2004 BMW 330CI CONVERTIBLE steering wheel

73
Switching off the engine
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces. Engaging a gear may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.<
Vehicles with manual
transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Automatic transmissionMove the selector lever into position P,
and turn the ignition key to position 1 or
0.SMG gearboxIf you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in position
R, or in sequential mode, a gear auto-
matically remains engaged.
If you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0 with the selector lever in neutral
position N, a warning tone and the
flashing gear indicator in the display
remind you that no gear is engaged to
secure the vehicle against rolling.
The warning stops after approx.
9 seconds.
Parking brakeThe parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates on the rear wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically and
the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition key
is in position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
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75
Sequential manual gearbox SMG*The conceptThe sequential manual gearbox SMG is
an automated manual gearbox with
which clutching and shifting is assumed
by an electro-hydraulic system.
The SMG is operated via the selector
lever in the center console and two shift
paddles on the steering wheel.
It offers the following functions:
>Sequential mode: manual mode
>Drive mode: automatic operation
>Ability to choose between two differ-
ent driving programs: Standard,
Sport
>Operating safety through protection
against misshifting
>Automatic upshifts and downshifts in
the drive mode
>Automatic downshifts at minimum
engine rpm
>Kickdown function in the drive mode.
>Acceleration assistant, refer to
page 78.
Selector lever positionsThe current selector lever position is
indicated by a light-emitting diode in
the center console.
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
Position for forward driving with one-
touch functions:
Sequential mode
+: manual upshifts
—: manual downshifts
D: drive mode.
The SMG is ready for operation in igni-
tion key position 2.
The gearbox is automatically
placed in neutral gear if the
driver's door is opened while the engine
is running and the driver does not actu-
ate the pedals, the shift paddles or the
selector lever.
This is accompanied by an acoustic
signal and the flashing gear indicator.
The gear display N appears in the
instrument cluster.
A driving position can only be engaged
when the driver's door is closed.
When the vehicle is unlocked, a buzzer
in the area of the transmission indicates
that the system is ready for operation.<
ShiftlockWhen the car is at a standstill, a safety
function requires you to depress the
brake pedal if you want to move the
selector lever from the neutral
position N to a driving position.Driving precautions
Use enough acceleration to pull
away speedily when moving off on
an uphill gradient. Never try to prevent
the car from rolling back on an uphill
gradient by depressing the accelerator
pedal; always apply the handbrake.
Otherwise you could overheat the SMG
gearbox.<
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76
RReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary.NNeutralAlways engage before starting the
engine, refer to Starting the engine on
page 72.Sequential modeEach time the engine is started, the
sequential mode is activated as soon as
you move the selector lever into the for-
ward driving position while the brake is
depressed.
The gears are shifted via the shift pad-
dles or the selector lever.
It is also possible to drive off in second
gear, e.g. on snow-covered roads.DDrive modeIn the drive mode all forward gears are
shifted automatically.
To switch from sequential to drive
mode: tap the selector lever to the right
toward D.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during
passing, depress the accelerator pedal
completely: kickdown.To switch back to sequential mode: tap
the selector lever again to the right
toward D or change the current gear via
the shift paddles or the selector lever.
KickdownYou can achieve maximum acceleration
using kickdown.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
Shifting gearsWith the selector lever:
>To upshift, tap the selector lever
toward +
>To downshift, tap the lever toward —.
With the shift paddles on the steering
wheel:
>To upshift, pull one of the shift pad-
dles
>To downshift, push the paddle.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g.
during passing, by manually downshift-
ing.
In the following situations, the SMG in
the sequential mode assists you:
>Upshifts and downshifts are only exe-
cuted at appopriate combinations of
engine rpm and vehicle speed. For
Sequential manual gearbox SMG*

84
0Wipers retracted
1Clean windshield and headlampsCleaning windshield and
headlamps*
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, as your vision
could be obscured. Always use a wind-
shield washer antifreeze in cold
weather. Refer to page 138.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty. This could cause damage
to the washer pump.<
The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned at reasonable intervals.Windshield washer nozzlesThe windshield washer nozzles are
heated automatically* when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Cruise control*You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph / 30 km/h.
The cruise control is available whenever
the engine is running and the system
has been activated.To activate the systemIn ignition key position 2:
Press the button in the steering wheel.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on, refer to page 20. You
can now use the cruise control.
Do not use cruise control on twist-
ing roads, when high traffic den-
sity prevents driving at a constant
speed, or when the road surface is slick
– snow, rain, ice – or loose – rocks or
gravel, sand. until the indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*

