2001 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE Owner's Manual

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Rollover protection system3 Keep pressing down on the protec-
tive bar 1 from above until you hear it
click into place
4 Put the cover panel back in place,
and press down firmly
5 Press the rear part of the head
restraint 2 closed.
Do the same for the second protective
bar. If you are not familiar with any of
the procedures, consult your BMW
center.
Have the rollover protection system
checked by your BMW center after it
has been inadvertently triggered.Do not move the convertible top
under any circumstances if the
rollover protection system has
deployed.
Do not use the rear head restraints as
storage shelves.
Absolutely no modifications are to be
made to any of the rollover protection
system's individual components or any
of its wiring.
Only your BMW center is authorized to
carry out any work on the rollover
protection system.
Work done on the system that is carried
out improperly could lead to failure in
an emergency or inadvertent triggering.
Regarding having the system checked
to ensure long-term operation: be scru-
pulous in adhering to the Service
Interval Display for maintenance inter-
vals. The rollover protection system
must be checked by a BMW center at
least every 2 years.<

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0 Steering locked
1 Steering unlocked
2 Ignition switched on
3 Starting the engine
Steering locked The key can be inserted and removed in
this position only.
To lock the steering column after you
have taken the key out, turn the
steering wheel until you hear it lock.Steering unlocked Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.
You will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock. Ignition switched onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use. 1 Engage the parking brake
2 Move the shift lever to the neutral
position
3 Depress the clutch pedal
4 Turn the key to position 3 to start the
engine.
Do not actuate the starter for too short
a time, but not turn it for more than
approx. 20 seconds. Release the igni-
tion key immediately when the engine
starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, drive off
immediately at a moderate engine
speed.
Do not run the engine in enclosed
areas. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Breathing the exhaust gases poses an
extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unat-
tended vehicle with a running engine
represents a potential safety hazard.<
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Starting the engine Switching off the engine Parking brake If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at very low temperatures,
starting at approx. 5 7 (–15 6) and at
high altitudes (over 1,000 meters):
>On the first start attempt, engage the
starter for a longer period (approx.
10 seconds)
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at startup are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from
discharging, always deactivate elec-
trical devices that are not in use. Switch
the ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is still moving.
If you did so, the steering lock would
engage when the steering wheel is
turned.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Set the parking brake when parking on
steep hills, because under certain
conditions, putting the vehicle into first
or reverse gear may not be enough to
prevent it from rolling away.
The power assist is not available when
the engine is not on. This means that
more effort is required for braking.<
The parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates against the rear
wheels. To engageThe lever engages automatically, the
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on when the ignition key is in
position 2. Refer to page 21.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button (arrow) and lower the lever.
If, in exceptional circumstances,
it should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is
in motion, do not pull the lever with

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Parking brake Manual transmission excessive pressure. Keep your thumb
pressed against the release button
while carefully pulling up the lever to
apply moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Set the parking brake when parking on
steep hills, because under certain
conditions, putting the vehicle into first
or reverse gear may not be enough to
prevent it from rolling away.<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake lightly
from time to time when coasting to a
standstill (at a traffic signal, for
instance), provided that it is safe to do
so. The shift lever's neutral plane is located
between 3rd and 4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever automatically
springs back to the gear lever's home
position.
When shifting gears in the 5th/6th-
gear plane, be sure to press the
gear lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th-gear plane.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the clutch.
Use the parking brake instead. Other-
wise, riding the clutch will cause
tremendous wear and tear to the
clutch.<
Reverse Select only when the vehicle is
stationary. Press the shift lever to the
left to overcome the slight resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp flasher Washer/Wiper system 1 High beams (blue indicator lamp)
2 Headlamp flasher (blue indicator
lamp)
3 Turn signal indicator (green indicator
accompanied by periodic clicking
sound from the relay).To signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond
the detent. It then returns to the center
position when released.
When the turn signal indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and the blinker relay clicks, a
turn indicator lamp has failed.<
0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent operation or rain sensor
*
2 Normal wipe
3 Fast wipe
4 Brief wipe
5 Rotary dial for controlling the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensor
*
Intermittent operation(not on vehicles with rain sensor)
You can set the wipe interval at four
stages with rotary dial 5. In addition, the
wipe interval is varied automatically
depending on road speed.

