2011 BMW 3 SERIES Owners Manual

Washer/wiper system
Switching the wipers on/off and brief
wipe
Do not switch on the wipers if frozen
Do not switch on the wipers if they are fro‐
zen onto the windshield; otherwise, the wiper
blades and the windshield wiper motor may be
damaged.◀
Switching on
Press the wiper levers up.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Normal wiping speed: press up once.
The wipers switch to intermittent operation
when the vehicle is stationary.
▷Fast wiping speed: press up twice or press
once beyond the resistance point.
The wipers switch to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Switching off and brief wipe
Press the wiper levers down.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Brief wipe: press down once.
▷To switch off normal wipe: press down once.
▷To switch off fast wipe: press down twice.
Intermittent operation or rain sensor
The concept
The rain sensor automatically controls the time
between wipes depending on the intensity of
the rainfall. The sensor is located on the wind‐
shield, directly behind the interior rearview mir‐
ror.
Activating/deactivating
Press the button on the wiper lever.
The LED in the steering column stalk lights up.
Deactivate the rain sensor in car washes
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through an automatic car wash; otherwise, dam‐
age could be caused by undesired wiper activa‐
tion.◀
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Setting the frequency or sensitivity of
the rain sensor
Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield, headlamps
Pull the lever.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In addition, the headlamps are cleaned at regular
intervals when the vehicle lights are switched
on.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if there is any danger
that the fluid will freeze on the windshield; oth‐
erwise, your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use antifreeze.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; otherwise, you could damage the
pump.◀
Windshield washer nozzles
The washer jets are automatically heated when‐
ever the ignition is switched on.
Fold-out position of the wipers
Required when changing the wiper blades or
under frosty conditions, for example.
1.Switch off the ignition.
2.Under frosty conditions, ensure that the
wiper blades are not frozen onto the wind‐
shield.
3.Press the wiper lever up beyond the point of
resistance and hold it for approx. 3 seconds,
until the wiper remains in a nearly vertical
position.
After the wipers are folded back down, the wiper
system must be reactivated.
Fold the wipers back down
Before switching the ignition on, fold the
wipers back down to the windshield; otherwise,
the wipers may become damaged when they are
switched on.◀
1.Switch on the ignition.
2.Press the wiper levers down. The wipers
move to their resting position and are ready
for operation.
Washer fluid
General information
Antifreeze for washer fluid
Antifreeze is flammable. Therefore, keep
it away from sources of ignition.
Only keep it in the closed original container and
inaccessible to children.
Follow the instructions on the container.◀
Washer fluid reservoir
Adding washer fluid
Only add washer fluid when the engine is
cool, and then close the cover completely to
avoid contact between the washer fluid and hot
engine parts.
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Otherwise, there is the danger of fire and a risk
to personal safety if the fluid is spilled.◀
All washer nozzles are supplied from one reser‐
voir.
Fill with water and – if required – with a washer
antifreeze, according to the manufacturer's rec‐
ommendations.
Mix the washer fluid before adding to maintain
the correct mixing ratio.
Manual transmission
Shifting
Shifting into 5th or 6th gear
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, push
the gearshift lever to the right; otherwise inad‐
vertent shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could
lead to engine damage.◀
Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. When
the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a slight
resistance needs to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
Transmission positions
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for‐
ward gears are available.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is Neutral
Use in automatic car washes, for example. The
vehicle can roll.
When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 59, position P is engaged automatically.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:
▷After the engine is switched off, if the car is
in radio ready state, refer to page 60, or if the
ignition is switched off, refer to page 59, and
if position R or D is engaged.
▷With the ignition is off, if position N is en‐
gaged.
▷If the safety belt is unbuckled, the driver's
door is opened, and the brake pedal is not
pressed while the vehicle is stationary and
transmission position R or D is engaged.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that posi‐
tion P of the automatic transmission is engaged.
Otherwise, the vehicle may begin to roll.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the gas pedal beyond the
resistance point at the full throttle position.
Engaging the transmission position
▷Transmission position P can only be disen‐
gaged if the engine is running and the brake
pedal is pressed.
▷With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
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Depress the brake until you start driv‐
ing
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain pres‐
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready
to start.◀
Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to its
center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
▷Engage R.
▷Shift out of P.
Engaging P
Press button P.
Sport program DS and manual mode M/
S
Activating sport program DS
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
DS is displayed in the instrument cluster.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
Push the selector lever forward or backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster, e.g., M1.
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.
▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rearwards.
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The vehicle only shifts up or down at appropriate
engine and road speeds, e.g., it does not shift
down if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Manual mode M/S: prevent automatic
upshifting
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
For vehicles with Sport automatic transmis‐
sions, automatic shift operations are not per‐
formed if one of the following conditions is met:
▷DSC deactivated.
▷TRACTION activated.
▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles for Sport automatic
transmission
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the trans‐
mission temporarily switches to manual mode.
If the shift paddles are not used and the vehicle
is not accelerated for a certain time, the system
switches back into automatic mode if the selec‐
tor lever is in transmission position D.
▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.
▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.
The vehicle only shifts up or down at appropriate
engine and road speeds, e.g., it does not shift
down if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Displays in the instrument cluster
The transmission position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
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Displays
Vehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Instrument cluster
Overview, instrument cluster
1Fuel gauge  75
2Speedometer
3Indicator/warning lamps  73
4Tachometer  75
5Engine oil temperature  75
6Current fuel consumption  77
7Electronic displays  72
8Display/reset miles  76
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Overview, instrument cluster with enhanced features
1Fuel gauge  75
2Speedometer
3Indicator/warning lamps  73
4Tachometer  75
5Engine oil temperature  75
6Current fuel consumption  77
7Electronic displays  72
8Display/reset miles  76
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Electronic displays
Overview, instrument cluster
1Messages, e.g. Check Control  73
Time  76
Date  76
External temperature  76
Selection lists  80
Service requirements  77
Miles/trip miles  76
Computer  81
2Transmission display  69
Gear shift indicator  78
3Status, Driving Experience Switch  106
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