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EnglishDriving tips for your BMW 3 Series 2018-2025
Driving tips
This chapter provides you with information
useful in dealing with specific driving and
operating modes.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 911 066 - VI/13
Driving tips
Things to remember when driving
Things to remember when driving
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Vehicle equipment
All 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.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake
discs and brake pads. Drive moderately during
this break-in period.
Clutch
Breaking-in period
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.
General information
Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to
each other.
The following instructions will help achieve a
long vehicle life and good economy.
Following part replacement
The same breaking in procedures should be
observed if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
Engine and differential
Always obey the official speed limit.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
General driving notes
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:
Closing the trunk lid
▷
For gasoline engine 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.
Drive with the trunk lid closed
▷
For diesel engine 3,500 rpm and
93 mph/150 km/h.
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, in the event of an accident or braking and
evasive maneuvers, passengers and other road
users may be injured, and the vehicle may be
damaged. In addition, exhaust fumes may en‐
ter the passenger compartment.◀
Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐
stances.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:
▷
▷
▷
Close all windows and the glass sunroof.
Greatly increase the blower speed.
Drive moderately.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full
traction potential until after an initial breaking-
in period.
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Things to remember when driving
Driving tips
generated during transmission will be dis‐
charged from the vehicle interior.◀
Hot exhaust system
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Hydroplaning
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure
that flammable materials, e. g. hay, leaves,
grass, etc. do not come in contact with the hot
exhaust system during driving, while in idle po‐
sition mode, or when parked. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of seri‐
ous personal injury as well as property dam‐
age.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise,
there is the danger of getting burned.◀
Driving through water
Diesel particulate filter
Drive though calm water only and only if it is
not deeper than. 9.8 inches/25 cm and at this
height, no faster than walking speed, up to
6 mph/10 km/h.
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti‐
cles and burns them periodically at high tem‐
peratures.
During the cleaning time of several minutes,
the following may occur:
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
▷
Temporarily, the engine may run less
smoothly.
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission may
be damaged.◀
▷
Noises and a slight amount of smoke com‐
ing from the exhaust until shortly after the
engine is shut down.
▷
A somewhat higher engine speed is neces‐
sary to achieve the accustomed perform‐
ance.
Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a stand‐
ard feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations when this is neces‐
sary.
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
The vehicle maintains steering responsive‐
ness. You can still avoid any obstacles with a
minimum of steering effort.
It is advised that you do not use mobile com‐
munication devices, e.g., mobile phones, in‐
side the vehicle without connecting them di‐
rectly to the external antenna. Otherwise, the
vehicle electronics and mobile communication
devices can interfere with each other. In addi‐
tion, there is no assurance that the radiation
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.
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Driving tips
Things to remember when driving
Do not drive in neutral
Objects in the area around the pedals
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking.
In addition, steering and brake assist is un‐
available with the engine stopped.◀
No objects in the area around the pedals
Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other
objects out of the area of motion of the pedals;
otherwise, the function of the pedals could be
impeded while driving
Brake disc corrosion
The corrosion on the brake discs and the con‐
tamination on the brake pads are furthered by:
Do not place additional floor mats over existing
mats or other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved
for the vehicle and can be properly fixed in
place.
▷
▷
Low mileage.
Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.
Ensure that the floor mats are securely fas‐
tened again after they were removed for clean‐
ing, for example.◀
▷
Infrequent use of the brakes.
Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet coated with road salt or
there is heavy rain, briefly exert gentle pres‐
sure on the brake pedal every few miles.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
Ensure that this action does not endanger
other road users.
Condensation under the parked
vehicle
When using the automatic climate control,
condensation water develops that exits under‐
neath the vehicle.
The heat generated in this process helps dry
the brake discs and pads.
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Traces of water under the vehicle like this are
normal.
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required.
Otherwise, the brake system may overheat, re‐
sulting in a reduction in the brake system effi‐
ciency.
You can increase the engine's braking effect
by shifting down, going all the way to first gear,
if necessary.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the
brake system. Light but consistent brake pres‐
sure can lead to high temperatures, brake wear
and possibly even brake failure.◀
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Loading
Driving tips
Loading
vehicle and unstable driving situations
may result.
