2011 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE headlamp

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Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive light control is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/roadside parking
lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
There is an additional option of switching on the
lamps on the side of the car facing the road
when parked.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the pressure point for a longer
period, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for
unduly long periods of time; otherwise, the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the
engine.<
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the
pressure point, arrow 3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off. The procedure is controlled
by a sensor on the front of the interior rearview
mirror. The assistant ensures that the high
beams are switched on whenever the traffic sit-
uation allows. It handles this task for you and
gives you the benefit of the best possible view.
You can intervene at any time and switch the
high beams on and off as usual.
Activating the system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to
page101.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly
push the turn indicator lever in the direction
of the high beam.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the high beams
are activated. The system automati-
cally switches from high beams to low beams
and vice versa in response to oncoming traffic,
traffic ahead of you, and adequate ambient
lighting, e.g. on city streets.

Lamps
104
Switching the high beams on and off
manually
Whenever you wish, or when the situation
requires, you can intervene:
>If the high-beam assistant switches on the
high beams, but you would like to drive with
the low beams, simply switch off the high
beams using the turn indicator lever. This
deactivates the high-beam assistant.
To reactivate the system, briefly push the
turn indicator lever toward the high beams
again.
>If the high-beam assistant switches on the
low beams, but you would like to drive with
the high beams, switch on the high beams
as usual. This deactivates the system and
the high beams need to be switched off
manually, if necessary.
To reactivate the system, briefly push the
turn indicator lever toward the high beams
again.
>Use the headlamp flasher as usual with the
low beams switched on.
System limitations
The high-beam assistant cannot serve as
a substitute for the driver's personal judg-
ment of when to use the high beams. Therefore,
manually switch off the high beams in situations
where this is required to avoid a safety risk.<
The system is not fully functional in situations
such as the following, and driver intervention
may be necessary:
>In very unfavorable weather conditions,
such as fog or heavy precipitation
>In detecting poorly-lit road users, such as
pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and
wagons; when driving close to train or ship
traffic; and at animal crossings
>In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions,
in cross traffic or half-obscured oncoming
traffic on highways
>In poorly lit towns and cities and in the pres-
ence of highly reflective signs
>At low speeds>When the windshield in front of the interior
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov-
ered with stickers, etc.
>If the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor on
the front of the interior rearview mirror using
a cloth moistened with a small amount of
glass cleaner.
Activating via iDrive
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."High beam assistant"
The high-beam assistant is activated and is
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams must
be switched on for the fog lamps to
operate. The green indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the
fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off while you acti-
vate the headlamp flasher or switch on the high
beams.

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If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low
beams are switched on.
1.Push button 1 up or down repeatedly until
the appropriate symbol appears in the dis-
play, accompanied by the brightness set-
ting and scale the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Push button 1 up or down to select the
desired brightness level.
4.Press button 2.
The display again shows the outside tem-
perature and the time.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, the footwell lamps*, entry
lamps
*, cargo area lamp and courtesy lamps*
are controlled automatically.
The LEDs for the courtesy lamps
are set in the
door handles and illuminate the ground in front
of the doors.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps
inside the car are switched off about
8 minutes after the ignition is switched off, refer
to Start/stop button on page55.<
Switching interior lamps on/off
manually
Interior lamps, front and rear*:
To switch on and off, press the button.
To switch off the interior lamps, footwell
lamps
*, entry lamps* and courtesy lamps* per-
manently, press the button for the front interior
lamps for about 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
There are reading lamps at the front and rear*,
next to the interior lamps. To switch on and off,
press the button.

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Important parts of the engine compartment
1Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page226
2Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system,
refer to page663Jump-starting connection, refer to
page239
4Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking oil level
Your car is equipped with an electronic oil-level
monitor.
For a precise measurement and display of the
oil level, it is necessary that the engine be at
operating temperature, i.e. after uninterrupted
driving for at least approx. 6.2 miles/10 km. You
can have the oil level displayed while you are
driving, or while the vehicle is at a standstill on a
level surface and the engine is running.
Display in the instrument cluster
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol is shown in the display, accompa-
nied by the word "OIL".
2.Press button 2 in the turn indicator lever.
The oil level is checked and the reading
displayed.

