2000 BMW Z8 Owners Manual

144n
Jump starting Towing6 Start the support vehicle's engine
and let it run
7 Start the engine on the vehicle need-
ing the jump start, and allow it to run
as usual. If the first start attempt is
not successful, wait a few minutes
before another attempt in order to
allow the discharged battery to
recharge
8 Before disconnecting the jumper
cables from your BMW, turn on the
lamps, set the blower to the highest
speed and allow the engine to run for
at least 10 seconds. This will prevent
a voltage surge from the voltage reg-
ulator to the electrical accessories
9 Then disconnect the jumper cables in
reverse sequence.
Have the battery recharged if necessary.
Tow fittingThe screw-in tow fitting is stored in the
onboard tool kit; be sure that it remains
in the vehicle at all times. This fitting
is designed for installation in the tow
sockets located at the front and rear of
the vehicle. It is intended for towing on
paved road surfaces only.
It should not be used to pull a vehicle
out of deep snow, mud, sand, etc.
Always observe all applicable towing
laws and regulations.Access to tow socketsFront
The uppermost grille stub is clipped on
the grille Ð which is located below the
main grille on the lower right Ð and this
grille can be pulled off, if you pull for-
ward on it.520de081
Rear
Use a screwdriver to press sideways on
the opening to remove the cover (arrow).
Screw the tow fitting in until it bot-
toms firmly. If this is not done, the
threads could be damaged.
Do not tow the vehicle by any compo-
nents of the running gear, or lash them
down in any way. If you do so, the com-
ponents could be damaged, leading to
possible accidents.<
Use only a nylon towing strap to tow
the vehicle. The inherent resilience of
this material helps protect both vehicles
from sudden jerking movements.520de065

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Towing
Avoid "off-center" towing. Be sure
that the tow rope is pulled tightly
when the towing vehicle begins to
move.<
The towed vehicle should always
be the lighter of the two vehicles.
If this is not the case, it is no longer
possible to control vehicle response.<
Tow-startingFor instructions on jump starting, refer
to page 143.
Never attempt to use your vehicle to
push another vehicle, since damage to
the energy-absorbing bumpers could
result.
Towing a vehicle1 Put the manual-shift gear lever in
neutral
2 Towing speed:
Max. 45 mph (70 km/h)
3 Towing distance:
Max. 95 miles (150 km)
4 Leave the ignition key at position 1 to
ensure that the brake lamps, turn sig-
nals, horn and windshield wipers
remain operative, and to prevent the
steering lock detent from engaging
5 Switch on the hazard-warning system
(comply with country-specific regula-
tions).
Find some means of identifying the
vehicle in tow, e. g. place a sign or
warning triangle in the rear window.
Make sure that the ignition key re-
mains in position 1 even when the
electrical system has failed to prevent
the steering lock from engaging. The
steering and brakes are without power
assist when the engine is not running.
This means that increased effort is
required for steering and braking.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck>Do not tow with sling-type equipment
>Use a wheel lift or flat bed equipment
>Please comply with applicable towing
laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in a
towed vehicle for any reason.
Never attach tie-down hooks, chains,
straps, or tow hooks to the tie rods, con-
trol arms, or any other part of the vehicle
suspension. If you do so, severe dam-
age will occur to these components.<520us014

146n

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
147n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags148
Radio reception148
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)149
Safety belt tensioner149
Interior rearview mirror with
automatic dimmer150
Xenon lamps151
Technology

148n
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the acceleration forces acting
upon the vehicle. If, as the result of a
frontal collision, a deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer adequate,
the gas generators of the driver and
passenger airbags are ignited. However,
the passenger airbag is only triggered if
an additional sensor has recognized
that the passenger seat is occupied.
In the event of a side collision, only the
side airbags will be triggered if neces-
sary. And only that airbag for that side
of the vehicle where the collision
occurred will be triggered.
390de012
The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process, they
tear through the designed separation
points of the covers or press them out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
required to inflate the airbags is not
dangerous, and the associated smoke
then dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.The AM frequency bands (medium-
wave, long-wave and short-wave) make
it possible to receive stations from a
great distance, because the broadcast
signals travel not only along the ground
as surface waves, but also as atmo-
spheric waves that are reflected from
the ionosphere.
Frequency-modulation (FM) provides
substantially better sound quality than
the other frequency bands. However,
because FM transmissions rely on line-
of-sight broadcast waves, their effec-
tive reception range is limited.
The limitations inherent to radio recep-
tion in a moving vehicle have been min-
imized by a number of innovative sys-
tem designs.
360de084
Airbags Radio reception

149n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Highly sensitive sensors monitor the
number of revolutions of the wheels,
steering angle, lateral acceleration,
brake pressure and the movement
of the vehicle around its vertical axis.
If differences in wheel speed should
occur, the system will recognize the
danger this loss of traction causes and
reduce the drive torque going to the
wheels. The system will also apply the
brakes specifically to the rear wheels,
if necessary.
In addition, DSC permanently monitors
the vehicle's current operating condi-
tion and compares it with an ideal con-
dition that is calculated from the sen-
sor's signals. If differences such as
under- or oversteering should occur,
DSC will stabilize the vehicle in frac-
tions of a second by reducing engine
power output, applying the brakes to
individual rear wheels Ð and to specific
front wheels, too, if necessary. As a
result, dangerous skids can be pre-
vented even as they are beginning.You may need some time to become
accustomed to this system's interven-
tion. However, it provides optimum
drive force and vehicle stability.
The braking intervention may be
accompanied by sounds specific to
the system.
The safety belt tensioner responds to
severe frontal collisions by tightening
the belt to ensure that occupants
remain firmly positioned in their seats.
A gas-pressure system retracts the
buckle assembly to tension the shoul-
der and lap belts within fractions of a
second. This reduces the tendency to
slide under the lap belt.
520de148
DSC Safety belt tensioner

150n
Interior rearview mirror with automatic dimmer The interior rearview mirror with auto-
matic dimmer reduces blinding from
following traffic by adapting the inten-
sity of the reflected images to corre-
spond to levels of light registered by
the unit's sensors. The mirror reverts
to its undimmed setting as soon as the
light source disappears. One light sen-
sor is mounted on the front of the mirror
housing. This sensor, that is directed
forward, measures light intensity in the
area ahead of the vehicle. The second
light sensor is integrated within the mir-
ror's frame. The electronic control sys-
tem compares the light intensity from
front and rear. The difference provides
the basic parameter used to modulate
an electrical current and induce chemi-
cal changes in a semisolid layer incor-
porated in the lens.520de096
The semisolid reacts chemically to this
electrical current, thus providing dim-
ming of the mirror through an infinitely-
variable range (electrochromic technol-
ogy).
As a result, it is no longer necessary to
dim the mirror manually, and the driver
can concentrate completely on traffic
conditions.

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Xenon lamps
*
Xenon lamps illuminate the side and
front areas of the vehicle much more
brightly and with greater uniformity than
traditional halogen lamps.
In a xenon lamp, an electric arc re-
places the filament to generate intense
illumination. A gas mixture in a quartz
glass tube with metal vapor is ignited
by a high electric voltage. The arc that
is generated is then sustained by a
lower voltage. When the lamp is turned
on, there is a brief warm-up period.
Maximum brightness is attained in
approx. 15 seconds.390de134
Xenon lamps provide significantly im-
proved visibility, especially during ad-
verse weather and poor driving condi-
tions, e. g. driving at night in heavy rain
or through road repair areas where
there are no lane markers.
Vehicles with xenon lamps are equipped
with automatic headlamp range control.
Thus the highway is always optimally
lighted and drivers in oncoming traffic
are not blinded.
Xenon lamps make a significant contri-
bution to highway safety since other
highway users, bicyclists and motorcy-
clists in the right lane, and pedestrians
are more easily detected.