2004 BMW M3 COUPE electrical

24
RefuelingFuel filler door
Always switch off the engine
before refueling, as it is not possi-
ble to add fuel with the engine running,
and attempts may also trigger the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON lamp.<
Press on the rear edge of the fuel filler
door to open and close it.
If an electrical malfunction occurs, you
can unlock the fuel filler door manually:
Pull the knob with the fuel pump symbol
on the right trim panel of the luggage
compartment.
When handling fuels, comply with
all of the applicable safety precau-
tions posted at the service station.
Never carry spare fuel containers in
your vehicle. Whether empty or full,
these containers can leak, cause an
explosion, or lead to fire in the event of
a collision.<
Simple and environmentally
friendly
Open the gas cap carefully to pre-
vent fuel from spraying out. Fuel
spray may cause injury.<
Keep the gas cap in the bracket
attached to the fuel filler door.
When refueling, insert the filler nozzle
completely into the filler pipe. Lifting the
nozzle during refueling
>results in premature pump shutoff
>and will reduce the effect of the vapor
recovery system on the pump.
The fuel tank is full when the filler noz-
zle shuts off the first time.

33
Opening and closing – via the door lockOne turn of the key in the driver's door
lock unlocks the driver's door only.
Turning the key a second time unlocks
the passenger's door, the luggage
compartment lid and the fuel filler door.
You can have a signal set to con-
firm that the vehicle's locks have
engaged securely. the glass sunroof via the door lock.
>To open: with the door closed, hold
the key in the Unlock position
>To fasten: with the door closed, hold
the key in the Lock position.
Whenever closing the windows or
sliding/tilt sunroof you should
always monitor their path and progress
to ensure that no one is injured. Releas-
ing the key stops the operation.<
Manual operationIn the event of electrical malfunction
Turn the key all the way to the left or
right to unlock or lock the driver's door.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

35
Luggage compartment lidThe lockOnly the master keys fit in the lock for
the luggage compartment lid, refer to
page 30.
To secure separatelyTurn the master key to the right past the
resistance point and then pull it out in
the horizontal position.
The luggage compartment lid is locked
and disconnected from the central lock-
ing system. This feature can be used to
prevent unauthorized access to the lug-
gage compartment when you surrender
the spare key only, refer to page 30.
This can be advantageous for valet
parking, for example.
To open from the outsidePress the button in the handle recess:
the luggage compartment lid opens
slightly.
The luggage compartment is lit when
the luggage compartment lid is opened.Manual operationIn the event of electrical malfunction
Turn the master key to the left as far as
it will go. The luggage compartment lid
will open slightly.
The luggage compartment lid is locked
again as soon as you close the lid.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

42
>when it is closing from a point
roughly past the middle of its travel,
the closing cycle is interrupted and the
glass sunroof will open again slightly.
Despite this safety feature, be
extremely careful that the travel
path of the glass sunroof is not
obstructed whenever it is closed.
Remember that the safety mechanism
may not be able to detect obstructions
under all circumstances – with very thin
objects, for instance.
You can override this safety feature by
pressing the switch beyond the pres-
sure point and holding it.<
Manual operationIn the event of an electrical malfunction,
you can also operate the glass sunroof
manually.
1. Remove the interior lamp, then reach
into the exposed opening and press
out the cover
2. Use the Allen key from the onboard
tool kit, refer to page 132, to turn the
glass sunroof in the desired direc-
tion.
Glass sunroof, electric*

62Driving
Ignition lockIgnition key positions0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition switched on
3Starting 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
the lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal is sounded after the driver's door
has been 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.

64
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

111
General driving notes
Brakes: do not rest your foot on
the brake pedal while driving.
Even light but consistent pedal pres-
sure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake
failure.
Hydroplaning: when driving on wet or
slushy roads, reduce road speed. If you
do not, a wedge of water can form
between tires and road surface. This
phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and can lead to partial or com-
plete loss of traction, vehicle control
and braking effectiveness.
Driving through water: do not drive
through water on the road if it is deeper
than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only at walk-
ing speed. Otherwise, the vehicle's
engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.
Rear parcel tray: never use it to store
heavy or hard objects; otherwise, occu-
pants could be injured if the vehicle is
braked hard.
Clothes hooks: when suspending cloth-
ing 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 maneu-
vers.<
Portable phone in the vehicleBMW recommends using mobile com-
munications devices, e.g. portable
phones, inside the vehicle with a suit-
able outside antenna. Otherwise, it can-
not be ruled out that the vehicle elec-
tronics and portable phone may
interfere with each other.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

133
Lamps and bulbsThe lamps and bulbs make essential
contributions to the safety of your vehi-
cle. Therefore, proceed carefully when
handling bulbs. BMW recommends that
you have such work performed by your
BMW center if you are not familiar with
the procedures.
Do not touch the glass portion of
a new bulb with your bare hands
since even small amounts of impurities
burn in to the surface and reduce the
service life of the bulb. Use a clean
cloth, paper napkin, or a similar mate-
rial, or hold the bulb by its metallic
base.<
A replacement bulb set is available from
your BMW center.
Before working on the electrical
system, switch off the electrical
accessory you are working on or dis-
connect the cable from the negative
terminal of the battery. Failure to
observe this precaution could result in
short circuits.
To prevent injuries and damage when
changing a bulb, be sure to comply with
any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<
Low beams and high beams>Low beams: H7 bulb, 55 watts.
>High beams: H7 bulb, 55 watts.
The H7 bulb is pressurized. There-
fore, wear safety glasses and pro-
tective gloves. Failure to comply with
this precaution could lead to injury if the
bulb is damaged.<
Please contact a BMW center in case of
a malfunction.
When cleaning the headlamps, please
follow the instructions in the Caring for
your vehicle brochure.Parking lamps5 watt bulb
Please contact a BMW center in case of
a malfunction.Xenon lamps*The service life of these bulbs is very
long and the probability of a failure is
very low, provided that they are not
switched on and off an unusual number
of times. If one of these bulbs should
nevertheless fail, it is possible to con-
tinue driving with great caution using
the fog lamps, provided traffic laws in
your area do not prohibit this.
Because of the extremely high
voltages involved, any work on the
xenon lighting system, including bulb-
changing, should be carried out by
technically-qualified personnel only.
Otherwise, there is a risk of fatal
injury.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex