Automatic transmission maintenance (BMW 5 Series E12)

Selector lever

The selector lever is located on the floor of the body. It has the following six positions (see picture), indicated by light indicators.

"P": parking

The lever is set to this position only after the car has stopped. The transmission brake is engaged, and the engine can be started. To set the lever to this position, press the locking button under the lever handle.

"R": reverse

Set the lever to the "R" position only when the car has come to a complete stop, with the handbrake applied and the engine idling, pressing the locking button. If reverse gear is engaged while the car is moving forward, the gearbox may break down.

"O": neutral

There is no connection between the engine and the drive wheels, the engine can be started. It is recommended to set the lever in this position during long stops, for example, during traffic jams.

"A": movement

The lever position that is used almost constantly.

The car starts off in 1st gear, then 2nd and 3rd gears are automatically engaged and the transmission shifts to lower gears.

The gear shift timings are selected based on the conditions of ensuring the vehicle's driving requirements and fuel economy.

"2": mountain riding and engine braking

The car starts off in 1st gear, then 2nd gear is automatically engaged, switching to a higher gear is not possible.

It is recommended to set the lever to this position in the mountains (during prolonged ascents and descents) and for effective engine braking.

On models "525", "520" the lever is set to position "2" when driving at any speed. At high vehicle speeds, the lever can only be moved to position "2" at a speed of 130 km/h ("525") or 110 km/h ("520A"). The third gear does not engage even at high engine speeds.

On the 528 model, do not set the selector lever to position "1" and "2" when driving at speeds above 130 km/h, as this may cause the engine to overrev.

"1": mountain riding and engine braking

The car starts in 1st gear and moves in this gear without shifting to higher gears. This position is used for the most effective engine braking.

On models "525", "520" the lever can be set to this position at any speed of the car. The second gear is automatically engaged only at a speed of 130 km/h on the "525A" model or 110 km/h on the "520A" model. The first gear is engaged only at a speed of 80 and 60 km/h, respectively. After this, the highest gear is not engaged even when the accelerator pedal is pressed all the way.

On the "528" model, the lever can be set to position "1" at any speed, the transition to the second gear occurs only upon reaching a speed of 125 km/h, and the transition to the first gear - at 80 km/h. After that, the highest gear is not engaged regardless of engine speed.

Forced engagement of a lower gear: "kick-down"

The accelerator pedal can be pressed further than the full throttle position, overcoming a small resistance. In this case, a special switch is triggered and the lower gear is immediately engaged. This ensures maximum acceleration of the car, for example, when overtaking. During "kickdown", the transition to a higher gear occurs at a much higher driving speed than usual, and at a crankshaft speed close to the maximum permissible value. Thus, the engine torque is fully utilized in each gear.

Checking the oil level

Place the car on a flat horizontal surface and apply the handbrake. Let the warm engine idle and move the selector lever to the "P" position.

Remove the dipstick, wipe it with a hard, lint-free cloth and check the oil level, which should be between the marks on the dipstick.

Oil change

Every 30,000 km, change the gearbox oil immediately after driving, while the oil is warm.

Place the car on a level, horizontal surface and apply the handbrake.

Move the selector lever to position "P" and stop the engine.

Unscrew the crankcase drain plug, drain the oil, screw in and tighten the plug.

Filling with oil

First, pour in 1 liter of oil, start the engine and let it idle.

Add oil to a height of two-thirds of the distance between the two marks on the dipstick.