DRIVING TIPS -> Things to remember when driving for your BMW 4 Series 2020-2025

Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
Things to remember when driving  
Engine, transmission, and axle drive  
Vehicle features and options  
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km  
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road  
speed:  
This chapter describes model-specific equip-  
ment, systems, and functions that are currently  
available, or may become available in the fu-  
ture, even if they are not present in the vehicle.  
4,500 rpm and 100 mph/160 km/h.  
Additional information:  
Avoid full throttle or kickdown under all circum-  
stances.  
Vehicle equipment, refer to page 8.  
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km  
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be  
increased.  
Break-in procedures  
General information  
Moving parts need to work together smoothly.  
Tires  
Tire traction is not optimal due to manufactur-  
ing circumstances when tires are brand new.  
The following instructions will help you to ach-  
ieve a long vehicle life and good efficiency.  
Drive conservatively for the first  
200 miles/300 km.  
During break-in, do not use the Launch Con-  
trol.  
Brake system  
Safety information  
Brake disks and brake pads must be broken in  
to avoid possible brake noise. Drive cautiously  
for the first approx. 300 miles/500 km.  
Warning  
Due to new parts and components, safety  
and driver assistance systems can react with  
a delay. There is a risk of accident, injury, or  
property damage. After installing new parts  
or with a new vehicle, drive conservatively  
and intervene early if necessary. Observe the  
break-in procedures of the respective parts  
and components.  
Following part replacement  
Observe the break-in procedures again if com-  
ponents mentioned above are replaced.  
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Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
Do not remove the heat shields installed and  
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure  
that no combustible materials can come in  
contact with hot vehicle parts while driving, in  
Neutral or during parking.  
General driving notes  
Closing the trunk lid  
Safety information  
Exhaust gas particulate filter  
Warning  
An open trunk lid protrudes from the vehicle  
and can endanger occupants and other road  
users or damage the vehicle in the event of  
an accident, braking or evasive maneuvers.  
In addition, exhaust gas or water may enter  
the vehicle interior. There is a risk of injury or  
risk of damage to property. Do not drive with  
the trunk lid open.  
Principle  
The exhaust gas particulate filter collects soot  
particles. The soot particles are burned at high  
temperatures to clean the exhaust gas particu-  
late filter as necessary.  
General information  
Depending on vehicle equipment and national-  
market version, the vehicle is equipped with  
an exhaust particulate filter. For more informa-  
tion on the exhaust particulate filter, contact an  
authorized service center or another qualified  
service center or repair shop.  
Driving with the trunk lid open  
If the vehicle still needs to be driven with the  
trunk lid open:  
Close all windows and the glass sunroof.  
Greatly increase the blower output.  
Drive moderately.  
The following may occur when cleaning for  
several minutes:  
Temporarily, the engine may run less  
smoothly.  
Fasten the trunk lid, e.g., with a tensioning  
belt.  
A somewhat higher RPM is necessary to  
reach usual power development.  
Hot exhaust system  
Fuel consumption may be higher. The  
higher fuel consumption is included as  
mean value in the display for the current  
consumption.  
Warning  
High temperatures can occur underneath the  
body, for instance caused by the exhaust  
system, while driving. Contact with the ex-  
haust system can cause burns. There is a risk  
of injury. Do not touch the exhaust system,  
including the exhaust pipe, when hot.  
A slight smoke formation coming from the  
exhaust system, even after the engine is  
switched off.  
Noises such as those caused by the radia-  
tor fan running, even several minutes after  
the engine is switched off.  
Overrun of the radiator fan for several minutes  
is normal even after short trips.  
Warning  
If combustible materials such as leaves or  
grass come in contact with hot parts of the  
exhaust system, these materials can ignite.  
There is a risk of fire and an injury hazard.  
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Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
Garage door opener.  
Condensation detected in drive system  
Electronic fee collection devices.  
Payment systems.  
Various driving profiles ensure that the drive  
system functions properly. A driving style with  
consistently low loads can negatively affect  
overall functionality, e.g., condensation forming  
in the drive system. Occasionally running the  
engine longer with higher loads can counteract  
this.  
Vehicle laminated glass  
The vehicle laminated glass provides complete  
protection against the harmful effects of ultra-  
violet radiation on the skin.  
If condensation has formed in the drive sys-  
tem, a corresponding Check Control message  
appears. In this case, on the next drive outside  
of town, proceed as follows for approx. 30 mi-  
nutes:  
Mobile communications in the  
vehicle  
Depending on vehicle equipment, engage  
selector lever position S or L.  
Warning  
Vehicle electronics and mobile communica-  
tion devices can influence one another. There  
is radiation due to the transmission oper-  
ations of mobile communication devices.  
There is a risk of injury or risk of damage to  
property. If possible, only use mobile commu-  
nication devices, e.g., mobile phones, when  
connected directly to an external antenna or  
Personal eSIM in order to prevent mutual in-  
terference and to deflect radiation from the  
vehicle interior.  
Deactivate the speed control system.  
Activate SPORT driving mode via Driving  
Experience Control.  
If possible, drive at varying speeds.  
Additional information:  
Engaging selector lever position:  
Steptronic transmission, refer to page 118.  
Driving Experience Control, refer to  
page 123.  
Attachment point for radio systems  
Aquaplaning  
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can  
form between the tires and road surface.  
This phenomenon is referred to as aquaplan-  
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.  
Driving through water  
With climate comfort windshield: the marked  
area is not covered with heat-reflective coat-  
ing.  
General information  
When driving through water, follow the follow-  
ing:  
The marked area can be used for the attach-  
ment of radio systems, e.g.:  
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Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
Only drive through when the combustion  
engine is running.  
Objects in the travel path of the pedals  
To prevent the combustion engine from  
switching off, deactivate the Auto Start/  
Stop function, e.g., engage selector lever  
position S.  
Warning  
Objects in the driver's footwell can limit the  
pedal travel or block a depressed pedal.  
There is a risk of accident. Stow objects in the  
vehicle such that they are secured and can-  
not enter into the driver's footwell. Use floor  
mats that are suitable for the vehicle and  
can be safely attached to the floor. Do not  
use loose floor mats and do not layer several  
floor mats. Make sure that there is sufficient  
clearance for the pedals. Ensure that the floor  
mats are securely fastened again after they  
were removed, for instance for cleaning.  
The combustion engine also does not  
switch off in selector lever position R.  
Drive through calm water only.  
Drive through water only up to a maximum  
height of 9.8 inches/25 cm.  
Drive through water at a maximum of walk-  
ing speed, up to 3 mph/5 km/h.  
Additional information:  
Auto Start/Stop function, refer to page 115.  
Pedal feel when driving off  
Safety information  
After turning on drive-ready state from idle  
state, the pedal may feel unusual, e.g., the  
pedal travel path may feel short or long. After  
the brake pedal has been fully released, the  
pedal will feel as usual again.  
NOTICE  
When driving too quickly through deep water,  
the water can penetrate the engine compart-  
ment, the electrical system, or the transmis-  
sion. There is a risk of damage to property.  
When driving through water, do not exceed  
the maximum indicated water level and the  
maximum speed for driving through water.  
Driving in wet conditions  
In case of wet roads, exposure to road salt or  
in heavy rain, gently depress the brake pedal  
every few kilometers.  
Ensure that this action does not endanger  
other road users.  
Braking safely  
The heat generated while braking dries brake  
disks and brake pads and protects them  
against corrosion.  
General information  
The vehicle is equipped with an Antilock Brak-  
ing System as a standard feature.  
In this way the brake power will be available  
when you need it.  
Perform full braking when appropriate. To ach-  
ieve the best possible braking assistance, do  
not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal  
during full braking. Steering is still responsive.  
You can still avoid any obstacles with a mini-  
mum of steering movement.  
Hills  
General information  
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the  
gear that requires least braking effort. Other-  
wise, the brake system may overheat and re-  
duce braking effect.  
Sounds from the hydraulic circuits indicate that  
the Antilock Braking System is regulating.  
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Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
You can increase the engine braking effect by  
downshifting, going all the way to first gear, if  
needed.  
Roof bars  
General information  
Roof racks are available as optional accesso-  
ries.  
Safety information  
Warning  
Safety information  
Light but constant pressure on the brake  
pedal can lead to high temperatures, brake  
wear, and even failure of the brake system.  
There is a risk of accident, injury, or property  
damage. Avoid placing excessive stress on  
the brake system.  
Warning  
When driving with a roof load, e.g., roof bars,  
the vehicle's center of gravity is higher. This  
increases the risk of the vehicle tipping in crit-  
ical driving situations. There is a risk of acci-  
dent, injury, or property damage. Drive with  
roof load only with activated Dynamic Stabil-  
ity Control.  
Warning  
In Neutral or with drive-ready state switched  
off, safety functions, for instance engine brak-  
ing effect, braking assistance and steering  
assistance, may be restricted or not availa-  
ble. There is a risk of accident, injury, or prop-  
erty damage. Do not attempt to drive in Neu-  
tral or with drive-ready state switched off.  
Roof strip with flaps  
The mounting points are located in the roof  
strip above the doors.  
Brake disk corrosion  
Corrosion on the brake disks and contamina-  
tion on the brake pads are increased by the  
following circumstances:  
Low mileage.  
Extended stationary periods.  
Infrequent use of the brakes.  
Fold the cover outward.  
Aggressive, acidic, or alkaline cleaning  
agents.  
Installation  
Follow the assembly instructions for the roof  
bars.  
Corrosion buildup on the brake disks will cause  
a pulsating effect on the brakes when braking  
slowly - generally this cannot be corrected.  
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained  
for tilting and opening the glass sunroof.  
Condensation water under the  
parked vehicle  
When using the automatic climate control, con-  
densation water develops and collects under-  
neath the vehicle.  
Loading  
Because luggage racks raise the vehicle's cen-  
ter of gravity when loaded, they have a ma-  
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Things to remember when driving  
DRIVING TIPS  
jor effect on vehicle handling and steering re-  
sponse.  
authorized service center or another qualified  
service center or repair shop.  
When loading and driving, note the following:  
Before and after driving on a racetrack, have  
the vehicle checked by an authorized service  
center or another qualified service center or  
repair shop.  
Do not exceed the approved roof/axle  
weights and the approved gross vehicle  
weight.  
Distribute the roof load uniformly.  
The roof load should not extend past the  
loading area.  
Always place the heaviest pieces on the  
bottom.  
Secure the roof luggage firmly, for instance  
using luggage straps.  
Do not let objects project into the swiveling  
range of the trunk lid.  
Drive carefully. Do not drive off or brake  
suddenly or take corners at speed.  
Driving on racetracks  
Warning  
The vehicle is not designed for use in M Sport  
or motorsport-like competition. There is a risk  
of accident, injury, or property damage. Do  
not use the vehicle for M Sport or motorsport-  
like competitions.  
Higher mechanical and thermal loads during  
racetrack operation lead to increased wear.  
Use of the vehicle in M Sport or motor sport  
type competition is an improper use of the ve-  
hicle and may affect your warranty coverage.  
Please consult the New Vehicle Limited War-  
ranty Booklet for further information on war-  
ranty matters.  
The vehicle manufacturer recommends using  
special sport tires, e.g., high-performance tires.  
Sport tires are designed for the specific re-  
quirements of driving on the racetrack. For  
more information on sport tires, contact an  
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