2006 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE park assist

85 Technology for safety and driving convenience
Park Distance Control (PDC)*The conceptPDC assists you when you back into a
parking space. Acoustic signals alert
you to the momentary distance to an
object behind your vehicle. To do this,
four ultrasonic sensors in the rear
bumper measure the distance to the
nearest object. The range for the sen-
sors located at both rear corners ends
approx. 2 ft/60 cm behind the bumpers.
The range for the two middle sensors is
slightly less than 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can
identify objects if they are
approached slowly, as is generally the
case when parking. Avoid driving
towards objects rapidly; due to underly-
ing physical principles, the system may
otherwise alert you too late for you to
take evasive steps.<
The system starts to operate automati-
cally approx. one second after you shift
into Reverse or move the selector lever
into the R position with the ignition key
in position 2.
Let this short period elapse before
driving backwards.<
PDC is deactivated when you shift back
out of Reverse.
You can have a signal set to con-
firm that the PDC has been acti-
vated. The signal then sounds when
you shift into Reverse or move the
selector lever into the R position. indicated by a tone sounding at various
intervals. As the distance between vehi-
cle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter. A
continuous tone indicates the pres-
ence of an object less than 1 ft/30 cm
away.
The warning signal is canceled after
approx. three seconds if the distance to
the object remains constant during this
time – if you are moving parallel to
a wall, for instance.
System malfunctions will be indicated
by a continuous high-pitched tone
when the system is activated the first
time. Please have your BMW center
resolve the problem.
PDC does not remove the driver's
personal responsibility for evaluat-
ing the distance between the vehicle
and any objects. Even when sensors
are involved, there is a blind spot in
which objects cannot be detected. This
applies especially in those cases where
the system approaches the physical
limits of ultrasonic measurement, as
occurs with tow bars and trailer cou-
plings, and in the vicinity of thin or
wedge-shaped objects. Moreover, low
objects that have already been
detected – such as a curb edge – can
disappear out of the detection range of
the sensors before a continuous tone
sounds.
Loud sources of sound from outside or
inside the vehicle could drown out the
PDC signal tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free
of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effec-
tively.
Do not apply high pressure spray to the
sensors for a prolonged period of time.
Always maintain a distance of more
than 4 in/10 cm.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

112
Inclines:
To prevent overheating and, as a
result, diminished braking effec-
tiveness, drive down long or steep
downhill grades in a gear which
requires the least braking. Otherwise,
even light but consistent pedal pres-
sure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake
failure.<
The braking power of the engine can be
further enhanced by downshifting the
automatic transmission in manual
mode, if necessary, into first gear. This
helps avoid placing excessive loads on
the brake system.
Do not coast with the clutch
depressed or with the transmis-
sion or selector lever in Neutral. Do not
coast with the engine switched off. Oth-
erwise, the engine provides no braking
effect while the transmission is in idling
position, and there is no power-assist
for braking or steering when the engine
is off.
Floor mats, floor carpets or other
objects must not be in the area near the
brake or accelerator pedal, as this
could impair the movement of the ped-
als.<
Corrosion on the brake rotorsLimited vehicle use, extended periods
with the vehicle parked or in storage,
and operating conditions in which brak-
ing is restricted to gentle, low-pressure
applications will all increase the ten-
dency for corrosion to form on the
rotors and contamination to accumulate
on the brake pads. This occurs because
the minimal pressure which must be
exerted by the pads to clean the rotors
by brake applications is not reached.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they
will tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect that even extended
brake applications will fail to cure.
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only
brake pads that BMW has
released for your particular vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suitable for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<
Portable phone in the vehicle
BMW advises against using
mobile equipment, e.g. cellular
phones, inside the vehicle without con-
necting them directly to an outside
antenna. Otherwise, it cannot be ruled
out that vehicle electronics and the
mobile equipment interfere with one
another. In addition, it is not ensured
that the radio waves emitted during
transmission are directed outside of the
vehicle interior.<
General driving notes

147
Mobile Service*To establish contact with the BMW
Group's Mobile Service:
Press button 2 for at least 2 seconds.
The indicator lamp above the buttons
lights up. As soon as a telephone con-
nection has been set up with the Mobile
Service, the indicator lamp flashes.
Depending on the country you are in,
your vehicle's current location will also
be transmitted if your vehicle is
equipped with an activated BMW Assist
function.
Jump-startingWhen your battery is discharged, you
can use two jumper cables to start your
vehicle with power from the battery in a
second vehicle. You can also use the
same method to help start another
vehicle. Use only jumper cables with
fully insulated handles on the terminal
clamps.
Do not touch high-voltage wiring
and cables on a running engine.
Contact with components carrying high
voltage can be harmful or fatal.
Carefully observe the following instruc-
tions to avoid personal injury and/or
damage to one or both vehicles. support vehicle has 12 volts and
approximately the same capacity –
measured in Ah. This information is
provided on the battery
2. Stop the engine of the support vehi-
cle
3. Switch off all consumers in both
vehicles.
Make absolutely certain that there
is no contact between the body-
work of the two vehicles, otherwise
there is a short circuit hazard.<
Connecting the jumper cables
Be sure to connect the jumper
cables in the right order; other-
wise there is a risk of injury due to
sparks being created near the battery.<
The jump-starting terminal located in
your BMW's engine compartment
serves as the positive battery terminal;
refer also to the engine compartment
overview on page 124. The cover of this
auxiliary terminal is marked with a +.
1. Open the cover of the BMW jump-
starting terminal. Do so by pulling the
tab – see arrow 1
2. Connect one terminal clamp of the
plus/+ jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the battery or to a jump-
starting terminal in the donor vehicle
Receiving assistance
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Everything from A to ZFuel reserve indicator, refer
to Fuel gauge 80
Fuel tank capacity 157
Fuses 145
G
Gasoline consumption, refer
to Average fuel consump-
tion 84
Gasoline, refer to Fuel spec-
ifications 25
Gear indicator 71
Gearbox
manual transmission 69
Gearbox malfunction
sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic 74
Gearbox, sequential 70
Gearshift lever
manual transmission 69
sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic 70
General driving notes 111
Glove compartment 99
Gradient assistance 73
Grills, refer to Ventilation 94
Gross weight, refer to
Weights 156
H
Handbrake, refer to Parking
brake 68Hands-free system 100
Hardtop 113
Hardtop preparation 113
Hardtop, refer to the sepa-
rate Owner's Manual 113
Hazard warning flashers 14
Hazard warning triangle 23
Head restraints 48
Headlamp cleaning system
cleaning headlamps 77
washer fluid 126, 157
Headlamp control, auto-
matic 90
Headlamp flasher 91
indicator lamp 21
Headlamps
bulb replacement 137
care, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
Heated mirrors 53
Heated rear window
automatic climate
control 97
Heated seats 52
Heating
exterior mirrors 53
rear window 97
seats 52
Heating and ventilation 94
Heavy loads, refer to Cargo
loading 105Height adjustment
seats 47
steering wheel 54
Height, refer to
Dimensions 155
High beams 75, 91
bulb replacement 137
headlamp flasher 91
indicator lamp 21
Holder for beverages 100
Hood release 123
Horn 14
Hydraulic brake assistant,
refer to DBC 113
Hydroplaning 111
I
Ice warning 83
Ignition 65
Ignition key 28
positions 65
Ignition lock 65
Imprint 4
Indicator lamps 18Indicator/warning lamp
airbags 18
alarm system 37
brakes 18, 19
Check Gas Cap 19
convertible top 41
coolant 19, 80
DSC 19
Flat Tire Monitor
18, 19, 88
fog lamps 20
Please fasten safety
belts 18
reserve 80
rollover protection
system 19
Service Engine Soon 19
Individual air distribution 96
Individual settings, refer to
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory 64
Inflation pressure monitor-
ing, refer to Flat Tire Moni-
tor 87
Inflation pressure, tires 116
INSPECTION 81
Instrument cluster 16
Instrument lighting 91
Instrument panel 14
Interface socket for onboard
diagnostics (OBD) 132
event data recorders 132