key BMW M3 COUPE 2004 E46 Owner's Guide

62Driving
Ignition lockIgnition key positions0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition switched on
3Starting engineSteering lockedThe key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
the lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal is sounded after the driver's door
has been opened.
Steering unlockedYou will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.
Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.

63
Starting the engine and driving off
Do not allow the engine to warm
up by leaving it running while the
vehicle remains stationary. Instead,
drive off immediately at a moderate
engine speed.<
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. Otherwise,
breathing the exhaust fumes can lead
to unconsciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, an odorless and colorless, but
highly toxic gas. Do not leave the vehi-
cle unattended with the engine running.
An unattended vehicle with a running
engine represents a safety hazard.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt, such as when it is very hot or
cold:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at very low temperatures
below about +57/–156 and at high
altitudes above 3,300 ft/1,000 m:
>On the first start attempt, it may be
necessary to engage the starter for a
longer period, but no longer than
20 seconds.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent
or long periods with the starter
engaged can damage the catalytic con-
verter.<
When driving, standing at idle or
parking the vehicle, take care to
avoid contact between the hot exhaust
system and flammable materials –
grass, hay, leaves, etc. Such contact
could lead to a fire, resulting in serious
personal injury and property damage.<
Manual transmission1. Engage the parking brake
2. Gearshift lever in idling position
3. Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal. Do not actuate the
starter for too short a time. Do not
turn it for more than approx.
20 seconds. Release the ignition key
immediately when the engine startsSequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic1. Depress footbrake
2. Move selector lever into position N
3. Start the engine. Do not actuate the
starter for too short a time. Do not
turn it for more than approx.
20 seconds. Release the ignition key
immediately when the engine starts
4. Engage a driving position
5. Release footbrake and slowly
depress accelerator pedal.
With the engine running, the gear
indicator in the SMG Drivelogic
display flashes to indicate that a driving
position is engaged with the driver's
door open or that the hood is not
closed properly, refer to page 68.
If neither the pedals, the shift paddles,
nor the selector lever are actuated, then
the gearbox is automatically taken out
of gear after approx. four seconds. It
will then be necessary to move the
selector lever back to position N before
engaging the desired driving position.
Driving off is not possible with the hood
open.<
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65
Switching off the engine
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.<
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on downhill roads.
Engaging a gear may not sufficiently
secure the vehicle against rolling.<
Manual transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Sequential M gearbox with
DrivelogicIf you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in the for-
ward or reverse position, a gear auto-
matically remains engaged.
If you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in position
N, a warning tone and the flashing gear
indicator in the SMG Drivelogic display
remind you that no gear is engaged to
secure the vehicle against rolling.
The warning stops after approx.
10 seconds. If you move the selector
lever into a forward or reverse position
during this time, a gear is automatically
engaged.
Parking brakeThe parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically, and
the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition key
is in position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
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66
If exceptional circumstances
make it necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling the lever up.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction – fishtailing
– at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on downhill roads. Engaging a
gear may not sufficiently secure the
vehicle against rolling.<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake
from time to time when coasting to a
standstill – at a traffic light, for example
– provided that it is safe to do so.<
Manual transmission
When shifting gears in the 5th/6th
gear plane, be sure to press the
gearshift lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th gear plane. Do not hold
the vehicle in place on slopes by slip-
ping or 'riding' the clutch. Use the park-
ing brake instead. Riding the clutch
leads to severe and premature clutch
wear.<
ReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Press the shift lever to the left to
overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
light up automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Parking brake

67
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*The conceptThe sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic is an automated manual
gearbox with which clutching and shift-
ing is assumed by an electro-hydraulic
system.
The SMG Drivelogic is operated via two
shift paddles on the steering wheel and
the selector lever in the center console.
It offers the following functions:
>Sequential and automated shifting
mode
>Ability to choose between different
driving programs – Drivelogic
>Gradient assistance, refer to page 70
>Upshift display and shift lights, refer
to page 71
>RPM matching on downshifts
>Driving dependent functions:
The respective driving situation, e.g.
cornering, mountain driving or brak-
ing, is detected by sensors and taken
into account for shifting, e.g. to
achieve optimum gear selection dur-
ing deceleration and subsequent
acceleration
>Slip recognition at the rear axle for
increasing driving stability, e.g. dur-
ing downshifting on slippery road
surfaces>Operating safety through protection
against misshifting.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
the first driving program of the auto-
mated shifting mode.
Selector lever positionsR: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
Forward position with one-touch mode:
>S: sequential mode
>D: automated mode
>+: upshifting in sequential mode
>–: downshifting in sequential mode.
The SMG Drivelogic is ready for opera-
tion from ignition key position two or
higher.
For your safety, it is only possible to
engage a driving position with the vehi-
cle stopped approx. two seconds after
engaging position 0 with the footbrake
depressed – shift-lock function.
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70
DrivelogicDrivelogic makes various driving pro-
grams available to you.
Press the Drivelogic repeatedly until the
desired driving program is shown in the
SMG display of the instrument cluster,
refer to page 68.
In the automated mode you can select
from five driving programs ranging from
convenience mode/winter operation to
sporty and highly dynamic.
In the first automated driving program,
starting off takes place in second gear,
which is advisable under winter road
conditions with ice and snow.
In the sequential mode you can choose
from six driving programs ranging from
balanced, dynamic driving – 1 – to
sporty, puristic driving – 6. The sporty,
puristic driving program can only be
activated with the Dynamic Stability
Control (DSC) deactivated, refer to
page 83.
To maintain vehicle stability,
always drive with the DSC acti-
vated on whenever possible.<
Following each change between the
sequential and the automated mode,
the last driving program selected in the
respective mode is active. Exception:
instead of the last selected sequential
driving program 6, program 5 is acti-
vated only after the engine has been
started again.
Your vehicle is set so that when
the engine is started, the last
selected driving program saved in your
key is activated for each shifting
mode.<
Gradient assistanceThe gradient assistance enables start-
ing off on grades with virtually no roll-
back. It can be activated in the sequen-
tial and automated mode with the vehi-
cle stopped and can be used for both
forward and reverse driving.
The vehicle may roll slightly before
it is held by the gradient assis-
tance after releasing the footbrake.
Two seconds after the footbrake is
released, the vehicle begins to roll, as it
is no longer held with the gradient
assistance.<
1. Depress footbrake with vehicle
stopped
2. Activate the gradient assistance by
pulling the left paddle for at least
0.5 seconds. An increase in the
engine speed indicates that the gra-
dient assistance is activated
Briefly pulling the left paddle again
deactivates the gradient assis-
tance again.<
3. Release the footbrake and start off
within 2 seconds.
The gradient assistance must be reacti-
vated before each use.
Sequential M gearbox with Drivelogic*

