2008 BMW Z4 3.0I COUPE tow

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
65
Automatic climate control*
1Air flow toward the windshield and side win-
dows
2Air to the upper body area
Ventilation67
3Air to the footwell
4Air distribution, manual
5Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation
6AUTO program7Air flow rate, manual
8Cooling function
9Maximum cooling
10Temperature
11AUC Automatic recirculated-air control/
Recirculated-air mode
12Rear window defroster

Climate
66
Comfortable interior climate
AUTO program 6 offers the ideal air distribution
and air flow rate for almost all conditions, refer
to AUTO program below. In addition, you can
select an interior temperature you find pleasant.
The following sections inform you in detail
about how to adjust the settings.
Air distribution, manual
Direct the flow of air to the windows
, to the upper body area and to
the footwell . Intermediate settings
are possible. The arrow lights up.
The automatic air supply remains unchanged.
You can switch the automatic air distribution
back on by pressing the AUTO button.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly removes ice and condensa-
tion from the windshield and side
windows.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for
you. The air flow rate and your temperature
specifications will be adapted to outside influ-
ences as a result of seasonal changes, e.g. sun-
light or window condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
The AUTO program functions only to a
limited extent when the convertible top is
open.<
Air flow rate, manual
Adjust the air flow rate. The arrow
lights up.
The automatic air distribution
remains unchanged. You can reactivate the
automatic mode for the air flow rate with the
AUTO button.The higher the air flow rate, the more effective
the air conditioning will be.
Switching the system on/off
Turn the rotary switch to 0. The automatic cli-
mate control is switched off and the air supply is
cut off.
To switch on the automatic climate control, set
any desired air flow rate.
Switching cooling function on/off
When the cooling function is on, the
air is cooled, dehumidified, then
reheated depending on the tempera-
ture setting.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is automatically switched
on along with the AUTO program. The passen-
ger compartment can only be cooled while the
engine is running.
Maximum cooling
At outside temperatures above
327/06 and when the engine is
running, you obtain a maximum cool-
ing effect as soon as possible.
The automatic climate control switches to the
lowest temperature and operates in recircu-
lated-air mode. Air flows at maximum rate only
from the vents for the upper body area. You
should therefore open them for maximum cool-
ing.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature.
The values on the dial are approxima-
tions of the respective temperature
resulting in the passenger compartment.
The automatic climate control achieves this
temperature as quickly as possible regardless
of the season, using maximum cooling or heat-
ing power if necessary, and then maintains it.
If you switch between different tempera-
ture settings in quick succession, the

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
67
automatic climate control does not have
enough time to achieve the set temperature.<
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating
mode by pressing this button repeat-
edly:
>LEDs off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As
soon as the concentration of pollutants in
the outside air has decreased sufficiently,
the system automatically switches back to
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode:
the inflow of outside air is shut off perma-
nently. The system recirculates the air
within the vehicle.
If the windows fog over in the recircu-
lated-air mode, you should switch it off
and, if necessary, increase the air flow rate.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over an extended period of time, otherwise the
air quality inside the car will deteriorate contin-
uously.<
Rear window defroster
The defroster switches off automati-
cally after a certain time.
Ventilation
1Knurled wheels to set any vent position
from fully open to closed
2Slide for adjusting air flow direction
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air toward you, for instance if it has become too
hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and not straight at you.
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW
center replaces this combined filter during reg-
ular maintenance. A substantial reduction in air
flow indicates that the filter needs to be
replaced earlier.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
77
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the air conditioning
or automatic climate control is in operation, and
then exits under the vehicle. Traces of con-
densed water on the ground underneath the
vehicle are thus normal.
Before driving into a car wash
For general information about taking care of
your BMW, refer to the Caring for your vehicle
brochure.
Cargo loading
Avoid overloading the vehicle so that the
permissible carrying capacity of the tires
is not exceeded. Otherwise, overheating and
inner damage to the tires may result. The ulti-
m a t e r e s u l t c a n a s s u m e t h e f o r m o f a s u d d e n a i r
loss.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
bay, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining the maximum load
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passenger that will be riding in
your vehicle.3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passenger from XXX kilograms or
YYY pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
551 lbs and there will be two 150 lbs occu-
pants in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
251 lbs.
551lbs minus 300lbs = 251lbs
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
Load
The permissible load is the sum of the occu-
pants' weights and the weight of the cargo. The
greater the weight of the occupants, the less
cargo can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward as possi-
ble, directly behind the cargo bay partition,
and as low as possible.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.

Things to remember when driving
78 To avoid damaging the rear of the back-
rests or the rear interior trim panel, do not
stow heavy cargo or cargo with sharp edges
and corners behind the seats.
In addition, large and bulky cargo stowed
behind a seat may prevent the backrest from
engaging properly. For this reason, check
whether the backrest has engaged securely
and move the seat forward, if necessary, refer to
page31.
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above, so that it cannot endanger the
car's occupants, for example if sudden braking
or swerving is necessary.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle
weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer
to page113, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown
around, for example as a result of heavy braking,
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants.<
Roadster: convertible top
compartment
With the convertible top closed you can
expand the cargo bay, refer to page23.
It is best to always fold down the convertible top
compartment panel as soon as you have
removed your cargo from the cargo bay. This
way, you can be sure that you can always oper-
ate the convertible top at any time.
When the convertible top is closed, fold the
convertible top compartment panel up before
stowing your cargo in the cargo bay, to avoid
any damage to the convertible top compart-
ment or your load.
Do not stow any items on the convertible top
compartment panel, otherwise the convertible
top could be damaged while it is opening.<
If you stow cargo behind the seats of your
BMW:
>Only stow light objects such as clothing,
etc.
>Do not pile objects higher than the top edge
of the backrests.
Roadster: hardtop
preparation*
Pull covers off, see arrow1.
The brackets for attaching the hardtop
are located underneath the covers; see arrow2.
For instructions on how to install the
hardtop, please read the accompanying
assembly information.
The hardtop is available from your BMW center
as an optional extra.<

