Notes for your BMW 3 Series 2013-2019

Notes  
Notes  
Using this Owner's Manual  
Symbols  
Indicates precautions that must be followed  
precisely in order to avoid the possibility of  
personal injury and serious damage to the  
vehicle.  
Orientation  
The fastest way to find information on a partic‐  
ular topic is by using the index.  
An initial overview of the vehicle is provided in  
the first chapter.  
◄ Marks the end of a specific item of  
information.  
Refers to measures that can be taken to  
help protect the environment.  
Updates made after the editorial  
deadline  
Any updates made after the editorial deadline  
for the Owner's Manuals are found in the ap‐  
pendix of the printed Quick Reference for the  
vehicle.  
"..." Identifies display texts in vehicle used to  
select individual functions.  
›...‹ Verbal instructions to use with the voice  
activation system.  
››...‹‹ Identifies the answers generated by the  
voice activation system.  
User's manual for Navigation,  
Entertainment, Communication  
Symbols on vehicle components  
The topics of Navigation, Entertainment, Com‐  
munication and the short commands of the  
voice activation system are described in a sep‐  
arate user's manual, which is also included  
with the onboard literature.  
Indicates that you should consult the  
relevant section of this Owner's Manual for  
information on a particular part or assembly.  
Vehicle features and options  
Additional sources of  
information  
The service center will be happy to answer any  
other questions you may have.  
This Owner's Manual describes all models and  
all standard, country-specific and optional  
equipment that is offered in the model series.  
Therefore, in this Owner's Manual, we also de‐  
scribe and illustrate features that are not avail‐  
able in your vehicle, e.g., because of the se‐  
lected optional features or the country-specific  
version.  
Information on BMW, e.g., on technology, is  
BMW Driver’s Guide App  
This also applies to safety-related functions  
and systems.  
The Owner's Manual is available in many coun‐  
tries as an app. Additional information on the  
Internet:  
The respectively applicable country provisions  
must be observed when using the respective  
features and systems.  
For any options and equipment not described  
in this Owner's Handbook, refer to the Supple‐  
mentary Owner's Handbooks.  
6
Notes  
On right-hand drive vehicles, some controls  
are arranged differently from what is shown in  
the illustrations.  
Therefore, have this work performed only by a  
BMW center or a workshop that works accord‐  
ing to BMW repair procedures with appropri‐  
ately trained personnel.  
If work is not carried out properly, there is a  
danger of subsequent damage and related  
safety hazards.  
Status of the Owner's  
Manual  
Parts and accessories  
Basic information  
BMW recommends using parts and accesso‐  
ries approved by BMW for this purpose.  
The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a  
policy of constant development that is con‐  
ceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to  
embody the highest quality and safety stan‐  
dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐  
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from  
those in your vehicle.  
Your BMW center is the right contact for genu‐  
ine BMW parts and accessories, other prod‐  
ucts approved by BMW and related qualified  
advice.  
BMW has tested these products for safety and  
suitability in relation to BMW vehicles.  
Updates made after the editorial  
deadline  
Any updates made after the editorial deadline  
for the Owner's Manuals are found in the ap‐  
pendix of the printed Quick Reference for the  
vehicle.  
BMW can assume responsibility for them.  
However, we cannot assume any responsibility  
whatsoever for parts and accessories that have  
not been specifically approved by BMW.  
BMW cannot evaluate whether each individual  
product from another manufacturer can be  
used with BMW vehicles without presenting a  
safety hazard. This guarantee does not apply  
when country-specific government approval  
has been granted. Testing of this kind may fail  
to embrace the entire range of potential oper‐  
ating conditions to which components might  
be exposed on BMW vehicles. Such products  
could conceivably fail to comply with BMW's  
own stringent quality standards.  
For your own safety  
Warranty  
Your vehicle is technically configured for the  
operating conditions and registration require‐  
ments applying in the country of first delivery -  
homologation. If your vehicle is to be operated  
in a different country it might be necessary to  
adapt your vehicle to potentially differing oper‐  
ating conditions and permit requirements. If  
your vehicle does not comply with the homolo‐  
gation requirements in a certain country you  
cannot lodge warranty claims for your vehicle  
there. Further information can be obtained  
from your Service Centre.  
California Proposition 65 Warning  
California laws require us to state the following  
warning:  
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automo‐  
bile components and parts, including compo‐  
nents found in the interior furnishings in a vehi‐  
cle, contain or emit chemicals known to the  
State of California to cause cancer and birth  
defects and reproductive harm. In addition,  
certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain  
products of component wear contain or emit  
Maintenance and repairs  
Advanced technology, e.g., the use of modern  
materials and high-performance electronics,  
requires suitable maintenance and repair work.  
7
Notes  
chemicals known to the State of California to  
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro‐  
ductive harm. Battery posts, terminals and re‐  
lated accessories contain lead and lead com‐  
pounds. Wash your hands after handling. Used  
engine oil contains chemicals that have caused  
cancer in laboratory animals. Always protect  
your skin by washing thoroughly with soap and  
water.  
