BMW 3 SERIES ACTIVE HYBRID 2015 Manual Online

When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 68, selector lever position P is engaged
automatically.
P Park Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:▷After deactivating drive readiness with
radio-ready state, refer to page 68, or igni‐
tion off, refer to page 68, and the selector
lever in position R or D.▷With the ignition off, if selector lever posi‐
tion N is set.▷If the driver's safety belt is released, the
driver's door is opened, and the brake
pedal is not pressed while the vehicle is
stationary and selector lever position D or
R is set.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that se‐
lector lever position P is set. Otherwise, the ve‐
hicle may begin to move.
Kickdown Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Step on the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full throttle
position.
Engaging selector lever positions Press on the brake pedal until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after you
select a gear, maintain pressure on the brake
pedal until you are ready to start.◀
▷Selector lever position P can only be disen‐
gaged when the vehicle drive readiness is
engaged and the brake pedal is depressed.▷With the vehicle is stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if needed.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
▷Engage R.▷Shift out of P.
Engaging P
Press button P.
Seite 77DrivingControls77
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Press the selector lever to the left out of selec‐
tor lever position D.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
eDRIVE electric driving and the Auto Start
Stop function are deactivated. Coasting to a
standstill and braking phases will be used
more often to recover energy. The high-volt‐
age battery will be charged more quickly.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Press the selector lever to the left out of
selector lever position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the currently se‐
lected gear.
Steptronic Sport transmission:
prevent automatic upshifting in M/S
manual mode
The Steptronic Sport transmission does not
automatically upshift in M/S manual mode
once the maximum speed is reached, if one of
the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
With the respective transmission version, the
lowest possible gear can be selected by simul‐
taneously operating the kickdown and the left
shift paddle. However, this effect is not pro‐
duced via the shift paddles when switching
briefly from D to manual mode.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
Seite 78ControlsDriving78
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

▷Shift up: briefly pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: briefly pull left shift paddle.▷With the respective transmission version,
the lowest possible gear can be selected
by pulling and holding the left shift paddle.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the selector lever is still in selector lever po‐
sition D with the respective transmission ver‐
sion, it is possible to switch back into the auto‐
matic mode:
▷Pull and hold right shift paddle.
Or▷In addition to the briefly pulled right shift
paddle, briefly pull the left shift paddle.
In the manual mode, after conservative driving
for a certain amount of time or if there has
been no acceleration or shifting of the shift
paddles within a certain amount of time, the
transmission switches back to automatic
mode.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Electronic unlocking of the
transmission lock
General information
Electronically unlock the transmission lock to
maneuver vehicle from the danger area.
Unlocking is possible, if the started can spin
the engine.
Engaging selector lever position N1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button. The starter
must audibly start.3.Press and hold the selector lever into posi‐
tion N.
A corresponding Check Control message
is displayed.4.Press the selector lever again into posi‐
tion N within approx. 6 seconds.
Position N is displayed in the instrument
cluster.5.Release brake, as soon as the starter
stops.6.Maneuver the vehicle from the danger area
and secure it against moving on its own.
Steptronic Sport transmission:
Launch Control
The concept Launch Control enables optimum accelerationon surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Do not use Launch Control during the break-in,
refer to page 172, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
An experienced driver may be able to achieve
better acceleration values in DSC OFF mode.
Seite 79DrivingControls79
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

RequirementsLaunch Control is available when the engine is
warmed up, that is, after uninterrupted driving
of at least 6 miles/10 km.
To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch control While the engine is running:1. Press button or select Sport+ with
the Driving Dynamics Control.
TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engage selector lever position S.3.With the left foot, forcefully press down on
the brake.4.Press and hold down the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full
throttle position.
A flag symbol is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster.5.The starting engine speed adjusts. Within
3 seconds, release the brake.
Before using Launch Control, allow the trans‐
mission to cool down for approx. 5 minutes.
Launch Control adjusts to the surrounding
conditions, e.g., wet pavement, when used
again.
Seite 80ControlsDriving80
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

DisplaysVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due tothe selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Overview, instrument cluster
1Fuel gauge   882Speedometer3Messages, e.g. Check Control4Tachometer   885Engine oil temperature   886Current fuel consumption7Electronic displays  818Reset miles  88
Electronic displays
▷Displays of the hybrid system, refer to
page 82.▷Selection lists, refer to page 92.▷External temperature, refer to page 88.▷Auto Start/Stop function, refer to page 70.▷On-board computer, refer to page 92.▷Date, refer to page 89.▷Transmission display, refer to page 79.Seite 81DisplaysControls81
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

