towing BMW M3 SEDAN 2011 E90 Owner's Manual

Opening and closing
32
Unlocking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 2.
Emergency release
Pull the lever in the cargo area. The trunk lid is
unlocked.
Closing
The handle recesses on the 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 page33
>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 even when the alarm
system is armed, by pressing the button on
the remote control, refer to page28. 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.
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.

Controls
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Deactivating the system
>Press the SPORT button again
>Switching off the engine
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT
appears in the info display.
Manually unlocking parking lock
In the event of a power supply interrup-
tion such as a discharged or discon-
nected battery or an electrical malfunction, the
parking lock must be manually unlocked; other-
wise, the rear wheels are immobilized and the
vehicle cannot be towed.<
Only unlock the parking lock manually for tow-
ing and make sure to set the parking brake
forcefully beforehand so that the vehicle cannot
roll. Lock the parking lock again after the vehicle
is parked.
Releasing
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 allen wrench from the toolkit,
refer to page233, rotate the cover until it
reaches the stop, arrow 1, and remove,
arrow2.4.Insert allen wrench into the opening,
arrow1.
5.Rotate allen wrench until it reaches the
stop, arrow2. The parking lock is unlocked.
Do not turn allen wrench in the oppo-
site direction; otherwise, you may
damage the mechanism.<
6.Remove allen wrench from the opening.
After parking the vehicle, lock the parking
lock again. Otherwise, there is a danger
that the vehicle will roll.<
Locking
1.Press the button, see arrow.
The parking lock is locked again.
2.Replace cover again.
3.Clip the selector lever sleeve back into
place.
4.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Jump-starting and towing, starting on
page241.

Driving tips
129Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. In some situations,
this can result in sudden loss of tire pressure.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.

Things to remember when driving
130
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the
respective seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
Coupe
ConvertibleSecuring cargo
Coupe
Convertible
>Secure smaller and lighter items using
retaining straps, a cargo area net
* or draw
straps
*.
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available at
your BMW center. Four lashing eyes are
provided for attaching the cargo straps.
Two are located on the cargo area
sidewalls1, two more are on the rear cargo
area panel2.
Please comply with the information sup-
plied with the cargo straps.
Convertible: before opening the hardtop,
fold down the cargo area partition. Make
sure the cargo area is loaded correctly; other-
wise parts of the hardtop can be damaged, refer
to page119.<

Mobility
241Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Tow-starting, towing away
Observe the applicable laws and
regulations for tow-starting and towing
vehicles.<
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.
Coupe: it is stored in the onboard vehicle tool kit
underneath the cover on the right-hand side of
the cargo area, refer to page233.
Convertible: it is stored in the onboard vehicle
tool kit underneath the cargo area floor, refer to
page233.
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
the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise, the
tow fitting and the vehicle could be damaged.<
Access to screw thread
Release the cover panel in the bumper:
Press on the upper part of the cover panel.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page55; otherwise, the low-beam
headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and
windshield wipers may be unavailable.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort. Active
steering is not active and it will be necessary to
turn the steering wheel further.<
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing selector lever positions, refer to
page58.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 45 mph
or 70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km; otherwise, the automatic
transmission may be damaged.<

Giving and receiving assistance
242
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch
Make sure that the parking lock P is not
engaged; otherwise, the rear wheels are
immobilized.
When using the car wash function, refer to
page230, make sure that after approx.
30 minutes, the parking lock P is automatically
engaged and thus immobilizes the rear wheels.
In the event of an electrical malfunction or if the
vehicle must be towed for more than approx.
20 minutes, unlock the parking lock manually,
refer to page63.<
When towing, do not exceed a maximum
speed of 30 mph or 50 km/h and a maxi-
mum distance traveled of 30 miles/50 km; oth-
erwise, the transmission may be damaged.<
BMW recommends transporting the vehicle on
a tow truck with a flatbed or towing with the rear
axle raised.
Towing methods
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or
body and chassis parts; otherwise, dam-
age may result.<
With a tow bar
The towing vehicle must not be lighter
than the towed vehicle; otherwise, it may
be impossible to maintain control.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an angle,
please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>The tow bar will generate lateral forces if it is
attached offset.
Attach the tow bar to the tow fittings only,
as attaching it to other parts of the vehicle
could result in damage.<
With a tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps.
Attach the tow rope to the tow fittings only, as
attaching it to other parts of the vehicle could
result in damage.<
With a tow truck: vehicle without xDrive
Manual and automatic transmission:
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch:
Have the BMW transported with a tow truck
with a so-called lift bar, or on a flatbed.
Do not tow the vehicle with just the rear axle
raised as this may cause the steering to turn.

