2009 BMW 6 SERIES ESP

Maintenance
226
Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnostics interface
Components which are decisive for the
exhaust-gas composition can be checked via
the OBD socket with a device.
This socket is located under a cover on the left
side of the driver's footwell, directly under the
instrument panel.
Exhaust-gas values
The warning lamp lights up. The
exhaust-gas values worsen. Have the
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
The lamp flashes under certain condi-
tions. This is a sign of excessive misfiring of the
engine. In this case you should reduce speed
and drive to the nearest BMW center as soon as
possible. Heavy engine misfiring causes seri-
ous damage to the emission-relevant compo-
nents, especially the catalytic converter, within
a short time.
If the fuel filler cap is not properly tight-
ened, the OBD system can detect the
escape of fuel vapor. Then a display lights up. If
the cap is then tightened, the display will go out
within a few days.<
Event Data Recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or sev-
eral measuring and diagnosis modules, or with
a device for recording or transmitting certain
v e hi c l e d a t a o r i n f o r m a t i o n . I f y o u h a v e a l s o s u b -
scribed to BMW Assist, certain vehicle data can be transmitted or recorded to enable corre-
sponding services.

Mobility
227Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Care
Car-care products
Regular cleaning and care make a significant
contribution to retaining your BMW's value.
For the cleaning and care of your vehicle, BMW
recommends using only products that BMW
has approved for this purpose.
Your BMW center will be glad to advise you
about products and services for the cleaning
and care of your BMW.
Genuine BMW Care Products are materi-
als tested, laboratory tested, and tested in
actual use. They offer optimum care and pro-
tection for your vehicle.<
Do not use cleaners that contain alcohol
or solvents; they can damage your vehi-
cle.<
Cleaning agents can contain substances
that are dangerous or pose health risks.
You should therefore heed the warnings and
hazard indications on the packaging. Open the
doors or windows on your vehicle whenever
cleaning the interior. Make sure there is suffi-
cient ventilation in enclosed spaces. Use only
products that are formulated for vehicle clean-
ing.<
Exterior care
Washing your vehicle
In the winter months, it is especially
important to ensure that the vehicle is
washed on a regular basis. Otherwise, signifi-
cant soiling and road salt can cause damage to
the vehicle.<
After washing the vehicle, apply the
brakes briefly to dry them. Failure to do so
may lead to a reduction in braking efficiency and
also to corrosion of the brake rotors.<
Car washes
Give preference to cloth car washes.Do not use high-pressure car washes
because they can cause drops of water to
penetrate in the vicinity of the windshield.<
Before driving into the car wash, make sure that
it is suitable for your BMW. Pay attention to the
following points:
>Dimensions of your vehicle, refer to
page243.
>If necessary, fold in the outside rearview
mirrors, refer to page55.
>Maximum permissible tire width.
>The convertible top must not be treated
with wax. Make sure that a program without
wax or a special convertible program is
available.
Preparations for driving into the car wash:
>Deactivate rain sensor to prevent unwanted
wiper activation.
>Remove additional add-on parts, e.g. spoil-
ers or phone antennas, if they could be
damaged.
Automatic transmission
Before driving into the car wash, make sure the
vehicle is able to roll by making sure to:
1.Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock, even with comfort access.
2.Shift into transmission position N.
3.Release the parking brake.
4.Switch off the engine.
5.Leave the remote control in the ignition lock
so that the vehicle can roll.
Steam cleaners/high-pressure
cleaning jets
When using steam jets or high-pressure
washers, ensure that you maintain suffi-
cient clearance to the vehicle and do not exceed
a temperature of 606.
Insufficient distance or excessive pressure or
temperature can damage parts of the vehicle or

Mobility
231Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Replacing components
Onboard toolkit
Coupe
Convertible
The onboard tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the floor mat.
Replacing wiper blades
1.Fold the wiper arm out and grasp firmly.
2.Press the safety tabs together while sliding
the wiper blade toward the front to disen-
gage it.3.Mount the new wiper blade and slide in until
it is heard to engage.
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. You must be duly diligent
in replacing them. If you are not familiar with the
specified procedures, have the corresponding
work carried out at your BMW center.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean cloth, napkin, etc., or hold the bulb by its
metal socket.<
A selection of replacement bulbs is available at
your BMW center.
Whenever you perform any work on the
electrical system, turn off the systems/
consumers involved to prevent short circuits
from occurring. To avoid possible injury or
equipment damage when replacing bulbs,
observe any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<
For information on how to care for the head-
lamps, please follow the instructions on
page227.
For bulbs for which changing is not
described, and for checking and adjusting
headlamp aim, please contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Light-emitting diodes LEDs
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
c e n t l e n s e s s e r v e a s t h e l i g h t s o u r c e f o r m a n y o f
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.