Vehicle equipment
All 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.
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
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 ca‐
pacity.
Hints
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs =
400 lbs.
Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carry‐
ing capacity of the tires, never overload the ve‐
hicle. Overloading can lead to overheating and
increases the rate at which damage develops
inside the tires. This could result in a sudden
loss of tire inflation pressure.◀
5. Determine the combined weight of lug‐
gage and cargo being loaded on the vehi‐
cle. That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be dam‐
aged.◀
Load
Determining the load limit
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
1. Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported.
▷
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the
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Driving tips
Loading
Stowing cargo
▷
Cover sharp edges and corners on the
cargo.
▷
Heavy cargo: stow as far forward as possi‐
ble, directly behind and at the bottom of
the rear passenger seat backrests.
▷
Very heavy cargo: when the rear seat is not
occupied, secure each of the outer safety
belts in the opposite buckle.
Hook the floor net into the fittings in the cargo
area floor.
▷
▷
If necessary, fold down the rear backrests
to stow cargo.
Securing cargo
Do not stack cargo above the top edge of
the backrests.
▷
Smaller and lighter items: secure with re‐
taining straps, the floor net or draw straps.
▷
Larger and heavy objects: secure with
cargo straps.
Securing cargo
Attach the cargo straps, retaining straps or
draw straps to the lashing eyes in the cargo
area.
Lashing eyes in the cargo area
Securing cargo
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above; otherwise, it can endanger
the car's occupants if sudden braking or
swerving becomes necessary.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car; otherwise, they could be
thrown around as a result of hard braking, sud‐
den swerves, etc., and endanger the occu‐
pants.◀
To secure the cargo there are four lashing
eyes in the cargo area.
Floor net
The floor net can also be used to Secure the
load and to store small parts.
Roof-mounted luggage rack
Note
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Securing
Follow the installation instructions of the roof
rack.
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Loading
Driving tips
Roof drip rail with flaps
The anchorage points are located in the roof
drip rail above the doors.
Fold the cover outward.
Loading
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained
for tilting and opening the glass sunroof.
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center
of gravity when loaded, they have a major ef‐
fect on vehicle handling and steering re‐
sponse.
Therefore, note the following when loading
and driving:
▷
Do not exceed the approved roof/axle
loads and the approved gross vehicle
weight.
▷
▷
Distribute the roof load uniformly.
The roof load should not be too large in
area.
▷
▷
▷
▷
Always place the heaviest pieces on the
bottom.
Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie
with ratchet straps.
Do not let objects project into the opening
path of the trunk lid.
Drive cautiously and avoid sudden acceler‐
ation and braking maneuvers. Take corners
gently.
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Driving tips
Saving fuel
Saving fuel
Vehicle equipment
Close the windows and glass
sunroof
Driving with the glass sunroof and windows
open results in increased air resistance and
raises fuel consumption.
All 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.
Tires
General information
General information
Your vehicle contains advanced technology for
the reduction of fuel consumption and emis‐
sions.
Tires can affect fuel consumption values in
various ways, for instance fuel consumption
can be influenced by the size of the tires.
Check the tire inflation pressure
regularly
Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐
ferent factors.
Check and, if necessary, correct the tire infla‐
tion pressure at least twice a month and before
starting on a long trip.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can have an
influence on fuel consumption and on the envi‐
ronmental impact.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and
tire wear.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Drive away without delay
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving
right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Remove attached parts
following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use.
This is the fastest way for the cold engine to
reach its operating temperature.
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.
Look well ahead when
driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehi‐
cle driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and looking ahead reduces
fuel consumption.
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Saving fuel
Driving tips
In addition, fuel consumption is also deter‐
mined by other factors, such as driving style,
road conditions, maintenance or environmental
factors.
Avoid high engine speeds
Use 1st gear to get the vehicle in motion. Be‐
ginning with 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly.
When accelerating, shift up before reaching
high engine 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.
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
consume additional fuel, especially in city and
stop-and-go traffic.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
The gear shift indicator of your vehicle indi‐
cates the most fuel efficient gear.
Therefore, switch off these functions if they
are not actually needed.
Use coasting conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot
off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to
a halt.
