2000 BMW Z8 Owners Manual

136n
Battery
Battery posts, terminals, and re-
lated accessories contain lead
and lead compounds. Wash hands after
handling.<
Installation location The battery is located under the lug-
gage compartment's floor panel.Charge conditionYou can read the charge condition
of the battery with the "Magic Eye"
(hydrometer):
>Green: adequate charge
>Black: not charged adequately. The
battery must be recharged. Please
contact your BMW center for addi-
tional information
>Yellow: replace the battery.520de076
The service life specified for the
battery can be achieved only if it is
always kept adequately charged. If the
vehicle is primarily used for stop-and-
go traffic, be sure to check the charge
state often.<
MaintenanceThe battery is completely maintenance-
free. That means that the original bat-
tery acid will normally last for the ser-
vice life of the battery under moderate
climate conditions.
For all questions regarding the
battery, please consult your BMW
center. Since the battery is absolutely
maintenance-free, the following is for
your information only.<
SymbolsYou will find the following symbols on
your vehicle battery. To avoid injury,
please comply with the following pre-
cautions whenever you work with or
near the battery.
Before handling the battery,
please read the following infor-
mation.
Wear eye protection. Do not
allow particles containing bat-
tery acid or lead to come into
contact with eyes, skin, or clothing.
Battery acid is extremely corro-
sive. Wear eye protection and
protective gloves. Do not tip the
battery. Battery acid can leak from the
ventilation openings.
Be sure that children keep well
away from batteries and battery
acid.
Never allow sparks or open
flame near the battery. Do not
smoke in the vicinity of the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks when work-
ing around electrical cables or equip-
ment. Turn the key to position 0 in the
ignition when disconnecting or con-
necting the battery. Do not short-circuit
the battery terminals. This creates a risk
of injury from high-energy sparks.

137n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Battery
A highly explosive gas is
generated when the battery is
charged.
If you happen to get acid in
your eyes, rinse thoroughly for
some minutes with clear water.
Consult a physician immediately. If you
get acid spray on your skin or clothing,
rinse with plenty of water. If acid is acci-
dentally ingested, consult a physician
immediately.
In order to protect the battery
case from ultraviolet radiation,
do not place it in direct sunlight.
A discharged battery can freeze. Store
the battery in areas where temperature
remains above freezing.
Removing and installing
Do not disconnect the battery
cable when the engine is running.
Disconnecting the battery cable when
the engine is running will cause a volt-
age surge which will damage the vehi-
cle's onboard electronics.
Do not make any modifications in the
wires to the positive terminal. If you do
so, the protective function of the safety
battery terminal is no longer ensured.
Repairs and disposal may only be per-
formed by specially trained personnel.<
When removing, first disconnect the
cable to the negative terminal, then dis-
connect the cable to the positive termi-
nal. Loosen the center adjusting screw
for the battery's retaining strap (use the
screwdriver found in the onboard tool
kit) and remove the bracket.
When installing, first connect the cable
for the positive terminal, then the cable
for the negative terminal.
When installing, make sure that
the battery is seated properly, and
that the battery bracket is installed with
the center adjusting screw, because
otherwise in the event of an accident,
the battery will not be secure enough.<
Charging the battery Charge the battery in the vehicle only
when the engine is not running. Use the
connections provided in the engine
compartment (for correct connections,
refer to "Jump starting" on page 143).
Before performing any work on
the electrical system, disconnect
the cable from the negative terminal. If
you do not, short circuits can create the
risk of fire or personal injury.<
If you plan to park the vehicle for longer
than 4 weeks, disconnect the battery
from the vehicle's electrical system by
disconnecting the cable at the negative
terminal. Then recharge the battery with
an appropriate battery charger.
If you intend to store the vehicle for
longer than 12 weeks, remove the bat-
tery, charge it and store it in a cool and
dust-free room where there is no dan-
ger of freezing. During storage, have the
battery recharged every six months.
Also, recharge the battery before it is
reinstalled. If this is not done, the bat-
tery will not be serviceable. Every time
the battery is discharged, especially
over extended periods, its service life
is reduced.

