engine BMW M3 SEDAN 2009 E90 Owner's Guide

Controls
75Reference
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
Park Distance Control PDC*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight
parking spaces. Acoustic signals and a visual
indicator
warn you of the presence of an object
behind your vehicle. To measure the distance,
there are four ultrasonic sensors in the
bumpers.
These sensors have a range of approx. 6.5 ft/
2 m. However, an acoustic warning does not
sound until an object is approx. 24 in/60 cm
from the corner sensors, or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m
from the center sensors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an objec t a t h i g h s p e e d , o t h -
erwise physical circumstances may lead to the
system warning being issued too late.<
Switching on automatically
With the engine running or the ignition switched
on, the system is activated after approx. 1 sec-
ond when you engage reverse gear. Wait this
short period before driving.
Switching off automatically
After approx. 165 ft/50 m of driving or over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system switches
off and the LED goes out.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, its position is indicated
correspondingly by an interval tone. As the dis-
tance between vehicle and object decreases,
the intervals between the tones become
shorter. If the distance to the nearest object
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
An interval tone is interrupted after approx.
3seconds>i f y o u s t o p i n f r o n t o f a n o b j e c t t h a t h a s b e e n
detected by only one of the corner sensors
>if you are driving parallel to a wall.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. A message appears on the
Control Display. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that
they will continue to operate effectively. When
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the
sensors for extended periods of time and only
from a distance of at least 4 in/10 cm.
PDC with visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object is
shown on the Control Display. Objects that are
farther away are displayed on the Control Dis-
play before a signal tone sounds. The display
appears on the Control Display as soon as PDC
is activated.
System limitations
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those
encountered with trailer towbars and hitches,
thin or wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low objects
that have already been displayed, e. g. curbs,
can disappear again from the detection area of
the sensors before or after a continuous tone
sounds. Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges,
cannot be detected. Loud sound sources out-
side or inside the car can drown out the PDC
signal. Therefore, always drive cautiously, oth-
erwise there is a risk of personal injury or prop-
erty damage.<
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
76
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page107.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Brake assist
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full braking application.
Dynamic Stability Control DSC
DSC optimizes driving stability and traction. In
addition, the system recognizes unstable driv-
ing situations such as understeering and over-
steering, and helps keep the vehicle on a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
power and applying the brakes on individual
wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin again by taking risks, as this could
result in an accident.<
M Dynamic Mode MDM*
M Dynamic Mode is a mode of the Dynamic
Stability Control DSC that permits greater lon-gitudinal and lateral acceleration when driving
on dry surfaces, yet with reduced driving stabil-
ity. Only at the absolute limit of stability does
the system intervene to stabilize the vehicle by
reducing engine power and applying the brakes
on the wheels. In such situations, additional
corrective steering maneuvers may be neces-
sary.
M Dynamic Mode is switched off every time the
engine is restarted.
When the M Dynamic Mode is on, stabi-
lizing measures are performed to a limited
degree only. Take action yourself, otherwise
there is a risk of an accident.<
To maintain vehicle stability, drive with
the DSC activated and the
MDynamicMode deactivated whenever possi-
ble.<
Activating MDM
Press the button on the steering wheel, refer
to MDrive
* on page44. The MDM indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up if you
previously selected the M Dynamic Mode MDM
in MDrive.
When the ignition is on, you can set the
M Dynamic Mode via MDrive on the Control
Display.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."MDrive"
3."DSC:"
4.Select "M Dynamic Mode".
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Controls
77Reference
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Mobility
Deactivating MDM
Press the button on the steering wheel
again; the MDM indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp goes out briefly after
the engine is started.
If the indicator lamp lights up:
M Dynamic Mode is activated.
The indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently and the DSC indicator lamp
flashes: M Dynamic Mode is control-
ling the drive and braking forces.
Deactivating DSC
Press the DSC OFF button for longer than
approx. 1 second; the indicator lamps for DSC
in the instrument cluster light up. Stabilizing
and drive-output promoting actions are no
longer executed.
You may find it useful to briefly deactivate DSC
under the following exceptional circumstances:
>When driving uphill on snow-covered roads,
in slush or on unplowed, snow-covered
roads
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow or on loose ground
>When driving with snow chains
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the DSC OFF button again; the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is regulating the drive and brak-
ing forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DSC is deactivated.
Electronic Damper Control
EDC*
The concept
Whenever there is a change in any significant
parameter such as road surface quality or in an
operating condition such as steering, braking,
etc., the damping automatically adjusts to the
new conditions in fractions of a second.
You can select between three programs.
"Comfort" program
Select the "Comfort" program if you want com-
fort-oriented control of the shock absorbers.