Have maintenance carried
out
Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve
optimal vehicle economy and operating life.
Have the maintenance carried out by your
service center.
On a downhill gradient, take your foot off the
accelerator and let the vehicle roll.
The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.
Please also note the BMW Maintenance Sys‐
tem, refer to page 207.
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.
ECO PRO
The concept
ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves
on fuel consumption. For this purpose, the en‐
gine control and comfort functions, e. g. the
climate control output, are adjusted.
Automatic Engine Start/Stop Function
The Auto Start/Stop function of your vehicle
automatically switches off the engine during a
stop.
In addition, context-sensitive instructions can
be displayed that assist in driving in a manner
that optimizes fuel consumption.
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.
The extension of the range that is achieved as
a result can be displayed in the instrument
cluster.
At a glance
The system includes the following
EfficientDynamics functions and displays:
Using this system can cause certain compo‐
nents of the vehicle to become worn prema‐
turely.
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Driving tips
Saving fuel
▷
▷
By making a slight change to the set tempera‐
ture, or slowly adjusting the rate of heating or
cooling of the passenger compartment, fuel
consumption can be economized.
ECO PRO tips driving instruction, refer to
page 173
▷
ECO PRO climate control, refer to
The outputs of the seat heater and the exterior
mirror heating are also reduced.
The exterior mirror heating is made available
when outside temperatures are very cold.
Activating ECO PRO
Press button repeatedly until ECO
PRO is displayed in the instrument
ECO PRO potential
cluster.
The percentage of potential savings that can
be achieved with the current configuration is
displayed.
Configuring ECO PRO
Via the Driving Dynamics Control
1. Activate ECO PRO.
Display in the instrument cluster
ECO PRO bonus range
2. "Configure ECO PRO"
3. Configure the program.
An extension of the range can
be achieved by an adjusted driv‐
ing style.
Via the iDrive
1. "Settings"
2. "ECO PRO mode"
Or
This may be displayed as the
bonus range in the instrument
cluster.
The bonus range is shown in the range display.
1. "Settings"
The bonus range is automatically reset every
time the vehicle is refueled.
2. "Driving mode"
3. "Configure ECO PRO"
Configure the program.
Driving style
ECO PRO Tip
▷
"Tip at:":
Set ECO Pro speed at which an ECO PRO
Tip is to be displayed.
▷
"ECO PRO speed warning":
A reminder is displayed if the set ECO PRO
speed is exceeded.
In the tachometer, a mark in the bar display in‐
dicates the current efficiency of the driving
style.
ECO PRO climate control
"ECO PRO climate control"
The climate control is adjusted to be fuel-effi‐
cient.
Mark in the CHARGE area, arrow 1: display for
energy recovered by coasting or when braking.
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Saving fuel
Driving tips
Mark in the POWER area, arrow 2: display
when accelerating.
Symbol Measure
Automatic transmission: switch
from M/S to D and avoid manual
shift interventions.
The efficiency of the driving style is shown by
the color of the bar:
▷
Blue display: efficient driving style as long
as the mark moves within the blue range.
Manual shift transmission: follow
shifting instructions.
▷
Gray display: adjust driving style, e. g. by
backing off the accelerator pedal.
Manual shift transmission: engage
neutral for engine stop.
The display switches to blue as soon as all
conditions for fuel-economy-optimized driving
are met.
Indications on the Control Display
EfficientDynamics
Information on fuel consumption and technol‐
ogy can be displayed during driving.
ECO PRO Tip - driving instruction
The arrow indicates that the
driving style can be adjusted to
be more fuel efficient by backing
off the accelerator for instance.
1. "Vehicle Info"
2. "EfficientDynamics"
Note
Displaying fuel consumption history
The average fuel consumption can be dis‐
played within an adjustable time frame.
The driving style display and ECO PRO tips in
the instrument cluster appear when the ECO
PRO display is activated.
Vertical bars show consumption for the se‐
lected time frame.
Activating driving style and ECO PRO tips:
1. "Settings"
Trip interruptions are represented below the
bar on the time axis.
2. "Info display"
3. "ECO PRO Info"
"Consumption history"
Adjusting fuel consumption history
time frame
ECO PRO tip - Symbols
An additional symbol and a text instruction are
displayed.
