2004 BMW M3 COUPE weight

5

Notes

Your individual vehicle

On purchasing your BMW, you have
decided in favor of a model with individ-
ualized equipment and features. This
Owner's Manual will describe all of the
equipment that the BMW M3 has to
offer you.
We hope you will understand that
equipment and features are included
that you might not have chosen for your
vehicle. You can easily identify any dif-
ferences with the aid of the asterisk
used to identify all optional equipment
and accessories.
If your BMW features equipment such
as a car radio or telephone, that is not
described in this Owner's Manual, 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. For this
reason, the features described in this
Owner's Manual could differ from those
in your vehicle. Nor can errors and
omissions be entirely ruled out. You are
therefore asked to appreciate that no
claims can be recognized on the basis
of the data, illustrations or descriptions
in this Owner's Manual.

For your own safety
Fuels

Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight – that is,
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, etc. among gasolines offered for
sale in the United States and Canada.
The use of poor quality fuels may result
in driveability, starting and stalling
problems especially under certain envi-
ronmental 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 pertinent safety rules when you
are handling gasoline.

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Contents

Operation, maintenance

Special operating instructions:

Break-in procedures110
General driving notes111
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)112
Brake system112

Wheels and tires:

Tire inflation pressure114
Tire condition114
Tire replacement115
Wheel and tire
combinations117
Winter tires118
Snow chains*118

In the engine compartment:

Hood119
Engine compartment
essentials120
Washer fluids122
Engine oil122
Coolant124
Brake fluid125

Maintenance:

The BMW Maintenance
System126

Laws and regulations:

California Proposition 65
warning128
OBD interface socket128
Owner service procedures Replacement procedures: Onboard tool kit132
Windshield wiper blades132
Lamps and bulbs133
Repairing a flat tire136
Battery140
Fuses141 Giving and receiving
assistance: Receiving assistance142
Jump-starting143
Towing the vehicle144
Technical data

Engine data150
Dimensions151
Weights152
Capacities153

44
SeatsWhen adjusting your seat, always
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with an unexpected
movement, and the ensuing loss of
vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never ride with the backrest
reclined to an extreme angle. This is
especially important for the front pas-
senger to remember. If you do so, there
is a risk that you will slide under the
safety belt in an accident, thus reducing
the protection provided by the safety
belt.<
Seat adjustment>Manual seat adjustment, refer to
page 44
>Power seat adjustment, refer to
page 45
>Head restraint, refer to page 46.
Manual seat adjustmentSeat adjustment1Forward/backward adjustment
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the
seat forward or backward slightly so
that it engages fully
2Height
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the seat as
required
3Backrest angle
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the backrest as
required

57
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, since 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.
Child seat securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions
for this is located in the immediate
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.To lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child-restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
Transporting children safely
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

104
Cargo loading
Avoid overloading the vehicle so
that the permitted load on the tires
is not exceeded. Overloading can lead
to overheating and internal tire damage.
This can result in a sudden loss of tire
inflation pressure.<
Determining the maximum load1. Locate the following statement on
your vehicle's placard*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or YYY lbs., as this
could otherwise result in damage to the
vehicle or unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or YYY pounds
4. The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount
equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
fered to your vehicle. Consult the
manual for transporting a trailer to
determine how this may reduce the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.

106
Always position and secure the
load correctly. If you do not, it can
endanger the passengers during brak-
ing or evasive maneuvers.
Do not exceed the approved gross
vehicle weight or the approved axle
loads, refer to page 152. Otherwise the
vehicle's operating safety is no longer
assured and the vehicle will not be in
compliance with the certification regu-
lations.
Do not stow heavy or hard objects in
the passenger compartment without
first securing them. Otherwise they
would be thrown around during braking
and evasive maneuvers and endanger
the occupants.<
Roof-mounted luggage rack*A special roof-rack system is available
as an optional extra for your BMW.
Please observe the precautions
included with the installation instruc-
tions.AnchoragesAccess to the mounting points:
To fold up the covers, please use the
tool provided with the roof-rack system.Loading and driving notesBecause roof racks raise the center of
gravity of the vehicle when loaded, they
exercise a major effect on its handling
and steering response.
When loading, be sure to remember not
to exceed the approved roof weight or
the approved gross vehicle weight or
the axle loads. You will find the specifi-
cations under Technical data on
page 152.
Make sure that the load is not too bulky,
and attempt to distribute it evenly.
Always load the heaviest pieces first so
that they are at the bottom. Be sure that
adequate clearance is maintained for
raising the glass sunroof, and that
objects do not project into the opening
path of the luggage compartment lid.
Secure the roof-mounted luggage cor-
rectly and securely to prevent it from
shifting or being lost during driving.
Drive smoothly and avoid sudden
acceleration or braking. Do not corner
at high speeds.
Cargo loading

136
Center high-mount brake lampLED strip on the rear window.
Please contact a BMW center in case of
a malfunction.
License plate lamps5 watt bulb
1. Place a screwdriver in the slot and
press toward the left to release the
lens
2. Replace the bulb.
Repairing a flat tire
Precautions in case of a flat tire:
Stop the vehicle as far as possible
from passing traffic; switch on the haz-
ard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead position and engage the steering
lock. Shift into 1st or Reverse and
engage the parking brake.
All passengers should be outside the
vehicle and well away from your imme-
diate working area – behind a guardrail,
for instance.
If necessary, set up your warning trian-
gle or portable hazard warning lamp on
the roadside at an appropriate distance
from the rear of the vehicle. Comply
with all local safety guidelines and reg-
ulations.
Comply with all safety guidelines and
regulations.<
M Mobility systemYou will find an M Mobility system in the
BMW M3 for repairing flat tires. With
this system you can apply a sealing liq-
uid to the inside of the tire that seals off
the damaged point and then continue
driving.
The M Mobility system makes trans-
porting a spare wheel superfluous,
thereby reducing the amount of weight
you have to carry around.
Lamps and bulbs

152
WeightsCurb weight lbs/kg 3,415/1,549
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs/kg 4,453/2,020
Approved front axle load lbs/kg 2,138/970
Approved rear axle load lbs/kg 2,535/1,150
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg 165/75
Luggage compartment capacity cu ft/l 14.5/410
Approved axle loads and approved gross vehicle weight must never be exceeded.