2011 BMW 3 SERIES inflation pressure

senger airbags lights up. This indicates that the
child seat has been detected and the front pas‐
senger airbags are not activated.
Strength of the driver's and front
passenger airbag
The strength with which the driver's and front
passenger airbags are triggered depends on the
position of the driver's and front passenger
seats.
To maintain the accuracy of this function over
the long-term, calibrate the front seats when a
corresponding message appears on the Control
Display.
Calibrating the front seats
A corresponding message appears on the Con‐
trol Display.
1.Move the respective seat forward all the
way.
2.Move the respective seat forward again. It
moves forward briefly.
3.Readjust the seat to the desired position.
The calibration procedure is completed when
the message on the Control Display disappears.
If the message continues to be displayed, repeat
the calibration.
If the message does not disappear after a repeat
calibration, have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Unobstructed area of movement
Ensure that the area of movement of the
seats is unobstructed to avoid personal injury or
damage to objects.◀
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM
The concept
The tire inflation pressure is measured in the
four mounted tires. The system notifies you if
there is a significant loss of pressure in one or
more tires.
Functional requirements
The system must have been reset when the in‐
flation pressure was correct; otherwise, reliable
signaling of a flat tire is not ensured. Always use
wheels with TPM electronics to ensure that the
system will operate properly. Reset the system
after each correction of the tire inflation pres‐
sure and after every tire or wheel change.
System limits
Sudden tire damage
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in ad‐
vance.◀
The system does not operate correctly if it has
not been reset. For example, a flat tire may be
indicated despite correct tire inflation pres‐
sures.
The system is inactive and cannot indicate a flat
tire:
▷For a mounted wheel without TPM electron‐
ics.
▷When the TPM is disturbed by other sys‐
tems or devices with the same radio fre‐
quency.
Status display
The current status of the Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM can be displayed on the Control Display,
e.g., whether or not the TPM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3. "Tire Pressure Monitor - TPM"
The status is displayed.
Status display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
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A change in the tire inflation pressure during
driving is taken into account.
A correction is only necessary if this is indicated
by the TPM
Wheels, green
The tire inflation pressure is equal to the target
state.
One wheel is yellow
A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire.
All wheels are yellow
▷A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure
in several tires.
▷The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus warns based on the infla‐
tion pressures initialized last.
▷A flat tire in one or more tires while the sys‐
tem is being reset.
Wheels, gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire. Reasons for
this may be:
▷TPM is being reset.
▷Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same radio frequency.
▷Malfunction.
Resetting the system
Reset the system after each correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3. "Reset"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Reset the tire pressure using "Reset".
6.Drive away.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After driving for a few minutes, the set tire infla‐
tion pressures are applied as set values. The re‐
setting process is completed automatically dur‐
ing driving. The tires are shown in green and
"TPM active" is shown on the Control Display.
The trip can be interrupted at any time. If you
drive away again, the process resumes auto‐
matically.
If a flat tire is detected during a reset, all tires are
displayed in yellow.
Low tire pressure message
The yellow warning lamp lights up. A
Check Control message is displayed.
▷There is a flat tire or a major loss in
tire inflation pressure.
▷The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus warns based on the infla‐
tion pressures initialized last.
1.Reduce your speed and stop cautiously.
Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2.Check whether the vehicle is fitted with reg‐
ular tires or run-flat tires.
Run-flat tires, refer to page 271, are labeled
with a circular symbol containing the letters
RSC marked on the tire sidewall.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
Do not continue driving if the vehicle is not
equipped with run-flat tires; continued driving
may result in serious accidents.◀
When a low inflation pressure is indicated, DSC
Dynamic Stability Control is switched on if nec‐
essary.
Actions in the event of a flat tire
Normal tires
1.Identify the damaged tire.
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Do this by checking the air pressure in all
four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
If an identification is not possible, please
contact the service center.
2.Rectify the flat tire.
