2014 BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN Control

Setting the frequency or sensitivity of
the rain sensor
Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield, headlamps
Pull the wiper lever.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In addition, the headlamps are cleaned at regu‐
lar intervals when the vehicle lights are
switched on.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if there is any danger
that the fluid will freeze on the windshield; oth‐
erwise, your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use antifreeze.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; otherwise, you could damage the
pump.◀
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are automati‐
cally heated while the ignition is switched on.
Fold-out position of the wipers
Required when changing the wiper blades or
under frosty conditions, for example.1.Switch the ignition on and off again.2.Under frosty conditions, ensure that the
wiper blades are not frozen onto the wind‐
shield.3.Press the wiper lever up beyond the point
of resistance and hold it for approx. 3 sec‐
onds, until the wiper remains in a nearly
vertical position.
After the wipers are folded back down, the
wiper system must be reactivated.
Fold the wipers back down
Before switching the ignition on, fold the
wipers back down to the windshield; other‐
wise, the wipers may become damaged when
they are switched on.◀
1.Switch on the ignition.2.Press the wiper levers down. The wipers
move to their resting position and are
ready for operation.
Washer fluid
General information Antifreeze for washer fluid
Antifreeze is flammable and can cause
injury if it is used incorrectly.
Therefore, keep it away from sources of igni‐
tion.
Only keep it in the closed original container
and inaccessible to children.
Follow the notes and instructions on the con‐
tainer.
United States: The washer fluid mixture ratio is
regulated by the U.S. EPA and many individual
states; do not exceed the allowable washer
fluid dilution ratios limits that apply. Follow the
usage instructions on the washer fluid con‐
Seite 68ControlsDriving68
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

tainer. Use BMW’s Windshield Washer Con‐
centrate or the equivalent.◀
Washer fluid reservoir Adding washer fluid
Only add washer fluid when the engine is
cool, and then close the cover completely to
avoid contact between the washer fluid and
hot engine parts.
Otherwise, there is the danger of fire and a risk
to personal safety if the fluid is spilled.◀
All washer nozzles are supplied from one res‐
ervoir.
Fill with a mixture of windshield washer con‐
centrate and tap water and – if required – with a
washer antifreeze, according to the manufac‐
turer's recommendations.
Mix the washer fluid before adding to maintain
the correct mixing ratio.
Do not add windshield washer concentrate and
antifreeze undiluted and do not fill with pure
water; this could damage the wiper system.
Do not mix window washer concentrates of dif‐
ferent manufacturers, because otherwise it can
result in clogging of the windshield washer
nozzles.
Recommended minimum fill quantity: 0.2 US
gal/1 liter.
Manual transmission
Shifting Shifting into 5th or 6th gear
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, push
the gearshift lever to the right; otherwise inad‐
vertent shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could
lead to engine damage.◀
Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
To overcome the resistance move the selector
lever in a dynamic movement to the left and
engage the reverse gear.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
Selector lever positions
D Drive, automatic position
Gear position for normal vehicle operation. All
forward gears are available.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is Neutral Use in automatic car washes, for example. The
vehicle can roll.
When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 61, selector lever position P is engaged
automatically.
P Park Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:▷After the engine is switched off when the
vehicle is in radio ready state, refer to
page 62, or when the ignition is switchedSeite 69DrivingControls69
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

off, refer to page 61, and when position R
or D is engaged.▷With the ignition off, if selector lever posi‐
tion N is engaged.▷If the safety belt is unbuckled, the driver's
door is opened, and the brake pedal is not
pressed while the vehicle is stationary and
position D or R is engaged.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that se‐
lector lever position P of the automatic trans‐
mission is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle
may begin to roll.
Kickdown Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full throttle
position.
Engaging selector lever positions
▷It is not possible to shift out of selector
lever position P until the engine is running
and the brake is applied.▷With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
Press on the brake pedal until you
start driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a gear, maintain pressure on the
brake pedal until you are ready to start.◀Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
▷Engage R.▷Shift out of P.
Engaging P
Press button P.
Seite 70ControlsDriving70
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Press the selector lever to the left out of selec‐
tor lever position D.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Press the selector lever to the left out of
selector lever position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Sport automatic transmission: prevent
automatic upshifting in M/S manual
mode
For vehicles with Sport automatic transmis‐
sions, automatic shift operations are not per‐
formed, at maximum engine speed for exam‐
ple, if one of the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the shift paddles are not used and the vehicle
is not accelerated for a certain time, the sys‐
tem switches back into automatic mode if the
selector lever is in selector lever position D.
▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.Seite 71DrivingControls71
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Sport automatic transmission: Launch
Control
The concept
Launch Control enables optimum acceleration
on surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Did not use Launch Control during the break-
in, refer to page 162, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
An experienced driver may be able to achieve
better acceleration values in DSC OFF mode.
Requirements Launch Control is available when the engine is
warmed up, that is, after uninterrupted driving
of at least 6 miles/10 km.
To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.Start with launch control
While the engine is running:1. Press button or select with the
Driving Dynamics Control Sport+.
TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engage gear S.3.With the left foot, forcefully press down on
the brake.4.Press and hold down the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full
throttle position.
A flag symbol appears in the instrument
cluster.5.The starting engine speed adjusts. Within
3 seconds, release the brake.
Before using Launch Control, allow the trans‐
mission to cool down for approx. 5 minutes.
Launch Control adjusts to the surrounding
conditions, e.g., wet pavement, when used
again.
Seite 72ControlsDriving72
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

DisplaysVehicle equipmentAll standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Instrument cluster
Overview, instrument cluster
1Fuel gauge   782Speedometer3Indicator/warning lamps   764Tachometer  785Engine oil temperature   786Current fuel consumption   807Electronic displays  758Display/reset miles   79Seite 73DisplaysControls73
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

Overview, instrument cluster with enhanced features1Fuel gauge  782Speedometer3Indicator/warning lamps   764Tachometer  785Engine oil temperature   786Current fuel consumption   807Electronic displays  758Display/reset miles   79Seite 74ControlsDisplays74
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14

Electronic displaysOverview, instrument cluster1Messages, e.g., Check Control   76
Time   79
Date   79
External temperature   79
Selection lists   83
Service requirements   80Miles/trip miles  79
Computer   832Transmission display   72
Gear shift indicator   813Status, Driving Dynamics Control   116Seite 75DisplaysControls75
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14