BMW M3 COUPE 2004 E46 Service Manual
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41
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* 
Page 43 of 170
43 To adjust
Safe seating positionFor driving that is relaxed and less likely 
to cause fatigue, you should select a 
sitting position that reflects your per-
sonal requirements. In combination 
with the safety belts and airbags, the 
correct seating position also plays an 
important role in enhancing occupant 
safety in the event of an accident. To 
ensure that the vehicle's safety systems 
provide you with optimal protection, we 
request that you direct your careful 
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on 
transporting children, refer to page 56.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the 
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel 
by the rim to keep any chance of injury 
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-
mum should the airbag be deployed. 
Never allow any objects, individuals or 
animals to obstruct the areas between 
passengers and airbags. Never use the 
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or 
support for objects of any kind. Never 
allow front passengers to rest their feet 
or legs on the airbag cover.<
For airbag locations and additional 
information on airbags, refer to 
page 53.Sitting safely with safety beltsYour vehicle offers five sitting positions, 
each of which is provided with a safety 
belt.Never allow more than one person 
to wear a single safety belt. Never 
allow infants or small children to ride in 
a passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the 
belt while routing it firmly across the 
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects in your pockets. Do not 
route the belt across your neck, or run it 
across sharp edges. Be sure that the 
belt does not become caught or 
jammed. Avoid wearing bulky clothing 
and pull on the lap belt periodically to 
retension it over your shoulders. In the 
event of a frontal impact, a loose lap 
belt could slide over the hips, leading to 
abdominal injury. In addition, the safety 
belt's restraint effectiveness is reduced 
if the belt is worn loosely. Expectant 
mothers should always wear their 
safety belts, taking care to position the 
lap belt against the lower hips, where it 
will not exert pressure against the 
abdominal area. Leave the rear safety 
belts in the holders, if they are not 
needed, to avoid unwanted movement 
from the safety belts at high speeds.<
For information on using the safety 
belts, refer to page 47.
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SeatsWhen adjusting your seat, always 
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat 
could respond with an unexpected 
movement, and the ensuing loss of 
vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never ride with the backrest 
reclined to an extreme angle. This is 
especially important for the front pas-
senger to remember. If you do so, there 
is a risk that you will slide under the 
safety belt in an accident, thus reducing 
the protection provided by the safety 
belt.<
Seat adjustment>Manual seat adjustment, refer to 
page 44
>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 45
>Head restraint, refer to page 46.
Manual seat adjustmentSeat adjustment1Forward/backward adjustment
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the 
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the 
seat forward or backward slightly so 
that it engages fully
2Height
Pull the lever and apply weight to or 
remove weight from the seat as 
required
3Backrest angle
Pull the lever and apply weight to or 
remove weight from the backrest as 
required 
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45
Power seat adjustment*Seat adjustment1Tilt angle
2Forward/backward adjustment
3Height
4Backrest angle
The head restraint and the thigh sup-
port are adjusted manually.
Thigh support Pull the lever and adjust the position of 
the cushion for thigh support as 
desired.
Adjusting the lumbar support*You can adjust the backrest's contour 
for additional support in the curvature 
of your spine's lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column 
receive supplementary support to help 
you maintain a relaxed, upright position.
>Increase/decrease curvature: press 
front/rear of the switch
>Increase the upper/lower curvature: 
press the upper/lower end of the 
switch.
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Adjusting the width of the 
backrest*Use the controls found along the sides 
of the seat to adjust the width for the 
backrest. This way you can set the 
sides of the seat so that they conform 
to your body contours.
Increase/decrease backrest width: 
press front/rear of the switch.
Head restraintsAdjustmentsHeight: pull the head restraint up or 
push it down.
Press button to retract to the 
lowest position – see arrow 1.<
Adjust the angle of the front head 
restraints by tilting them manually.
You can reduce the risk of spinal 
injury and whiplash by adjusting 
the head restraint to a height at which it 
is centered roughly at ear level.<Removal1. Pull up the head restraint, continuing 
until it is at maximum extension
Power seat adjustment* 
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47
2. Press button 1 and remove the head 
restraint.Installation – frontPress button 1 and slide the head 
restraint into the sockets.Removal and installation – rearGive the head restraint a sharp upward 
tug to release it from its locking mecha-
nism. Press down forcefully to install.
Entering the rearUnlocking backrestsPull the lever upward and fold the back-
rest forward.
The outer levers hold the safety belt to 
enable it to be reached more easily.
Lock both backrests while driving, 
otherwise there is a danger of an 
unexpected movement causing an 
accident.<
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before 
starting off. As supplemental restraint 
devices, the airbags are designed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the safety 
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the lock engage in 
the belt buckle.To release1. Press the red button in the belt 
buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.
Head restraints
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In the rear, the belt buckle with 
the word CENTER is provided 
exclusively for the passenger sitting in 
the middle.<
Adjusting safety belt heightUse the height adjustment mechanism 
to adapt the safety belt to the ideal 
position for your own body:
>Slide the button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment 
instructions on page 43.
If the safety belt system has been 
subjected to the stresses involved 
in an accident or otherwise damaged: 
have the entire safety belt mechanism 
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the 
safety belt anchors. If a child-restraint 
system was in the vehicle during an 
accident, consult the manufacturer's 
instructions regarding replacement.<
Safety belts 
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49
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*