2004 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE steering

65 Driving
Ignition lockIgnition key positions0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition on
3Start engineSteering lockedThe key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal sounds when the driver door is
opened.
Steering unlockedYou 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.
Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

68
Switching off the engine
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.<
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on downhill roads.
Engaging a gear may not provide ade-
quate resistance to rolling.<
Manual transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Sequential M gearbox with
DrivelogicIf you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in the for-
ward or reverse position, a gear auto-
matically remains engaged.
If you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in
position N, a warning tone and the
flashing gear indicator in the SMG
Drivelogic display remind you that no
gear is engaged to secure the vehicle
against rolling.
The warning stops after approx. ten
seconds. If you move the selector lever
into a forward or reverse position dur-
ing this time, a gear is automatically
engaged.
Parking brakeThe parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates on the rear wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically, and
the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition key
is in position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.

70
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*The conceptThe sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic is an automated manual
gearbox with which clutching and shift-
ing is assumed by an electro-hydraulic
system.
The SMG Drivelogic is operated via two
shift paddles on the steering wheel and
the selector lever in the center console.
It offers the following functions:
>Sequential and automated shifting
mode
>Ability to choose between different
driving programs – Drivelogic
>Gradient assistance, refer to page 73
>Upshift display and shift lights, refer
to page 74
>RPM matching on downshifts
>Driving dependent functions:
The respective driving situation, e.g.
cornering, mountain driving or brak-
ing, is detected by sensors and taken
into account for shifting, e.g. to
achieve optimum gear selection dur-
ing deceleration and subsequent
acceleration
>Slip recognition at the rear axle for
increasing driving stability, e.g. dur-
ing downshifting on slippery road
surfaces>Operating safety through protection
against misshifting.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
the first driving program of the auto-
mated shifting mode.
Selector lever positionsR: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
Forward position with one-touch mode:
>S: sequential mode
>D: automated mode
>+: upshifting in sequential mode
>–: downshifting in sequential mode.
The SMG Drivelogic is ready for opera-
tion from ignition key position two or
higher.
For your safety, it is only possible to
engage a driving position with the vehi-
cle stopped approx. two seconds after
engaging position N with the footbrake
depressed – shift-lock function.

71
Display in instrument clusterThe selector lever position, currently
engaged gear and selected driving pro-
gram are displayed in the instrument
cluster.
1Engaged gear
2Selected driving program, corre-
sponds to the number of illuminated
fields, refer to page 73
3Tapping the selector lever to the right
switches over into the displayed shift
mode
4'D' indicates an activated automated
shift mode
R – Reverse position Only engage with the vehicle stopped
or at low speed, e.g. for rocking free in
deep snow.
An intermittent signal tone indi-
cates that the reverse position has
been engaged. engine.
If the driving situation requires, e.g.
when downshifting on slippery roads,
the SMG Drivelogic automatically dis-
engages and reengages the clutch, i.e.
it is not necessary to manually engage
position N.S – Sequential modeIn the sequential mode all forward
gears are to be shifted by the driver.
To switch 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.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

72
Shifting gears with shift paddles on
steering wheel:
>To upshift, briefly pull the right pad-
dle +
>To downshift, briefly pull the left pad-
dle –.
Shift paddles with various widths
matched to the shape of your
hand are available from your BMW cen-
ter.<
Shifting gears with selector lever:
>To upshift, pull the selector lever
backward in the '+' direction
>To downshift, push the selector lever
in the '–' direction.
No automatic upshifting is carried out in
the sequential mode.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g.
during passing, by manually downshift-
ing.
In the following situations the
SMG Drivelogic anticipates your
actions in the sequential mode:
>Upshifts and downshifts are only exe-
cuted at appropriate combinations of
engine rpm and vehicle speed. For
instance, downshifts that would
result in excessive engine speed are
not 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
>As speed diminishes, the gearbox
downshifts automatically, without you
taking any action, just before the
vehicle slows to below each gear's
minimum speed.D - 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 shifted automatically.To switch from sequential to automated
mode: tap the selector lever to the right
toward 'D'. Watch the display in the
instrument cluster, refer to page 71.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during
passing, depress the accelerator pedal
completely – kickdown. The gearbox
now downshifts depending 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.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*

77
0Wipers retracted
1Clean windshield and headlampsClean windshield and headlamps*
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, as your vision
could be obscured. Always use a wind-
shield washer antifreeze in cold
weather. Refer to page 126.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty. This could cause damage
to the washer pump.<
The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned at reasonable intervals.Windshield washer nozzlesThe windshield washer jets are warmed
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.
Cruise controlYou can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph / 30 km/h.
The cruise control is available whenever
the engine is running and the system
has been activated.To activate the systemIn ignition key position 2:
Press the button in the steering wheel.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on, refer to page 20. You
can now use the cruise control.
Do not use cruise control on twist-
ing roads, when high traffic den-
sity prevents driving at a constant
speed, or when the road surface is slick
– snow, rain, ice – or loose – rocks or
gravel, sand. until the indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

83
ComputerMode 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. Each time you press
the button briefly in the direction of the
steering column, a new function is
called up in the display.
The displays appear in the following
order:
Time of day, outside temperature, aver-
age fuel consumption, cruising range,
average vehicle speed.
When the ignition key is in position 1 or
higher, the last active setting is dis-
played.
Outside temperatureYou can change the units of measure –
6/7 – for the outside temperature dis-
play by pressing the right-hand reset
button in the instrument cluster while
the temperature display is active. The
units of measure – 6/7 – in the tem-
perature display of the automatic cli-
mate control change automatically,
refer to page 96.Ice warningIf the outside temperature drops to
about 37.57/+36, then the computer
will automatically switch to a display of
the outside temperature. In addition, a
signal sounds as a warning and the dis-
play flashes for a brief period.
After giving an ice warning, the
display returns to the previous
setting.<
The ice warning does not alter the
fact that surface ice can form at
temperatures above 37.57/+36, on
bridges or shaded road surfaces, for
instance.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

86
Dynamic Stability Control DSCThe 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 recognizes
unstable vehicle conditions, such as
understeering or oversteering, and,
within physically feasible limits, helps
keeping the vehicle on a steady course
by reducing the engine speed and
brake applications to the individual
wheels.
The system starts up automatically
each time you start the engine.The laws of physics cannot be
repealed, even with DSC. The
results of driving irresponsibly rest with
the driver. 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 stabil-
ity.<
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will go out shortly
after the ignition has been
switched on, refer to page 19.
>Indicator lamp flashes: the system 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 system has been
deactivated via the button or is
defective.
Please consult your BMW center for
repairs.
You can continue to drive the vehicle
normally without DSC.