2009 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE ECU

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
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iDrive
20 1.Move the controller to the right repeatedly
until the split screen content is selected.
2.Select the display.
Programmable memory keys
Certain iDrive functions can be stored on the
programmable memory keys and called up
directly, e.g. radio stations, navigation destina-
tions, phone numbers and entry points into the
menu.
Storing functions
1.Select the function via iDrive.
2. ... Press the desired key for
longer than two seconds.
Example for programmable memory
keys
Switch the voice instructions for the navigation
on/off.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the symbol using the controller.
4. ... Press the desired key for
longer than two seconds.
Executing a function
... Press the button.
The function is executed immediately. This
means, for example, that the number is dialed
when a phone number is selected.
Displaying memory key assignments
Touch the button with a finger. Do not wear
gloves or use objects.
Displaying brief information
... Touch the button.
The key assignment is displayed at the top
edge of the screen.
Displaying detailed information
... Press the button for an
extended period.
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Adjustments
44
Backrest width*
You can change the width of the backrest to suit
your individual preferences by adjusting the lat-
eral-support pads.
Press the front or rear end of the switch.
Backrest width decreases or increases accord-
ingly.
Longitudinal adjustment from outside/
behind
To move the front seats forward or backward
from outside or from one of the rear seats: with
the door open, press the front end 1 or rear end
2 of the switch.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident. Only remove a head
restraint if no one will be sitting on the seat in
question. Reinstall the head restraint before
transporting anyone on that seat. Otherwise,
the passenger will be without protection from
the head restraint.<
Front active head restraints
In a rear collision of a sufficient strength, the
active head restraint reduces the distance to
the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
that could impair the function of the active
head restraint. Otherwise, the protective func-
tion of the active head restraint will not be
ensured and its full potential in reducing the risk
of injury in the event of a rear collision may not
be realized.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation or
triggering of the active head restraints, have the
testing, repair and removal executed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to repair procedures of BMW with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and that has the
required explosives licenses. Unprofessional
attempts to work on the system could lead to
failure in an emergency or to undesired airbag
activation, either of which could result in per-
sonal injury.<
For technical reasons, the head restraint
cannot be removed.<
Coupe: front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and
slide the head restraint down.
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Controls
53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening
the doors, for example.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seat.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only
in the rear in suitable child-restraint systems
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child-restraint system that is
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger must be deactivated. Otherwise, a child
traveling on that seat will face a significant risk
of injury if the airbags are triggered off, even
with a child-restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags refer to page89.
Installing child-restraint
systems
Observe the child-restraint system man-
ufacturer's instructions when selecting,
installing and using child-restraint systems.
Otherwise the protective effect may be dimin-
ished.<
Standard child-restraint systems are designed
to be secured with a lap belt or with the lap-belt
section of a lap-and-shoulder belt. Incorrectly or improperly installed child-restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to children.
Always follow the installation instructions for
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child-restraint system on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airbags for the front passen-
ger are deactivated, otherwise there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Backrest width*
The backrest width of the front passen-
ger's seat must be at its widest possible
setting. Do not change the setting after install-
ing the child seat. Otherwise the child seat's
stability on the front passenger's seat is lim-
ited.<
1.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page44.
2.Install the child seat.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger's
safety belt can be prevented from being pulled
out in order to fasten child-restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
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Transporting children safely
54 3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the
way.
LATCH child-restraint fixing
system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
To install and use the LATCH child
restraint system, follow the operating and
safety instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the system, otherwise the protective
function of the seat may be compromised.<
Before installing the child seat, pull the belt out
of the area for the child-restraint fixing system.
Ensure that both lower LATCH anchors
are correctly engaged and that the child
restraint system is resting firmly against the
backrest, otherwise the protective function of
the seat may be compromised.<
The anchor points for the lower LATCH
anchors are located behind the labeled protec-
tive caps.
Coupe: child-restraint system with
tether strap
Use the top tether anchors to secure
child-restraint systems only, otherwise
the anchors could be damaged. there are two additional anchors, see arrows.