"Normal" program
The "Normal" program offers control that is bal-
anced between comfort and sportiness.
"Sport" program
Select the "Sport" program if you want consis-
tently sporty control of the shock absorbers.
Selecting a program
Press the EDC button repeatedly:
>"Comfort": LED off.
>"Normal": one LED lights up.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
78 >"Sport": both LEDs light up.
Each time the engine is started, the program set
for the remote control in use is active, refer to M
Key settings on page45.
You can also set and call up your preferred
program via MDrive, refer to page44.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in
place for approx. 2 seconds after the
brake is released. Drive off without delay after
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off
assistant will no longer hold the car in place
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor detects pressure loss in a
tire by comparing the rotating speeds of the
individual tires while moving.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed
of the affected wheel. This change is detected
and is reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
The system must be reinitialized each
time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage
caused by external factors, nor can it identify
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>Snow chains are attached
Initializing the system
The initialization is completed during driv-
ing, which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically.
Do not initialize the system while snow chains
are attached.<
Using the button in the center console
1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button for approx. 4 seconds until
the warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up yellow. Warning lamp, refer to Indi-
cation of a flat tire on page79.
3.Start to drive.
Initialization is completed while the car is
moving, without any feedback.
Via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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Controls
79Reference
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Mobility
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset".
6.Start to drive.
The initialization is completed during the trip.
"Flat Tire Monitor active" is displayed again on
the Control Display.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. A message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, an
acoustic signal sounds. There is a flat
tire or substantial loss of tire pressure.
1.Reduce your speed and carefully stop the
car. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify the damaged tire. To do so, check
the tire pressure using the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to Producing the tire inflation
pressure on page208.
3.Repair the flat tire with the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to page207.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on in yel-
low. A message appears on the Con-
t r o l D i s p l a y . T h e F l a t T i r e M o n i t o r h a s
a malfunction or has failed. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM*
The concept
TPM checks the inflation pressures of the four
mounted tires. The system notifies you if there
is a significant loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be reset while all tire infla-
tion pressures are correct.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics. Oth-
erwise, the system may malfunction.
Each time a tire inflation pressure has
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been
changed, reset the system.<
System limitations
TPM cannot warn you in advance of sud-
den severe tire damage caused by out-
side influences.<
The system does not work correctly if it has not
been reset; for example, a flat tire may be indi-
cated even though the tire inflation pressures
are correct.
The system is inactive and cannot indicate a flat
tire if a wheel without TPM electronics has been
mounted, or if TPM is temporarily malfunction-
ing due to other systems or devices using the
same radio frequency.
Status indicator on the Control Display
The color of the wheels represents the status of
the tires and the system.
TPM takes into account that tire pressures
change while the vehicle is being driven. The
tire pressures do not need to be corrected
unless the TPM instructs you to do so by means
of color indicators.
Green
The tire inflation pressure corresponds to the
established target value.
"TPM active" appears on the Control Display.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
80
One wheel yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in the indicated tire. A message appears on
the Control Display.
All wheels yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in several tires. A message appears on the
Control Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a puncture.
Possible reasons for this:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary malfunction caused by systems
or devices using the same radio frequency
>Malfunction
Resetting the system
Each time a tire inflation pressure has
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been
changed, reset the system.<
Using the button in the center console
1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button for approx. 4 seconds until
the warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up yellow. Warning lamp, refer to
Message for low tire inflation pressure on
page80.
The message "Resetting TPM..." appears
on the Control Display for several seconds.
3.Start to drive.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation
pressures in the tires are accepted as the
target values to be monitored. The system reset is completed during your drive, and
can be interrupted at any time. When driving
resumes, the reset is continued automati-
cally. The indicator lamp goes out after the
system reset is completed.
Via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset TPM"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset TPM".
6.Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation
pressures in the tires are accepted as the target
values to be monitored. The system reset is
completed during your drive, and can be inter-
rupted at any time. When driving resumes, the
reset is continued automatically. On the Control
Display, the tires are shown in green and
"Status: TPM active" is displayed again.
If a flat tire is detected while the system is
resetting and determining the inflation
pressures, all wheels on the Control Display are
displayed in yellow. The message "Tire low!" is
shown.<
Message for low tire inflation pressure
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. A message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, a signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or substan-
tial loss of tire pressure.
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Controls
85Reference
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Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off,
daytime running lamps
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lamps, welcome lamps and Adaptive
Head Light
*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary,
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
When the ignition is switched off and the switch
is in position 1, only the outside sections of the
rear lamps are illuminated, refer to page205.