Select the symbol.
Symbol Measure
Resetting fuel consumption history
1. Open "Options".
For efficient driving style, back off
the accelerator or delay accelerating
to allow time to assess road condi‐
tions.
2. "Reset consumption history"
Displaying EfficientDynamics info
The current efficiency can be displayed.
"EfficientDynamics info"
Reduce speed to the selected ECO
PRO speed.
The following systems are displayed:
▷
Automatic engine start-stop function.
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Driving tips
Saving fuel
▷
▷
▷
Energy recovery.
▷
▷
Battery charge status temporarily too low
or vehicle electrical system drawing exces‐
sive current.
Climate control output.
Coasting.
Cruise control activated.
Display ECO PRO tips
Functional requirements
"ECO PRO Tips"
In ECO PRO mode, this function is available in
a speed range from approximately 30 mph, ap‐
prox. 50 km/h to 100 mph, approx. 160 km/h, if
the following conditions are satisfied:
The setting is stored for the profile currently in
use.
Coasting
▷
▷
▷
Accelerator pedal and brake pedal are not
operated.
The concept
The system helps to conserve fuel.
The selector lever is in transmission posi‐
tion D.
To do this, under certain conditions the engine
is automatically decoupled from the transmis‐
sion when transmission position D is engaged.
The vehicle continues traveling with the engine
idling to reduce fuel consumption. Transmis‐
sion position D remains engaged.
Engine and transmission are at operating
temperature.
Display
Display in the instrument cluster
This driving condition is referred to as coast‐
ing.
The mark in the bar display be‐
low the tachometer is backlit in
blue and is located at the zero
point. The tachometer approxi‐
mately indicates idle speed.
As soon as the brake or accelerator pedal is
depressed, the engine is automatically coupled
to the transmission again.
The coasting point indicator is illuminated at
the zero point during coasting.
Hints
Coasting is a component of the ECO PRO, re‐
Indications on the Control Display
The function is available in a certain speed
range.
The Coasting driving condition is displayed in
EfficientDynamics Info while this driving mode
is active.
A forward-looking driving style helps the driver
to use the function as often as possible and
supports the fuel-conserving effect of coast‐
ing.
Safety mode
The function is not available if one of the fol‐
lowing conditions is satisfied.
▷
▷
DSC OFF or TRACTION activated.
Driving in the dynamic limit range and on
steep uphill or downhill grades.
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Saving fuel
Driving tips
Functional requirement
The function is only available in ECO PRO
mode.
Calling up ECO PRO Analyser
Via the Driving Dynamics Control
1. Activate ECO PRO.
2. "EfficientDynamics"
Color code blue, arrow 1, and symbol, arrow 2:
driving condition Coasting.
3.
Select the symbol.
Display
Displaying EfficientDynamics info
1. "Vehicle Info"
Display on the Control Display
2. "EfficientDynamics"
3.
"EfficientDynamics info"
Deactivating the system manually
The function can be deactivated in the Config‐
use the braking effect of the engine when trav‐
eling downhill.
The setting is stored for the profile currently in
use.
The display of the ECO PRO Analysers con‐
sists of a symbolized road route and a lookup
table.
ECO PRO Analyser
The concept
The system helps in this situation to develop
an especially efficient driving style and to con‐
serve fuel.
The road symbolizes the efficiency of the driv‐
ing style. The more efficient the driving style,
the smoother the depicted road route be‐
comes, arrow 1.
The table of values contains stars. The more
efficient the driving style, the more stars are in‐
cluded in the table and the faster the bonus
range increases, arrow 2.
For this purpose, the driving style is analyzed.
The assessment is done in various categories
and is displayed on the Control Display.
If, on the other hand, the driving style is ineffi‐
cient, a wavy road and a reduced number of
stars is displayed.
Using this indication, the individual driving
style can be oriented toward conserving fuel.
The last fifteen minutes of a trip are evaluated.
To assist with an efficient driving style, ECO
PRO tips are displayed during the drive.
The range of the vehicle can be extended by
an efficient driving style. This gain in range is
displayed as a bonus range in the instrument
cluster and on the Control Display.
Tips about the energy saving driving style,
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