2008 BMW Z4 3.0I COUPE key

Driving
42
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged by accidentally
engaging 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse
Select 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 operating the Steptronic as a fully
automatic transmission, you can also shift
gears manually with it, refer to page43.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P before leaving
the vehicle with the engine running.<
Removing the key
To turn the key in the ignition lock back to posi-
tion 0 or to remove it, first engage selector lever
position P and switch off the engine: interlock.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D SD M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed; in the
manual mode, the gear currently engaged is
shown.
Range selection
>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 only when the vehicle is stationary. The
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels
from turning.

Driving
44 the transmission can cool down again. You can
continue your journey, but moderate your
speed and exercise due caution.
Have the system checked immediately.
Yellow warning lamp
The transmission system is malfunc-
tioning. Avoid heavy loads.
All of the selector lever positions can
continue to be engaged; in the forward drive
positions, however, the vehicle will be operating
in a restricted gear range only.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Instructions on towing, tow-starting and jump-
starting begin on page104.
Dynamic Driving Control
At the touch of a button, Dynamic Driving Con-
trol enables you to drive your BMW in an even
sportier style:
>The engine responds more spontaneously
to any motion of the accelerator pedal.
>Power steering is adapted to further
enhance contact with the road surface.
>Cruise control
*:
The stored speed is achieved more quickly
when called up.
In addition with automatic transmission:
>The Sport program is activated.
To activate the system
Press the SPORT button while the key is in
position 2.
The LED in the button lights up.
To deactivate the system
Press the SPORT button again.
The LED in the button goes out.
Turn signal indicators/
Headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signal indicators
Unusually rapid flashing of the indica-
tor lamp indicates that a turn signal
indicator has failed.<
To signal briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
If you wish, you can have this function
activated.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
45
Washer/wiper system/
Rain sensor*
0Wipers retracted
1Intermittent or rain sensor mode
2Normal wiper speed
3Fast wiper speed
4Brief wipe
5Selecting speed for intermittent mode or
setting sensitivity of the rain sensor
Intermittent mode
Not in vehicles with a rain sensor.
Rotary dial 5 is used to set the wipe interval to
one of four levels.
In addition, the wipe interval is varied automati-
cally depending on road speed.
Rain sensor*
On vehicles with a rain sensor, the wipe interval
is automatically controlled according to rain
intensity. The sensor is mounted on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rearview
mirror.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<
Activating
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher,
move the lever to position 1.
In any case, the wipers will move once across
the windshield.
You can leave the lever continuously in
position1. Then, as long as the ignition key is in position 1 or higher, you only need to activate
the rain sensor.
To do so:
>Turn rotary dial 5 briefly or
>Clean the windshield, refer to Cleaning
windshield and headlamps* below
Adjusting sensitivity
Turn the rotary wheel 5.
Deactivating
Flip the lever to position 0.
Normal wiper speed
When the vehicle is stopped the wipers auto-
matically switch to intermittent wipe, except in
vehicles with a rain sensor.
Fast wiper speed
When the vehicle is stopped the wipers operate
at normal wiping speed, except in vehicles with
a rain sensor.
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
0Wipers retracted
1Cleaning windshield and headlamps
*
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield, otherwise vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid on
page46.
Do not operate washing mechanisms when the
washer fluid reservoir is empty, otherwise you
will damage the washer pump.<

Everything under control
48
Everything under control
Odometer
1Odometer
2Trip odometer
3Resetting trip odometer
4Outside temperature or computer dis-
plays
*
Trip odometer
Resetting trip odometer:
While the ignition is switched on, press button 3
in the instrument cluster until the trip odometer
is set to zero.
Outside temperature display, clock*
Setting the clock, refer to page50.
Outside temperature warning
If the outside temperature drops to approx.
377/+36, the computer automatically
switches to the outside temperature display.
A signal also sounds and the display flashes for
a short time. There is an increased risk of black
ice.
After an outside temperature warning has
been issued, the computer switches back
to its previous screen. You can have this acti-
vated/deactivated.<
Black ice can also form at temperatures
above 377/+36. You should therefore
drive carefully on bridges and shaded roads, for
example, otherwise there is an increased risk of
an accident.<
When the vehicle is parked
If you still want to view the time and odometer
reading briefly after the ignition has been
switched off or the key has been removed:
Press button 3 in the instrument cluster.
Tachometer
Never allow the engine to operate with the nee-
dle in the red overspeed sector of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is inter-
rupted when speed reaches this sector.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 14.5 US gallons/
55 liters. You can find information on refueling
on page82.
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.

