maintenance BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE 2006 E46 Owner's Manual

Thank you for deciding on a BMW M3 Convertible.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with enhanced control and
security when you drive it. Therefore, we have one request:
Read the information contained in this Owner's Manual before driving your new
BMW M3 Convertible for the first time. It contains important information on vehicle
operation that will enable you to make full use of the advanced technical equipment
of your BMW M3 Convertible. In addition, you will receive information on vehicle
maintenance to help ensure operating and traffic safety as well as the best possible
value retention of your BMW. For more detailed information refer to the supplemen-
tal manuals.
BMW also makes decisive contributions toward greater safety in traffic through its
BMW driver training.
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of this vehicle. It
should stay with the vehicle when sold to provide the next owner with important
operating, safety and maintenance information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

6

Notes

For your own safety
Maintenance and repair

Advanced technology, e.g. the
use of modern materials and high-
performance electronics, requires spe-
cially adapted maintenance and repair
methods. Therefore, only have corre-
sponding work on your BMW carried
out by a BMW center or a workshop
that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If work is carried out
improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety
risks.

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Proposition 65 warning

California laws require us to state the
following warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety
of automobile components and
parts, including components found in
the interior furnishings in a vehicle, con-
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in
vehicles and certain products of com-
ponent wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead com-
pounds. Batteries also contain other
chemicals known to the State of Cali-
fornia to cause cancer. Wash your
hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that
have caused cancer in laboratory ani-
mals. Always protect your skin by
washing thoroughly with soap and
water.

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Parts and accessories

Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine
parts and accessories approved by
BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by BMW and Original
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure opti-
mum performance when installed on
your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free
from defects in material and workman-
ship.
BMW will not accept any liability for
damages resulting from installation of
parts and accessories not approved by
BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made
by other manufacturers to verify if it can
be used on a BMW safely and without
risk to either the vehicle, its operation,
or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on
using these items, are available from all
BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms,
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors,

7

Notes

wheels, suspension components, brake
dust shields, telephones, including
operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an
externally mounted antenna, or trans-
ceiver equipment, for instance, CBs,
walkie-talkie, ham radio or similar
accessories, may cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, compromise its
safety, interfere with the vehicle’s elec-
trical system or affect the validity of the
BMW Limited Warranty. Contact your
BMW center for additional information.
Do not use key or remote control to
lock doors or luggage compartment
with anyone inside the car. Refer to the
Owner’s Manual for more details.

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Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of the emission control
devices and systems may be performed
by any automotive repair establishment
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.

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Service and warranty

This manual is supplemented by a Ser-
vice and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models or a Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet for Canadian mod-
els.
We recommend that you read this pub-
lication thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following
warranties:

>

New Vehicle Limited Warranty

>

Rust Perforation Limited Warranty

>

Federal Emissions System Defect
Warranty

>

Federal Emissions Performance War-
ranty

>

California Emission Control System
Limited Warranty.
Detailed information about these war-
ranties is listed in the Service and War-
ranty Information Booklet for US mod-
els or in the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet for Canadian models.

Reporting safety defects

The following only applies to vehicles
owned and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a
defect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA in addition to notifying BMW of
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227,
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227,
telephone toll-free 1-800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it
finds that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your
dealer, or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call
the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at
1-800-424-9393 or 366-0123 in the
Washington, D.C. area, or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transpor-
tation, Washington, D.C. 20590. You
can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from the Hotline.

Contents

9

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags55
Transporting children safely58
Rollover protection system62
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory64

Driving:

Ignition lock65
Starting the engine and driving
off66
Switching off the engine68
Parking brake68
Manual transmission69
Sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic*70
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher75
Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor*76
Cruise control77

Everything under control:

Odometer79
Tachometer79
Engine oil temperature79
Fuel gauge80
Engine coolant temperature
gauge80
Service interval display81
Check Control81
Clock82
Computer83

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)*85
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC86
Flat Tire Monitor87
M Engine dynamics control89
Brake force display89

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams90
Instrument lighting91
High beams/Standing lamps91
Front fog lamps92
Interior lamps92
Reading lamps92

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Automatic climate control94

Interior conveniences:

Glove compartment99
Storage compartments99
Microphone*100
Ashtray, front*100
Ashtray, rear*101

Loading and transporting:

Ski bag*102
Cargo loading104
Roof-mounted luggage rack for
the hardtop*107

Operation, maintenance

Special operating instructions:

