2009 BMW M3 Owners Manual

Controls
79Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset".
6.Start to drive.
The initialization is completed during the trip.
"Flat Tire Monitor active" is displayed again on
the Control Display.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. A message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, an
acoustic signal sounds. There is a flat
tire or substantial loss of tire pressure.
1.Reduce your speed and carefully stop the
car. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify the damaged tire. To do so, check
the tire pressure using the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to Producing the tire inflation
pressure on page208.
3.Repair the flat tire with the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to page207.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on in yel-
low. A message appears on the Con-
t r o l D i s p l a y . T h e F l a t T i r e M o n i t o r h a s
a malfunction or has failed. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM*
The concept
TPM checks the inflation pressures of the four
mounted tires. The system notifies you if there
is a significant loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be reset while all tire infla-
tion pressures are correct.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics. Oth-
erwise, the system may malfunction.
Each time a tire inflation pressure has
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been
changed, reset the system.<
System limitations
TPM cannot warn you in advance of sud-
den severe tire damage caused by out-
side influences.<
The system does not work correctly if it has not
been reset; for example, a flat tire may be indi-
cated even though the tire inflation pressures
are correct.
The system is inactive and cannot indicate a flat
tire if a wheel without TPM electronics has been
mounted, or if TPM is temporarily malfunction-
ing due to other systems or devices using the
same radio frequency.
Status indicator on the Control Display
The color of the wheels represents the status of
the tires and the system.
TPM takes into account that tire pressures
change while the vehicle is being driven. The
tire pressures do not need to be corrected
unless the TPM instructs you to do so by means
of color indicators.
Green
The tire inflation pressure corresponds to the
established target value.
"TPM active" appears on the Control Display.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
80
One wheel yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in the indicated tire. A message appears on
the Control Display.
All wheels yellow
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pres-
sure in several tires. A message appears on the
Control Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a puncture.
Possible reasons for this:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary malfunction caused by systems
or devices using the same radio frequency
>Malfunction
Resetting the system
Each time a tire inflation pressure has
been corrected or a wheel or tire has been
changed, reset the system.<
Using the button in the center console
1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button for approx. 4 seconds until
the warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up yellow. Warning lamp, refer to
Message for low tire inflation pressure on
page80.
The message "Resetting TPM..." appears
on the Control Display for several seconds.
3.Start to drive.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation
pressures in the tires are accepted as the
target values to be monitored. The system reset is completed during your drive, and
can be interrupted at any time. When driving
resumes, the reset is continued automati-
cally. The indicator lamp goes out after the
system reset is completed.
Via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset TPM"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset TPM".
6.Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After driving a few minutes, the set inflation
pressures in the tires are accepted as the target
values to be monitored. The system reset is
completed during your drive, and can be inter-
rupted at any time. When driving resumes, the
reset is continued automatically. On the Control
Display, the tires are shown in green and
"Status: TPM active" is displayed again.
If a flat tire is detected while the system is
resetting and determining the inflation
pressures, all wheels on the Control Display are
displayed in yellow. The message "Tire low!" is
shown.<
Message for low tire inflation pressure
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. A message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, a signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or substan-
tial loss of tire pressure.
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Controls
81Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1.Reduce your speed and carefully stop the
car. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.If all four wheels are shown in yellow, iden-
tify the damaged wheel on the vehicle.
3.Repair the flat tire with the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to page206.
Have the tire replaced by a BMW center or a
workshop that is informed in the handling of
TPM and that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel.
Malfunction
The small warning lamp flashes in
yellow and then lights up continu-
ously; the larger warning lamp comes
on in yellow. On the Control Display,
the wheels are shown in gray and a message
appears. No punctures can be detected.
This type of message is shown in the following
situations:
>If there is a malfunction
Have the system checked.
>If a wheel without TPM electronics has
been mounted
>If TPM is temporarily malfunctioning due to
other systems or devices using the same
radio frequency.
Message for unsuccessful system
reset
The warning lamp lights up yellow. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. The system is not reset after a
tire has been changed, for example.