Replacing components
232 Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several
hours, as irritation of the retina could result.<
Xenon lamps
The service life of these bulbs is very long and
the probability of a failure is very low, provided
that they are not switched on and off an unusual
number of times. If one of these bulbs should
nevertheless fail, it is possible to continue driv-
ing with great caution using the fog lamps, pro-
vided traffic laws in your area do not prohibit
this.
Have work on the xenon lighting system
performed only by your BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Due to the high voltage present in the
system, there is a danger of fatal injuries when
work is carried out improperly.<
Parking lamps, roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lamps
The illustration shows the left-hand side of the
engine compartment.
35-watt bulb, H 8
1.Remove the cover cap1 by pressing the tab
and removing the cover cap upward.
2.Turn the bulb holder to the left and remove.
3.Remove and replace the bulb.
Always wear gloves and eye protection –
the atmosphere inside the H8 bulb is
pressurized. Otherwise there is a danger of inju-
ries if the bulb is accidentally damaged during
replacement.<
Side-mounted turn signals
5-watt bulb, WY5W
1.Press against the front edge of the lamp
with the tip of your finger, then push it to the
rear, release the snap connection at the
front and take it off the trim strip.
2.Turn the bulb holder to the left by 905 and
remove.
3.Remove and replace the bulb.
Tail lamps
The roadside parking lamps, tail lamps,
brake lamps, and turn signals use LED
technology. The backup lamps are equipped
with long-life bulbs. Please contact a BMW cen-
ter in case of a malfunction.<
1Turn signal
2Roadside parking, tail and brake lamps
3Reflector
4Backup lamp

Mobility
235Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency request
Conditions for an emergency request:
>Full preparation package mobile phone.
With this equipment, an emergency request
is still possible when no mobile phone is
paired with the vehicle.
>BMW Assist is activated.
Activating BMW Assist, refer to page206.
>Radio readiness is activated.
>The BMW Assist system is logged on to a
mobile phone network.
>The emergency request system is opera-
ble.
Once your BMW Assist subscription expires,
the BMW Assist system can be deactivated by
a BMW center without you having to visit a
workshop. Once the BMW Assist system has
been deactivated, emergency requests are not
possible. The BMW Assist system can be reac-
tivated by a BMW center after signing a new
contract.
Initiating an emergency request
1.Briefly press protective cover to open.
With some vehicle equipment packages or
in the Convertible, the arrangement of the
switches and indicator lamps may differ
somewhat.
2.Press the SOS button for at least 2 sec-
onds.The LED in the button lights up. As soon as the
voice connection to the BMW Assist Response
Center has been established, the LED flashes.
When the emergency request is received at the
BMW Assist Response Center, the BMW Assist
Response Center contacts you and arranges
for additional steps to help you.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehicle until
the connection has been established. You will
then be able to provide a detailed description of
the situation.
If the current position of your vehicle can be
determined, it will be transmitted to the BMW
Assist Response Center.
If the LED is flashing but the BMW Assist
Response Center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The BMW
Assist Response Center may still be able to
hear you, though.
Under certain conditions, an emergency
request is automatically initiated immediately
after a severe accident. Pressing the button
does not interfere with this.
For technical reasons, the emergency request
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable condi-
tions.
You can also use other services of
BMW Assist with this button, refer to
page201.<

