wheel BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE 2012 Owners Manual

Contents
The quickest way to find special topics is to
consult the index, refer to page240.
4 Notes
7 Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Dashboard
18 Radio
Controls
24Opening and closing
42 Adjustments
53 Transporting children safely
57 Driving
78 Controls overview
89 Technology for driving comfort and
safety
103 Lamps
109 Climate
116 Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
132Things to remember when driving
Entertainment
142BMW Professional radio
Communications
156Telephone
167 ConnectedDrive
Mobility
174Refueling
177 Wheels and tires
197 Engine compartment
202 Maintenance
204 Care
208 Replacing components
214 Giving and receiving assistance
220 Indicator and warning lamps
Reference
234Technical data
240 Everything from A to Z
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Notes
Vehicle equipment
This Owner's Manual de
scribes all models and
all series-specific equipm ent, country-specific
equipment, and optional equipment that is
offered in the series. For this reason, this
Owner's Manual also de scribes and illustrates
some equipment that may not be available in
your vehicle, for example due to the special
options or national-market version selected.
This also applies to safety related functions and
systems.
If equipment and models are not described in
this Owner's Manual, please consult the
accompanying Supplementary Owner's Hand-
books.
Status of this Owner's Manual
at time of printing
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.
Updates after press date
Updates after press date for the Owner's Man-
uals, when necessary, are issued as appendices
to the printed Quick Reference Guide for the
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 sa fety hazards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories a pproved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Or iginal BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly te sted 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 pr oduct made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without ri sk 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 withou t using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may ca use extensive damage
to the vehicle, compromi se 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.<
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At a glanceDashboard
Dashboard
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may not be available in a vehi
cle, for example due to
the special options or national-market version
selected. This also app lies to safety related
functions and systems.
Around the steering wheel : controls and displays
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Dashboard
At a glance
4
Exterior mirrors fo lding in and out50
5 Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor 50
9 Instrument cluster 12 12
Ignition lock 57
13 Buttons on the steering wheel
15 Horn, entire surface
16 Adjusting the steering wheel 52
18 Releasing the hood 198
19 OBD socket 203
20 Opening the trunk lid 31
1
Convertible: opening and closing
windows jointly
35
2 Convertible: opening and closing
rear windows
35
3 Opening and closing front
windows
35
6 Parking lamps 103
Low beams 103
Automatic head lamp control103
Adaptive Light Control 105
High-beam Assistant 106
7 Fog lamps 107
8 Turn signals 67
High beams, headlamp
flasher 105
High-beam Assistant 106
Roadside parking lamps 105
Computer 80
Settings and information about the
vehicle 82
10 Windshield wipers 68
Rain sensor 68
11Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine
57
Telephone: accepting and ending
a call; dialing the selected phone
number; redialing if no phone
number is selected
Convertible: microphone on steer-
ing column
Volume
Voice commands for
telephone 163
Convertible: microphone on steer-
ing column
Changing the radio station
Interrupting a traffic bulletin
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated air mode 113
14 Steering wheel heating 52
17 Cruise control 71
Active Cruise Control 71
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ControlsOpening and closing
Closing
The handle recesses on th e interior trim of the
trunk lid make it easier to pull down.
Make sure that the closing path of the
trunk lid is clear; otherwise, injuries may
result. <
Coupe
Convertible
To close the trunk lid, press it down
lightly. The lid is closed automatically. <
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the trunk lid is
opened
> To movements inside the vehicle: Interior
motion sensor, refer to page 33
> 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 haza rd warning flashers
> Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming
General information
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.
Door lock with armed alarm system
In some national-market versions, unlocking via
the door lock triggers the alarm.
To switch off this alarm, unlock the vehicle with
the remote control or sw itch on the ignition.
Trunk lid with the alarm system armed
The trunk lid can be open ed via the remote con-
trol even when the alarm system is armed.
Press the button on th e remote control for
approx. 1 second.
The trunk lid is locked and monitored again as
soon as it is closed.
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.
Switching off an alarm
> Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page 25.
> Insert the remote contro l all the way into the
ignition lock.
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Opening and closing
Controls
Indicator lamp on inside mirror
>
The indicator lamp fl ashes continuously:
The system is armed.
> The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
The doors, hood, or trunk lid are not prop-
erly closed, the remaining components are
secured.
Then the indicator lamp flashes continu-
ously after approx. 10 seconds. The interior
motion sensor and tilt sensor are not active.
> The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
The vehicle has not been tampered with.
> If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote contro l is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5minutes:
The vehicle has been tampered with.
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
Coupe
For proper function, the windows and glass
sunroof must be closed.
Convertible
The interior of the car is monitored up to the
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated togeth er with the interior
motion sensor even if the hardtop is open. The
alarm can be triggered un intentionally by falling objects such as leaves, refer to Avoiding unin-
tentional alarms.
Avoiding uninten
tional alarms
The tilt sensor and interior motion sensor can
be deactivated together, for example in the fol-
lowing situations:
> In car washes
> In stacking garages
> During transport on car-carrying trains,
boats/ships or on a trailer
> When leaving animals in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Once the vehicle is locked, press the
button on the remote control again
within approx. 10 seconds.
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
The concept
It is possible to access the vehicle without actu-
ating the remote control. It is sufficient to have
the remote control with you, for example in your
jacket pocket. The vehicle automatically
detects the remote control in the vicinity or in
the passenger compartment.
Comfort Access supports the following func-
tions:
> Unlocking/locking the vehicle
> Convenient closing
> Unlocking the trunk lid separately
> Engine starting
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ControlsAdjustments
Adjustments
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. As a result, some equip-
ment described may not be available in a partic-
ular vehicle, for example due to the options or
national-market version selected. This also
applies to safety related functions and systems.
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 page 53.
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 shou ld 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 passeng er is sitting correctly,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard;
otherwise, leg injuries ca n 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 e ffect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page 99.
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 increase d risk of injury in the
event of an accident. <
Head restraints, refer to page 45.
Safety belt
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.
Your vehicle has four 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 be lt 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
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ControlsAdjustments
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in mo tion; otherwise, there
is a risk of an accident due to 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
Controls
Switching off the engine
Always take the remo
te control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the 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 co ntrol from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 57.
Automatic transmission
1. With the car at a stan dstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2. Press the Start/Stop button.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote co ntrol from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 57.
Sport automatic transmission with
double clutch
1. With the car at a standstill, press the Start/
Stop button.
If the transmission is shifted into N when the
engine is switched off, you will be notified
visually and acoustically of this fact.
2. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
3. Remove remote contro l from the ignition
lock, refer to page 57. The transmission is
automatically shifted into transmission
position P.
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.
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. <
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ControlsDriving
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 auto matic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page 61.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and apply the
parking brake before le aving 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 page 57.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
The selector lever position is displayed and, in
manual mode, the engaged gear, e.g. M4.
Changing selector lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P.
> Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle statio nary, 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.
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