Page 1 of 242
Owner's Manual
for Vehicle
The Ultimate
Driving Machine
THE BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN.
OWNER'S MANUAL.
ContentsA-Z
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 2 of 242
Page 3 of 242
3 SeriesOwner'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 located 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 drive.
BMW AG
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 4 of 242
© 2014 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the written
consent of BMW AG, Munich.
US English II/14, 03 14 490
Printed on environmentally friendly paper, bleached
without chlorine, suitable for recycling.Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 5 of 242
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
12Cockpit16iDrive24Voice activation system27Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle
Controls
32Opening and closing47Adjusting57Transporting children safely61Driving73Displays89Lamps94Safety114Driving stability control systems119Driving comfort141Climate control148Interior equipment156Storage compartments
Driving tips
162Things to remember when driving165Loading168Saving fuelMobility178Refueling180Fuel185Wheels and tires196Engine compartment198Engine oil201Coolant202Maintenance204Replacing components215Breakdown assistance221Care
Reference
228Technical data232Everything from A to Z
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 6 of 242

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 located 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.
Additional sources of information
The service center will be happy to answer any
other questions you may have.
Information on BMW, e.g., on technology, is
available on the Internet: www.bmwusa.com.
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.
"..." Identifies Control Display texts used to
select individual functions.
›...‹ Verbal instructions to use with the voice
activation system.
››...‹‹ Identifies the answers generated by the
voice activation system.
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment.
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 equipment
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, equipment
is also described and illustrated that is not
available in your vehicle, e.g., because of the
selected optional equipment or the country-
specific variants.
This also applies for 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 control ele‐
ments are arranged differently than 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‐
Seite 6Notes6
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 7 of 242

dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from
those in your vehicle.
Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
for the Owner's Manuals are located 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
methods.
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 this work is not carried out properly, there is
the danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.
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.
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‐
pounds. Wash your hands after handling. Used
engine oil contains chemicals that have caused
cancer in laboratory animals. Always protect
your skin by washing thoroughly with soap and
water.Seite 7Notes7
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14
Page 8 of 242

Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:▷New Vehicle Limited Warranty.▷Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.▷Federal Emissions System Defect War‐
ranty.▷Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.▷California Emission Control System Lim‐
ited Warranty.
Detailed information about 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 specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country and continental region in order to de‐
liver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be required to adapt your ve‐
hicle to meet different prevailing operating
conditions and homologation requirements.
You should also be aware of any applicable
warranty limitations or exclusions for such
country or region. In such case, please contact
Customer Relations for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the
road safety, operational reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance meas‐
ures:
▷BMW Maintenance system▷Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models▷Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this could result in seri‐
ous damage to the vehicle. Such damage is
not covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Data memory
Many electronic components on your vehicle
are equipped with data memories that tempo‐
rarily or permanently store technical informa‐
tion about the condition of the vehicle, events
and faults. This technical information generally
documents the state of a component, a mod‐ ule, a system or the environment:▷Operating states of system components,
fill levels for instance.▷Status messages for the vehicle and from
its individual components, e.g., wheel rota‐
tion speed/ vehicle speed, deceleration,
transverse acceleration.▷Malfunctions and faults in important sys‐
tem components, e.g., lights and brakes.▷Responses by the vehicle to special situa‐
tions, e.g., deployment of an airbag, en‐
gagement of stability control systems.▷Ambient conditions, such as temperature.
This data is purely technical in nature and is
used to detect and correct faults and to opti‐
mize vehicle functions. Motion profiles over
routes traveled cannot be created from this
data. When service offerings are used, e.g., re‐
pair services, service processes, warranty
claims, quality assurance, this technical infor‐
mation can be read out from the event and
fault memories by the service personnel, in‐
cluding the manufacturer, using special diag‐
nostic tools. You can obtain further information
there if it is needed. After a fault is corrected,
the information in the fault memory is deleted
or overwritten on a continuous basis.
When the vehicle is in use, situations are con‐
ceivable in which it might be possible to asso‐
ciate this technical data with individuals if it is
combined with other information, e.g., an acci‐
dent report, damage to the vehicle, eye wit‐
Seite 8Notes8
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 925 743 - II/14