BMW 3 SERIES 2011 Owners Manual

1.Open the cover on the right side trim. To do
this, turn the cap.
2.Pull the green knob with the fuel pump sym‐
bol. This releases the fuel filler flap.
Observe the following when
refueling
The fuel tank is full when the filler nozzle clicks
off the first time.
Handling fuels
Obey safety regulations posted at the gas
station.◀
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Fuel
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.
Fuel quality
Fuels that are marked on the gas pump as con‐
taining metal must not be used.
Refuel only with unleaded gasoline with‐
out metallic additives.
Do not refuel with any leaded gasoline or gaso‐
line with metallic additives, e. g. manganese or
iron, or permanent damage to the catalytic con‐
verter and other components.◀
Do not refuel with ethanol
Do not refuel with E85, i.e., fuel with an
ethanol content of 85 %, or with Flex Fuel, as this
would damage the engine and fuel supply sys‐
tem.◀
Required fuel
Gasoline with lower AKI
The minimum AKI Rating is 89.
If you use gasoline with this minimum AKI Rat‐
ing, the engine may produce knocking sounds
when starting at high outside temperatures.
This has no effect on the engine life.
Minimum fuel grade
Do not use any gasoline below the mini‐
mum specified fuel grade; otherwise, engine
damage may occur.◀
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant differ‐
ences in fuel quality: volatility, composition, ad‐
ditives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale in
the United States and Canada.
Fuels containing up to and including 10 % etha‐
nol or other oxygenates with up to 2.8 % oxygen
by weight, that is, 15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol
plus an equivalent amount of co-solvent, will not
void the applicable warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship.
Minimum fuel grade
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
driveability, starting and stalling problems es‐
pecially under certain environmental conditions
such as high ambient temperature and high al‐
titude.
Should you encounter driveability problems
which you suspect could be related to the fuel
you are using, we recommend that you respond
by switching to a recognized high-quality brand
such as gasoline that is advertised as Top Tier
Detergent Gasoline.
Failure to comply with these recommendations
may result in unscheduled maintenance.◀
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Wheels and tires
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.
Tire inflation pressure
Safety information
The tire characteristics and tire inflation pres‐
sure influence the following:
▷The service life of the tires.
▷Road safety.
▷Driving comfort.
Checking the pressure
Only check the tire inflation pressure when the
tires are cold. This means after driving no more
than 1.25 miles/2 km or when the vehicle has
been parked for at least 2 hours. When the tires
are warm, the tire inflation pressure is higher.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
Regularly check the tire inflation pressure
and correct it as needed: at least twice a month
and before a long trip. If you fail to observe this
precaution, you may be driving on tires with in‐
correct tire pressures, a condition that may not
only compromise your vehicle's driving stability,
but also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident.◀
After correcting the tire inflation pressure:
▷Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor.
▷Reinitialize the Tire Pressure Monitor.
Pressure specifications
The tire inflation pressure table, refer to
page 264, contains all pressure specifications
for the specified tire sizes at the ambient tem‐
perature. Pressure specifications apply to ap‐
proved tire sizes and recommended tire brands.
This information can be obtained from your
service center.
To identify the correct tire inflation pressure,
please note the following:
▷Tire sizes of your vehicle.
▷Maximum allowable driving speed.
Tire inflation pressures up to 100 mph/
160 km/h
For speeds of up to 100 mph/160 km/h and for
optimum driving comfort, note the pressure val‐
ues in the tire inflation pressure table, refer to
page 264, and adjust as necessary.
These pressure values can also be found on the
tire inflation pressure label on the driver's door
pillar.
