2010 BMW 3 SERIES length

Technology for driving comfort and safety
84
Activating HDC
Press the button; the LED lights up.
When the vehicle is being braked automatically,
the LED flashes.
Deactivating HDC
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
HDC is automatically deactivated at speeds
greater than approx. 35 mph/60 km/h.
Using HDC
In cars with manual transmission:
Use HDC in lower gears and in reverse gear.
With automatic transmission:
You can use HDC in any drive position.
Displays in the instrument cluster*
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
Malfunction
The HDC display disappears during HDC oper-
ation, or does not appear:
HDC is temporarily unavailable due to exces-
sive brake temperature, or DSC has failed.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in
place for approx. 2 seconds after the
brake is released. Drive off without delay after
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off
assistant will no longer hold the car in place
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor detects pressure loss in a
tire by comparing the rotating speeds of the
individual tires while moving.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed
of the affected wheel. This change is detected
and is reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
The system must be reinitialized each
time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage
caused by external factors, nor can it identify
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:

Practical interior accessories
112 >Folding, removable box
* under the floor
panel, e.g. for wet or dirty items
>Stowage compartment under the floor
panel
>Insertable dividers
* and removable storage
tray for the storage compartment under the
floor panel
Sports Wagon
The following storage spaces can be found in
the cargo area:
>Umbrella holder
* on the bottom of the par-
tition net casing
>Rubber strap on the left
* and right trim
panel for securing small objects such as a
folding umbrella
>Hooks for hanging up shopping bags or tote
bags, for example, on the left and right sides
of the cargo area
>Net for small objects on the right trim panel
of the cargo area
>Stowage compartment under the floor
panel
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, other
storage spaces can be found in the cargo area:
>Net
* for securing smaller objects, to be
attached to the fixtures on the floor panel
>Net
* on the left side trim of the cargo area
instead of the rubber strap
>Reversible floor panel with integrated plas-
tic cover
* for cargo area or bumper
>Folding, removable box
* under the floor
panel, e.g. for wet or dirty items>Insertable dividers
* and removable storage
tray for the storage compartment under the
floor panel
Folding up the floor panel
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
load of 55 lbs/25 kg for the storage com-
partment under the floor panel; otherwise, dam-
age could result.<
Sedan
Press the floor panel against the ceiling of the
cargo area; a locking device holds the floor
panel in place. To detach the floor panel, pull it
out of the locking device.
Sports Wagon
Fold up the floor panel and take it out or lean it
forward.
Lashing eyes
You will find lashing eyelets in the cargo area for
securing luggage items with nets or tensioning
straps, refer to page120.
Ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport
of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up to
2snowboards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length
of up to 6 ft 10 in/2.10 m. When skis of 6 ft 10 in/
2.10 m length are loaded, the overall capacity of
the ski bag is reduced due to its tapered design.

Driving tips
117Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance between you and the vehicle in front of
you. A defensive and smooth driving style
keeps fuel consumption down.
Avoid high engine speeds
Only use first gear when setting off. In second
and higher gears, accelerate without hesitation
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into
the highest applicable gear and drive with the
engine speed as low as possible and at a con-
stant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
O n a d o w n h il l s lo p e , t a k e y o u r f o o t o f f t h e a c c el -
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
Functions such as the air conditioner, seat
heating or rear window defroster draw large
amounts of power and consume additional fuel.
Especially in city traffic and in stop and go driv-
ing they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page223.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid/tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk
lid/tailgate and rear window are closed.
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter the inte-
rior of the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid/
tailgate open:
1.Close all windows and the glass roof.
2.Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page98.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, with the
risk of serious personal injuries and property
damage. Do not touch hot exhaust tail pipes.
Otherwise, there is a risk of burns.<
Diesel particulate filter*
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti-
cles and burns them periodically at high tem-
peratures. This cleaning process takes several
minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that
the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and
that a somewhat higher engine speed is neces-
sary to achieve the accustomed performance.
Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount
of smoke may emerge from the exhaust, even

Things to remember when driving
118 for a short period after the engine is switched
off.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning,
means that the tire can completely lose contact
with the road surface, so that neither the car can
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page215.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a
lengthy period using the clutch; use the
parking brake instead. Otherwise, greater
clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page84.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most
effective way of braking in situations in which
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page57.
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in neutral or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, engine
braking action will not be present or there will be
no power assistance to the brakes or steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.

