BMW 3 SERIES 2004 E46 Business CD Radio Manual
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Switching the unit on/off  Adjusting the volume
 
Press the knob.
The unit will select the audio source 
that was last used (radio, CD changer 
or CD).
 
Listening to the radio with the 
ignition switched off
 
The radio and its functions can still be 
accessed for up to 20 minutes after the 
ignition has been switched off (with the 
ignition key in position 0 or removed).
When the ignition is switched off, the 
unit switches off as well.
To switch the unit back on
Press the knob.
Operation via the multifunction 
steering wheel
 
* 
 is not possible 
with the ignition switched off.
To save on the battery, you should 
always switch the radio off when 
leaving the vehicle.
 
<
 
Setting volume
 
Turn the knob.
As soon as you begin talking on 
the phone or accept a call, the 
radio switches to mute.
 
< 
 
Setting the speed-dependent 
volume
 
To compensate for increasing noise in 
the passenger compartment with 
increased vehicle speed, your unit is 
equipped with a speed-dependent 
volume control (Speed Volume). This 
function will increase volume as speed 
likewise increases.
You can set the volume increase in 
6 levels. The higher the level you 
choose, the greater the increase in 
volume. 
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OverviewSettingsReceptionPlayingIndex
 
Adjusting the volume
 
Setting the sound quality
 
1. Call up the current setting
Press and hold the key.
The display changes to the operating 
display for SPEED VOL, e.g.:
2. Select the level
Press or keep pressed down.
The selected level will be indicated in 
the display
3. Leave the mode display
 
Reset the setting
 
The speed-dependent volume can be 
reset to the midrange setting.
1. Call up the current setting
Press and hold the key.
The display changes to the operating 
display for SPEED VOL
2.
"RESET?" is shown in the display
3. Reset the setting
The speed-dependent volume will be 
re-set to level 3.
 
Sound and tone playback
 
You can choose from the following 
sound settings:
 
> 
Bass:
Amplify or reduce bass tones
 > Treble:
Amplify or reduce higher tones >
 Front/back volume distribution 
(Fader):
Front or rear, louder/softer 
>
 
Right/left volume distribution 
(Balance):
Left or right, louder/softer
 
>
 
Midrange setting (Tone Linear):
Reset the sound settings to the mid 
range.
The sound setting for bass and 
treble is source-dependent, i.e. 
can be adjusted separately for the 
radio, CD changer and CD. Changing 
the audio source will call up the last 
sound setting used for this particular 
audio source.
The sound setting for the front/back 
and left/right volume distribution 
applies to all audio sources.
 
< 
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Setting the sound quality
 
Changing the sound setting
 
1. Call up the sound setting
The display changes to the operating 
display for BASS, e.g.:
2. Select a different sound setting 
(Treble, Fader or Balance) if neces-
sary
Press repeatedly until the desired 
operating display is reached.
3. Change the desired sound setting
Press or hold down until the desired 
setting comes up.
 
Resetting the sound setting
 
By confirming "TONE LIN" you reset all 
sound settings for the current audio 
source to the midrange setting.
Bass and treble are reset for the 
current audio source, front/back 
and right/left volume distribution for all 
audio sources.
 
<
 
1. Call up operating display for the 
midrange setting
Press repeatedly until "TONE LIN" 
appears
2.
All settings are reset. 
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OverviewSettingsReceptionPlayingIndex
 
Displaying time Key Memory
 
Instead of the current settings you can 
show the time in the display.
With the time displayed, the 
current settings can no longer be 
seen.
As soon as you press a button to 
change a setting, the display briefly 
shows the respective setting.
 
<
 
The time is shown in the display, e.g.:
To set time, refer to the Owner's 
Manual for the vehicle.
 
<
 
Displaying time with ignition 
switched off
 
The time disappears in the display 
as soon as you remove the igni-
tion key.
 
<
 
To show the time in the display with the 
ignition key removed:
The time appears in the display for 
8 seconds.
 
