2015 BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN light

The radio-ready state switches off automati‐
cally:▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the cen‐
tral locking system.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started.
The radio-ready state remains active if, e.g.,
the ignition is automatically switched off for the
following reasons:
▷Opening or closing the driver's door.▷Unfastening of the driver's safety belt.▷When automatically switching from low
beams to parking lights.
If the engine is switched off and the ignition is
switched on, the system automatically
switches to the radio-ready state if the lights
are turned off or, if correspondingly equipped,
the daytime running lights are activated.
Starting the engine
Hints Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running; doing so poses a risk of
danger.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, set the parking brake and place the trans‐
mission in selector lever position P or N to pre‐
vent the vehicle from moving.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at
moderate engine speeds.
Diesel engine
If the engine is cold and temperatures are be‐
low approx. 32 ℉/0 ℃, the start process may
be delayed somewhat due to automatic pre‐
heating.
A Check Control message is displayed.
Steptronic transmission
Starting the engine1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
Manual transmission
Starting the engine
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press on the clutch pedal and shift to neu‐
tral.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
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Engine stop
Hints Take the remote control with youTake the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not start the engine.◀
Apply parking brake and further secure
the vehicle if needed.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, e.g., by turning the steering wheel in the
direction of the curb.◀
Before driving into a car wash So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 229.
Steptronic transmission
Switching off the engine1.Engage selector lever position P with the
vehicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The engine is switched off.
The radio-ready state is switched on.3.Set the parking brake.
Manual transmission
Switching off the engine
1.With the vehicle at a standstill, press the
Start/Stop button.2.Shift into first gear or reverse.3.Set the parking brake.Auto Start/Stop function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the engine during a
stop, e.g., in traffic congestion or at traffic lights. The ignition remains switched on. The
engine starts again automatically for driving
off.
Automatic mode After every start of the engine using the Start/
Stop button, the Auto Start/Stop function is in
the last selected state, refer to page 68.
When the Auto Start/Stop function is active, it
is available when the vehicle is traveling faster
than about 3 mph, approx. 5 km/h.
Engine stop
The engine is switched off automatically dur‐
ing a stop under the following conditions:
Steptronic transmission:▷The selector lever is in selector lever posi‐
tion D.▷Brake pedal remains depressed while the
vehicle is stopped.▷The driver's safety belt is buckled or the
driver's door is closed.
Manual transmission:
▷Neutral is engaged and the clutch pedal is
not pressed.▷The driver's safety belt is buckled or the
driver's door is closed.
The air flow from the air conditioner is reduced
when the engine is switched off.
Displays in the instrument cluster The READY display in the tach‐
ometer signals that the Auto
Start/Stop function is ready to
start the engine automatically.
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The display indicates that the
conditions for an automatic en‐
gine stop have not been met.
Functional limitations
The engine is not switched off automatically in
the following situations:▷External temperature too low.▷The external temperature is high and auto‐
matic climate control is running.▷The car's interior has not yet been heated
or cooled to the required level.▷The engine is not yet at operating temper‐
ature.▷The wheels are at a sharp angle or the
steering wheel is being turned.▷After driving in reverse.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷At higher elevations.▷The engine compartment lid is unlocked.▷The parking assistant is activated.▷Stop-and-go traffic.▷The selector lever is in position N, M/S or
R.▷Use of fuel with high ethanol content.
Starting the engine
The engine starts automatically under the fol‐
lowing conditions:
▷Steptronic transmission:
By releasing the brake pedal.▷Manual transmission:
The clutch pedal is pressed.
After the engine starts, accelerate as usual.
Safety mode
After the engine switches off automatically, it
will not start again automatically if any one of
the following conditions are met.▷The driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the driver's door is open.▷The hood was unlocked.
Some indicator lights light up for a varied
length of time.
The engine can only be started via the Start/
Stop button.
Functional limitations
Even if driving off was not intended, the deacti‐
vated engine starts up automatically in the fol‐
lowing situations:
▷Excessive warming of the car's interior
when the cooling function is switched on.▷The steering wheel is turned.▷Steptronic transmission: change from se‐
lector lever position D to R, N or M/S.▷Steptronic transmission: change from se‐
lector lever position P to N, D, R or M/S.▷The vehicle begins rolling.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷Excessive cooling of the car's interior when
the heating is switched on.▷Low brake vacuum pressure; this can oc‐
cur, e.g., if the brake pedal is depressed a
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Activating/deactivating the system
manually
Using the button
Press button.
▷LED comes on: Auto Start/Stop function is
deactivated.
The engine is started during an automatic
engine stop.
The engine can only be stopped or started
via the Start/Stop button.▷LED goes out: Auto Start/Stop function is
activated.
