
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.
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 83 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Climate
90
Automatic climate control
Comfortable interior climate
AUTO program7 offers the ideal air distribution
and air flow rate for almost all conditions, refer
to AUTO program below. All you need to do is
select an interior temperature which is comfort-
able for you.
The following sections inform you in detail
about how to adjust the settings.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, refer also to Personal Profile
settings on page26.
Adjusting air distribution manually
The air distribution can be
switched on and off manually. The
air is directed to the windshield, to
the upper body area and to the
footwell. Automatic air distribution adjustment
is deactivated.
The current setting is briefly displayed on the
Control Display when a button is pressed.
You can switch the automatic air distribution
back on by pressing the AUTO button. This
automatically switches on the cooling function
as well.
Temperature
Set the desired temperatures indi-
vidually for the driver's and front
passenger's sides.
The automatic climate control
achieves this temperature as quickly as possi-
ble regardless of the season, using maximum
cooling or heating power if necessary, and then
maintains it.
When you switch between different tem-
perature settings in quick succession, the
automatic climate control does not have
enough time to achieve the set temperature.<
You can achieve maximum heating power with
the highest setting, regardless of the outside
temperature.
The lowest setting effects continuous cooling.
Maximum cooling
At outside temperatures above
327/06 and when the engine is
running, you obtain a maximum
cooling effect as soon as possible.
The automatic climate control goes into recir-
culated-air mode at the lowest temperature. Air
flows at maximum rate from the vents for the
upper body area. You should therefore open
them for maximum cooling.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for you. The air
flow rate and your temperature specifications
will be adapted to outside influences as a result
of seasonal changes, e.g. sunlight or window
condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
Intensity of the AUTO program
Press the AUTO button repeatedly to set the
intensity of the AUTO program. The current
setting is displayed on the Control Display
when the button is pressed.
Select the intensity of the AUTO program:
>Low
>Medium
>High
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 90 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Climate
92 The cooling function helps prevent condensa-
tion on the windows or removes it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically
switches on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
The defroster is switched off auto-
matically after a certain time.
Depending on your vehicle's
equipment, the upper wires serve as an antenna
and are not part of the rear window defroster.
Ventilation
1Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from
the vents for the upper body area
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance if it has become
too hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and not straight at you.
Ventilation in the rear
1Use the knurled wheel to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2Use the knurled wheel to adjust the temper-
ature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter traps dust and pollen in the
incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter pro-
vides additional protection by filtering gaseous
pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW cen-
ter replaces this combined filter during routine
maintenance.
Parked car ventilation
The concept
The parked car ventilation provides ventilation
to the passenger compartment and lowers its
temperature, if necessary.
It is ready for use at any outside temperature
during parked car operation.
The parked car ventilation remains switched on
for approx. 30 minutes. Two different switch-on
times can be preselected. The system can also
be switched on and off directly.
Due to its high power consumption, it should
not be switched on twice in a row without driv-
ing in between to allow the battery to recharge.
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 92 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Destination entry
118 Delete letters, if necessary:
>To delete individual letters:
Turn the controller to select , and
then press the controller.
>To delete all letters:
Turn the controller to select , and
then press the controller for an extended
period.
>To enter spaces:
Select the symbol.
The list gradually grows smaller each time
you enter a new letter.
2.Move the controller to the right.
3.Select the name of the town/city from the
list. The three destinations stored last are
displayed.
If there are several towns/cities with the same
name:
1.Change to the list of town/city names.
2.Highlight the town/city: a preview map is
displayed.
3.Select the town/city.
Entering the postal code
1.Select "Town/City/Zip Code" or the dis-
played town/city.
2.Select the symbol.
3.Select the digits.
4.Change to the list of postal codes and
towns/cities.
5.Highlight the postal code. A preview map is
displayed in the assistance window.
6.Select the postal code.
Entering street and intersection
1.Select "Street" or the displayed street.
2.Enter a street and intersection as you would
the town/city.
After the street you can also enter the intersec-
tion or the house number.
If there are several streets with the same name:1.Change to the list of street names.
2.Highlight the street: a preview map is dis-
played.
3.Select the street.
Entering a street without a destination
town/city
You can also enter a street without specifying a
town/city. In this case, all streets of the same
name in the specified state/province are
offered. The corresponding town/city is dis-
played after the street name.
If a town/city has already been entered, you can
negate this entry. This could be helpful in
instances where the desired street does not
exist in the entered town/city because it
belongs to another suburb, for example.
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select "Street" or the displayed street.
4.Change to the list of street names.
5."Find streets in" the state/province cur-
rently displayed.
6.Select the letters.
7.Change to the list of street names.
8.Highlight the street. A preview map is dis-
played in the assistance window.
9.Select the street.
Entering a house number
You can enter any house number stored in the
navigation data for the street.
1."House number"
2.Select the digits.
