Saving Fuel - BMW SEDAN 3 series Owner's Manual

When you reach the desired speed, shift into the
highest applicable gear and drive with the en‐
gine speed as low as possible and at a constant
speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
The gear shift indicator of your vehicle indicates
the most fuel efficient gear.
Use coasting conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to a halt.
On a downhill gradient, take your foot off the ac‐
celerator and let the vehicle roll.
The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.
Switch off the engine during
longer stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.,
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic
congestion.
Fuel savings are achieved after the vehicle is
switched off for only approx. 4 seconds.
Switch off any functions that
are not currently needed
Functions such as seat heating and the rear win‐
dow defroster require a lot of energy and con‐
sume additional fuel, especially in city and stop-
and-go traffic.
Therefore, switch off these functions if they are
not actually needed.
Have maintenance carried out
Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve
optimal vehicle economy and operating life.
Have the maintenance carried out by your serv‐
ice center.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 608 633 - 11 09 490

Saving fuel

Please also note the BMW Maintenance Sys‐
tem, refer to page 277.
ECO PRO
The concept
ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves on
fuel consumption. For this purpose, the engine
control and comfort functions, e. g. the climate
control output, are adjusted.
In addition, context-sensitive instructions can
be displayed that assist in driving in a manner
that optimizes fuel consumption.
The extension of the range that is achieved as a
result can be displayed in the instrument cluster.
Activating ECO PRO
Press button repeatedly until ECO PRO
is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Display in the instrument cluster
ECO PRO bonus range
ter.
Driving style
▷ Blue display: efficient driving style as long as
the mark moves within the blue range.
▷ Gray display: adjust driving style, e. g. by
backing off the accelerator pedal.
I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
Driving tips
An extension of the range can be
achieved by an adjusted driving
style.
This may be displayed as the bo‐
nus range in the instrument clus‐
In the tachometer, a mark in the
bar display indicates the current
efficiency of the driving style cor‐
responding to the accelerator
pedal position.
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