auto start BMW M3 SEDAN 2009 E90 User Guide
Page 82 of 246
Technology for driving comfort and safety
80
One wheel yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in the indicated tire. A message appears on 
the Control Display.
All wheels yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in several tires. A message appears on the 
Control Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a puncture.
Possible reasons for this:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary malfunction caused by systems 
or devices using the same radio frequency
>Malfunction
Resetting the system
Each time a tire inflation pressure has 
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been 
changed, reset the system.<
Using the button in the center console
1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button for approx. 4 seconds until 
the warning lamp in the instrument cluster 
lights up yellow. Warning lamp, refer to 
Message for low tire inflation pressure on 
page80.
The message "Resetting TPM..." appears 
on the Control Display for several seconds.
3.Start to drive.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation 
pressures in the tires are accepted as the 
target values to be monitored. The system reset is completed during your drive, and 
can be interrupted at any time. When driving 
resumes, the reset is continued automati-
cally. The indicator lamp goes out after the 
system reset is completed.
Via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset TPM"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset TPM".
6.Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting 
TPM..." is displayed.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation 
pressures in the tires are accepted as the target 
values to be monitored. The system reset is 
completed during your drive, and can be inter-
rupted at any time. When driving resumes, the 
reset is continued automatically. On the Control 
Display, the tires are shown in green and 
"Status: TPM active" is displayed again.
If a flat tire is detected while the system is 
resetting and determining the inflation 
pressures, all wheels on the Control Display are 
displayed in yellow. The message "Tire low!" is 
shown.<
Message for low tire inflation pressure
The warning lamps come on in yellow 
and red. A message appears on the 
Control Display. In addition, a signal 
sounds. There is a flat tire or substan-
tial loss of tire pressure.
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Page 87 of 246
Controls
 85Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off, 
daytime running lamps
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lamps, welcome lamps and Adaptive 
Head Light
*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in 
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary, 
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
When the ignition is switched off and the switch 
is in position 1, only the outside sections of the 
rear lamps are illuminated, refer to page205.
The parking lamps will discharge the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps, 
refer to page87.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams 
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel, 
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The Adap-
tive Head Light
* is active. The LED next to the 
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are 
on. You can also activate the daytime running 
lamps, refer to page86. In the situations 
described above, the lamps then automatically 
switch from daytime running lamps to low 
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the 
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the system 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low-beam headlamps manually under these 
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3 
when you park the car, the parking lamps and 
the interior lamps light up briefly when you 
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
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Controls
 87Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is 
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system 
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/roadside parking 
lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right
There is an additional option of switching on the 
lamps on the side of the car facing the road 
when parked.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or 
down beyond the pressure point for a longer 
period, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine.<
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the 
pressure point, arrow 3.
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument 
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low 
beams are switched on.
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up 
or down repeatedly until the appropriate 
symbol appears in the display, accompa-
nied by the brightness level and the word 
"SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Push button 1 up or down to select the 
desired brightness level.
4.Press button 2.
The display again shows the outside tem-
perature and the time.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps*, entry 
lamps
*, cargo bay lamp and courtesy lamps* 
are controlled automatically.
The LEDs for the courtesy lamps
 are set in the 
door handles and illuminate the ground in front 
of the doors.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps 
inside the car are switched off about 
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Page 93 of 246
Controls
 91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjusting air flow rate manually
Press the left side of the button to 
reduce airflow. Press the right side 
of the button to increase it.
You can reactivate the automatic mode for the 
air flow rate with the AUTO button.
The air flow rate may be reduced or the blower 
may be switched off entirely to save on battery 
power. The display remains the same.
Switching the system on/off
With the blower at its lowest setting, press the 
left side of the button to switch off the auto-
matic climate control. All displays are cleared 
except for the rear window defroster if it is 
switched on.
Press any button except REST or rear window 
defroster to reactivate the automatic climate 
control.
The recirculated-air mode is switched on 
when you switch off the automatic cli-
mate control. If the air quality deteriorates or the 
window fogs over, switch the system back on 
and increase the air volume.<
Automatic recirculated-air control 
AUC/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating 
mode by pressing this button 
repeatedly:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor 
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As 
soon as the concentration of pollutants in 
the outside air has decreased sufficiently, 
the system automatically switches back to 
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode: 
the supply of outside air is permanently 
shut off. The system then recirculates the 
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the 
inside window surfaces during operation 
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch it off while also increasing the air flow rate as 
required. 