Giving and receiving assistance
238
Access to screw thread
Press the arrow symbol on the cover in the
bumper.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page60, otherwise the low
beams, tail lamps, turn signals and windshield
wipers would not be available. Do not tow the
vehicle with the rear axle raised, as otherwise
the steering can turn to the left or right.When
the engine is stopped, there is no power assist.
This then requires increased effort for braking
and steering. Active steering is deactivated and
larger steering wheel movements are
required.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers depend-
ing on the local regulations. If the electrical sys-
tem fails, mark the vehicle to be towed, e.g. with
a sign or warning triangle in the rear window.
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Sport automatic transmission
Before towing, manually release the
transmission lock, even if there is no mal-
function in the transmission. Otherwise there is
a risk that the transmission lock will engage dur-
ing towing.<
Manually unlocking and locking transmission
lock, refer to page64.
Do not exceed a towing speed of
45 mph/70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km; otherwise, the sport auto-
matic transmission may be damaged.<
Towing methods
Do not lift vehicle by tow fitting or body
and chassis parts; otherwise, damage
may result.<
In some countries, towing with tow bars or
ropes in public traffic is not permitted. Familiar-
ize yourself with the regulations on towing in the
respective country.
With tow bar
The towing vehicle may not be lighter
than the vehicle to be towed, otherwise it
will not be possible to reliably control vehicle
response.<
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 offset
angle, please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>When mounted at an angle, the tow bar will
exert lateral forces, tending to push the
vehicle sideways.
Only attach the tow bar to the tow fittings,
as attachment to other vehicle parts can
lead to damage.<
With tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when

Everything from A to Z
256 Engine
– breaking-in126
– data242
– overheated, refer to Coolant
temperature76
– speed242
– starting61
– starting, comfort access38
– switching off61
– switching off when equipped
with Automatic
transmission, with comfort
access40
Engine compartment221
Engine coolant223
Engine oil
– adding223
– additives, refer to Approved
engine oils223
– approved oils223
– electronic oil level check222
– interval between changes,
refer to Service
requirements79
– oil change223
– oil grades, refer to Approved
engine oils223
– recommended oils223
– temperature77
– temperature gauge77
"Engine oil level"222
Engine output, refer to Engine
data242
Engine speed, refer to Engine
data242
Engine starting, refer to
Starting engine61
"Enter address"136,144
Entering destination via town/
city name137
Entering intersection,
navigation138
Entering rear53
Entering the
address136,139
Entering town/city for
navigation137
Entering zip code for
navigation138"Entertainment"160
Entertainment sound output
on/off161
Entry map for destination141
Equalizer, refer to Tone
control163
"Equalizer", tone control163
"ESN"171
ESP Electronic Stability
Program, refer to DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control89
Event Data Recorders226
Exhaust system, refer to Hot
exhaust system127
Exterior mirrors55
– adjusting55
– automatic dimming
feature56
– automatic heating55
– folding in and out55
– tilting down passenger-side
exterior mirror56
External audio device119
Eye for tow-starting and
towing, refer to Tow
fitting237
F
Fader, refer to Tone
control162
"Fader", tone control162
Failure messages, refer to
Check Control81
False alarm
– refer to Avoiding
unintentional alarms38
– refer to Switching off
alarm37
Fastening safety belts, refer to
Safety belts54
Fastest route for
navigation146
"Fast route" in navigation147
Filler neck for washer fluid67
Filter, refer to Microfilter/
activated-charcoal filter114First aid, refer to First-aid
kit236
First-aid kit236
Flashing
– during locking/unlocking,
refer to Setting confirmation
signals33
– triple turn signal
activation66
Flat tire
– Flat Tire Monitor90
– run-flat tires92,93,218
– Tire Pressure Monitor92
– TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor92
– warning lamp92,93
Flat tire, refer to Run-flat
tires218
Flat Tire Monitor90
– false alarms91
– initializing system91
– snow chains219
– system limits91
– warning lamp92
Fluid reservoir, refer to Filler
neck for washer fluid67
FM, waveband164
"FM" waveband160,164
Fog lamps108
– indicator lamp13,108
Folding into raised position
convertible top
compartment floor,
Convertible37
Footbrake, refer to Braking
safely128
Footwell lamps, refer to
Interior lamps108
Forward, fast
– CD changer178
– CD player178
For your own safety
6
Freeway, refer to Route
criteria146
Front airbags95
Front passenger airbags
– deactivating96
"FTM"91