2008 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE engine oil

Notes
6 to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your
BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov

Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Tachometer59
5Shift Lights
*52
6Engine oil temperature60
7Display for
>Clock59
>Outside temperature59
>Indicator and warning lamps65
>With dual clutch transmission:
Computer608Display for
>Gear display M dual clutch transmission
with Drivelogic
*49
>With manual transmission:
Computer60
>Date of next scheduled service, and
remaining distance to be driven63
>Odometer and trip odometer59
>Checking oil level117
>Settings and information61
> There is a Check Control
message65
9Fuel gauge60
10Resetting the trip odometer59

Opening and closing
32 from the cargo bay beforehand to avoid
water stains or soiling.
Do not place any objects on the retract-
able hardtop or on the luggage compart-
ment lid, otherwise they could fall during move-
ments of the retractable hardtop and cause
damage or injury.
Never move the retractable hardtop when the
rollover protection system is in the activated
position.
Driving when the hardtop is not fully opened or
closed may result in damage or injury.
Do not reach into the mechanism while the
hardtop is opening or closing. Keep children
away from the swiveling area of the retractable
hardtop.<
The retractable hardtop cannot be moved
at temperatures below + 147/–106. <
The retractable hardtop can only be
opened and closed when the vehicle is
stationary. To avoid causing damage, do not
drive off until the hardtop has stopped mov-
ing.<
Before opening and closing
>Comply with the safety precautions
described above.
>Ensure that the cargo bay partition is folded
down and engaged on both sides, refer to
page91, otherwise it will not be possible to
open the retractable hardtop.
>Do not place any objects next to or on the
cargo bay partition and close the storage
compartment on the left side of the cargo
bay.
>Do not exceed the maximum loading height
under the cargo bay partition; refer to the
label in the cargo bay showing a line indicat-
ing the maximum height.
>Ensure that the luggage compartment lid is
closed.
>The vehicle should be parked on fairly level
ground. Excessive angle is indicated by a
lamp.
Opening and closing
When the vehicle is stationary and at radio
readiness or beyond, refer to page46:
If possible, conserve the battery by only
operating the retractable hardtop when
the engine is running.
Before closing the retractable hardtop, remove
all foreign objects from the windshield frame as
these could prevent the hardtop from closing
properly.<
1Pull button: open the retractable hardtop.
Push button: close the retractable hardtop.
2LEDs
The side windows move down slightly
when the switch for hardtop operation is
pulled or pushed.<
If you push or pull the switch for a longer period
after the LED2 goes out, the windows move up
again.
LEDs
>While the hardtop is being operated, the left
LED lights up green. It goes out as soon as
the top is fully opened or closed.
>If the right-hand LED flashes red when you
release the switch, the opening or closing
action has not yet finished.
>If the right LED lights up red when the
switch is pressed, the cargo bay partition is
folded up, the luggage compartment lid is
not closed, the vehicle is standing on a
strong incline or there is a malfunction. The
retractable hardtop cannot be moved.

Everything under control
60 Never drive at engine speeds in the red warning
field. In this range, the engine speed is limited to
protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and
therefore the engine, becomes too hot.
Check coolant level, refer to page119.
Engine oil temperature
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between
approx. 1757/806 and approx. 2507/
1206.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a warn-
ing lamp comes on in the instrument cluster.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 16.6 US gal/
63 liters.
You can find information on refueling on
page108.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.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 3.3 US gal/12.5 liters, the indi-
cator lamp and cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel are displayed briefly. The indica-
tor lamp remains permanently on when the
remaining range is less than approx. 30 miles/
50 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in the instrument cluster
Calling up information
Press the button in the turn indicator lever.
The following items of information are dis-
played in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Oil level, refer to Checking oil level on
page117
>Average fuel consumption
>Speed
>No information
M dual clutch transmission:
Outside temperature, time, cruising
range, oil level, average fuel consumption and
speed appear in the top display.<