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 118 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Navigation
Driving tips
121Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
1."Search destination"
2.Select the location where the system is to
search for the special destination:
>"At current location"
>"At destination"
>"At a different destination"
>"Along route"
Special destination category
1."Category"
2.Select "All" or a specific category, e.g.
hotels or restaurants.
3."Route Points of Interest"*
Category details
Additional details can be displayed for some
special destinations, e.g. Italian restaurants.
1."Points of Interest"
2."Category details"
Starting the search for special
destinations
1."Start search" after the criteria have been
defined.
2.A list of the special destinations is dis-
played.
>Special destinations "At current loca-
tion" are listed according to their dis-
tance from the current location and are
displayed with a directional arrow point-
ing to the destination.
>Destinations of the selected category
are displayed in the map display as sym-
bols. The display depends on the map
scale and the category.
>Special destinations "At destination",
"At a different destination", "Along
route" are listed according to their dis-
tance from the location where the search
is being performed.
3.Highlight the special destination. The desti-
nation is displayed in the preview map.
4.Select the special destination.
5.Select the symbol. Destination guid-
ance to the special destination is started.
If a phone number is available, a connection
can be established, if desired.
Entering special destinations by name
1."Name, A-Z search"
2.Enter the letters.
Depending on the distance, the search may
take some time. The list can contain a max-
imum of 100 entries.
3.Change to the list of special destinations.
4.Highlight the special destination. The desti-
nation is displayed in the preview map.
5.Select the special destination.
6.Select the symbol to start destination
guidance.
Displaying special destinations in the
map
To display symbols of the special destinations
in the map:
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 121 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Destination entry
122 1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Display Points of Interest"
5.Select the settings.
Entering the destination via
the map
If you only know the location of the town or
street, you can enter the destination using the
map.
Opening the map
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
A map section is displayed on the Control Dis-
play. The map shows the current position of the
vehicle.
Selecting the destination
1.Select the symbol. The interactive map
is started.
2.Select the destination with the cross-hairs.
>Turn the controller: change the scale.
>Move the controller in one direction:
move the map.
>First move the controller and turn it at
the same time: move the map diagonally
to select a destination in one of the four
regions.
3.Press the controller to display additional
menu items:
>Select the symbol: start destination
guidance.
Specifying the street
If the system cannot recognize a street or town/
city, it displays a street name in the vicinity or
the coordinates of the destination.
Interactive map
In the interactive map, the scale can be adjusted
and the visible map section can be shifted. In
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 122 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

Navigation
Driving tips
127Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Destination guidance
Starting destination
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select the destination.
4."Start guidance"
After the route is calculated, the route is dis-
played in the map on the Control Display.
Terminating destination
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the symbol
Continuing destination
guidance
If the destination was not reached at the end of
the last trip, the system asks whether it should
continue destination guidance.
Select "Resume guidance" or "Stop guidance".
Route criteria
General information
You can influence the calculated route by
choosing certain route criteria. You can change
the route criteria as often as you like during des-
tination entry or during destination guidance.
The route is planned according to fixed rules.
The type of road is taken into account, e.g.
whether it is a highway or a winding road. As a
result, the routes recommended by the naviga-
tion system may not always be the same ones
that you would choose based on personal expe-
rience.The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Changing route criteria
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3."Route preference"
4.Selecting a criterion:
>"Fast route": time-optimized route,
which is a combination of the shortest
possible route and the fastest roads
>"Efficient route": optimized combination
of the fastest and shortest roads
>"Short route": short distance, irrespec-
tive of how fast or slow progress will be
>"Alternative routes": other suggested
alternative routes
5.Select additional route criteria, if desired.
Where possible, the selected criteria will be
avoided on the route.
>"Avoid highways"
>"Avoid toll roads"
>"Avoid ferries"
>"Avoid area": define an area that the
route is to avoid
The setting applies to the current route and to
the planning of future routes.
Dynamic destination guidance
"Dynamic guidance" is switched on:
The route is automatically changed in the event
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 127 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11

CD player and CD changer
144
CD player and CD changer
CD/DVD playback
Inserting a CD/DVD
Insert the CD/DVD into the drive with the
printed side up. The CD/DVD is drawn in auto-
matically.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. When playing CDs/DVDs with com-
pressed audio files, it can take the player
approx. 1 minute to read in the data, depending
on the directory structure.
Playable formats
CD/DVD player
>DVD: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-
RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD
audio (video part only), DVD video
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA,
VCD, SVCD
>Compressed audio files: MP3, WMA, AAC
CD changer
*
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA
Start playback
Via iDrive
Fill and insert the CD magazine, refer to
page149.
To start playback if a CD is already located in
the player or changer:
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD:
Ejecting a CD
Press the button next to the CD player.
The CD emerges slightly from the drive.
Audio playback
Selecting a track
Press the button for the appropriate
direction as often as necessary until the desired
track is reached.
*
SymbolFunction
CD / DVD player
CD changer
ba8_E90M3_cic.book Seite 144 Dienstag, 19. August 2008 11:51 11