2004 BMW M3 COUPE Owner's Manual

97 Interior conveniences
Premium sound system*Harman Kardon premium sound
systemPress the button to activate and deacti-
vate the acoustic enhancement.
When the system is activated, the
impression of a significantly larger pas-
senger compartment is created at all
seating areas, together with an
improvement of the stereo effect.
The system responds to poor reception
conditions by repeatedly alternating
between the stereo and monophonic
modes. You should then switch the sys-
tem off.
Glove compartmentTo openPull the handle. The glove compartment
will light up.To closeFold up cover.
To prevent injury in the event of an
accident, close the glove com-
partment immediately after use. master key can also be used for unlock-
ing.
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98
If – for example for valet parking –
you turn over only your spare key,
refer to page 30, then access to the
glove compartment and to the luggage
compartment is not possible.<
Storage compartmentsFront center armrest*To open: press the button and fold up.Additional compartments and
netsYou will find additional storage areas in
the doors and in the center console
above the ashtray. Storage nets are
located on the backrests of the front
seats.
Beverage holders, coin boxA coin box and two beverage holders
are provided in the center console.
Glove compartment

99
Rear center armrestYou will find a beverage holder in the
rear center armrest.
Opening the beverage holder: press.
Storage package*For your convenience, there are:
>Two flip-out sockets on the rear cen-
ter console – see
arrows
>An eyeglasses storage compartment*
in the front center console above the
ashtray.
Cellular phone*Hands-free systemOn vehicles that are wired for a tele-
phone* or equipped with a communica-
tions package*, the cover for the
hands-free microphone is located in the
headliner near the interior lamp.
For further information on using your
cellular phone, refer to the separate
Owner's Manual for the telephone.
Storage compartments
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100
Ashtray, front*To emptyPress on the edge of the open cover.
You can now pull the ashtray upward
for removal.Extinguishing cigarettesTap off the ash and gently press the tip
into the funnel.Cigarette lighter
Hold or touch the hot cigarette
lighter by the knob only. Holding
or touching it in other areas could result
in burns.
The cigarette lighter remains opera-
tional when the ignition key has been
removed. For this reason, children
should never be left in the vehicle unat-
tended.<
Press lighter 1 in. As soon as the lighter
jumps back out, it can be removed.Cigarette lighter socketIt can be used for attaching power sup-
plies for flashlights, car vacuum clean-
ers and other similar appliances up to a
rating of approx. 200 watts at 12 volts.
Avoid damaging the socket due to
inserting plugs of different shapes or
sizes.
Ashtray, rear*To emptyPress on the edge of the open cover in
the opening direction: you can now pull
the ashtray upward for removal.

101
Clothes hooksTo open, press on the upper edge. For
additional information: refer to
page 111.
When suspending clothing from
the hooks, be sure that they will
not obstruct the driver's vision. Do not
hang heavy objects on the hooks. If you
do so, they could cause personal injury
during braking or evasive maneuvers.<
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102Loading and transporting
Through-loading systemFolding the rear backrest1. Pull the corresponding lever to
release
2. The backrest moves forward slightly
when released. Reach into the gap
and fold it down.
When folding the backrest back
into its original position always
ensure that the detent engages
securely. A loose backrest might fail to
prevent cargo from entering the pas-
senger compartment during sudden
braking or evasive maneuvers, posing a
potential hazard to occupants.<
Rear center 3-point safety belt*You can roll up the rear 3-point belt
before folding back the through-loading
system:
>Retracting the 3-point-safety belt:
Loosen the safety belt and insert the
buckle latch into the support mount
provided on the rear window shelf.

103
Ski bag*The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
The length of the ski bag and the addi-
tional space provided in the luggage
compartment make it possible to carry
skis up to 6 ft 10 in / 2.10 m long.
Because of the tapered shape of the
bag, only two pairs of skis longer than
6 ft 10 in / 2.10 m can be carried.
Loading1. Fold the center armrest outward.
Loosen the trim from the upper
Velcro® fastener and place it on the
armrest
2. Press the button downward – see
arrow 1 – and fold the cover forward
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to stored items. It may
be opened to allow the ski bag to dry
4. Press the button – see arrow 2: this
releases the cover panel in the lug-
gage compartment.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.
Securing cargo
Secure skis and any other objects
stored in the bag by tightening the
retaining strap at the buckle.<
Please be sure that the skis are
clean before loading them into the
bag. Be careful to avoid damage from
sharp edges.<
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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.