2007 BMW Z4 3.0SI ROADSTER page 97

Transporting children safely
36
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening
the doors, for example.<
Children on the passenger seat
Children under 13 years of age or under
5 ft/150 cm in height may only be trans-
ported in child-restraint systems suitable for
their age, weight and size and if the passenger
airbags are deactivated. Otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent or should the airbags deploy.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child-restraint system that is
appropriate for their age, weight and size.
For a child, not an infant, certain precautions
should be taken. Position the passenger seat as
far back as possible and at the lowest level. This
important precaution is intended to maximize
the distance between the airbags and the child.
Deactivating/reactivating passenger
airbags
The passenger airbags must be deacti-
vated before using a rear-facing child-
restraint system on the passenger seat, refer
also to page37 for explanation.
BMW also recommends that the passenger air-
bags be deactivated if a child is transported in a
front-facing child-restraint system, regardless
of the age of the child. If you transport a child in
the passenger seat, not an infant in a rear-fac-
ing seat, who is properly seated and seat-belted
at all times, the potential benefits of airbags
deploying in an accident generally outweigh the
risks of the child being injured by the force of a
deploying airbag.
Therefore, you should deactivate the passen-
ger airbags only if you find it difficult to ensure
that the child will remain properly seated and seat-belted at all times.
Always position the passenger seat as far back
as possible and at the lowest level.
The above warning and recommendations are
compatible with regulations established by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, permitting the deactivation of passen-
ger airbags by means of an on-off switch for
members of certain at-risk groups.
Specifically, the at-risk groups are:
>Infants in rear-facing infant seats
>Persons with certain medical conditions
>Children aged 12 and under in the passen-
ger seat.
NHTSA provides this information via their web-
site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov, or via their Auto
Safety Hotline toll-free at
1-800-424-9393 or 366-0123
in Washington, D.C. area.<
Key switch for passenger
airbags
The front, side and knee airbags for the passen-
ger can be deactivated and reactivated using a
key switch. It is located on the passenger side
on the side of the dashboard.
The passenger airbags can only be deactivated
and reactivated while the vehicle is at a stand-
still and the passenger door is open.

Driving
42
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged by accidentally
engaging 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to operating the Steptronic as a fully
automatic transmission, you can also shift
gears manually with it, refer to page43.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P before leaving
the vehicle with the engine running.<
Removing the key
To turn the key in the ignition lock back to posi-
tion 0 or to remove it, first engage selector lever
position P and switch off the engine: interlock.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D SD M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed; in the
manual mode, the gear currently engaged is
shown.
Range selection
>With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P: interlock.
>Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start.<
A lock prevents you from inadvertently engag-
ing selector lever positions R and P. To cancel
the lock, press the button on the front of the
selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels
from turning.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
43
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral, idle
You can select this in a car wash, for example.
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
This position is designed for driving under all
normal operating conditions. All forward gears
are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kickdown
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Manual operation and Sport program
M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S range:
The Sport program is activated. This is indi-
cated by the display SD in the instrument clus-
ter. This position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style.
The Sport program is enabled automatically
when the Dynamic Driving Control system is
activated, refer to page44.
To use the automatic function again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Shifting gears using the selector lever
When you press the selector lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear. The instrument clus-
ter shows M1 through M6.
The transmission will only execute upshifts and
downshifts that will result in an appropriate
combination of vehicle speed and engine rpm.
For instance, downshifts that would result in
excessive engine speed will not be executed.
The desired gear will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster, followed by the actual gear.
Shifting gears via the shift paddles* on
the steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears
quickly since your hands can remain on the
steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears while in auto-
matic mode, the transmission automatically
switches to manual mode.
>If you do not use the shift paddles for a cer-
tain amount of time and do not accelerate,
the transmission automatically switches
back to automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear
plane, manual mode remains active.
>To shift up, pull one of the shift paddles.
>To shift down, press one of the shift pad-
dles.
The instrument cluster shows M1 through M6.
The transmission will only execute upshifts and
downshifts that will result in an appropriate
combination of vehicle speed and engine rpm.
For instance, downshifts that would result in
excessive engine speed will not be executed.
The desired gear will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster, followed by the actual gear.
Malfunction
Red warning lamp
The transmission is overheating.
Reduce your speed immediately and
pull over at a suitable location so that

Driving
44 the transmission can cool down again. You can
continue your journey, but moderate your
speed and exercise due caution.
Have the system checked immediately.
Yellow warning lamp
The transmission system is malfunc-
tioning. Avoid heavy loads.
All of the selector lever positions can
continue to be engaged; in the forward drive
positions, however, the vehicle will be operating
in a restricted gear range only.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Instructions on towing, tow-starting and jump-
starting begin on page104.
Dynamic Driving Control
At the touch of a button, Dynamic Driving Con-
trol enables you to drive your BMW in an even
sportier style:
>The engine responds more spontaneously
to any motion of the accelerator pedal.
>Power steering is adapted to further
enhance contact with the road surface.
>Cruise control
*:
The stored speed is achieved more quickly
when called up.
In addition with automatic transmission:
>The Sport program is activated.
To activate the system
Press the SPORT button while the key is in
position 2.
The LED in the button lights up.
To deactivate the system
Press the SPORT button again.
The LED in the button goes out.
Turn signal indicators/
Headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signal indicators
Unusually rapid flashing of the indica-
tor lamp indicates that a turn signal
indicator has failed.<
To signal briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
If you wish, you can have this function
activated.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
45
Washer/wiper system/
Rain sensor*
0Wipers retracted
1Intermittent or rain sensor mode
2Normal wiper speed
3Fast wiper speed
4Brief wipe
5Selecting speed for intermittent mode or
setting sensitivity of the rain sensor
Intermittent mode
Not in vehicles with a rain sensor.
Rotary dial 5 is used to set the wipe interval to
one of four levels.
In addition, the wipe interval is varied automati-
cally depending on road speed.
Rain sensor*
On vehicles with a rain sensor, the wipe interval
is automatically controlled according to rain
intensity. The sensor is mounted on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rearview
mirror.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<
Activating
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher,
move the lever to position 1.
In any case, the wipers will move once across
the windshield.
You can leave the lever continuously in
position1. Then, as long as the ignition key is in position 1 or higher, you only need to activate
the rain sensor.
To do so:
>Turn rotary dial 5 briefly or
>Clean the windshield, refer to Cleaning
windshield and headlamps* below
Adjusting sensitivity
Turn the rotary wheel 5.
Deactivating
Flip the lever to position 0.
Normal wiper speed
When the vehicle is stopped the wipers auto-
matically switch to intermittent wipe, except in
vehicles with a rain sensor.
Fast wiper speed
When the vehicle is stopped the wipers operate
at normal wiping speed, except in vehicles with
a rain sensor.
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
0Wipers retracted
1Cleaning windshield and headlamps
*
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield, otherwise vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid on
page46.
Do not operate washing mechanisms when the
washer fluid reservoir is empty, otherwise you
will damage the washer pump.<