73
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*0Wipers retracted
1Intermittent operation or rain sensor
2Normal wiper speed
3Fast wiper speed
4Brief wipe
5Rotary dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensorIntermittent modeNot on vehicles with rain sensor.
You can set the wipe interval at four
stages with rotary dial 5. In addition, the
wipe interval is varied automatically
depending on road speed.
Rain sensor*The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly behind the interior
rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
>With the ignition key in position 1 or
higher, move the lever to position 1.
The wipers travel once across the
windshield, regardless of the weather
>You can leave the lever permanently
in position 1. It is then only necessary
to activate the rain sensor when the
ignition key in position 1 or higher.
Activate by briefly turning rotary
dial 5.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain sen-
sor: turn rotary dial 5.
To deactivate the rain sensor: put lever
in position 0.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by
undesired wiper activation. ers switch automatically to intermittent
wipe – not on vehicles with rain sensor.
Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the wip-
ers operate at normal speed – not on
vehicles with rain sensor.
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74
0Wipers retracted
1Clean windshield and headlampsClean windshield and headlamps*
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, as your vision
could be obscured. Always use a wind-
shield washer antifreeze in cold
weather. Refer to page 122.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty. This could cause damage
to the washer pump.<
The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned at reasonable intervals.Windshield washer nozzlesThe windshield washer jets are warmed
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.
Cruise controlStarting at about 20 mph / 30 km/h, you
can maintain and store any vehicle
speed that you specify.
The cruise control is operational when-
ever the engine is running and the sys-
tem has been activated.To activate the systemIn ignition key position 2:
Press the button in the steering wheel.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on, refer to page 20. You
can now use the cruise control.
Do not use cruise control on twist-
ing roads, when high traffic den-
sity prevents driving at a constant
speed, or when the road surface is slick
– snow, rain, ice – or loose – rocks or
gravel, sand. until the indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*

76Everything under control
Odometer1Odometer
2Trip odometerOdometerYou can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the left button in
the instrument cluster.Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the left button with the ignition
key in position 1 or higher.
TachometerVariable pre-warning zoneThe yellow pre-warning zone displays
current permissible engine speeds,
depending on the engine temperature.
As the engine temperature climbs,
some of the sectors for this pre-warning
zones will go out one after the other.
Avoid engine speeds in the early warn-
ing zone if possible.
Never allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed zone of
the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is
interrupted when you approach this
sector.
Engine oil temperatureThe general operating temperature lies
between 1757/806 and 2507/
1206. During high-performance driv-
ing, do not exceed a maximum value of
3007/1506.

78
Service interval displayRemaining distance to next
serviceThe displays shown in the illustration
appear for a few seconds when the
ignition key is in position 1 or higher or
after the engine is started.
The next service due appears with the
message OIL SERVICE or
INSPECTION, together with the dis-
tance remaining in miles – in kilometers
in Canada – before the next scheduled
service.
The computer bases its calculations of
the remaining distance on the preced-
ing driving style.
A flashing message and a '–' in front of
the number mean that the service inter-
val has already been exceeded by the
distance shown on the display. Please
contact your BMW center for an
appointment.
Check ControlDisplayWhen the ignition key is in position 2,
the following information and/or condi-
tions are indicated using symbols until
the conditions have been corrected.
1Inspect the low-beam and high-beam
headlamps, as well as the parking
lamps
2Door open
3Luggage compartment lid open
4Check tail or brake lamps
When you open the driver's door, after
having turned the ignition key to posi-
tion 0, you will hear an acoustic signal
for a few seconds to remind you that
the lamps have not been switched off.