes will be
suppressed. The system also reacts to
special situations by executing shifts
that would not occur with a conven-
tional transmission.Control of the winter programA winter program is automatically se-
lected when the vehicle is operated on
slippery road surfaces (snow and ice).
When this program is active, the trans-
mission starts in 2nd gear and shifts
into the higher gears earlier. This pro-
gram improves response under winter
driving conditions by providing en-
hanced traction and vehicle stability.
ATC leaves the winter program when it
registers a high-traction road surface,
when the Sport program is selected and
when ASC+T/DSC is deactivated.
Electronic transmission control
moduleIf the message "TRANS. FAILSAFE
PROG" appears in the Check Control,
there is a fault in the gearshift electronic
system or in the transmission itself.
You can still place the selector lever in
all positions. However, it is possible
that not all gears are available for the
vehicle's forward drive.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing, tow-starting or jump-start-
ing the vehicle, refer to pages 179, 180.

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You may drive your vehicle as with a
typical automatic transmission, but you
may also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever to
the left from position "D" and into the
M/S shift level, the performance-ori-
ented shift programs of the automatic
transmission are activate. As soon as
you move the selector lever in the "+" or
"–" direction, Steptronic changes the
gear and the manual mode is active. If
you wish to utilize automatic shifting
once again, move the selector lever to
the right and into the D position.
The automatic transmission of your
BMW is equipped with an Adaptive
Transmission Control (ATC). This sys-
tem reacts with precision to your indi-
vidual driving style and the current driv-
ing conditions. Different shift programs
are utilized to achieve this.
For details concerning ATC, please re-
fer to the chapter describing "Advanced
technology" on page 184.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting engineThe engine can only be started in selec-
tor lever positions P ("Park") or N ("Neu-
tral").380us667
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front side of the se-
lector handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in or-
der to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (shift-lock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 380de211

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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Before exiting the vehicle when
the engine is running, place the
selector lever in the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake. If
you do not, the vehicle can move.
Do not leave the car unattended with
the engine running. An unattended ve-
hicle with a running engine represents a
potential safety hazard.<
P - ParkSelect "Park" only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R - ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary.N - NeutralSelect "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a longer period.D - Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving un-
der all normal operating conditions. All
forward gears are available; the Adap-
tive Transmission Control (ATC) is fully
operational."Kickdown" (automatic downshift)In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
Press the accelerator pedal past the in-
creased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S - Manual mode and
Sport ProgramWhen you change from "D" to M/S, the
Sport program is activated. This is indi-
cated by "D S" in the gear display. This
position is recommended if your driving
style is performance-oriented.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport pro-
gram to manual mode.
When you move the selector lever for-
ward in the "+" direction, the transmis-
sion shifts up. When moved back in the
"–" direction, the transmission shifts
down.
Depending on the version, "1 to 5" or
"M1 to M5" appears in the gear display.380de659

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
The ATC will execute upshifts or down-
shifts only at appropriate engine and
road speeds. For example, the trans-
mission does not shift down when the
engine speed is too high. The selected
gear will appear briefly in the instrument
cluster, followed by the current gear.
In the manual mode for rapid ac-
celeration – when passing, for ex-
ample – manually or a shifting down to
the kickdown point.<
You can only change from M/S to the
selector lever positions "P," "R" and "N"
via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts au-
tomatically to the next higher gear
shortly before the RPM cutoff point
>At low speeds, the transmission shifts
down automatically - you do not have
to act
>In the kickdown mode, the transmis-
sion shifts down to the lowest gear
which is possible, depending on the
engine speed.
Electronic transmission control
moduleIf the "TRANS. FAILSAFE PROG" mes-
sage appears in the Check Control,
there is a malfunction in the transmis-
sion system.
You can still place the selector lever in
all positions. However, it is possible
that not all gears are available for the
vehicle's forward drive.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing, tow-starting and jump-
starting, refer to pages 179, 180.

70n
Rear window defroster Cruise controlTo activatePress the button: The rear window de-
froster continues high-output operation
for as long as the indicator lamp re-
mains on (rapid thaw).
After the indicator lamp goes out, the
defroster continues operating at re-
duced power for a limited period before
deactivating automatically.To deactivateIf the indicator lamp is on, press the
button.380de622
You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h).To activate the system In ignition key positions 1 and 2:
Press button 4, the indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on. You can
now use the cruise control.To store and maintain speed
or to acceleratePress button 1 briefly:
The system records and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
tap the button, the speed increases by
0.6 mph (1 km/h).390de058
Press and hold button 1:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the button, the system
records and maintains the current
speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the en-
gine braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed can be ex-
ceeded. Speed may not be maintained
on uphill grades if the engine output is
insufficient.< To deceleratePress button 2 briefly:
When the cruise control is active,
vehicle speed is reduced by approx.
0.6 mph (approx. 1 km/h) every time
you briefly press the button.
Press and hold button 2:
With the cruise control active, the sys-
tem automatically reduces the throttle
opening to slow the vehicle. When you
release the button, the system records
and maintains the current speed.

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Odometer, outside temperature display Tachometer1 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 odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button (arrow) with the igni-
tion key in position 1 or 2.380us652
3 Outside temperature displayThe outside temperature appears in the
display panel as soon as you turn the
ignition key to position 1.
You can change the units of measure
(6/7) by
1 pressing and holding down the but-
ton (arrow) with the ignition key in po-
sition 1
2 while turning the ignition key to 0.Ice warningIf the outside temperature drops to ap-
prox. +37.57 (+36), a warning signal
sounds and the display flashes briefly.
The warning is repeated whenever the
temperature goes to at least +437
(+66), and then drops to +37.57
(+36) again.
The ice warning does not alter the
fact that surface ice can form at
temperatures above +37.57 (+36), on
bridges or shaded road surfaces, for in-
stance.<
Never allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed zone of
the gauge.
To protect the engine, the engine-man-
agement system automatically inter-
rupts the fuel supply in this range; the
resulting effect resembles that associ-
ated with a sudden loss of power.380us004

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Energy control Fuel gaugeIndicates current fuel consumption in
mpg (in liters per 100 km on Canadian
vehicles). This instrument clearly
shows whether your current driving
style is conducive to economy and min-
imum exhaust emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the dis-
play goes to "Maximum" (zero on Cana-
dian models).380us005
When you switch on the ignition, the in-
dicator lamp comes on briefly to con-
firm that the system is operational.
If the indicator lamp stays on, there are
approx.
>BMW 740i/L 2.6 gallons (10 liters)
>BMW 750iL 3.2 gallons (12 liters)
remaining in the tank.
Tank capacity: Refer to page 197.
Certain operating conditions (such as
those encountered in mountainous ar-
eas) may cause the needle to fluctuate
slightly.380us006
Please refuel early, since driving
to the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter.<