Maximum permissible speed
Do not exceed 100 mph/160 km/h; other‐
wise, tire damage and accidents may result.◀
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Tire inflation pressure values up to
100 mph/160 km/h
320i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/50 R 17 94 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/50 R 17 94 V
RSC
225/50 R 17 94 H M
+S RSC
2.2 / 32 2.2 / 32
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.2 / 32 2.4 / 35
F: 225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
R: 255/45 R 17 98 W
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
F.: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.4/ 35
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.4 / 35
-
-
2.8/ 41
Compact wheel:
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
328i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/50 R 17 94 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
225/50 R 17 94 H M
+S RSC
2.2 / 32 2.2 / 32
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.2 / 32 2.4 / 35
F: 225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
R: 255/45 R 17 98 W
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
F: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
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Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.4 / 35
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.4 / 35
-
-
2.8 / 41
Compact wheel:
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
335i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.2 / 32 2.6 / 38
F: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.4 / 35
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.4 / 35
-
-
2.6 / 38
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.6 / 38
-
-
3.0 / 44
Compact wheel:
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
Tire inflation pressures at max. speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h
Speeds above 100 mph/160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds in ex‐
cess of 100 mph/160 km/h, please observe, and,
if necessary, adjust tire pressures for speeds
exceeding 100 mph/160 km/h from the relevant
table on the following pages. Otherwise tire
damage and accidents could occur.◀
Tire inflation pressure values over
100 mph/160 km/h
320i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/50 R 17 94 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/50 R 17 94 V
RSC
225/50 R 17 94 H M
+S RSC
2.2 / 32 2.7 / 39
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Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.4 / 35 2.9 / 42
F: 225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
R: 255/45 R 17 98 W
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
F: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.2 / 32
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.2 / 32
-
-
2.5 / 36
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.4 / 35
-
-
2.9 / 42
Compact wheel
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
328i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/50 R 17 94 V M
+S A/S RSC
225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
225/50 R 17 94 H M
+S RSC
2.3 / 33 2.8 / 41
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.5 / 36 3.0 / 44
F: 225/50 R 17 94 W
RSC
R: 255/45 R 17 98 W
RSC
2.3 / 33
-
-
2.5 / 36
F: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.3 / 33
-
-
2.5 / 36
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.5 / 36
-
-
2.7 / 39
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.7 / 39
-
-
3.2 / 46
Compact wheel
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
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335i
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSI
Specifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires
225/45 R 18 91 V M
+S RSC
225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
225/45 R 18 95 V M
+S XL RSC
2.6 / 38 3.2 / 46
F: 225/45 R 18 91 Y
RSC
R: 255/40 R 18 95 Y
RSC
2.6 / 38
-
-
2.8 / 41
F: 225/40 R 19 89 Y
RSC
R: 255/35 R 19 92 Y
RSC
2.6 / 38
-
-
3.0 / 44
F: 225/35 R 20 90 Y
XL RSC
R: 255/30 R 20 92 Y
XL RSC
2.8 / 41
-
-
3.4 / 49
Compact wheel
T 135/80 R 18 104
M
Speed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
Tire identification marks
Tire size
255/50 R 19 103 Y
255: nominal width in mm
50: aspect ratio in %
R: radial tire code
19: rim diameter in inches
103: load rating, not for ZR tires
Y: speed rating, before the R on ZR tires
Speed letter
T = up to 118 mph, 190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph, 210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph, 240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph, 270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph, 300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
DOT code: DOT xxxx xxx 3510
xxxx: manufacturer code for the tire brand
xxx: tire size and tire design
3510: tire age
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
Tire age
DOT … 3510: the tire was manufactured in the
35th week in 2010.
Recommendation
Regardless of wear, replace tires at least every
6 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
For example: Treadwear 200; Traction AA;
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Treadwear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
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Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov‐
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half, 1 g, times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and cli‐
mate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfa‐
ces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering, hydro‐
planing, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus‐
tained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Temperature grade for this tire
The temperature grade for this tire is es‐
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla‐
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and pos‐
sible tire failure.
If necessary, have the vehicle towed.◀
RSC – Run-flat tires
Run-flat tires, refer to page 271, are labeled with
a circular symbol containing the letters RSC
marked on the sidewall.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires with better cold
weather performance than summer tires.
Tire tread
Summer tires
Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.12 in/3 mm.
There is an increased danger of hydroplaning if
the tread depth is less than 0.12 in/3 mm.
Winter tires
Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.16 in/4 mm.
Below a tread depth of 0.16 in/4 mm, tires are
less suitable for winter operation.