Navigation
Driving tips
131Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
> Select a symbol and "Start guid-
ance", if necessary.
>"Exit interactive map"
>Map view
>"Display destination"
The map section around the destination
is displayed.
>"Display current location"
The map section around your current
location is displayed.
>"Find points of interest", refer to
page128.
Entering a destination by
voice commands*
General information
You can enter a desired destination via the
voice activation system. During the destination
input, you can switch between voice entry and
entry via iDrive at any time. To do so, reactivate
the voice activation system if necessary.
You can have the possible commands
read aloud via {Voice commands}.<
Saying the entries
>Countries, towns and cities, streets and
intersections can be said as whole words or
spelled in the system language, refer to
page79.
Example: to enter a destination in a US state
as a complete word, the system language
must be English.
>The town/city, street and house number
can be said as a single sentence.
*
>Spell the entry if the language region and
the system language differ.
>Say the letters smoothly, and avoid exag-
gerating the pronunciation and inserting
lengthy pauses between the letters.
Entering an address*
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
3.Wait for a request from the system.
4.Say the town or city, street and house num-
ber in a single sentence.
5.Continue making the entry as prompted by
the system.
6.If necessary, individually name the separate
components of the address, e.g. the town/
city.
Entering a town/city
The town/city can be spelled or entered as a
complete word
*.
The methods of entry depend on the nav-
igation data in use and the country and
language settings.<
2.Wait for the system to prompt you for the
town/city.
3.Say the name of the town/city, or name at
least the first three letters.
Depending on the entry, up to 20 towns/cit-
ies may be suggested.
Identical-sounding towns/cities that can-
not be distinguished by the system are
compiled in a separate list and shown as a town/
city followed by three dots.
2.{Enter address}
1.{City} or {Spell city}
4.Select a location:
>To select a recommended town/city:
{Yes}
>To select other town/city: {New
entry}
>To select an entry: e. g. {Entry 2}
>To spell an entry: {Spell city}

Navigation
Driving tips
135Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Dynamic destination guidance
"Dynamic guidance" is switched on:
The route is automatically changed in the event
of traffic obstructions. The system does not
point out traffic obstructions along the original
route.
Depending on the type of road and the nature
and length of the traffic obstruction, the route
can also be calculated so that you travel
through the traffic obstruction.
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Dynamic guidance"
If the "Avoid highways", "Avoid toll roads"
or "Avoid ferries" route criteria are
selected, route calculation may take consider-
ably longer.<
Route
General information
Depending on the equipment in your vehicle,
various views of the route are available during
destination guidance.
>List of streets and towns/cities
>Map view, refer to page136
Displaying a list of the streets or towns/
cities on the route
When destination guidance is started, a list of
the streets and towns/cities on the route is dis-
played. The driving distances and traffic bulle-
tins are displayed for each route section.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3.Highlight a section.
The section is displayed in the preview map.
Bypassing a section of the route
During destination guidance, you can revise the
navigation system's route recommendations to
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the number of miles/kilometers that you want to
travel before returning to the original route.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."New route for:"
4.Turn the controller: enter the desired num-
ber of miles.
5.Press the controller.
Resuming the original route
If the route section should no longer be
bypassed:
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."Remove blocking"
Gas station recommendations
The remaining range is calculated and gas sta-
tions along the route are recommended.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."Recommended refuel"
A list of gas stations is displayed.
4.Select a gas station.
5.Select the symbol.
6."Start guidance" or "Add as another dest.".
Destination guidance
through voice instructions
Switching voice instructions on/off
Voice instructions can be switched on or off
during destination guidance.

