3 Series
Gran Turismo
Owner's Manual for Vehicle
Thank you for choosing a BMW.
The more familiar you are with your vehicle, the better control
you will have on the road. We therefore strongly suggest:
Read this Owner's Manual before starting off in your new BMW.
Also use the Integrated Owner's Manual in your vehicle. It con‐
tains important information on vehicle operation that will help
you make full use of the technical features available in your
BMW. The manual also contains information designed to en‐
hance operating reliability and road safety, and to contribute to
maintaining the value of your BMW.
Any updates made after the editorial deadline for the printed or
Integrated Owner's Manual are found in the appendix of the
printed Quick Reference for the vehicle.
Supplementary information can be found in the additional bro‐
chures in the onboard literature.
We wish you a safe and enjoyable ride.
BMW AG
The Owner's Manual is available in many countries as an app.
For more information, go to
www.bmw.com/bmw_drivers_guide
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 806 - X/14
Addendum
ADDENDUM TO BMW 3 SERIES
OWNER’S MANUAL 1402956806
We wanted to provide you with some
updates and clarifications with respect to
the printed BMW Owner’s Manual.
These updates and clarifications will
supersede the materials contained in
that document.
1.Where the terms “service center,”
“the service center,” “your service
center,” “service specialist,’ or
“service” are used in the Owner’s
Manual, we wanted to clarify that
the terms refer to a 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.
2.Where the text of the Owner’s
Manual contains an affirmative
instruction to contact a “service
center” or “your service center,” we
wanted to clarify that BMW
recommends that, if you are faced
with one of the situations addressed
by that text, you contact or seek the
assistance of a 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.
While BMW of North America LLC,
at no cost to you, will pay for repairs
required by the limited warranties
provided with respect to your
vehicle and for maintenance under
the Maintenance Program during
the applicable warranty and
maintenance coverage periods, you
are free to elect, both during those
periods and thereafter, to have
maintenance and repair work
provided by other service centers or
repair shops.
3.Where the Owner’s Manual makes
reference to parts and accessories
having been approved by BMW,
those references are intended to
reflect that those parts and
accessories are recommended by
BMW of North America LLC. You
may elect to use other parts and
accessories, but, if you do, we
recommend that you make sure that
any such parts and/or accessories
are appropriate for use on your
vehicle.
4.At page 7, under the warranty
section’s discussion of
homologation, where it states that
you “cannot lodge warranty claims
for your vehicle there,” the text
should read that you “may not be
able to lodge warranty claims for
your vehicle there.”
5.At page 7, under the “Parts and
accessories” section, in the sixth
sentence, the word “cannot” should
read “does not.”
6.At page 54, in the “Check and
replace safety belts” section, the
Addendum
manufacturer of your vehicle and
are determined by the manufacturer
of your vehicle to be road safe and
are recommended by the
manufacturer of your vehicle.
Information about recommended
snow chains is available from a
service center.
13.At page 198, under the heading
“Hood,” the sentence beginning, “If
you are unfamiliar” should be
disregarded.
14.At page 201, under the heading:
“Approved oil types,” the references
to “Approved” should be read as
“Suitable.” Where it reads: You
can add oils with the following
specifications,” that text should be
disregarded, and the following text
read in lieu thereof: “Add engine
oils that meet the following oil rating
standards: . . .”
15.At page 201, under the heading:
“Alternative oil types,” the text
preceding the chart should be
disregarded, and in lieu thereof
should be read as follows: “If an
engine oil suitable for continuous
use is not available, up to 1 US
quart/liter of an engine oil with the
following oil rating can be
added: . . .” The reference to
“specification” should be read as
“rating.”
16.At page 201, under the heading:
“Engine oil change,” the text should
be disregarded and in lieu thereof
should be read as follows:
BMW recommends that you have
the oil changed at your BMW
dealer’s service center or at another
service center that has trained
personnel that can perform the work
in accordance with BMW
specifications.
17.At page 203, under the heading:
“Service and Warranty Information
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.
18.At page 206 and page 209, where it
reads: “Do not perform work/bulb
replacement on xenon headlights,”
that text should be disregarded and
in lieu thereof the following text
should be read: “Xenon headlamp
work or replacement can cause
serious and fatal injuries.” In the
text that follows, where it reads:
“[h]ave any work on the xenon
lighting system . . . ,” the following
ContentsThe fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 232.6Notes
At a glance
14Cockpit18iDrive26Voice activation system29Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle
Controls
34Opening and closing50Adjusting60Transporting children safely64Driving76Displays91Lights96Safety118Driving stability control systems125Driving comfort146Climate control153Interior equipment162Storage compartments
Driving tips
168Things to remember when driving171Loading174Saving fuelMobility184Refueling186Fuel188Wheels and tires197Engine compartment199Engine oil202Coolant203Maintenance205Replacing components216Breakdown assistance221Care
Reference
228Technical data232Everything from A to Z
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 806 - X/14
NotesUsing this Owner's Manual
Orientation
The fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic is by using the index.
An initial overview of the vehicle is provided in
the first chapter.
Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
for the Owner's Manuals are found in the ap‐
pendix of the printed Quick Reference for the
vehicle.
User's manual for Navigation,
Entertainment, Communication
The topics of Navigation, Entertainment, Com‐
munication and the short commands of the
voice activation system are described in a sep‐
arate user's manual, which is also included
with the onboard literature.
Symbols
Indicates precautions that must be followed
precisely in order to avoid the possibility of
personal injury and serious damage to the
vehicle.
◄ Marks the end of a specific item of
information.
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment.
"..." Identifies display texts in vehicle used to
select individual functions.
›...‹ Verbal instructions to use with the voice
activation system.
››...‹‹ Identifies the answers generated by the
voice activation system.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the
relevant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.
