2010 BMW M6 CONVERTIBLE warning light

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
78 Press the DSC OFF button; the DSC indicator
lamp lights up continuously. DSC and MDM are
deactivated.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
Manual transmission
*:
Press and hold the MDM button.
Under unfavorable traction conditions, the
engine output may be briefly reduced even
when DSC is deactivated.
Reactivating DSC
Press the DSC OFF button; the indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes out.
You can also activate and deactivate DSC with
the button on the steering wheel, refer to
MDrive on page50.
Manual transmission
*:
Press the MDM button.
Malfunction in driving-stability control
systems
The warning lamp for the brake system
lights up yellow, together with the indi-
cator lamps for ABS, DSC and Tire
Pressure Monitor or Flat Tire Monitor.
A message appears on the Control Dis-
play. The driving stability control sys-
tems have failed. While you may con-
tinue, you should remember to proceed
cautiously and drive defensively while
avoiding full brake applications. The
Tire Pressure Monitor or the Flat Tire Monitor is
also malfunctioning. Have the system checked
as soon as possible.Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
The DSC warning lamp lights up. A
malfunction has occurred in DSC
including MDM. The stability mainte-
nance functions are no longer available. The
vehicle remains operational. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
The brake system warning lamp lights
up yellow. A message appears on the
Control Display. The brake assistant is
defective. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
Starting off
On slopes
The drive-off assistant enables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The parking brake is
not required for this purpose.
1.Hold the vehicle with the brake.
2.Release the brake and begin to drive imme-
diately.
After releasing the brake, begin to drive
immediately; otherwise, the drive-off
assistant no longer holds the vehicle after
approx. 2 seconds and your vehicle will start to
roll backward.<
Start off quickly on slopes. Do not hold
the vehicle on a hill by pressing the accel-
erator, but apply the brake pedal or parking
brake instead. Otherwise overheating and
heavy wear can result in the area of the Sequen-
tial Manual Transmission.<
To protect the clutch of the Sequential Manual
Transmission from overheating, the starting-off

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
80 In the event of a pressure loss, there is a change
in the rolling circumference and therefore the
rotation speed of the corresponding wheel. The
system detects this change and reports it as a
flat tire.
Functional requirement
The system must have been initialized when the
tire inflation pressure was correct; otherwise,
reliable signaling of a flat tire is not ensured.
The initialization must be repeated after
every correction of the tire inflation pres-
sure and after every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage
caused by external factors, nor can it identify
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. The system is initialized
after this activation phase.
The initialization process adopts the set infla-
tion tire pressures as reference values for the
detection of a flat tire. Initialization is started by
confirming the inflation pressures.
The system is not initialized when traveling with
snow chains
*.<
With Sequential Manual Transmission via the
button in the center console:1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button for approx. 5 seconds.
After the button is released, the warning
lamp lights up in yellow for several seconds
in the instrument cluster, refer to Indication
of a flat tire. The message "Activating…"
appears on the Control Display for a few
seconds.
3.Start to drive.
The initialization finishes during the trip
without providing feedback.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset"
4.Start the engine - do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset".
"Activating…" is displayed on the Control
Display.
6.Start to drive.
The initialization finishes during driving, which
can be interrupted at any time. "Flat Tire Moni-
tor active" is displayed on the Control Display.