Storing the settings
 
Each person must use his or her 
own ignition key.
Refer to the Owner's Manual for the 
vehicle for additional information about 
Key Memory.
 
<
 
You can have your BMW center 
customize the following settings for 
each key ("Key Memory"):
 
>
 
the last audio source heard (radio, 
CD changer or CD)
 
>
 
The last station heard
 
>
 
The last sound setting selected.
The last setting stored by key will be 
automatically activated from ignition 
key position 1. 
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Page 16 of 38
 
15n
 OverviewSettingsReceptionPlayingIndex 
Overview
Settings
Reception
Playing
Index
 
Selecting a reception range16
Selecting a station by 
frequency16
Selecting a station by name17
Scanning and selecting a station 
(Scan)18
Type of program (PTY)19
Storing and calling up a 
station20
Switching over to CD changer or 
CD22
 
Reception 
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16n
 
Selecting a reception range
 
Radio waves Ñ medium wave, long 
wave and short wave Ñ offer a wide 
range of reception, because the broad-
cast signals travel not only along the 
ground as surface waves, but also as 
waves bounced back to earth from the 
ionosphere.
Frequency Modulation (FM) provides 
substantially better sound quality than 
Amplitude Modulation (AM). However, 
because FM transmissions rely on line-
of-sight broadcast waves, their effec-
tive reception range is limited.
Select the reception range
 
Selecting the station manually
 
1. Select "manual"
"MAN" ("manual") will appear in the 
display next to the frequency indi-
cator or the station name
2. Set the frequency with
Press or hold down.
Every actuation changes the 
frequency in specifically defined 
increments.
 
Scanning the stations (scanning)
 
Start the scan with
Press or hold down.
The scan mode begins with the 
frequency that was last set.
The scan mode is stopped as soon as a 
station is found.
 
Reception range Selecting a station by frequency 
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OverviewSettingsReceptionPlayingIndex
 
Selecting a station by name
 
RDS Ñ Radio Data System
 
Thanks to specially designed systems, 
limitations inherent in mobile reception 
quality have been partially minimized:
The Radio Data System (RDS) transmits 
information in the FM reception range. 
RDS stations thus offer the following 
characteristics:
 
>
 
The station name will be indicated in 
the display after the RDS signals 
have been evaluated
 
>
 
Additional information can be indi-
cated or called up in the display (e. g. 
text broadcasts from the station, 
PTY).
However, the reception of RDS data is 
only possible under favorable reception 
conditions. If there is weak or inter-
rupted reception, it can take quite a 
while before the transmitter name 
appears in the display.
 
Selecting a station
 
1. Switch on the RDS with
"RDS " will appear in the display 
along with the name of the current 
station, if it is broadcasting RDS 
information
2. Start the scan with 
Press or hold down.
The scan mode begins with the 
station that was last set.
The scan mode is stopped as soon 
as a station is found.
Switch off the RDS with
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18n
 
Scanning and selecting a station (Scan)
 
You can briefly play all of the stations 
that you can receive.
1. Start play with 
Display, e.g.:
2. Select station with
The scan function will be interrupted, 
the selected station will be retained. 
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OverviewSettingsReceptionPlayingIndex
 
Type of program (PTY)
 
You can receive even more information 
by using RDS. Certain stations broad-
cast the station's particular type of 
program (PTY), e. g. NEWS, SPORTS, 
POP MUSIC, CULTURE etc.
If there is weak or interrupted recep-
tion, it can take quite a while before 
PTY is available.
PTY can also be used for catas-
trophe warnings. If the station is 
broadcasting this type of program, then 
"ALERT" will appear in the display.
 
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Request type of program 
 
The program type will be displayed for 
a few seconds.
If the specific station does not provide 
PTY recognition, "NO PTY" will appear 
in the display.
 
Automatic PTY display
 
Hold this key down until "PTY AUTO" 
shows up in the display.
For every change of station, or if the 
station changes the program type, the 
type will appear automatically for a few 
seconds in the display.
 
Switching off PTY
 
Hold this key down until "PTY MAN" 
shows up in the display.