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Minimum tread depth
Wear indicators are distributed around the tire's
circumference and have the legally required
minimum height of 0.063 in/1.6 mm.
They are marked on the side of the tire with TWI,
Tread Wear Indicator.
Tire damage
General information
Inspect your tires often for damage, foreign ob‐
jects lodged in the tread, and tread wear.
Notes
Driving over rough or damaged road surfaces, as
well as debris, curbs and other obstacles can
cause serious damage to wheels, tires and sus‐
pension parts. This is more likely to occur with
low-profile tires, which provide less cushioning
between the wheel and the road. Be careful to
avoid road hazards and reduce your speed, es‐
pecially if your vehicle is equipped with low-pro‐
file tires.
Indications of tire damage or other vehicle de‐
fects:
▷Unusual vibrations during driving.
▷Unusual handling such as a strong tendency
to pull to the left or right.
Damage can, e. g., be caused by driving over
curbs, road damage, or similar things.
In case of tire damage
If there are indications of tire damage, re‐
duce your speed immediately and have the
wheels and tires checked right away; otherwise,
there is the increased risk of an accident.
Drive carefully to the next service center or tire
shop.
If necessary, have the vehicle towed.
Otherwise, tire damage can be life-threatening
for vehicle occupants and other traffic partici‐
pants.◀
Repair of tire damage
For safety reasons, the manufacturer of
your vehicle recommends that you do not have
damaged tires repaired; they should be re‐
placed. Otherwise, damage can occur as a re‐
sult.◀
Changing wheels and tires
Mounting
Information on mounting tires
Have mounting and balancing performed
only by a service center or tire specialist.
If this work is not carried out properly, there is
the danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.◀
Wheel and tire combination
Information on the correct wheel-tire combina‐
tion and rim versions for your vehicle can be ob‐
tained from your service center.
Incorrect wheel and tire combinations impair the
function of a variety of systems such as ABS or
DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle re‐
sponse, use only tires with a single tread con‐
figuration from a single manufacturer.
Following tire damage, have the original wheel
and tire combination remounted on the vehicle
as soon as possible.
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Approved wheels and tires
The manufacturer of your vehicle recom‐
mends that you use only wheels and tires that
have been approved for your particular vehicle
model.
For example, despite having the same official
size ratings, variations can lead to body contact
and with it, the risk of severe accidents.
The manufacturer of your vehicle cannot evalu‐
ate non-approved wheels and tires to determine
if they are suited for use, and therefore cannot
ensure the operating safety of the vehicle if they
are mounted.◀
Recommended tire brands
For each tire size, the manufacturer of your ve‐
hicle recommends certain tire brands. These
can be identified by a star on the tire sidewall.
With proper use, these tires meet the highest
standards for safety and handling.
New tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac‐
tion potential until after an initial breaking-in pe‐
riod.
Drive conservatively for the first 200 miles/
300 km.
Retreaded tires
The manufacturer of your vehicle does not rec‐
ommend the use of retreaded tires.
Retreaded tires
Possibly substantial variations in the de‐
sign and age of the tire casing structures can
limit service life and have a negative impact on
road safety.◀
Winter tires
The manufacturer of your vehicle recommends
winter tires for winter roads or at temperatures
below +45 ℉/+7 ℃.
Although so-called all-season M+S tires do pro‐
vide better winter traction than summer tires,
they do not provide the same level of perform‐
ance as winter tires.
Maximum speed of winter tires
If the maximum speed of the vehicle is higher
than the permissible speed for the winter tires,
then display a corresponding sign in the field of
vision. You can obtain this sign from the tire spe‐
cialist or from your service center.
Maximum speed for winter tires
Do not exceed the maximum speed for the
winter tires; otherwise, tire damage and acci‐
dents can occur.◀
Run-flat tires
If you are already using run-flat tires, for your
own safety you should replace them only with
the same kind. No spare tire is available in the
case of a flat tire. Your service center will be glad
to advise you.
Rotating wheels between axles
The manufacturer of your vehicle advises
against swapping wheels between the front and
rear axles.
This can impair the handling characteristics.
Storage
Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible.
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