2008 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE windshield wipers

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
11
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock46
12Buttons on the steering wheel13Horn: the entire surface
14Adjusting the steering wheel42
16Releasing the hood116
17Opening the luggage compartment lid24 7
Turn signals55
High beams, headlamp flasher78
Roadside parking lamps
*78
Computer60
Settings and information about the
vehicle61
Instrument lighting78
9
Windshield wipers56
Rain sensor
*56
10Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine46
Telephone
*:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call, starting dialing
* selected
phone numbers. Redialing if
no phone number is selected
>Press longer: redialing
Volume
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and
lists with stored phone numbers
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode82
15
Cruise control57

Driving
56
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps
5Setting speed for intermittent wipe, or sen-
sitivity of the rain sensor
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to operation in the inter-
mittent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system switches to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the
intermittent-wipe time is a preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time
between wipes is controlled automatically and
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The rain
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Setting speed for intermittent wipe or
sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn knurled wheel5 up or down.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow3.
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated for a short time.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid.
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid
reservoir is empty, otherwise you will damage
the washer pump.<

Care
124 eras, e.g. Park Distance Control, for an
extended period and maintain a distance of at
least 12 in/30 cm.<
Washing the car manually
When washing the vehicle by hand, use large
quantities of water and car shampoo if neces-
sary. Clean the vehicle with a sponge or wash-
ing brush, applying light pressure only.
Before cleaning the windshield, deacti-
vate the rain sensor or switch off the igni-
tion to prevent unintentional activation of the
wipers.<
Observe local regulations pertaining to
washing vehicles by hand.<
Headlamps
Do not rub them dry and do not use abrasive or
corrosive cleaning agents.
Remove contamination, such as insects, by
soaking with shampoo or insect remover and
then rinsing with plenty of water.
Thaw ice with a windshield de-icer and do not
use an ice scraper.
Windows
Clean the inside and outside surfaces of the
windows and the mirrors with window cleaner.
Do not clean the mirrors with cleaners
containing quartz.<
Wiper blades
Clean with soapy water and replace regularly to
avoid streaking.
Wax and preservative residue and con-
tamination on the window can lead to
streaking when operating the windshield wip-
ers, leading to premature wear of the wiper
blades and causing the rain sensor to malfunc-
tion.<
Convertible: retractable hardtop
Proceed as you would in a normal car wash.
When you open a wet hardtop, water
drops may run into the cargo bay. If nec-essary, remove items from the cargo bay
beforehand to avoid water stains or soiling.<
Paintwork care
Regular care contributes to value retention and
protects the paintwork against the long-term
effects of damaging substances.
Region-specific environmental influences can
damage the vehicle paintwork. Therefore, it is
important to adapt the frequency and scope of
car care accordingly.
Immediately remove very aggressive sub-
stances, e.g. spilled fuel, oil, grease, tree resin
or bird droppings, to prevent damage to the
paintwork.
Repairing paintwork damage
Immediately repair scratches or similar
damage, such as that caused by stones
hitting the vehicle, where necessary to prevent
rusting.<
BMW recommends having paintwork damage
repaired by a professional paint repair work-
shop according to BMW specifications using
original BMW paint materials.
Preservation
A preservation treatment is necessary when
water no longer beads off of the clean paintwork
surface. Only use products for paintwork pres-
ervation that contain carnauba or synthetic
waxes.
Rubber seals
Treat only with water or rubber care products.
Do not use silicon-containing care prod-
ucts on rubber seals, otherwise noise and
damage could occur.<
Chrome parts
Carefully clean vehicle parts, such as the radia-
tor grill, door handles or window frames, with
copious quantities of water and a shampoo
additive. For additional treatment, use a chrome
polish.

Giving and receiving assistance
138
Using a tow fitting
The screw-in tow fitting must always be carried
in the car. It can be screwed in at the front or
rear of the BMW.
Coupe: it is stored in the onboard tool kit under-
neath the cover on the right-hand side of the
cargo bay, refer to page127.
Convertible: it is stored in the onboard tool kit
underneath the cargo bay floor, refer to
page127.
Use only the tow fitting provided with the
vehicle and screw it all the way in. Use the
tow fitting for towing on paved roads only. Avoid
lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift
the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise the tow
fitting and the vehicle could be damaged.<
Access to screw thread
Release the cover panel in the bumper:
Press on the upper part of the cover panel.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page46, otherwise the low-beam headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and
windshield wipers may be unavailable.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort.<
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
M dual clutch transmission with
Drivelogic
Ensure that the parking lock P is not
engaged as the rear wheels will otherwise
be blocked.
When using the car wash function, refer to
page48, note that the parking lock P is
engaged automatically after approx. 30 min-
utes, blocking the rear wheels.
If an electrical malfunction occurs or if towing
takes longer than approx. 20 minutes, manually
release the parking lock, refer to page51.<
When towing, do not exceed a maximum
speed of 30 mph/50 km/h and a maxi-
mum distance of 30 miles/50 km, otherwise the
transmission can be damaged.<
BMW recommends transporting the vehicle on
a tow truck with a flat bed.
Towing methods
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or
body and chassis parts, otherwise dam-
age may result.<
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.

Everything from A to Z
166 TPM, refer to Tire Pressure
Monitor70
Traction control, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC68
Transmission
– Drivelogic52
– Launch Control53
– manual transmission48
– reverse gear50
– Shift Lights52
– unlocking transmission lock
manually51
Transmission lock, unlocking
manually51
Transporting children
safely44
Transport securing devices,
refer to Securing cargo101
Tread depth, refer to Minimum
tire tread113
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer59
Triple turn signal activation55
Trip odometer59
Trunk lid, refer to Luggage
compartment lid24
Turning circle, refer to
Dimensions153
Turn signal indicators
– indicator/warning lamp12
– triple turn signal55
Turn signals55
Tying down loads, refer to
Cargo loading101
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading/
UTQR112
Units
– average consumption62
– temperature62
Universal garage door opener,
refer to Integrated universal
remote control84
Universal mobile phone
preparation package, refer
to separate Owner's ManualUniversal remote control84
Unlatching, refer to
Unlocking27
Unlocking
– from inside23
– from outside19
– luggage compartment lid27
– without remote control, refer
to Convenient access27
V
Vehicle
– battery133
– breaking in98
– cargo loading100
– Identification Number, refer
to Engine compartment117
– measurements, refer to
Dimensions153
– parking47
– weight155
Vehicle jack133
Vehicle storage126
Ventilation83
– draft-free83
– in the rear83
Ventilation, refer to Climate80
Vents, refer to Ventilation83
Volume
– fuel tank, refer to
Capacities155
W
Warning and indicator
lamps13
Warning and indicator lamps,
overview140
Warning messages, refer to
Check Control65
Warning triangle136
Washer fluid57
– content of the reservoir57
Washer fluid reservoir57
Waste tray, refer to Ashtray90
Water on roads, refer to
Driving through water99
Water penetration123,124Wear indicators in tires, refer
to Minimum tread depth113
Weights155
Welcome lamps76
Wheel/tire combination, refer
to Correct wheels and
tires114
Wheelbase, refer to
Dimensions153
Wheels, new113
Wheels and tires110
Width, refer to
Dimensions153
Wind deflector33
Windows28
– convenient operation20
– convenient operation with
convenient access27
– opening, closing28
– pinch protection system29
Windshield
– cleaning56
Windshield wash56
– filling capacity, reservoir155
– nozzles57
– reservoir for washer fluid57
– washer fluid57
Windshield wiper blades,
changing127
Windshield wipers, refer to
Wiper system56
Winter tires114
– storage114
Wiper blade replacement127
Wiper system56
Work in the engine
compartment116
Wrench/screwdriver, refer to
Onboard tool kit127
X
Xenon lamps
– replacing bulb128