2001 BMW Z8 airbag

52n
AirbagsSitting correctly with airbags
Comply with the following instruc-
tions for the airbags, otherwise,
the airbags may not be able to provide
their maximum protection, with
resulting risks to personal safety. All
passengers in the vehicle should be
aware of and comply with this informa-
tion:
The airbag is a supplemental restraint
device; it is not a substitute or replace-
ment for your safety belt, which you
should continue to wear at all times.
When adjusting your seat, assume a
comfortable driving posture allowing
comfortable and secure access to all of
the vehicle's controls. Avoid sitting too
close to the steering wheel.
Always hold the steering wheel by the
rim Ð hands in the "9 o'clock" and
"3 o'clock" positions Ð otherwise, your
hands or arms could be injured if the
airbag is triggered.
Never allow any other passengers,
animals or objects to intrude into the
area between the airbag and the driver
or front passenger.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger airbag as a storage
area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, or cover or
modify them in any other way.
Do not use a rear-facing child seat in the
front passenger seat. If you use a child
restraint system, carefully read and
comply with the instructions on page 53.
Be sure that child seats are installed
correctly and with the greatest possible
distance between them and the side
airbag. Do not allow children to lean out
of the child's seat in the direction of the
side trim panels. If they do so, serious
injuries can occur if the airbag is trig-
gered.<
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injury to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances.
The ignition and inflation noise may
cause a mild temporary hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
You will find the proper airbag safety
precautions on both sun visors and on
the instrument cluster (US models).
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 121
and 148.The illustration shows the correct
seating position for a child in a child
restraint system
* with sufficient
distance between the child and the side
airbag (arrow).
520de115

53n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags Transporting children safelyThe illustration shows the correct
seating position for an older child
wearing a safety belt with sufficient
distance between child and the side
airbag (arrow).520de116
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat,
please read the following:
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the passenger seat of this
car.
If the airbag deploys and hits the back-
rest of the rear-facing child seat, it is
likely that the child sitting in the rear-
facing child seat will be seriously
injured or killed.
If it is necessary for a child (not an
infant) to ride in the car, certain precau-
tions should be taken. First, move the
passenger seat as far away from the
dashboard as possible. This important
precaution is intended to maximize the
distance between the airbag and the
child. Older children should be tightly
secured with the safety belt. Younger
children should be secured in an appro-
priate forward-facing child-restraint
system that has first been secured with
a safety belt.
In the interest of the child's safety,
please carefully read and comply with
the instructions for installation and
use provided by the child-restraint's
manufacturer whenever you use such a
device.
Do not allow children to lean out of a
child restraint system toward the door
or dashboard, as otherwise serious
injuries may result if the airbag deploys.
Always ensure that all occupants (of all
ages) remain properly and securely
restrained at all times.
Read carefully and comply with the
safety precautions covering safety belts
on pages 50. If you do not, the protec-
tive function of the safety belts will be
limited.<

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
85n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Car care Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures86
Driving notes87
Catalytic converter87
Antilock Brake System (ABS)88
Dynamic Brake Control
(DBC)90
Disc brakes90
Brake system91
Winter operation92
Power steering94
Cellular phone94
Radio reception94
Wind deflector95
Hardtop96
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure98
Tire condition98
Tire replacement99
Tire rotation100
Wheel and tire
combinations101
Special features of winter
tires102
Snow chains102
Approved wheel and tire
specifications103Under the hood:
Hood104
Engine compartment106
Washer fluids108
Washer nozzles108
Engine oil109
Coolant111
Brake fluid112
Vehicle Identification
Number113
Maintenance and care:
The BMW Maintenance
System114
Caring for your vehicle115
Airbags121
Vehicle storage122
Laws and regulations:
Technical modifications123
California Proposition 65
Warning123
OBD interface socket124

121n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags 1 Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger side
2 Side airbags on the driver and front
passenger sideImportant safety notices
Do not attempt to remove the gas
generators of the airbag restraint
system from the vehicle. Testing and
servicing are to be performed only by
trained technicians.
In the event of a malfunction, deactiva-
tion, or triggered actuation (as a
response to an accident) of the airbag
restraint system, consult your BMW
center for repairs or service operations.
520de021
Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment panel, and the side trim panels of
the doors. Never apply adhesive mate-
rials to these components or cover or
modify them in any way. Do not remove
or dismantle the steering wheel your-
self.
To ensure compliance with applicable
safety regulations, have an BMW center
dispose of airbag generators.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury.<

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 physical forces acting upon
the vehicle. The airbag supplemental
restraint system responds to the
extreme deceleration rates of a high-
intensity frontal impact Ð the kind of
collision in which safety belts alone
might not provide adequate protection Ð
by simultaneously igniting the two gas
generators responsible for activating
the driver and passenger airbags. A
sensor monitors the status of the
passenger seat; its airbag does not
deploy unless the 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.AM, LW and SW broadcast signals
have substantially longer reception
ranges than FM transmissions. This is
because the broadcast signals propa-
gated at ground level in the form of
surface waves are also reflected from
the ionosphere as atmospheric waves.
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
minimized by a number of innovative
system designs.
Highly sensitive sensors monitor wheel
speed, steering angle, lateral accelera-
360de084
Airbags Radio reception