Specifications for required maintenance meas‐  
ures:  
BMW Maintenance system  
Service and Warranty Information Booklet  
for US models  
Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for  
Canadian models  
If the vehicle is not maintained according to  
these specifications, this could result in seri‐  
ous damage to the vehicle. Such damage is  
not covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited  
Warranty.  
Service and warranty  
We recommend that you read this publication  
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐  
lowing warranties:  
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.  
Data memory  
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.  
Many electronic components on your vehicle  
are equipped with data memories that tempo‐  
rarily or permanently store technical informa‐  
tion about the condition of the vehicle, events  
and faults. This technical information generally  
records the state of a component, a module, a  
system or the environment:  
Federal Emissions System Defect War‐  
ranty.  
Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.  
California Emission Control System Lim‐  
ited Warranty.  
Detailed information about these warranties is  
listed in the Service and Warranty Information  
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and  
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.  
Operating mode of system components, fill  
levels for instance.  
Status messages for the vehicle and from  
its individual components, e.g., wheel rota‐  
tion speed/vehicle speed, deceleration,  
transverse acceleration.  
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and  
designed to meet the particular operating con‐  
ditions and homologation requirements in your  
country and continental region in order to de‐  
liver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle  
is operated under those conditions. If you wish  
to operate your vehicle in another country or  
region, you may be required to adapt your ve‐  
hicle to meet different prevailing operating  
conditions and homologation requirements.  
You should also be aware of any applicable  
warranty limitations or exclusions for such  
country or region. In such case, please contact  
Customer Relations for further information.  
Malfunctions and faults in important sys‐  
tem components, e.g., lights and brakes.  
Responses by the vehicle to special situa‐  
tions such as airbag deployment or engag‐  
ing the stability control system.  
Ambient conditions, such as temperature.  
This data is purely technical in nature and is  
used to detect and correct faults and to opti‐  
mize vehicle functions. Motion profiles over  
routes traveled cannot be created from this  
data. When service offerings are used, e.g., re‐  
pair services, service processes, warranty  
claims, quality assurance, this technical infor‐  
mation can be read out from the event and  
fault memories by the service personnel, in‐  
Maintenance  
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the  
road safety, operational reliability and the New  
Vehicle Limited Warranty.  
8
Notes  
cluding the manufacturer, using special diag‐  
nostic tools. You can obtain further information  
there if you need it. After an error is corrected,  
the information in the fault memory is deleted  
or overwritten on a continuous basis.  
conditions and no personal data, e.g., name,  
gender, age, and crash location, are recorded.  
However, other parties, such as law enforce‐  
ment, could combine the EDR data with the  
type of personally identifying data routinely ac‐  
quired during a crash investigation.  
With the vehicle in use there are situations  
where you can associate these technical data  
with individuals if combined with other infor‐  
mation, e.g., an accident report, damage to the  
vehicle, eye witness accounts — possibly with  
the assistance of an expert.  
To read data recorded by an EDR, special  
equipment is required, and access to the vehi‐  
cle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the ve‐  
hicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law  
enforcement, that have the special equipment,  
can read the information if they have access to  
the vehicle or the EDR.  
Additional functions that are contractually  
agreed with the customer - such as vehicle  
emergency locating - you can transmit certain  
vehicle data from the vehicle.  
Vehicle identification  
number  
Event Data Recorder EDR  
This vehicle is equipped with an event data re‐  
corder EDR. The main purpose of an EDR is to  
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa‐  
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting  
a road obstacle, data that will assist in under‐  
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed.  
The EDR is designed to record data related to  
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a  
short period of time, typically 30 seconds or  
less.  
The vehicle identification number can be found  
in the engine compartment.  
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record  
such data as:  
The vehicle identification number can also be  
found behind the windshield.  
How various systems in your vehicle were  
operating.  
Whether or not the driver and passenger  
safety belts were fastened.  
Reporting safety defects  
How far, if at all, the driver was depressing  
the accelerator and/or brake pedal.  
For US customers  
The following only applies to vehicles owned  
and operated in the US.  
How fast the vehicle was traveling.  
These data can help provide a better under‐  
standing of the circumstances in which  
crashes and injuries occur.  
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect  
which could cause a crash or could cause in‐  
jury or death, you should immediately inform  
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis‐  
tration NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of  
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, West‐  
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a  
nontrivial crash situation occurs; no data are  
recorded by the EDR under normal driving  
9
Notes  
wood, New Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone  
1-800-831-1117.  
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may  
open an investigation, and if it finds that a  
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it  
may order a recall and remedy campaign.  
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in  
individual problems between you, your dealer,  
or BMW of North America, LLC.  
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle  
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236  
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://  
NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washing‐  
ton, DC 20590. You can also obtain other in‐  
formation about motor vehicle safety from  
For Canadian customers  
Canadian customers who wish to report a  
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, De‐  
fect Investigations and Recalls, may call the  
toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510. You can also  
obtain other information about motor vehicle  
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Notes  
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