2002 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE change time

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Sequential M gearbox
* SMG II
The warning stops after approx. 10
seconds. If you move the selector lever
into a forward or reverse position
during this time, a gear is automatically
engaged.
The SMG II has no park position
for securing the vehicle against
rolling.
The ignition key can be removed in any
selector lever position.<
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on downhill roads.
Engaging a gear may not sufficiently
secure the vehicle against rolling.<
Display in instrument clusterThe selector lever position, currently
engaged gear and selected driving
program are displayed in the instrument
cluster.
1 Engaged gear
2 Selected driving program
(corresponds to the number of illumi-
nated fields), refer to page 68
3 Tapping the selector lever to the right
switches over into the displayed shift
mode
4 "A" indicates an activated automated
mode.
R - Reverse positionOnly engage with the vehicle stopped
or at low speed, e.g. for "rocking free"
in deep snow.0 - Position 0Always engage before starting the
engine.
If the driving situation requires, e.g.
when downshifting on slippery roads,
the SMG II automatically disengages
and reengages the clutch, i.e. it is not
necessary to manually engage
position 0. S - Sequential modeIn the sequential mode all forward
gears are to be shifted by the driver.
Changeover from automated to
sequential mode:
>Tap the selector lever to the right
toward "S" or
>Change gears with the selector lever
or the shift paddles on the steering
wheel.
You do not need to reduce the throttle
for shifting.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Sequential M gearbox
* SMG II
Shifting gears with shift paddles on
steering wheel:
>To upshift, briefly pull the right
paddle "+"
>To downshift, briefly pull the left
paddle "Ð".
Shift paddles with various widths
matched to the shape of your
hand are available from your BMW
center.<
Shifting gears with selector lever:
>To upshift, pull the selector lever
backward "+"
>To downshift, push the selector lever
forward "Ð".
No automatic upshifting is carried out in
the sequential mode.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g.
during passing, by manually down-
shifting.
In the following situations the SMG II
helps you "think" in the sequential
mode:
>Upshifts and downshifts are only
executed when the new gear will
provide a suitable combination of
vehicle and engine speed, i.e., down-
shifts that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed
>During a stop the gearbox is auto-
matically downshifted into the first
gear so that, e.g. before a traffic light,
it is only necessary to accelerate to
continue driving
>When the speed is reduced, the
gearbox is automatically down-
shifted shortly before a gear-depen-
dent minimum speed is reached
without you taking any action.
A - Automated modeEach time the engine is started, the
automated mode is activated as soon
as you move the selector lever into the
forward driving position.
In the automated mode all forward
gears are automatically shifted.
Changeover from sequential to auto-
mated mode: tap the selector lever to
the right toward "A". Watch the display
in the instrument cluster, refer to
page 66.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during
passing, depress the accelerator pedal
completely (kick-down). The gearbox
now downshifts in dependence on the
selected driving program.
Even in the automated mode, you can
help specify the shifting point: if a gear-
dependent minimum speed is
exceeded, you can upshift by slowly
reducing pressure on the accelerator
pedal. In the process, the respective
driving situation is detected by sensors
and taken into account.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Sequential M gearbox
* SMG II
The vehicle may roll slightly before
it is held by the gradient assis-
tance after releasing the footbrake.
Two seconds after the footbrake is
released, the vehicle begins to roll, as it
is no longer held with the gradient
assistance.<
The gradient assistance must be reacti-
vated before each use.
Indicator lamp
The transmission indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes
out after the engine is started.
>If it does not go out, or if it lights up
during driving, a fault has occurred.
The available functions may be
limited under certain circumstances.
Drive carefully and with the Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC) activated.
Have the system checked by the
nearest BMW center
>If the indicator lamp flashes while
driving, the system is overloaded.
Avoid high loads until the indicator
lamp goes out again permanently.
Shift lightsTo achieve the best possible vehicle
acceleration with a sporty driving style
in the sequential mode, shift lights in
the instrument cluster indicate the
optimum shifting point shortly before
the maximum engine speed is reached.
1. When the maximum engine speed is
approached, yellow indicator fields
(shift lights) in the tachometer light
up consecutively to indicate the
approaching upshift time
2. Shift at the latest when the last indi-
cator field lights up red.Tire replacement, snow chainsFollowing a tire or wheel change and
after mounting or removing snow

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
DisplayThe following information or conditions
are displayed from ignition key
position 2 on, until the cause has been
corrected:
1 Inspect the low-beam and high-beam
headlamps, as well as the parking
lamps
2 Door open
3 Luggage compartment lid open
4 Check brake and tail lamps
After completion of a trip and upon
opening the driver's door, an acoustic
signal will sound yet not be displayed,
as a reminder that the low-beam head-
lamps have not been turned off.
If you wish to have a permanent time
display, you can make this adjustment
in the car radio
* display (refer to the
Radio Owner's Manual).
You can set the time of day, and the
display for the car radio
*, as follows.
Adjustments From ignition key position 1 the time of
day appears in the display.
To set ahead: turn the button to the
right.
To set back: turn the button to the left.
The adjustment speed will increase the
longer you continue to hold the button.
To change the display mode: press the
knob briefly. Every time you press the
knob, the clock display alternates
between the 12-hour or 24-hour mode.
In ignition key position 0: the time is
displayed for a few seconds after you
press the left button (refer to
"Odometer" on page 75).
Check Control

