2001 BMW M3 COUPE wheel

40n
Alarm system
*
The conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the
luggage compartment lid is opened.
>To movement inside the vehicle (inte-
rior motion sensor).
>Altering the angle of the vehicle tilt
sensor, e. g. as would occur while
attempting to steal the wheels or tow
the vehicle (tilt sensor alarm system).
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following:
>Sounding an acoustical alarm for
30 seconds.
>Activating the hazard warning
flashers for approx. five minutes.
>Flashing the high beams on and off in
rhythm with the hazard warning
flashers.
To activate and deactivate the
alarm systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
by using a key or the remote control,
the alarm system is also simultaneously
armed or disarmed.
The interior motion sensor and the
alarm system tilt sensor are activated
approx. 30 seconds after the last door
has been locked.
If the alarm system has been armed
correctly, the hazard warning flashers
flash once.
You can have a signal set as
acknowledgment for both setting
and deactivating the alarm.<
You can also open the luggage
compartment lid when the system is
armed by pressing button 3 of the
remote control (refer to page 34). When
it is closed, the lid is once again
secured.
Indicator lampThe indicator lamp is located under the
interior rearview mirror.
>When the indicator lamp flashes
continuously: the system is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes when it is
armed: the door(s), the hood or
luggage compartment lid are not
completely closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area, the remaining
areas are deadlocked, and the indi-
cator lamp flashes continuously after
10 seconds. However, the interior
motion sensor is not activated.
>If the indicator lamp goes out when
the system is disarmed: no manipula-
tion or attempted intrusions have
been detected in the period since the
system was armed.

45n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
For maximum safety when adjusting the
seat position, please observe the
following:
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle
control could lead to an accident.
Be sure that the safety belt remains
firmly against your body at all times. In
the event of a frontal impact, a loose lap
belt could slide over the hips, leading to
abdominal injury. In addition, the safety
belt's restraint effectiveness is reduced
if the belt is worn loosely.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to
an extreme angle (especially important
for the front passenger to remember). If
you do so, there is a risk that you will
slide under the safety belt in an acci-
dent, thus reducing the protection
provided by the safety belt.<
Correct sitting posture To reduce strain on your spinal column,
sit all the way back in the seat and rest
your back fully against the backrest.
The ideal sitting posture is achieved
with your head extending from your
spine in a straight line.
For long-distance driving, you may wish
to increase the backrest tilt-angle
slightly to reduce muscular tension. You
should be able to grasp the steering
wheel at its highest point with your
arms slightly bent.
After a seat adjustment, adjust the
height of the safety belt also. Refer to
page 55. 1 Longitudinal adjustment
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the
desired position.
After releasing the lever, apply pres-
sure to the cushion to ensure that the
seat engages securely.
2 Cushion height
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the seat as
required.
Seat adjustment Mechanical seat

52n
Adjusting steering wheel Car Memory, Key Memory 1 Push the locking lever downward
2 Adjust the steering wheel (forward/
back and up/down) to the desired
position
3 Pull the lever back in to clamp the
steering wheel in the new position.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving, other-
wise there is a risk of an accident from
unexpected movement.<
How the system functionsYou have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle to reflect your
own personal requirements. In devel-
oping this vehicle, BMW has "built in" a
few options that, should you so desire,
your BMW center can adjust for you.
There are settings related to the vehicle
("Car Memory") and settings related to
individuals ("Key Memory"). You can
have up to four different basic settings
adjusted for four different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own master key with
remote control.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes
the individual user by means of a data
exchange with the key, and makes
adjustments accordingly.
In order for you to distinguish between
different keys, colored decals are
supplied together with the keys.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with
details on the possibilities that the Car
Memory and Key Memory systems
offer.
Examples for Car Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgement for locking and
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
pages 32, 33
>Deactivating/activating the "Follow-
Me-Home lamps" function, refer to
page 81
>Activating/deactivating daytime
running lamps
*, refer to page 81
>Set the units of measure to indicate
outside temperature and distance
traveled on the instrument panel,
refer to page 19.