The recirculated-air mode should not be used 
continuously for lengthy periods, otherwise the 
quality of the air inside the car will gradually 
deteriorate.<
Via the button on the steering wheel
You can switch quickly between the recircu-
lated-air mode and the previous mode using an 
individually programmable button
 on the steer-
ing wheel, refer to page44.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is 
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a 
school to pick up a child.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>Up to 15 minutes after the engine has been 
switched off
>While the engine is at operating tempera-
ture
>As long as battery voltage is sufficient
>At an outside temperature below 777/
256
The LED is lit when the function is on.
As of radio readiness, you can set the interior 
temperature, the air flow rate and the air distri-
bution.
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and 
front side windows.
Switch on the cooling function as well.
Switching cooling function on/off
The cooling function cools and 
dehumidifies the incoming air 
before reheating it as required, 
according to the temperature setting. This 
function is only available while the engine is 
running.
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Page 94 of 246
Climate
92 The cooling function helps prevent condensa-
tion on the windows or removes it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may 
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically 
switches on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
The defroster is switched off auto-
matically after a certain time. 
Depending on your vehicle's 
equipment, the upper wires serve as an antenna 
and are not part of the rear window defroster.
Ventilation
1Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open 
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the 
airflow
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from 
the vents for the upper body area
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool 
air in your direction, for instance if it has become 
too hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past 
you and not straight at you.
Ventilation in the rear
1Use the knurled wheel to smoothly open 
and close the air vents
2Use the knurled wheel to adjust the temper-
ature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Use the lever to change the direction of the 
airflow
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter traps dust and pollen in the 
incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter pro-
vides additional protection by filtering gaseous 
pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW cen-
ter replaces this combined filter during routine 
maintenance.
Parked car ventilation
The concept
The parked car ventilation provides ventilation 
to the passenger compartment and lowers its 
temperature, if necessary.
It is ready for use at any outside temperature 
during parked car operation.
The parked car ventilation remains switched on 
for approx. 30 minutes. Two different switch-on 
times can be preselected. The system can also 
be switched on and off directly. 
Due to its high power consumption, it should 
not be switched on twice in a row without driv-
ing in between to allow the battery to recharge.
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Page 122 of 246
Destination entry
120 3.Highlight the entry.
4.Open "Options".
5."Edit in Contacts" or "Delete entry".
Using home address as destination
The home address must be stored as a destina-
tion. Refer to Specifying a contact as the home 
address, page173.
1."Navigation"
2."Address book"
3."Home address"
4."Start guidance"
Last destinations
The last destinations are stored automatically. 
These destinations can be called up and used 
as a destination for destination guidance.
Opening the last destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Select the destination.
4."Start guidance"
Editing a destination
Destinations can be edited, for example, to 
change the house number of an existing entry. 
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Highlight the destination.
4.Open "Options".
5."Edit destination"
Deleting the last destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Highlight the destination.
4.Open "Options".
5."Delete entry" or "Delete all last destina-
tions". 
Special destinations
You can search for special destinations, e.g. 
hotels and places of interest, and start destina-
tion guidance to this location.
The search can be narrowed by entering the 
location and type of special destination.
The scope of information provided 
depends on the particular set of naviga-
tion data you are using.<
Opening the search for special 
destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Points of Interest"
Special destination location
Search for a special destination according to its 
location relative to a locality or route.
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Navigation
Driving tips
 127Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Destination guidance
Starting destination 
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select the destination.
4."Start guidance"
After the route is calculated, the route is dis-
played in the map on the Control Display.
Terminating destination 
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the   symbol
Continuing destination 
guidance
If the destination was not reached at the end of 
the last trip, the system asks whether it should 
continue destination guidance.
Select "Resume guidance" or "Stop guidance".
Route criteria
General information
You can influence the calculated route by 
choosing certain route criteria. You can change 
the route criteria as often as you like during des-
tination entry or during destination guidance.
The route is planned according to fixed rules. 
The type of road is taken into account, e.g. 
whether it is a highway or a winding road. As a 
result, the routes recommended by the naviga-
tion system may not always be the same ones 
that you would choose based on personal expe-
rience.The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
Changing route criteria
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3."Route preference"
4.Selecting a criterion:
>"Fast route": time-optimized route, 
which is a combination of the shortest 
possible route and the fastest roads
>"Efficient route": optimized combination 
of the fastest and shortest roads
>"Short route": short distance, irrespec-
tive of how fast or slow progress will be
>"Alternative routes": other suggested 
alternative routes 
5.Select additional route criteria, if desired. 
