2009 BMW 328 Owner's Manual - Page 117

Drive defensively Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate distance to the forward vehicle. 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 a BMW center. Also note the BMW service system, refer to page 216. 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. General driving notes Close the luggage compartment lid/ tailgate Operate the vehicle only when the luggage compartment lid/tailgate and rear window are closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter the interior of the vehicle.< If the vehicle must be driven with the luggage compartment lid/tailgate open: 1. Close all windows and the glass roof. 2. Greatly increase the air volume of the automatic climate control system, refer to page 95. 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. 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.< 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 and the seat or rear window heating 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. Diesel particulate filter* The diesel particulate filter collects soot particles and burns them periodically at high temperatures. This cleaning process takes several minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and that a somewhat higher engine speed is necessary to achieve the accustomed performance. Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount 115 Mobility Reference Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 602 099 - © 10/08 BMW AG Communications Entertainment Navigation Coasting Driving tips Controls Avoid high engine speeds At a glance