2007 BMW 328I COUPE steering

Driving tips
125Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
device can influence one another. In addition,
there is no assurance that the radiation which
results from transmission will be dissipated
from the vehicle interior.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning,
means that the tire can completely lose contact
with the road surface, so that neither the car can
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page220.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle with
the clutch; use the parking brake. Other-
wise greater clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page91.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most
effective way of braking in situations in which
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page62.
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in idle or with the
engine switched off; otherwise, engine braking
action will not be present or there will be no
power assistance to the brakes or steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals, otherwise pedal function could be
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.

Things to remember when driving
128 safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown
around, for example as a result of heavy braking,
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants.<
Coupe: roof-mounted
luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
f o r y o u r B M W . C o m p l y w i t h t h e d i r e c t i o n s g i v e n
in the installation instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are located in the roof.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the applicable data under Weights
on page247.
The roof load must be distributed uniformly and
should not be too large in area. Heavy items
should always be placed at the bottom. Be sure
that adequate clearance is maintained for rais-
ing the glass roof, and that objects do not
project into the opening path of the luggage
compartment lid.Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.

Destination entry
138 the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page141.
Entering a destination by
voice commands*
You can enter a desired destination via the
voice command system. During the destination
input, you can switch between voice entry and
entry via iDrive at any time. To do so, reactivate
the voice command system if necessary.
You can have the possible commands
read aloud via {Options}.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console.
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of
destination.
Say the name of the destination country in the
language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an
entire word.
Spelling the destination
To enter a destination, spell it in the way it is
commonly spelled in the destination country.
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding excessive emphases and
pauses.
The system can suggest up to 20 destina-
tions that meet your entries. Up to 6 entries
at a time appear on the Control Display.
The town/city can also be selected from the list
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the destination is
selected and press the controller.
Entering the destination as an entire
word*
The names of towns/cities and streets located
in the region in which the language of the voice
command system is spoken can be entered as
an entire word.
Example: to enter a U.S. destination as an entire
word, the system language must be English.
A prerequisite is the use of a suitable navigation
DVD. 2.{Enter address}
2.Say the name of the destination coun-
try.
1.To spell the name of a town/city:
Say at least the first three letters of the
town/city. The more letters you say, the
more accurately the system will recog-
nize the town/city.
The system suggests a location.
2.Select location:
>To select highlighted town/city:
{Yes}
>To select other town/city: {No}
>To select an entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>To show other entries in the list:
{Next page}
>To respell the town/city: {Repeat}

Navigation
Driving tips
151Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Repeating or canceling voice
instructions
With the programmable buttons on the steering
wheel, you can also execute the following func-
tions, refer to page54:
>Repeat the voice instruction:
Press the button.
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press the button for a longer period.
Adjusting volume for voice instructions
The volume can be adjusted only while a voice
instruction is being issued.
1.Have the last voice instruction repeated, if
necessary.
2.Turn the button during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.
This volume is independent of the volume of the
audio sources.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Changing a route
During destination guidance, you can revise the
navigation system's route recommendations to
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the
number of miles/kilometers that you want to
travel before returning to the original route.1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Move the highlight marker to the third field
from the top. Turn the controller until "New
route" is selected and press the controller.
3.Turn the controller to enter the desired
number and press the controller.
The route is recalculated.
To exit from the menu without changing the
route:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Traffic information*
In metropolitan areas where traffic information
is broadcast by radio stations, you can have the
navigation system display information from the
Traffic Info warning service. This information is
continually updated with the help of measure-
ment data from traffic control centers and mes-
sages from traffic observers.
During destination guidance, the traffic infor-
mation relevant to the route you are currently
taking is automatically shown. Irrespective of
whether destination guidance is active, you can
have the traffic information displayed in the map
display or as an event list.
Switching reception of traffic
information on/off
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.

