2008 BMW M3 COUPE Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
63
4.Press button 2 until is displayed.
The settings are reset.
The setting is stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date of
the next scheduled service are displayed briefly
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The extent of service work required can
be read out from the remote control by
your BMW Service Advisor.<
For certain maintenance operations, you can
view the respective distance remaining or due
date individually in the instrument cluster.1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page46.
2.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol appears in the display, accompa-
nied by the words "SERVICE-INFO".
3.Press button 2.
4.Use button 1 to scroll through the individual
service items.

Everything under control
64
Possible displays
1Button for selecting functions
2Service requirements
3Engine oil
4Roadworthiness test
*
5Front brake pads
6Rear brake pads7Brake fluid
The sequence of displayed service items may
vary. The data for the next service appointment
is shown first.
More information on the BMW Maintenance
System can be found on page121.
Clock
Setting the time
To set the 12h/24h format, refer to Formats and
units of measure on page62.
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 time and the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Use button 1 to set the hours.
4.Press button 2 to confirm the entry.
5.Use button 1 to set the minutes.
6.Press button 2 to confirm the entry.
7.Press button 2.
The system accepts the new time.
Date
Setting the date
To set the dd/mm or mm/dd date format, refer
to Formats and units of measure on page62.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
65
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 date and the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Use button 1 to set the day of the month.
4.Press button 2 to confirm the entry.
5.Set the month and the year in the same way.
6.Press button 2.
The system stores the new date.
Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors vehicle functions
and alerts you to any malfunctions in the sys-
tems monitored. Such a Check Control mes-
sage includes indicator or warning lamps in the
instrument cluster and, in some circumstances,
an acoustic signal.
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a
variety of combinations and colors. indicates that Check Control messages have
been stored. You can view the Check Control
messages whenever it is convenient for you.
What to do in case of a malfunction
The meaning of each lamp in the event of a mal-
function and tips on how to respond are listed
starting on page140.
Hiding Check Control messages
Press the button in the turn indicator lever.
Some Check Control messages are displayed
until the malfunctions have been rectified. They
cannot be hidden. If several malfunctions occur
at the same time, they are displayed in succes-
sion.
Other messages are automatically hidden after
approx. 20 seconds, but are kept in memory.

Everything under control
66
Viewing stored Check Control
messages
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 words "CHECK CONTROL".
2.Press button 2.
"CHECK OK" appears if there are no Check
Control messages.
If a Check Control message has been
stored, the corresponding lamp comes on.
3.Push button 1 to check for other messages.
4.Press button 2.
The display again shows the outside tem-
perature and the time.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
67
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Park Distance Control PDC*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight
parking spaces. Acoustic signals warn you of
the presence of an object behind your vehicle.
To measure the distance, there are four ultra-
sonic sensors in the bumpers.
An acoustic warning does not sound until an
object is closer than approx. 24 in/60 cm to the
corner sensors, or closer than approx. 5 ft/
1.50 m to 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 object at high speed, oth-
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
>if you stop in front of an object that has been
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. 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.
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. Therefore, always drive
cautiously, otherwise there is a risk of personal
injury or property damage. Loud sound sources
outside 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.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
68
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 page99.
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.<
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

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
69
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.
>"Sport": both LEDs light up.
The selected program is stored for the remote
control currently in use and is activated the next
time the engine is started.
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.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
70 When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically.
Do not initialize the system while snow chains
are attached.<
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 page70.
3.Start to drive.
Initialization is completed while the car is
moving, without any feedback.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. In addition, an acoustic sig-
nal sounds. There is a flat tire or sub-
stantial 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 page132.
3.Repair the flat tire with the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to page132.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on in yel-
low. The Flat Tire Monitor has a mal-
function or has failed. Have the sys-
tem 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.
Resetting the system
Each time a tire inflation pressure has
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been
changed, reset the system.<
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