2009 BMW M3 COUPE ignition

Controls
57Reference
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3.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page55. This automati-
cally engages transmission position P.
Before driving into a car wash
The vehicle is able to roll when you perform the
following steps:
1.Insert the remote control, even with conve-
nient access, into the ignition lock.
2.Depress the brake.
3.Engage transmission position N.
4.Switch off the engine.
Transmission position P is engaged:
>Automatically after approx. 30 minutes
>When you remove the remote control from
the ignition lock
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in
addition. The parking brake is still
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
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Controls
59Reference
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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
60 resistance point. This provides maximum accel-
eration.
P Park
P engages automatically when you switch
off the engine unless N is engaged and
the remote control remains in the ignition lock,
refer to page55. As soon as you remove the
remote control from the ignition lock, P
engages regardless of the position of the selec-
tor lever.<
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Engaged gear 1 to 7, R, N, P
2Selected drive program,
corresponds to the number of illuminated
fields, refer to Drivelogic, page61
3The gear currently engaged is displayed
together with a D in drive mode
At very low outside temperatures, this display
may not be functional. The engaged driving
direction is indicated by the LEDs on the selec-
tor lever.
Changing gears
Via the selector lever
>To shift up, pull back the selector lever.
>To shift down, push it forward.
Via the shift paddles on the steering
wheel
>To shift up, pull the right-hand shift paddle
+ briefly.
>To shift down, pull the left-hand shift paddle
– briefly.
Unlocking the transmission lock
manually
If a power failure occurs, e.g. if the battery
is discharged or disconnected, the trans-
mission lock must be released manually, other-
wise the rear wheels are blocked and the vehi-
cle cannot be towed.<
Release the transmission lock manually for tow-
ing only and forcefully apply the parking brake
beforehand to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
After parking the vehicle, lock the transmission
lock again.
Releasing
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Push the black cover forward using the
screwdriver from the onboard tool kit, refer
to page213.
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Controls
61Reference
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4.Insert the screwdriver into the opening of
the white lever, arrow 1.
5.Pull the screwdriver back all the way, arrow
2. The transmission lock is released.
6.Carefully remove the screwdriver, for exam-
ple to avoid accidentally engaging the
transmission lock during towing.
After parking the vehicle, lock the trans-
mission lock again. Otherwise there is a
danger of the vehicle rolling.<
Locking
1.Insert the screwdriver into the opening of
the white lever and press forward.
The transmission lock is locked again.
2.Fold back the black cover until it engages
audibly.
3.Clip the sleeve of the selector lever back
into place.
Jump-starting and towing, refer to page223.
Drivelogic
Various drive programs are available to you via
Drivelogic.
After every change between sequential and
drive mode, the program selected last in each
case is active. Exception: after the first change from sequential to drive mode, drive program 3
is active.
In drive mode
Five drive programs are available for selection,
from winter program/balanced 1 to sporting and
highly dynamic 5.
In sequential mode
You can choose between six drive programs,
from winter program/balanced 1 to sporty
puristic 6.
Program 6 is available when Dynamic Stability
Control is deactivated, refer to page82. If DSC
is activated, the program changes from 6 to 5.
To maintain driving stability, activate DSC
whenever possible.<
Selecting the drive program via the
button in the center console
Press the button repeatedly until the desired
drive program is displayed in the instrument
cluster, refer to page60.
Selecting the drive program via the
button on the steering wheel
You can also activate your preferred drive pro-
gram via the button on the steering wheel,
refer to MDrive on page50.
You can set MDrive on the Control Display
when the ignition is switched on.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."MDrive"
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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
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3.Press button 2.
4.Use button 1 to select:
>
Shift Lights activated.
>
Shift Lights deactivated.
5.Press button 2.
After the ignition is switched off and the engine
is restarted, the status set for the remote con-
trol in use is active, refer to M Key settings on
page51.
You can set and call up the preferred status
of the Shift Lights via the MDrive, refer to
page50.
Brightness of Shift Lights
The brightness of the Shift Lights can be set
using the brightness level of the instrument
cluster, refer to Instrument lighting on page94.
Launch Control
Launch Control enables you to drive off with an
optimal vehicle acceleration on a high grip road
surface.
Do not use Launch Control too often, as
the higher loads on the vehicle lead to
premature component wear. at operating temperature, i.e. after driving con-
tinuously for at least 6 miles/10 km.
1.Press the brake while the engine is running.
2.Deactivate Dynamic Stability Control DSC,
refer to page83.
3.Select sequential mode with Drivelogic
drive program 6.
4.With the vehicle stationary, press the selec-
tor lever forward and hold. A flag symbol
appears in the instrument cluster.
5.Press the accelerator down all the way. The
engine speed when driving off is controlled.
6.If you wish, you can adjust the drive-off
engine speed by up to approx. 500 rpm:
>Increase the drive-off engine speed by
approx. 100 rpm: press the lever beyond
the resistance point, arrow1.
>Decrease the drive-off engine speed by
approx. 100 rpm: pull the lever beyond
the resistance point, arrow2.
>Reset the drive-off engine speed: press
the lever upward or downward, arrows3.
7.The vehicle accelerates when you release
the selector lever. Keep the accelerator
pressed all the way down.
8.The transmission shifts up automatically as
long as the accelerator is pressed all the
way down.
Launch Control only becomes available again
after a certain distance has been driven.
Do not use Launch Control during the vehicle
break-in period, refer to page116.
To maintain driving stability, activate DSC
whenever possible.<
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Driving
64
M Engine Dynamics Control
With M Engine Dynamics Control you can influ-
ence how sportily your vehicle should respond
to movements of the accelerator. Three pro-
grams are available to you.
"Normal" program
In the "Normal" program, the engine responds
gently to accelerator movements, which is ideal
for city traffic or on snow, for example.
"Sport" program
The "Sport" program provides for a more spon-
taneous response of the engine to accelerator
movements.
"Sport Plus" program
In the "Sport Plus" program, the engine
responds to accelerator movements with high
spontaneity and uncompromising sportiness.
The "Sport Plus" program can only be activated
via MDrive, refer to MDrive on page50.
Selecting a program
Press the POWER button to switch between
the "Normal" and "Sport" programs.
For the programs "Sport" and "Sport Plus", the
LED in the POWER button lights up.
You can also set and call up your preferred
program via MDrive, refer to page50.
After the ignition is switched off and the engine
is restarted, the program set for the remote
control in use is active, refer to M Key settings
on page51.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal indicator
has failed.<
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
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Driving
66 When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid.
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid
reservoir is empty, otherwise you will damage
the washer pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are heated
automatically while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on.
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Therefore, keep it away from ignition
sources and only store it in the closed original
container that is kept out of reach of children,
otherwise there is a risk of personal injury.
Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer.<
Washer fluid filler neck
Only refill washer fluid when the engine is
cool to avoid contact with hot engine
parts. Otherwise, fluid spills constitute a fire
hazard and a risk to personal safety.<
All washer nozzles are supplied with washer
fluid by the same reservoir.
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 4.8 US quarts/4.5 liters.
Cruise control
The concept
Cruise control is available for use at speeds of
approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then stores
and maintains the speed that you specify using
the lever on the steering column.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g. snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise you could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<
One lever for all functions
1Storing and maintaining speed or accelerat-
ing
2Storing and maintaining speed or deceler-
ating
3Deactivating cruise control
4Resuming a speed stored beforehand
Maintaining current speed
Tap the lever, arrow 1, or pull it briefly, arrow 2.
The car's current speed is stored and main-
tained. It is displayed on the speedometer and
briefly in the instrument cluster. This function is
not available when DSC is switched off.
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