Use of tire sealant, e.g., the Mobility System,
may damage the TPM wheel electronics. In
this case, have the electronics checked at
the next opportunity and have them re‐
placed if necessary.
Run-flat tires
Maximum speed
You can continue driving with a damaged tire at
speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h.
Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive with a damaged tire:
1.Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2.Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
3.Check the air pressure in all four tires at the
next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
The possible driving distance after a loss of tire
inflation pressure depends on the cargo load
and the driving style and conditions.
For a vehicle containing an average load, the
possible driving distance is approx. 50 miles/
80 km.
When the vehicle is driven with a damaged tire,
its handling characteristics change, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance, and altered self-steering
properties. Adjust your driving style accord‐
ingly. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers or driv‐
ing over obstacles, e.g., curbs, potholes, etc.
Because the possible driving distance depends
on how the vehicle is used during the trip, the
actual distance may be smaller or greater de‐
pending on the driving speed, road conditions,
external temperature, cargo load, etc.
Continued driving with a flat tire
Drive moderately and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
A loss of tire inflation pressure results in a
change in the handling characteristics, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance and altered self-steering prop‐
erties.◀
Final tire failure
Vibrations or loud noises while driving can
indicate the final failure of the tire. Reduce speed
and stop; otherwise, pieces of the tire could
come loose and cause an accident. Do not con‐
tinue driving, and contact your service center.◀
Message when the system was not
reset
A Check Control message is displayed.
The system detected a wheel change but was
not reset.
Warnings regarding the current tire inflation
pressure are not reliable.
Check the tire inflation pressure and reset the
system.
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. A Check
Control message is displayed. No flat
tire can be detected.
Display in the following situations:
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▷A wheel without TPM electronics is fitted:
have the service center check it if necessary.
▷Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.
▷TPM could not be fully reset. Reset the sys‐
tem again.
▷Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same radio frequency: after leaving the area
of the disturbance, the system automatically
becomes active again.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la‐
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla‐
tion pressure for those tires.) As an added safety
feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that il‐
luminates a low tire pressure telltale when one
or more of your tires is significantly under-in‐
flated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and
may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a sub‐
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale. Your vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not operating prop‐
erly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is com‐
bined with the low tire pressure telltale. When
the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then re‐
main continuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups
as long as the malfunction exists. When the mal‐
function indicator is illuminated, the system may
not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for
a variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re‐
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla‐
tion pressure in the tires.
It detects a pressure loss in a tire by comparing
the rotational speeds of the individual wheels
while moving.
In the event of a pressure loss, the diameter and
therefore the rotational speed of the corre‐
sponding wheel change. This is detected and
reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirements
The system must have been initialized when the
tire inflation pressure was correct; otherwise,
reliable signaling of a flat tire is not ensured. In‐
itialize the system after each correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
System limits
Sudden tire damage
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in ad‐
vance.◀
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A natural, even pressure loss in all four tires can‐
not be detected. Therefore, check the tire infla‐
tion pressure regularly.
The system could be delayed or malfunction in
the following situations:
▷When the system has not been initialized.
▷When driving on a snowy or slippery road
surface.
▷Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration.
▷When driving with snow chains.
Status display
The current status of the Flat Tire Monitor can
be displayed on the Control Display, e.g.,
whether or not the FTM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3. "Flat Tire Monitor"
The status is displayed.
Initialization
The initialization process adopts the set inflation
tire pressures as reference values for the detec‐
tion of a flat tire. Initialization is started by con‐
firming the inflation pressures.
Do not initialize the system when driving with
snow chains.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3. "Reset"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization with "Reset".
6.Drive away.
The initialization is completed while driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
The initialization automatically continues when
driving resumes.
Indication of a flat tire
The yellow warning lamp lights up. A
Check Control message is displayed.
There is a flat tire or a major loss in tire
inflation pressure.
1.Reduce your speed and stop cautiously.
Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2.Check whether the vehicle is fitted with reg‐
ular tires or run-flat tires.
Run-flat tires, refer to page 271, are labeled
with a circular symbol containing the letters
RSC marked on the tire sidewall.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
Do not continue driving if the vehicle is not
equipped with run-flat tires; continued driving
may result in serious accidents.◀
When a flat tire is indicated, DSC Dynamic Sta‐
bility Control is switched on if necessary.
Actions in the event of a flat tire
Normal tires
1.Identify the damaged tire.
Do this by checking the air pressure in all
four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Flat Tire Monitor may not have
been initialized. In this case, initialize the
system.
If an identification is not possible, please
contact the service center.
2.Rectify the flat tire.
Run-flat tires
Maximum speed
You can continue driving with a damaged tire at
speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h.
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Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive with a damaged tire:
1.Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2.Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
3.Check the air pressure in all four tires at the
next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Flat Tire Monitor may not have
been initialized. In this case, initialize the
system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
The possible driving distance after a loss of tire
inflation pressure depends on the cargo load
and the driving style and conditions.
For a vehicle containing an average load, the
possible driving distance is approx. 50 miles/
80 km.
When the vehicle is driven with a damaged tire,
its handling characteristics change, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance, and altered self-steering
properties. Adjust your driving style accord‐
ingly. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers or driv‐
ing over obstacles, e.g., curbs, potholes, etc.
Because the possible driving distance depends
on how the vehicle is used during the trip, the
actual distance may be smaller or greater de‐
pending on the driving speed, road conditions,
external temperature, cargo load, etc.
Continued driving with a flat tire
Drive moderately and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
A loss of tire inflation pressure results in a
change in the handling characteristics, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance and altered self-steering prop‐
erties.◀
Final tire failure
Vibrations or loud noises while driving can
indicate the final failure of the tire. Reduce speed
and stop; otherwise, pieces of the tire could
come loose and cause an accident. Do not con‐
tinue driving, and contact your service center.◀
Lane departure warning
The concept
Starting at a specific speed, this system alerts
you when the vehicle on streets with lane mark‐
ings is about to leave the lane. Depending on the
country-specific version of the vehicle, the
speed is between 35 mph/55 km/h and 45 mph/
70 km/h. When switching on the system below
this speed, a message appears in the instrument
cluster.
The steering wheel begins vibrating gently in the
event of warnings. The time of the warning may
vary depending on the current driving situation.
The system does not provide a warning if the
turn signal is set before leaving the lane.
Switching on/off
Press the button.
▷On: the LED lights up.
▷Off: the LED goes out.
The state is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
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Loading
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.
General information
Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carrying
capacity of the tires, never overload the vehicle.
Overloading can lead to overheating and in‐
creases the rate at which damage develops in‐
side the tires. This could result in a sudden loss
of tire inflation pressure.◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be damaged.◀
Determining the load limit
1.Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:
▷The combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the ve‐
hicle and unstable driving situations may
result.
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
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs pas‐
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail‐
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs = 400 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.
Load
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported.
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Saving fuel
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.
General information
Your vehicle contains advanced technology for
the reduction of fuel consumption and emis‐
sions.
Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐
ferent factors.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can have an
influence on fuel consumption and on the envi‐
ronmental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts
following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use.
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.
Close the windows and glass
sunroof
Driving with the glass sunroof and windows
open results in increased air resistance and
raises fuel consumption.
Check the tire inflation
pressure regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct the tire inflation
pressure at least twice a month and before start‐
ing on a long trip.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and
tire wear.
Drive away without delay
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the fastest way for the cold engine to
reach its operating temperature.
Look well ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehicle
driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and looking ahead reduces
fuel consumption.
Avoid high engine speeds
Use 1st gear to get the vehicle in motion. Be‐
ginning with 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly. When
accelerating, shift up before reaching high en‐
gine speeds.
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