2008 BMW 135I CONVERTIBLE wheel

Opening and closing
34 Turn the key all the way to the left: the luggage
compartment lid opens.
Locking or unlocking separately
The switch is located in the glove compartment.
1Locking the luggage compartment lid
2Unlocking the luggage compartment lid
Locking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 1.
The luggage compartment lid is locked and
cannot be unlocked using the central locking
system.
If you give the remote control without the inte-
grated key to someone else while the glove
compartment is locked, the luggage compart-
ment lid cannot be opened. This is an advan-
tage when using valet parking, for example.
Locking the glove compartment, refer to
page106.
Unlocking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 2.
Emergency release
Pull the lever in the cargo bay. The luggage
compartment lid is unlocked.
Closing
The handle recesses on the interior trim of the
luggage compartment lid make it easier to pull
down.
Make sure that the closing path of the
luggage compartment lid is clear, other-
wise injuries may result.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid is opened
>To movements inside the vehicle: interior
motion sensor, refer to page35
>When the car's inclination changes, for
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to
towing away: tilt alarm sensor, refer to
page35

Controls
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>When there is an interruption in the power
supply from the battery.
Depending on the national-market version, the
alarm system briefly signals unauthorized entry
attempts by:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on
* the hazard warning flashers
Arming and disarming
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
You can open the luggage compartment lid
using the button of the remote control even
if the alarm system is armed, refer to page30.
The lid is locked and monitored again as soon
as it is closed.
Panic mode
You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press the button for at least three seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page29, or
>insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood or luggage compartment lid are not properly closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area, the system begins to
monitor the remaining areas, and the indi-
cator lamp flashes continuously after
approx. 10 seconds. The interior motion
sensor and the tilt alarm sensor are not acti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel
or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor
Coupe
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass roof must
be completely closed
*.
Convertible
The interior of the car is monitored up to the
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated together with the interior
motion sensor even if the convertible top is
open. The alarm can be triggered unintention-
ally by falling objects such as leaves, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages
>During transport on car-carrying trains,
boats/ships or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle

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Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page55.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
i.e. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard,
otherwise leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their
heads against the side or head airbag, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the airbags
suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page89.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page47.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's
lap. Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and reg-
ularly pull the belt in the upper-body area taut,
otherwise its restraining effect could be
impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page51.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an

Controls
53Reference
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Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion, otherwise there
i s a ri s k o f a c c id e n t du e t o a n un e x p e ct e d m o v e -
ment.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.Do not use force to swing the lever
back up, otherwise the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Programmable buttons on the steering
wheel
You can program the buttons individually.
These settings are stored for the remote con-
trol currently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and press
the controller.
A list showing various functions is dis-
played:
>"Navigation voice instructions"
Voice messages from the navigation
system
>"Air recirculation on / off"
To shut off the supply of outside air per-
manently, refer to Automatic recircu-

Adjustments
54 lated-air control AUC/Recirculated-air
mode on page99
>"Mute on / off"
To mute the audio sources
>"Telephone list"
To switch between any menu and tele-
phone
>"Next entertainment source"
To change the audio source
>"Display open / close"
To open and close the screen
5.Select the desired function and press the
controller.
6.Select a button, if appropriate, and press
the controller.
You can operate the selected function using the
corresponding button.
Operating a function
Briefly press the appropriate button on the
steering wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press the button for a longer period.
>To repeat the last voice instruction:
Press the button briefly.
>To cancel a voice instruction during an
announcement:
Press the button briefly.

Controls
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Mobility
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms,
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust
gases can cause unconsciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, otherwise such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car with the engine running,
place the transmission in neutral or move the
selector lever to position P and forcefully apply
the parking brake to prevent the car from mov-
ing.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and
there is a danger of overheating and damaging
the catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page36.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to neutral posi-
tion.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page36.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully, otherwise the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page58.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page58.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off a signal sounds in addition.
The parking brake is still applied.

Driving
60 Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this 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 fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page61.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and apply the
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the
ignition lock, you must first move the selector
lever to position P and switch off the engine:
interlock. Removing the remote control from
the ignition lock, refer to page58.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –

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Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed, or the
current gear in the manual mode.
Changing selector lever positions
>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 this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The drive wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example.
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Move selector lever from position D toward the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played on the instrument cluster. This position
is recommended for a performance-oriented
driving style.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
When you press the selector lever forwards or
backwards, the manual mode is activated and
Steptronic changes gear. M1 through M6 are
displayed on the instrument cluster.