2011 BMW M3 SEDAN four wheel drive

Adjustments
42
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page52.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard;
otherwise, leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passengers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag; otherwise,
serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page98.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level.
Otherwise, there is an increased risk of injury in
the event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page45.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's
lap. Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull
the belt in the upper-body area taut; otherwise,
its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page49.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
90
Deactivating DSC
Press the button for at least 3 seconds; the indi-
cator lamps for DSC in the instrument cluster
light up. Dynamic Traction Control DTC and
DSC have been simultaneously deactivated.
Stabilizing and drive-output promoting actions
are no longer executed.
In the same way as with a differential interlock
*,
even if DSC is deactivated, brake actions are
still performed to enhance drive output if the
drive wheels experience a significant loss of
traction.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button again; the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is regulating the drive and brak-
ing forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DSC is deactivated.
Dynamic Traction Control DTC
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:>When driving uphill on snow-covered roads,
in slush or on unplowed, snow-covered
roads
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow or on loose ground
>When driving with snow chains
Activating DTC
Press the button; the indicator lamps for DTC
in the instrument cluster come on.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DTC is regulating the drive and
braking forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DTC has been activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
xDrive*
xDrive is your BMW's four-wheel-drive system.
The combined efforts of xDrive and DSC help to
further optimize traction and driving dynamics.
The xDrive four-wheel-drive system distributes
driving power variably to the front and rear axles
depending on the driving situation and road
conditions.

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.

Telephone
184
Telephone
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full preparation
package mobile phone. After pairing a suitable
mobile phone with the vehicle once, you can
operate the mobile phone via the iDrive, the
buttons on the steering wheel or using voice
commands
*.
Once a mobile phone has been paired with your
vehicle, it is automatically recognized as soon
as it is inside the vehicle while the engine is run-
ning or the ignition is switched on. You can
store the pairing data for up to four mobile
phones simultaneously. If several mobile
phones are detected at the same time, the
mobile phone last paired can be operated via
the vehicle.
Using the telephone inside
the vehicle
Using the snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a holder for
mobile phones, allows you to charge the mobile
phone's battery and connect the mobile phone
to your vehicle's outside antenna. This ensures
better network reception and consistent repro-
duction quality. Please contact your
BMW center to find out for which mobile
phones there are snap-in adapters available.
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-
gency. While you should consult your mobile
phone's separate operating instructions for a
detailed description of safety precautions and
information, we request that you direct your
particular attention to the following:
Only make entries when the traffic situa-
tion allows you to do so. Do not hold the
mobile phone in your hand while you are driving;
use the hands-free system instead. If you do not observe this precaution, your being dis-
tracted can endanger vehicle occupants and
other road users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Please ask your BMW center which mobile
phones with Bluetooth interface are supported
by the mobile phone preparation package and
which mobile phones are compatible with the
snap-in adapter. By virtue of their particular
software versions, these mobile phones sup-
port the functions described in this Owner's
Manual. Malfunctions may occur with other
mobile phones.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone using:
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to
page10
>iDrive, refer to page16
>Voice commands
*, refer to page192
>Programmable memory keys, refer to
page20
Avoid operating a mobile phone recognized by
the vehicle via the mobile phone's keypad; oth-
erwise, malfunctions may result.
Start-up
Pairing the mobile phone with the
vehicle
The following prerequisites must be met:
>Compatible mobile phone: the mobile
phone is supported by the full preparation
package mobile phone. You can obtain
information on the Internet at:
www.bmw.com/bluetooth
>The mobile phone is ready to operate.
*

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