57n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
AirbagsSitting correctly with airbags
Comply with the following instruc-
tions for the airbags. If you do not,
the airbags may not be able to provide
their maximum protection, with
resulting risks to personal safety. The
following information pertains to all
occupants:
Even though there is an airbag, wear a
safety belt every time you get in the
vehicle, because airbags supplement
the safety belts as an additional
restraint device.
Assume a sitting posture that is
comfortable and allows the greatest
possible distance between you and the
airbags.
Always hold the steering wheel by the
rim to keep any chance of injury to
hands or arms to an absolute minimum,
should the airbag deploy. Keep the
instructions regarding sitting properly in
your seat on page 45 in mind as well.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbag and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger-side airbag as a
storage area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
Do not use any child restraint systems
on the passenger side. Children under
12 years of age, who are smaller than
5 feet (150 cm), may ride in the back
only.
If your vehicle is equipped with side
airbags in the rear passenger area, be
sure that child restraints are mounted
correctly and provided with the
greatest-possible distance between the
airbags in the side trim panels. Do not
allow children to lean out of the child's
seat in the direction of the side trim
panels. If they do so, serious injuries
can occur if the airbag is triggered. upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appro-
priate child restraint systems; larger
children and adults using the safety
belts). Never let an occupant's head
rest near or on a side airbag because
the inflating airbag could cause a
serious or fatal injury. Please note that
the word "Airbag" imprinted on the door
trim panel indicates the airbag's loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an automo-
bile is in the rear seat. However, a child
sitting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the airbag, if so equipped. For
example, a child Ñ even though belted
Ñ may fall asleep with his or her head
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children
in the rear seat will remain properly
positioned at all times and not place
their heads on or near the side airbag.
Therefore, we recommend that the rear
seat side airbags, if so equipped, be
deactivated if children will travel in the
rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW

62n
0 Steering locked
1 Steering unlocked
2 Ignition switched on
3 Starting the engine
Steering locked The key can be inserted or removed in
this position only.
To lock the steering column after you
have removed the key, turn the steering
wheel until you hear it lock.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal sounds after the driver's door
has been opened.
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 Put manual-shift gear lever in idling
position
3 Step on the clutch pedal
4 Turn the key to position 3 to start the
engine.
Do not actuate the starter for too short
a time. Do 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 run in
enclosed spaces. 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.<
Do not allow the engine to warm
up by leaving it running while the
vehicle remains stationary. Instead,
begin driving immediately at a
moderate engine speed.<
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

63n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Starting the engine Switching off engine Parking brake If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (if the engine 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 about +5 7 (Ð15 6) and
at high altitudes over 3,300 ft
(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 do so, the steering will lock, making
it impossible to steer the vehicle.
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
gear or reverse 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 to apply the
brakes.<
The parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels. To engageThe lever engages automatically, the
indicator lamp in the instrument panel
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.

76n
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) The conceptDSC maintains vehicle stability, even in
critical driving situations.
The system optimizes vehicle stability
during acceleration and when starting
from a full stop, as well as optimizing
traction. In addition, it also recognizes
unstable driving conditions such as
understeering or oversteering in curves,
and helps the vehicle remin on a steady
course by using the engine and brake
system to intervene at the different
wheels. This, of course, is true only
within physically teasible limits.
The DSC is operational every time you
start the engine. The laws of physics cannot be
repealed, even with DSC. It will
always be the driver's responsibility to
drive in a manner that matches road
conditions. We therefore urge you to
avoid using the additional safety margin
of the system as an excuse for taking
risks.
Do not make any modifications to the
DSC system. Allow only authorized
technicians to perform service proce-
dures on the DSC.<
At first, you may need some time to
become accustomed to this system's
intervention. However, it guarantees
optimum drive force and at the same
time, the best possible vehicle stability.
For additional details concerning DSC,
refer to the chapter "Advanced tech-
nology" on page 158.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will go out shortly
after the ignition has been
switched on. Refer to pages 21, 22.
>Indicator lamp flashes: the DSC is
active and is controlling the drive
torque based on driving conditions
>If the indicator lamp fails to go out
after the engine has been started, or
if it comes on during normal driving
and stays on: the DSC has been
switched off via the button or there is
a malfunction. You can continue to
drive the vehicle normally, but
without DSC. Please consult your
BMW center for repairs.

78n
Tire Pressure Warning (RDW)The conceptThe Tire Pressure Warning (RDW) moni-
tors the tire pressure in all four wheels
while driving. The system detects
whenever the inflation pressure in a tire
drops significantly.
Controlling the tire pressure is based
on monitoring the speed of the tires
relative to each other. A flat tire is
detected and reported because the
speed suddenly deviate drastically from
one another.
Initializing the systemInitializing is necessary to familiarize the
system with the correct inflation pres-
sure.
Repeat this process after any changes
in tire inflation pressure, tire rotation or
replacement. Do not carry out further
system initialization after correcting the
inflation pressure and letting the system
"learn" what condition is required.
1 Check the tire inflation pressure in all
the tires, comparing them with the
inflation pressure table (page 27),
and adjusting their pressure if neces-
sary
2 Turn the ignition key to position 2
3 Continue to press the button until the
yellow indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. After a short
time, the indicator lamp will go out
automatically
4 After a few minutes, the RDW will
accept the current inflation pressure
as the value to be measured against,
and from that point on, can detect
and report a flat tire.