▷Miles/trip miles, refer to page 88.▷Messages, e.g. Check Control, refer to
page 84.▷Current fuel consumption, refer to
page 89.▷Navigation display, see User's manual for
Navigation, Entertainment and Communi‐
cation.▷Range, refer to page 89.▷Status, Driving Dynamics Control, refer to
page 127.▷Service requirements, refer to page 89.▷Speed limit detection, refer to page 90.▷Time, refer to page 88.
Displays of the hybrid
system
Displays in the instrument cluster
The concept The following functions of the hybrid system
are displayed:
▷High-voltage battery charge indicator, refer
to page 82.▷Electric driving: eDRIVE.▷Acceleration boost: eBOOST, refer to
page 83.▷Energy recovery: CHARGE, refer to
page 83.▷Drive readiness: READY, refer to
page 82.
The display depends on the system's operat‐
ing condition.
Note High voltage
Even if no bars are displayed in the bat‐
tery symbol, the high-voltage system is still under high voltage.◀
High-voltage battery charge indicator
When drive readiness is switched on in COM‐
FORT mode, displays the available charge of
the high-voltage battery with bars in a battery
symbol. If five bars are shown, the high-voltage
battery is fully charged.
During normal vehicle operation, the high-volt‐
age battery is charged up to approx. 80 %.
This ensures optimum energy recovery when
braking or driving downhill.
Drive readiness: READY READY indicates drive readi‐
ness. For further information,
please refer to Drive readiness
in detail, refer to page 69.
Electric driving: eDRIVE
When driving in COMFORT or ECO PRO
modes, the power output of the electric motor
is indicated by arrows on the instrument clus‐
ter.
Depending on the position of the accelerator
pedal, up to four arrows are displayed simulta‐
Seite 82ControlsDisplays82
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

neously. The tachometer pointer stays on
READY.
For further information, please refer to Electric
driving: eDRIVE, refer to page 71.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The energy recovered is indicated in the in‐
strument cluster: in COMFORT mode by ar‐
rows and in ECO PRO mode by a bar below
the CHARGE display. The high-voltage battery
is being charged.
For further information, please refer to Energy
recovery CHARGE, refer to page 72.
Acceleration boost: eBOOST
If the electric motor supports the combustion
engine, e.g. during rapid acceleration,
eBOOST is displayed, refer to page 72.
Indications on the Control Display Displaying the hybrid system
utilization
1."Vehicle info"2."Hybrid"3. "Hybrid usage"
Hybrid system utilization
Gray bars indicate the fuel consumption of the
combustion engine, arrow 1. Blue bars indicate
the percentage utilization of the functions of
the hybrid system, arrow 2.
One bar indicates one minute.
The combustion engine's average fuel con‐
sumption is indicated by a line above the bar
display and as a value to the right of the graph.
Displaying the energy flow
1."Vehicle info"2."Hybrid"3. "Energy flow"
Energy flow of the hybrid system
The following are displayed:
▷Active components of the hybrid system.▷Direction of the energy flows:
Orange: energy flow of the combustion en‐
gine.Seite 83DisplaysControls83
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

Blue: energy flow of the hybrid system▷Driving states:▷eDRIVE.▷DRIVE.▷eBOOST.▷CHARGE.▷System requirements of the hybrid system,
e. g., drive system not yet warmed up to
operating temperature.▷Driving requirement, e. g., transmission se‐
lector lever in the M/S position.
Adapting to the course of the road
When the navigation system destination guid‐
ance is active, hybrid operation adapts to spe‐
cific route sections.
Use of the hybrid system is optional.
Symbols in the energy flow display indicate
that a situation has been detected ahead and
hybrid operation is prepared for it.
Symbols
SymbolMeaningDownhill gradients: the system is
ready to charge the high-voltage
battery.Target zone: eDRIVE electric driving
is being prepared.
Check Control
The concept The Check Control system monitors functions
in the vehicle and notifies you of malfunctions
in the monitored systems.
A Check Control message is displayed as a
combination of indicator or warning lights and
text messages in the instrument cluster and in
the Head-up Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal may sound and a text message may appear on the Control Dis‐
play.
Indicator/warning lights
General information
The indicator and warning lights in the instru‐
ment cluster can light up in a variety of combi‐
nations and colors.
Several of the lights are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Red lights Safety belt reminder Flashing or illuminated: safety belt onthe driver or passenger side is not
buckled. The safety belt reminder can
also be activated if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat.
Make sure that the safety belts are positioned
correctly.
Airbag system Airbag system and belt tensioner aredefective.
Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐
ice center immediately.
Parking brake, brake system For additional information, refer to Re‐lease parking brake, refer to page 73.
Front-end collision warning Illuminated: advance warning is issued,
e.g., when there is the impending dan‐Seite 84ControlsDisplays84
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

