Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page238.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
42Adjustments
53Transporting children safely
55Driving
68Everything under control
81Technology for driving comfort and
safety
92Lamps
96Climate
101Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
116Things to remember when driving
121BMW M3 engineering
Navigation
126Navigation system
127Destination entry
137Destination guidance
143What to do if …
Entertainment
146On/off and tone
149Radio
152Satellite radio
154CD player and CD changer
161Music collection
165AUX-IN port
166USB-audio interface/mobile phone audio
interface
Communications
172Telephone
183Contacts
185BMW Assist
Mobility
194Refueling
196Wheels and tires
202Under the hood
207Maintenance
209Care
213Replacing components
221Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
228Technical data
232Short commands for the voice activation
system
238Everything from A - Z
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 3 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock55
12Buttons on the steering wheel13Horn: the entire surface
14Adjusting the steering wheel50
16Releasing the hood202
17Opening the luggage compartment lid31 7
Turn signals64
High beams, headlamp flasher94
Roadside parking lamps
*94
Computer69
Settings and information about the
vehicle71
Instrument lighting94
9
Windshield wipers65
Rain sensor
*65
10Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine55
Telephone
*:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call, starting dialing
* selected
phone numbers. Redialing if
no phone number is selected
>Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*22
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and
lists with stored phone numbers
MDrive
*, calling up individual
settings50
Recirculated-air mode98
15
Cruise control66
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 11 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for voice activation system*
and for telephone in hands-free mode*
2SOS: initiating an Emergency Request
call
*221
3Reading lamps95
4Coupe: glass roof, electric
*37
5Interior lamps94
6Passenger airbag status lamp
*89
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9Flat Tire Monitor FTM
*84
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM
*85
10Central locking system30
11Automatic climate control
12CD/DVD drive146
13Changing the audio and entertainment
sources14Selecting AM or FM waveband
15Changing
>Radio station149
>Track154
17Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
18Opening start menu on Control Display17
20Dynamic Stability Control DSC82
21Electronic Damper Control EDC
*83
22M Engine Dynamics Control POWER64
23Programmable memory keys20
24Switching audio sources on/off and adjust-
ing volume146
25Ejecting CD/DVD146 Air distribution to the
windshield97
Air distribution to the upper body
area97
Air distribution to the footwell97
Automatic air distribution and flow
rate97
Cooling function99
Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC98
Recirculated-air mode98
Maximum cooling97
Residual heat mode98
Air flow rate98
Defrosting windows99
Rear window defroster99
16
Heated seats*46
Coupe:
Roller sun blind
*104
19Convertible:
Opening and closing retractable
hardtop39
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 15 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
At a glance
19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Turn the controller until "Time:" is high-
lighted, and then press the controller.
5.Turn the controller to set the hours and
press the controller.
6.Turn the controller to set the minutes and
press the controller.
Status information
1Time
2Display for:
>Reception strength of the wireless
network, depends on the mobile phone
>Incoming, outgoing or missed call
>SMS
* received
3Display for:
>Entertainment:
Radio, CD/DVD, external devices, TV
*
>Telephone*:
Name of the mobile phone paired with
the vehicle4Sound output is switched off or
display for traffic bulletins
*:
>"TI":
Traffic bulletins are switched on.
>No display:
Traffic bulletins are switched off.
Other displays:
Status information is temporarily hidden during
Check Control message displays or entries via
the voice activation system
*.
Switching the Control Display
off/on
1.Press the OPTION button.
2."Switch off display"
Press the controller to switch on.
Split screen
Additional information can be displayed on the
right side of the split screen, e.g. information
from the computer.
In the divided screen view, the so-called split
screen, this information remains visible even
when you change to another menu.
Switching the split screen on and off
1.Press the OPTION button.
2."Split screen"
The split screen is activated.
Selecting the display for the split
screen content
When the split screen is switched on, you can
select the content displayed on the screen.
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 19 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
At a glance
23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
In dialogs that call for a text of your choice, the
procedure can only be canceled using the but-
ton on the steering wheel.
Possible commands
The commands available in each case depend
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis-
play.
To have the available commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD/DVD" is selected, the com-
mands for operating CD/Multimedia are read
aloud.
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a
function, e.g.:
Calling up functions immediately via
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain
functions immediately, irrespective of which
menu item is selected, refer to page232.
Example: selecting the track of a CD
1.If necessary, switch on entertainment audio
output.
2.Press the button on the steering wheel.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the
standard dialog or a shorter variant. In the
shorter variant of the voice dialog, the prompts
and responses from the system are abbrevi-
ated.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"3."Speech mode:"
4.To select the setting:
>"Default"
>"Short"
Notes
For information on voice control of the
telephone, refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
>Do not use the voice activation system to
initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful
situations, the voice and vocal pitch can
change. This can unnecessarily delay the
establishment of a telephone connection.
