2000 BMW Z8 sensor

24n
Fuel quality Tire inflation pressure The engine uses lead-free gasoline
only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline,
min. 91 AKI
AKI = Anti Knock Index
Do not use leaded fuels. The use
of leaded fuels will cause perma-
nent damage to the system's oxygen
sensor and the catalytic converter.<
You will find the tire inflation pressures
on the door pillar (visible with door
open).Check tire pressuresAll pressure specifications are stated in
psi (kilopascal) for tires at ambient tem-
perature (refer also to the next page).
Reactivate the Tire Pressure
Warning (RDW) after changing a
tire or a wheel. Refer to page 65.<520de008
Check tire inflation pressures reg-
ularly Ð at least every two weeks
and before beginning a longer trip.
Incorrect tire pressure can lead to tire
damage and accidents.<
Comply with tire approval
specificationsThe inflation pressures in the table
apply to tires made by BMW-approved
manufacturers. Your BMW center is
familiar with these pressures. Higher
pressures may be specified for tires
made by other manufacturers.
You will find a list of approved tire sizes
on page 103.
Your vehicle is equipped with tires that
not only meet US standards, but also
European standards. We recommend
the exclusive use of BMW-approved
tires.

32n
Opening and closing Ð from outsideTo unlock Press button 1.
By pressing the button once, you will
unlock the driver's door only; pressing
the button a second time will unlock the
passenger door, the luggage compart-
ment lid, the fuel filler door, the glove
compartment, and the storage shelf for
the cellular phone.
If necessary, you can open the fuel filler
door by pressing the button for it inside
the vehicle; refer to page 23.Convenience opening modePress and hold button 1. The windows
are then opened.520de143
To lock and secure Press button 2.
You can have various signals set
as an acknowledgment message
when locking.<520de145
To deactivate the tilt sensor alarm
system and interior motion sensor Press button 2 again immediately after
locking.
For additional information, refer to
page 37.To switch on the interior lamps After locking the vehicle, press button 2
again.520de145

36n
Alarm systemThe conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the lug-
gage compartment lid is opened,
>To movement inside the vehicle
(interior motion sensor)
>To variations in the vehicle tilt sensor
such as those occuring during at-
tempts to steal the wheels or tow
the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following:
>Sounding an acoustical alarm for
30 seconds
>Activating the hazard warning flash-
ers for approx. five minutes
>Flashing the high beams on and off in
sync with the hazard warning flashers.
To activate and deactivate the
alarm systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
via a door lock or with the remote con-
trol, the alarm system is also simulta-
neously armed or disarmed.
The interior motion sensor and tilt alarm
sensor are activated approx. 30 sec-
onds after you have finished locking the
vehicle.
The system indicates that it has been
correctly armed by switching on the haz-
ard warning flashers for a single cycle
and by emitting an acoustical signal.
You can have different signals set
as acknowledgment messages for
arming and disarming.<
Indicator lamp displaysThe indicator lamp is located in the
inside rear view mirror's rotary knob.
>When the indicator lamp flashes con-
tinuously, the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes during
arming: the door(s), the hood or lug-
gage compartment lid are not com-
pletely closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area, the remaining
areas are deadlocked, and the indi-
cator lamp flashes continuously after
10 seconds. However, the interior
motion sensor is not activated
>The indicator lamp goes out during
disarming: no manipulation or
attempted intrusions have been
detected in the period since the
system was armed520de014

37n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Alarm system>If the indicator lamp flashes for
10 seconds when the system is dis-
armed, an attempted entry has been
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding unintentional alarms The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor may be switched off at the same
time to prevent a false alarm from being
triggered (in garages with elevator
ramps, for instance), or when the vehi-
cle is transported by trailer or train:
Lock the vehicle twice (= arm the sys-
tem) by pressing button 2 on the re-
mote control twice in succession (refer
to page 32), or lock the vehicle twice
with the key (refer to page 30).
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm
sensor and the interior motion sensor
are deactivated as long as the system is
armed.
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor
to function properly, the windows and
the luggage compartment lid must be
closed.
Nevertheless, you should deactivate
the interior motion sensor (refer to the
previous column) if
>children or animals are left in the
vehicle
>windows should remain open.
For US vehicles only:
The interior motion sensor is not
installed on US models as it has not re-
ceived FCC (Federal Communications
Comission) approval.<

85n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Brakes:
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. Even light but con-
sistent pressure on the brake pedal
could lead to high temperatures, brake
wear, and possibly, to brake system
failure.
Aquaplaning:
Reduce speed while driving on wet or
slushy roads, otherwise, a wedge of
water can form between the tires and
the road surface. This phenomenon is
referred to as "aquaplaning" or "hydro-
planing." It is characterized by a partial
or complete loss of contact between
the tires and the road surface. The ulti-
mate results are loss of steering and
braking control.
Driving through water:
When there is water on the roads, do
not drive in it if it is deeper than 1 ft
(30 cm), and even then, only at walking
speed, otherwise the vehicle can sus-
tain damage to the engine, the electri-
cal systems and the transmission.<
The catalytic converter reduces harmful
exhaust emissions, and is designed for
use with unleaded fuel only. Even
minute quantities of lead would be
enough to permanently damage both
the catalytic converter and the system
oxygen sensor.To ensure efficient, trouble-free engine
operation and to avoid potential damage:>Be sure to comply with the scheduled
maintenance requirements
>Fill the fuel tank well before it is empty
>Tow-start only when the engine is
cold. If you attempt to tow-start with
a warm engine, unburned residual
fuel in the catalytic converter could
ignite and cause damage. It is better
to start the vehicle with an outside
starting aid
>Avoid other situations where the fuel
is either not burned or burns incom-
pletely, such as engaging the starter
frequently or for extended periods, or
repeated start attempts in which the
engine does not start (stopping and
restarting an engine which is running
properly does not present a prob-
lem). Never allow the engine to run
with any of the spark plug cables dis-
connected.Be sure to comply with the in-
structions above to prevent un-
burned fuel from reaching the catalytic
converter. Otherwise, there is the dan-
ger of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.
Extreme temperatures are present with
the catalytic converter both on this and
every catalytic converter-equipped ve-
hicle. Heat shields are installed adja-
cent to some sections of the exhaust
system. Never remove these shields;
do not apply undercoating to their sur-
faces. When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care to
avoid contact between the exhaust sys-
tem and flammable materials (grass,
hay, leaves etc.). Such contact could
start a fire, resulting in serious personal
injury and property damage.<
Driving notes Catalytic converter

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.