2010 BMW M3 COUPE ESP

Driving tips
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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.

Driving tips
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When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately
result in a sudden blowout.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the
respective seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.

Driving tips
121Reference
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Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the applicable data under Weights
on page247.
The roof load must be distributed uniformly and
should not be too large in area. Heavy items
should always be placed at the bottom. Be sure
that adequate clearance is maintained for rais-
ing the glass roof, and that objects do not
project into the opening path of the trunk lid/
tailgate.
Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.

Destination entry
126 To delete letters:
>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.
3.Move the controller to the right.
4.Select the name of the town/city from the
list.
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/Postal 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.
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 designated 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.Select "In" with the state/province currently
displayed.
6.Select the letters.
7.Change to the list of street names.
8.Highlight the street: a preview map is dis-
played.
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.

Destination entry
128
Editing or deleting an address
1."Navigation"
2."Address book"
3.Highlight the entry.
4.Open "Options".
5."Edit in Contacts" or "Delete entry".
Using the home address as a
destination
The home address must be stored as a destina-
tion. Refer to Specifying a contact as the home
address, page186.
1."Navigation"
2."Address book"
3."Home"
4."Start guidance"
Last destinations
The last destinations are stored automatically.
These destinations can be called up and used
as a destination for destination guidance.
Opening the last destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Select the destination.
4."Start guidance"
Editing a destination
Destinations can be edited, for example, to
change the house number of an existing entry.
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Highlight the destination.
4.Open "Options".
5."Edit destination"
Deleting the last destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Last destinations"
3.Highlight the destination.
4.Open "Options".
5."Delete entry" or "Delete all last destina-
tions".
Special destinations
You can search for a special destination, e.g. a
hotel or place of interest, and start destination
guidance to the corresponding location.
The search can be narrowed by entering the
location and type of special destination.
The scope of information provided
depends on the particular set of naviga-
tion data you are using.<

Navigation
Driving tips
133Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
The trip is stored in the trip list under the
entered name.
Starting a stored trip
1."Navigation"
2."Stored trips"
3.Select the desired trip.
4."Start guidance"
Changing trips
Changing the trip direction
Intermediate destinations can be displayed in
reverse order after destination guidance is
started.
1."Map"
2."Guidance"
3.Open "Options".
4."Reverse order of trip dest."
Rearranging the intermediate
destinations
1."Map"
2."Guidance"
3."Display all trip dest."
4.Select an intermediate destination.
5."Reposition dest. in the trip"
Deleting an intermediate destination
1."Map"
2."Guidance"
3."Display all trip dest."
4.Select an intermediate destination.
5."Delete dest. in the trip"
Deleting a trip
1."Navigation"
2."Stored trips"
3.Select the desired trip.
4.Open "Options".
5."Delete all trips" or "Delete trip".
Word-matching principle
The system's word-matching principle makes it
easier for you to enter the names of towns or
streets. The system runs ongoing checks, com-
paring your destination entries with the data
stored in the vehicle as the basis for instant
response. The benefits for you include:
>Names of towns entered may differ from the
official versions if you are using a spelling
that is customary in another country.
Example:
Instead of the German spelling "München"
you can also enter the English spelling
"Munich" or the Italian spelling "Monaco".
>When you are entering the names of towns
and streets the system will complete them
automatically as soon as enough letters are
available to ensure unambiguous identifica-
tion.
>The system offers only those letters for
selection of name entries that are stored in
the vehicle. Thus, entry of erroneous or
unregistered names is impossible.

Destination guidance
134
Destination guidance
Starting destination
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select the destination.
4."Accept destination"
5."Start guidance"
The route is displayed on the Control Display
after it is calculated.
Terminating destination
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the symbol.
4."Stop guidance"
Continuing destination
guidance
If the destination was not reached during the
last trip, destination guidance can be resumed.
"Resume 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 while destination
guidance is active
5.Select additional route criteria, if desired.
Where possible, the selected criteria will be
avoided on the route.
>Avoid highways where possible:
"Avoid highways"
>Avoid toll roads where possible:
"Avoid toll roads"
>Avoid ferries where possible:
"Avoid ferries"
The setting applies to the current route and to
the planning of future routes.