How do you put the transmission in park?

[jhnmcdrmtt]

Lol - we resolved nothing here hahah :-)

[Manoloiv]

Originally Posted by djsaad1

If you are driving with Auto Hold on, wouldn't it always set the parking break with hot rotors at a stop? I might be confused, but I thought auto hold just engages parking break.

I thought auto hold applied the brakes, NOT the parking brake.

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by Manoloiv

I thought auto hold applied the brakes, NOT the parking brake.

You could be right, I don't really know.

[jcfay]

The parking brake is the rear brakes only (jack it up and you'll see you'll see what I mean). I'd imagine that auto hold is applying front and back brakes, not just park (but a guess on this one). As far as the "hot rotors" issue is concerned, unless you're doing some serious high intensity braking without any cool down, I wouldn't worry about this too much. That being said, if I had hot rotors I also wouldn't was the car and get water on those hot rotors too...

[PhantomCypher]

There's two ways to put the F85 into park:

1. Come to a FULL stop and lift your foot off the brake. Press the Start/Stop button fully and the car will enter P.
2. Come to a FULL stop and lift the parking brake lever to engage the parking brake. Once it is engaged push the Start/Stop button and the car will enter P.

[Coelho]

Originally Posted by djsaad1

Pretty sure in any newer bmw you can turn the car off and it will automatically switch to park. But it's also nice having the button for valet drivers, wanting to get something from the backseat at a stop light, needing to keep the car running while you get out and get something, etc...

This. I am worried taking my car to a city garage.

[Payton3485]

Originally Posted by PhantomCypher

There's two ways to put the F85 into park:

1. Come to a FULL stop and lift your foot off the brake. Press the Start/Stop button fully and the car will enter P.
2. Come to a FULL stop and lift the parking brake lever to engage the parking brake. Once it is engaged push the Start/Stop button and the car will enter P.

Yep, this!

[onfireX5]

Quick way to engage Park with the engine running : Trans in Drive. Stop the car. Foot on brake. Pull parking brake button to engage it. Open the driver door and close it. Forces the trans into Park with the engine running and parking brake on.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Coelho

This. I am worried taking my car to a city garage.

I'm stressing. I have to go to the doctor in NYC Monday. Between the shifter and the parking brake and auto hold I think I need to draw a diagram and leave it by the shifter.

[UrbanExtant]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I'm stressing. I have to go to the doctor in NYC Monday. Between the shifter and the parking brake and auto hold I think I need to draw a diagram and leave it by the shifter.

I feel your stress! I'm spending the weekend in Boston, to catch up on shopping. Since leaving The Main Line in PA, and the King of Prussia Mall, I'm going insane with lack of shopping on Cape Cod. I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton, which I know sees nice cars all the time, but I'm still stressing about whether to valet the X5 M, or park it in the "safe" garage in the Fenway area, where I lived during college, and usually park in when I go to boston for just a day trip. Sometimes, I just wish I had a sh*tbox car to take into the city, so I can park it on the street, and if it gets sideswiped, so be it.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by UrbanExtant

I feel your stress! I'm spending the weekend in Boston, to catch up on shopping. Since leaving The Main Line in PA, and the King of Prussia Mall, I'm going insane with lack of shopping on Cape Cod. I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton, which I know sees nice cars all the time, but I'm still stressing about whether to valet the X5 M, or park it in the "safe" garage in the Fenway area, where I lived during college, and usually park in when I go to boston for just a day trip. Sometimes, I just wish I had a sh*tbox car to take into the city, so I can park it on the street, and if it gets sideswiped, so be it.

I never, ever valet my car. I have visions of Ferris Bueller's Day off. I'll give the valet a couple of bucks and park it myself and keep my keys. Ritz or not. No choice for parking at NYU though. I'm not going to look for a spot on the street. Now that you said it, I may borrow my brother's beater.

I was in the city today at a customer and went in brothers beater. I was hyperventilating looking at how tight the spots were in the garage. I'm not emotionally strong enough for that

[jcfay]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I never, ever valet my car. I have visions of Ferris Bueller's Day off. I'll give the valet a couple of bucks and park it myself and keep my keys. Ritz or not. No choice for parking at NYU though. I'm not going to look for a spot on the street. Now that you said it, I may borrow my brother's beater.

