remote control BMW M3 SEDAN 2009 E90 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: BMW, Model Year: 2009, Model line: M3 SEDAN, Model: BMW M3 SEDAN 2009 E90Pages: 246, PDF Size: 11.68 MB
Page 28 of 246

Opening and closing
26
Opening and closing
Remote control
Each remote control contains a rechargeable 
battery that is automatically recharged when it 
is in the ignition lock while the car is being 
driven. Use each remote control at least twice a 
year for longer road trips in order to maintain the 
batteries' charge status. In cars with convenient 
access
*, the remote control contains a replace-
able battery, refer to page34.
The settings called up and implemented when 
the car is unlocked depend on which remote 
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile below.
In addition, information about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to 
Service data in the remote control, page197.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
>Glove compartment, refer to page97
>Driver's door, refer to page29
New remote controls
Your BMW center can supply new remote con-
trols with integrated keys as additional units or 
as replacements in the event of loss.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to 
suit your personal needs and preferences. 
Without any action on your part, Personal Pro-
file ensures that most of these settings are 
stored for the remote control currently in use. 
When you unlock the car, the remote control 
used for the purpose is recognized and the set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings will be 
activated for you, even if in the meantime your 
car was used by someone else with another 
remote control and the corresponding settings. 
The individual settings are stored for a maxi-
mum of four remote controls. They are stored 
for two remote controls if convenient access
* is 
in use.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer 
to the specified pages.
>Assignment of programmable memory 
keys, refer to page20
>Response of the central locking system 
when the car is unlocked, refer to page27
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page29
>Automatic call-up of the driver's seat posi-
tion after unlocking, refer to page40
>Programming buttons on the steering 
wheel, refer to page44
>MDrive
*, refer to page44
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Controls
 27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Calling up the preferred program of the M 
Engine Dynamics Control POWER and 
Electronic Damper Control EDC
* when 
starting the vehicle, refer to Configuring 
settings on page44
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page58
>Settings for the displays on the Control Dis-
play and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to 
page69
>Date format, refer to page70
>Brightness of Control Display, refer to 
page73
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page73
>Units of measure, refer to page65
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page75
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page85
>Pathway lighting, refer to page86
>Daytime running lamps, refer to page86
>Automatic climate control: activating/deac-
tivating AUTO program, cooling function 
and automatic recirculated-air control, set-
ting temperature, air flow rate and distribu-
tion, refer to page90 ff
>Entertainment:
>Audio volume, refer to page136
>Tone control, refer to page136
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page137
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the 
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
*
>In cars with convenient access*, via the 
handles on the driver's and front passen-
ger's doors
In addition, if the remote control is used, the 
welcome lamps, interior lamps and the door's 
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The 
alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
 refer to 
page31.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer 
to page29.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the 
central locking system unlocks automatically. In 
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using the remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle 
could lock the doors from the inside. You 
should therefore take the remote control with 
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter 
can be opened from outside.<
Unlocking
Press the   button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on.
Setting unlocking characteristics
You can set whether only the driver's door or 
the entire vehicle is to be unlocked when the 
button is pressed for the first time.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
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Opening and closing
28 3."Unlock button"
4.Select a menu item:
>"All doors"
Press the   button once to unlock the 
entire vehicle.
>"Driver's door only"
Pressing the  button once unlocks 
the driver's door and fuel filler door.
Press the button twice to unlock the 
entire vehicle.
>"Comfort opening", refer to page28
5.Press the controller.
Convenient opening
Hold the   button down.
The windows and the glass roof
* are opened.
Locking
Press the   button.
Switching on interior lamps
While the car is locked: 
Press the   button. 
You can also use this function to locate your 
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid
Press the   button for approx. 1 second.
The luggage compartment lid opens a short 
distance, regardless of whether it was locked or 
unlocked.
The luggage compartment lid swings 
backwards and up when opened. Ensure 
that there is sufficient clearance. To avoid lock-
ing yourself out by accident, do not place the remote control in the cargo bay. A previously 
locked luggage compartment lid is locked again 
after closing.
Before and after each trip, check that the lug-
gage compartment lid has not been inadvert-
ently unlocked.<
Setting confirmation signals
You can activate or deactivate the confirmation 
signals.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Flash when lock./unlock."
4.Press the controller.
 Flashing when locking/unlocking the vehi-
cle is switched on.
Malfunctions
The remote control may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this occurs, unlock and lock 
the car at the door lock with the integrated key.
In vehicles without an alarm system
* or conve-
nient access
*, only the driver's door can be 
locked and unlocked with the integrated key via 
the door lock.
If the car can no longer be locked with a remote 
control, the battery in the remote control is dis-
charged. Use the remote control on an 
extended trip to recharge the battery, refer to 
page26. The remote control for convenient 
access
* contains a battery that may have to be 
changed, refer to page34.