Where possible, the selected criteria will be 
avoided on the route.
>"Avoid highways"
>"Avoid toll roads"
>"Avoid ferries"
>"Avoid area": define an area that the 
route is to avoid
The setting applies to the current route and to 
the planning of future routes.
Dynamic destination guidance
"Dynamic guidance" is switched on:
The route is automatically changed in the event 
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Page 146 of 246
CD player and CD changer
144
CD player and CD changer
CD/DVD playback
Inserting a CD/DVD
Insert the CD/DVD into the drive with the 
printed side up. The CD/DVD is drawn in auto-
matically.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. When playing CDs/DVDs with com-
pressed audio files, it can take the player 
approx. 1 minute to read in the data, depending 
on the directory structure.
Playable formats
CD/DVD player
>DVD: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-
RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD 
audio (video part only), DVD video
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, 
VCD, SVCD
>Compressed audio files: MP3, WMA, AAC
CD changer
*
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA
Start playback
Via iDrive
Fill and insert the CD magazine, refer to 
page149.
To start playback if a CD is already located in 
the player or changer:
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD:
Ejecting a CD
 Press the button next to the CD player.
The CD emerges slightly from the drive.
Audio playback
Selecting a track
 Press the button for the appropriate 
direction as often as necessary until the desired 
track is reached.
*
SymbolFunction
CD / DVD player
CD changer
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Music collection
152
Storing from a USB device
The entire content of the USB device is stored 
in the music collection as an album. After stor-
ing, the tracks and directories can be deleted 
individually.
1.Connect the USB device to the USB inter-
face in the glove compartment.
2."Music collection"
3.Open "Options".
4."Music import/export"
5."Import music (USB)"
Music is stored in the vehicle. The entire con-
tent of the USB device is stored as a separate 
album and is named automatically.
Music, playing
Music search
All tracks for which additional information has 
been stored can be accessed by the music 
search. Tracks without additional information 
can be called up via the corresponding album.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."Music collection"
3."Music search"4.Select the desired category.
All entries are displayed in a list.
5.To select the desired entry:
>Open "A-Z search" and enter the 
desired entry.
or
>Select the desired entry from the list.
6.Select additional categories if desired.
The tracks found are listed in alphabetical 
order.
Not all categories need to be selected. For 
example, to search for all tracks by a certain art-
ist, call up that artist only. All of the tracks by 
that artist are then displayed.
"Start play"
Restarting the music search
"New search"
Current playback
The list of tracks that was generated last by the 
music search or the album selected last.
1."Current playback"
2.Select the desired track, if necessary.
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Navigation
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 157Reference
At a glance
Controls
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Mobility
3. Select the symbol.
The name of the audio device may appear.
If, for example, an iPhone is connected to the 
USB interface at the same time that an audio 
device is connected to the AUX-IN port, the 
audio signal of the AUX-IN port is played. 
Information about the track
If information about a track has been stored, it is 
displayed automatically:
>Artist
>Album title
>Number of tracks
>Track file name
Track search
You can call up the tracks using the playlists 
and information. With USB devices you can also 
call up tracks using the file directory.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."External devices"
3. Select the symbol.
The name of the audio device may appear.
4.Select the desired category, "Genre", "Art-
ist".All entries are displayed in a list. The "A-Z 
search" is available depending on the num-
ber of entries.
>Open "A-Z search" and enter the 
desired entry.
>Select the desired entry from the list.
5.Select additional categories if desired.
The tracks found are listed. Not all catego-
ries need to be selected. For example, to 
search for all tracks by a certain artist, call 
up that artist only. All of the tracks by that 
artist are then displayed.
6."Start play"
Restarting a track search
"New search"
Random play sequence
You can play the tracks in the selected list in 
random order, e.g. all tracks of a single artist.
1.Open "Options".
2."Random"
Fast forward/reverse
 Press and hold the button for the corre-
sponding direction.
Notes
Do not expose the audio device to 
extreme environmental conditions, e. g. 
very high temperatures, refer to the operating 
instructions of the audio device. Otherwise the 
audio device may become damaged, which 
could compromise safety while driving.<
Depending on the configuration of the audio 
files, e. g. bit rates greater than 256 KBit/s, the 
files may not play back correctly in every case.
Notes on connecting
>The USB-audio interface acts as the power 
supply to the connected audio devices, pro-
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