key BMW M3 COUPE 2004 E46 User Guide
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Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior 
rearview mirror flashes continuously: 
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes when it is 
armed: the door(s), the hood or lug-
gage compartment lid are not com-
pletely closed. Even if you do not 
close the alerted area, the remaining 
areas are deadlocked, and the indi-
cator lamp flashes continuously after 
10 seconds. However, the interior 
motion sensor is not activated
>If the indicator lamp goes out when 
the system is disarmed: no manipula-
tion or attempted intrusions have 
been detected in the period since the 
system was armed
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 
10 seconds when the system is dis-
armed: an attempted entry has been 
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the 
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding unintentional alarmsThe tilt alarm sensor and interior motion 
sensor may be deactivated at the same 
time. You can do this to prevent a false 
alarm from being triggered in garages 
with elevator ramps, for instance, or 
when the vehicle is transported by train:
Lock the vehicle twice to arm the sys-
tem. Press button on the remote control 
twice in succession or lock the vehicle 
twice with the key.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and 
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm 
sensor and the interior motion sensor 
are deactivated as long as the system is 
armed.
You can have the tilt alarm sensor 
and the interior motion sensor 
permanently deactivated.<
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor to 
function properly, the windows and the 
glass sunroof must be completely 
closed.
Nevertheless, you should deactivate 
the interior motion sensor, refer to 
Avoiding unintentional alarms, if
>persons or animals are left in the 
vehicle
>the windows or the glass sunroof are 
being left open.
The tilt and interior motion sen-
sors are inadvertently switched off 
when convenience closing of the win-
dows is interrupted within the first 
10 seconds and then started again. If 
this happens, they must be disarmed 
and reactivated.<
Alarm system*
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Electric power windowsTo open and close windows
When leaving the vehicle, always 
remove the ignition key from the 
lock and remember to close the doors 
to prevent children from operating the 
power windows and injuring them-
selves, etc.<
After the ignition has been switched off, 
you can still operate the power win-
dows for up to 15 minutes as long as 
no one has opened and again closed 
any of the doors.
With the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher
>Press the switch until you feel resis-
tance: the window retracts, or 
respectively the tilt-out window 
moves outward; it remains in motion 
for as long as you maintain pressure 
on the switch
>Press the switch briefly past the pres-
sure point: the window moves auto-
matically. Pressing the switch again 
stops the opening cycle.
You can close the windows in the same 
manner by pulling the switch. The 
swivel window does not close automat-
ically.
For convenience operation via the 
remote control or the door lock, refer to 
page 33 or 32.Safety featureThe windows are each equipped with 
contact strips located in the upper win-
dow frames. If pressure is exerted 
against this contact strip while a win-
dow is being raised, the system will 
respond by stopping the window and 
then retracting it a small distance.Despite this safety feature, be 
extremely careful to ensure that 
the closing path of the window is not 
obstructed. Some types of objects – 
very thin objects, for instance, might fail 
to trigger the contact strip in some situ-
ations.
You can override this safety feature by 
pressing the switch beyond the resis-
tance point and holding it.< 
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Glass sunroof, electric*
To prevent injuries, exercise care 
when closing the glass sunroof 
and keep it in your field of vision until it 
is shut.
When leaving the vehicle, always 
remove the ignition key from the lock 
and remember to close the doors to 
prevent children from operating the 
sunroof and injuring themselves, etc.<
Opening and closingWith the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher
>Slide the switch until you feel resis-
tance: the sunroof opens and closes 
as long as you hold the switch
>Slide the switch past the pressure 
point: the sunroof moves automati-
cally.
Tapping the switch again stops the 
motion immediately.
The headliner insert retracts with the 
glass sunroof while it is opening.
After the ignition has been switched off, 
you can still operate the sunroof for up 
to 15 minutes, as long as no one opens 
either of the doors.
For convenience closing via the door 
lock or the remote control, refer to 
pages 32 and 33.Raising the glass sunroofWith the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher: tap the switch.
Tapping the switch again stops the 
motion immediately.
If you briefly press the switch in the 
raise direction while the glass sunroof is 
open, the sunroof will rise to its upper-
most position.
After the ignition has been switched off, 
you can still operate the sunroof for up 
to 15 minutes, as long as no one opens 
either of the doors.
The headliner insert slides back some-
what when you raise the sunroof.
Do not use force to close the 
headliner insert with the sunroof in 
its raised position, as damage to the 
mechanism could result.<Safety featureIf the glass sunroof encounters resis-
tance
>when it is closing from the raised 
position
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>when it is closing from a point 
roughly past the middle of its travel,
the closing cycle is interrupted and the 
glass sunroof will open again slightly.
Despite this safety feature, be 
extremely careful that the travel 
path of the glass sunroof is not 
obstructed whenever it is closed. 
Remember that the safety mechanism 
may not be able to detect obstructions 
under all circumstances – with very thin 
objects, for instance.
You can override this safety feature by 
pressing the switch beyond the pres-
sure point and holding it.<
Manual operationIn the event of an electrical malfunction, 
you can also operate the glass sunroof 
manually.
1. Remove the interior lamp, then reach 
into the exposed opening and press 
out the cover
2. Use the Allen key from the onboard 
tool kit, refer to page 132, to turn the 
glass sunroof in the desired direc-
tion.
Glass sunroof, electric* 
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Seat and mirror memory*You can store and recall three different 
driver's seat and outside mirror posi-
tions.