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Opening and closing
30
Automatic locking
You can also set the situations in which the car 
locks:
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3.Select the desired function:
>"Lock if no door is opened" 
The central locking system locks the 
vehicle after a brief time if no door has 
been opened.
>"Lock after start. to drive" 
The central locking system locks the 
vehicle when you drive away.
 Automatic locking is switched on and is 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Unlocking and opening doors
>Either unlock the doors together using the 
button for the central locking system and 
then pull the door handle above the armrest 
or
>pull on the door handle of each door twice: 
the first time unlocks the door, the second 
time opens it.
Locking
>Use the central locking button to lock all of 
the doors simultaneously, or
>press down the safety lock button of a door. 
To prevent you from being locked out, the 
open driver's door cannot be locked using 
the lock button.
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle 
could lock the doors from the inside. You should therefore take the remote control with 
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter 
can be opened from outside.<
Luggage compartment lid
In order to avoid damage, make sure there 
is sufficient clearance before opening the 
luggage compartment lid.<
Opening from inside
Press the button: the luggage compartment lid 
opens unless it has been locked.
Opening from outside
Press the button, see arrow, or the   button on 
the remote control for a longer period. The lug-
gage compartment lid will open slightly. It can 
now be swung upwards.
In the event of a malfunction, please con-
tact your BMW center or a workshop that 
works according to BMW repair procedures 
with correspondingly trained personnel.<
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Controls
 31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Locking or unlocking separately
The switch is located in the glove compartment.
1Locking the luggage compartment lid
2Unlocking the luggage compartment lid
Locking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 1. 
The luggage compartment lid is locked and 
cannot be unlocked using the central locking 
system. 
If you give the remote control without the inte-
grated key to someone else while the glove 
compartment is locked, the luggage compart-
ment lid cannot be opened. This is an advan-
tage when valet parking, for example. Locking 
the glove compartment, refer to page98.
Unlocking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 2.
Emergency release
Pull the lever in the cargo bay. The luggage 
compartment lid is unlocked.
Closing
The handle recesses on the interior trim of the 
luggage compartment lid make it easier to pull 
down.Make sure that the closing path of the 
luggage compartment lid is clear, other-
wise injuries may result.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid is opened
>To movements inside the vehicle: Interior 
motion sensor, refer to page32
>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 is an interruption in the 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 luggage compartment lid 
using the   button of the remote control even 
if the alarm system is armed, refer to page28. 
The lid is locked and monitored again as soon 
as it is closed.
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Opening and closing
32
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 page27.
>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 or luggage compartment lid are 
not properly closed. Even if you do not close 
the alerted area, the system begins to mon-
itor 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.
Convenient access*
Convenient access enables you to enter your 
vehicle without needing to hold the remote con-
trol 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.
Convenient access supports the following 
functions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the luggage compartment lid 
separately
>Starting the engine
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Controls
 33Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Convenient closing
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment lid 
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.
>The engine can only be started when the 
vehicle detects that the remote control cur-
rently in use is inside the vehicle.
Comparison to the standard remote 
control
In general, there is no difference between using 
convenient access or pressing the buttons on 
the remote control to carry out the functions 
mentioned above. You should therefore first 
familiarize yourself with the instructions on 
opening and closing starting on page26.
Special features regarding the use of conve-
nient access are described below.
If you notice a brief delay while opening or 
closing windows or the glass roof, the 
system is checking whether a remote control is 
inside the vehicle. Please repeat the opening or 
closing procedure, if necessary.<
Unlocking
Grasp the handle on the driver's or front pas-
senger's door completely, arrow 1. This corre-
sponds to pressing the  button.
Locking
Touch the surface, arrow 2, with your finger for 
approx. 1 second. This corresponds to pressing 
the button.
To preserve the battery, please make 
sure that the ignition and all electrical 
consumers are switched off before locking the 
vehicle.<
Convenient closing
For convenient closing, refer to page, touch the 
surface continuously, arrow2.
For convenient closing, refer to page29, touch 
the surface continuously, arrow2.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid separately
Press the button on the outside of the luggage 
compartment lid. This corresponds to pressing 
the button.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accidentally left inside the 
locked vehicle's cargo bay after the luggage 
compartment lid is closed, the lid will reopen. 
The hazard warning flashers flash and an 
acoustic signal
* sounds.<
Switching on radio readiness
Radio readiness is switched on by pressing the 
start/stop button, refer to page49.
Do not depress the brake or the clutch, 
otherwise the engine will start.<
Starting the engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion when a remote control is inside the vehicle. 
It is not necessary to insert a remote control into 
the ignition lock, refer to page49.
Malfunction
Convenient access may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this happens, open or close 
the vehicle via the buttons on the remote con-
trol or using the integrated key. To start the 
engine afterward, insert the remote control into 
the ignition lock.
