2004 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE airbag

Contents

Notes

About this Owner's Manual4
Additional sources of
information4
Symbols used4
Your individual vehicle5
Status at time of printing5
For your own safety5
Symbol on vehicle parts6
Service and warranty7
Reporting safety defects7

Overview

Cockpit14
Instrument cluster16
Indicator and warning lamps18
Buttons in steering wheel22
Hazard warning triangle*23
First-aid kit*23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressure25

Controls and features

Opening and closing:

Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing – via the
remote control31
Opening and closing – via the
door lock33
Opening and closing – from the
inside34
Luggage compartment lid35
Luggage compartment37
Electric power windows38
Convertible top39
Wind deflector*44

To adjust:

Safe seating position46
Seats47
Power seat adjustment47
Head restraints48
Entering the rear49
Safety belts50
Seat and mirror memory51
Seat heating*52
Steering wheel53
Mirrors53

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags55
Transporting children safely58
Rollover protection system62
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory64

18

Indicator and warning lamps

Technology that monitors itself

Indicator and warning lamps that are
identified by

●

are tested for proper
functioning whenever the ignition key is
turned. They each light up once for dif-
ferent periods of time.
If a fault should occur in one of these
systems, the corresponding lamp does
not go out after the engine is started, or
it lights up while the vehicle is moving.
You will see how to react to this below.

Red: stop immediately

Battery charge current

●

The battery is no longer being
charged. There is a malfunction
of the alternator drive belt or in the
charging circuit of the alternator. Please
contact the nearest BMW center.
If the drive belt is defective, stop
and switch off the engine immedi-
ately to prevent overheating and seri-
ous engine damage. If the drive belt is
defective, increased steering effort is
also required.

<

Engine oil pressure

●

An alarm sounds at the same
time. Stop vehicle immediately
and switch off engine. Check the
engine oil level and top up as required.
If the oil level is correct: please contact
the nearest BMW center.
Do not continue driving, as the
engine could sustain serious dam-
age from inadequate lubrication.

<

Flat Tire Monitor

●

In addition, an acoustic signal is
sounded: there is a flat tire.
Reduce speed and carefully come to a
stop. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers.
For additional information: refer to
page 87
Brake warning lamp

●

If the lamp comes on when the
parking brake is not engaged:
check the brake fluid level. Before driv-
ing further, be sure to comply with the
instructions on pages 114 and 129.
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.

Red: an important reminder

Brake warning lamp

●

Comes on when the parking
brake is engaged – an additional
acoustic signal sounds when starting
off. For additional information: refer to
page 68
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.
Lock backrest/Please fasten
safety belts

●

Comes on together with an
acoustic signal until the safety belts are
fastened. Flashes when the backrest is
not locked.
For additional information on locking
the backrest, refer to page 49
For additional information on safety
belts: refer to page 50
Airbags

●

Please have the system
inspected at your BMW center.
For additional information: refer to
page 55

46To adjust
Safe seating positionFor driving that is relaxed and less likely
to cause fatigue, you should select a
sitting position that reflects your per-
sonal requirements. In combination
with the safety belts and airbags, the
correct seating position also plays an
important role in enhancing occupant
safety in the event of an accident. To
ensure that the vehicle's safety systems
provide you with optimal protection, we
request that you direct your careful
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on
transporting children, refer to page 58.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by the rim to keep any chance of injury
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-
mum should the airbag be deployed.
Never allow any objects, individuals or
animals to obstruct the areas between
passengers and airbags. Never use the
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or
support for objects of any kind. Never
allow front passengers to rest their feet
or legs on the airbag cover.<
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags, refer to
page 55.Sitting safely with safety beltsYour vehicle is equipped with four
seats, each of which is provided with a
safety belt.Never allow more than one person
to wear a single safety belt. Never
allow infants or small children to ride in
a passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the
belt while routing it firmly across the
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly
against your body as possible. Do not
allow the belt to rest against hard or
fragile objects in your pockets. Do not
route the belt across your neck, or run it
across sharp edges. Be sure that the
belt does not become caught or
jammed. Avoid wearing bulky clothing
and pull on the lap belt periodically to
retension it over your shoulders. 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. Expectant
mothers should always wear their
safety belts, taking care to position the
lap belt against the lower hips, where it
will not exert pressure against the
abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety
belts, refer to page 50.

50
The seat can be locked into posi-
tion when it is tilted forward. This
is particularly convenient when entering
the vehicle on an incline, for example.
Press against the backrest until you
hear it snap into place. Lever 1 does
not have to be released to fold the seat
back.<
Lock both backrests while driving,
otherwise there is a danger of an
unexpected movement causing an
accident.<
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the
backrest is not locked, refer to
page 18.
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before
starting off. As supplemental restraint
devices, the airbags are designed to
enhance the effectiveness of the safety
belts, and not to replace them.
Before putting your safety belts on
in the rear, take them out of the
holder.<
Leave the rear safety belts in the
holders if they are not needed, in
order to avoid unwanted movement
from the safety belts at high speeds. the belt buckle.
To release1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.Safety belt heightThe front safety belt automatically
adapts to your body size via the setting
of the head restraint height, refer to
page 48.
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the
safety belt anchors. If a child-restraint
system was in the vehicle during an
accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Entering the rear

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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56
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren 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 indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the side airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child – even though
belted – may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly 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 provided,
be deactivated if you plan to transport
children in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated by a BMW cen-
ter. If you are uncertain of their status,
or wish to have the airbags activated or
deactivated, please contact your BMW
center.<
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances.
In sensitive individuals, the ignition and
inflation noise may induce a mild hear-
ing loss that is temporary in most
cases.
Airbag warning information is also pro-
vided on the sun visors.This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
are provided.
Airbags

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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