2010 BMW M3 ESP

Maintenance
142
Socket for Onboard
Diagnosis OBD
On the driver's side is an OBD socket for check-
ing components relevant to the composition of
the vehicle's emissions.
Emissions
The warning lamp lights up:
The vehicle is producing higher emis-
sions. The trip can be continued. Have
the car checked as soon as possible.
Canadian models display this warning
lamp.
The lamp flashes under certain conditions. This
indicates excessive misfiring in the engine. If
this happens, you should reduce your speed
and visit your nearest BMW center as soon as
possible. Severe engine misfiring can quickly
lead to serious damage of emissions-related
components, especially the catalytic converter.
The warning lamp comes on if the gas
cap is not properly tightened and the
OBD system assumes that fuel vapor
is escaping. Make sure that the gas cap is cor-
rectly positioned and close it until it audibly
clicks.
Data recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or sev-
eral measuring or diagnostic modules or a
device for recording or sending certain vehicle
data or information. In addition, if you have
signed a service contract for BMW Assist, cer-
tain vehicle data may be transmitted or
recorded in order to facilitate the corresponding
services.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
143
Care
Care products
Regular cleaning and care contributes signifi-
cantly to the value retention of your BMW.
BMW recommends cleaning and caring for your
vehicle with products that are approved by
BMW for this purpose.
Your BMW center will be happy to advise you on
the products and services available for cleaning
and caring for your BMW.
Original BMW Care Products have been
material tested, laboratory checked and
proven in the field, and offer optimal care and
protection for your vehicle.<
Do not use cleaners that contain alcohol
or solvents as these may result in dam-
age.<
Cleaning agents can contain substances
that are dangerous or hazardous to your
health. Therefore, follow the warning and safety
instructions on the packaging. When cleaning
inside the vehicle, always open the doors or
windows of the vehicle. In enclosed areas, pro-
vide for sufficient ventilation. Only use products
designed for cleaning vehicles.<
Exterior care
Washing the vehicle
Especially during the winter months,
ensure that the vehicle is washed more
frequently. Heavy soiling and road salt can lead
to vehicle damage.<
After washing the vehicle, apply the
brakes briefly to dry them; otherwise,
water can reduce braking efficiency over the
short term and the brake discs can corrode.<
Automatic car washes
Preference should be given to cloth car washes.
Before driving into a car wash, ensure that it is
suitable for your BMW. Check the following:>Dimensions of your vehicle, refer to
page175.
>If necessary: fold in the exterior mirrors,
refer to page39.
>Maximum permissible tire width.
Avoid car washes with guide rail heights
over 4 in/10 cm; otherwise, there is the
danger of damaging chassis parts.<
Preparations before driving into an automatic
car wash:
>Unscrew the rod antenna
*.
>Deactivate the rain sensor
* to prevent unin-
tentional wiping.
>Sports Wagon: deactivate the rear window
wiper and protect it against damage. If nec-
essary, ask the operator of the car wash
about protective measures you should take.
>Remove additional add-on parts, e.g. spoil-
ers or phone antennas, if they could be
damaged.
Automatic transmission
Before driving into an automatic car wash, per-
form the following steps to ensure that the vehi-
cle can roll:
1.Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock, even with Comfort Access.
2.Move the selector lever to position N.
3.Release the parking brake.
4.Switch off the engine.
5.Leave the remote control in the ignition lock
so that the vehicle can roll.
Steam jets/high-pressure washers
When using steam jets or high-pressure
washers, ensure that you maintain suffi-
cient clearance to the vehicle and do not exceed
a temperature of 1407/606.
Insufficient clearance or excessive pressure or
temperature can lead to component damage or

