2011 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE high

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Malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. A message appears on the
Control Display. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that
they will continue to operate effectively. When
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the
sensors for extended periods of time and only
from a distance of at least 1 ft/30 cm.
Manual operation*
The LED above the button also flashes.
PDC with visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object is
shown on the Control Display. Objects that are
farther away are displayed on the Control Dis-
play before a signal tone sounds. The display
appears on the Control Display as soon as PDC
is activated.
System limitations
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those
encountered with trailer towbars and hitches,
t h i n o r w e d g e - s h a p e d o b j e c t s , e t c . L o w o b j e c t s
that have already been displayed, e.g. curbs,
can disappear again from the detection area of
the sensors before or after a continuous tone
sounds. Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges,
cannot be detected. Therefore, always drive
cautiously; otherwise, there is a risk of personal
injury or property damage.
Loud sound sources outside or inside the car
can drown out the PDC signal. Therefore,
always drive cautiously; otherwise, there is a
risk of personal injury or property damage.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page128.
Electronic brake-force
distribution EBV
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Dynamic Brake Control DBC
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full braking application.
Dynamic Stability Control DSC
DSC prevents the driving wheels from losing
traction when you pull away from rest or accel-
erate. The system also recognizes unstable
driving conditions, for example if the rear of the
car is about to swerve or if momentum is acting
at an angle past the front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
output and through braking actions at the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
s a f e t y m a r g i n a g a i n b y t a k i n g r i s k s , a s t h i s c o u l d
result in an accident.<

Technology for driving comfort and safety
92
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in
place for approx. 2 seconds after the
brake is released. Drive off without delay after
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off
assistant will no longer hold the car in place
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla-
tion pressure in the tires.
The system detects a tire pressure loss due to
speed comparisons among the individual
wheels as you drive.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed
of the affected wheel. The system detects this
and reports it as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
The system has to have been initialized at the
correct inflation pressure; otherwise, a reliable
reporting of a flat tire is not assured.
Each time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed,
reinitialize the system.
System limitations
It is impossible to provide advance warn-
ing of sudden, severe tire damage caused
by outside influences.<
The system will not detect a natural, uniform
pressure loss in all four tires. Therefore you
should check the inflation pressure regularly.
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>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.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
96
Message for unsuccessful
system reset
Yellow warning lamp comes on.
A message appears on the
Control Display.
The system is not reset, e.g. after a wheel
change.
Check the tire inflation pressure and reset
the system, refer to page95.
Malfunction
The small warning lamp flashes in
yellow and then lights up continu-
ously; the large warning lamp comes
on in yellow. The tires appear in gray
in the Control Display. No punctures can be
detected.
Display in the following situations:
>Malfunction
Have the system checked.
>A wheel without TPM electronics has been
installed:
Have it checked by your BMW center.
>Interference from systems or devices that
use the same radio frequency:
The system automatically becomes active
again when the vehicle moves out of the
interference zone.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Each tire should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended 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 infla-
tion pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires. As
an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem, TPMS, that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your tires are signif-
icantly underinflated. 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 underinflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency and
tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability. Please note that the
TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if underin-
flation has not reached the level at which the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale illuminates.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously lit. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle startups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
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
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Active steering*
The concept
Active steering varies the turning angle of the
front wheels in relation to steering wheel move-
ments. It also varies the steering force required
to turn the wheels depending on the speed at
which you are driving.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e.g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle is increased, i.e. steering becomes
very direct and less effort is required to turn the
wheels. In the higher speed range, on the other
hand, the steering angle is reduced as the
speed increases. This improves the handling of
your BMW over the entire speed range.

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In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes. This stabilizing
intervention is simultaneously deactivated
when DSC is switched off, refer to page90.
Malfunction
The warning lamps light up and a
message is displayed on the Control
Display. Active steering is malfunc-
tioning or is temporarily deactivated.
At low speeds, greater steering wheel move-
ments are required, whereas at higher speeds
the vehicle reacts more sensitively to steering
wheel movements. The stability-enhancing
feature may also be deactivated. Drive cau-
tiously and think well ahead.
Deactivation
Active steering is deactivated to perform an ini-
tialization. A message indicates that the feature
is deactivated. Initialization may take several
minutes.
If the message does not disappear during the
current trip, have the system checked.
Defect
If there is a defect, a corresponding text mes-
sage appears. Have the system checked.
Servotronic*
The concept
The Servotronic varies the steering force
required to turn the wheels relative to the vehi-
cle speed.
At low speeds, the steering force is strongly
assisted, i.e. less force is needed for steering.
As the vehicle speed increases, the steering
assisting power is reduced.
Malfunction
Malfunctions are displayed via Check Control,
refer to page84.
Brake Force Display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: sharp braking.

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Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off,
daytime running lights
1Parking lamps and daytime running lights
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lights, welcome lamps, high-beam
assistant
* and adaptive light control*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary,
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps will discharge 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. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps,
refer to page103.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel,
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The adap-
tive light control
* is active. The LED next to the
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are
on. You can also activate the daytime running
lights, refer to page102. In the situations
described above, the lamps then automatically
switch from daytime running lights to low
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The low beams remain switched on
regardless of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the system
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
low-beam headlamps manually under these
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3
when you park the car, the parking lamps and
the interior lamps light up briefly when you
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome
lamps
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"

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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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Automatic climate control
Comfortable interior climate
AUTO program7 offers the ideal air distribution
and air volume for almost all conditions, refer to
AUTO program below. All you need to do is
select an interior temperature which is comfort-
able for you.
The following sections inform you in detail
about how to adjust the settings.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, refer also to Personal Profile
settings on page26.
Adjusting air distribution manually
The air distribution can be
switched on and off manually. The
air is directed to the windshield, to
the upper body area and to the
footwell.
The automatic air distribution can be switched
back on by pressing the AUTO button. The
cooling function is switched on automatically
and the manual air distribution setting is
cleared.
Temperature
Turn to set the desired tempera-
ture.
The automatic climate control
achieves this temperature as
quickly as possible regardless of the season,
using maximum cooling or heating power if nec-
essary, and then maintains it.
Avoid rapid switching between different tem-
perature settings. The automatic climate con-
trol will not have sufficient time to adjust the set
temperature.
Maximum heating power can be obtained with
the highest setting, regardless of the outside
temperature.
The system cools steadily in the lowest setting,
regardless of the outside temperature.
Maximum cooling
Press the button.
The system is set to the lowest
temperature, maximum air volume
and recirculated-air mode.
Air flows out of the vent outlets for the upper
body region. Open them for this purpose.
Air is cooled as quickly as possible:
>Above an outside temperature of approx.
327/06
>When the engine is running
AUTO program
Press the button.
Air volume, air distribution and
temperature are controlled auto-
matically.
Depending on the selected temperature, AUTO
intensity and outside influences, the air is
directed toward the windshield, the side win-
dows, the upper body and the footwell.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically
switches on the cooling function.
At the same time, a condensation sensor con-
trols the program so as to prevent window con-
densation as much as possible.
The program is switched off when the air distri-
bution is set manually or the button is pressed
again.
Intensity of the AUTO program
With the AUTO program switched on, auto-
matic control of the air volume and air distribu-
tion can be adjusted:
Press the left side of the button
to reduce the intensity. Press
the right side of the button to
increase it.
The selected intensity is shown on the display
of the automatic climate control.