2015 BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN service indicator

Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies
low around the hips in the lap area and does
not press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt
can slip over the hips in a frontal impact and in‐
jure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck,
rub on sharp edges, be routed over breakable
objects, or be pinched.◀
What reduces the restraining effect
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed;
otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced.◀
Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's and
passenger's seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be activated
if objects are placed on the front passenger
seat.
Damage to safety belts Wear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work properly.◀
Front headrests Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint
is as close as possible to the back of the head.
If necessary, adjust the distance by adjusting
the tilt of the backrest.Seite 54ControlsAdjusting54
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▷Messages, e.g. Check Control, refer to
page 78.▷Current fuel consumption, refer to
page 83.▷Navigation display, see User's manual for
Navigation, Entertainment and Communi‐
cation.▷Range, refer to page 82.▷Status, Driving Dynamics Control, refer to
page 121.▷Service requirements, refer to page 83.▷Speed limit detection, refer to page 85.▷Time, refer to page 82.
Check Control
The concept The Check Control system monitors functions
in the vehicle and notifies you of malfunctions
in the monitored systems.
A Check Control message is displayed as a
combination of indicator or warning lights and
text messages in the instrument cluster and in
the Head-up Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal may sound and a text message may appear on the Control Dis‐
play.
Indicator/warning lights
General information
The indicator and warning lights in the instru‐
ment cluster can light up in a variety of combi‐
nations and colors.
Several of the lights are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Red lights
Safety belt reminder Flashing or illuminated: safety belt on
the driver or passenger side is not
buckled. The safety belt reminder can
also be activated if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat.
Make sure that the safety belts are positioned
correctly.
Airbag system Airbag system and belt tensioner are
defective.
Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐
ice center immediately.
Parking brake, brake system For additional information, refer to Re‐
lease parking brake, refer to page 68.
Front-end collision warning Illuminated: advance warning is issued,
e.g., when there is the impending dan‐
ger of a collision or the distance to the
vehicle ahead is too small.
Increase distance.
Flashing: acute warning of the imminent dan‐
ger of a collision when the vehicle approaches
another vehicle at a relatively high differential
speed.
Intervention by braking or make an evasive ma‐
neuver.
Pedestrian warning Symbol in the instrument cluster.Seite 78ControlsDisplays78
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For more information, see Tire Pressure Moni‐
tor, refer to page 100.
Steering system Steering system in some cases defec‐
tive.
Have the steering system checked by
the service center.
Engine functions Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐ice center.
For additional information, refer to On-
board Diagnostics socket, refer to page 211.
Lane departure warning System is switched on and under cer‐
tain circumstances warns if a detected
lane is left without flashing beforehand.
For additional information, refer to Lane depar‐
ture warning, refer to page 114.
Green lights Turn signal Turn signal on.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal bulb
has failed.
For additional information, refer to Turn signal,
refer to page 69.
Parking lights, headlight control Parking lights or headlights are acti‐
vated.
For additional information, refer to
Parking lights/low beams, headlight control, re‐
fer to page 92.Front fog lights
Front fog lights are activated.
For additional information, refer to
Front fog lights, refer to page 95.
High-beam Assistant High-beam Assistant is switched on.
High beams are activated and off auto‐
matically as a function of the traffic sit‐
uation.
For additional information, refer to High-beam
Assistant, refer to page 94.
Cruise control The system is switched on. It maintains
the speed that was set using the con‐
trol elements on the steering wheel.
Blue lights
High beams High beams are activated.
For additional information, refer to High
beams, refer to page 69.
General lamps
Check Control At least one Check Control message is
displayed or is stored. The symbol is
shown in the display of the instrument
cluster.
