2004 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE maintenance

53
Steering wheelTo adjust
Never attempt to adjust the steer-
ing wheel while driving the vehicle
– it could respond with unexpected
movement, posing a potential accident
hazard.<
1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust steering column reach and
height for your selected seating posi-
tion
3. Pull the lever back up.
MirrorsTo adjust exterior mirrors1Switch for 4-way adjustment
2Selection switch for changing
between mirrorsTo adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edges of the lens.
To store the mirror setting, refer to Seat
and mirror memory on page 51.
The passenger-side mirror fea-
tures a convex lens. When esti-
mating the distance between yourself
and other traffic, bear in mind that the
objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. This means that esti-
mations of the distance to following
traffic should not be regarded as pre-
cise.<
Electric defrostingBoth mirrors are heated automatically in
ignition key position 2.
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55 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides – front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags protect the driver and
passenger in the event of a head-on
collision where the protection provided
by the safety belt alone would not be
adequate. The side airbags provide
protection in the event of a collision
from the side. They help support the
respective seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
position, refer to page 46.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, cer-
tain vehicle rollover situations or colli-
sions from the rear.<
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way. Do not attempt to remove the air-
bag restraint system from the vehicle. In
the event of a malfunction, deactivation
or triggered activation – as a response
to an accident – of the airbag restraint
system, consult your BMW center for
inspection, repair or disassembly. Mod-
ifications may not be made on either
the wiring or the individual components
in the airbag system. These include the
upholstered covers on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, side trim pan-
els of the doors and front roof pillars
and on the sides of the headliner. Do
not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury. Do
not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, as otherwise there is a danger of
burns.<
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57
This is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the seat belt when
rear side airbags are provided.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system when the ignition key is
in position 1 or higher.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
when the ignition key is turned to
position 1 or higher.
System malfunction:
>Indicator lamp does not come on or
>indicator lamp lights up continuously.
If there is a system malfunction,
there is a risk that the airbags will
not be triggered within their normal
response range, even if the level of
impact would normally have triggered
them. Have your BMW center inspect
the airbag system immediately.<
Airbags
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59
It is recommended to cover the child-
restraint attaching clip with a soft mate-
rial to prevent damage to the stored
soft top.
Should a hard top be installed, the
fitting of child harness tether
strap/s – if child seat is required – is
necessary before installation of the
hard top.<
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat,
please read the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rearward-facing child-restraint
system – of the kind designed for
infants under 1 year and 20 lbs/9 kg –
would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment range, you should never mount
such a device in the front passenger
seat, as the impact of the airbag against
the child restraint's backrest could lead
to serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child – not an
infant – to ride in the front seat, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as far away
from the instrument panel as possible.
This important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height, and weight.
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate forward-facing child-
restraint system that has first been
properly secured with a safety belt.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child restraint's manufacturer when-
ever you use such a device.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint
systems. If you do this, the protection
provided by these systems could be
impaired.
Be sure that all occupants – of all ages –
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Transporting children safely
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61
Canadian models only:
The LATCH anchorage points are iden-
tified by buttons.
The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint system installation are
located behind the upholstery at the
positions indicated by the arrows.
Carefully slide the brackets through the
gaps in the upholstery at the indicated
locations.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint mounting system.
Leave the rear safety belts in the hold-
ers if they are not needed to avoid
unwanted movement from the safety
belts at high speeds.<
To prevent damage to the upholstery,
you can purchase an insertion aid* from
your BMW center.
Firmly press the insertion aid into the
gap between the seat cushion and
backrest, continuing until the two
guides snap into place on the LATCH
brackets in the seat.
The illustration is an example showing
the anchorages for a LATCH child-
restraint system on the right rear seat.
Transporting children safely
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63
3. Keep pressing down on the protec-
tive bar from on top – see arrow 1 –
until you hear it click into place
4. Put the cover panel back in place
and press down firmly
5. Push the back panel of the head
restraint closed – see arrow 2.
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 out 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
extended.
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 to carry out
any work on the rollover protection sys-
tem.
Work done on the system that is carried
out improperly could lead to failure in
an emergency or accidental activation.
Regarding having the system checked
to ensure long-term operation: be scru-
pulous in adhering to the Service Inter-
val Display for maintenance intervals.
Every two years at the latest, the roll-
over protection system must be
inspected by a BMW center.<
Rollover protection system
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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.
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67
Before exiting the vehicle with the
engine running, move the selector
lever into position N and apply the
parking brake.
Never leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unat-
tended vehicle with a running engine
represents a safety hazard.<
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, always deactivate electrical
devices that are not in use. Switch the
ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.
Starting the engine and driving off
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