Everything from A to ZAABS (Antilock Brake
System)21, 88
Accessories6
Activated charcoal filter75
Add
brake fluid112t
engine coolant112t
engine oil109t
washer fluid108, 157
Adjust
seats45
temperature74
washer nozzles108t
Adjustment setting
configuration48
Air conditioner72
Air distribution74
Air outlets72
Air pressure98
Air supply74
Airbags21, 51, 121, 148
Alarm system38
Antenna94
Antifreeze111
radiator92
Antifreeze/corrosion
protection92
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)21, 88
Anti-theft alarm system38
Anti-theft protection32Approved gross vehicle
weight156
Aquaplaning98
Ashtray81
Attach vehicle vacuum
cleaner82
Automatic car washes115
Automatic headlamp
washers60
Automatic windshield
washer60
Avoiding a false alarm39t
Axle loads156
BBackrest
adjusting45
unlock46
Backup lamps58
bulb replacement130t
Battery136, 158
add distilled water136t
capacity158
charge current20
charging137t
discharged143
recycling138t
removing and
installing137t
Belts50
Beverage can holder80
Blower74BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oil110
Bore154
Brake hydraulic
system20, 91
Brake system91
faults91t
fluid112t
pads22, 92
refer also to ABS, DBC and
Disc brakes
Break-in procedure86
Bulbs and lamps129t
CCalifornia Proposition
65 Warning123
Can holder80
Car Memory48
Car phone81
Car radio64
reception94, 148
refer also to the radio
Owner's Manual
Car wash115
Care
exterior117
for the vehicle finish118
interior119
CBC (Cornering Brake
Control)21, 89CD player, refer to the radio
Owner's Manual
Cellular phone94
refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual
Central locking system32
key36
Changing a wheel135t
Changing the oil filter157
Changing tires135t
Checking air pressure26t
Checking engine oil
level109t
Child restraint
systems53, 54
Child seat safety54
Child seats53
Cigarette lighter82
Clean headlamps60
Clock64
Cockpit16
Code, refer to the radio
Owner's Manual
Combination switch, turn
signal indicator/headlamp
flasher58
Compartments79
for stowing items78
Compression154
Connector for On-Board-
Diagnostics124
Consumption display62

A-Z

Everything from A to ZService Interval
Display63, 114
Shelves78, 79
Side airbags51
Side lamps69
bulb replace-
ment129t
Side marker lamps69
Skid control93
Slippery roads93
Snow chains92, 103
Socket82
for flashlights82
for power supplies82
for vacuum cleaners82
Sound system, refer to the
separate Owner's Manual
Spare key30
Spark plugs158
Speaker81
Specified engine oil110
Speedometer18
Starting56
problems87t, 143
Steel wheels103
Steering94
Steering wheel lock55
Stopping the vehicle56
Storage areas78, 79
Storing your vehicle122
Stroke154
Summer tires101Switching off the engine56
Switching off the interior
motion sensor39t
Switching off the tilt sensor
alarm system39t
Symbols4, 136
TTachometer62
Tail lamps130
bulb replacement130t
Tank capacity157
Technical data154
Technical
modifications6, 123
Telephone81
Temperature display
outside temperature64
Temperature gauge
engine coolant63
Temperature
selection74, 75
Tilt alarm34
Tilt alarm sensor39
Tire codes101
Tire damage98t
Tire inflation
pressure26, 98
Tire pressure monitor67
Tire Pressure Warning
(RDW)67
Tire replacement99, 100Tire rotation100
Tire specifications103
Tire tread98
Tools128t
Torque154
Tow fittings144t
Tow starting144t
Towing the vehicle144t
Track155
Traction Control System
refer to DSC65
Transmission58
Transmitter key30
Tread depth, tires98
Trip odometer62
Trunk lid, refer to luggage
compartment lid37
Turn signal indicator23, 58
Turning radius155
UUniform Tire Quality
Grading100
Unusually high steering
effort20, 94
Use anti-freeze112t
radiator112t
Used batteries,
disposal138t
VVacuum cleaner82
Vehicle battery136, 158
Vehicle care
exterior117
interior119
Vehicle equipment
options and accessories5
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN)113
Vehicle immobilizer31
Vehicle painting117
Vehicle storage122
Vehicle weight156
Vehicle, starting56
Vehicle, stopping56
Ventilation72
draft-free75
Vinyl upholstery, care119WWarning lamps20
Washer nozzles,
adjusting108t
Washer reservoir,
filling108t
Washing your car115
Water on roadways87
Waxing, paintwork118
Wear indicator in the
tires99
Weights156