Memory will not retain the adjust-
ments made to the lumbar sup-
ports or the width of the backrests.<To store1. Ignition key in position 1 or 2
2. Adjust your seat and outside mirrors 
to the desired position
3. Press the M
EMORY
 button: the indica-
tor lamp in the button lights up
4. Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as 
desired. The indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored setting
Do not select a memory position 
while the vehicle is moving. If you 
do so, there is a risk of accident from 
unexpected seat movement.<
Driver's door open after unlocking or 
ignition key in position 1:
>Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3, 
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when 
one of the seat-adjustment or mem-
ory buttons is activated during the 
adjustment process.
With the driver's door closed and the 
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2:
>Press and hold the desired memory 
button – 1, 2 or 3 – until the adjust-
ment process is completed.
If you press the 
MEMORY
 button acci-
dentally: press the button again; the 
indicator lamp goes out.
You can have this feature pro-
grammed so that when you use 
the remote control from your personal-
ized key to unlock your door, your seat 
and the exterior mirrors will move into 
your own preferred positions.<
Before activating the programmed 
adjustment feature, ensure that 
the footwell behind the driver's seat is 
empty and unobstructed. If you fail to 
do so, persons, animals or objects 
could be injured or damaged if the seat 
should move backward.<
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Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt 
functionAutomatic curb monitor*
1. Move mirror selector switch 1 to the 
driver's mirror position
2. When shifting into Reverse or placing 
the selector lever in position R, the 
passenger-side mirror tilts down-
ward. This allows the driver to see 
the area directly adjacent to the vehi-
cle during parking – curbs, etc.
How far the passenger mirror tilts 
can be set individually for each 
ignition key.<
You can deactivate this automatic fea-
ture by setting the mirror selection 
switch to the passenger side position.
Seat heating*The seat cushion and backrest can be 
heated with the ignition key in 
position 2.
You can call up different heating modes 
by repeatedly pressing the buttons.
You can also switch the higher heating 
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly 
longer.
Seat and mirror memory* 
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Steering wheelTo adjust
Never attempt to adjust the steer-
ing wheel while driving the vehicle 
– it could respond with unexpected 
movement, posing a potential accident 
hazard.<
1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust steering column reach and 
height for your selected seating posi-
tion
3. Pull the lever back up.
MirrorsTo adjust exterior mirrors1Switch for 4-way adjustment
2Selection switch for changing 
between mirrorsTo adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edges of the lens.
To store the mirror settings, refer to 
Seat and mirror memory on page 49.
The mirror on the passenger's 
side is convex. When estimating 
the distance between yourself and 
other traffic, bear in mind that the 
objects reflected in the mirror are closer 
than they appear. This means that esti-
mations of the distance to following 
traffic should not be regarded as pre-
cise.<
Electric defrostingBoth mirrors are heated automatically in 
ignition key position 2.
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This is the right way a larger child 
should sit wearing the seat belt when 
rear side airbags are provided.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the 
operational status of the airbag 
system when the ignition key is 
in position 1 or higher.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly 
when the ignition key is turned to 
position 1 or higher.
System malfunction:
>Indicator lamp does not come on or
>indicator lamp lights up continuously.
If there is a system malfunction, 
there is a risk that the airbags will 
not be triggered within their normal 
response range, even if the level of 
impact would normally have triggered 
them. Have your BMW center inspect 
the airbag system immediately.<
Airbags
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Vehicle Memory, Key MemoryHow the system functionsYou have probably frequently wished 
that you could configure individual 
functions of your vehicles to reflect your 
own personal requirements. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has pro-
vided for a number of options for per-
sonal adjustment that can be 
programmed into your vehicle at your 
BMW center.
The available configuration data fall into 
two categories, according to whether 
their primary orientation is the vehicle – 
Vehicle Memory – or the individual – 
Key Memory. You can have up to four 
different basic settings adjusted for four 
different persons. The only require-
ment is that each person uses his or her 
own remote control key.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the 
remote control, the vehicle recognizes 
the individual user by means of a data 
exchange with the key, and makes 
adjustments accordingly.
Distinguishing between keysIn order for you to distinguish between 
different keys, colored decals are sup-
plied together with the keys.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with 
details on the possibilities that the Vehi-
cle and Key Memory systems offer:
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to 
remind you at appropriate places of the 
settings that are available to you.<
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as 
acknowledgment for locking and 
unlocking the vehicle, refer to 
page 31
>Activates/deactivates the 'Follow me 
home' lamps function, refer to 
page 88
>Activates/deactivates daytime driv-
ing lamps, refer to page 88
>Sets the units of measure for display-
ing time, outside temperature, dis-
tance traveled and fuel consumption 
in the instrument cluster
>When you shift into Reverse, an 
acoustic signal indicates that PDC 
has been activated, refer to page 82
>Switches on rear window defroster 
automatically, refer to page 95
>Activates/deactivates various alarm 
system functions, refer to page 39
>After giving an ice warning, the 
onboard computer display returns to 
the previous setting, refer to page 80.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle automatically after 
you start off, refer to page 34
>Automatically moves the seat and 
outside mirror into position for the 
programmed driver when unlocking 
the vehicle, refer to page 49
>Automatic tilting of the passenger-
side mirror, refer to Automatic curb 
monitor, page 50 
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>After the engine is started, calls up 
the last selected driving program for 
each shifting mode, refer to page 70.Vehicle Memory, Key Memory
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