Everything from A to Z
258
Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS Antilock Brake
System89
ACC, refer to Active cruise
control68
Acceleration assistant, refer to
Launch Control64
Accident, refer to Sending an
Emergency Request238
Activated-charcoal filter for
automatic climate
control109
Active Cruise Control
– indicator lamp71
– malfunction72
– selecting distance70
– sensor72
Active cruise control68
Active steering96
Adaptive brake light
– Brake Force Display97
Adaptive light control102
Additives
– coolant226
Address, entering135,141
Address for navigation
– entering135
Adjusting temperature inside
the car, refer to Automatic
climate control107
Adjusting the thigh support43
Airbags98
– indicator/warning lamp99
– sitting safely42
Air conditioning mode
– automatic climate
control107
– ventilation109
Air distribution
– automatic107
Airing, refer to Ventilation109Air pressure, refer to Tire
inflation pressure208
Air recirculation, refer to
Recirculated-air mode108
Air supply
– automatic climate
control107
– ventilation109
Air vents106
Air volume108
AKI, refer to Fuel
specifications207
Alarm system32
– avoiding unintentional
alarms33
– interior motion sensor33
– switching off an alarm32
– tilt alarm sensor33
Albums of music
collection174
ALL program108
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires221
All-wheel drive, refer to
xDrive90
AM, waveband157
Ambient air, refer to
Recirculated-air mode108
Antenna for mobile phone184
Antifreeze
– coolant226
– washer fluid66
Antilock Brake System
ABS89
Anti-theft alarm system, refer
to Alarm system32
Anti-theft system27
Approved axle loads, refer to
Weights249
Approved gross vehicle
weight, refer to Weights249
Armrest, refer to Center
armrest115Arrival time, refer to
Computer77
Ashtray117
Assist systems, refer to
Driving stability control89
AUC Automatic recirculated-
air control108
Audible instructions, refer to
Spoken instructions146
Audio154
– controls154
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
Audio device, external115
Automatic
– air distribution107
– air volume107
– cruise control66,68
– headlamp control101
Automatic car washes229
Automatic climate control106
Automatic curb monitor50
Automatic high beams and
low beams, refer to High-
beam assistant103
Automatic recirculated-air
control AUC108
Automatic Service
Request202
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– interlock58
– overriding selector lever
lock59
– shiftlock, refer to Changing
selector lever position58
– sport program59
– towing
241
– tow-starting241
AUTO program for automatic
climate control107

Reference 259
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
AUX-IN
– port115
AUX-IN port177
Available services202
Average fuel consumption77
– setting the units80
Average speed77
Avoid highways in
navigation144
Avoiding unintentional
alarms33
Axle loads, refer to
Weights249
B
Backrest contour, refer to
Lumbar support44
Backrests, refer to Seat
adjustment43
Backrest width adjustment44
Back seats
– refer to Rear seats46
Bag holder119
Band-aids, refer to First aid
pouch239
Bar, refer to Towing
methods242
Base plate for telephone or
mobile phone
– refer to Snap-in adapter195
– refer to Snap-in adapter in
the center armrest storage
compartment115
Bass, tone setting154
Battery237
– charging237
– disposal35,237
– jump-starting239
– remote control26
– replacing237
– temporary power failure237
Battery for mobile phone195
Battery renewal
– remote control35
– remote control for vehicle35
Being towed241
Belt hand-over49
– pinch protection system50Belts, refer to Safety belts49
Belt tensioner, refer to Safety
belts49
Beverage holders, refer to
Cupholders116
Black ice, refer to Outside
temperature warning75
Blinds, refer to Roller sun
blinds114
Blower, refer to Air
volume108
Bluetooth, activating/
deactivating187
BMW
– car shampoo232
BMW Assist198
BMW Assist,
activating200,202
BMW Homepage4
BMW Maintenance
System227
BMW Search200
BMW webpage4
Bottle holders, refer to
Cupholders116
Brake Assist, refer to Dynamic
Brake Control DBC89
Brake fluid, refer to Service
requirements80
Brake Force Display97
Brake lamps
– Brake Force Display97
Brake pads126
– breaking in126
Brake rotors128
– brakes126
– breaking in126
Brakes
– ABS89
– BMW Maintenance
System227
– Brake Force Display97
– breaking in126
– parking brake57
– service requirements80
Brakes, refer to Braking
safely128Brake system126
– BMW Maintenance
System227
– breaking in126
– disc brakes128
Breakdown services, refer to
Roadside Assistance238
Breaking in the clutch126
Breaking in the differential,
refer to Engine and
differential126
Break-in period126
Brightness of the Control
Display87
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps
and bulbs233
Button for starting the engine,
refer to Start/stop button55
Buttons on the steering
wheel11
C
California Proposition 65
warning6
Call
– accepting188
– ending188
– rejecting188
Calling, refer to Phone
numbers, dialing188
Calling, refer to Telephone
owner's manual
Can holders, refer to
Cupholders116
Capacities250
Capacity of the cargo area249
Car battery, refer to Vehicle
battery237
Car care, refer to Care229

