2009 BMW M3 SEDAN maintenance

M3Owner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW M3.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you
before starting off in your new vehicle. It contains important data
and instructions intended to assist you in gaining maximum use
and satisfaction from your BMW M3's unique range of technical
features. The manual also contains information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW M3 throughout an extended ser-
vice life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG
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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
page228.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
37Adjustments
46Transporting children safely
49Driving
62Everything under control
75Technology for driving comfort and
safety
85Lamps
89Climate
94Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
106Things to remember when driving
111BMW M3 engineering
Navigation
116Navigation system
117Destination entry
127Destination guidance
133What to do if …
Entertainment
136On/off and tone
139Radio
142Satellite radio
144CD player and CD changer
151Music collection
155AUX-IN port
156USB-audio interface/mobile phone audio
interface
Communications
162Telephone
173Contacts
175BMW Assist
Mobility
184Refueling
186Wheels and tires
192Under the hood
197Maintenance
199Care
203Replacing components
210Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
218Technical data
221Short commands for the voice activation
system
228Everything from A - Z
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5Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The individual vehicle
When you ordered your BMW, you chose vari-
ous items of equipment. This Owner's Manual
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment available with a specific BMW model.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, ongoing
development that is conceived to ensure that
our vehicles continue to embody the highest
quality and safety standards combined with
advanced, state-of-the-art technology. For this
reason, it is possible in exceptional cases that
features described in this Owner's Manual
could differ from those on your vehicle.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance
and repair methods. You should therefore have
the corresponding work on your vehicle per-
formed only by your BMW center or at a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair pro-
cedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. If this work is not carried out prop-
erly, there is a danger of subsequent damage
and related safety hazards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Original BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed on your
vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may cause extensive damage
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Notes
6 to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your
BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
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Everything under control
66 1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"
3.Select the desired menu item.
4.Select the desired unit.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date of
the next scheduled service are displayed briefly
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The extent of service work required can
be read out from the remote control by
your BMW Service Advisor.<
For certain maintenance operations, you can
view the respective distance remaining or due
date individually in the instrument cluster.1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page49.
2.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol appears in the display, accompa-
nied by the words "SERVICE-INFO".
3.Press button 2.
4.Use button 1 to scroll through the individual
service items.
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Controls
67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Possible displays
1Button for selecting functions
2Service requirements
3Engine oil
4Roadworthiness test
*
5Front brake pads6Rear brake pads
7Brake fluid
The sequence of displayed service items may
vary. The data for the next service appointment
is shown first.
More information
Detailed information on service
requirements
You can call up detailed information about the
maintenance regimen on the Control Display.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"3."Service required"
Required maintenance procedures and legally
mandated inspections are displayed.
You can request more detailed information on
every entry:
Select the entry and press the controller.
To exit from the menu:
Move the controller to the left.
Symbols
No service is currently required.
The deadline for service or a legally man-
dated inspection is approaching. Please
schedule a service appointment.
The service deadline has already passed.
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Everything under control
68
Entering deadlines for legally required
inspections*
Make sure the date on the Control Display is set
correctly, refer to page69, otherwise the effec-
tiveness of CBS Condition Based Service is not
ensured.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Service required"
4."§ Vehicle inspection"
5.Open the menu for entering the deadline.
6."Date:"
7.Create the settings.
8.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The year is highlighted.
9.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
10.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The date entry is stored.
To exit from the menu:
Move the controller to the left.
More information on the BMW Maintenance
System can be found on page197.
Automatic Service Request*
Data regarding the maintenance status or
legally mandated inspections of the vehicle are
automatically transmitted to your BMW center
prior to a service due date.
You can check when your BMW center was
notified.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Options"
4."Last Service Request"
Clock
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, refer also to Personal Profile on
page26.
Setting the time
In the instrument cluster
To set the 12h/24h format, refer to Date below.
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
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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.
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