I was in the city today at a customer and went in brothers beater. I was hyperventilating looking at how tight the spots were in the garage. I'm not emotionally strong enough for that

I'd stroke out if I had to park my X5M in the city. That's why I've got my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Not as much fun to drive, but a lot less stressful when it gets bruised...

[UrbanExtant]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I never, ever valet my car. I have visions of Ferris Bueller's Day off. I'll give the valet a couple of bucks and park it myself and keep my keys. Ritz or not. No choice for parking at NYU though. I'm not going to look for a spot on the street. Now that you said it, I may borrow my brother's beater.

I was in the city today at a customer and went in brothers beater. I was hyperventilating looking at how tight the spots were in the garage. I'm not emotionally strong enough for that

I have only valeted my car once, and that was a previous car, many years ago. I'm fussy, and don't love others driving my cars, nor do I trust them, after seeing all the videos online of crazy valet shenanigans. Reading your post, I decided I'll park in the garage in the Fenway. I lived there for 13 years, during, and after college, so I know the area well. The garage I patronize is a self-park garage, and if one goes to the roof, it's a barren tarmac lot of spots, with maybe a couple dozen cars at any given time. I'll just put my Covercraft sunscreen in the windshield, and leave it. I can then take a cab across town to the Ritz, knowing the X5 M is safely tucked away.

Wish I had a beater I could borrow like you, though. Sure would make these trips into the city less stressful!

[Alan l.]

Question for you guys....

Reading all of this discussion about how BMW M tried to make this ZF automatic act like a DCT transmission left me with one question. Does that mean that this car can't creap forward or backwards without the driver applying a little gas? Sounds like the car goes into neutral once it stops and back into gear once you give it gas? I'm just trying to understand if you are stuck in heavy traffic or need to parallel park the car in a tight spot how this car will behave in that situation.

[onfireX5]

Yep. You pretty much summed it up unless you use the Auto Hold button. But you get used to it over time. Did surprise me a couple of times after trading my M Sport 50i to the M.

[Alan l.]

So in this scenario....

I pull up to a store to let the wife out to pick up something quick. Car stops and I let go of the brakes. The car doesn't move at all and the transmission will show that its in Neutral until I touch the gas pedal?

I just worry that if i stop there for a couple of minutes for instance and forget that the car isn't really parked since its not moving. I decide to listen to the beautiful exhaust note and blip the gas thinking its in Park but its really still in gear and the car lurches forward. In a normal automatic this won't happen because the instant you let go of the brakes the car will creep forward prompting you to put the car into Park. Sounds like with this car nothing really forces you into pulling the parking brake lever.

[onfireX5]

Don't let that bother your thought process. After 1 week of driving you'll forget the difference.

[cmyx6go]

I agree with onfire. You get used to it. I now put the parking brake on as soon as I stop. It's second nature, as automatic as putting on my seatbelt. You don't go into neutral when you stop, you will still be in gear. If you are on an incline, you will roll - ask me how I know.... So Just press the auto hold on start up and get in the habit of putting on the parking brake anytime you stop.

[Payton3485]

Exactly right. You definitely get used to applying the parking bake and it becomes second nature. It will feel a bit awkward at first but quickly you will get use to it.

[RM707]

I might be in minority here (50i owner) but I think it's pretty idiotic not to have PARK on automatic transmission. I agree that we all learn but still....

Oh well, I will get X5M in 18 months anyway

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Question for you guys....

Reading all of this discussion about how BMW M tried to make this ZF automatic act like a DCT transmission left me with one question. Does that mean that this car can't creap forward or backwards without the driver applying a little gas? Sounds like the car goes into neutral once it stops and back into gear once you give it gas? I'm just trying to understand if you are stuck in heavy traffic or need to parallel park the car in a tight spot how this car will behave in that situation.

You bring up a valid point. A vehicle having the ability to free roll from just letting off the brake is a very convenient feature when driving in 10-15 MPH stop and go traffic, which is pretty much our commute at any given time in our general area.

Also, the above mentioned ability for a car to roll forward or backwards without applying any gas is fundamental when parallel parking.

Sounds like the M version of our cars would feel awkward and a bit stressfull to drive in such conditions.

[Hammmerhead]

Forget the P brake unless you really need it.

If you need it to sit and idle in park, open your door and let off brake while its in drive. It will go in to Park immediately.