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Overview
Controls
Maintenance
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Data
Index
Your individual vehicle
In selecting your BMW you have
decided to purchase a specific model
with its own individual range of equip-
ment. This Owner's Manual will
describe all of the equipment that the
BMW M3 has to offer you.
We therefore request your under-
standing for the fact that this manual
describes equipment and features that
you might not have chosen for your
vehicle. You can easily identify any
differences with the aid of the asterisk
*
used to identify all optional equipment
and accessories.
If your BMW features equipment that is
not described in this Owner's Manual (a
car radio or telephone, for instance), we
have enclosed Supplementary Owner's
Manuals. We ask you to read these
manuals as well.
Status at time of printing
BMW pursues a policy of continuous,
ongoing development that is conceived
to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety
standards combined with advanced,
state-of-the-art technology. It is there-
fore possible that some of your own
vehicle's equipment and features may
vary from those described in this
manual. Nor can errors and omissions
be entirely ruled out. We must therefore
request your understanding for the fact
that we are unable to recognize legal
claims based on discrepancies
between the data, descriptions and
illustrations in this manual and your own
vehicle's equipment.
Status at time of printing
For your own safety
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For your own safety
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with
up to 2,8 % oxygen by weight (i.e.
15 % MTBE or 3% methanol plus an
equivalent amount of co-solvent) will
not void the applicable warranties
respecting defects in materials or work-
manship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel
quality (volatility, composition, addi-
tives, for example) among gasolines
offered for sale in the United States and
Canada. The use of poor quality fuels
may result in drivability, starting and
stalling problems especially under
certain environmental conditions, such
as high ambient temperature and high
altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems which you suspect could be
related to the fuel you are using, we
recommend that you respond by
switching to a recognized high-quality
brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled
maintenance.
Obey all applicable safety rules when
you are handling gasoline.
<
Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by BMW and Original
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire
the assurance that they have been
thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free
from defects in material and workman-
ship.
BMW will not accept any liability for
damage resulting from installation of
parts and accessories not approved by
BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made
by other manufacturers to ascertain
whether it can be used on a BMW
safely and without risk to either the
vehicle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on
using these items, are available from all
BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms,
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors,
wheels, suspension components, brake
dust shields, telephones (including
operation of any portable cellular phone
from within the vehicle without using an
externally mounted antenna) or trans-
ceiver equipment (such as CB, walkie-
talkie, ham radio or similar) may cause
extensive damage to the vehicle,
compromise its safety, interfere with
the vehicle's electrical system or affect
the validity of the BMW Limited
Warranty. See your BMW center for
additional information.
Do not use key or remote control to
lock doors or luggage compartment
with anyone inside the vehicle. Refer to
page 33 for more details.
<
Symbol on vehicle parts
Indicates that you should consult
the relevant section of this
Owner's Manual for information on a
particular part or assembly.
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Overview
Controls
Maintenance
Repairs
Data
Index
The following applies only to vehicles owned and operated in the US.
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash o\
r could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (\
NHTSA) in addition to notifying BMW of
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227, Tele\
phone (201) 307-4000.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and \
if it finds that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, N\
HTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free \
at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 in
Washington, D.C. area) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transport\
ation, Washington, D.C. 20590. You can
also obtain other information about engine vehicle safety from the Hotli\
ne.
Page 12 of 151
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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Overview
Controls and features
Operation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Index Technical data
Overview
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1 Parking lamps/Low beams80
2
>
Turn signal indicator65
>
Standing lamps81
>
High beams81
>
Headlamp flasher65
>
Computer723 Washer/Wiper system/Rain
sensor66
4 Hazard warning flashers
5 Gearshift lever58
6 Rear window defroster84, 887 Central locking system28
8 Steering wheel47
9 Horn: the entire surface
10 Fog lamps82
Cockpit
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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Instrument cluster
1 Fuel gauge71
2 Turn signal indicator20
3 Speedometer
4 Indicator and warning
lamps17 to 205 Tachometer and
engine oil temperature gauge70
6 Engine coolant temperature
gauge71
7 Indicator and warning
lamps17 to 208 Control button for
>
Clock73
>
Unit of measure of outside temper-
ature display73
9 Display for sequential M gearbox
*
SMG II61
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Instrument cluster
10 Indicator lamp for Dynamic Stability
Control (DSC)19
11 Display for
>
Odometer70
>
Trip odometer70
>
Clock73
>
Service Interval71Display for computer, operation
using the turn signal lever, refer to
page 72:
>
Clock
>
Outside temperature
>
Average fuel consumption
>
Range
>
Average speed12 Display for Check Control72
13 Trip odometer, reset to zero70
14 Indicator and warning
lamps17 to 20