I drive BMW 3 SERIES 2009 Owner's Manual

Controls
45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx. the next
15 minutes, the seat he ating is automatically
activated at the previously set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is
switched off entirely to save on battery power.
The LEDs stay lit.
Seat and mirror memory*
You can store and call up two different combi-
nations of driver's-seat and exterior-mirror
positions.
Settings for the backrest width and lumbar sup-
port are not stored in memory.
Storing
1. Switch on radio readiness or the ignition,
refer to page 53.
2. Adjust the seat and ex terior mirrors to the
desired positions. 3.
Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2: the
LED goes out.
The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up memory while you are driv-
ing, otherwise unexpected seat move-
ment could result in an accident. <
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page 53.
2. Briefly press the de sired memory button 1
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Safety feature
1. Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page 53.
2. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2
and keep it pressed until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pr essed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last stored is stored
for the remote contro l currently in use.
You can select the occasion on which the seat is
reset to that position.
> Call-up when the vehicle is unlocked.
> Call-up when the driver's door is opened.
When this Personal Profile function is
used, first make sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is free of obstacles.
Failure to do so could cause injury to persons or
damage to objects as a result of a rearward
movement of the seat. <
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Adjustments
46
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Selecting automatic call-up
iDrive, for operating pr
inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks"
3. "Last seat position auto."
et
The function for au tomatically calling up
the last seat position is switched on and is
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Switching off automatic call-up
Deactivate "Last seat position automatic".
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page42 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection. <
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but
they do not repres ent a substitute.
On the rear seats, the center belt buckle marked
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page 42.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2. Press the red button in the buckle.
3. Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front
seats
The indicator lamps light up and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. Check whether the safety belt
has been fastened correctly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as
long as the driver's safe ty belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph
or 8 km/h if the front passe nger's safety belt is
not fastened, if objects are placed on the front
passenger seat, or if dr iver or front passenger
unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child-
restraint systems, replaced and the belt
anchors checked. Have this work done only by
your BMW center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
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Controls
47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly. <
Rear center safety belt
With through- loading system*:
Before using the center rear seat, release the
latch plate from the fixt ure on the rear window
shelf and insert it into the belt lock of the center
safety belt. Make sure you hear the latch plate
engage in the belt buckle.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more con-
vex than the driver's mirror. The objects
seen in the mirror are closer than they appear.
Do not gauge your distan ce from traffic behind
you on the basis of what you see in the mirror;
otherwise there is an incr eased risk of an acci-
dent. <
1 Adjustments
2 Switching to the other mirror or automatic
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The setting for the exterior mirrors is stored for
the remote control currently in use
*. The stored
position is called up automatically when the
vehicle is unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by
pressing button 3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors
that were folded in by hand back out into their
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are
folded out automatically at a speed of approx.
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors manually or
with button 3 to prevent them from being dam-
aged, depending on the width of the vehicle. <
Automatic heating*
Depending on the outside temperature, both
exterior mirrors are heated automatically when
the engine is running or the ignition is switched
on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function –
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to the position for the
driver's-side mirror, arrow 1.
2. Shift to reverse or engage selector lever
position R.
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Adjustments
48
The glass of the mirror on the passenger
side tilts slightly do
wn. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into
a parking space.
Deactivating
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger-side mirror, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind yo u when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming fe ature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior re arview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of an y kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in mo tion, otherwise there
is a risk of accident due to an unexpected move-
ment. <
1. Fold the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3. Swing the lever back up.
Do not use force to swing the lever
back up, otherwise the mechanism
will be damaged. <
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up when the steer-
ing wheel heating is switched on.
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Driving
54
place the transmission in neutral or engage
selector lever position P
and forcefully apply the
parking brake to prevent the car from moving. <
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in
which the engine does no t start. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and
there is a danger of overheating and damaging
the catalytic converter. <
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page 34.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch and shift to neutral posi-
tion.
3. Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page 34.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Move the selector lever to position P.
3. Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Diesel engine
When the engine is cold and temperatures are
below approx. 32 7/06 , the starting process
may take a little more time due to automatic
preheating. The preheating indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on; at the same
time a message appears on the Control Display.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply th e parking brake force-
fully, otherwise the vehicle could begin to roll. <
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2. Shift into first gear or reverse.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 53.
Automatic transmission
1. With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2. Press the start/stop button.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 53.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in
addition. The parking brake is still
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in po sition automatically.
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Driving
56
Changing selector lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P: interlock.
> Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start. <
A lock prevents you from inadvertently engag-
ing selector lever positions R and P. To cancel
the lock, press the butto n on the front of the
selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select this only when th e vehicle is stationary.
The rear wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when th e vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example.
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are sele cted automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Move selector lever from position D toward the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played in the instrument cl uster. This position is
recommended for a performance-oriented driv-
ing style.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
When you press the select or lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear. M1 through M6 are
displayed in the instrument cluster.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Shifting gears via shift paddles* on the
steering wheel
The shift paddles allo w you to shift gears
quickly since both hands can remain on the
steering wheel.
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Controls
57Reference
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Mobility
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shif t gears in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to manual
mode.
