2008 BMW M3 ESP

BMW Assist
194 You can also access the BMW Assist Concierge
service via the Internet.
Characteristics of the offered services
The following characteristics apply to the ser-
vices:
>The services offered are country-specific.
>Voice contact is established or data are
transferred, depending on the equipment
and the country. In some countries, it is
possible to do both.
>The data transmitted can be vehicle data,
for example, your current position or the
Condition Based Service CBS data.
Using services
Contacting the BMW Assist Response
Center
You can contact the BMW Assist Response
Center via the SOS button.
1.Briefly press the cover flap to open.
The arrangement of the switches and indi-
cator lamps varies slightly among vehicle
equipment versions.
2.Press the button for at least 2 seconds.
The BMW Assist Response Center will connect
you with BMW Roadside Assistance.
Roadside Assistance
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller forwards to select
"Communication".
3.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "BMW Assist" is selected and press
the controller.
4.Select "Roadside Assistance" and press
the controller.
If the current location can be determined,
the current vehicle position is displayed.
5.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
The BMW Assist Response Center will connect
you with BMW Roadside Assistance.

BMW Assist
196 5.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
The service-relevant data are transmitted. Your
BMW center will contact you to arrange a ser-
vice appointment.
Displaying and updating* BMW
TeleServices
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "BMW Service settings" and press
the controller.
5.Select "Enabled TeleServices" and press
the controller.The activated BMW TeleServices are dis-
played.
6.Select "Options" and press the controller.
7.Select "Update services" and press the
controller.
Contacting BMW Customer Relations
For all information related to your vehicle you
can call BMW Customer Relations.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller forwards to select
"Communication".
3.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "BMW Assist" is selected and press
the controller.
4.Select "Customer Relations".
5.Press the controller.
6.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
The BMW Assist Response Center will connect
you with BMW Customer Relations.

197
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Concierge service*
When you call the BMW Assist Concierge, you
can obtain information about, e.g., current
events, gas stations or hotels, as well as receive
the corresponding telephone numbers and
addresses. Many hotels can be booked directly
through the BMW Assist Concierge service.
Concierge service requires additional enabling
by the BMW Assist Response Center.
Calling the Concierge
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller forwards to select
"Communication".
3.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "BMW Assist" is selected and press
the controller.
4.Select "Concierge" and press the control-
ler.
5.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
The BMW Assist Response Center will connect
you with a BMW Assist Concierge.
Displaying transmitted data
Select a received message, if applicable, and
press the controller.
Dialing a phone number or transferring
an address for destination guidance
1.Select "Options" and press the controller.
2.Select a menu item:
>Press "Call" to make a telephone call. A pre-
requisite for this is that your Bluetooth
mobile phone has been paired with the
vehicle.
>Press "Select as destination" to transfer the
address to the navigation system for desti-
nation guidance.
Adapting BMW Assist
Displaying and updating services
If the services offered by BMW Assist change,
you will be notified. In that event you may
update the service functions.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.

199
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until "Enabled Assist services" is selected
and press the controller.
6.Select "Enable services" and press the con-
troller.
BMW Assist is activated and data exchange
with the BMW Assist Response Center
begins.
Activation takes a few minutes. Progress status
is displayed on the Control Display. If you open
another menu, the activation process continues
in the background.
Displaying vehicle data
When BMW Assist is enabled, you can have the
system display the Telematics ID. The
Telematics ID identifies your vehicle. These
data are transmitted to your BMW center.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 "BMW Service settings" and press
the controller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller

Mobility
205Reference
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Do not fill the tank with E85, i.e. fuel containing
85Ξ ethanol, nor with FlexFuel. Otherwise the
engine and fuel supply system will be dam-
aged.<
Required fuel
Super Premium Gasoline/AKI 93
Always use this premium grade fuel to obtain
maximum fuel economy and performance.
The minimum approved fuel grade is AKI 91.
Do not use any gasoline below the speci-
fied minimum fuel grade. Otherwise the
engine could be damaged.<
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant dif-
ferences in fuel quality: volatility, composition,
additives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale
in the United States and Canada. Fuels contain-
ing up to and including 10Ξ ethanol or other
oxygenates with up to 2.8Ξ oxygen by weight,
that is, 15Ξ MTBE or 3Ξ methanol plus an
equivalent amount of co-solvent, will not void
the applicable warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
driveability, starting and stalling problems
especially under certain environmental condi-
tions such as high ambient temperature and
high altitude.
Should you encounter driveability problems
which you suspect could be related to the fuel
you are using, we recommend that you respond
by switching to a recognized high-quality brand
such as gasoline that is advertised as Top Tier
Detergent Gasoline.
Failure to comply with these recommendations
may also result in unscheduled maintenance.<

