BMW 3 SERIES 2009 Owners Manual

Controls
89Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
activated, refer to Status of front passenger air-
bags below. <
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page 49.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indi cator lamp for the front
passenger airbags comes on. In such cases, the
passenger should change his or her sitting
position so that the front passenger airbags are
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach
seat covers, seat cushio n padding, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat unless
they are specifically recommended by BMW.
Do not place any items under the seat which
could press against the seat from below. Other-
wise a correct analysis of the seat cushion is not
ensured. <
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger's front and side airbags in accor-
dance with whether and how the front passen-
ger seat is occupied. Th e indicator lamp shows
whether the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated or deactivated.
> The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a specially designated child-restraint sys-
tem is detected, as intended, on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated. Most child seats are detected by the
system, especially child seats
required by the NHTSA at the time of vehi-
cle production. After mounting a child seat,
ensure that the indica tor lamp for the front
passenger airbag is lit. It indicates that the
child seat has been detected and that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated. <
> The indicator lamp does not come on as
long as a person of sufficient size and in a
correct sitting position is detected on the
seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are activated.
> The indicator lamp does not come on if the
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Operational readine ss of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page 53, the
warning lamp comes on br iefly to indicate that
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners
are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
> Warning lamp does not light up at radio
readiness or beyond.
> Warning lamp remains permanently on.
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay, otherwise
there is the risk that th e system will not function
as intended even if a sufficiently severe acci-
dent occurs. <
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Lamps
90
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off,
daytime running lamps
1 Parking lamps and daytime running lamps
2 Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3 Automatic 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 parkin g lamps if necessary,
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position 1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switch ed 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 page 226.
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 enou gh power to start the
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand ro adside parking lamps,
refer to page 92.<
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 position 3, 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 page 91. In the situations
described above, the la mps 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 low beams remain switched on
regardless of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps. <
The automatic headla mp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determin ing 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 ma nually 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 pr inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
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Controls
91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3."Welcome light"
Welcome lamps are activated and are
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Pathway lighting
If you activate the head lamp flasher after park-
ing the car, with the lights switched off, the low
beams come on and remain on for a certain
time.
Setting or deactivating the duration
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page 16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Pathway lighting:"
4. Set or deactivate the duration.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lamps
The daytime running lamps light up in switch
positions 0, 1 and 3 .
Activating/deactivating daytime
running lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page 16.1.
"Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Daytime running lamps"
Daytime running lamps are activated and
are stored for the remote control currently in
use.
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that en ables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adapti ve Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch to position 3, refer to page 90.
To avoid dazzling the drivers of oncoming vehi-
cles, Adaptive Head Light is not active when the
car is driven in reverse, and directs the light to
the front passenger's side when the vehicle is at
a standstill.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symb ol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
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Lamps
92
High beams/roadside parking
lamps
1High beams
2 Headlamp flasher
3 Roadside 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 pressu re 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 enou gh power to start the
engine. <
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the
pressure point, arrow 3.
Fog lamps
The parking lamps or low beams must
be switched on for the fog lamps to
operate. The green indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the
fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off while you acti-
vate the headlamp flasher or switch on the high
beams.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps. <
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 up or down repeatedly until
the appropriate symbol appears in the dis-
play, accompanied by the brightness set-
ting and scale the word "SET".
2. Press button 2.
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Controls
93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
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Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 an d 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
8 minutes after the ignition is switched off, refer
to Start/stop button on page 53.<
Switching interior lamps on/off
manually
Interior lamps, front and rear*:
To switch on and off, press the button.
To switch off the inte rior lamps, footwell
lamps
*, entry lamps* and courtesy lamps* per-
manently, press the button for the front interior
lamps for about 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
There are reading lamps at the front and rear*,
next to the interior lamps. To switch on and off,
press the button.