> If you do not accelerate or shift gears using
the shift paddles for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear
plane, manual mode remains active. <
> To shift up: pull one of the shift paddles.
> To shift down: press one of the shift pad-
dles.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of
position P although the button on the selector
lever is pressed, the sele ctor lever lock can be
overridden:
1. Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2. Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out. 3.
Using the screwdriver from the onboard
tool kit, refer to page 222, press the red
lever while moving the selector lever to the
desired position.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1 High beams
2 Headlamp flasher
3 Turn signals
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashi ng of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal indicator
has failed. <
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
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Driving
58
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Triple turn signal"
Triple turn signal acti vation is activated and
is stored for the remote control currently in use.
Wiper system
1 Switching on wipers
2 Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3 Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
5Setting speed for intermittent wipe, or sen-
sitivity of the rain sensor
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically retu rns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to operation in the inter-
mittent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system switches to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the
intermittent-wipe time is a preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time
between wipes is contro lled automatically and
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The rain
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermitte nt wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button, arrow 3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Setting speed for inte rmittent wipe or
sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn knurled wheel 5 up or down.
Deactivating intermit tent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow 3.
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation. <
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated for a short time.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
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Controls
59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
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Navigation
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Mobility
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid.
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid
reservoir is empty, otherwise you will damage
the washer pump. <
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are heated
automatically while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on
*.
Sports Wagon: re ar window wiper
1Intermittent operation. When reverse gear
is engaged, the system switches to contin-
uous operation.
2 Cleaning the rear window
The rear window wiper does not move if the
lever is in position 1 before the ignition is
switched on.
To switch on the rear window wiper:
1. Move the lever to its home position.
2. Reselect the desired position.
Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is empty, otherwise you will
damage the washer pump. <
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Therefore, keep it away from ignition
sources and only store it in the closed original
container that is kept ou t of reach of children,
otherwise there is a risk of personal injury.
Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer. <
Washer fluid filler neck
Only refill washer fluid when the engine is
cool to avoid contac t with hot engine
parts. Otherwise, fluid spills constitute a fire
hazard and a risk to personal safety. fluid by the same reservoir.
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid rese rvoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained. <
Capacity
Approx. 6.3 US quarts/6 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
Cruise control is available for use at speeds of
approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then stores
and maintains the speed that you specify using
the lever on the steering column. In order to
maintain the specified speed, the system
brakes the vehicle when the engine braking
effect is insufficient on downhill gradients.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g. snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise you could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result. <
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. An indicator lamp notifies you that you
should shift gears wh en you drive for an
extended period at very high or very low engine
speeds, or the system is deactivated.
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Controls
61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Resuming a speed stored beforehand
Press the button, arrow 4. The last stored
speed is resumed and maintained.
In the following instances, the stored speed is
deleted and can no longer be resumed:
> When driving stability control systems are
intervening
> In cars with a manual transmission: when
you switch gears very sl owly or shift to neu-
tral
> In cars with an automatic transmission:
when you engage selector lever position N
> When the ignition is switched off
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Stored speed
2 Selected speed is displayed briefly
If --- mph or --- km/h temporarily appears
in the instrument cluster display, it is pos-
sible that the system prerequisites for operation
are currently not met.
Calling up Check Control messages, refer to
page 76.<
Malfunction
The warning lamp comes on when
the system has failed. A message
appears on the Control Display. You
can find more information starting on page 75.
Active cruise control*
The concept
With active cruise cont rol, you can select a
desired speed which is not only automatically maintained when driving
on open roadways, but
also varied to maintain a selected distance set-
ting as slower traffic is encountered.
Active cruise control is a technological advance
over the familiar cruise control and is a welcome
relief from the constant adjustment of speed
that can accompany driving in traffic on high-
ways or other high-speed thoroughfares. Espe-
cially on longer trips, the system can reduce
fatigue and tension, while increasing your
enjoyment of driving. Please use it safely and
responsibly.
Within the limits of its capability, the system
automatically adapts the ca r's speed to that of a
slower vehicle in front of you. You can specify
the distance to be main tained from the vehicle
in front in four stages. For safety reasons, the
distance is speed-dependent. Based on your
selected distance setti ng, the system automat-
ically decreases the thro ttle setting and lightly
applies the brakes if necessary. The vehicle
brake lamps will automatically illuminate to sig-
nal a following driver to take action. In addition,
it may be necessary for the vehicle or the driver
to downshift, depending on the kind of trans-
mission your vehicle is equipped with, to main-
tain the distance setting selected. If the vehicle
ahead speeds up or when the lane ahead
becomes clear, your vehi cle will accelerate to
the speed you have selected by increasing the
throttle setting and shifting gears automatically
or by the driver as needed. Your selected speed
will be held when driving downhill, too.
Since this active cruise control system is a new
technology and operates differently from con-
ventional cruise control systems which you may
be accustomed to, you are strongly urged to
read all of the pages re lating to this system
before use. Pay special attention to the System
limitations section beginning on page 65.
Braking sensation
>If you step on the brake pedal while the sys-
tem is braking, pedal sensation will be
slightly different from the usual.
> Possible noises during automatic braking
are normal.
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