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Washer/Wiper systemRain sensor
*
When the rain sensor is activated, the
windshield wiper is controlled automati-
cally, depending on the degree of
wetness of the windshield (in both snow
and rain). You do not have to be
concerned with switching the wind-
shield wiper on or off or adjusting the
wipe interval between intermittent and
full wipe. Instead, you can concentrate
fully on the traffic conditions. This is
especially important under adverse
weather conditions.
The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly ahead of the inte-
rior rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
>From ignition key position 1 and up,
move the lever to position 1. The
wipers travel once across the wind-
shield, regardless of the weather
>You can leave the lever permanently
in position 1. It is then only necessary
to activate the rain sensor from igni-
tion key position 1 and up. To do this
give rotary dial 5 a quick turn.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain
sensor: turn rotary dial 5.
Deactivating the rain sensor: put lever
in position 0.Deactivate the rain sensor when
passing through an automatic car
wash. Failure to do so could result in
damage caused by undesired wiper
activation.<
Normal wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers switch automatically to intermit-
tent wipe (not on vehicles with rain
sensor).Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers operate at normal speed (not on
vehicles with rain sensor).
0 Wipers retracted
1 Clean the windshieldClean the windshieldThe system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
If you pull the lever only briefly, the
system sprays washer fluid onto the
windshield without activating the
wipers.
Do not use the washers if there
is any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield. If you do so,
your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use an antifreeze agent. Refer
to page 126.

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Washer/Wiper system Rear window defroster Cruise control Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty, since this could cause
damage to the washer pump. *
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned every fifth time the automatic
windshield washer is activated.Windshield washer jetsThe windshield washer jets are warmed
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.
To activateWith the convertible top closed or the
hardtop
* mounted, press the
button: as
long as the indicator lamp remains on,
the rear window defroster continues at
high output (rapid thaw).
After the indicator lamp goes out, the
defroster continues operating at
reduced power for a limited period
before deactivating automatically.
To deactivatePress the button if the indicator lamp is
on.
Starting at about 20 mph (30 km/h), you
can maintain and store any vehicle
speed that you specify.
You can use cruise control, whenever
the system is active while the engine is
running.
1 Accelerate and store
2 Decelerate and store
3 Activate/interrupt/deactivate the
system
4 Recall the stored speed

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Cruise control To activate the system From ignition key position 2.
Press button 3 and the indicator lamp
on the instrument cluster (refer to
page 23) will come on. You can now
use the cruise control.
Do not use cruise control on
twisting roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed, when the road surface is slick
(snow, rain, ice), or when the road
surface is loose (rocks, sand).< To deactivate the system Press button 3 as often as you need to
until the indicator lamp on the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
The speed stored in memory is deleted.
To store and maintain speed or to
acceleratePress button 1 briefly: the system regis-
ters and maintains the current vehicle
speed. Every time you tap the button,
the speed increases by approx.
0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button 1: the vehicle
accelerates without pressure on the
accelerator pedal. When you release
the button, the system registers and
maintains the current speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the
engine braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed may be
exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient.< To deceleratePress button 2 briefly: if you are already
driving with active cruise control, the
speed is decreased by approx. 0.6 mph
(1 km/h) every time you tap the button.
Press and hold button 2: with the cruise
control active, the system automatically
reduces the throttle opening to slow the
vehicle. When you release the button,
the system registers and maintains the
current speed.
To interrupt the cruise control When the cruise control is on, press
button 3. The indicator lamp will stay
on.
You can use the cruise control again
whenever you want by calling up the
speed that was stored last.
In addition, cruise control is interrupted
automatically
>if the brakes are applied
>when you depress the clutch pedal,
>if you exceed or fall below the
programmed speed for an extended
period (by depressing the acceler-
ator, for example).Recall the stored speed.Press button 4: the vehicle accelerates
to and maintains the last speed stored.