Wheels and tires
206
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressures
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tires' service life, but also
driving comfort and, to a great extent, driving
safety that depend on the condition of the tires
and the maintenance of the specified tire pres-
sure.
Checking pressure
Only check tire inflation pressure when the
tires are cold. This means after a maximum of
1.25 miles/2 km driving or when the vehicle has
been parked for at least 2 hours. When tires are
warm, the tire inflation pressure is higher.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it, if necessary: at least twice a
month and before starting long trips. If you fail
to observe this precaution you may be driving
on tires with incorrect tire pressures, a condi-
tion that can not only compromise your vehi-
cle's driving stability, but also lead to tire dam-
age and the risk of an accident. Do not drive on
a flat tire. A flat tire will seriously impair your
vehicle's handling and braking response.
Attempts to drive on a flat tire can lead to loss of
control over the vehicle.<
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer to
page85, or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor,
refer to page86.<
Inflation pressure specifications
The table below provides all the correct inflation
pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient
temperature.
The inflation pressures apply to the tire
sizes approved and tire brands recom-
mended by BMW; a list of these is available
from your BMW center.<
For correct identification of the right tire infla-
tion pressures, observe the following:
>Tire sizes for your vehicle>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for driving up to
100 mph or 160 km/h
For normal driving up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
and to achieve optimum driving comfort, adjust
pressures to the respective tire inflation pres-
sures listed on the following page in the col-
umns for traveling speeds up to a maximum of
100mph or 160km/h.
These tire inflation pressures can also be found
on the driver's-side door post when the driver's
door is open.
The maximum permissible speed for
these tire pressures is 100 mph or
160 km/h. Do not exceed this speed, otherwise
tire damage and accidents could occur.<
Tire inflation pressures for driving
above 100 mph or 160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds in
excess of 100 mph or 160 km/h, adjust
pressures to the respective tire inflation pres-
sures listed on the following page in the col-
umns for traveling speeds including those
exceeding 100 mph or 160 km/h. Otherwise tire
damage and accidents could occur.<
Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits, otherwise violations of the laws could
occur.

Mobility
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Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to
a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either sep-
arately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.<
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
XL
Designation for specially reinforced tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not drop below 1/8 in/
3 mm, although, for example, European legisla-
tion only specifies a minimum tread depth of
1/16 in/1.6 mm. At tread depths below 1/8 in/
3 mm there is an increased risk of high-speed
hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.
When winter tires wear down past a tread depth
of 1/6 in/4 mm, they become perceptibly less suitable for winter conditions. In the interest of
safety, new tires should be installed.
Wear indicators in the base of the tread groove
are distributed around the tire's circumference;
the letters TWI, for Tread Wear Indicator, on the
tire's sidewalls identify tires that incorporate
these wear indicators. Once the tire tread has
worn down to the wear indicators, the tire has
worn to a depth of 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires cause wheels,
tires and suspension parts to be more suscep-
tible to road hazard and consequential dam-
ages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, be caused by driving over curbs. The same
applies to any other abnormal road behavior,
such as pulling severely to the right or left.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW center or tire shop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there.
Otherwise, tire damage can pose a lethal hazard
to vehicle occupants and other road users.<
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW center or tire shop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel. If this

Wheels and tires
210 work is not carried out properly, there is a dan-
ger of subsequent damage and related safety
h a z a r d s . M a k e s u re t h a t t h e n e w w h ee l s a r e b a l-
anced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW recommends that you do not use
retreaded tires, since driving safety may
be impaired. The causes for this include poten-
tially different tire casing structures and often
wide variations in tire age, which can result in a
limited service life.<
Correct wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that BMW
has tested and approved for your particular
vehicle. Variations in factors such as manufac-
turing tolerances mean that even wheels and
tires with identical official size ratings could
actually have different dimensions, which could
lead to body contact and thus to severe acci-
dents. When selecting tires, also take their load
capacity into account. If non-approved wheels
and tires are used, BMW cannot evaluate their
suitability, and therefore cannot guarantee their
driving safety.<
You can inquire about the right wheel/tire com-
bination at your BMW center.
The correct combination of wheels and tires is
also necessary to ensure reliable operation of
various vehicle systems such as ABS or DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single brand and
tread configuration. After a tire has been dam-
aged, mount the previous wheel and tire combi-
nation again as soon as possible.
Wheels with Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM electronics
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires, or vice versa, only
use wheels with TPM electronics; otherwise the
Tire Pressure Monitor may not be able to detect
a puncture, refer to page86. Your BMW center
will be glad to advise you.
Recommended tire brands
Certain makes of tire are recommended by
BMW for each tire size. They are marked with a
clearly visible BMW designation on the sidewall
of the tire.
When properly used, these tires meet the high-
est standards in terms of safety and handling
characteristics.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold
winter driving conditions. Although all-season
M+S tires provide better winter traction than
summer tires, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance as
winter tires.
Pay attention to speed
Always comply with the speed limit for the
winter tires mounted on your car; failure
to do so could result in tire damage and acci-
dents.<
Storage
Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible. Always
protect tires against all contact with oil, grease
and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall of
the tire.
Swapping wheels between axles
BMW advises against swapping wheels
between the front and rear axles, even if all tires
have the same size, as this could impair driving
characteristics. With standard-equipment tires