>Pronounce the commands and digits
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding
excessive emphases and pauses. This also
applies when spelling out and saying a full
word during destination entry.
>When selecting a radio station, use the
standard pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone
book, only use names in the language of the
voice activation system and no abbrevia-
tions.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass roof
closed to prevent interference from outside
noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while
speaking. {Voice commands}
{Radio on} or {Radio}
3.Select the music track, e.g.:
{CD track 4}
System says:
{{Track 4}}
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 23 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Controls
27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Calling up the preferred program of the M
Engine Dynamics Control POWER and
Electronic Damper Control EDC
* when
starting the vehicle, refer to Configuring
settings on page50
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page64
>Settings for the displays on the Control Dis-
play and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to
page75
>Date format, refer to page76
>Brightness of Control Display, refer to
page79
>Language on the Control Display, refer
to page79
>Units of measure, refer to page71
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page81
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page92
>Pathway lighting, refer to page93
>Daytime running lamps, refer to page93
>Automatic climate control: activating/deac-
tivating AUTO program, cooling function
and automatic recirculated-air control, set-
ting temperature, air flow rate and distribu-
tion, refer to page97 ff
>Entertainment:
>Audio volume, refer to page146
>Tone control, refer to page146
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer
to page147
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
>Convertible: glove compartment
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
*
>In cars with convenient access*, via the
handles on the driver's and front passen-
ger's doors
In addition, if the remote control is used, the
welcome lamps, interior lamps and the door's
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The
alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
refer to
page32.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer
to page30.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the
central locking system unlocks automatically. In
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using the remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle
could lock the doors from the inside. You
should therefore take the remote control with
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter
can be opened from outside.<
Convertible: to operate the retractable
hardtop with the remote control, the
doors and luggage compartment lid must be
closed and the cargo bay partition must be
folded down and engaged on both sides. Refer
also to page39.<
Unlocking
Press the button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the
welcome lamps come on.
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 27 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Controls
29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
the retractable hardtop when it is open to ease
loading of the cargo bay.
1.Briefly press the button and, within one
second, press again and hold until the
retractable hardtop stops in an intermediate
position. The luggage compartment lid
opens slightly.
2.Open the luggage compartment lid, press
the cargo bay partition upward and stow the
cargo in the cargo bay.
3.Press down the cargo bay partition until it
engages on both sides and close the lug-
gage compartment lid.
4.Press the button for a longer period to
fold the retractable hardtop back in.
Setting confirmation signals
You can activate or deactivate the confirmation
signals.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Flash when lock./unlock."
4.Press the controller.
Flashing when locking/unlocking the vehi-
cle is switched on.
Malfunctions
The remote control may malfunction due to
local radio waves. If this occurs, unlock and lock
the car at the door lock with the integrated key.
Coupe: in vehicles without an alarm system
* or
convenient access
*, only the driver's door can
be locked and unlocked with the integrated key
via the door lock.Convertible: if hardtop movement via the
remote control is interrupted briefly, the move-
ment will be completed more quickly if you keep
the corresponding button pressed continu-
ously.
If the car can no longer be locked with a remote
control, the battery in the remote control is dis-
charged. Use the remote control on an
extended trip to recharge the battery, refer to
page26. The remote control for convenient
access
* contains a battery that may have to be
changed, refer to page35.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply with
part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communications
Commission regulations. Operation is gov-
erned by the following:
FCC ID:
LX8766S
LX8766E
LX8CAS
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
>This device must not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
>This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or
changes to these devices could void the
user's authority to operate this equipment.<
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 29 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Controls
31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
vehicle after a brief time if no door has
been opened.
>"Lock after start. to drive"
The central locking system locks the
vehicle when you drive away.
Automatic locking is switched on and is
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Unlocking and opening doors
>Either unlock the doors together using the
button for the central locking system and
then pull the door handle above the armrest
or
>pull on the door handle of each door twice:
the first time unlocks the door, the second
time opens it.
Locking
>Use the central locking button to lock all of
the doors simultaneously, or
>press down the safety lock button of a door.
To prevent you from being locked out, the
open driver's door cannot be locked using
the lock button.
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle
could lock the doors from the inside. You
should therefore take the remote control with
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter
can be opened from outside.<
Luggage compartment lid
In order to avoid damage, make sure there
is sufficient clearance before opening the
luggage compartment lid.<
Opening from inside
Press the button: the luggage compartment lid
opens unless it has been locked.
Opening from outside
Press the button, see arrow, or the button on
the remote control for a longer period. The lug-
gage compartment lid will open slightly. It can
now be swung upwards.
In the event of a malfunction, please con-
tact your BMW center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.<
Coupe: locking or unlocking separately
The switch is located in the glove compartment.
1Locking the luggage compartment lid
2Unlocking the luggage compartment lid
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 31 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12