M-Drive (M-Button)

[B0feity]

So I just had my 1200 mile service and let the car rip a little (finally)... Amazing is an understatement... I have yet to do a new car thread though... maybe soon...

Anyhow, after reading the manual a few times, I am still confused about something that I think is rather basic. All of the settings for M-Drive can be set up using iDrive, fine. I set them to the M-button and when I push it on the steering wheel I know that what I have set in the menu is applied in real time, but my question is: when the button is off, what are those same settings set at? Are they defaulted to normal? Or are they what the buttons are set to such as Drive logic (D1-5) via the button on the center console and the power button on/off? It's not clear to me what I have on and off when the m-button is not activated.

[TTSam]

Originally Posted by B0feity

So I just had my 1200 mile service and let the car rip a little (finally)... Amazing is an understatement... I have yet to do a new car thread though... maybe soon...

Anyhow, after reading the manual a few times, I am still confused about something that I think is rather basic. All of the settings for M-Drive can be set up using iDrive, fine. I set them to the M-button and when I push it on the steering wheel I know that what I have set in the menu is applied in real time, but my question is: when the button is off, what are those same settings set at? Are they defaulted to normal? Or are they what the buttons are set to such as Drive logic (D1-5) via the button on the center console and the power button on/off? It's not clear to me what I have on and off when the m-button is not activated.

When the M button is off - you have default standard/normal settings.

[SilentAttack]

You can also set your normal setting to what you want in the idrive menu. I keep my calm normal driving on a pretty soft setting and the M button as my wife knows only press it if u are ready to driver her how she wants.

[GVIFlyer]

Almost right. When you are on the M-Drive menu in iDrive, press the console iDrive Option button. The display that you then see will allow you to program your key.

It will be the settings that you select here that will be available when you first start your M3 and once again after you disengage your M button.

[Cool Steel]

Originally Posted by GVFlyer

Almost right. When you are on the M-Drive menu in iDrive, press the console iDrive Option button. The display that you then see will allow you to program your key.

It will be the settings that you select here that will be available when you first start your M3 and once again after you disengage your M button.

Really? Maybe I never noticed because I always have mine in the sports modes....gonna check that out tomorrow...

[Cool Steel]

I found it in the manual ...page 23. You go to settings, M drive, then move the controller to the right repeatedly until the "Options " menu is selected ...it will show you the settings that are stored when you start car, which is what it is set at before and after M button pressing....disregard my post...lol

Just when I thought I figured it out....this car has so much crap!!

[Cool Steel]

It only allows you to set the Power and EDC does not allow you to preselect the other three options: drivelogic, DSC, or servotronic.


Drivelogic: States that between every change between sequential and drive it reverts back to the last selected. Except for the first time where it reverts to drive program 3.

DSC: Appears to be preset to come on all the time. Only when you press the M button will it change to MDM or "off" if you preset it that way. Then when you push it again it will revert back to DSC "On". To get the 6th shift level on Sequential you have to manually disengage the DSC by pushing the button for longer than 1 second ( or program it in M mode to "off" ).

Servotronic: Is either normal or sport. I believe it will revert to normal each time you take off the M button.

[CanAutM3]

Just to clarify, when you turn off the M-mode by pressing the M-button, all the settings return to whatever they were before M-mode was engaged. Not necessarily the start-up settings.

[OC3]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Just to clarify, when you turn off the M-mode by pressing the M-button, all the settings return to whatever they were before M-mode was engaged. Not necessarily the start-up settings.

This

[Cool Steel]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Just to clarify, when you turn off the M-mode by pressing the M-button, all the settings return to whatever they were before M-mode was engaged. Not necessarily the start-up settings.

Confirmed, I tested this today. The presets will automatically engage when you start up the car each time. If you do not change anything before you push the M button then it will go back to the presets on start up. However, if you make any changes between start up and before you push the M button than it will revert back to what changes you made ...not what you preset on startup.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Cool Steel

Confirmed, I tested this today. The presets will automatically engage when you start up the car each time. If you do not change anything before you push the M button then it will go back to the presets on start up. However, if you make any changes between start up and before you push the M button than it will revert back to what changes you made ...not what you preset on startup.

Not quite...

It should read: If you do not change anything before or after you push the M button then it will go back to the presets on start up.

Lets say you are runnig with EDC on Comfort. Your M-settings has EDC on Sport. When you press the M-button, EDC Sport will engage. If, while in M-mode, the EDC is changed to Normal with the console button, the Normal EDC setting will remain after M-mode is deactivated; it will not revert back to the original Comfort setting.

[Cool Steel]

Agreed ^^ I missed defining it further...thanks.
So to summarize, any time you change anything manually the system remembers it during that drive. Then when you turn the car off and then back on again - the presets you chose in idrive will return.

In the end who cares...drive with Mdrive set to the fastest settings and smile!

[pekane]

Originally Posted by Cool Steel

It only allows you to set the Power and EDC does not allow you to preselect the other three options: drivelogic, DSC, or servotronic.


Drivelogic: States that between every change between sequential and drive it reverts back to the last selected. Except for the first time where it reverts to drive program 3.

DSC: Appears to be preset to come on all the time. Only when you press the M button will it change to MDM or "off" if you preset it that way. Then when you push it again it will revert back to DSC "On". To get the 6th shift level on Sequential you have to manually disengage the DSC by pushing the button for longer than 1 second ( or program it in M mode to "off" ).

Servotronic: Is either normal or sport. I believe it will revert to normal each time you take off the M button.

This is exactly as I understand it and how it works in my machine!

[M3ZCP6MT]

Originally Posted by Cool Steel

I found it in the manual ...page 23. You go to settings, M drive, then move the controller to the right repeatedly until the "Options " menu is selected ...it will show you the settings that are stored when you start car, which is what it is set at before and after M button pressing....disregard my post...lol

Just when I thought I figured it out....this car has so much crap!!

I sometimes hate the iDrive. Nevertheless, good post.