Refueling
82
Refueling
Always switch off the engine before refu-
eling. Otherwise the tank cannot be
refilled. The Service Engine Soon warning lamp
will come on.<
Take all precautionary measures and
observe all applicable regulations when
handling fuel. Do not carry any spare fuel con-
tainers in your vehicle. They can develop a leak
and cause an explosion or cause a fire in the
event of an accident.<
Gas cap
Opening
1.Open the fuel filler door, arrow 1.
2.Turn the gas cap counterclockwise.
3.Place the gas cap in the bracket attached to
the fuel filler door, arrow 2.
Closing
Fit the gas cap and turn it clockwise until you
clearly hear a click.
Do not jam the gas cap strap as this will
allow fuel vapors to escape.<
The warning lamp
* lights up briefly if
the gas cap is loose or missing. Close
the gas cap properly.
Manually releasing the fuel filler door
In the event of a malfunction you can unlock the
fuel filler door manually.1.Remove the cover for the right-hand rear
lamps in the cargo bay by turning the lock,
see arrow.
2.Pull the cargo bay trim panel slightly toward
the interior. The green button with the fuel
pump symbol becomes visible.
3.Undo the adhesive strip and pull off.
4.Pull the button. The fuel filler door is
released.
Pull on the button slowly and care-
fully; otherwise it could be torn off.<
Observe the following when refueling
When handling fuels, comply with all of
the applicable safety precautions posted
at the service station.<
When refueling, insert the filler nozzle com-
pletely into the filler pipe. Avoid lifting the filler
nozzle while filling the tank, as it could other-
wise lead to:
>Premature pump shutoff
>A reduced efficiency of the fuel-vapor
recovery system.

Wheels and tires
88 the letters TWI, for Tread Wear Indicator, on the
tire's sidewalls identify tires that incorporate
these wear indicators. Once the tire tread has
worn down to the wear indicators, the tire has
worn to a depth of 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Wheel/tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note that
wheels, tires and suspension parts are
more susceptible to road hazards and conse-
quential damages.<
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle malfunction. This can, for
example, be caused by driving over curbs. The
same applies to any other abnormal road
behavior, such as pulling severely to the right or
left.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW center or tire shop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there.
Tire damage can be extremely dangerous for
vehicle occupants and other road users.<
Tire age
For various reasons, such as the development
of brittleness, BMW recommends tire replace-
ment after no more than 6 years, regardless of
the actual wear of the tires.
The date on which the tire was manufactured is
indicated by the code on the sidewall:
DOT … 5005 indicates that the tire was manu-
factured in week 50 of the year 2005.
Run-Flat Tires
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall.
Run-Flat Tires comprise a conditionally self-
supporting tire and a special rim. The reinforce-
ment in the sidewalls ensures that the tire can
continue to be used subject to certain restric-
tions, even if depressurized.
To continue driving with a damaged tire:
>If the vehicle is equipped with the Flat Tire
Monitor, refer to Flat tire warning on
page53.
>If the vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pres-
sure Monitor, refer to Warning of low tire
inflation pressure on page54.
Wheel and tire replacement
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW center or tire shop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel. Work
that is improperly carried out could result in
consequential damage and pose safety haz-
ards. Make sure that the new wheels are bal-
anced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW advises against using retreaded
tires, since driving safety may be
impaired. The causes for this include potentially
different tire casing structures and often wide
variations in tire age, which can result in a lim-
ited service life.<

Replacing components
98
Replacing components
Onboard tool kit
The onboard tool kit is stored in a tool pouch. It
is located in the cargo bay beneath the floor
panel.
Windshield wiper blades
1.Fold up the wiper arm.
2.Place the wiper blade in a position at right
angles to the wiper arm.
3.Press the locking spring.
4.Fold in the wiper blade and unhook it in the
direction of the windshield.
5.Pull the wiper blade past the wiper arm
toward the top.
6.Insert the new wiper blade and press it on
until it audibly engages.
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.
Do not touch the glass portion of a new
bulb with your bare hands since even
small amounts of impurities burn into the sur-
face and reduce the service life of the bulb. Use
a clean cloth, paper napkin or a similar material,
or hold the bulb by its metallic base.<
A replacement bulb set is available from your
BMW center.
When working on electrical systems,
always begin by switching off the corre-
sponding consumers, otherwise short-circuits
could result. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, be sure to
observe any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<
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 LEDs
Control elements, display units and other inte-
rior equipment in your vehicle use a light-emit-
ting diode behind a cover as a light source.
These light-emitting diodes, which operate
using a concept similar to that applied in con-
ventional lasers, are officially designated as
Class 1 light-emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers, and do not
look directly at the unfiltered light for sev-
eral hours. Otherwise, your eyes could suffer
irritation of the retina.<