Can the default settings for M3 be changed?

[smckenna]

Just picked up a 2012 M3 coupe with DCT, and noticed three things:
1. Every time I start the car, the SPORT button is back off, and I have to push it to turn it back on.
2. Every time I start the car, the Auto Start/Stop feature is disabled, and I have to push the button to enable it.
3. Every time I start the car and put it into drive, it actually goes into "1" (Sequential Mode), and I have to shove the stick over one more time to get it into "D" (Automatic Mode). This one is particularly dangerous because if I get lazy and forget to do this, it will wind the RPM way over 5400 RPM, which I am supposed to avoid during my 1200 mile break-in.

Any way to set the car so that it always remembers these three settings? I am beginning to feel like a pilot going through a long checklist before taking off in a plane!

[THE TECH]

IIRC you can change the sport setting in iDrive. The auto start/stop can only be changed to on if you have it coded. The last one you'd have to check with another DCT owner.

[Foodle]

Follow instructions found here to change default "power" button settings:
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=632914

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

IIRC you can change the sport setting in iDrive. The auto start/stop can only be changed to on if you have it coded. The last one you'd have to check with another DCT owner.

I have already searched all over the iDrive settings menu. The next time you're in your M3, can you write down the menu options I need to select to get to the screen to set the SPORT setting? All I can find is the "M Mode" settings, which is different.
Also, what do you mean "have it coded"? Do you mean that the BMW dealership service dept can do this?

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by smckenna

I have already searched all over the iDrive settings menu. The next time you're in your M3, can you write down the menu options I need to select to get to the screen to set the SPORT setting? All I can find is the "M Mode" settings, which is different.
Also, what do you mean "have it coded"? Do you mean that the BMW dealership service dept can do this?

Read the instructions that Foodle posted for the Sport settings.

As far as the coding, no the dealer will not do that. You can have someone local to you do custom coding on the car. Do some searching on coding and you will find all sorts of cool things that can be done.

[Giccy]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Just picked up a 2012 M3 coupe with DCT, and noticed three things:
1. Every time I start the car, the SPORT button is back off, and I have to push it to turn it back on.
2. Every time I start the car, the Auto Start/Stop feature is disabled, and I have to push the button to enable it.
3. Every time I start the car and put it into drive, it actually goes into "1" (Sequential Mode), and I have to shove the stick over one more time to get it into "D" (Automatic Mode). This one is particularly dangerous because if I get lazy and forget to do this, it will wind the RPM way over 5400 RPM, which I am supposed to avoid during my 1200 mile break-in.

Any way to set the car so that it always remembers these three settings? I am beginning to feel like a pilot going through a long checklist before taking off in a plane!

1 & 2. ^What he said
3. You'll just have to remember that the default start mode is "S" and the car won't shift for you.

You can just program the universe of settings you want into the M-Drive button, start the car, click the button and you're off to the races.....in auto-mode.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by smckenna

I have already searched all over the iDrive settings menu. The next time you're in your M3, can you write down the menu options I need to select to get to the screen to set the SPORT setting? All I can find is the "M Mode" settings, which is different.
Also, what do you mean "have it coded"? Do you mean that the BMW dealership service dept can do this?

It is somewhat non-intuitive to find.

Do the following in iDrive:
- Go to settings
- Go to M drive
- Push the joystick thingy to the right

You then should be able to change the "power" and EDC settings for your key (says "M key settings" or something). This will be the default "power" and EDC settings any time you start the car with that key.

I do not believe that there is a way to default the DCT into a D setting. It always starts in S.

Some people always drive in M mode, allowing them to set the steering and DCT to what they want at the push of a button.

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by Foodle

Follow instructions found here to change default "power" button settings:
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=632914

OK, perfect. That will solve the first of the 3 settings (POWER button).
That's a horrible menu design by BMW, by the way. Having the non "M Mode" settings hidden underneath or below the "M Mode" screen. Also, calling it "M-Key Settings"?? Come on! They should have spelled it out "Memory Key Settings". Gees!