Clock

78n
Computer

Mode selectionWith the ignition key in position 1 and
higher, you can use the button in the
turn signal lever to retrieve information
from the computer for display in the
instrument cluster. By pressing the
button briefly in the direction of the
steering column, you can call up a new
function for display.
The displays appear in the following
order:
Time of day, outside temperature,
average fuel consumption, cruising
range, average vehicle speed.
Starting with ignition key position 1, the
last active setting is displayed.
Outside temperature You can change the units of measure
(6/7) for the outside temperature
display by pressing the right-hand reset
button in the instrument cluster while
the temperature display is active.
Ice warning If the outside temperature drops to
about 37.5 7 (+3 6), then the
computer will automatically switch to
show the outside temperature. In addi-
tion, a signal sounds as a warning and
the display flashes for a brief period.
The ice warning does not alter the
fact that surface ice can form at
temperatures above 37.5 7 (+3 6), on
bridges or shaded road surfaces, for
instance.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Parking lamps
With the switch in this position,
the front, rear and side vehicle
lighting comes on. You can use
the parking lamps for parking. For
lighting on one side for parking as an
additional feature, refer to page 86.
Low beams
When you switch the ignition off
with the low beam headlamps
on, only the parking lamps will
remain on.
"Follow me home" lamps: When y
ou activate the headlamp
flasher after parking the vehicle and
switching off the lights, the low beams
will come on for a brief period. You may
also have this function deactivated if
you wish.<
"LIGHTS ON" warningWhenever you open the driver's door,
after having turned the ignition key to
position 0, you will hear an acoustic
signal for a few seconds to remind you
that the lamps have not been switched
off.Daytime driving lamps
*
The headlamps are automatically
switched on for daytime driving at
ignition key position 2.
Automatic headlight control
*
When the switch is set to this
position the system automati-
cally switches the low beams on
and off in response to changes in
ambient light ( in tunnels, at dusk, etc.)
as well as rain and snow.
The vehicle's external lamps
remain on constantly when you
switch on the front fog lamps after the
headlamps have come on automati-
cally.<
Automatic headlight control
cannot serve as a substitute for
the personal judgement in determining
when the lamps should be switched on.
The sensors cannot, for example
"recognize" fog. In such situations
switch on the lamp manually, as other-
wise a safety hazard will result.<
You can have the sensitivity of
your vehicle's automatic head-
light control adjusted.<
Parking lamps/Low beams

112n
Winter tires Snow chains** * *Choosing the right tireBMW recommends winter tires (M+S
radial tires) for driving in adverse winter
road conditions. So-called all-season
tires with the M+S identification mark
do indeed possess better winter trac-
tion than summer tires that have the H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed ratings, they
generally fail to provide the same levels
of performance as snow tires.
In the interests of safe tracking and
steering response, install radial tires
made by the same manufacturer and
with the same tread configuration on all
four wheels if you elect to mount winter
tires.
When mounting winter wheels,
observe the different recess on
the front and rear wheels, as otherwise
damage may result.<
Do not exceed specified
maximum speeds
Never exceed the maximum
speed for which the tires are
rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and
accidents.
Have this work performed by skilled
professionals only. Your BMW center
will be glad to assist you with both their
expertise and the proper equipment for
your vehicle.<
Tire condition, tire pressureOnce winter tires wear to a tread depth
of less than 0.16 inches (4 mm), their
performance under winter driving
conditions deteriorates noticeably.
Worn tires should therefore be replaced
for safety considerations.
Comply with the specified tire inflation
pressures Ð and be sure to have the
wheel and tire assemblies balanced
every time you change the tires.
The use of fine-link BMW snow chains
is only permitted in pairs with the winter
tires on the rear wheels. Comply with all
manufacturer's safety precautions
when mounting the chains. Do not
exceed a maximum speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h) with snow chains.
After mounting or removing snow
chains, always reinitialize the sequential
M gearbox
* SMG II, refer to page 83.
It is not possible to mount snow
chains on tires with 18- and
19-inch wheels.
Deactivate the Flat Tire Monitor when
using snow chains. Malfunction warn-
ings and undetected losses in pressure
are a possibility when driving with snow
chains.
For further information, refer to
page 82.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Brake fluid
If the brake warning lamp
comes on with the parking
brake released: the brake fluid
level is too low.
For adding brake fluid or for
determining and correcting the
cause of brake fluid loss, consult your
BMW center. Your BMW center is
familiar with the specifications for
factory-approved brake fluids (DOT 4).
Due to loss in brake fluid, pedal travel
can lengthen and braking efficiency
may be reduced. Comply with the infor-
mation provided on page 105.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic, that is,
it absorbs moisture from the air
over time.
In order to ensure the safety and reli-
ability of the brake system, have the
brake fluid changed every two years by
a BMW center. Refer also to the Service
and Warranty Information Booklet (US
models) or the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet (Canadian models).
Brake fluid is toxic and damages the
vehicle's paint. You should always store
it in its original container and in a loca-
tion inaccessible to children.
Do not spill the fluid and do not fill the
brake fluid reservoir beyond the "MAX"
mark. The brake fluid could ignite upon
contact with hot engine parts and
cause serious burns.<
Comply with the applicable envi-
ronmental laws regulating the
disposal of brake fluid.<