Care
144 water penetration. Follow the operating instruc-
tions of the high-pressure washer.<
When using high-pressure washers, do
not spray against the sensors and cam-
eras, e.g. of the Park Distance Control or Rear
View Camera, for an extended period and main-
tain a distance of at least 1 ft/30 cm.<
Manual car wash
When washing the vehicle by hand, use large
quantities of water and car shampoo if neces-
sary. Clean the vehicle with a sponge or wash-
ing brush, applying light pressure only.
Before cleaning the windshield, deacti-
vate the rain sensor or switch off the igni-
tion to prevent unintentional activation of the
wipers.<
Observe local regulations pertaining to
washing vehicles by hand.<
Headlamps
Do not rub them dry and do not use abrasive or
corrosive cleaning agents.
Loosen dirt, e.g. insects, with shampoo or
insect remover and wash away with copious
quantities of water.
Thaw ice with a windshield deicer and do not
use an ice scraper.
Windows
Clean the inside and outside surfaces of the
windows and the mirrors with window cleaner.
Do not clean the mirrors with cleaners
containing quartz.<
Paintwork care
Regular care contributes to value retention and
protects the paintwork against the long-term
effects of damaging substances.
Region-specific environmental influences can
damage the vehicle paintwork. Therefore, it is
important to adapt the frequency and scope of
car care accordingly.
Immediately remove aggressive materials such
as spilled fuel, oil, grease, brake fluid, tree sap or bird droppings to prevent damage to the paint-
work.
Repairing paintwork damage
Immediately repair scratches or similar
damage, such as that caused by stones
hitting the vehicle, where necessary to prevent
rusting.<
BMW recommends having paintwork damage
repaired by a professional paint repair work-
shop according to BMW specifications using
original BMW paint materials.
Preservation
A preservation treatment is necessary when
water no longer beads off the clean paintwork
surface. Only use products for paintwork pres-
ervation that contain carnauba or synthetic
waxes.
Rubber seals
Treat only with water or rubber care products.
Do not use silicon-containing care prod-
ucts on rubber seals; otherwise, noise
and damage could occur.<
Chrome parts
Carefully clean vehicle parts such as the radia-
tor grill, door handles or window frames with
copious quantities of water and a shampoo
additive, especially when roads are treated with
deicing salt. For additional treatment, use a
chrome polish.
Light-alloy wheels
For technical reasons, dust is generated during
braking that is deposited on the light-alloy
wheels. Remove the dust regularly using acid-
free rim cleaner.
Do not use aggressive, acidic, strongly
alkaline and abrasive cleaning agents or
steam jets over 1407/606; otherwise, dam-
age may occur.<

Replacing components
148 For care of the headlamps, please follow the
instructions in the chapter entitled 'Care'.
If the routine for changing a particular
bulb is not described here, please contact
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.<
Light-emitting diodes LED
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
cent lenses serve as the light source for many of
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers or expose the
eyes directly to the unfiltered light source
for several hours; otherwise, this could cause
irritation of the retina.<
Xenon lamps
These bulbs have a very long service life and are
highly unlikely to fail. If a xenon lamp fails never-
theless, switch on the fog lamps and continue
the journey with great care, provided that local
legislation does not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp system,
including bulb replacements, performed
o n ly b y a BM W c e n t e r o r a w o r k s h o p t h a t w o r k s
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, if
such work is carried out improperly, the high
voltage in the system presents the danger of
fatal injuries.<
Replacing parking lamps, roadside
parking lamps, and daytime running
lights
H8 bulb, 35 watts1.Switch off the lamps and take the remote
control out of the ignition lock.
2.Turn the cover to the left, see arrow, and
remove it.
3.Turn the bulb approx. 90°, see arrow, and
take it out.
4.Disconnect the plug, change the bulb and
reconnect the plug.
5.Insert the bulb and turn it until it stops.
6.Reattach the cover.
Replacing the corner-illuminating
lamp*
H3 bulb, 55 watts
1.Switch off the lamps and take the remote
control out of the ignition lock.
2.Remove the upper cover from the head-
lamp. To do so, pull the rubber seal up and
off and unscrew the cover using the screw-