[crabman]

If the car is winding "way over 5400 RPM" before you're noticing this says what? I mean its definitely making some noise well below 5400 rpm let alone "way over" it. Just seems odd to me.

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by crabman

If the car is winding "way over 5400 RPM" before you're noticing this says what? I mean its definitely making some noise well below 5400 rpm let alone "way over" it. Just seems odd to me.

This has not happened to me yet. I am trying to prevent the possibility of it happening. I would also sometimes need for my wife to drive the car (to take it in for maintenance, etc.), and I would hate to put her in this position of having to remember to knock the stick twice.

[Pointerman]

You will get used to hitting the shifter twice to the right every time you take the car out of reverse or park. It becomes second nature. No way to default to drive without buying a cable and doing some code work.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by smckenna

I would also sometimes need for my wife to drive the car (to take it in for maintenance, etc.), and I would hate to put her in this position of having to remember to knock the stick twice.

This has been an issue for me too. My solution is to program the M button for a sedate automatic mode (no sport anything, comfort EDC, DCT in D3 mode). This way she just has to remember to push the M button and she's all set.

[Giccy]

Originally Posted by Foodle

This has been an issue for me too. My solution is to program the M button for a sedate automatic mode (no sport anything, comfort EDC, DCT in D3 mode). This way she just has to remember to push the M button and she's all set.

This was my solution for my wife's key fob.

At least theoretically, she's still too scared to drive the car.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Pointerman

You will get used to hitting the shifter twice to the right every time you take the car out of reverse or park. It becomes second nature. No way to default to drive without buying a cable and doing some code work.

Has someone actually figured out hot to get the car to default to D via coding? I hadn't heard anything about that.

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Has someone actually figured out hot to get the car to default to D via coding? I hadn't heard anything about that.

Oddly enough, when I first bought my car it would basically default to D when I went from reverse to D/S. However, when I took my car in for the 16,200 service visit, they had a bulletin to to do something with the software and now my car acts like everyone else's, i.e. defaults to S. Not a biggie, but strange.

[aajami]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Has someone actually figured out hot to get the car to default to D via coding? I hadn't heard anything about that.

UK cars default to D on startup, fwiw, so I'm sure there's a way to code it (though I don't know why one would).

[aajami]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Also, calling it "M-Key Settings"?? Come on! They should have spelled it out "Memory Key Settings". Gees!

I'm fairly certain that the "M" in "M-Key Settings" stands for ///M aka Motorsport, not Memory.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by ThunderMoose

Oddly enough, when I first bought my car it would basically default to D when I went from reverse to D/S. However, when I took my car in for the 16,200 service visit, they had a bulletin to to do something with the software and now my car acts like everyone else's, i.e. defaults to S. Not a biggie, but strange.

Click to unravel the mysteries!

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416666

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Click to unravel the mysteries!

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416666

M-Division engineers playing a mind f%$# on us

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by aajami

UK cars default to D on startup, fwiw, so I'm sure there's a way to code it (though I don't know why one would).

Yep, I'm aware that cars in other regions default to D instead. Which leads me nicely into the rationale for why I would change it.

You see, the way the electronics are designed, the car can only remember the particular drivelogic setting for the mode that is not the startup mode. Why is it like that? No one seems to know. At any rate, the point here is that if I could get mine to start in D, I would then be able to get it to remember my S mode Drivelogic prefernce - just like how those cars in the rest of the world that you speak of behave. And why is this so good? Because then when I start up, I can just click the stick to the right twice instead of clicking it once and then reaching for the little Drivelogic rocker switch in order to select my favorite setting (S5 in my case).

Worth it? For me it would be. For others - especially those who have M Drive and just hit the M Button to get their mode of choice when they start the car anyway - probably not so much.

[aajami]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Yep, I'm aware that cars in other regions default to D instead. Which leads me nicely into the rationale for why I would change it.

But, but... they drive on the wrong side of the road over there. Ipso facto, defaulting to D is not only backwards but also distinctly un-American.

[SergioPark]

Mine always starts in S. I am actually trying to find a way to have the DCT default to the highest setting when in S mode (it keeps defaulting back to the mid-point).