Battery Care
If your car is driven only for short distances of
less than 10 miles over a prolonged period of
time, without an occasional drive at highway
speeds, the engine’s charging system will not
maintain the battery. Insufficient use of the vehi-
cle could result in short term starting problems
and in the long term could damage the battery.
In case the car is not operated for more than
four weeks it is advisable to:
consider using a proper trickle charger, fol-
lowing the charger manufacturer’s instruc-
tions, to maintain the battery’s state of
charge; or
consult your BMW center regarding battery
removal. Once removed, the battery must be
charged and stored in a cool, dry place where
it can be protected from freezing. If the bat-
tery will be stored for over 3 months, it must
be recharged every 3 months, or else it will
become damaged and useless.
Please consult with your BMW center for further
guidance and information.
Corrosion Protection
Extensive corrosion protection measures imple-
mented by BMW now make it possible to offer a
twelve-year limited anti-corrosion warranty
against rust perforation on your vehicle provided
that the vehicle is maintained in accordance
with the provisions of the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty as outlined in the Warranty Section of
this Statement (page 29).
The major degree of corrosion protection is due
to the electrophoretic dip painting process
which cathodically deposits paint particles on all
body parts, attracting paint particles into the
minutest cavities or seams. Body parts are
designed to provide optimum corrosion
protection.
During manufacture, exterior body parts receive
an additional corrosion protection coat. Hood,
trunk, doors and other body parts with metal
folds are coated with PVC and sealed from the
outside. All floor panels receive a resilient coating of PVC
for maximum protection against damage due to
stones, etc.
Corrosion protection materials tested over many
years are applied to the surfaces of cavities and
to the entire underside of the vehicle during and
after assembly.
Requirements for maintaining the twelve year
unlimited mileage anti-corrosion warranty are
outlined in the Warranty Section of this State-
ment (page 31).
Restoring corrosion protection
Please take care that anti-corrosion material is
replaced when your car is repaired after body or
chassis damage.
BMW NA will not accept any liability for any
parts and accessories not approved by
BMW.
Underbody maintenance
The underbody has to be cleaned at least once
a year, in spring, with plain water in order to
remove mud, chemical sediments and other
deposits. If those materials are not removed,
corrosion (rust) will occur.
Your BMW center will do this anti-corrosion ser-
vice for you.
Do not apply additional undercoating or
rust-proofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driving, the substance used
for undercoating could overheat and cause a
fire.
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Protection:
New BMWs — Protection is provided for
4 years/unlimited miles. NOTE: This does not
affect warranty coverage which remains at
4 years/50,000 miles.
Certified Pre-Owned BMWs — 6 years/unlimited
miles from the in-service date.
Getting Started
A temporary Roadside Assistance card can be
found inside your vehicle portfolio. It contains
the 24-hour toll-free number for Roadside
Assistance.
For your convenience a decal which shows the
same information as the Roadside Assistance
card, has been affixed to the tool kit cover on
the trunk lid.
In a few weeks you will receive a permanent
Roadside Assistance card by mail. The original
in-service date and vehicle identification number
(VIN) are embossed on the card.
This card should be carried by the driver of your
BMW.
Calling For Assistance
The toll-free BMW Roadside Assistance number
(1 800 332-4269) is answered by a BMW Road-
side Assistance service representative. In order
for you to receive quick and reliable services, it
is essential that you provide detailed and accu-
rate information to the service representative.
Be prepared to give:
Your name and address
Your complete Vehicle Identification Number
(found on your vehicle registration, your per-
manent Roadside Assistance card or on the
bottom driver’s side of your windshield)
Model description of your vehicle
Original in-service date (located on your
Roadside Assistance card)
License plate number of your vehicle
Vehicle location (including nearby crossroads/
intersections, highway mile markers, street
numbers, landmarks, etc.)
Location you are calling from (including a
telephone number where you can be
reached). If you are calling from a public
phone wait there for the return call. Do not
leave this location without informing the
Roadside Assistance service representative.
A description of your vehicle’s problem. Spe-
cific and accurate information will enable the
Roadside Assistance service representative to
provide the proper help.
Emergency Valet service Should there be a
need beyond BMW Roadside Assistance, Emer-
gency Valet service will provide a personal
assistant who will help in every way to get you
to your final destination. Emergency Valet ser-
vice will help you locate a rental car or taxi
agency, hotel or even help procure airline reser-
vations. In event of an emergency, this service
will assist you in getting information out to the
proper party whether it’s business or personal. If
unable to contact, the message relay service will
document the information, and will make rea-
sonable efforts to deliver the message to the
message recipient.
Personalized Trip Routing Leave the planning
to us. Simply give one of our Roadside Assis-
tance service representatives a call, and we will
provide you with detailed, easy to read, comput-
erized trip itinerary and companion map pack-
age. Please allow two weeks to process your
request.
Services
From the information you provide, the BMW
Roadside Assistance service representative will
determine the type of help required.
Dispatch Service
A service provider will be dispatched to the site
of your disabled vehicle.
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