
M3Owner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW M3.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with 
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore 
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize 
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you 
before starting off in your new vehicle. It contains important data 
and instructions intended to assist you in gaining maximum use 
and satisfaction from your BMW M3's unique range of technical 
features. The manual also contains information on maintenance 
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW M3 throughout an extended ser-
vice life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide 
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG 

Notes
6 to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere 
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the 
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your 
BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive 
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other 
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash 
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned 
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect 
which could cause a crash or could cause injury 
or death, you should immediately inform the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North 
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New 
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may 
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety 
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order 
a recall and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual 
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of 
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to 
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain 
other information about motor vehicle safety 
from http://www.safercar.gov 

Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Tachometer67
5Shift Lights
*61
6Engine oil temperature68
7Display for
>Clock67
>Outside temperature67
>Indicator and warning lamps77
>With dual clutch transmission:
Computer688Display for
>Gear display M dual clutch transmission 
with Drivelogic
*57
>With manual transmission:
Computer68
>Date of next scheduled service, and 
remaining distance to be driven72
>Odometer and trip odometer67
>Checking oil level219
>Settings and information71
> There is a Check Control 
message77
9Fuel gauge68
10Resetting the trip odometer67 

At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or BMW TeleServices*
Navigation
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for displaying the 
average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
>AUX-In port, USB-audio interface* for 
external audio device
Climate
>Vent settings
>Automatic programs
>Parked car operation
 menu
>Switching off Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>M settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central 
locking system
>Display of service requirements and dates 
for statutory inspections
>Settings for telephone
Operating principle
As of radio readiness, the following message 
appears on the Control Display:
To hide the message: 
Press the controller.
The start menu is displayed.
The message is automatically hidden after 
approx. 10 seconds.
Start menu
All iDrive functions can be called up via five 
menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the   button.
To open the start menu from the   menu:
Press the   button twice. 

iDrive
20
Status information
1Display for:
>Entertainment: 
Radio, CD or
>Telephone
* in "Communication": 
Name of the connected mobile phone, 
network search or no network
>"BMW Assist"
*:
Active voice connection with a 
BMW Assist service
2Entertainment audio output off
3Display for traffic information
*:
"TI":
Traffic information for the navigation sys-
tem can be received and transmission is 
switched on
4Display for:
> New entries present in "Missed calls"
*
> Roaming active
5 It is possible to make calls
* if the mobile 
phone is paired with the vehicle
 Reception strength of mobile phone 
network, display depending on mobile 
phone
6Time
Other displays:
Status information is temporarily hidden during 
Check Control message displays or entries via 
the voice command system
*.
Assistance window*
Additional information can be displayed in the 
assistance window:
>The computer or the trip computer
*
>The arrow or map view in vehicles with nav-
igation system
*
>The current position*
Selecting display
1.Move the controller to the right to change to 
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select a menu item.
3.Press the controller. 

Opening and closing
28
Opening and closing
Remote control
Each remote control contains a rechargeable 
battery that is automatically recharged when it 
is in the ignition lock while the car is being 
driven. Use each remote control at least twice a 
year for longer road trips in order to maintain the 
batteries' charge status. In cars with convenient 
access
*, the remote control contains a replace-
able battery, refer to page36.
The settings called up and implemented when 
the car is unlocked depend on which remote 
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile below.
In addition, information about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to 
Service data in the remote control, page212.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
>Glove compartment, refer to page105
>Driver's door, refer to page31
>Luggage compartment lid, refer to page33
New remote controls
Your BMW center can supply new remote con-
trols with integrated keys as additional units or 
as replacements in the event of loss.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to 
suit your personal needs and preferences. 
Without any action on your part, Personal Pro-
file ensures that most of these settings are 
stored for the remote control currently in use. 
When you unlock the car, the remote control 
used for the purpose is recognized and the set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings will be 
activated for you, even if in the meantime your 
car was used by someone else with another 
remote control and the corresponding settings. 
The individual settings are stored for a maxi-
mum of four remote controls. They are stored 
for two remote controls if convenient access
* is 
in use.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer 
to the specified pages.
>Assignment of programmable memory 
keys, refer to page21
>Response of the central locking system 
when the car is unlocked, refer to page29
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page32
>Automatic call-up of the driver's seat posi-
tion after unlocking, refer to page43
>Programming buttons on the steering 
wheel, refer to page47
>MDrive
*, refer to page48 

Controls
 71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Settings and information
Operating principle
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information683When the lights are on: instrument lighting 
brightness94
4Calling up Check Control77
5Setting the time74
6Setting the date76
7Viewing service requirement display72
8Switching Shift Lights
* on/off61
Exiting displays
The outside-temperature reading and the time 
reappear when you press button2 or if you 
make no entries within approx. 15 seconds. If 
required, complete the current setting first.
Units of measure
You can set units of measure.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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 "Language / Units" and press the 
controller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Units" is selected and press the con-
troller. 

Everything under control
72 6.Select the desired menu item and press the 
controller.
7.Select the desired measurement unit and 
press the controller.
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 page54.
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.
Possible displays
1Button for selecting functions2Service requirements