Switching off the vehicle during an
automatic engine stop
During an automatic engine stop, the vehicle
can be switched off permanently, e. g., when
leaving it.
1.Press the Start/Stop button. The ignition is
switched off. The Auto Start/Stop function
is deactivated.
Selector lever position P is engaged auto‐
matically.2.Set the parking brake.
Engine start as usual via Start/Stop button.
Automatic deactivation
In certain situations, Auto Start/Stop function
is deactivated automatically for safety reasons
as if the driver were absent.
Malfunction
The Auto Start/Stop function no longer
switches off the engine automatically. A Check Control message is displayed. It is possible to
continue driving. Have the system checked.
Parking brake Applying
The lever automatically engages after being pulled up.
The indicator lamp lights up red. The
parking brake is set.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models
Releasing
Raise lever slightly, press the button and guide
the lever down.
Hints Use while driving
On rare occasions if it is necessary to use
the parking brake while driving, do not use ex‐
cessive force when applying it. When using it,
keep the button on the lever depressed.
Otherwise, using excessive force when apply‐
ing the parking brake may cause the rear
wheels to lock, resulting in fishtailing.◀
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brake ac‐
tion, lightly apply the parking brake periodically
while coasting, if traffic conditions permit.
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The brake lights will not light up if the parking
brake is set.
Turn signal, high beams,
headlight flasher
Turn signal
Hints Do not adjust the exterior mirrors
Do not adjust the exterior mirror while
driving and when turn signals/hazard warning
flashers are on, or else the additional turn sig‐
nal lights in the exterior mirror are out of posi‐
tion and can't be seen.◀
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp
indicates that a turn signal bulb has failed.
Triple turn signal activation Press the lever to the resistance point.
The turn signal flashes three times.
The function can be activated or deactivated.
On the Control Display:
1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Triple turn signal"Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Signaling briefly
Press the lever to the resistance point and hold
it there for as long as you want the turn signal
to flash.
High beams, headlight flasher▷High beams, arrow 1.▷Headlight flasher, arrow 2.
Washer/wiper system Switching the wipers on/off and brief
wipe
Hints Do not activate wipers if frozen to wind‐
shield
Do not switch on the wipers if they are frozen
to the windshield; otherwise, the wiper blades
and the wiper motor may be damaged.◀
Do not activate wipers on dry windshield
Do not use the wipers if the windshield is
dry, as this may damage the wiper blades or
cause them to become worn more quickly.◀
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Do not activate wipers with wipers folded
away
Do not switch on the wipers if they are folded
away, otherwise the hood or the wipers may be
damaged.◀
Switching on
Push wiper lever up.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Normal wiper speed: push up once.
The wipers switch to intermittent operation
when the vehicle is stationary.▷Fast wiper speed: press up twice or press
once beyond the resistance point.
Wipers change to normal speed when ve‐
hicle comes to standstill.
Switch off and brief wipe
Push wiper lever down.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Single wipe: press down once.▷To switch off normal wipe: press down
once.▷To switch off fast wipe: press down twice.
Interval mode or rain sensor
The concept The rain sensor automatically controls the time
between wipes depending on the intensity of the rainfall. The sensor is located on the wind‐
shield, directly behind the interior rearview mir‐
ror.
Activating/deactivating
Press button on the wiper lever.
Wiping is started. If the vehicle is equipped
with a rain sensor: LED in wiper lever lights up.
When wipers are frozen to windshield, wiper
operation is deactivated.
Deactivate the rain sensor in car washes
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through an automatic car wash; otherwise, un‐
intentional wiping can cause damages.◀
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Setting the frequency or sensitivity of
the rain sensor
Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield, headlights
Pull the wiper lever towards you.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In addition, the headlights are cleaned at regu‐
lar intervals when the vehicle's lights are acti‐
vated.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if fluid could freeze
onto the windshield which might impede your
viewing field. Therefore use antifreeze fluid.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; operation might damage pump.◀
Windshield washer nozzles The windshield washer nozzles are automati‐
cally heated while the ignition is switched on.
Fold-out position of the wipers
Fold wipers back when you want to change the
blades or with pending low temperatures.1.Switch the ignition on and off again.2.With icy conditions make sure that blades
are not frozen to the windshield.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.
Folding 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 activated.◀
1.Switch on the ignition.2.Push wiper lever down. Wipers move to
their resting position and are ready again
for operation.
Washer fluid
Hints Antifreeze for washer fluid
Antifreeze is flammable and can cause
injury if it is used incorrectly.
Therefore, keep it away from possible sources of ignition.
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‐
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To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch controlWhile the engine is running:1. Press button or select Sport+ with
the Driving Dynamics Control.
TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engage selector lever position 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 is displayed in the instru‐
ment 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.
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