maintenance BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE 2003 E46 Owner's Guide

45
4. Lift out the cover panel that is in the
center of the front convertible top
frame
5. Put the Allen wrench 2 – refer to
page 44 – into the hex slot – see
arrow
6. Pull down on the front convertible
top frame as far as possible. Close
the convertible top further by turning
the wrench in a clockwise direction;
continue turning until the front con-
vertible top frame is locked to the
windshield frame. The rear convert-
ible top frame will automatically be
pressed down onto the convertible
top compartment lid and, because of
the tension, will close completely.
The closing operation must be
completed, as otherwise damage
and/or injuries may result.<
Please consult your BMW center
to have the defect corrected.<
Position for cleaningTo be able to access the convertible
top compartment, lean the rear frame of
the convertible top against the cover of
the convertible top compartment.
First, use the button for activating
the convertible top to unlock the
locks of the convertible top compart-
ment. Refer to page 42.<
For additional information on vehi-
cle care, refer to the Caring for
your vehicle brochure.<
Convertible top
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47
7. Close the convertible top compart-
ment lid via the convertible top con-
trol button. The wind deflector is now
attached so that it is theft-proof.
Operate the convertible top com-
partment lid from above only in
order to avoid any pinching.
With the wind deflector in place: never
push the front seats all the way back to
avoid damaging the wind deflector. installing, just reverse the steps.Wind deflector*
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49
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 horizontal angle
– important for front passengers to
remember. Keep the backrest relatively
upright to minimize the risk of sliding
under the safety belt and sustaining
injury in an accident.
With the wind deflector in place: never
push the front seats all the way back to
avoid damaging the wind deflector.<
Adjusting the seats>Power seat adjustment, refer to
page 49
>Head restraint, refer to page 50
>Entering the rear, refer to page 51.
Power seat adjustmentSeat adjustment1Tilt angle
2Forward/backward adjustment
3Height
4Backrest angle
You can manually adjust the thigh sup-
port.
Thigh support Pull the lever and adjust the position of
the cushion for thigh support as
desired.
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51
Rear head restraints
The rear head restraints may only
be lowered if there are no passen-
gers in the rear seats. If you do so, you
are in violation of the law. Raise the rear
head restraints before taking on any
passengers in the back.<
To completely lower the rear head
restraints:
1. Press the button – see arrow – and
hold it down
2. Push the head restraint down from
above.
Raising the rear head restraintsRaise the head restraints until you hear
them click into place.
Do not remove the rear head
restraints as this would damage
them.<
For further information, please consult
your BMW center.
Do not use the rear head
restraints as storage shelves.
Always keep the travel path for the roll-
over protection system free and clear.
Under no circumstances should you put
any kind of cover such as an antima-
cassar on the head restraints, refer also
to the labeling on the head restraints.<
Entering the rearThe Seat-integrated safety belt system
(SGS) allows for easy access to the
rear.
1. Lift the lever 1 up and tilt the back-
rest forward
2. Press and hold button 2 in driving
direction until the seat moves to the
desired position
3. After entering the rear, fold back and
lock the backrest
4. Press button 2 opposite the direction
of travel and hold. The seat moves
back into its previous position. If the
button 2 is released beforehand, the
seat stops in the respective position.
The seat can be locked into posi-
tion when it is tilted forward. This
is particularly convenient when entering
the vehicle on an incline, for example.
Head restraints
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53
Seat and mirror memory You can store and recall three different
driver's seat and outside mirror posi-
tions.
The setting for the lumbar support
is not stored in memory. 2. Adjust your seat and outside mirrors
to the desired position
3. Press the MEMORY button: the indi-
cator 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 operated 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
accidentally: press the button
again; the indicator lamp goes out.<
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a man-
ner that your personalized settings are
automatically set for the seat and exte-
rior mirror positions when you unlock
the vehicle with your personal remote
control.<
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, any persons, animals or objects
behind the seat could be injured or
damaged by a rearward movement of
the seat.<
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55
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. Adjusting steering column reach and
rake 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 setting, refer to Seat
and mirror memory on page 53.
The passenger-side mirror fea-
tures a convex lens. When esti-
mating 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. ignition key position 2.
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57 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides – front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags protect the driver and
passenger in the event of a head-on
collision where the protection provided
by the safety belt alone would not be
adequate. The side airbags help pro-
vide protection in the event of a colli-
sion from the side. Each of the side air-
bags is designed to help support the
seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
position, refer to page 48.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated either at
the time of manufacture or by a BMW
center. You may have them activated if
you desire to do so. Please contact
your BMW center for additional infor-
mation.<
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, cer-
tain vehicle rollover situations or colli-
sions from the rear.<
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way. Do not attempt to remove the air-
bag restraint system from the vehicle. In
the event of a malfunction, deactivation
or triggered activation – as a response
to an accident – of the airbag restraint
system, consult your BMW center for
inspection, repair or disassembly. Mod-
ifications may not be made on either
the wiring or the individual components
in the airbag system. This includes the
upholstered covers on the steering
wheel, the instrument panel, the side
trim panels of the doors and front roof
pillars and on the sides of the front
headliner. Do not attempt to remove or
dismantle the steering wheel. Unpro-
fessional attempts to service the sys-
tem could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury. Do not touch the individual com-
ponents directly after the system has
been triggered, as otherwise there is a
danger of burns.<
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts.
Never let an occupant's head rest near
or on a side airbag because the inflating
airbag could cause a serious or fatal
injury. Please note that the word Airbag
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the side airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child – even though
belted – may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
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59
If there is a system malfunction, there is
a risk that the airbags will not be trig-
gered within their normal response
range, even if the level of impact would
normally have triggered them.
Have your BMW center inspect the sys-
tem immediately.
Transporting children safely
Leave the rear safety belts in the
holders if they are not needed to
avoid unwanted movement from the
safety belts at high speeds.<
Commercially available child seats
complying with the legal standard are
designed to be secured with a seat belt
or with the seat belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt. Improperly or
inadequately installed restraint sys-
tems can increase the risk of injury to
children. Always read and follow the
instructions that come with the system.
Child-restraint system with tether
strapIf you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, two additional tether
anchorage points have been provided –
refer to the arrows in the illustration.
Airbags
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61
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height, and weight.
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate forward-facing child-
restraint system that has first been
properly secured with a safety belt.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child-restraint's manufacturer whenever
you use such a device.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint
systems. If you do this, the protection
provided by these systems could be
impaired.
Be sure that all occupants – of all ages –
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
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.
Securing child-restraint systemAll 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.
Transporting children safely
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63
Rollover protection system In the event of an accident or some
other critical driving situation – extreme
tilting in the longitudinal or transverse
axis, loss of contact with the ground –
the rollover protection system will be
automatically activated. The protective
bars located in the rear head restraints
extend within fractions of a second.
In addition to the integrated rollover bar
in the windshield frame, the rollover
protection system affords all the vehicle
occupants necessary headroom.
Always keep the travel path for the
rollover protection system free
and clear. Under no circumstances
should you cover the head restraints.
In the event of less serious accidents,
the safety belt will protect you and,
depending on the severity of the acci-
dent, so will the safety belt tensioner
and the multi-stage airbag restraint sys-
tem as well.<
If, after being automatically triggered,
the protective function is not needed,
then the rollover protection system can
be lowered back into place. No special
tool is needed for this.
1. Using a screwdriver from the on-
board tool kit, remove the cover
panel; to do this, position the screw-
driver under the notch – see arrow
2. Pull up on the lever toward the front
of the vehicle – see arrow – and keep
it in this position
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