BMW 3 SERIES 2011 Owners Manual
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Display on the Control Display
Activating/deactivating systems
Symbol Meaning
Gray: the system is not available.
White: the system is available but not
activated.
The system is activated.
System status
Gray: the system is not activated.
Parking space search.
Blue: the system is activated. A
suitable parking space was
found.
The parking procedure is active.
Steering control has been seized.
Status of the parking space search
▷Gray, arrow 1: parking space search.
▷Blue, arrow 2: parking space is suitable.
The vehicle is parked in the parking space if
the parking procedure is active.
▷No display: no parking space search.
Parking using the parking assistant
Personal responsibility
The parking assistant does not relieve the
driver of responsibility for the vehicle during the
parking procedure.
Watch the parking space and parking procedure
closely and intervene if necessary; otherwise,
there is the danger of an accident.◀
Check the traffic situation as well
Loud sounds outside and within the vehi‐
cle can drown out the signal tones of the parking
assistant and PDC.
Check the traffic situation around the vehicle
with your own eyes; otherwise, there is the dan‐
ger of an accident.◀
1.Switch on the parking assistant and activate
it if necessary.
The status of the parking space search is in‐
dicated on the Control Display.
2.Follow the instructions on the Control Dis‐
play.
The end of the parking procedure is indi‐
cated on the Control Display.
3.Adjust the parking position yourself if nec‐
essary.
Notes
▷The parking assistant takes control of steer‐
ing for as long as the symbol for active park‐
ing appears on the display.
▷The system maneuvers the vehicle to posi‐
tion it properly in smaller parking spaces, for
example.
▷To achieve the best possible parking posi‐
tion, wait for the automatic steering wheel
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movement after the gear change when the
vehicle is stationary.
▷When parking in parking spaces on the driv‐
er's side, the corresponding turn signal must
be set.
Interrupting manually
The parking assistant can be interrupted at any
time by:
▷Grasping the steering wheel and steering
yourself.
▷ "Parking Assistant" Select the symbol on
the Control Display.
Interrupting automatically
The procedure is interrupted automatically:
▷If the vehicle speed exceeds approx. 6 mph/
10 km/h.
▷On snow-covered or slippery road surfaces
if necessary.
▷If doors are open.
A Check Control message is displayed.
Continuing
An interrupted parking procedure can be con‐
tinued if necessary.
Follow the instructions on the Control Display to
do this.
Switching off
The system can be deactivated as follows:
▷Press the button.
▷Switch off the ignition.
Malfunction
A Check Control message is displayed.
The parking assistant failed. Have the system
checked.
System limits
Changes to the parking space
Changes to the parking space after it was
measured are not taken into account by the sys‐
tem.
Therefore, always be alert and ready to inter‐
vene; otherwise, there is the danger of an acci‐
dent occurring.◀
Transporting loads
Loads that extend beyond the perimeter
of the vehicle are not taken into account by the
system during the parking procedure.
Therefore, always be alert and ready to inter‐
vene; otherwise, there is the danger of an acci‐
dent occurring.◀
Curbs
The parking assistant may steer the vehi‐
cle over or onto curbs.
Therefore, always be alert and ready to inter‐
vene; otherwise, the wheels, tires, or the vehicle
may become damaged.◀
No parking assistance
The parking assistant does not provide assis‐
tance in parking.
▷In tight curves.
Functional limitations
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations:
▷When sensors are dirty or iced over.
▷In heavy fog, rain or snowfall.
▷On bumpy road surfaces such as gravel
roads.
▷When leaves or snow has collected in the
parking space.
Limits of ultrasonic measurement
The detection of objects can reach the physical
limits of ultrasonic measurement, e.g.:
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▷With tow bars and trailer hitches.
▷With thin or wedge-shaped objects.
▷With elevated, protruding objects such as
ledges or cargo.
▷With objects with corners and sharp edges.
▷With objects with a fine surface structure,
such as fences.
The parking assistant may identify parking
spaces that are not suitable for parking.
Ultrasound sensors
The ultrasound sensors for measuring parking
spaces are located on the wheel arches.
To ensure full operability:
▷Keep the sensors clean and free of ice.
▷When using high-pressure washers, do not
spray the sensors for long periods and main‐
tain a distance of at least 12 in/30 cm.
