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EnglishDriving tips for your BMW 3 Series 2006-2013
Driving tips
This section provides you with information
useful in dealing with specific driving and
operating conditions.
Things to remember when driving
Following part replacement
Break-in period
The same break-in procedures should be
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to
observed if any of the components mentioned
each other. Please follow the instructions below
above have to be renewed in the course of the
in order to achieve the optimal service life and
vehicle's operating life.
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Engine and differential
Saving fuel
Always obey all official speed limits.
The fuel consumption of your vehicle depends
on several factors. You can lower fuel consump-
tion and the environmental impact by taking
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at varying engine and road speeds but do
certain measures, adjusting your driving style
not exceed:
and having the vehicle serviced regularly.
>
Gasoline engine
4,500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h
Remove any unneeded cargo
>
Diesel engine
3,500 rpm or 93 mph/150 km/h
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode.
Remove any mounted parts after you
have finished using them
Remove unneeded additional mirrors, the roof
rack and the rear luggage rack after use.
Mounted parts affect the vehicle's aerodynam-
ics and increase fuel consumption.
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually
increased.
Tires
Close the windows and glass roof
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the
first 200 miles/300 km.
An open glass roof or window causes higher air
resistance and thus increases fuel consump-
tion.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Check the tire inflation pressure at least twice a
month and before embarking on a long journey,
and correct it if necessary.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in
period.
Low tire inflation pressure causes higher rolling
resistance and thus increases fuel consumption
and tire wear.
Set off immediately
Clutch
Do not let the engine warm up while the car is
still standing, but set off immediately at moder-
ate engine speed. This is the fastest way for the
cold engine to reach its operating temperature.
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal
level only after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
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Drive defensively
Have the vehicle serviced
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance between you and the vehicle in front of
you. A defensive and smooth driving style
keeps fuel consumption down.
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page 223.
Avoid high engine speeds
General driving notes
Only use first gear when setting off. In second
and higher gears, accelerate without hesitation
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
Close the trunk lid/tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk
lid/tailgate and rear window are closed.
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter the inte-
rior of the vehicle.<
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 the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid/
tailgate open:
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
1. Close all windows and the glass roof.
2. Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page 98.
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
Hot exhaust system
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, with the
risk of serious personal injuries and property
damage. Do not touch hot exhaust tail pipes.
Otherwise, there is a risk of burns.<
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
Diesel particulate filter*
Functions such as the air conditioner, seat
heating or rear window defroster draw large
amounts of power and consume additional fuel.
Especially in city traffic and in stop and go driv-
ing they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti-
cles and burns them periodically at high tem-
peratures. This cleaning process takes several
minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that
the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and
that a somewhat higher engine speed is neces-
sary to achieve the accustomed performance.
Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount
of smoke may emerge from the exhaust, even
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for a short period after the engine is switched
off.
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning,
means that the tire can completely lose contact
with the road surface, so that neither the car can
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page 215.
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page 57.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in neutral or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, engine
braking action will not be present or there will be
no power assistance to the brakes or steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a
lengthy period using the clutch; use the
parking brake instead. Otherwise, greater
clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page 84.
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most
effective way of braking in situations in which
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
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1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately
result in a sudden blowout.<
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Load
Determining loading limit
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
Stowing cargo
>
Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the
respective seat backrests.
>
>
Cover sharp edges and corners.
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
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provided for attaching the cargo straps.
Two are located on the cargo area
sidewalls 1, two more are on the rear cargo
area panel 2.
Sedan
Please comply with the information sup-
plied with the cargo straps.
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above, so that it cannot endan-
ger the car's occupants, for example if sudden
braking or swerving is necessary.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle
weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer
to page 247, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Sports Wagon
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown
around, for example as a result of heavy braking,
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants.
Only attach the cargo straps using the lashing
eyes shown in the illustration. Do not secure
cargo with the anchors for tether straps, refer to
page 51; otherwise, these could be damaged.<
>
Use the partition net to protect passengers,
refer to page 111. Make sure that objects
cannot penetrate the partition net.
>
>
Do not stack cargo higher than the upper
edge of the backrests.
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Comply with the directions given
in the installation instructions.
Place protective material around any
objects which could bump against the rear
window while the vehicle is in motion.
Securing cargo
Mounting points
>
>
Secure smaller and lighter items using
retaining straps, a cargo area net* or draw
straps*.
The mounting points are located in the roof/
along the roof rails*.
Heavy-duty cargo straps* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available at
your BMW center. Four* lashing eyes are
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Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the applicable data under Weights
on page 247.
The roof load must be distributed uniformly and
should not be too large in area. Heavy items
should always be placed at the bottom. Be sure
that adequate clearance is maintained for rais-
ing the glass roof, and that objects do not
project into the opening path of the trunk lid/
tailgate.
Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.
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