Care
230
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch
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.Engage transmission 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.
The transmission is switched into position P:
>automatically after approx. 30 minutes
>if you remove the infrared remote control
from the ignition lock
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
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.<
Convertible: retractable hardtop
Proceed as you would in a normal car wash.
When you open a wet hardtop, water
drops may run into the cargo area. If nec-
essary, remove items from the cargo area
beforehand to avoid water stains or soiling.<
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.

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Replacing components
Onboard vehicle tool kit
Coupe
The onboard vehicle tool kit is stored in a com-
partment on the right-hand side of the cargo
area. Remove the cover.
Convertible
The onboard vehicle tool kit is stored in a pouch
under the cargo area floor panel.
Wiper blades
1.Fold out the wiper arm and hold it.
2.Press together the locking spring, arrows1,
and fold out the wiper blade, arrow2.
3.Take the wiper blade out of the catch mech-
anism, pulling the blade toward the front.
To avoid damage, make sure that the
wiper arms are against the windshield
before you open the engine compartment.<
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. They should, therefore,
be handled carefully. BMW recommends hav-
ing your BMW center perform any work that you
do not feel competent to perform yourself or
that is not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean tissue, cloth or something similar, or hold
the bulb by its base.<
You can obtain a selection of replacement bulbs
at your BMW center.
Only change bulbs while they are cool to
the touch; otherwise, you could suffer
burns.<
When working on electrical systems,
always begin by switching off the con-
sumer in question; otherwise, short-circuits
could result. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, observe
any instructions provided by the bulb manu-
facturer.<
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-
c e n t l e n s e s s e r v e a s t h e l i g h t s o u r c e f o r m a n y o f
the controls, displays, and equipment 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.

Replacing components
234 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.<
Headlight lenses
In cool or humid weather, condensation may
form on the interior of outside lamps. When the
light is switched on, the condensation will dis-
appear after a short time. The headlight lenses
do not need to be replaced.
At high humidities, e.g. water droplets may form
in the lights; have these checked by your BMW
center.,
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
only by a BMW center or a workshop that works
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.<
Access to the lamps
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, use a screwdriver to press
the catches towards the rear, see arrows,
and pull the cover forward and out.Follow the same steps in reverse order to reat-
tach the cover.
Be careful when installing the cover; oth-
erwise, leaks could occur and cause dam-
age to the headlamp system.<
Parking lamps and roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lights*
These lamps use LED technology for operation.
If they malfunction, please contact your BMW
center.
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 cover, refer to Access to the
lamps.
3.Push the wire bracket out of the anchor
towards the right 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.
Turn signals, front
These lamps use LED technology for operation.
If they malfunction, please contact your BMW
center.

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Tow-starting, towing away
Observe the applicable laws and
regulations for tow-starting and towing
vehicles.<
Do not transport any passengers other
than the driver in a vehicle that is being
towed.<
Using a tow fitting
The screw-in tow fitting must always be carried
in the car. It can be screwed in at the front or
rear of the BMW.
Coupe: it is stored in the onboard vehicle tool kit
underneath the cover on the right-hand side of
the cargo area, refer to page233.
Convertible: it is stored in the onboard vehicle
tool kit underneath the cargo area floor, refer to
page233.
Use only the tow fitting provided with the
vehicle and screw it all the way in. Use the
tow fitting for towing on paved roads only. Avoid
lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift
the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise, the
tow fitting and the vehicle could be damaged.<
Access to screw thread
Release the cover panel in the bumper:
Press on the upper part of the cover panel.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page55; otherwise, the low-beam
headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and
windshield wipers may be unavailable.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort. Active
steering is not active and it will be necessary to
turn the steering wheel further.<
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing selector lever positions, refer to
page58.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 45 mph
or 70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km; otherwise, the automatic
transmission may be damaged.<