3 SeriesM3Owner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and than k you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you
before starting off in your new ve hicle. It contains important data
and instructions intended to a ssist you in gaining maximum use
and satisfaction from your BMW' s unique range of technical fea-
tures. The manual also contai ns information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating sa fety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW th roughout an extended service
life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
Please also read the other booklets of vehicle literature, e.g. the
Supplementary Owner's Handbook for the BMW M3.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG
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Addendum
Booklet for US models and
Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models,” the
second paragraph should be
disregarded and the following text
read in lieu thereof:
The manufacturer of your vehicle
recommends that you have
maintenance and repair performed
by your BMW dealer’s service
center or another service center or
repair shop that employs trained
personnel that can perform
maintenance and repair work on
your vehicle in accordance with
BMW specifications. The
manufacturer of your vehicle
recommends that you maintain
records of all maintenance and
repair work performed on your
vehicle.
17.At page 267, under the heading
“Xenon lamps,” where it reads:
“[h]ave all work on the xenon lamp
system . . . ,” the following words
should be read as preceding that
passage: “It is strongly suggested
that you . . . .”
18.At page 270, under the “Battery
replacing” section, the text should
be disregarded and in lieu thereof
the following text should be read:
Use of recommended vehicle
batteries
The manufacturer of your vehicle
recommends that you use vehicle
batteries that it has tested and
recommends for use in your vehicle;
otherwise the vehicle could be
damaged and systems or functions
may not be fully available.
After a battery replacement, the
manufacturer of your vehicle
recommends that you have the
battery registered on your vehicle
by a service center to ensure that all
comfort functions are fully available,
and that any “check control”
messages of these comfort
functions are no longer displayed.
Contents
The quickest way to find special topics is to
consult the index, refer to page290.
4 Notes
7 Reporting safety defects
At a glance
12Dashboard
20 iDrive
27 Voice activation system
Controls
32Opening and closing
48 Adjustments
58 Transporting children safely
62 Driving
83 Controls overview
96 Technology for driving comfort and
safety
110 Lamps
115 Climate
120 Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
136Things to remember when driving
Navigation
144Navigation system
146 Destination entry
155 Destination guidance
163 What to do if …
Entertainment
166On/off and tone
169 Radio
173 Satellite radio
178 CD/DVD player
184 Music collection
189 External devices
Communications
200Telephone
213 Office
222 Contacts
224 ConnectedDrive
Mobility
232Refueling
235 Wheels and tires
255 Engine compartment
260 Maintenance
262 Care
262 Washing the vehicle
266 Replacing components
272 Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
280Technical data
283 Short commands for the voice activation
system
290 Everything from A to Z
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4
Notes
Notes
Using this Owner's Manual
We have tried to make all the information in this
Owner's Manual easy to find. The fastest way to
find specific topics is to refer to the detailed
index at the back of the manual. If you wish to
gain an initial overview of your vehicle, you will
find this in the first chapter.
Should you sell your BMW some day, please
remember to hand over the Owner's Manual as
well; it is an important component of your
vehicle.
Updates after press date
Updates after press date for the Owner's Man-
uals, when necessary, are issued as appendices
to the printed Quick Re ference Guide for the
vehicle.
Additional source s of information
Should you have any other questions, your
BMW center will be glad to advise you at any
time.
Information on BMW, e.g. on technical aspects,
can also be found on the Internet at
www.bmwusa.com.
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be fol-
lowed precisely in order to avoid the pos-
sibility of personal injury and serious damage to
the vehicle.<
Indicates information that will assist you
in gaining the optimum benefit from your
vehicle and enable you to care more effectively
for your vehicle. <
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment. <
< Marks the end of a specific item of
information.
"..." Identifies Control Display texts used to
select individual functions.
{ ... } Verbal instructions to use with the voice
activation system.
{{ ...}} Identifies the answ ers generated by the
voice activation system.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the rel-
evant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.
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6
Notes
Installation and operation of accessories not
approved by BMW, such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may ca use extensive damage
to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limi ted Warranty. See your
BMW center for additional information. <
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any
certified automotive part. <
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components foun d in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminal s and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in labora tory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water. <
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following
warranties:
> New Vehicle Limited Warranty
> Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
> Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
> Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
> California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty
Detailed information abou t these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been sp ecifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con-
ditions and registration requirements in your
country and continental region in order to
deliver the full driving pl easure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be requir ed to adapt your vehi-
cle to meet different prevailing operating condi-
tions and registration re quirements. You should
also be aware of any a pplicable warranty limita-
tions or exclusions for such country or region. In
such case, please contact Customer Relations
for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle re gularly to sustain the
road safety, operationa l reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance
measures:
> BMW Maintenance system
> Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models
> Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
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7
Notes
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this
could result in serious
damage to the vehicle. Such damage is not
covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Data memory
A variety of electronic components in your vehi-
cle include data storag e devices, which store
technical information on the condition of your
vehicle, events and errors, either temporarily or
permanently. In general, this technical informa-
tion documents the condition of a component, a
module, a system or the surroundings:
> Operating conditions of system
components, e.g., fill levels.
> Status messages regarding the vehicle and
of its individual components, such as wheel
rpm/vehicle speed, resp onse delay, lateral
acceleration.
> Malfunctions and de fects in the major
system components, such as the lights and
brakes.
> Responses of the vehicle in special driving
situations, such as the deployment of an
airbag, the utilization of stability control
systems.
> Environmental conditions, such as
temperature.
These data are exclusively of a technical nature
and are used for the detection and correction of
errors, as well as the optimization of vehicle
functions. Motion profiles of traveled routes can
not be deduced from these data. If services are
required, such as repair services, service pro-
cesses, warranty claims and quality assurance,
then this technical information can be read out
by employees of service departments, includ-
ing the manufacturer, from the event and error
data storage devices by using special diagnos-
tic equipment. There, if necessary, you will receive further informatio
n. After remedying an
error, the information in the error memory is
deleted or progressively overwritten.
When using the vehicle, situations are conceiv-
able in which this techni cal data, in conjunction
with other information, such as accident
reports, vehicle damage, witness statements,
etc. - possibly with the assistance of an expert -
could be traced to pa rticular individuals.
Additional functions that are agreed upon con-
tractually with the cust omer, such as vehicle
tracking in case of emergency, permit the trans-
mission of certain vehicle data from the vehicle.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only app lies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives sim ilar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, yo ur center, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
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This overview of buttons, switches and displays
is intended to familiarize you with your vehicle's
operating environment. The section will also
assist you in becoming acquainted with the control concepts and options available for operating the various systems.
At a glance
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At a glanceDashboard
Dashboard
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. For this reason, descrip- tions will be given of some equipment that may
not be available in a vehi
cle, for example due to
the special options or national-market version
selected. This also app lies to safety related
functions and systems.
Around the steering wheel : controls and displays
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