On/off and settings
160
On/off and settings
The following audio sources have shared con-
trols and setting options:
>Radio
>CD player
>CD changer
*
Controls
The audio sources can be operated using:
>Buttons near the CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons
on the steering wheel, refer to
page11
>Programmable memory keys, refer to
page21
Buttons on the CD player
1Sound output for entertainment on/off, vol-
ume
>Press: switch on/off.
When you switch on, the last set radio
station or CD track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume.
2Drive for audio CDs
3 Eject CD
4 Station scan/track search
>Change radio station.
>Select track for CD player and CD
changer.
5Drive for navigation DVD
Operation via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to call up
"Entertainment".
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"SAT": satellite radio
*
>"CD": CD player or changer
>"AUX": AUX-In port, USB/audio interface
>"Set": depending on the audio source,
other adjustments can be made, e.g. with
the radio: update station with strongest
reception, store station, tone control, sam-
ple stations.
From another menu, you can switch
directly to the screen last displayed, refer
to Convenient call-up of menu items on
page18.<
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond,
the selected audio source is stored for the
remote control currently in use.
Switching on/off
In order to switch the entertainment sound out-
put on and off:
Press button1 on the CD player.
This symbol on the Control Display indi-
cates that sound output is switched off.

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
161Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Adjusting volume
Turn knob1 on the CD player until the desired
volume is obtained.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond,
the setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble
and bass or the speed-dependent volume
increase.
The tone settings are applied to all audio
sources.
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond,
the settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Changing tone settings
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is
selected and press the controller.
4.Select "Audio" and press the controller.
The tone settings can also be selected if you
have called up "Entertainment" in the start
menu:
Select "Set" and then "Tone", pressing the
controller after each selection.
Treble and bass
1.Select "Treble / Bass" and press the con-
troller.
2.Move the controller to the left or right to
select "Treble" or "Bass".
3.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.
Balance and fader
You can adjust the volume distribution in the
same manner as "Treble / Bass".
>"Balance": left/right volume distribution
>"Fader": front/rear volume distribution
Speed-dependent volume control
The speed-dependent volume control auto-
matically increases the volume with increasing
driving speed. You can set various stages for
the increase in volume.

Radio
164
Radio
Your radio provides reception of the FM and AM
wavebands.
Listening to the radio
Press the button if the sound output is switched
off.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to call up
"Entertainment".
3.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Select "FM" or "AM".
4.Press the controller.
Stations are shown on the Control Display on
the basis of various selection criteria, e.g. "Pre-
sets".
If "Autostore" does not show a station in the AM
waveband or if the displayed stations are no
longer receivable, update the stations with the
best reception, refer to page165.
Changing stations
Turn the controller.
Buttons on the CD player
Press the button for the corre-
sponding direction.
The system switches to the next displayed sta-
tion.
You can also change the station with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
Changing selection criteria
In addition to the stations currently displayed,
you can have stations with another selection
criterion displayed.
You can choose from the following selection
criteria:
>"All stations"
:
Stations that can currently be received on
the "FM" waveband.
>"Autostore":
Stations with the best reception on the
"AM" waveband.
For High Definition Radio: stations with the
best reception on the "FM" waveband.
>"Presets":
Stations you have previously stored, refer to
page166.
>"Manual"
To select stations that can be received in
addition to those displayed.
To change the selection criterion:

Radio
168 This symbol is displayed when a station is
received digitally.
Some stations do not transmit the digital and
analog signals simultaneously. If you are in an
area in which digital reception of the selected
station is not possible continuously, reception
will alternate between analog and digital. This
can cause repetitions or interruptions. In this
case it may be preferable to switch off digital
reception.
Selecting the programs of a digital
station*
Some stations broadcast several programs at
once. To select one of these programs:
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Select "Manual" and press the controller.
3.Select a station that can be received digi-
tally.
This symbol is displayed when a station
is received digitally.
4. Change to the next program of
the digital station using the buttons on the
radio or steering wheel.
Updating digitally receivable stations
If on a longer journey you move out of the
reception range of the stations originally
received, you can update the list of stations
received with the strongest signals.
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Move the highlight marker to the second
field from the top.
3.Select "Autostore" and press the controller.
4.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
5.Select "Autostore " and press the con-
troller.
The display of the digitally receivable stations is
updated. This can take up to 2 minutes.