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
149
driver from the onboard vehicle tool kit, see
arrow.
3.Release the wire bracket from the anchor,
see arrow, and fold it up.
4.Disconnect the plug, change the bulb and
reconnect the plug.
5.Insert the bulb.
6.Fold the wire bracket down and engage it.
7.Reattach the cover.
Be careful when installing the cover; oth-
erwise, leaks could occur and cause dam-
age to the headlamp system.<
Halogen lamps
H7 bulb, 55 watts
Always wear gloves and eye protection;
the atmosphere within the H7 bulb is
pressurized. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury if
the bulb is damaged.<
There are separate headlamp covers for low-
beam headlamps and high-beam headlamps.
Be careful when installing the covers; oth-
erwise, leaks could occur and cause dam-
age to the headlamp system.<
For checking and adjusting headlamp
aim, please contact your BMW center.<
Access to the lamps
The high-beam headlamp can be accessed
from the engine compartment, whereas the
low-beam headlamp is accessed through a flap
in the wheel well.
1Cover for high-beam headlamp
2Cover for low-beam headlamp
3Turn signal bulb socket
To remove the covers:
1.Fold the respective wire bracket to the side,
see arrows.
2.Flip open the cover and take it out of the
guide.
Follow the same steps in reverse order to reat-
tach the covers.
Access through the wheel well
Only for low-beam headlamps and turn signals:
1.Turn the wheel inwards.
2.Open the flap in the wheel well. To do so,
turn the fastener counterclockwise using a
coin, for example.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
151
3Turn signal, LED
4Backup lamp
5Tail lamp, LED
6Brake lamp
If one of the bulbs2, 3 or 5 malfunctions, please
contact your BMW center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Sports Wagon
>Brake lamp in the tailgate:
H21W bulb, 21 watts
>Backup lamp:
W16W bulb, 16 watts
>Other lamps:
P21W bulb, 21 watts
The tail lamps are divided in two parts. One part
is in the tailgate, the other is in the fender.
1Brake lamp
2Roadside parking lamp/tail lamp, LED
3Turn signal, LED
4Backup lamp
5Tail lamp, LED
6Brake lamp
If one of the bulbs2, 3 or 5 malfunctions, please
contact your BMW center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Fender-mounted lamps
Sedan
1.Using a screwdriver, pry off the cover in the
cargo area or release the turn-lock fastener by turning it counterclockwise and remove
the cover.
2.Loosen the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and pull out.
3.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
4.Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
5.Reattach the cover in the cargo area.
Sports Wagon
1.Left-hand lamps:
Open the flap on the left-hand side of the
cargo area.
Right-hand lamps:
Open the cargo area floor panel. Turn the
screws on the cover, arrows 1, 90° and take
out the cover, arrow 2.

Replacing components
152 2.Loosen the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and pull out.
3.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
4.Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
5.Reattach the cover in the cargo area.
Lamps in the trunk lid/tailgate
Sedan
1.Take the warning triangle out of its holder,
refer to page156. Unscrew the holder using
the screwdriver from the onboard vehicle
tool kit.
2.Pry out the plastic plugs in the trim of the
trunk lid using a screwdriver and remove the
trim.
3.Release the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and remove.
4.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
5.Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.6.Reattach the trim of the trunk lid and the
holder for the warning triangle.
Sports Wagon
1.Use a screwdriver to press out the cover at
the clips, see arrows, and fold it downward.
2.Fold away the foam insulating material.
3.Release the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and remove.
4.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
5.Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
6.Reattach the trim of the tailgate.
License plate lamp, center brake lamp,
parking/tail lamp and turn signal*
These lamps use LED technology for operation.
In the event of a malfunction, please contact
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
155
Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency Request*
Conditions for an Emergency Request:
>Full preparation package mobile phone: this
equipment makes it possible to send an
Emergency Request even if no mobile
phone is paired with the vehicle.
>BMW Assist is activated. Activating
BMW Assist, refer to separate Owner's
Manual.
>Radio readiness is on.
>The BMW Assist system is logged on to a
mobile phone network.
>The Emergency Request system is opera-
ble.
Once your service contract for BMW Assist
expires, the BMW Assist system can be deacti-
vated by a BMW center without you having to
visit a workshop. Once the BMW Assist system
has been deactivated, Emergency Requests
are not possible. The BMW Assist system can
be reactivated by a BMW center after a new
contract has been signed.
Sending an Emergency Request
1.Briefly press the cover flap to open.
2.Press the SOS button until the LED in the
button lights up.
As soon as the voice connection to the BMW
Assist Response Center has been established,
the LED flashes.
Once the BMW Assist Response Center has
received your Emergency Request, the BMW Assist Response Center contacts you
and takes further steps to help you. Even if you
are unable to respond, the BMW Assist
Response Center will be able to initiate further
steps to assist you under certain conditions.
If the circumstances allow this, remain in the
vehicle until the connection has been estab-
lished. You will then be able to provide a
detailed description of the situation.
Data for determining the necessary rescue
measures are transmitted to the BMW Assist
Response Center, e.g. the current position of
your vehicle, if it can be determined.
If the LED is flashing but the BMW Assist
Response Center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. You may
still be heard by the BMW Assist Response
Center, however.
Under certain conditions, an Emergency
Request is sent automatically immediately after
a severe accident. This Automatic Collision
Notification is not affected by the button being
pressed.
For technical reasons, the Emergency
Request service cannot be guaranteed
for the most unfavorable conditions.<
Roadside Assistance
The BMW Roadside Assistance is there to
assist you around the clock in the event of a
breakdown, including on weekends and public
holidays.
The phone numbers of Roadside Assistance in
your home country can be found in the Contact
brochure.
First aid pouch*
Some of the articles contained in the first aid
pouch have a limited service life. Therefore,