Page 229 BMW M3 SEDAN 2010 E90 Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page254.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
41Adjustments
50Transporting children safely
54Driving
69Controls overview
81Technology for driving comfort and
safety
92Lamps
97Climate
102Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
116Things to remember when driving
Navigation
124Navigation system
125Destination entry
134Destination guidance
140What to do if …
Entertainment
144On/off and tone
147Radio
150Satellite radio
155CD/DVD player and CD changer
162Music collection
167External devices
Communications
174Telephone
186Contacts
188BMW Assist
Mobility
196Refueling
201Wheels and tires
218Under the hood
223Maintenance
225Care
229Replacing components
237Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
244Technical data
249Short commands for the voice activation
system
254Everything from A - Z

Controls
37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Sedan: 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 completely 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 for approx. 1 minute as long as no door has
been opened.
Pinch protection system
If the glass roof encounters an obstruction dur-
ing closing from approximately the middle of
the opening in the roof, or during closing from
the raised position, the closing movement is
interrupted and the glass roof is opened again
slightly.
Despite the pinch protection system
check and clear the roof's travel path prior
to closing it; otherwise, the safety system might
fail to detect certain kinds of obstructions, such
as very thin objects, and the roof would con-
tinue closing.<
Closing without pinch protection
If there is an external danger, press the switch
forward past the resistance point. The roof
closes without pinch protection.
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After a power failure, there is a possibility that
the glass roof can only be raised. The system
must be initialized. BMW recommends having
this work done by your BMW center.
Closing manually*
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the glass roof manually:
1.Unclip the front of the cover of the interior
lamps using the screwdriver from the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page229.

Opening and closing
38 2.Insert the screwdriver into the openings on
each side to press the clips.
3.Remove the control unit.
4.Unplug the motor. Considerably less effort
will be required for manual operation.
5.Insert the Allen wrench
* supplied with the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page229,
into the opening provided. Move the glass
roof in the desired direction.
6.Reinstall the control unit and reattach the
lamp cover.
Sports Wagon:
Panorama glass roof*
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the panorama glass roof and keep it in your field of vision until it is shut.
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 roof is raised and the sliding visor
opens slightly.
Do not close the sliding visor forcibly with
the roof in the raised position, as this
would damage the mechanism.<
Opening, closing
Sliding visor
The sliding visor can be opened or closed sep-
arately when the roof is in the closed or raised
position.
>Press the switch backwards to the resis-
tance point.
The sliding visor opens as long as you keep
the switch in this position.
>Tap the switch backwards past the resis-
tance point.
The sliding visor opens automatically. Tap-
ping the switch again stops the operation.
You can close the sliding visor in a similar man-
ner by pressing the switch forwards.
Panorama glass roof
When the sliding visor is open, proceed as
described under Sliding visor.
For information on Convenient operation via the
remote control or door lock, refer to page28
or29.

Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Opening and closing the roof and
sliding visor at the same time
Tap the switch twice in quick succession
beyond the resistance point.
Tapping the switch again stops the operation.
Convenience functions
>With the roof open, press the switch twice:
The roof is raised.
>With the roof open, tap the switch twice in
the direction for opening:
The roof is opened fully.
Comfort position
In the comfort position, the roof is not com-
pletely open, thus reducing wind noise in the
passenger compartment.
Each time the panorama glass roof is opened or
closed completely, it stops in the comfort posi-
tion. If desired, continue the movement by
pressing the switch.
After switching off the ignition
When the remote control is removed or the igni-
tion is switched off, you can still operate the roof
for approx. 1 minute as long as no door has
been opened.
Pinch protection system
If the panorama glass roof or the sliding visor
encounters an obstruction while closing from a
position about two-thirds closed, or during
closing from the raised position, the closing
movement is interrupted and the panorama
glass roof and the sliding visor are opened again
slightly.
Despite the pinch protection system
check and clear the roof's travel path prior
to closing it; otherwise, the safety system might
fail to detect certain kinds of obstructions, such
as very thin objects, and the roof would con-
tinue closing.<
Closing without pinch protection
If there is an external danger, press the switch
forward past the resistance point and hold it
there. The roof closes without pinch protection.
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After a power failure, there is a possibility that
the panorama glass roof can only be raised. The
system must be initialized. BMW recommends
having this work done by your BMW center.
Closing manually*
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the panorama glass roof manually:
1.Unclip the front of the cover of the interior
lamps using the screwdriver from the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page229.
2.Insert the screwdriver into the openings on
each side to press the clips.
3.Remove the control unit.

Opening and closing
40 4.Unplug the motor. Considerably less effort
will be required for manual operation.
5.Insert the Allen wrench
* supplied with the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page229,
into the opening provided. Move the pan-
orama glass roof in the desired direction.
6.Reinstall the control unit and reattach the
lamp cover.

Driving
58
Shifting gears via the selector lever
Move selector lever from position D toward the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
When you press the selector lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear. M1 through M6 are
displayed on the instrument cluster.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Shifting gears via shift paddles* on the
steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears
quickly since both hands can remain on the
steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to manual
mode.
>If you do not accelerate or shift gears using
the shift paddles for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear
plane, manual mode remains active.<
>To shift up: pull one of the shift paddles.
>To shift down: press one of the shift pad-
dles.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of
position P even though the ignition is switched
on, the brake is depressed and the button on
the selector lever is pressed, the selector lever
lock can be overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard
vehicle tool kit, refer to page229, press the
red lever while moving the selector lever to
the desired position.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals

Refueling
200 2.Place the handle of the screwdriver from the
onboard vehicle tool kit, page229, onto the
bottom cap and open the cap, arrow.
Refilling BMW Diesel Exhaust Fluid
1.Attach the bottle and screw it all the way on,
see arrow. The line on the bottle should
point upward.
Hold the attached bottle to prevent
the thread on the vehicle from
becoming damaged by the weight of the
bottle.<
2.Press the bottle toward the vehicle, see
arrow.
The reservoir in the vehicle is filled.
3.The reservoir is full when the filling level in
the bottle stops changing. It is not possible
to overfill the reservoir. Pull back the bottle, see arrow, and unscrew
it.
Closing the reservoir
After refilling, close the reservoir again using
the handle of the screwdriver.
After refilling diesel exhaust fluid
Wrong fluid
If you add the wrong fluid, e.g. antifreeze
for washer fluid, do not start the engine;
otherwise, there is a danger of fire.<
Contact your BMW center.
Disposing of the bottle
You can dispose of the bottles for diesel
exhaust fluid at your BMW center.
Only dispose of empty bottles in household
refuse if local regulations allow.<
Reserve display-
After refilling, the reserve display continues to
be displayed after the engine is started. It goes
out after the vehicle has been driven for several
minutes.

Mobility
239Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Connecting jumper cables
Connect the jumper cables in the correct
order, so that no sparks which could
cause injury occur.<
Your BMW has a jump-starting connection in
the engine compartment which acts as the bat-
tery's positive terminal, refer also to the Engine
compartment overview on page219. The cap is
marked with +.
1.Pull the cap of the BMW jump-starting con-
nection up to remove.
2.Attach one terminal clamp of the plus/+
jumper cable to the positive terminal of the
battery or a starting-aid terminal of the vehi-
cle providing assistance.
3.Attach the second terminal clamp of the
plus/+ jumper cable to the positive terminal
of the battery or a starting-aid terminal of
the vehicle to be started.
4.Attach one terminal clamp of the minus/–
jumper cable to the negative terminal of the
battery or to an engine or body ground of
the assisting vehicle.
Your BMW has a special nut as body ground
or negative pole.
5.Attach the second terminal clamp of the
minus/– jumper cable to the negative termi-nal of the battery or to the engine or body
ground of the vehicle to be started.
Starting the engine
1.Start the engine of the donor vehicle and
allow it to run for a few minutes at slightly
increased idle speed.
2.Start the engine on the other vehicle in the
usual way.
If the first start attempt is not successful,
wait a few minutes before another attempt
in order to allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the above connecting sequence.
If necessary, have the battery checked and
recharged.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Tow-starting, towing away
Observe the applicable laws and regula-
tions for tow-starting and towing vehi-
cles.<
Do not transport any passengers other
than the driver in a vehicle that is being
towed.<
Using a tow fitting
The screw-in tow fitting must always be carried
in the car. It can be screwed in at the front or
rear of the BMW.
Sedan: it is stored in the onboard vehicle tool kit
underneath the cover on the right-hand side of
the cargo area, refer to page229.
Sports Wagon: it is stored in the onboard vehi-
cle tool kit underneath the cover on the left-
hand side of the cargo area, refer to page229.
Use only the tow fitting provided with the
vehicle and screw it all the way in. Use the
tow fitting for towing on paved roads only. Avoid
lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift

Reference 255
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Average fuel consumption71
– setting the units73
Average speed71
Avoid highways in
navigation134
Avoiding unintentional
alarms34
Axle loads, refer to
Weights247
B
Backrest contour, refer to
Lumbar support43
Backrests, refer to Seat
adjustment42
Backrest width adjustment43
Back seats
– refer to Rear seats44
Backup lamps
– replacing bulb233,234
Band-aids, refer to First aid
pouch237
Bar, refer to Towing
methods240
Base plate for telephone or
mobile phone
– refer to Snap-in adapter184
– refer to Snap-in adapter in
the center armrest storage
compartment106
Bass, tone setting144
Battery235
– charging235
– disposal35,236
– jump-starting238
– remote control26
– replacing235
– temporary power failure236
Battery for mobile phone185
Battery renewal
– remote control35
– remote control for vehicle35
Being towed240
Belts, refer to Safety belts46
Belt tensioner, refer to Safety
belts46
Beverage holders, refer to
Cupholders107Blower, refer to Air volume98
Bluetooth, activating/
deactivating176
BMW
– car shampoo227
BMW Advanced Diesel198
BMW Assist188
BMW Assist,
activating190,192
BMW Homepage4
BMW Maintenance
System223
BMW Search190
BMW webpage4
Bottle holders, refer to
Cupholders107
Brake Assist, refer to Dynamic
Brake Control DBC82
Brake fluid, refer to Service
requirements73
Brake Force Display89
Brake lamps
– Brake Force Display89
– replacing bulb233,234
Brake pads116
– breaking in116
Brake rotors118
– brakes116
– breaking in116
Brakes
– ABS82
– BMW Maintenance
System223
– Brake Force Display89
– breaking in116
– parking brake56
– service requirements73
Brakes, refer to Braking
safely118
Brake system116
– BMW Maintenance
System223
– breaking in116
– disc brakes118
Breakdown services, refer to
Roadside Assistance237
Breaking in the clutch116Breaking in the differential,
refer to Engine and
differential116
Break-in period116
Brightness of the Control
Display80
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps
and bulbs229
Button for starting the engine,
refer to Start/stop button54
Buttons on the steering
wheel11
C
California Proposition 65
warning5
Call
– accepting177
– ending178
– rejecting178
Calling, refer to Phone
numbers, dialing178
Can holders, refer to
Cupholders107
Capacities248
Capacity of the cargo area247
Car battery, refer to Vehicle
battery235
Car care, refer to Care225