Coupe: placement of the tether strap
Make sure the upper retaining strap does
not run over sharp edges and is not
twisted as it passes to the top anchor. Other-
wise the strap will not properly secure the child-
restraint system in the event of an accident.<
1Direction of travel
2Head restraint
3Hook for upper retaining strap
4Anchor
5Rear window shelf
6Seat backrest
7Upper retaining strap of child-restraint sys-
tem
1.Push the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the upper retaining strap between
the head restraint holders.
3.Use the hook to clip the retaining strap to
the anchor.
4.Push the head restraint into its lowermost
position.
5.Pull the retaining strap taut.
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Controls
59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Β: middle position
>N: neutral
>+: shift up manually
>–: shift down manually
>D/S: change between drive mode and
sequential mode
Push or pull the selector lever in the required
direction to engage the desired transmission
position.
When you release the selector lever, it returns
to its center position. The selector lever locks in
position R.
The transmission position currently engaged is
indicated in the instrument cluster and by LEDs
on the selector lever.
Shiftlock
When the vehicle is stationary, press the brake
pedal before shifting out of N, otherwise the
desired gear will not be engaged.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
If the driving situation demands, e.g. when
downshifting on a slippery road, the M dual
clutch transmission automatically disengages
and engages the clutch.
N engages when you open the driver's
door while the engine is running, your
safety belt is not fastened and you activate nei-
ther the brake pedal nor the accelerator. To
drive off after closing the driver's door and fas-
tening your safety belt, move the selector lever
to position N first and then to the desired drive
position.<
N remains engaged even after the engine
is switched off if you leave the remote
control in the ignition lock. This function can be
used in an automatic car wash, for example,
refer to page57.<
S sequential mode
Shift up or down using the shift paddles or the
selector lever. You do not need to lift your foot
off the accelerator when doing so.
Shift from sequential mode to drive mode:
press the selector lever to the right in the D/S
direction.
Shift back to sequential mode: shift using the
shift paddles or the selector lever, or press the
selector level to the right in the D/S direction
again.
On a level road, you can drive off in second gear,
e.g. on slippery roads.
The M dual clutch transmission assists you in
the following situations:
>Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combina-
tion of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for
example, a downshift that would cause the
engine to overrev will not be executed by
the system.
>When the vehicle stops, the transmission
automatically shifts down to first gear.
>Shortly before the vehicle slows down to
below the minimum speed of the gear cur-
rently engaged, the transmission automati-
cally shifts down without requiring your
intervention.
Rapid downshifting: in sequential mode, you
can skip several gears to achieve optimal accel-
eration. To do so, press the accelerator past the
resistance point and pull the left shift paddle
once or press the selector lever forward once.
D drive mode
In drive mode, all forward gears are shifted auto-
matically.
Shift from drive mode to sequential mode: shift
using the shift paddles or the selector lever, or
press the selector level to the right in the D/S
direction.
Shift back to drive mode: press the selector
lever to the right in the D/S direction again.
Kick-down: to accelerate rapidly, e.g. when
passing, press the accelerator down past the
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Driving
62 3.Select "Drivelogic:".
4.Turn the controller to set the drive mode or
sequential mode.
"Unchanged" retains the current settings
made outside of MDrive.
5.Press the controller to select the drive pro-
grams.
6.Turn the controller to set the drive program.
7.Press the controller.
Shift Lights
To achieve the best possible acceleration in
sequential mode when using a sporty driving
style, the Shift Lights in the instrument cluster
indicate the best shift point just before the max-
imum engine speed is reached.1.As the vehicle approaches its maximum
engine speed, the yellow LEDs1 light up
consecutively to indicate the impending
shift point.
2.At the latest, shift when the red LEDs2 light
up.
The LEDs flash when the maximum allowable
engine speed is reached. When the maximum
engine speed is exceeded, the fuel supply is cut
off to protect the engine. Avoid engine speeds
in this range at all costs.
Switching the Shift Lights on/off
For operating principle, refer to page71.
1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page55.
2.Lightly push button1 in the turn indicator
lever up or down repeatedly until the sym-
bol appears in the display accompanied by
the word "SET".
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Controls
83Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Deactivating MDM
Press the button on the steering wheel
again; the MDM indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp goes out briefly after
the engine is started.
If the indicator lamp lights up:
M Dynamic Mode is activated.
The indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently and the DSC indicator lamp
flashes: M Dynamic Mode is control-
ling the drive and braking forces.
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
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.
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