2008 BMW 128I COUPE tow bar

Controls
81Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
until "PDC" is selected and press the con-
troller.
6.Select "PDC display on" and press the con-
troller.
The PDC screen is activated.
The display is shown on the Control Display as
soon as PDC is activated.
System limitations
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those
encountered with trailer towbars and hitches,
thin or wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low objects
that have already been displayed, e. g. curbs,
can disappear again from the detection area of
the sensors before or after a continuous tone
sounds. Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges,
cannot be detected. Loud sound sources out-
side or inside the car can drown out the PDC
signal. Therefore, always drive cautiously, oth-
erwise there is a risk of personal injury or prop-
erty damage.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page116.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
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. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full braking application.
Dynamic Stability Control DSC
DSC prevents the driving wheels from losing
traction when you pull away from rest or accel-
erate. The system also recognizes unstable
driving conditions, for example if the rear of the
car is about to swerve or if momentum is acting
at an angle past the front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
output and through braking actions at the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin again by taking risks, as this could
result in an accident.<

Replacing components
216
Replacing components
Onboard tool kit
The onboard tool kit is stored beneath the floor
panel in the cargo bay.
Wiper blades
1.Fold out the wiper arm and hold it.
2.Press together the locking spring, arrow1,
and fold out the wiper blade, arrow2.
3.Take the wiper blade out of the catch mech-
anism, pulling the blade toward the front.
To avoid damage, make sure that the
wiper arms are against the windshield
before you open the engine compartment.<
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. They should, therefore,
be handled carefully. BMW recommends hav-
ing your BMW center perform any work that you
do not feel competent to perform yourself or
that is not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean tissue, cloth or something similar, or hold
the bulb by its base.<
You can obtain a selection of replacement bulbs
at your BMW center.When working on electrical systems,
always begin by switching off the con-
sumer in question, otherwise short-circuits
could result. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, observe
any instructions provided by the bulb manufac-
turer.<
For care and maintenance of the headlamps,
please follow the instructions in the separate
Caring for your vehicle brochure.
If the routine for changing a particular
bulb is not described here, please contact
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.<
Light-emitting diodes LED
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
cent lenses serve as the light source for many of
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers or expose the
eyes directly to the unfiltered light source
for several hours, otherwise this could cause
irritation to the retina.<
Xenon lamps*
These bulbs have a very long service life and are
highly unlikely to fail. If a xenon lamp fails never-
theless, switch on the fog lamps and continue
the journey with great care, provided that local
legislation does not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp system,
including bulb replacements, performed
o nl y b y a BM W c e n t er o r a w o r k s h o p t h a t w o rk s
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, if
such work is carried out improperly, the high
voltage in the system presents the danger of
fatal injuries.<

Mobility
225Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
windshield wipers may be unavailable. Power
steering assistance is not available when the
engine is not running. Thus, braking and steer-
ing will require increased effort. Active steering
is not active and it will be necessary to turn the
steering wheel further.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers, depend-
ing on local regulations.
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in idle position.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing the selector lever position, refer to
page61.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 45 mph/
70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km, otherwise the automatic
transmission may be damaged.<
Towing methods
I n s o m e c o u n t r i e s , i t i s i l l e g a l t o t o w y o u r v e h i c l e
with a tow bar or tow rope on public highways.
Please familiarize yourself with the relevant
towing regulations for the country in which you
are driving.
With a tow bar
The towing vehicle must not be lighter
than the towed vehicle, otherwise it may
be impossible to maintain control.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an angle,
please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>The tow bar will generate lateral forces if it is
attached offset.
Attach the tow bar to the tow fittings only,
as attaching it to other parts of the vehicle
could result in damage.<
With a tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps.
Attach the tow rope to the tow fittings only, as
attaching it to other parts of the vehicle could
result in damage.<
With a tow truck
Have the BMW transported with a tow truck
with a so-called lift bar or on a flat bed.
Do not tow the vehicle with just the rear axle
raised as this may cause the steering to turn.
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or
body and chassis parts, otherwise dam-
age may result.<
Tow-starting
Avoid tow-starting the vehicle whenever possi-
ble; instead, jump-start the engine, refer to
page223. Vehicles with a catalytic converter
should only be tow-started when the engine is
cold, vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be tow-started at all.
1.Switch on the hazard warning flashers,
comply with local regulations.
2.Switch on the ignition, refer to page58.
3.Shift into 3rd gear.
4.Have the vehicle tow-started with the clutch
depressed all the way and slowly release
the clutch. After the engine starts, immedi-
ately depress the clutch completely again.

Giving and receiving assistance
226 5.Stop at a suitable location, remove the tow
bar or rope and switch off the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
6.Have the vehicle checked.

Reference 241
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic60
– interlock61
– selector lever lock61
– shiftlock61
– towing224
– tow-starting224
"Automatic ventilation" for
parked car ventilation100
AUTO program for automatic
climate control98
"Auto Request"193
"Autostore"
– on the radio156
"AUX"150,169,171
– AUX-In port169
– USB-audio interface170
AUX-In port169
Average fuel consumption68
– setting the units70
Average speed68
"Avoid ferries" in
navigation134
"Avoid highways" in
navigation134
Avoid highways in
navigation134
Avoiding unintentional
alarms35
"Avoid tollroads" in
navigation134
Axle loads, refer to
Weights233
"A - Z"183,184
B
Backrests, refer to Seats46
Backrest width adjustment47
Back seats, refer to Rear seats
– adjusting head restraints48
Backup lamp, replacing
bulb219
Bag for skis, refer to Ski
bag109
Balance, tone control151
Band-aids, refer to First-aid
pouch223Bar, refer to Tow-starting,
towing away225
Bass, tone control151
Bass sounds, refer to Treble
and bass151
Battery220
– charging220
– disposal37,220
– jump starting223
– temporary power failure220
Battery renewal
– remote control for vehicle37
Being towed224
Belts, refer to Safety belts51
Belt tensioner, refer to Safety
belts51
Beverage holders, refer to
Cup holders106
Blower, refer to Air flow
rate98
"BMW Assist"192,193,194
BMW Assist
– activating196
– Concierge service194
– contacting BMW Customer
Relations194
– Roadside Assistance192
– services offered191
– TeleService193
"BMW Contact"186
"BMW Contact
Numbers"186
BMW Maintenance
System214
"BMW Service settings"197
Bottle holders, refer to Cup
holders106
Brake assist, refer to Dynamic
Brake Control81
Brake fluid
– service requirements71
Brake Force Display87
Brake lamps
– Brake Force Display87
– replacing bulb219
Brake pads, breaking in114
Brake rotors116
– brakes114
– breaking in114Brakes
– ABS81
– BMW Maintenance
System214
– braking safely116
– breaking in114
– parking brake59
– service requirements71
Brake system114
– BMW Maintenance
System214
– breaking in114
– disc brakes116
Breakdown services, refer to
Roadside Assistance222
Breaking in the clutch114
Break-in period114
"Brightness"79
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps
and bulbs216
Bulbs, changing216
Button for starting the
engine58
Buttons on the steering
wheel11
C
California Proposition 65
warning6
"Call"184,195
Call
– accepting182
– displaying accepted184
– ending183
– missed184
– starting183
Calling
– from phone book183
– from Top 8 list184
– redialing184
Can holders, refer to Cup
holders106
Capacities234
Capacity of the cargo bay233
Car battery, refer to Vehicle
battery220
Car care, refer to Caring for
your vehicle brochure

Reference 253
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Temperature display
– outside temperature66
– outside temperature
warning66
– setting the units70
Tempomat, refer to Cruise
control64
"Terminate services"196
"Text language", refer to
Language of Control
Display79
"Theater" for Tone
control152
Thigh support46
Third brake lamp, refer to
Center brake lamp219
Three-point safety belt51
Through-loading system108
Tilt alarm sensor35
Tilt function, passenger-side
mirror52
"Time / Date"74,75
"Time format"75
Timer, refer to Preselecting
switch-on times100
Tire inflation pressure202
– loss84,85
Tire pressure monitoring,
refer to Flat Tire Monitor83
Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM84
– resetting the system85
– system limitations84
– warning lamp86
Tire puncture, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor84
Tire Quality Grading205Tires
– age205,207
– air loss86
– breaking in114
– changing, refer to Changing
wheels219
– condition206
– damage206
– inflation pressure202
– labels205
– minimum tread depth206
– new tires207
– pressure monitoring, refer to
Flat Tire Monitor83
– pressure monitoring, refer to
Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM84
– puncture84
– retreaded207
– Run-Flat Tires207
– size205
– wear indicators, refer to
Minimum tread depth206
– winter tires208
Tires, FTM83
TMC station, refer to Traffic
information141
"Tone"151
Tone in audio mode
– adjusting151
– middle setting152
Tools, refer to Onboard tool
kit216
"Top 8" for mobile phone184
Torque, refer to Engine
data230
Touch tone dialing186
Tow bar225
Tow fitting224
Tow fittings for tow-starting
and towing away224
Towing224
– car with automatic
transmission224
– methods225
Towing and tow-starting224
Town/city for destination124
"Town / City" in destination
entry124Tow rope225
Tow-starting224
"TPM"85
TPM, refer to Tire Pressure
Monitor84
Tracks
– random play sequence166
– sampling, Scan165
– searching for165
Track width, refer to
Dimensions231
Traction control, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC81
Traffic information for
navigation
– calling up142
– display on route map143
– during destination
guidance144
– switching on/off141
– symbols143
"Traffic Info settings"142
Traffic jam
– displaying traffic
information141
– driving around144
Transmission
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic60
– manual transmission60
Transporting children
safely55
Transport securing devices,
refer to Securing cargo118
Tread depth, refer to Minimum
tire tread206
Treble, refer to Treble and
bass151
Treble, tone control151
"Trip computer"69
Trip computer69
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer66
"Triple turn signal"63
Triple turn signal activation63
Trip odometer66
Trunk, refer to Cargo bay