Vehicle features and options
This Owner's Manual describes all models and
all standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series.
Therefore, in this Owner's Manual, we also de‐
scribe and illustrate features that are not avail‐
able in your vehicle, e.g., because of the se‐
lected optional features or the country-specific
version.
This also applies to safety-related functions
and systems.
For any options and equipment not described
in this Owner's Handbook, refer to the Supple‐
mentary Owner's Handbooks.
On right-hand drive vehicles, some controls
are arranged differently from what is shown in
the illustrations.
Status of the Owner's
Manual
Basic information
The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a
policy of constant development that is con‐
ceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety stan‐
dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from
those in your vehicle.
Seite 6Notes6
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Seite 7Notes7
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Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
for the Owner's Manuals are found in the ap‐
pendix of the printed Quick Reference for the
vehicle.
For your own safety
Warranty
Your vehicle is technically configured for the
operating conditions and registration require‐
ments applying in the country of first delivery -
homologation. If your vehicle is to be operated
in a different country it might be necessary to
adapt your vehicle to potentially differing oper‐
ating conditions and permit requirements. If
your vehicle does not comply with the homolo‐
gation requirements in a certain country you
cannot lodge warranty claims for your vehicle
there. Further information can be obtained
from your Service Centre.
Maintenance and repairs
Advanced technology, e.g., the use of modern
materials and high-performance electronics,
requires suitable maintenance and repair work.
Therefore, have this work performed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord‐
ing to BMW repair procedures with appropri‐
ately trained personnel.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.
California Proposition 65 Warning
California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automo‐
bile components and parts, including compo‐
nents found in the interior furnishings in a vehi‐
cle, 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 repro‐
ductive harm. Battery posts, terminals and re‐
lated accessories contain lead and lead com‐
Parts and accessories
BMW recommends using parts and accesso‐
ries approved by BMW for this purpose.
Your BMW center is the right contact for genu‐
ine BMW parts and accessories, other prod‐
ucts approved by BMW and related qualified
advice.
BMW has tested these products for safety and
suitability in relation to BMW vehicles.
BMW can assume responsibility for them.
However, we cannot assume any responsibility
whatsoever for parts and accessories that have
not been specifically approved by BMW.
BMW cannot evaluate whether each individual
product from another manufacturer can be
used with BMW vehicles without presenting a
safety hazard. This guarantee is also not appli‐
cable when country-specific government ap‐
proval has been granted. Testing of this kind
may fail to embrace the entire range of poten‐
tial operating conditions to which components
might be exposed on BMW vehicles. Such
products could conceivably fail to comply with
BMW's own stringent quality standards.
Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicleVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
Integrated Owner's Manual
in the vehicle
The Integrated Owner's Manual can be dis‐
played on the Control Display. It specifically
describes features and functions found in the
vehicle.
Components of the Integrated Owner's Manual
The Integrated Owner's Manual consists of
three parts, which offer various levels of infor‐
mation or possible access.
Quick Reference Guide
The Quick Reference Guide provides informa‐
tion how to operate the car, how to use basic
vehicle functions or what to do in case of a
breakdown. This information can also be dis‐
played while driving.
Search by images
Image search provides information and de‐
scriptions. This is helpful when the terminol‐
ogy for a feature is not at hand.
Owner's Manual
Search for information and descriptions by en‐
tering terms selected from the index.Select components1. Press button.2.Turn the controller: open "Vehicle info".3.Press the controller.4.Selecting desired range:▷"Quick reference"▷"Search by pictures"▷"Owner's Manual"
Leafing through the Owner's Manual
Page by page with link access
Turn the controller until the next or previous
page is displayed.
Page by page without link access
Scroll through the pages directly while skip‐
ping the links.
Highlight the symbol once. Now simply press
the controller to browse from page to page.
Scroll back.
Scroll forward.
Seite 29Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicleAt a glance29
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Status control displayTire and system status are indicated by the
color of the wheels and a text message on the
Control Display.
All wheels green System is active and will issue a warning rela‐
tive to the tire inflation pressures stored during
the last reset.
One wheel is yellow A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire.
All wheels are yellow A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure in
several tires.
Wheels, gray The system cannot detect a flat tire. Reasons
for this may be:▷The system is being reset.▷Malfunction.
Status information
The status control display additionally shows
the current tire inflation pressures and possibly
tire temperatures. It shows the actual values
read; they may vary depending on driving style or weather conditions.
Carry out reset
Reset the system after each adjustment of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
On the Control Display and on the vehicle:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Perform reset"4.Start the engine - do not drive off.5.Reset tire inflation pressure:"Perform
reset".6.Drive away.
The tires are shown in gray and the status is
displayed.
After driving faster than 19 mph/30 km/h for a
short period, the set tire inflation pressures are
accepted as reference values. The reset is
completed automatically while driving.
After a successfully completed Reset, the
wheels on the Control Display are shown in
green and "Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)
active" is displayed.
You may interrupt this trip at any time. When
you continue the reset resumes automatically.
Low tire pressure message The yellow warning lamp lights up. A
Check Control message is displayed.
▷There is a flat tire or a major loss in
tire inflation pressure.▷No reset was performed for the system.
The system therefore issues a warning
based on the tire inflation pressures before
the last reset.1.Reduce your speed and stop cautiously.
Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.2.Check whether the vehicle is fitted with
regular tires or run-flat tires.
Run-flat tires, refer to page 195, are la‐
beled with a circular symbol containing the
letters RSC marked on the tire's sidewall.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
Do not continue driving if the vehicle is not
equipped with run-flat tires; continued driving
may result in serious accidents.◀
A low tire inflation pressure might turn on DSC
Dynamic Stability Control.
Seite 100ControlsSafety100
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