Break-in procedures110
General driving notes111
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)113
Hardtop*113

Wheels and tires:

Tire inflation pressure116
Tire code118
Tire condition119
New wheels and tires120
Snow chains*122

In the engine compartment:

Hood123
Engine compartment
essentials124
Washer fluids126
Engine oil126
Coolant128
Brake fluid129

Maintenance:

BMW Maintenance System130
OBD interface socket132

Controls and features

13

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

15
1Parking lamps/Low beams90
2

>

Turn signal indicators75

>

Standing lamps91

>

High beams91

>

Headlamp flasher75

>

Computer83
3Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor76
4Hazard warning flashers
5Rear window defroster97
6

>

Initiating an emergency call146

>

Mobile Service147
7Central locking system28
8Horn: the entire surface
9Steering wheel adjustment54
10 Fog lamps92

Cockpit

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

17
1Fuel gauge80
2Turn signal indicator20
3Speedometer
4Indicator and warning lamps18
to 21
5Tachometer and engine oil
temperature gauge79
6Engine coolant temperature
gauge80
7Indicator and warning lamps18
to 21
8Control button for

>

Clock82

>

Unit of measure of outside
temperature display83
9Display for sequential M gearbox
with Drivelogic71
10 Indicator lamp for Dynamic Stability
Control (DSC)86
11 Display for

>

Trip odometer79

>

Clock82

>

Service interval81

>

Computer83
12 Check Control81
13 Trip odometer, reset to zero79
14 Indicator and warning lamps18
to 21

Instrument cluster

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

19
Red and yellow: continue driving
cautiously

The brake warning lamp comes
on together with the yellow indi-
cator lamps for ABS

●

and
DSC:
The entire ABS, CBC and DSC
control system has failed. Con-
tinue driving cautiously and
defensively and avoid full brake
applications. Please have the system
checked by your BMW center as soon
as possible.
For additional information, refer to
pages 86, 113.
Indicator and warning lamps
CBC, ABS and DSC for Cana-
dian models.

Orange: consult the nearest BMW
center

Sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic
If the indicator lamp fails to go
out after the engine is started, or if it
comes on during normal driving: this
indicates a malfunction in the system.
Have the system checked immediately.
Indicator lamp flashes: a system over-
load has occurred.
For additional information, refer to
page 74.

Yellow: check as soon as possible

Engine oil level
Comes on while driving and is
accompanied by an alarm: the
engine oil level has fallen to the abso-
lute minimum; refill as soon as possible.
Do not drive more than 30 miles/50 km
before refilling.
For additional information, refer to
page 126.

Engine oil level
Comes on after the engine has
been shut off and is accompa-
nied by an alarm: add engine oil at your
earliest opportunity such as when you
stop to refuel
For additional information, refer to
page 126.
Brake pads

●

Have the brake pads checked
immediately.
For additional information, refer to
page 112.
Flat Tire Monitor

●

The Flat Tire Monitor has been
deactivated, either at the button
or in response to a system malfunction.
If there is a malfunction, have the sys-
ten checked.
For additional information, refer to
page 88.

Indicator and warning lamps

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

21
Cruise control
Lights up when the cruise con-
trol is activated. Ready for oper-
ation via the buttons in the steering
wheel.
For additional information, refer to
page 77.
Front fog lamps
Lights up whenever the fog
lamps are on.
For additional information, refer to
page 92.

Blue: for your information

High beams
Comes on when the high beams
are on or the headlamp flasher
is actuated.
For additional information, refer to
pages 75, 91.

Indicator and warning lamps

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

23
Hazard warning triangle*The hazard warning triangle is stored
ready to use in the luggage compart-
ment lid inside the toolbox for the
onboard tool kit.
To open the container, loosen the wing
nut.
Always observe all legal regula-
tions requiring a warning triangle
to be carried in the vehicle.<
First-aid kit*The first-aid kit is located under the
front passenger's seat.
To open: pull the handle and fold the
cover down.
To fasten: fold the cover up and press it
until the tab engages.
Several of the items contained in
the first-aid pouch have a limited
service life. For this reason, check the
expiration dates of each of the items
regularly, and replace any with passed
dates. These items can be purchased in
any drugstore or pharmacy.
Always observe all legal regulations
requiring a first-aid kit to be carried in
the vehicle.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex