BMW M3 COUPE 2006 E46 Owner's Manual

The Ultimate
Driving Machine

Owner's Manual
for Vehicle

M3

We are pleased you have decided on a BMW M3.
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 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. In addition, you will receive information on vehicle maintenance to ensure
operating and traffic safety as well as the best possible value retention of your vehi-
cle. For more detailed information refer to the supplemental 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

4

Notes

© 2004 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 158 512
US English VIII/04
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
About this Owner's Manual

We have made every effort to ensure
that you are able to find what you need
in this Owner's Manual as quickly as
possible. The fastest way to find certain
topics is by using the detailed index at
the end. If you wish to gain an initial
overview of your vehicle, you will find
this in the first chapter.
Should you wish to sell your BMW at
some time in the future, please remem-
ber to hand over this Owner's Manual
to the new owner; it is an important part
of the vehicle.

Additional sources of information

Should you have any further questions,
your BMW center will be glad to assist
at any time.
You can find more information about
BMW, for example on its technology,
on the Internet at www.bmw.com.

Symbols used

Indicates precautions that must
be followed precisely in order to
avoid the possibility of personal injury
and serious damage to the vehicle.
Indicates information that will
assist you in gaining the optimum
benefit from your vehicle and enable
you to care more effectively for your
vehicle.
Refers to measures that can be
taken to help protect the environ-
ment.
Marks the end of a specific item of
information.
Indicates special equipment, coun-
try-specific equipment and optional
extras, as well as equipment and func-
tions not yet available at the time of
printing.
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory,
refer to page 59. Identifies func-
tions that can be specifically adapted
for a particular key or vehicle. These
adjustments can be performed by your
BMW center.

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5

Notes

Indicates that you should consult
the relevant section of this
Owner's Manual for information on a
particular part or assembly.

Your individual vehicle

On purchasing your BMW, you have
decided in favor of a model with individ-
ualized equipment and features. This
Owner's Manual will describe all of the
equipment that the BMW M3 has to
offer you.
We hope you will understand that
equipment and features are included
that you might not have chosen for your
vehicle. You can easily identify any dif-
ferences with the aid of the asterisk
used to identify all optional equipment
and accessories.
If your BMW features equipment such
as a car radio or telephone, that is not
described in this Owner's Manual, we
have enclosed Supplementary Owner's
Manuals. We ask you to read these
manuals as well.

Status at time of printing

BMW pursues a policy of continuous,
ongoing development that is conceived
to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety
standards combined with advanced,
state-of-the-art technology. In excep-
tional cases, the features described in
this Owner's Manual could therefore
differ from those on your vehicle.

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 vehicle. 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

Notes

About this Owner's Manual4
Additional sources of
information4
Symbols used4
Your individual vehicle5
Status at time of printing5
For your own safety6
Service and warranty7
Reporting safety defects7

Overview

Cockpit14
Instrument cluster16
Indicator and warning lamps18
Buttons* in steering wheel22
Hazard warning triangle*23
First-aid kit*23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25

Controls and features

Opening and closing:

Keys28
Central locking system28
Opening and closing – via the
remote control29
Opening and closing – via the
door lock32
Opening and closing – from the
inside33
Luggage compartment lid34
Luggage compartment36
Alarm system*37
Electric power windows39
Glass sunroof, electric*40

To adjust:

Safe seating position42
Seats43
Manual seat adjustment43
Power seat adjustment*44
Head restraints45
Entering the rear46
Safety belts46
Seat and mirror memory*48
Seat heating*49
Mirrors50
Steering wheel51

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags52
Transporting children safely55
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory59

Contents

9

Driving:

Ignition lock61
Starting the engine and driving
off62
Switching off the engine64
Parking brake64
Manual transmission65
Sequential M gearbox with
Drivelogic*66
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher71
Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor*72
Cruise control*73

Everything under control:

Odometer75
Tachometer75
Engine oil temperature75
Fuel gauge76
Engine coolant temperature
gauge76
Service interval display77
Check Control77
Clock78
Computer79

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)*81
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)82
Flat Tire Monitor83
M Engine dynamics control85
Brake force display86

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams87
Instrument lighting88
High beams/Standing lamps88
Front fog lamps89
Interior lamps89

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Automatic climate control90
Roller sun blind*94

Interior conveniences:

Premium sound system*95
Glove compartment95
Storage compartments96
Microphone*97
Ashtray, front*98
Ashtray, rear*98
Clothes hooks99

Loading and transporting:

Through-loading system100
Ski bag*101
Cargo loading102
Roof-mounted luggage
rack*105

Controls and features

Contents

Operation, maintenance

Special operating instructions:

Break-in procedures108
General driving notes109
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)111

Wheels and tires:

Tire inflation pressure112
Tire code114
Tire condition115
New wheels and tires116
Snow chains*118

In the engine compartment:

Hood119
Engine compartment
essentials120
Washer fluids122
Engine oil122
Coolant124
Brake fluid125

Maintenance:

BMW Maintenance System126
OBD interface socket128
Owner service procedures
Replacement procedures:

Onboard tool kit132
Windshield wiper blades132
Lamps and bulbs133
Tire repair with the M Mobility
system137
Battery140
Fuses141 Giving and receiving
assistance: Receiving assistance142
Jump-starting143
Towing and tow-starting the
vehicle145
Technical data

Engine data150
Dimensions151
Weights152
Capacities153