Everything under control
48
Everything under control
Odometer
1Odometer
2Trip odometer
3Resetting trip odometer
4Outside temperature or computer dis-
plays
*
Trip odometer
Resetting trip odometer:
While the ignition is switched on, press button 3
in the instrument cluster until the trip odometer
is set to zero.
Outside temperature display, clock*
Setting the clock, refer to page50.
Outside temperature warning
If the outside temperature drops to approx.
377/+36, the computer automatically
switches to the outside temperature display.
A signal also sounds and the display flashes for
a short time. There is an increased risk of black
ice.
After an outside temperature warning has
been issued, the computer switches back
to its previous screen. You can have this acti-
vated/deactivated.<
Black ice can also form at temperatures
above 377/+36. You should therefore
drive carefully on bridges and shaded roads, for
example, otherwise there is an increased risk of
an accident.<
When the vehicle is parked
If you still want to view the time and odometer
reading briefly after the ignition has been
switched off or the key has been removed:
Press button 3 in the instrument cluster.
Tachometer
Never allow the engine to operate with the nee-
dle in the red overspeed sector of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is inter-
rupted when speed reaches this sector.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 14.5 US gallons/
55 liters. You can find information on refueling
on page82.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
49
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters, indicator
lamp 1 lights up continuously.
Do not drive until the fuel tank is empty
and refill it well in advance. Otherwise the
engine may not operate properly and damage
could result.<
When you switch on the ignition, the indicator
lamp comes on briefly to indicate an operational
check.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge
Blue
The engine is still cold. Drive at moderate
engine and vehicle speeds.
Between the blue and red zones
Normal operating range. The needle may rise as
far as the edge of the red sector during normal
operation.
Red
When you switch on the ignition, warning
lamp1 comes on briefly to indicate an opera-
tional check.
Comes on while driving:
The engine has overheated. Stop and switch
the engine off immediately and allow it to cool
down.
For checking the coolant level, refer to page94.
Service interval display
The remaining driving distance in miles/km until
the next scheduled service is displayed briefly
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The words OILSERVICE or INSPECTION indi-
cate the type of service due next. The computer
bases its calculations of the remaining driving
distance on the preceding driving style.
A flashing message and a minus sign in front of
the number mean that the service interval has
already been exceeded by the number of miles/
kilometers shown on the display. Please sched-
ule an appointment with your BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel.
The extent of service work required can
be read out from the remote control by
your BMW Service Advisor.<
Clock
If you wish to have a permanent time display,
you can have it appear in the car radio display,
refer to the Owner's Manual for Radio.
You can set the time and the time display in the
car radio as follows.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
51
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with a s eries of systems
that help maintain driving stability even in
adverse driving situations.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS keeps the wheels from locking during
braking. Steering stability is maintained even
during full brake applications. In this way, active
safety is enhanced.
ABS is operational each time the engine is
started. Braking safely, refer to page75.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls brake-force application at
the rear wheels in order to obtain increased sta-
bility in the vehicle's braking response.
Dynamic Brake Control DBC
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. At the same time, the benefits of the ABS
are also exploited.
As long as you want full braking to continue, do
not reduce pressure on the brake.
Dynamic Stability Control DSC
DSC prevents slip at the drive wheels while
starting off and accelerating the vehicle. DSC
also recognizes unstable vehicle conditions,
such as fishtailing or nose-diving. In these
cases, and subject to physical limits, DSC helps
to keep the vehicle on a steady course by
reducing engine speed and by applying brakes
at individual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed
even with DSC. It will always be the
driver's responsibility to drive in a manner that
matches road conditions. Therefore, do not limit the additional safety margin by practicing
risky driving.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button for at least 3 seconds; the indi-
cator lamp for DSC lights up in the instrument
cluster. Dynamic Traction Control DTC and
DSC have been deactivated simultaneously. No
more interventions to increase stability and for-
ward momentum are carried out.
To enhance vehicle stability, reactivate DSC as
soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button again; the indicator lamp goes
out in the instrument cluster.
Checking
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp is lit:
DSC has been deactivated completely.
Dynamic Traction Control DTC
DTC is a variant of the DSC in which forward
momentum is optimized for special road condi-
tions, e.g. snow-covered roads that have not
yet been cleared. The system ensures maxi-
mum forward momentum, but driving stability is
limited. Therefore, drive carefully in accordance
with conditions.