General driving notes – BMW 2012 3 Series M3 Сoupe User Manual

Page 140

139

Things to remember when driving

Driving tips

Check tire inflation pressure regularly

Check the tire inflation pressure at least twice a
month and before embarking on a long journey,
and correct it if necessary.
Low tire inflation pressure causes higher rolling
resistance and thus increases fuel consumption
and tire wear.

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.

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 con-
stant 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 high-
est applicable gear.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
erator 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 sav-
ings 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 driv-
ing 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
your BMW center. Also note the BMW service
system, refer to page

264

General driving notes

Close the trunk lid

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.

If special circumstances make it absolutely nec-
essary to drive with the trunk open:

Close all windows and the glass roof.

Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page

118

Drive cautiously.