Page 12 of 256
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out*48
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor
*48
1Convertible: opening and closing
windows jointly36
2Convertible: opening and closing
rear windows35
3Opening and closing front
windows356
Parking lamps/low beams92
Low beams92
Automatic headlamp control
*92
Adaptive Head Light
*93
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 10 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Page 13 of 256

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
Page 14 of 256
Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Tachometer68
5Shift Lights
*62
6Engine oil temperature69
7Display for
>Clock68
>Outside temperature68
>Indicator and warning lamps76
>With dual clutch transmission:
Computer698Display for
>Gear display M dual clutch transmission
with Drivelogic
*58
>With manual transmission:
Computer69
>Date of next scheduled service, and
remaining distance to be driven72
>Odometer and trip odometer68
>Checking oil level203
>Settings and information71
> There is a Check Control
message76
9Fuel gauge69
10Resetting the trip odometer68
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 12 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Page 15 of 256

At a glance
13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a
variety of combinations and colors.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning
and thus come on briefly when the engine is
started or the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the top edge of the Control
Display describe the meanings of the indicator
and warning lamps.
You can call up more information, e.g. on the
cause of a malfunction and on how to respond,
via Check Control, refer to page76.
In urgent cases, this information will be shown
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that
certain functions are active:
Parking lamps/low beams92
High beams/headlamp flasher94
Parking brake applied57
MDrive
*50
M Dynamic Mode
*82
Lamp flashes:
DSC is regulating the drive forces in
order to maintain driving stability82
Engine malfunction with adverse
effect on exhaust emissions208
Canada: engine malfunction with
adverse effect on exhaust
emissions208
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 13 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Page 19 of 256

At a glance
17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Buttons on the controller
Operating principle
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond,
refer to page55, the following message is dis-
played on the Control Display:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
The main menu is displayed.
The message is automatically hidden after
approx. 10 seconds.
Opening the main menu
Press the MENU button.
The main menu is displayed.All iDrive functions can be called up via the main
menu.
Selecting a menu item
The menu items shown in white can be
selected.
1.Turn the controller until the desired menu
item is highlighted.
2.Press the controller.
A new menu is displayed or the function is exe-
cuted.
Menu items in the Owner's Manual
In the Owner's Manual, menu items that can be
selected are set in quotation marks, e.g.
"Settings"
Changing between panels
After selecting a menu item, e.g. "Radio", a new
menu is displayed on a panel. The panels can
overlap.
ButtonFunction
MENU Open the main menu
RADIO Open the Radio menu
CD Open the CD/Entertainment menu
NAV Open the Navigation menu
TEL Open the Telephone menu
BACK Display the previous menu
OPTION Open the Options menu
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 17 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Page 20 of 256

iDrive
18 Move the controller to the left or right to change
between the panels.
White arrows pointing to the left or right indi-
cate that additional panels can be opened.
Open the Options menu
Press the OPTION button.
The "Options" menu is displayed.
Additional options: move the controller to the
right repeatedly until the "Options" menu
appears.
The "Options" menu contains the following:
>Screen settings, refer to page19.
>Control options for the selected menu.
Adjusting settings
1.Select a field.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is displayed.
3.Press the controller to confirm the setting.
The scroll bar on the right side indicates
whether additional menu items or set-
tings can be selected that are currently not vis-
ible.<
Example: setting the clock
1.Press the MENU button.
The main menu is displayed.
2.Turn the controller until "Settings" is high-
lighted, and then press the controller.
3.Turn the controller until "Time/Date" is
highlighted, and then press the controller.
ba8_E9293M3_cic.book Seite 18 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 12:01 12
Page 21 of 256

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
Page 29 of 256

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