The parking lamps will discharge the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps,
refer to page87.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel,
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The Adap-
tive Head Light
* is active. The LED next to the
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are
on. You can also activate the daytime running
lamps, refer to page86. In the situations
described above, the lamps then automatically
switch from daytime running lamps to low
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the system
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
low-beam headlamps manually under these
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3
when you park the car, the parking lamps and
the interior lamps light up briefly when you
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome
lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
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Controls
87Reference
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Mobility
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/roadside parking
lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right
There is an additional option of switching on the
lamps on the side of the car facing the road
when parked.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the pressure point for a longer
period, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the
engine.<
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the
pressure point, arrow 3.
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low
beams are switched on.
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol appears in the display, accompa-
nied by the brightness level and the word
"SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Push button 1 up or down to select the
desired brightness level.
4.Press button 2.
The display again shows the outside tem-
perature and the time.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps*, entry
lamps
*, cargo bay lamp and courtesy lamps*
are controlled automatically.
The LEDs for the courtesy lamps
are set in the
door handles and illuminate the ground in front
of the doors.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps
inside the car are switched off about
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Climate
90
Automatic climate control
Comfortable interior climate
AUTO program7 offers the ideal air distribution
and air flow rate for almost all conditions, refer
to AUTO program below. All you need to do is
select an interior temperature which is comfort-
able for you.
The following sections inform you in detail
about how to adjust the settings.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, refer also to Personal Profile
settings on page26.
Adjusting air distribution manually
The air distribution can be
switched on and off manually. The
air is directed to the windshield, to
the upper body area and to the
footwell. Automatic air distribution adjustment
is deactivated.
The current setting is briefly displayed on the
Control Display when a button is pressed.
You can switch the automatic air distribution
back on by pressing the AUTO button. This
automatically switches on the cooling function
as well.
Temperature
Set the desired temperatures indi-
vidually for the driver's and front
passenger's sides.
The automatic climate control
achieves this temperature as quickly as possi-
ble regardless of the season, using maximum
cooling or heating power if necessary, and then
maintains it.
When you switch between different tem-
perature settings in quick succession, the
automatic climate control does not have
enough time to achieve the set temperature.<
You can achieve maximum heating power with
the highest setting, regardless of the outside
temperature.
The lowest setting effects continuous cooling.
Maximum cooling
At outside temperatures above
327/06 and when the engine is
running, you obtain a maximum
cooling effect as soon as possible.
The automatic climate control goes into recir-
culated-air mode at the lowest temperature. Air
flows at maximum rate from the vents for the
upper body area. You should therefore open
them for maximum cooling.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for you. The air
flow rate and your temperature specifications
will be adapted to outside influences as a result
of seasonal changes, e.g. sunlight or window
condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
Intensity of the AUTO program
Press the AUTO button repeatedly to set the
intensity of the AUTO program. The current
setting is displayed on the Control Display
when the button is pressed.
Select the intensity of the AUTO program:
>Low
>Medium
>High
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Controls
91Reference
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Mobility
Adjusting air flow rate manually
Press the left side of the button to
reduce airflow. Press the right side
of the button to increase it.
You can reactivate the automatic mode for the
air flow rate with the AUTO button.
The air flow rate may be reduced or the blower
may be switched off entirely to save on battery
power. The display remains the same.
Switching the system on/off
With the blower at its lowest setting, press the
left side of the button to switch off the auto-
matic climate control. All displays are cleared
except for the rear window defroster if it is
switched on.
Press any button except REST or rear window
defroster to reactivate the automatic climate
control.
The recirculated-air mode is switched on
when you switch off the automatic cli-
mate control. If the air quality deteriorates or the
window fogs over, switch the system back on
and increase the air volume.<
Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating
mode by pressing this button
repeatedly:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As
soon as the concentration of pollutants in
the outside air has decreased sufficiently,
the system automatically switches back to
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode:
the supply of outside air is permanently
shut off. The system then recirculates the
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch it off while also increasing the air flow rate as
required.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
continuously for lengthy periods, otherwise the
quality of the air inside the car will gradually
deteriorate.<
Via the button on the steering wheel
You can switch quickly between the recircu-
lated-air mode and the previous mode using an
individually programmable button
on the steer-
ing wheel, refer to page44.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a
school to pick up a child.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>Up to 15 minutes after the engine has been
switched off
>While the engine is at operating tempera-
ture
>As long as battery voltage is sufficient
>At an outside temperature below 777/
256
The LED is lit when the function is on.
As of radio readiness, you can set the interior
temperature, the air flow rate and the air distri-
bution.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and
front side windows.
Switch on the cooling function as well.
Switching cooling function on/off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before reheating it as required,
according to the temperature setting. This
function is only available while the engine is
running.
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