Text messagesText messages in combination with a symbol
in the instrument cluster explain a Check Con‐ trol message and the meaning of the indicator
and warning lights.Seite 80ControlsDisplays80
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Displaying the cruising rangeDepending on your vehicle's optional features,
the range can also be displayed as bar in the
instrument cluster.1."Settings"2."Instrument cluster"3."Additional indicators"
Current fuel consumption
Instrument cluster Displays the current fuel con‐
sumption. Check whether you
are currently driving in an effi‐
cient and environmentally-
friendly manner.
Instrum. cluster with enhanced
features
Displays the current fuel con‐
sumption. Check whether you
are currently driving in an effi‐
cient and environmentally-
friendly manner.
Displaying the current fuel
consumption
1."Settings"2."Instrument cluster"3."Additional indicators"
The bar display for the current fuel consump‐
tion is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Energy recovery
Display The kinetic energy of the vehicle
is converted to electrical energy while coasting. The vehicle bat‐
tery is partially charged and fuel
consumption can be reduced.
Service requirements The concept
After the ignition is turned on the instrument
cluster briefly displays available driving dis‐
tance or time to the next scheduled mainte‐
nance.
Your service specialist can read the current
service requirements from your remote con‐
trol.
Display
Data regarding the service status or legally
mandated vehicle inspections are automati‐
cally transmitted to your service center before
a service due date.
Detailed information on service
requirements
More information on the scope of service re‐
quired can be displayed on the Control Dis‐
play.
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Service required"
Required maintenance procedures and le‐
gally mandated inspections are displayed.4.Select an entry to call up detailed informa‐
tion.Seite 83DisplaysControls83
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SymbolsSym‐
bolsDescriptionNo service is currently required.The deadline for scheduled mainte‐
nance or a legally mandated inspec‐
tion is approaching.The service deadline has already
passed.
Entering appointment dates
Enter the dates for the required inspections.
Make sure that the vehicle's date and time are
set correctly.
On the Control Display:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Service required"4."§ Vehicle inspection"5."Date:"6.Adjust the settings.7.Confirm.
The entered date is stored.
Automatic Service Request
Data regarding the service status or legally
mandated vehicle inspections are automati‐
cally transmitted to your service center before
a service due date.
You can check when your service center was
notified.
On the Control Display:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3.Open "Options".4."Last Service Request"Gear shift indicator
The conceptThe system recommends the most fuel effi‐
cient gear for the current driving situation.
Depending on the vehicle's features and coun‐
try version of the vehicle, the gear shift indica‐
tor is active in the manual mode of the Step‐
tronic transmission and with manual
transmission.
Suggestions to shift gear up or down are dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
Manual transmission: displayingSymbolDescriptionFuel efficient gear is set.Shift up to fuel efficient gear.Shift down to fuel efficient gear.Shift into neutral.
Steptronic transmission: displays
ExampleDescriptionFuel efficient gear is set.Shift into fuel efficient gear.Seite 84ControlsDisplays84
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Avoid high engine speeds
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Use 1st gear to get the vehicle moving. Start‐
ing with the 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly. When
accelerating, shift up before reaching high en‐
gine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into
the highest applicable gear and drive with the
engine speed as low as possible and at a con‐
stant speed.
If necessary, observe the gear shift indicator of
the vehicle, refer to page 84.
Use coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot
off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to
a halt.
For going downhill take your foot off the accel‐
erator and let the vehicle roll.
The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.
Switch off the engine during longer stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.,
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic
congestion.
Auto Start/Stop function The Auto Start/Stop function of your vehicle
automatically switches off the engine during a
stop.
If the engine is switched off and then restarted
rather than leaving the engine running con‐
stantly, fuel consumption and emissions are
reduced. Savings can begin within a few sec‐
onds of switching off the engine.
In addition, fuel consumption is also deter‐
mined by other factors, such as driving style,road conditions, maintenance or environmental
factors.
Switch off any functions that
are not currently needed
Functions such as seat heating and the rear
window defroster require a lot of energy and
reduce the range, especially in city and stop-
and-go traffic.
Reel off these functions if they are not needed. The ECO PRO driving program supports the
energy conserving use of comfort features.