Navigation
Driving tips
139Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Traffic bulletins in the map
When the traffic bulletin map is activated, the
Control Display changes to a grayscale display.
This enables a better view of the traffic bulle-
tins. The day/night mode is disregarded in this
setting. The symbols for the special destina-
tions are no longer displayed.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Settings"
5."Traffic Info map"
Symbols in the map view
Depending on the scale of the map and the
location of the traffic obstruction along the
route, the symbols for the traffic obstructions
are displayed.
Additional information in the map view
Depending on the map scale, a traffic obstruc-
tion's length, direction and impact are displayed
on the map using triangles or gray bars along
the calculated route.
Filtering of traffic bulletins
You can filter which traffic bulletins are to be
displayed by the system:
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Traffic Info categories"
5.Select the desired categories.
Traffic bulletins of the selected categories are
displayed.>Traffic bulletins on incidents along the route
are always displayed.
>For your own safety, traffic bulletins that
notify you of potentially dangerous situa-
tions, such as wrong-way drivers, cannot be
hidden.
Traffic bulletins during destination
guidance
System response will vary depending on
whether or not "Dynamic guidance" is selected,
refer to page135.
During destination guidance, traffic obstruc-
tions on the route are taken into consideration.
Information on sources of great danger, such as
wrong-way drivers, is displayed regardless of
the setting.
Displaying traffic obstructions
When the navigation system receives a traffic
obstruction message and "Dynamic guidance"
is not selected, you will be shown certain infor-
mation, such as the length of the traffic conges-
tion, when you are approx. 30 miles/50 km away
from the traffic obstruction.
The last possible detour exit is indicated just
before you reach it.
This information is displayed even if you have
called up another application on the Control
Display.
Selecting a detour
Select the symbol: "Detour".
"Dynamic guidance" is activated for the current
destination guidance.
Dynamic route planning
When "Dynamic guidance" is selected, the
route will be changed automatically in the event
of a traffic obstruction. The system will not point
out traffic obstructions on the original route.
Depending on the road type and the kind and
extent of the traffic obstruction, the newly cal-
culated route may lead through the traffic
obstruction.

Reference 261
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Instructions for navigation
system, refer to Voice
instructions135
Instrument cluster12
Instrument lighting95
Instrument panel, refer to
Cockpit10
Integrated key26
Integrated universal remote
control102
Interactive map130
Interior lamps96
– remote control28
Interior motion sensor33
Interior rearview mirror48
– automatic dimming
feature48
– compass104
Interlock, refer to Disengaging
the remote control56
Intermittent mode of the
wipers59
Intersection, entering,
navigation126
iPod, connecting, refer to
AUX-IN port167
iPod, connecting, refer to USB
audio interface167
J
Jacking points235
Joystick, refer to iDrive16
Jumpering, refer to Jump-
starting238
Jump-starting238
K
Key, refer to Integrated key/
remote control26
Keyless go, refer to Comfort
Access34
Keyless opening and closing,
refer to Comfort Access34
Key Memory, refer to Personal
Profile26Kickdown57
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic57
Knock control197
L
Lamps
– automatic headlamp
control92
– parking lamps/low beams92
Lamps and bulbs, replacing
bulbs229
Lap-and-shoulder belt, refer
to Safety belts46
Lashing eyes, refer to
Securing cargo120
Last destinations128
LATCH child restraint fixing
system51
Leather care227
LED Light-emitting
diodes230
Length, refer to
Dimensions245
License plate lamp, replacing
bulb235
Light
– high-beam assistant94
Light-alloy wheels226
Light-emitting diodes
LED230
Lighter108
– connecting electrical
appliances108
Lighting
– instruments95
– lamps and bulbs229
– vehicle, refer to Lamps92
Light switch92
Limit, refer to Speed limit79
Load119
Load securing equipment,
refer to Securing cargo120
Lock buttons, doors, refer to
Locking30Locking
– adjusting confirmation
signal28
– from inside30
– from outside28
– without remote control, refer
to Comfort Access34
Locking and unlocking doors
– confirmation signals28
– from inside30
– from outside27
Low beam control, refer to
High-beam assistant94
Low-beam headlamps92
– automatic92
– replacing bulbs231
Lower back support, refer to
Lumbar support43
Luggage rack, refer to Roof-
mounted luggage rack120
Lumbar support43
M
M+S tires, refer to Winter
tires217
Maintenance, refer to Service
Booklet
Maintenance system223
Malfunction
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– tires85
– trunk lid31
Malfunction warnings, refer to
Check Control77
Manual car wash226
Manual mode, automatic
transmission with
Steptronic57
Manual operation
– door lock29
– driver's door29
– fuel filler flap196
– glass roof37
– panorama glass roof39
– transmission lock, automatic
transmission58
– trunk lid31