I have a 2008 M3 coupe with M DCT purchased July 2008. I have not had the recall work on the transmission done as I live in Montana at 7000 feet elevation and can't get to the dealer easily. I store the car during the winter in a storage garage at 5000 feet in order to drive it periodically on snow free roads. The last time I drove the car it emitted a warning message that looked like a car in profile with broken arrows above it facing both front and rear. The message was in red light. The owner's manual indicated that it was a warning that the "P" (park) function was not working. It did not indicate any mitigation steps. I drove the car 20 odd miles and turned it off once during the drive, but the warning light continued. I cannot safely drive the car to the nearest dealer 150 miles away in the winter and plan to take it to the dealer in the spring for the recall work on the transmission when the roads are clear. My question is basically: can I drive the car once every two weeks or so safely until the weather improves and I can take ti to the dealer for the recall? Do you have any other recommendations or information that may be useful? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
I personally think that you should drive it now before it becomes a major problem, because what's better: driving 150 miles or having your car towed that distance? I think the former is a lot smarter and cheaper. I just wouldn't take that risk if I were you, and see it as a bigger security risk than if you were to just drive it the distance carefully. Who knows, maybe the manual is wrong, or the light could pertain to something else that the manual doesn't suggest. You just never know with these new and complicated cars.