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Climate control
Vehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Automatic climate control
1Seat heating, left 47
2Vent settings
3Rear window defroster
4Air flow
5AUTO program
6Temperature
7Seat heating, right 47
8Cooling function
9Recirculated-air mode
10Interior temperature sensor — always keep
clear
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Climate control functions in detail
Manual air distribution
Turn the wheel to select the de‐
sired program.
▷ Windows.
▷ Upper body region.
▷ Windows, upper body region, and foot‐
well.
▷ Footwell.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Direct the air distribution toward windows, in‐
crease the air flow and temperature, and, if nec‐
essary, use the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
Press the button.
The rear window defroster switches off
automatically after a certain period of time.
Air flow, manual
Press the left or right side of the button:
decrease or increase air flow.
The air flow of the air conditioner may be re‐
duced automatically to save battery power.
AUTO program
Press the button.
Air volume, air distribution, and tem‐
perature are controlled automatically.
Depending on the selected temperature and
outside influences, the air is directed to the
windshield, side windows, upper body, and into
the footwell.
The cooling function, refer to page 135, is
switched on automatically with the AUTO pro‐
gram.
Temperature
Turn the wheel to set the desired
temperature.
The automatic climate control reaches this tem‐
perature as quickly as possible, if necessary by
increasing the cooling or heating output, and
then keeps it constant.
Avoid rapidly switching between different tem‐
perature settings. The automatic climate control
will not have sufficient time to adjust the set
temperature.
Cooling function
The passenger compartment can only be
cooled with the engine running.
Press the button.
The air is cooled and dehumidified and
– depending on the temperature setting –
warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati‐
cally with the AUTO program.
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water, refer to page 158, develops
that exits underneath the vehicle.
Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant odors or pollu‐
tants in the immediate environment by tempo‐
rarily suspending the supply of outside air. The
system then recirculates the air currently within
the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to select
an operating mode:
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▷LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
▷LED on, recirculated-air mode: the supply of
outside air into the vehicle is permanently
blocked.
If the windows fog over, switch off recirculated-
air mode and increase the air volume, if neces‐
sary.
Continuous recirculated-air mode
The recirculated-air mode should not be
used for an extended period of time, as the air
quality inside the vehicle deteriorates steadily.◀
Switching the system on/off
Switching off
Press the left button at the minimum
speed.
Switching on
Press any button except the seat heating but‐
tons.
Microfilter, recirculated air filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air.
The recirculated-air filter removes dust from the
interior air in recirculated-air mode.
These filters should be replaced during sched‐
uled maintenance of your vehicle., refer to
page 277
Automatic climate control with enhanced features
1Seat heating, left 47
2Temperature, left
3AUTO program
4Display
5Maximum cooling
6Temperature, right
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7Seat heating, right 47
8Cooling function
9Automatic recirculated-air control/recircu‐
lated-air mode
10Air distribution, right
11Air flow, AUTO intensity
12Air distribution, left
13Rear window defroster
14Interior temperature sensor — always keep
clear
15Defrosting windows and removing conden‐
sation
Climate control functions in detail
Temperature
Turn the wheel to set the desired
temperature.
The automatic climate control reaches this tem‐
perature as quickly as possible, if necessary by
increasing the cooling or heating output, and
then keeps it constant.
Avoid rapidly switching between different tem‐
perature settings. The automatic climate control
will not have sufficient time to adjust the set
temperature.
AUTO program
Press the button.
Air volume, air distribution, and tem‐
perature are controlled automatically.
Depending on the selected temperature, AUTO
intensity, and outside influences, the air is di‐
rected to the windshield, side windows, upper
body, and into the footwell.
The cooling function, refer to page 137, is
switched on automatically with the AUTO pro‐
gram.
At the same time, a condensation sensor con‐
trols the program so as to prevent window con‐
densation as much as possible.
Intensity of the AUTO program
With the AUTO program switched on, automatic
control of the air volume and air distribution can
be adjusted.
Press the left or right side of the button:
decrease or increase the intensity.
The selected intensity is shown on the display
of the automatic climate control.
Maximum cooling
Press the button.
The system is set to the lowest tem‐
perature, maximum air flow and recirculated-air
mode.