Check the tire inflation pressure and reset the
system, refer to page80.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Each tire should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires. As
an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem, TPMS, that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your tires are signif-
icantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the
low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly underinflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency and
tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability. Please note that the
TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if underin-
flation has not reached the level at which the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale illuminates.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously lit. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle startups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Servotronic
The concept
"Servotronic" varies the steering force required
to turn the wheels as a function of the speed at
which you are driving.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
82 At low speeds, steering is assisted strongly, i. e.
less effort is required to turn the vehicle. Steer-
ing assistance lessens with increasing speed.
You can select between two programs
*.
"Normal" program
Select the "Normal" program if you want com-
fort-oriented steering, e. g. in city traffic or when
parking.
"Sport" program
Select the "Sport" program if you want consis-
tently sporty steering.
Selecting a program
You can set and call up your preferred pro-
gram via MDrive, refer to page44.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: sharp braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in the seat backrests
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page37 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags have been designed to not be trig-
gered in every collision situation, e.g. not in
minor accidents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the dashboard and windows on the front
passenger side clear, i.e. do not cover with
adhesive labels or coverings, and do not attach
holders such as for navigation instruments or
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat covers, cushions or other
objects not specifically approved for seats with
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Controls
83Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not
hang items of clothing such as coats or jackets
over the backrests. Do not attempt to remove
the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do
not modify the individual components of the
system or its wiring in any way. This includes
the upholstered covers on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seats and roof posts, as well
as the sides of the roof lining. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components imme-
diately after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to repair
procedures of BMW with correspondingly
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 personal injury.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impression in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passenger are activated or
deactivated by the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp above the interior
rearview mirror shows the current status
of the front passenger airbags, deactivated or
activated, refer to Status of front passenger air-
bags below.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page46.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indicator lamp for the front
passenger airbags comes on. In such cases, the
passenger should change his or her sitting position so that the front passenger airbags are
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat unless
they are specifically recommended by BMW.
Do not place any items under the seat which
could press against the seat from below. Other-
wise a correct analysis of the seat cushion is not
ensured.<
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger's front and side airbags in accor-
dance with whether and how the front passen-
ger seat is occupied. The indicator lamp shows
whether the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a specially designated child-restraint sys-
tem is detected, as intended, on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system, especially child seats
required by the NHTSA at the time of vehi-
cle production. After mounting a child seat,
ensure that the indicator lamp for the front
passenger airbag is lit. It indicates that the
child seat has been detected and that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated.<
>The indicator lamp does not come on as
long as a person of sufficient size and in a
correct sitting position is detected on the
seat.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
84 The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page49, the
warning lamp comes on briefly to indicate that
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners
are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up at radio
readiness or beyond.
>Warning lamp remains permanently on.
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay, otherwise
there is the risk that the system will not function
as intended even if a sufficiently severe acci-
dent occurs.<
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Controls
85Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off,
daytime running lamps
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lamps, welcome lamps and Adaptive
Head Light
*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary,
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
When the ignition is switched off and the switch
is in position 1, only the outside sections of the
rear lamps are illuminated, refer to page205.
The parking lamps will discharge the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps,
refer to page87.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel,
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The Adap-
tive Head Light
* is active. The LED next to the
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are
on. You can also activate the daytime running
lamps, refer to page86. In the situations
described above, the lamps then automatically
switch from daytime running lamps to low
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the system
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
low-beam headlamps manually under these
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3
when you park the car, the parking lamps and
the interior lamps light up briefly when you
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome
lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
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Lamps
86 3."Welcome light"
Welcome lamps are activated and are
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Pathway lighting
If you activate the headlamp flasher after park-
ing the car, with the lamps switched off, the low
beams and the rear lamps come on and remain
on for a certain time.
Setting or deactivating the duration
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Pathway lighting:"
4.Set or deactivate the duration.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lamps
The daytime running lamps light up in switch
position0, 1 and 3. They are less powerful than
the low beams.
Activating/deactivating daytime
running lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Daytime running lamps"
Daytime running lamps are activated and
are stored for the remote control currently in
use.
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves at speeds up to 40 mph/70 km/h,
e.g. on mountainous roads or when turning, an
additional, corner-illuminating lamp is switched
on that lights up the inside area of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch to position 3, refer to page85.
The corner-illuminating lamp is switched on
automatically, depending on the steering wheel
angle or turn signal indicator.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light directs light towards the front pas-
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When you are reversing, only the corner-illumi-
nating lamps are active and switched on on
both sides.
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