ger of a collision or the distance to the vehicle
ahead is too small.
Increase distance.
Flashing: acute warning of the imminent dan‐
ger of a collision when the vehicle approaches
another vehicle at a relatively high differential
speed.
Intervention by braking or make an evasive ma‐
neuver.
Pedestrian warning Symbol in the instrument cluster.
If a collision with a person detected in this way
is imminent, the symbol lights up and a signal
sounds.
Orange lights Active Cruise Control The number bars shows the selected
distance from the vehicle driving
ahead.
For additional information, refer to Active
Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, ACC,
refer to page 130.
Vehicle detection, Active Cruise Control Illuminated: vehicle driving ahead de‐
tected.
Flashing: the conditions are not ade‐
quate for operating the system.
The system was deactivated but applies the
brakes until you actively resume control by
pressing on the brake pedal or accelerator
pedal.Yellow lights
Anti-lock Braking System ABS Avoid abrupt braking if possible. Brak‐
ing force boost in some cases defec‐
tive. Stop carefully. Take into account
longer brake travel. Have this checked
by the service center immediately.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control Flashing: DSC controls the drive and
braking forces. The vehicle is stabi‐
lized. Reduce speed and adapt driving
profile to the driving circumstances.
Illuminated: DSC failed. Have the system
checked by the service center.
For additional information, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control DSC, refer to page 125.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control is
deactivated or DTC Dynamic Traction
Control is activated
Dynamic Stability Control DSC is
switched off or Dynamic Traction Con‐
trol DTC is switched on.
For additional information, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control, refer to page 125, and Dy‐
namic Traction Control, refer to page 126.
Flat Tire Monitor FTM The Flat Tire Monitor signals a loss of
tire inflation pressure in a tire.
Reduce your speed and stop cau‐
tiously. Avoid sudden braking and steering ma‐
neuvers.
For more information, see Flat Tire Monitor, re‐
fer to page 110.Seite 85DisplaysControls85
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

Tire Pressure Monitor TPMIlluminated: the Tire Pressure Monitorsignals a loss of tire inflation pressure
in a tire.
Reduce your speed and stop cautiously. Avoid
sudden braking and steering maneuvers.
Flashing and then continuously illuminated: no
flat tire or loss of tire inflation pressure can be
detected.▷Interference through systems or devices
with the same radio frequency: after leav‐
ing the area of the interference, the system
automatically becomes active again.▷TPM could not conclude the reset: perform
the reset of the system again.▷A wheel without TPM electronics is fitted:
have the service center check it if needed.▷Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.
For more information, see Tire Pressure Moni‐
tor, refer to page 106.
Steering system Steering system in some cases defec‐
tive.
Have the steering system checked by
the service center.
Engine functions Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐ice center.
For additional information, refer to On-
board Diagnostics socket, refer to page 210.
Lane departure warning System is switched on and under cer‐
tain circumstances warns if a detected
lane is left without flashing beforehand.
For additional information, refer to Lane depar‐
ture warning, refer to page 120.
Green lights
Turn signal Turn signal on.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal bulb
has failed.
For additional information, refer to Turn signal, refer to page 73.
Parking lights, headlight control Parking lights or headlights are acti‐
vated.
For additional information, refer to
Parking lights/low beams, headlight control, re‐
fer to page 98.
Front fog lights Front fog lights are activated.
For additional information, refer to
Front fog lights, refer to page 101.
High-beam Assistant High-beam Assistant is switched on.
High beams are activated and off auto‐
matically as a function of the traffic sit‐
uation.
For additional information, refer to High-beam
Assistant, refer to page 100.
Cruise control The system is switched on. It maintains
the speed that was set using the con‐
trol elements on the steering wheel.Seite 86ControlsDisplays86
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15