2006 BMW M3 COUPE ECU

56
Child-restraint system with tether
strapIf you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system, as shown in the
illustration.
If the respective seating position is fit-
ted with a headrest, lift the headrest
and pass the tether strap between the
headrest and the seat back.
It is recommended to readjust the head
restraint in the lowest possible position.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child-restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Transporting children safely

57
Child seat securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions
for this is located in the immediate
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.To lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child-restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
The belt cannot be extracted further.
Always observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of
the child-restraint system.To unlock the safety belt Release the safety belt, remove the
child seat and retract the safety belt to
its end position on the belt retractor.
LATCH child-restraint mounting
systemLATCH: Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren
The left and right rear seats are both
equipped with a LATCH child-restraint
mounting system.
Transporting children safely
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64
Switching off the engine
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.<
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on downhill roads.
Engaging a gear may not sufficiently
secure the vehicle against rolling.<
Manual transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Sequential M gearbox with
DrivelogicIf you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in the for-
ward or reverse position, a gear auto-
matically remains engaged.
If you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in position
N, a warning tone and the flashing gear
indicator in the SMG Drivelogic display
remind you that no gear is engaged to
secure the vehicle against rolling.
The warning stops after approx.
10 seconds. If you move the selector
lever into a forward or reverse position
during this time, a gear is automatically
engaged.
Parking brakeThe parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically, and
the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition key
is in position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.

65
If exceptional circumstances
make it necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling the lever up.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction – fishtailing
– at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on downhill roads. Engaging a
gear may not sufficiently secure the
vehicle against rolling.<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake
from time to time when coasting to a
standstill – at a traffic light, for example
– provided that it is safe to do so.<
Manual transmission
When shifting gears in the 5th/6th
gear plane, be sure to press the
gearshift lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th gear plane. Do not hold
the vehicle in place on slopes by slip-
ping or 'riding' the clutch. Use the park-
ing brake instead. Riding the clutch
leads to severe and premature clutch
wear.<
ReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Press the shift lever to the left to
overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
light up automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Parking brake
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68
Shifting gears with shift paddles on
steering wheel:
>To upshift, briefly pull the right pad-
dle +
>To downshift, briefly pull the left pad-
dle –.
Shift paddles with various widths
matched to the shape of your
hand are available from your BMW cen-
ter.<
Shifting gears with selector lever:
>To upshift, pull the selector lever
backward in the + direction
>To downshift, push the selector lever
in the – direction.
No automatic upshifting is carried out in
the sequential mode.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g.
during passing, by manually downshift-
ing.
In the following situations the
SMG Drivelogic in the sequential mode
assists you:
>Upshifts and downshifts are only exe-
cuted at appropriate combinations of
engine rpm and vehicle speed. For
instance, downshifts that would
result in excessive engine speed are
not executed
>During a stop the gearbox is auto-
matically downshifted into the first
gear so that, e.g. before a traffic light,
it is only necessary to accelerate to
continue driving
>As speed diminishes, the gearbox
downshifts automatically, without you
taking any action, just before the
vehicle slows to below each gear's
minimum speed.D – Automated modeEach time the engine is started, the
automated mode is activated as soon
as you move the selector lever into the
forward driving position.
In the automated mode all forward
gears are shifted automatically.To switch from sequential to automated
mode: tap the selector lever to the right
toward D. Watch the display in the
instrument cluster, refer to page 67.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during
passing, depress the accelerator pedal
completely – kickdown. The gearbox
now downshifts depending on the
selected driving program.
Even in the automated mode, you can
help specify the shifting point: if a gear-
dependent minimum speed is
exceeded, you can upshift by slowly
reducing pressure on the accelerator
pedal. In the process, the respective
driving situation is detected by sensors
and taken into account.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*

70
Indicator lamp
The gearbox indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out
after the engine is started.
>If it does not go out, or if it lights up
during driving, a malfunction has
occurred. The available functions
may be limited under certain circum-
stances.
Drive carefully and with the Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC) activated.
Have the system checked by the
nearest BMW center
>If the indicator lamp flashes while
driving, the system is overloaded.
Avoid high loads until the indicator
lamp goes out again permanently.
Shift lightsTo achieve the best possible vehicle
acceleration with a sporty driving style
in the sequential mode, shift lights in
the instrument cluster indicate the opti-
mum shifting point shortly before the
maximum engine speed is reached.
1. When the maximum engine speed is
approached, yellow indicator fields –
shift lights – in the tachometer light
up consecutively to indicate the
approaching upshift time
2. Shift at the latest when the last indi-
cator field lights up red.
Tire replacement, snow chainsFollowing a tire or wheel change and
after mounting or removing snow
chains, the slip recognition of the
SMG Drivelogic must become familiar
with the changed condition.
Reinitialize the system afterwards.
1. Move the selector lever into
position N on a straight stretch of
road at a speed of over 20 mph /
30 km/h
2. Pull both shift paddles for approx.
2 seconds.
If you do not carry out the initialization,
the system automatically learns the
changed condition gradually during
driving. This can become apparent due
to brief opening and closing of the
clutch.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*

100Loading 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.

101
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 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.<
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