2006 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE Owner's Manual

97
Condensation forms during opera-
tion of the air conditioning system,
which then exits under the vehicle.
Traces of condensed water of this kind
are thus normal.<
Outside air/Automatic
recirculated-air control (AUC)/
Recirculated air
You can respond to unpleasant
external odors or pollutants by
temporarily stopping the flow of outside
air. The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle.
By repeatedly pressing the button, you
can select one of three different operat-
ing modes.
>Indicator lamps off: outside air always
flowing into the vehicle
>Left-hand indicator lamp on – auto-
matic mode: the system detects pol-
lutants in the outside air and
responds by deactivating the outside
airflow as required. The system then
recirculates the air currently within
the vehicle.
Depending on air quality require-
ments, the system automatically
switches between outside air supply
and recirculation of the air already
within the vehicle
>Right-hand indicator lamp on: the
flow of outside air is permanently
blocked. The system recirculates the
air already within the vehicle.
If the windows fog over in the
recirculated-air mode, switch the
recirculated-air mode off and increase
the air supply as required. With the convertible top closed
or with the hardtop* mounted,
press the button. The indicator lamp
remains on. The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a short
while.
You can have your vehicle pro-
grammed in such a way that the
rear window defroster switches on
automatically. This occurs within 5 min-
utes after starting the engine when out-
side temperatures are below approx.
397/+46.<
Draft-free ventilationYou can adjust the blower controls for
the upper body area to obtain the opti-
mum airflow rates and directions for
your personal requirements:
1Rotary dials for opening and closing
the vents at any setting desired
2Lever for adjusting airflow direction
3With the rotary dial, you can add
more or less cool air to the air coming
from the outlets for the upper body
area:
>Turn toward blue – colder
>Turn toward red – warmer.
Automatic climate control
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98
Microfilter, activated-charcoal
filterThe built-in microfilter removes dust
and pollen from the incoming air. The
activated-charcoal filter provides addi-
tional protection by filtering gaseous
pollutants from the outside air. Your
BMW center will replace the combined
filter as a standard part of your sched-
uled maintenance. A substantial reduc-
tion in airflow indicates that the filter
needs to be replaced early.Automatic climate control

99 Interior conveniences
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. To open the luggage compartment
lid when the glove compartment is
locked, refer to the instructions on
page 33.
If – for example for valet parking –
you turn over only your spare key,
refer to page 28, then access to the
glove compartment and luggage com-
partment 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.
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100
Beverage holders, coin boxA coin box and two beverage holders
are provided in the center console.
Do not place any glass containers
in the beverage holders, as this
increases the risk of injury in the event
of an accident.<
Microphone*Hands-free systemOn vehicles that are wired for a tele-
phone* or equipped with a voice com-
mand system*, the hands-free micro-
phone is located on the steering
column.
For additional information on using your
car phone, cellular phone or voice com-
mand system, refer to the respective
separate Owner's Manual.
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.<
Storage compartments

101
Press lighter 1 in. As soon as the lighter
jumps back out, it can be removed.Power socketThe cigarette lighter socket can be
used as a power socket for a flashlight,
car vacuum cleaner, etc., up to a rating
of approx. 200 watts at 12 volts. Do not
damage the socket by inserting plugs of
the wrong shape or size. In vehicles
with a non-smoker's equipment pack-
age, the socket is covered by a remov-
able cap.
Ashtray, rear*To emptyPress on the edge of the open cover in
the opening direction: you can now pull
the ashtray upward for removal.
Ashtray, front*
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102Loading and transporting
Ski bag*The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 3 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. Release the safety belts from their
holders
2. Press lever downward and remove
the center piece by pulling it 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 in the luggage com-
partment

103
5. Secure the cover panel with the
magnetic retainer on the rear wall,
then pull out the ski bag.
Securing cargoAfter loading, secure the ski bag and its
contents. To do so, tighten the retaining
strap at the tensioning buckle.
Be sure to secure the ski bag in
this way, as it could otherwise
injure occupants, for example during
braking or evasive maneuvers.
Be sure that the skis are clean before
loading them into the bag. Be careful to
avoid damage from sharp edges.<
Storing the ski bagTo store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.
When reattaching the center
piece, guide both bars into the
guide and press the center piece back
into place. Secure the safety belts in
their holders again.<
Ski bag*
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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 YYY amount
equals 820 lbs. and there will be four
150 lbs. passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 220 lbs.:
820 lbs. minus 600 lbs. = 220 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.