wheel BMW M3 2010 Owners Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page180.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
18Opening and closing
33Adjustments
42Transporting children safely
46Driving
61Controls overview
69Technology for driving comfort and
safety
79Lamps
84Climate
91Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
106Things to remember when driving
Mobility
114Refueling
119Wheels and tires
136Under the hood
141Maintenance
143Care
147Replacing components
155Giving and receiving assistance
160Indicator and warning lamps
Reference
174Technical data
180Everything from A to Z

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
5
The individual vehicle
When you ordered your BMW, you chose vari-
ous items of equipment. This Owner's Manual
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment available with a specific BMW model.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, ongoing
development that is conceived to ensure that
our vehicles continue to embody the highest
quality and safety standards combined with
advanced, state-of-the-art technology. For this
reason, it is possible in exceptional cases that
features described in this Owner's Manual
could differ from those on your vehicle.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance
and repair methods. You should therefore have
the corresponding work on your vehicle per-
formed only by your BMW center or at a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair pro-
cedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. If this work is not carried out prop-
erly, there is a danger of subsequent damage
and related safety hazards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Original BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed on your
vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW centers.
Installation and operation of accessories not
approved by BMW, such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may cause extensive damage
to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your
BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
3Folding exterior mirrors in and out*39
4Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor
*39
1Safety switch for electric rear
windows29
2
Opening and closing windows28 5
Parking lamps79
Low beams79
Automatic headlamp control
*79
Adaptive light control
*81
High-beam assistant
*81
6
Fog lamps82

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
11
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock4612Buttons on the steering wheel
14Horn, entire surface
15Adjusting the steering wheel40
17Releasing the hood136
18Opening the tailgate/trunk lid23 7
Turn signals50
High beams, headlamp flasher81
High-beam assistant
*81
Roadside parking lamps
*81
Computer63
Settings and information about the
vehicle64
9
Windshield wipers51
Rain sensor
*52
Sports Wagon:
Rear window wiper52
10Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine46
Telephone*:
Accepting and ending a call; dial-
ing
* the selected phone number;
redialing if no phone number is
selected
Volume
Changing the radio station
Interrupting a traffic bulletin
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode88
13
Steering wheel heating
*41
16
Cruise control
*53
Active cruise control
*55

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
25
Make sure that the closing path of the
trunk lid/tailgate is clear; otherwise, inju-
ries may result.<
Sedan
Sports Wagon
Sports Wagon: opening and closing the
rear window
Small items can be loaded and unloaded
quickly when the rear window is opened sepa-
rately.
When the button on the roller cover is
pressed, refer to page99, the roller cover
is raised. Before closing the rear window, press
the roller cover downward until it engages.<
Press the button: the rear window opens
slightly. It can now be swung upwards.Press the window shut to close it.
Make sure that the corners of any pointed
or sharp-edged cargo are padded if they
could bump against the rear window while the
vehicle is in motion; otherwise, the heating ele-
ments of the rear window could be damaged.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the trunk lid/tail-
gate is opened
>To movements inside the vehicle: Interior
motion sensor, refer to page26
>When the car's inclination changes, for
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to
towing away
>When there has been an interruption of
power supply from the battery
The alarm system signals unauthorized entry
attempts for a short time by means of:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
>Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
You can open the trunk lid/tailgate even when
the alarm system is armed, by pressing the
button on the remote control, refer to page20.
The lid is locked and monitored again as soon
as you close it.
Panic mode*
You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation:
Press the button for at least three seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.

Opening and closing
26
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page19.
>Insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood, trunk lid/tailgate or rear win-
dow are not properly closed. Even if you do
not close the alerted area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and
the indicator lamp flashes continuously
after approx. 10 seconds. The interior
motion sensor and the tilt alarm sensor are
not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel
or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass roof must
be completely closed
*.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages
>During transport on car-carrying trains,
boats/ships or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort Access*
Comfort Access enables you to enter your vehi-
cle without needing to hold the remote control
in your hand. All you need to do is wear the
remote control close to your body, e.g. in your
jacket pocket. The vehicle detects the corre-
sponding remote control within the immediate
vicinity or in the passenger compartment.
Comfort Access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the trunk lid/tailgate separately
>Engine starting
>Convenient closing
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the trunk lid/tailgate can only
be locked when the vehicle detects that the
remote control currently in use is outside of
the vehicle.
>The vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked
again until after approx. 2 seconds.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
33
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page42.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard;
otherwise, leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passengers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag; otherwise,
serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page77.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page35.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's
lap. Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull
the belt in the upper-body area taut; otherwise,
its restraining effect could be impaired.
Sports Wagon: if the rear center safety belt is
used, the wider backrest must be locked in
place, refer to page99. Otherwise, the safety
belt will have no restraining effect.<
Safety belts, refer to page38.

Adjustments
40 pressing button3. 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 button3 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.Engage reverse gear or move the selector
lever to position R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger
side tilts slightly down. 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 you when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview 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 any 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 motion; otherwise, there
i s a ri s k o f a n a c c id e n t d ue t o u n ex p e c t ed m o v e -
ment.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
41
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.

Driving
48
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 position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page49.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and apply the
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the
ignition lock, you must first move the selector
lever to position P and switch off the engine:
interlock. Removing the remote control from
the ignition lock, refer to page46.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –