2011 BMW M3 mirror controls

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out*50
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor
*50
1Convertible: opening and closing
windows jointly35
2Convertible: opening and closing
rear windows35
3Opening and closing front
windows35 6
Parking lamps101
Low beams101
Automatic headlamp control
*101
Adaptive light control
*102
High-beam assistant
*103
7
Fog lamps
*104

Controls
33Reference
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Mobility
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood or trunk lid are not properly
closed. Even if you do not close the alerted
area, the system begins to monitor the
remaining areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after approx.
10 seconds. The interior m o t i o n s e n s o r a n d
the tilt alarm sensor are not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel
or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor
Coupe
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass roof must
be completely closed
*.
Convertible
The interior of the car is monitored up to the
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated together with the interior
motion sensor even if the hardtop is open. The
alarm can be triggered unintentionally by falling
objects such as leaves, refer to Avoiding unin-
tentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages
>During transport on car-carrying trains,
boats/ships or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort Access*
Comfort Access enables you to enter your vehi-
cle without needing to hold the remote control
in your hand. All you need to do is wear the
remote control close to your body, e.g. in your
jacket pocket. The vehicle detects the corre-
sponding remote control within the immediate
vicinity or in the passenger compartment.
Comfort Access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the trunk lid separately
>Engine starting
>Convenient closing

Controls
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Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion; otherwise, there
is a risk of an accident due to unexpected move-
ment.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.
Do not use force to swing the lever
back up; otherwise, the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up when the
steering wheel heating is switched on.

Controls
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Mobility
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Triple turn signal"
Triple turn signal activation is activated and
is stored for the remote control currently in use.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
5Setting speed for intermittent wipe,
or sensitivity of the rain sensor
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial
position when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to operation in the inter-
mittent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system switches to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the
intermittent-wipe time is a preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time
between wipes is controlled automatically and
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The rain
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the
button lights up.
Setting speed for intermittent wipe
or sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn thumbwheel5 up or down.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow3.
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<

Controls
103Reference
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Mobility
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.

Mobility
229Reference
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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.
Do not use high-pressure car washes;
otherwise, water may drip into the vehicle
around the windows.<
Before driving into a car wash, ensure that it is
suitable for your BMW. Check the following:
>Dimensions of your vehicle, refer to
page247.
>If necessary: fold in the exterior mirrors,
refer to page50.
>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
unintentional wiping.
>Remove additional add-on parts,
e.g. spoilers 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.

Mobility
237Reference
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Vehicle battery
Battery care
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
mate. Your BMW center will be glad to advise in
all matters concerning the battery.
Battery replacing
Only use vehicle batteries that have been
approved for your vehicle by the manu-
facturer; otherwise, the vehicle could be dam-
aged and systems or functions may not be fully
available.<
After a battery replacement, have the battery
registered on the vehicle by your service center
to ensure that all comfort functions are fully
available.
Charging the battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine off. Connections, refer to Jump-starting
on page239.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW center or bring them to a recycling
center. Maintain the battery in an upright posi-
tion for transport and storage. Always secure
the battery against tipping over during trans-
port.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require
reinitialization. Individual settings may likewise
have been lost and will have to be programmed:
>Time and date
These values must be updated, refer to
page83.
>Radio
In some cases, stations may have to be
stored again, refer to page157.
>Navigation system
Operability must be waited for, refer to
page134.>Glass roof
It may happen that the roof can only be
raised. The system must be initialized.
Please contact your BMW center.
>Seat and mirror memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to
page48.
>Inside rearview mirror with digital compass
The system must be calibrated, refer to
page114.
>Active steering
The system automatically initializes itself
briefly during a trip. The system is deacti-
vated during this time, refer to page96.
>xDrive
The system automatically initializes itself
during a trip. Indicator lamps light up during
this time. If the lamps do not go out during
the current trip, have the system checked.
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating; oth-
erwise, this could lead to a circuit overload, ulti-
mately resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<
Open the cover in the glove compartment
and remove it.
Plastic tweezers are located on the
distributor box.
See the rear of the cover for information
on fuse assignment.
Spare fuses are available from your
BMW center.

Reference 263
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Engine speed, refer to Engine
data246
Engine starting, refer to
Starting the engine56
Entering special destinations
by name140
Entering the postal code for
navigation136
Entry lamps, refer to Interior
lamps105
Entry map for destination140
Equalizer, tone setting155
Error messages, refer to
Check Control84
ESP Electronic Stability
Program, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control DSC89
Exhaust system, refer to Hot
exhaust system127
Extended connectivity of the
music player in the mobile
phone178
Exterior mirrors50
– adjusting50
– automatic dimming
feature51
– automatic heating50
– folding in and out50
External audio device115
External devices
– random sequence180
Eyes
– for tow-starting and towing
away241
– for tying down loads130
F
Failure messages, refer to
Check Control84
Failure of an electrical
consumer237
False alarm
– avoiding unintentional
alarm33
– switching off an alarm32Fastening safety belts, refer to
Safety belts49
Fastest route for
navigation144
Fast forward
– CD changer167
– CD player167
Filter
– refer to Microfilter/activated-
charcoal filter for automatic
climate control109
First aid pouch239
Fixture for remote control,
refer to Ignition lock55
Flash when locking/
unlocking29
Flat tire
– run-flat tires220
– Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM94
Flat Tire Monitor FTM92
– indicating a flat tire93
– indicator/warning lamp93
– initializing the system93
– snow chains92,221
– system limits92
Flat tires, refer to Tire
condition219
Fluid reservoir, refer to
Washer fluid reservoir66
FM, waveband157
Fog lamps104
– indicator lamp13,104
Folding up the floor panel120
Footbrake, refer to Braking
safely128
Footwell lamps, refer to
Interior lamps105
For your own safety5
Four-wheel drive, refer to
xDrive90
Free memory capacity, music
collection175
Front airbags98
FTM, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor92Fuel207
– average consumption77
– gauge76
– high-quality brands207
– quality207
– specifications
207
– tank contents, refer to
Capacities250
Fuel clock, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Fuel consumption indicator
– average fuel
consumption77
Fuel display, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Fuel filler flap206
– releasing in the event of
electrical malfunction206
Fuses237
G
Garage door opener, refer to
Integrated universal remote
control111
Gasoline
– refer to Average
consumption77
Gasoline, refer to Required
fuel207
Gasoline display, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Gas station
recommendations146
Gear indicator, automatic
transmission with
Steptronic58
Gear indicator, refer to
Displays in the instrument
cluster60
Gearshift lever60
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– manual transmission57
Gearshifts
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– manual transmission57
General driving notes127