138n
Battery Fuses
Return used batteries to a recy-
cling point or your BMW center.
Maintain the battery in an upright posi-
tion for transport and storage. Secure
the battery to prevent it from tilting dur-
ing transport.<
If an electrical accessory should fail,
switch it off and check the fuse.
A list for both the fuses and their re-
spective amperages, and the electrical
devices, is located in the glove com-
partment on the fuse box lid, or in the
storage area behind the passenger-side
seat on the inside part of the storage
lid.
In the glove compartment>Open the glove compartment
>Unlock the fuse box and swing it
downward
>Remove the lid with the list on it.
Spare fuses and plastic tweezers are
located in the fuse box lid behind the
passenger-side seat
>Use the plastic tweezers to remove
the fuse for the accessory or equip-
ment that has stopped working
>Replace a blown fuse, recognizable
by its melted metal strip, with a new
fuse that has the same color or
ampere rating.520de078

139n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
FusesBehind the passenger's seat>Move the passenger's seat forward
and open the storage compartment
located behind it.
The list is on the lid's inside cover
>Remove the fuse box lid containing
the spare fuses and the plastic twee-
zers
>Use the plastic tweezers to remove
the fuse for the accessory or equip-
ment that has stopped working
>Replace a blown fuse, recognizable
by its melted metal strip, with a new
fuse that has the same color or
ampere rating.520de077
Do not attempt to repair a burned
out fuse or replace it with a fuse
having a different color or ampere rat-
ing. To do this could cause a fire in the
vehicle resulting from a circuit over-
load.<
If the fuse continues to burn out, have
the problem taken care of by a BMW
center.

140n
Manual release Pull the knob with the fuel pump symbol
(arrow) on the right trim panel of the
luggage compartment. 520de079
Manual release 1 Flip the backrest for the passenger's
seat forward and open the storage
compartment located behind it
2 Lift the cover off the fuse box
3 Unlock the luggage compartment lid
(arrow 1) or the storage compartment
for the cellular phone (arrow 2) by
pulling on the respective ring.520de128
Fuel filler door Luggage compartment lid, storage compartment

141n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Passenger-side door Closing the convertible top Manual release>Unlock from the inside and open (pull
on the door handle twice; refer to
page 34)
>Moving the lever of the passenger-
side door upward or downward,
upward: door is always unlocked
downward: door is always locked,
but can be opened from inside.520de147
Manual operation
You can close the convertible top
manually, but never open it manu-
ally, because this would cause dam-
age.<
In the event of a malfunction, please
consult your BMW center to have it
corrected.
If you do close the convertible top man-
ually, please proceed as instructed on
the following page.
1 Take off the oval-shaped cover cap,
using a screwdriver to help you if
necessary
2 Put the long end of the Allen wrench
(from the onboard tool kit) into the
support
3 Unlock the locking retainer by turning
it clockwise all the way to the right,
and pull the Allen wrench out again 520de137

142n
Closing the convertible top 4 Pull the convertible top on the con-
vertible top frame forward and side-
ways (arrows) and, using a little effort,
swing it forward over the window
frame 520de054
5 Gripping the recessed handle, pull
the convertible top frame all the way
on top of the window frame
6 Place the Allen wrench (from the on-
board tool kit) into the support
7 If you keep turning the Allen wrench
counter-clockwise, you will hear the
convertible top lock with the window
frame.520de106

143n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Do not use spray starter fluids to start
the engine.
If the battery is discharged, the engine
can be started with the use of two
jumper cables and the battery of an-
other vehicle. Use only jumper cables
with fully insulated grips on the terminal
clamps.
Do not touch the parts conducting
current while the engine is run-
ning. There is a risk of fatal injury if you
do this.<
Carefully comply with the following in-
structions to avoid personal injury or
damage to one or both vehicles:
1 Be sure that the battery on the sup-
port vehicle is also rated at 12 volts,
and that the capacities of the two
batteries (Ah) are roughly comparable
(printed on casing)
2 Leave the discharged battery con-
nected to the vehicle's electrical sys-
tem
3 Make sure that there is no contact
between the bodywork of the two
vehicles Ð short circuit risk!
4 Start by connecting the jumper cable
from the positive terminal of the sup-
port vehicle to the positive terminal
connector located in your BMW's en-
gine compartment. The cover of the
auxiliary terminal for jump starting is
identified by a "+" sign. Refer to the
illustration. Remove by pulling the tab
(arrow) 520de088
5 Then connect the negative terminals.
Attach the cable to either the support
vehicle's negative battery terminal (Ð),
or to a suitable ground on its engine
or bodywork. Then connect the other
end of the cable to a ground on the
engine or on the bodywork of the
vehicle that is to be started. This is
a special nut that is provided on the
BMW (refer to the illustration)
Follow the same sequence for
connecting the jumper cables if
you assist in jump starting another
vehicle, otherwise, you run the risk of
injury caused by spark generation at the
battery.<520de133
Jump starting