fuel BMW 3 SERIES ACTIVE HYBRID 2015 Owners Manual

ContentsThe fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 236.6Notes
At a glance
14Cockpit18iDrive27Voice activation system30Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle32BMW ActiveHybrid34Safety of the high-voltage system
Controls
38Opening and closing54Adjusting64Transporting children safely68Driving81Displays98Lights103Safety125Driving stability control systems130Driving comfort151Climate control157Interior equipment165Storage compartments
Driving tips
172Things to remember when driving177Loading180Saving fuelMobility188Refueling190Fuel192Wheels and tires203Engine compartment205Engine oil208Coolant209Maintenance211Replacing components222Breakdown assistance228Care
Reference
234Technical data236Everything from A to Z
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

BMW ActiveHybridVehicle features and options
This 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 to
the 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.
Hybrid system Special features of the hybrid system
High-voltage system
This BMW is a hybrid vehicle. In addition to the
combustion engine, the vehicle features a
high-voltage system that consists of an elec‐
tric motor and a high-voltage battery among
other things.
Overview1Combustion engine2Electric motor3Control-system electronics4High-voltage cables (orange)5High-voltage battery6Auxiliary battery, combustion engineThe conceptThe hybrid system makes it possible to opti‐
mize fuel consumption and driving characteris‐
tics.
An electric motor assists the combustion en‐
gine. In certain driving situations, the vehicle
can also be driven using only electric power,
thereby reducing fuel consumption.
In addition to this, the electric motor acts like
an alternator: during braking and coasting, it
converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into elec‐ tricity. The current is stored in the high-voltage
battery and is used to drive the electric motor.
Functions
Electric driving: eDRIVE Under certain conditions, refer to page 71,
the vehicle is powered only by the electric mo‐
tor.
Acceleration boost Driving off and accelerating require a lot of en‐
ergy.
To optimize acceleration and to reduce fuel
consumption, the electric motor boosts the
combustion engine, refer to page 72. To do
this, the electric motor uses the energy saved
in the high-voltage battery.
Auto Start/Stop function The Auto Start/Stop function, refer to
page 70, switches the combustion engine off
when coasting, braking and while the vehicle is
stopped. Convenience functions such as the
automatic climate control are supplied by the
high-voltage battery and can remain switched
on.Seite 32At a glanceBMW ActiveHybrid32
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

Driving with combustion engine:
DRIVE
The combustion engine, refer to page 72,
provides the primary performance to move the
vehicle. If necessary, the high-voltage battery is charged at the same time.
The hybrid system always starts the combus‐
tion engine automatically.
Energy recovery: CHARGE The high-voltage battery of the hybrid system
is charged through energy recovery while driv‐
ing.
The electric motor acts as a generator and
converts the kinetic energy of the vehicle into
electric current.
Charging can take place in various situations:▷When the vehicle is coasting if the acceler‐
ator pedal is not pressed.▷During vehicle braking.
When exerting gentle pressure on the brakes,
the vehicle is only braked by the electric motor.
When the brake pedal is depressed further, the
brake system is activated additionally. This is
why only part of the brake energy is used to
charge the high-voltage battery when exerting
firm pressure on the brake.
Foresighted driving and the early reduction of
speed are important to make full use of the hy‐
brid characteristics of the vehicle.
Coasting The engine is automatically switched off. This
driving condition of rolling is referred to as
coasting, refer to page 71.
Auxiliary functions of the automatic
climate control
The hybrid system makes it possible to oper‐
ate the automatic climate control prior to driv‐
ing off and with the combustion engine
switched off.
Using the auxiliary air conditioning and residual
cooling functions, the vehicle interior can be
cooled immediately prior to departure and if
the trip is interrupted.▷Residual cooling, refer to page 155.▷Auxiliary air conditioning, refer to
page 155
Adapting to the course of the road
When the navigation system destination guid‐
ance is active, the hybrid system uses the ex‐
isting navigation data. Hybrid operation adapts
to the specific route sections. These may be:
▷Steep gradients.▷Arrival in the destination zone.
Pay attention to the notes in Adapting to the
course of the road, refer to page 84.
Display
The displays of the hybrid system, refer to
page 82, provide information about the cur‐
rent state of hybrid operation and show the
system activity in a chart.
Energy-saving driving To save energy while driving, read the follow‐
ing information:
▷Saving fuel, refer to page 180.▷Using the hybrid system efficiently, refer to
page 172▷ECO PRO mode, refer to page 181.▷Adapting to the course of the road, refer to
page 84.
Safety information
Read the information on safe handling of the
high-voltage system, refer to page 34.
Long-term
Follow the instructions for vehicle storage and
for longer idle periods, refer to page 231
Seite 33BMW ActiveHybridAt a glance33
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

The windows and the glass sunroof are
opened, as long as the button on the remote
control is pressed.
Locking Locking from the outside
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside
with people inside the car, as the vehicle can‐
not be unlocked from inside without special knowledge.◀
The driver's door must be closed. Press button on the remote control.
All doors, the tailgate, and the fuel filler flap are
being locked.
The alarm system, refer to page 48, is armed.
Switching on interior lights and
courtesy lights
Press button on the remote control with
the vehicle locked.
This function is not available, if the interior
lamps were switched off manually.
If the button is pressed again within 10 sec‐
onds after vehicle was locked, the interior mo‐
tion sensor and tilt alarm sensor of the anti-
theft warning system, refer to page 49, are
turned off. After locking, wait 10 seconds be‐
fore pressing the button again.
Panic mode
You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press button on the remote control for
at least 3 seconds.
To reel off the alarm: press any button.
Opening the trunk lid Press button on the remote control for
approx. 1 second.The trunk lid opens, regardless of whether the
vehicle was previously locked or unlocked.
During opening, the trunk lid pivots back and
up. Ensure that adequate clearance is available
before opening.
Depending on the features and the country
version, it is also possible to have door un‐
locked. Create the settings, refer to page 47.
If the doors were not unlocked, the trunk lid is
locked again as soon as it closes.
Do not place the remote control in the
cargo area
Take the remote control with you and do not
leave it in the cargo area; otherwise, the re‐
mote control is locked inside the vehicle when
the trunk lid is closed.◀
Malfunction
Remote control detection by the vehicle can
among others be malfunctioning under the fol‐
lowing circumstances:▷The battery of the remote control is dis‐
charged. Replace the battery, refer to
page 39.▷Interference of the radio connection from
transmission towers or other equipment
with high transmit power.▷Shielding of the remote control due to
metal objects.▷Interference of the radio connection from
mobile phones or other electronic devices
in direct proximity.
Do not transport the remote control together
with metal objects or electronic devices.
In the case of interference, the vehicle can also
be unlocked and locked from the outside with‐
out remote control, refer to page 43.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply with
part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communication
Seite 42ControlsOpening and closing42
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

Commission regulations. Operation is gov‐
erned by the following:
FCC ID:▷LX8766S.▷LX8766E.▷LX8CAS.▷LX8CAS2.▷MYTCAS4.
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
▷This device may not cause harmful inter‐
ference, and▷this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or changes to
these devices could void the user's authority to
operate this equipment.
Without remote control
From the outside Locking from the outside
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside
with people inside the car, as the vehicle can‐
not be unlocked from inside without special
knowledge.◀
Remove the key before pulling the door
handle
Before pulling the outside door handle, remove
the key to avoid damaging the paintwork and
the key.◀
Unlock or lock the driver's door via the door
lock using the integrated key, refer to page 38.
The other doors must be unlocked or locked
from the inside.
Alarm system
The alarm system is not armed if the vehicle is
locked with the integrated key.
The alarm system is triggered when the door is
opened, if the vehicle was unlocked via the door lock.
In order to terminate this alarm, unlock vehicle
with the remote control or switch on the igni‐
tion, if needed, through emergency detection
of the remote control, refer to page 39.
From the inside
Unlocking and locking
Pressing the central locking system button
locks or unlocks the vehicle with the front
doors closed.
The vehicle is not secured against theft when
locking.
The fuel filler flap remains unlocked.
Seite 43Opening and closingControls43
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

leg must pass through the ranges of both
sensors.
Opening
Perform the foot movement described earlier.
Before the opening, the hazard warning sys‐
tem flashes.
The trunk lid opens, regardless of whether it
was previously locked or unlocked.
During opening, the trunk lid pivots back and
up. Ensure that adequate clearance is available
before opening.
Preventing inadvertent opening
In situations where the trunk lid is not to
be opened with no-touch activation, ensure
that the remote control is located beyond the
range of the sensor, at least 5 ft/1.50 m from
the rear of the car.
Otherwise, the trunk lid may be opened inad‐
vertently, for example by an unintentional or
misinterpreted movement of the foot.◀
Malfunction
Remote control detection by the vehicle can
among others be malfunctioning under the fol‐
lowing circumstances:
▷The battery of the remote control is dis‐
charged. Replace the battery, refer to
page 39.▷Interference of the radio connection from
transmission towers or other equipment
with high transmit power.▷Shielding of the remote control due to
metal objects.▷Interference of the radio connection from
mobile phones or other electronic devices
in direct proximity.
Do not transport the remote control together
with metal objects or electronic devices.
In the case of a malfunction, unlock and lock
the vehicle using the buttons of the remote
control or using the integrated key, refer to
page 43.
Adjusting
Unlocking The settings are saved in the active profile, re‐
fer to page 39.
Doors
1."Settings"2."Doors/key"3. Select the symbol.4.Select the desired function:▷"Driver's door only"
Only the driver's door and the fuel filler
flap are unlocked. Pressing again un‐
locks the entire vehicle.▷"All doors"
The entire vehicle is unlocked.
Trunk lid
Depending on optional features and country
version, this setting is not offered in some
cases.
1."Settings"2."Doors/key"3. Select the symbol.4.Select the desired function:▷"Tailgate"
The trunk lid is opened.Seite 47Opening and closingControls47
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 466 - II/15

DisplayREADY indicates drive readi‐
ness.
Starting the combustion engine Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running; doing so poses a risk of
danger.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, set the parking brake and place the trans‐
mission in selector lever position P or N to pre‐
vent the vehicle from moving.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.◀
The combustion engine is started with Acti‐
vate drive, refer to page 69, readiness under
the following conditions:▷The drive system is not at operating tem‐
perature.▷The temperature of the hybrid system is
too high.▷The high-voltage battery has an insuffi‐
cient charge.
Driving away
1.Activate drive readiness.2.Engage selector lever position D, M/S or R.3.Release the parking brake.4.Drive away.
Deactivating drive readiness
After stopping the vehicle:
1.Engage selector lever position P.2.Press the Start/Stop button.3.Set the parking brake.
After parking the vehicle, you may hear noises
due to operation of the hybrid system, such as
for cooling of the high-voltage battery.
Before driving into a car wash So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 228.
Auto Start/Stop function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the combustion en‐
gine when conditions for electric driving have
been met. The ignition or drive readiness re‐
mains switched on.
READY appears on the tachometer. If neces‐
sary, the combustion engine starts automati‐
cally.
The combustion engine is also stopped during
the trip when rolling out or braking. This driving
condition, in which the vehicle is travelling
without power and energy recovery is not ac‐
tive, is referred to as coasting, refer to
page 71.
Note The combustion engine is not switched off au‐
tomatically in the following situations:
▷The combustion engine is not at operating
temperature.Seite 70ControlsDriving70
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