2004 BMW M3 COUPE inflation pressure

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
Alarm system*38
Electric power windows40
Glass sunroof, electric*41

To adjust:

Safe seating position43
Seats44
Manual seat adjustment44
Power seat adjustment*45
Head restraints46
Entering the rear47
Safety belts47
Seat and mirror memory*49
Seat heating*50
Steering wheel51
Mirrors51

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags53
Transporting children safely56
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory60

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

25
Close the gas cap carefully after
refueling until a click is heard.
While closing, be sure not to squeeze
the strap which is fastened to the cap.
A loose or missing cap will activate the
CHECK GAS CAP* lamp.<
Fuel tank capacity>Approx. 16.6 gal./63 liters, of which
>approx. 2.1 gal./8 liters are reserve
capacity.
Do not drive to the last drop of
fuel. This can prevent the engine
from operating properly and result in
damage.<
Fuel specificationsUse unleaded gasolineThe engine uses lead-free gasoline
only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline,
min. 91 AKI
AKI = Anti Knock Index
Never use leaded fuel, as it would
cause permanent and irreversible
damage to the oxygen sensor and the
catalytic converter.<
Tire inflation pressureChecking tire pressuresTire pressures in psi/kilopascal are
shown on the driver's door post and are
visible when the door is open.
Only check the tire inflation pressures
of cold tires. This means after driving a
maximum of 1.25 miles/2 km or after
the vehicle has been parked for at least
2 hours. Warm tires have higher infla-
tion pressures.
In the following tire inflation pressure
table, all pressures are specified in the
standard units of pressure, psi and kilo-
pascal, and apply to cold tires, i.e. tires
at ambient temperature.
After correcting the tire inflation pres-
sure, reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor so
that it can monitor the tire inflation
pressure, refer to page 84.
Refueling
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

26
Check the tire pressures on a reg-
ular basis – at least twice a month
– and before every extended journey. If
this is not done, incorrect tire pressures
can cause driving instability and tire
damage, ultimately resulting in acci-
dents.<
Comply with tire approval
specificationsThe inflation pressures in the table
apply to BMW-approved tire sizes and
tire manufacturers. Your BMW center
will be glad to supply this information.
Other pressures may be required for
tires made by other manufacturers.
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
which not only meet US standards, but
also European standards. We recom-
mend the exclusive use of BMW
approved tires.Tire inflation pressure

27
BMW Tires
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires –
cold = ambient temperature
M3 225/45 ZR 18 33/230 – 41/280 –
255/40 ZR 18 – 35/240 – 48/330
225/45 ZR 18
225/40 ZR 1933/230 – 41/280 –
255/35 ZR 19 – 35/240 – 48/330
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S 33/230 38/260 36/250 46/320
225/40 R 18 92 V M+S 36/250 38/260 39/270 51/350Tire inflation pressure
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

84
To deactivate DSCPress the button briefly; the indicator
lamp comes on and stays on.
The vehicle does not execute the stabil-
ity-enhancement and traction-control
functions when DSC is deactivated.
We recommend that you deactivate
DSC for increased traction:
>When rocking the vehicle or starting
off in deep snow or on loose surfaces
>When driving with snow chains
>When driving on snow-covered
grades, in deep snow, or on a snow-
covered surface that has been
packed down from being driven on.
To maintain vehicle stability,
always drive with the DSC acti-
vated on whenever possible.<
To reactivate DSCPress the button again; the indicator
lamp goes out.
Flat Tire MonitorThe conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor
keeps track of pressure levels in all four
tires. The system alerts you whenever
the inflation pressure of a tire falls sig-
nificantly below the pressure of another
tire.
Controlling the tire pressure is based
on monitoring the rpm that the tires
have relative to each other. A flat tire is
detected and reported because the rpm
suddenly deviate drastically from one
another.Functional requirementsIn order for the Flat Tire Monitor to learn
the correct tire inflation pressure,
please do the following:
1. Check the tire inflation pressures in
all tires
2. Compare them with the tire inflation
pressure table on page 25 and cor-
rect them, if necessary
3. Initialize the system.
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)

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.

114Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressureInformation for your safetyThe factory-approved tires are matched
to your vehicle and have been selected
to provide optimum safety and driving
comfort when used properly.
It is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving comfort and – above all else
– driving safety that depend on the con-
dition of the tires and the maintenance
of the specified tire pressure.
Incorrect tire inflation pressure is
a frequent cause of tire damage. It
also significantly influences the road-
holding ability of your BMW. Check tire
inflation pressures on a regular basis,
refer to page 25, at least every two
weeks and before beginning a longer
trip. If this is not done, incorrect tire
pressures can cause driving instability
and tire damage, ultimately resulting in
accidents.<
Tire conditionTire tread – tire damageInspect your tires frequently for tread
wear, signs of damage and for foreign
objects lodged in the tread. Check the
tread depth.
Tread depth should not be allowed to
go below 1/8 in / 3 mm, even though
the legally specified minimum tread
depth is only 1/16 in / 1.6 mm.
Below 1/8 in / 3 mm tread depth, there
is a great risk of hydroplaning, even at
relatively moderate speeds and with
only small amounts of water on the
road. Tread wear indicators in the
tread-groove base – see arrow – are
distributed around the wheel circumfer-
ence and are labeled on the tire side-
wall with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. At
a tread depth of 1/16 in / 1.6 mm, the
indicators signal that the legally permis-
sible wear limit has been reached.