2011 3 Series Owner's Manual without iDrive - Irvine BMW

Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate distance
between you and the vehicle in front of
you. A defensive and smooth driving style
keeps fuel consumption down.
Avoid high engine speeds
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.
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 constant
speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the highest
applicable gear.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accelerator
and coast in a suitable gear.
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 savings
even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
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 driving
they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
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 a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service system,
refer to page 148.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk
lid is closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could enter the interior of the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid
open:
1. Close all windows and the glass roof.
2. Greatly increase the air volume of the air
conditioner or automatic climate control
system, refer to page 98 or 101.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high temperatures
are generated in the exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust system,
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.<
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