These functions are automatically deactivated
partially or completely.
Have maintenance carriedout
Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve
optimal vehicle efficiency and operating life.
The maintenance should be carried out by
your service center.
Also note the BMW Maintenance System, refer
to page 210.
ECO PRO
The concept ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves
on fuel consumption. For this purpose, the en‐
gine control and comfort features, e. g. the cli‐
mate control output, are adjusted.
Under certain conditions the engine is auto‐
matically decoupled from the transmission in
the D selector lever position. The vehicle con‐
tinues traveling with the engine idling to re‐
duce fuel consumption. Selector lever position
D remains engaged.
In addition, context-sensitive instructions are
displayed to assist with an optimized fuel con‐
sumption driving style.Seite 173Saving fuelDriving tips173
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Tire treadSummer tires
Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.12 in/3 mm.
There is an increased danger of hydroplaning if
the tire tread depth is less than 0.12 in/3 mm.
Winter tires
Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.16 in/4 mm.
Below a tread depth of 0.16 in/4 mm, tires are
less suitable for winter operation.
Minimum tread depth
Wear indicators are distributed around the
tire's circumference and have the legally re‐
quired minimum height of 0.063 in/1.6 mm.
They are marked on the side of the tire with
TWI, Tread Wear Indicator.
Tire damage
General information
Inspect your tires often for damage, foreign
objects lodged in the tread, and tread wear.
Hints
Driving over rough or damaged road surfaces,
as well as debris, curbs and other obstacles
can cause serious damage to wheels, tires and
suspension parts. This is more likely to occur
with low-profile tires, which provide less cush‐
ioning between the wheel and the road. Be
careful to avoid road hazards and reduce your
speed, especially if your vehicle is equipped
with low-profile tires.
Indications of tire damage or other vehicle de‐
fects:▷Unusual vibrations while driving.▷Unusual handling such as a strong ten‐
dency to pull to the left or right.
Damage can, e. g., be caused by driving over
curbs, road damage, or similar things.
In case of tire damage
If there are indications of tire damage, re‐
duce your speed immediately and have the
rims and tires checked right away; otherwise,
there is the increased risk of an accident.
Drive carefully to the nearest service center. If
necessary, have the vehicle towed or trans‐
ported there. Otherwise, tire damage can be‐
come life threatening for vehicle occupants
and also other traffic.◀
Repair of tire damage
For safety reasons, the manufacturer of
your vehicle recommends that you do not have
damaged tires repaired; they should be re‐
placed. Otherwise, damage can occur as a re‐
sult.◀
Changing wheels and tires
Mounting Information on mounting tires
Have mounting and balancing performed
only by a service center.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.◀
Seite 197Wheels and tiresMobility197
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Hood
Hints Working in the engine compartment
Never attempt to perform any service or
repair operations on your vehicle without the
necessary professional technical training.
If you are unfamiliar with the statutory guide‐
lines, have any work on the vehicle performed
only by a service center.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.◀
Never reach into the engine compart‐
ment
Never reach into spaces or gaps in the engine
compartment; otherwise, there is a risk of in‐
jury, e.g., from rotating or hot parts.◀
Fold down wiper arm
Before opening the hood, ensure that the
wiper arms are against the windshield, or this
may result in damage.◀
Opening the hood1.Pull lever, arrow 1.
Hood is unlocked2.After the lever is released, pull the lever
again, arrow 2.
Hood can be opened.Indicator/warning lights
When the hood is unlocked, a Check Control
message is displayed.
Closing the hood Hood open when driving
If you see any signs that the hood is not
completely closed while driving, pull over im‐
mediately and close it securely.◀
Danger of jamming
Make sure that the closing path of the
hood is clear; otherwise, injuries may result.◀
Let the hood drop from a height of approx. 16
in/40 cm and push down on it to lock it fully.
The hood must audibly engage on both sides.
Seite 205Engine compartmentMobility205
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