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EnglishDriving tips for your BMW 1 Series 2011-2019
Driving tips
This section provides you with information
useful in dealing with specific driving and
operating conditions.
Driving tips
Things to remember when driving
Things to remember when driving
Brake system
Vehicle equipment
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may
not be available in a vehicle, for example due to
the special options or national-market version
selected. This also applies to safety related
functions and systems.
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in
period.
Clutch
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.
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to
each other. Please follow the instructions below
in order to achieve the optimal service life and
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Following part replacement
The same break-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 all official speed limits.
Saving fuel
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The fuel consumption of your vehicle depends
on several factors. You can lower fuel consump-
tion and the environmental impact by taking
certain measures, adjusting your driving style
and having the vehicle serviced regularly.
Drive at varying engine and road speeds, but do
not exceed an engine speed of 4,500 rpm or a
road speed of 100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode.
Remove any unneeded cargo
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually
increased.
Remove any mounted parts after you
have finished using them
Tires
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.
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full
traction potential until after an initial break-in
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the
first 200 miles/300 km.
Close the windows and glass roof
An open glass roof or window causes higher
air resistance and thus increases fuel
consumption.
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Things to remember when driving
Driving tips
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Switch off the engine during lengthy
stops
Check the tire inflation pressure at least twice a
month and before embarking on a long journey,
and correct it if necessary.
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions.
Low tire inflation pressure causes higher rolling
resistance and thus increases fuel consumption
and tire wear.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
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.
Set off immediately
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.
Drive defensively
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
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at
your BMW center. Also note the BMW Mainte-
nance System, refer to page 237.
Avoid high engine speeds
Use first gear only for driving off. In second and
higher gears, accelerate without hesitation or
pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid
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.
Only drive with the trunk closed. Failure to
do so may endanger passengers or other
road users or may damage the vehicle in the
event of an accident or a braking and evasive
maneuver. In addition, exhaust gas may flow
into the passenger compartment.<
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
If special circumstances make it absolutely
necessary to drive with the trunk open:
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
1. Close all windows and the glass roof.
2. Greatly increase the air volume of the
automatic climate control system, refer to
page 108.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
3. Drive cautiously.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
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Driving tips
Things to remember when driving
Hot exhaust system
Use the parking brake on inclines
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
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.<
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed in
its vicinity, and never apply undercoating to
them. When driving, standing at idle and while
parking, 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.<
For more information about the drive-off
assistant, refer to page 90.
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.
Mobile phones in the vehicle
It is not advisable to use wireless devices
such as mobile phones inside the vehicle
without a direct connection to an external aerial.
Otherwise, it is not possible to exclude the pos-
sibility of a reciprocal interference occurring
between the vehicle electronics and the wire-
less device. Otherwise, there is no assurance
that the radiation generated by the radio trans-
mission will be conveyed out of the passenger
compartment.<
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Objects in the movement range of the
pedals
Keep floor mats, carpet, and other objects
out of the movement range of the pedals;
otherwise, they may inhibit the function of the
pedals during driving.
Do not place additional floor mats onto an
existing one or onto other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for
the vehicle and can be appropriately fastened.
Make sure that the floor mats are securely
fastened again after they have been removed,
e.g. for cleaning.<
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.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with
declining tread depth on the tires, refer also to
Minimum tread depth on page 229.
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
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors. Full
braking efficiency will then be available when
you need it.
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.<
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Things to remember when driving
Driving tips
Hills
When the vehicle is parked
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
Condensation forms while the automatic
climate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
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.<
Cargo loading
You can increase the engine's braking effect
by shifting down, all the way to first gear if nec-
essary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic
transmission, refer to page 65.
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. In some situations,
this can result in sudden loss of tire pressure.<
Sport automatic transmission with double
clutch: never drive with the transmission
in neutral or with the engine switched off; other-
wise, there will be no engine braking action and
no power assistance to the brakes and steering.
Manual transmission: never drive with the
clutch held down, with the transmission in neu-
tral or with the engine switched off; otherwise,
there will be no engine braking action and no
power assistance to the brakes and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<
Avoid fluid spills in the trunk as they could
damage the vehicle.<
Determining loading limit
1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard:
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.
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise damage to
the vehicle may occur and unstable driving
conditions may result.<
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.
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.
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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Driving tips
Things to remember when driving
1,400 lbs and there will be five 150-lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
Convertible
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.
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.
Storing cargo
>
Position heavy objects as low and as far
forward as possible, ideally directly behind
the respective seat backrests.
>
>
Cover sharp edges and corners.
For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
Load
Securing cargo
>
Secure smaller and lighter items using draw
straps.
>
Heavy-duty cargo straps for securing larger
and heavier objects are available at your
BMW center. To attach the cargo straps,
there are two lashing eyes on the inside wall
of the trunk.
The permissible load is the sum of the occu-
pants' weights and the weight of the cargo. The
greater the weight of the occupants, the less
cargo/luggage can be transported.
Comply with the information enclosed with
the load-securing devices.
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 259, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Stowing cargo
Coupe
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
occupants.
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Things to remember when driving
Driving tips
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 60, otherwise, these could be damaged.<
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.
Coupe: 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.
Mounting points
Fold open the cover.
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 259.
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 tilting
the glass roof, and that objects do not project
into the opening path of the trunk lid.
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