Air flows out of the vents for the upper body re‐
gion. Open them for this purpose.
The air is cooled fastest when the engine is run‐
ning.
The air flow can be adjusted when the program
is active.
Cooling function
The passenger compartment can only be
cooled with the engine running.
Press the button.
The air is cooled and dehumidified and
– depending on the temperature setting –
warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati‐
cally with the AUTO program.
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When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water, refer to page 158, develops
that exits underneath the vehicle.
Automatic recirculated-air control/
recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant odors or pollu‐
tants in the immediate environment by tempo‐
rarily suspending the supply of outside air. The
system then recirculates the air currently within
the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to select
an operating mode:
▷LEDs off: outside air flows in continuously.
▷Left LED on, automatic recirculated-air con‐
trol: a sensor detects pollutants in the out‐
side air and controls the shutoff automati‐
cally.
▷Right LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air into the vehicle is per‐
manently blocked.
If the windows are fogged over, switch off the
recirculated-air mode and press the AUTO but‐
ton to utilize the condensation sensor. Make
sure that air can flow onto the windshield.
Continuous recirculated-air mode
The recirculated-air mode should not be
used for an extended period of time, as the air
quality inside the vehicle deteriorates steadily.◀
Manual air distribution
Press the button repeatedly to select a
program:
▷Upper body region.
▷Upper body region and footwell.
▷Footwell.
▷Windows and footwell: driver's side only.
▷Windows, upper body region and footwell:
driver's side only.
If the windows are fogged over, press the AUTO
button to utilize the condensation sensor.
Air volume, manual
To be able to manually adjust the air volume,
switch off the AUTO program first.
Press the left or right side of the button:
decrease or increase air volume.
The selected air volume is shown on the display
of the automatic climate control.
The air volume of the automatic climate control
may be reduced automatically to save battery
power.
Rear window defroster
Press the button.
The rear window defroster switches off
automatically after a certain period of time.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Press the button.
Ice and condensation are quickly re‐
moved from the windshield and the front side
windows.
The air volume can be adjusted when the pro‐
gram is active.
If the windows are fogged over, additionally
switch on the cooling function or press the
AUTO button to utilize the condensation sensor.
Switching the system on/off
Switching off
Press the left button at the minimum
speed.
Switching on
Press any button except the seat heating but‐
tons.
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Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter,
recirculated-air filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air.
The activated-charcoal filter removes gaseous
pollutants from the outside air that enters the
vehicle.
The recirculated-air filter removes dust from the
interior air in recirculated-air mode.
These filters should be replaced during sched‐
uled maintenance, refer to page 277, of your
vehicle.
Ventilation
Front ventilation
▷Lever for changing the air flow direction, ar‐
row 1.
▷Thumbwheels for opening and closing the
vents continuously, arrows 2.
▷Thumbwheel to vary the temperature, ar‐
row 3.
Toward blue: colder.
Toward red: warmer.
Adjusting the ventilation
▷Ventilation for cooling:
Adjust the vent to direct the air in your di‐
rection, e.g., if the vehicle interior is hot from
the sun.
▷Draft-free ventilation:
Adjust the vent to let the air flow past you.
Ventilation in the rear
▷Thumbwheel for opening and closing the
vents continuously, arrow 1.
▷Thumbwheel to vary the temperature, ar‐
row 2.
Toward blue: colder.
Toward red: warmer.
▷Lever for changing the air flow direction, ar‐
row 3.
Parked-car ventilation
The concept
The parked-car ventilation ventilates the vehicle
interior and lowers its temperature, if necessary.
The system can be switched on and off at any
external temperature, either directly or by using
two preset switch-on times. It remains switched
on for 30 minutes.
Open the vents to allow air to flow out.
Operation can be performed via iDrive.
Switching on/off directly
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Activate parked-car vent."
The symbol on the automatic climate control
flashes if the system is switched on.
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Preselecting the switch-on time
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Timer 1:" or "Timer 2:"
4.Set the desired time.
Activating the switch-on time
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Activate Timer 1" or "Activate Timer 2"
The symbol on the automatic climate control
lights up when the switch-on time is activated.
The symbol on the automatic climate control
flashes when the system has been switched on.
The system will only be switched on within the
next 24 hours. After that, it needs to reactivated.
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