94' 325is sports mode?

[325is.]

I am wondering since there is no sports mode option on my 94 if there is a sports mode? I heard someone say its the gear below D. The gear below D is 3rd gear is that sports mode? The reason I say this is because most other automatics have 1 , 2 , D. If anyone knows and can help me out that would be great. Its a 94 , 325is automatic.

[SpooldUp]

That would prevent it from shifting into the overdrive gear. Not sure of a sport mode on a '94. Use the '3' if you will be in town, under 55mph. I like the color of your car - what is it?

[Torque]

Most other car's have Only 2 and 1 below D because their D is what 3rd is to us. They have overdrive which serves as drive on BMWs.

Your car should have a A <> M switch next to the shift handle.

When it is in M (manual) mode, whichever gear you put it in, it will stay there unless you shift it -- example: you put it in 2nd, it will stay in second no matter what -- wont go up or down > which also means you must downshift to 1st yourself when you come to a stop, or it will try to get you moving in 2nd.

In A (automatic) mode, you can still put it in whatever gear below D, but that will only prevent it from upshifting into a gear above that, not downshifting as well like M mode would.

Note: I assumed your car has the A <> M switch since my dad's 09/1991 525iA has it. Disregard if you don't have it.

[SpeedInfusion]

hmm,, i duno, in my old 91 e36 i had 1,2,3/S,D,R,P
3 also had a S next to it and in the manual it said driving in 3rd is sports mode....

to answer ur question, 3 should be sports...check ur manual...

[325is.]

Thanks I read in the manual and it said third is sports gear. I am getting a conforti chip this week and i wonder if it will preform better in third or drive with the chip?

[///M Power]

Try and drive like a manual. Start in first. Gun it, at redline shift up. at redline, shift up again, and at redline, shift up. Discover your cars horsepower and torque, youll be amazed. And then learn to downshift adn rev match...even though its an auto.

[SpeedInfusion]

careful though, ive heard many stories of unexperiaced drivers blowing trannies messing with the auto/manual funtion...

lol side note..."unexperianced drivers blowing trannies" lol

[325is.]

Would you guys say with the preformance chip my car would be faster in sports mode or manual? and when im at the track getting quarter mile times and I am using manual mode, once i shift up to third I redline it and shift up to drive. Once I am in drive it will down shift its self right?

[///M Power]

It will if it's slow enough. It's not going to downshift if you got your foot on the floor. It will downshift in any gear as long as you are going slow enough, that is why you need to learn your shift points and rpms to maximize your power at each downshift. Drive it in manual because im sure sports mode wont shift at redline like you can do in manual.

[SpeedInfusion]

sports mode use to shift it redline in my car...

[325is.]

Yea i took it out this afternoon and it shift red line in first gear but all the other gears were around 5 rpms.

[SpooldUp]

In first it probably is trying to shift at 5k like all the other gears, but revs are increasing too quickly and its at redline by the time it actually shifts. Sounds like a normal auto to me. Good fun, just dont downshift at too high a speed - or boom!!

[///M Power]

It wont let you downshift. You can change gears but in an auto it wont downshift until the engine thinks its safe...or at least thats how my e34 slushbox works.

Shift manualy, its much faster.

[4evrwyntr]

You can force a downshift, or even a double down shift by using the "kickdown" button under the pedal. Putting the selector in sports mode (3 in your car) will tell the computer to raise shift points. It will shift faster in this mode than it will if you manually select gears using the "steptronic" manual feature.
This is from experience.
with enough time and effort, you can learn to play your automatic computer, and get the tranny to hold gears, downshift, and upshift when you want it to. But it's difficult to master, as you're not truly in control of the gearbox - the tranny is. Search out the points in your car where it feels like it wants to shift, and whatnot, and just practice.
Or get a manual. :P

[325is.]

Yea I have been using my BMW in manual mode during some races this week. I dragged against an old 5.0 mustang. I used manual model and just shifedt up at redline and when im in sports mode I switch it back to auto mode. This isnt bad for the transmition is it? As long as I am shifting up correctly and then shifting to auto so it down shifts on its own.