Everything under control
64
Possible displays
1Button for selecting functions
2Service requirements
3Engine oil
4Roadworthiness test
*
5Front brake pads
6Rear brake pads7Brake fluid
The sequence of displayed service items may
vary. The data for the next service appointment
is shown first.
More information on the BMW Maintenance
System can be found on page121.
Clock
Setting the time
To set the 12h/24h format, refer to Formats and
units of measure on page62.
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate symbol appears in the display, accompa-
nied by the time and the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Use button 1 to set the hours.
4.Press button 2 to confirm the entry.
5.Use button 1 to set the minutes.
6.Press button 2 to confirm the entry.
7.Press button 2.
The system accepts the new time.
Date
Setting the date
To set the dd/mm or mm/dd date format, refer
to Formats and units of measure on page62.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
103
BMW M3 engineering
High performance V8 engine
The high-revving V8 engine draws a maximum
power of 420 hp/309 kW and a peak torque of
295 lb ft/400 Nm from a displacement of
244 cu in/4 liters. Its spontaneous response
results in a very wide effective rpm range. The
maximum engine speed lies at 8,400 rpm and is
electronically controlled. Due to the high engine
dynamics, the maximum engine speed is lim-
ited to 7,000 rpm when the vehicle is standing.
Warming up the engine
During the warm-up phase, the high-perfor-
mance V8 engine runs a little more roughly due
to its emissions control system.
For technical reasons, the exhaust system
sounds slightly metallic when the engine is
cold.
For further information on warming up the
engine, refer to Tachometer on page59 and
Engine oil temperature on page60.
Compound brake
Your BMW M3 is equipped with a high-perfor-
mance brake system with perforated com-
pound brake discs.
Due to special design features of the perforated
compound brake discs, operating noise is audi-
ble during braking. However, this does not
affect the brake's performance, safe operation
or stability under load.
Braking correctly
To keep the brake system in optimal condition,
it is advisable to apply the brakes at regular
intervals as appropriate for the character of the
vehicle.
Refer also to Corrosion on brake rotors on
page99.
Drive train
In your BMW M3, special emphasis was placed
on the direct connection between the engine
and drive. The torsionally rigid execution of the
drive train results in acoustic feedback of the
torque, as is typical in sports cars. Clacking
sounds can arise during load changes. They do
not impair functionality or shorten the lifespan
of any component.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
117
Important parts of the engine compartment
1Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page119
2Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system,
refer to page573Jump-starting connection, refer to
page136
4Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking oil level
Your car is equipped with an electronic oil-level
monitor.
The oil level can be displayed when the engine
is warm. Continuous short distance travel or a
very sporty driving style may make measure-
ment impossible.
You can have the oil level reading displayed in
the instrument cluster.1Oil level
2Maximum mark
3Minimum mark
4Computer button
Press button 4 in the turn indicator lever repeat-
edly until the oil level display appears in the
instrument cluster.

Under the hood
118 M dual clutch transmission: the oil level
appears in the top display.<
The oil level must be between the two mark-
ings.
A new measurement is taken automatically
each time the engine is started.
Possible displays
1Oil level OK.
2Oil level is being checked.
This can take about 1 minute if the car is at
a standstill on a level surface, or about
5 minutes while the car is moving.
If engine oil was added, it can take up to
30 minutes to get an oil level reading.
3Oil level down to minimum:
Add engine oil at the next opportunity, but
no more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to
Adding engine oil on page118. Add at least
0.5 US quart/0.5 liters, otherwise the oil-
level monitor will be unable to display the
new value reliably.
If the oil level is below the minimum value,
add engine oil immediately to avoid engine
damage.
4Oil level is too high.Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise the excess oil may
lead to engine damage.<
5A value cannot be read at this time. The
engine is not yet warm.
Quick measurement
In addition to the automatic measurement, you
can also determine the current oil level manu-
ally, e. g. after adding engine oil, but such mea-
surements are less accurate.
1.Park the vehicle with a warm engine, i.e.
after an uninterrupted drive of at least
6 miles/10 km, on a horizontal surface.
2.Let the engine idle.
3.Press the computer button in the turn indi-
cator lever repeatedly until the oil level dis-
play appears in the instrument cluster.
4.Press the computer button for at least
2seconds.
The oil level is determined. A clock symbol
appears during measurement.
5.After approx. 1 minute, the current oil level
is displayed.
Adding engine oil
Do not add 1 US quart/1 liter of engine oil until
the display shows an oil level measurement of
"+1qt" or "+1l".
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be damaged.
Add no more than 1 US quart/1 liter of oil, oth-
erwise too much engine oil can lead to engine
damage. Add at least 0.5 US quart/0.5 liters,
otherwise the oil-level monitor will be unable to
display the new value reliably.<