Everything under control
50
Setting the clock
1.Press button 2 for several seconds until the
hours are displayed and the colon flashes.
2.Press button1 repeatedly until the required
hour is set.
3.Press button2 to switch to the minutes dis-
play.
4.Press button1 repeatedly until the required
minutes are set.
5.Press button2 to confirm the time.
The set time of day is transferred to the car
radio display or appears in the instrument clus-
ter display.
Computer*
To view the information on the instrument clus-
ter display, press the onboard computer button
BC in the turn signal lever.
Each time you tap the onboard computer but-
ton, the following information is shown in the
specified order:
>Time
>Outside temperature
>Average fuel consumption
>Cruising range>Average speed
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher, the
respective last active setting is displayed.
If you wish, you can have all the following
information displayed in another unit of
measure.<
Setting the time format
You can have the clock displayed in 12h or 24h
mode:
While the time display is active, press the
onboard computer button BC in the turn signal
lever until the display changes.
Changing unit of measure: °F/°C
While the outside temperature display is active,
press the onboard computer button BC in the
turn signal lever until the display changes.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for
the time for which the engine has been running.
To reset the average fuel consumption display:
Press the onboard computer button BC in the
turn signal lever for approx. 2 seconds.
Cruising range
The computer bases its calculations of the
cruising range on the preceding driving style
and on the amount of fuel remaining in the tank.
B e s u r e t o r e f u e l a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e o n c e
your cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
The average speed is calculated for the time for
which the engine has been running.
To reset the average speed display:
Press the onboard computer button BC in the
turn signal lever for approx. 2 seconds.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
57
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impression in the passenger
seat cushion determines whether and how the
seat is occupied. The front and side airbags for
the passenger are activated or deactivated by
the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp in the center console
shows the current status of the passen-
ger airbags, deactivated or activated, refer to
Status of passenger airbags below.<
Before transporting a child on the pas-
senger seat, observe the safety and han-
dling instructions under Transporting children
safely, refer to page36.
Adolescents and adults sitting in certain posi-
tions could inadvertently deactivate the front
and side airbags on the passenger side; the
indicator lamp for the passenger airbags comes
on. In such cases, the passenger should change
his or her sitting position so that the passenger
airbags are activated and the indicator lamp
goes out. If the passenger airbags cannot be
restored to the desired status despite the pas-
senger changing his or her seat position, use
the key switch to activate or deactivate the pas-
senger airbags, refer to page36. Do not attach
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or
other items to the passenger seat unless they
are specifically recommended by BMW. Do not
place any items under the seat which could
press against the seat from below. Otherwise a
correct analysis of the seat cushion is not
ensured.<
Status of passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the passenger airbags
shows the functional status of the passenger's
front and side airbags in accordance with
whether and how the passenger seat is occu-
pied. The indicator lamp shows whether the
passenger airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp comes on as intended
when a child in an appropriate child-
restraint system is detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the passen-
ger are not activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on as
long as a person of sufficient size and in a
correct sitting position is detected on the
seat. The front and side airbags for the pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the
seat is empty. However, the front and side
airbags for the passenger are not activated.
Operational readiness of the airbag
system
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher, the
warning lamp comes on briefly to indicate that
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners
are operational.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
58
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not come on with the
ignition key in position 1 or higher
>Warning lamp remains permanently on
In the event of a malfunction, have the air-
bag system checked immediately. Other-
wise, there is a risk that the system may not
respond in the expected manner to an impact
within its normal response range.<

Lamps
60 If necessary, switch on the parking lamps as
described in the section about parking lamps.
You can have the daytime running lamps
activated/deactivated on your vehicle.<
Pathway lighting
If you activate the headlamp flasher after park-
ing the car, with the lights switched off, the low
beams come on and remain on for a certain
time.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated as well as the duration of the
pathway lighting set.<
LIGHTS ON warning
Whenever you open the driver's door after hav-
ing turned the key to position 0, you will hear an
acoustic signal for a few seconds to remind you
that the lamps have not been switched off.
High beams/Roadside
parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
When parking the vehicle, you have the option
to switch on the lamps only on the side facing
the road.
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down, arrow 3, until it engages.
The roadside parking lamps discharge
the battery. Therefore, do not leave them
on for unduly long periods of time, otherwise the battery might not have enough power to
start the engine.<
Fog lamps*
Press the button to switch them on/off.
The parking lamps or low-beam headlamps
must be switched on. A green indicator lamp
comes on in the instrument cluster to indicate
that the front fog lamps are on.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
Turn the rotary dial to adjust brightness.