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Opening and closing
34
Warning lamps
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when you attempt to 
start the engine: the engine cannot 
be started. The remote control is not inside the 
vehicle or is malfunctioning. Take the remote 
control with you inside the vehicle or have it 
checked. If necessary, insert another remote 
control into the ignition lock.
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up while the engine is 
running: the remote control is no 
longer inside the vehicle. After the engine is 
switched off, the engine can only be restarted 
within approx. 10 seconds.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on and a message 
appears on the Control Display: 
replace the battery in the remote control.
Replacing the battery
The remote control for convenient access con-
tains a battery that will need to be replaced from 
time to time.
1.Take the integrated key out of the remote 
control, refer to page26.
2.Remove the cover.
3.Insert the new battery with the plus side fac-
ing up.
4.Press the cover on to close.
Take the old battery to a battery collec-
tion point or to your BMW center.<
Windows
To prevent injuries, watch the windows 
while closing them. 
Take the remote control with you when you 
leave the car, otherwise children could operate 
the electric windows and possibly injure them-
selves.<
Opening, closing
>Press the switch to the resistance point:
The window opens as long as you press the 
switch.
>Press the switch beyond the resistance 
point:
The window opens automatically. Press the 
switch again to stop the opening move-
ment.
You can close the windows in the same manner 
by pulling the switch.
There are separate switches in the rear seat 
armrests.
After switching off the ignition
When the remote control is removed or the igni-
tion is switched off, you can still operate the 
windows for approx. 1 minute as long as no 
door is opened.
Convenient operation
For information on convenient operation via the 
remote control or the door lock, refer to page27 
or29. For information on closing with conve-
nient access, refer to Locking on page28.
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Controls
 35Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Pinch protection system
If the closing force exceeds a specific value as a 
window closes, the closing action is interrupted 
and the window reopens slightly.
Despite the pinch protection system 
check and clear the window's travel path 
prior to closing it, otherwise the safety system 
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-
tions, such as thin objects, and the window 
would continue closing. 
Do not install any accessories that might inter-
fere with window movement. Otherwise the 
pinch protection system could be impaired.<
Closing without pinch protection
If there is an external danger, or if ice on the win-
dows, etc., prevents you from closing the win-
dows normally, proceed as follows:
1.Pull the switch past the resistance point and 
hold it there. Pinch protection is limited and 
the window reopens slightly if the closing 
force exceeds a certain value.
2.Pull the switch again past the resistance 
point within approx. 4 seconds and hold it 
there. The window closes without pinch 
protection.
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the rear 
windows from being opened or closed via the 
switches in the rear passenger area, by chil-
dren, for example. When the safety function is 
switched on, the LED comes on.
Always press the safety switch when chil-
dren ride in the rear, otherwise 
unchecked closing of the windows could lead to 
injuries.<
Glass roof*, electric
To prevent injuries, watch the glass roof 
while closing it. 
Take the remote control with you when you 
leave the car, otherwise children could operate 
the roof and possibly injure themselves.<
Raising
Press the switch.
>The closed glass roof is raised and the slid-
ing visor opens slightly.
>The open glass roof automatically travels 
into the raised position. The sliding visor 
remains open.
Opening, closing
>Press the switch backwards to the resis-
tance point.
The glass roof and the sliding visor open 
together as long as you hold the switch in 
this position.
>Press the switch backwards past the resis-
tance point. 
The glass roof and the sliding visor open 
automatically. Briefly press the switch again 
to stop the opening movement.
You can close the glass roof in a similar manner 
by pressing the switch forwards. The sliding 
visor remains open and can be closed by hand.
For information on convenient operation via the 
remote control or door lock, refer to page27 
or29. 
After switching off the ignition
When the remote control is removed or the igni-
tion is switched off, you can still operate the roof 
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Adjustments
40 1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2.Press the button, arrow 1, tilt the rear seat 
backrest slightly forward and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
Only remove the head restraints if no pas-
sengers will be sitting in the rear. Reinstall 
head restraints before transporting passengers 
in the rear.<
Folding head restraints down and back 
up
Folding down: 
Press the button, arrow1.
Folding up:
Pull the head restraint.
Depending on the equipment version, it may be 
possible to fold down the outer rear head 
restraints as well.
Only fold the head restraints down if no 
passengers will be sitting in the rear. Fold 
up the head restraints before transporting pas-
sengers in the rear.<
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level. 
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx. 
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically 
activated at the previously set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is 
switched off entirely to save on battery power. 
The LEDs stay lit.
Seat and mirror memory
You can store and call up two different combi-
nations of driver's-seat and exterior-mirror 
positions.
Settings for the backrest width and lumbar sup-
port are not stored in memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or the ignition, 
refer to page49.
2.Adjust the seat and exterior mirrors to the 
desired positions.
3.Press the   button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1 or 2: the 
LED goes out.
The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up memory while you are driv-
ing, otherwise unexpected seat move-
ment could result in an accident.<
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