What is the parking lock of the BMW 6HP-26 automatic transmission like?

The parking lock is operated in the E60 via the shift lever on the center bracket. The connection to the transmission is established via a cable (as in the E46 and E39).

(1) Shift lever lock (shift self-locking function) It prevents the shift lever from moving in the P and N positions when the brake is not applied. This function is implemented by an electromagnetic lock on the shift lever.

(2) Pull-out lock (interlock) There is a cable between the shift lever and the ignition switch. Here the ignition key can only be removed when the gear is in the P position (function like the E38).

(3) Selection of the shift lever position in manual shift mode The shift lever is manually switched to the S program by moving the shift lever from the D position to the manual shift slot. The display on the instrument cluster switches to DS. Manual shift mode is activated by moving the shift lever forward or backward and shifting to a higher or lower gear. The display on the instrument cluster switches to M1 to M6. In manual shift mode, the current gear is maintained until the speed limit is reached. Then it automatically shifts to the next higher gear. Automatic downshifting is performed by the forced downshift accelerator switch or downshifting to the 3rd and 2nd gears according to the speed. If the engine speed and vehicle speed do not allow gear shifting, the desired gear is first displayed on the instrument cluster, followed by the actual gear. The desired gear can only be changed after the engine speed or vehicle speed is reached. This prevents the engine from overspeeding. The desired gear can be stored by moving the shift lever several times and holding it in the inching position. Follow the sequence until the gear displayed on the instrument cluster is shifted. The shift lever must be held until the desired gear is reached.