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Climate
94
Climate
1Airflow directed toward the windshield and
side windows
2 Air to the upper body area
Draft-free ventilation 97
3 Air to the footwell
4 Air distribution, manual
5 Temperature adjustment, left-hand side of
passenger compartment
6 Maximum cooling
7 AUTO program
8 Air flow rate, manual
9 Automatic recirculated-air control AUC/
Recirculated-air mode 10
Temperature adjustment, right-hand side
of passenger compartment
11 Residual heat
12 Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation
13 Switching cooling func tion on/off manually
14 Rear window defroster
15 Air grill for interior temperature sensor –
please keep clear and unobstructed
The current setting for the air distribution is dis-
played on the Control Display, refer to page 95.
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Controls
95Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic climate control
Comfortable interior climate
AUTO program7 offers the ideal air distribution
and air flow rate for almost all conditions, refer
to AUTO program below. All you need to do is
select an interior temp erature which is comfort-
able for you.
The following sections inform you in detail
about how to adjust the settings.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, refer al so to Personal Profile
settings on page 26.
Adjusting air distribution manually
The air distribution can be
switched on and off manually. The
air is directed to the windshield, to
the upper body area and to the
footwell. Automatic air distribution adjustment
is deactivated.
The current setting is briefly displayed on the
Control Display when a button is pressed.
You can switch the automatic air distribution
back on by pressing the AUTO button. This
automatically switches on the cooling function.
Temperature
Set the desired temperatures indi-
vidually for the driver's and front
passenger's sides.
The automatic climate control
achieves this temperature as quickly as possi-
ble regardless of the season, using maximum
cooling or heating power if necessary, and then
maintains it.
When you switch between different tem-
perature settings in quick succession, the
automatic climate control does not have
enough time to achieve the set temperature. <
You can achieve maximum heating power with
the highest setting, rega rdless of the outside
temperature.
The lowest setting effe cts continuous cooling.
Maximum cooling
At outside temperatures above
327/06 and when the engine is
running, you obtain a maximum
cooling effect as soon as possible.
The automatic climate control goes into recir-
culated-air mode at the lowest temperature. Air
flows at maximum rate from the vents for the
upper body area. You should therefore open
them for maximum cooling.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for you. The air
flow rate and your temperature specifications
will be adapted to outside influences as a result
of seasonal changes, e.g. sunlight or window
condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
Intensity of the AUTO program
Press the AUTO button re peatedly to set the
intensity of the AUTO program. The current
setting is displayed on the Control Display
when the button is pressed.
Select the intensity of the AUTO program:
> −Low
> −Medium
> −High
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.
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Climate
96
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 entire ly 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 mo de is switched on
when you switch off the automatic cli-
mate control. If the air qu ality 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 star ts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off while also increasi ng the air flow rate as
required.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over an extended period of time, otherwise the air quality inside the ca
r will deteriorate contin-
uously. <
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 77 7/
25 6
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 window s 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 temp erature setting. This
function is only availa ble while the engine is
running.
The cooling function helps prevent condensa-
tion on the windows or removes it quickly.
Depending on the weathe r, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically
switches on the cooling function.
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Controls
97Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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
1 Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2 Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
3 Knurled 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
2 Use the knurled wheel to adjust the temper-
ature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
> Turn toward red: warmer
3 Use 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 outs ide 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, as of radio readiness.
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.
The air emerges from the air vents for the upper
body area in the instrume nt panel. The air vents
must therefore be open.
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Climate
98
The parked car ventilation system is operated
via iDrive.
Switching on/off directly
iDrive, for operating pr
inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Climate"
3. "Activate parked-car vent."
The parked car ventilation is switched on.
The symbol on the au tomatic climate control
display flashes.
Preselecting switch-on times
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Climate"
3. "Activate Timer 1" or "Activate Timer 2"
4. "Timer 1:" or "Timer 2:"
5. Turn the controller: set the hours.
6. Press the controller: the setting is
accepted.
7. Turn the controller: set the minutes.
8. Press the controller: the setting is
accepted. The switch-on time is activated.
The symbol on the au tomatic climate control
display lights up.
The symbol on the au tomatic climate control
display flashes when the system has switched
on.
The respective system is switched on
within the next 24 ho urs only. After these
have elapsed, it must be reactivated. <
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