Everything from A to Z
260 Care229
– automatic car washes229
– care products229
– carpets232
– CD/DVD drives232
– chrome parts231
– displays232
– exterior229
– fine wood parts232
– headlamps230
– high-pressure washer230
– interior231
– leather231
– light-alloy wheels231
– paintwork230
– plastic parts232
– retractable hardtop230
– rubber seals231
– safety belts232
– sensors and cameras232
– upholstery and cloth
trim231
– washing the car
manually230
– windows230
Cargo, securing130
Cargo area
– capacity249
– Comfort Access34
– folding up the floor
panel120
– lamp, refer to Interior
lamps105
– opening from inside31
– opening from outside31
Cargo loading129
– securing cargo130
– stowing cargo130
– vehicle129
Car jack
– jacking points236
Car key, refer to Integrated
key/remote control26
Car phone
– installation location, refer to
Center armrest115
– refer to separate Owner's
ManualCar phone, refer to
Telephone184
Car radio, refer to Radio157
Car shampoo232
Catalytic converter, refer to
Hot exhaust system127
CD, audio playback165
CD changer165,169
– controls154
– fast forward/reverse167
– filling or emptying the
magazine170
– random play sequence166
– selecting a track165
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
CD player165
– controls154
– fast forward/reverse167
– random play sequence166
– selecting a track165
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
Center armrest115
Center brake lamp
– replacing bulb235
Center console, refer to
Around the center
console14
Central locking
– from inside30
– from outside27
Central locking system27
– Comfort Access33
– hotel function31
– setting unlocking
characteristics28
Changes, technical, refer to
For your own safety5
Changing bulbs, refer to
Lamps and bulbs233
Changing gears62
Changing the language on the
Control Display87
Changing the measurement
units on the Control
Display80Changing wheels236
Chassis number, refer to
Engine compartment223
Check Control84
Child restraint fixing system
LATCH53
Child restraint systems52
Child seats, refer to
Transporting children
safely52
Chrome parts232
Chrome polish232
Cigarette lighter, refer to
Lighter117
Cleaning headlamps66
– washer fluid66
Cleaning your BMW, refer to
Care229
Climate control
– automatic air
distribution
107
Clock75
– 12h/24h mode83
– setting the time and date83
– setting time83
Closing
– from inside30
– from outside27
Clothes hooks116
Cockpit10
Cold start, refer to Starting the
engine56
Comfort Access33
– replacing the battery35
Comfort access, refer to
Comfort Access33
Comfort area, refer to Around
the center console14
Compartment for remote
control, refer to Ignition
lock55
Compass113
Computer76
– displays on Control
Display77
Computer, refer to iDrive16
Concierge service199
Condensation, refer to When
the vehicle is parked128

Reference 261
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Condition Based Service
CBS227
Configuring settings, refer to
Personal Profile26
Confirmation signals for
locking/unlocking the
vehicle29
Congestion
– refer to Route, bypassing
sections145
Connecting vacuum cleaner,
refer to Connecting
electrical appliances118
Consumption, refer to
Average fuel
consumption77
Contacts
– creating196
Control Center, refer to
iDrive16
Control Display, refer to
iDrive16
– adjusting brightness87
– switching on/off19
Controller, refer to iDrive16
Controls and displays10
Control unit, refer to iDrive16
Convenient loading in
Convertible28
Convenient operation
– glass roof28
– glass roof with Comfort
Access34
– retractable hardtop28
– windows28
– windows with Comfort
Access34
Convertible
– bag holder119
– convenient loading28
– enlarging cargo area119
– folding down rear
backrest119
– retractable hardtop38
– rollover protection
system100
– securing cargo130
– stowing cargo130Coolant226
– checking level226
Coolant temperature76
Cooling, maximum107
Cooling fluid, refer to
Coolant226
Cooling system, refer to
Coolant226
Copyright2
Corner-illuminating lamps
– replacing bulbs234
Corner-illuminating lamps,
refer to Adaptive light
control102
Cornering lamps, refer to
Adaptive light control102
Correct tires220
Country codes DVD167
Courtesy lamps, refer to
Interior lamps105
Criteria for route144
Cross-hairs in navigation140
Cruise control66
– active68
– malfunction68
Cruise control, refer to Active
cruise control68
Cruising range77
Cupholders116
Curb weight, refer to
Weights249
Current playback
– external devices180
– of music collection174
Customer Relations201
D
Dashboard, refer to
Cockpit10
Dashboard, refer to
instrument cluster12
Dashboard lighting, refer to
Instrument lighting105
Data, technical246
– capacities250
– dimensions247
– engine246
– weights249Data memory228
Data transfer202
Date
– date format84
– setting84
Daytime running lights102
– replacing bulbs234
DBC Dynamic Brake
Control89
Deactivating front passenger
airbags98
Deadlocking, refer to
Locking28
Defect
– door lock30
– fuel filler flap206
– glass roof38
Destination, entering by town/
city name135
Destination address
– entering135,141
Destination entry via BMW
Assist140
Destination for navigation
– entering by voice141
– entering via map140
– entry135
– home address138
– manual entry135
Destination guidance144
– bypassing a route
section145
– changing specified
route144
– continuing144
– starting144
– voice instructions146
– volume of voice
instructions146
Digital clock75
Digital compass113
Digital radio, refer to HD
Radio158
Dimensions247
Directional indicators, refer to
Turn signals64
Direction instructions, refer to
Voice instructions146