95
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot pro-
vide you with advance warning of
sudden and severe tire damage caused
by external factors and does not detect
the balanced and very gradual pressure
loss that takes place in all four tires
over an extended period of time.<
On the other hand, the following situa-
tions can lead to a delayed detection of
pressure loss and even to the system
not functioning:
>Driving on snow-covered or slippery
roads
>Performance-oriented driving: slip at
the drive wheels, high levels of lateral
acceleration
>When driving with snow chains, false
warnings and undetected pressure
losses may occur
>When driving with a space-saver
spare tire, the Flat Tire Monitor can-
not function.
Initializing the system
Each time you correct the pres-
sure in a tire, or change a wheel or
tire, reinitialize the system immediately
afterwards. This requires a bit of driv-
ing.<
1. Before driving off, start the engine
but do not start driving
2. Press the button as long as you need
to until the yellow indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up for a
few seconds
3. Drive off.
It takes a few minutes before the Flat
Tire Monitor can detect a flat tire and
issue a warning.
When driving with snow chains or
a space-saver spare tire, do not
initialize the system.<
Flat tire
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up red. This
visual alert is accompanied by
an acoustic warning signal.
1. Carefully reduce speed and come to
a stop. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers
2. Determine which wheel is damaged
If this cannot be determined, con-
tact your BMW center.<
3. Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a wheel on page 153.
After replacing the damaged tire, initial-
ize the system.
Vehicles with Run Flat tires:
1. Carefully reduce your speed to under
50 mph / 80 km/h. Avoid sudden
braking and steering maneuvers. Do
not exceed a speed of 50 mph /
80 km/h
Flat Tire Monitor*
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125
General driving notes
Brakes: do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal. Even
light but consistent pedal pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear
and possibly even brake failure.
Hydroplaning: when driving on wet or
slushy roads, reduce vehicle speed. If
you do not, a wedge of water may form
between the tires and the road surface.
This phenomenon can lead to partial or
complete loss of contact between the
tires and road surface, as well as loss of
vehicle control and braking ability.
Driving through water: do not drive
through water on the road if it is deeper
than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only at walk-
ing speed. Otherwise, the vehicle's
engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.
Clothes hooks, with hardtop: when
hanging clothing from the hooks, be
sure that they will not obstruct the
driver's vision. Do not hang heavy
objects on the hooks. If you do so, they
could cause personal injury during
braking or evasive maneuvers.<
Antilock Brake System (ABS)The conceptABS keeps the wheels from locking
during braking, thereby enhancing
active driving safety.Braking with ABSIf you are in a situation that requires full
braking, you will exploit the full benefits
of ABS system if you apply maximum
pedal pressure – panic stop.
Since the vehicle maintains steering
responsiveness, you can avoid possible
obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort, despite the full brake application.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits
indicates to the driver that ABS is in its
active mode.Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)DBC is included in the DSC, refer to
page 93. The system responds to sud-
den, high-intensity applications of force
to the brake pedal by automatically
braking the vehicle with maximum
boost to achieve the shortest possible
braking distances during panic stops.
This system also exploits the benefits of
ABS. Do not reduce the pressure exerted against the brake pedal until
the braking maneuver has been com-
pleted. DBC is deactivated when you
release the brake pedal.
Cornering Brake Control (CBC)CBC is an advanced engineering devel-
opment of ABS. When braking during
cornering with high lateral accelera-
tion, or when braking during a lane
change, vehicle stability is improved
and the steering response is enhanced.
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130
Do not drive on a deflated – flat –
tire unless your vehicle is
equipped with Run Flat tires. A flat tire
greatly impairs steering and braking
response, and can lead to complete
loss of control over the vehicle. Avoid
overloading the vehicle so that the per-
mitted load on the tires is not
exceeded. Overloading can lead to
overheating and internal tire damage.
The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
normal vehicle operation can indicate a
flat tire or some other vehicle malfunc-
tion. This type of problem can be
caused by contact with curbs, etc. This
is also true for irregularities in the vehi-
cle's handling characteristics, such as a
pronounced tendency to pull to the left
or right. Should this occur, respond by
immediately reducing your speed. Pro-
ceed carefully to the nearest BMW cen-
ter or professional tire center, or have
the vehicle towed in to have it, its
wheels or its tires inspected.
Tire damage up to and including sud-
den and complete air loss can endan-
ger the lives of both the vehicle occu-
pants and other road users.<
Tire replacementTo maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer.
Comply with the specified tire inflation
pressures — and be sure to have the
wheel and tire assembly balanced
every time you change a tire or wheel.DOT quality gradesTread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must con-
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified government test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half – 1
1/2 – times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.TractionThe traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does
not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics. highest – B and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Tire condition

132
Wheel and tire combinationsThe right choice
BMW recommends using only
wheels and tires that have been
approved by BMW for your particular
vehicle model, as otherwise body con-
tact and serious accidents can result
despite the use of the same nominal
size, e.g. due to manufacturing toler-
ances. BMW cannot evaluate all tires
and wheels on the market, and is thus
unable to guarantee that the vehicle will
continue to perform safely if unap-
proved tires and/or wheels are
mounted.<
For each tire size, BMW has assessed
the safe performance of specific tire
brands and approved them for use.
Consult any BMW center for details.
Comply with any local/national regula-
tions, for example by recording the tire
type in the vehicle documents.
The correct wheel and tire combi-
nation affects various systems
that would otherwise be impaired, for
example ABS, DSC and DBC.
For this reason, use only tires of the
same manufacture and tread configura-
tion. In the event of a flat tire, for exam-
ple, remount the approved wheel and
tire combination as soon as possible.<
StorageAlways store tires in a cool, dry place.
Store them away from light whenever
possible. Protect the tires against con-
tact with oil, grease and fuel.
Do not exceed the maximum tire infla-
tion pressures specified on the tire
sidewall.
Winter tiresChoosing the right tireBMW recommends the use of winter
tires for operation under winter road
conditions. While all-season tires – with
M+S designation – provide better winter
traction than the corresponding sum-
mer tires, they generally do not achieve
the performance of winter tires.
In the interest of safe tracking and
steering response, install winter tires
made by the same manufacturer and
with the same tread configuration on all
four wheels.
Never exceed the maximum
speed for which the winter tires
are rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and
accidents.
Have this work performed by trained
professionals only. Any BMW center
has the required technical knowledge
and the proper equipment and will be
happy to assist you. your BMW is eqipped with Run Flat
tires. These are indicated by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on