Controls
81Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. A mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal sounds.
There is a flat tire or extensive inflation pressure
loss.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire. To do this, check the
tire inflation pressure using the M Mobility
System, refer to Producing tire inflation
pressure on page207.
3.Repair the flat tire with the M Mobility Sys-
tem, refer to page205, or replace the dam-
aged wheel, refer to Changing wheels on
page207.
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor*
The concept
TPM checks the tire inflation pressure in the
four mounted tires. The system reports when
the tire inflation pressure has dropped consid-
erably in one or several tires.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must have been reset with the
correct tire inflation pressure.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics, oth-
erwise fault-free operation of the system is not
ensured.
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
TPM cannot announce sudden serious
tire damage caused by external influ-
ences.<
The system does not function properly if it has
not been reset, e.g. a flat tire is reported despite
correct tire inflation pressures.The system is inactive and cannot display a flat
tire if a wheel has been mounted without TPM
electronics, or if TPM is temporarily interfered
with by other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Status display on Control Display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
TPM takes the fact that the tire pressure
changes during driving into account. A correc-
tion is only required if requested by TPM with
the color.
Green
The tire pressure matches the learned set state.
"TPM" appears on the Control Display.
One wheel is yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire. A message appears on the
Control Display.
All wheels are yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
several tires. A message appears on the Control
Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire.
Reasons for this can be:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary interference due to systems or
devices which use the same radio fre-
quency
>Malfunction
Resetting system
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
Resetting finishes during driving, which can be
interrupted at any time. When driving resumes,
resetting is continued automatically.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82 1.Press the button.
This opens the main menu.
2."Vehicle Info"
3."Vehicle status"
4."Reset TPM"
5.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
6."Reset"
7."Yes"
Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
8.After a few minutes of driving, the set tire
inflation pressures in the tires are applied as
the set values to be monitored. The system
reset is completed during your drive, and
can be interrupted at any time. When driving
resumes, resetting is continued automati-
cally. On the Control Display, the tires are
shown in green and "Status: TPM active" is
displayed again.
If a flat tire is detected during resetting
and applying the tire inflation pressures,
all tires are shown in yellow on the Control Dis-
play. The message "Tire low!" is shown.<
Notification of low tire inflation
pressure
The warning lamp lights up yellow. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.If all four wheels are shown in yellow, iden-
tify the damaged tire on the vehicle.
3.Repairing flat tire with M Mobility System,
refer to page205, or replace the damaged
wheel or wheels, refer to Changing wheels*
on page207.
The spare tire
* is equipped with the necessary
TPM electronics and is also monitored after
mounting and after resetting the system.
Have the tire replaced by a BMW center or a
workshop informed on handling TPM which
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.
A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction;
have the system checked.
>If a wheel is mounted without TPM elec-
tronics.
>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire, including the spare*, should be
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the
inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires. As an added safety fea-
ture, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
84 head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head. The knee air-
bag protects the legs from colliding with the
cockpit.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way. Do not attempt to
remove the airbag restraint system from the
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the side trim panels on the
doors and on the Coupe, the roof pillars along
with the sides of the headliner. Do not attempt
to remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
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. Otherwise unprofessional attempts to
service the system could lead to failure in an
emergency or undesired airbag triggering,
either of which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The system
correspondingly activates or deactivates the
front, knee and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side.The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child in the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page52.
The front, knee and side airbags on the front
passenger side can be deactivated for teenag-
ers and adults in certain sitting positions; the
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up when this occurs. In these cases,
change the sitting position so that the front pas-
senger airbags are activated and the indicator
lamp goes out. If the desired status cannot be
produced by changing the sitting position,
transport the corresponding person in the rear
seat.
Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion padding,
ball mats or other items onto the front passen-
ger seat unless they are specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not lay objects under the
seat which could press against the seat from
below. Otherwise a correct evaluation of the
occupied seat surface cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
The illustration here shows a possible arrange-
ment in the Coupe. With some vehicle equip-
ment packages or in the Convertible, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front,
knee and side airbags on the front passenger

Controls
85Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
side depending on whether the seat is occu-
pied. The indicator lamp shows whether the
front passenger airbags are activated or deacti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint system intended for the
purpose is properly detected on the seat.
The front, knee and side airbags on the front
passenger side are deactivated.
Most child seats are detected by the sys-
tem, especially the child seats required by
the NHTSA at the time the vehicle is manufac-
tured. After installing a child seat, make sure
that the indicator lamp for the front passenger
airbags lights up. This indicates that the child
seat has been detected and the front passenger
airbags are not activated.<
>The indicator lamp does not light up if, for
example, the system detects a person of
sufficient size seated correctly on the seat.
The front, knee and side airbags on the front
passenger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
But the front, knee and side airbags on the
front passenger side are still deactivated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page55, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
readiness.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction, otherwise
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<
Convertible: rollover
protection system
The rollover protection system is automatically
activated in the event of an accident or a critical
driving situation, extreme inclination on the lon-
gitudinal axis, or loss of ground contact. The
rollover bars located behind the rear head
restraints are deployed within fractions of a sec-
ond.
As a supplement to the rollover bar integrated
into the windshield frame, the rollover protec-
tion system ensures that all vehicle occupants
have the necessary headroom.
Always keep the path of movement of the
rollover protection system clear.
In minor accidents, you are protected by the
fastened safety belt and, depending on acci-
dent severity, by the safety belt tensioner and
multi-phase airbag retention system.<
Lowering
If the rollover protection system experienced no
impact after automatic activation, then it can be
lowered again. No tools are necessary for this
purpose.
1.Press the release backward and hold in that
position.
2.Press the rollover protection unit halfway
down from above.

Controls
87Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
view appears on the Control Display in gray and
cannot be selected.
"M View": the default view is displayed.
The M view for the Head-up Display can also be
selected with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page50.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Default view
1Navigation instructions
2Stored desired speed of cruise control
3Speed
M view
1Current engine speed, highlighted
2Advance warning field of tachometer
3Red warning field of tachometer, also refer
to Tachometer on page65
4Speed
5Gear display
For information on the shift lights in the
tachometer, refer to page60.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is adapted to the
ambient lighting conditions. However, you can
change the base setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the thumbwheel of
the instrument lighting.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Head-Up display"
3."Brightness"
4.Turn the controller.
The brightness is adjusted.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Notes
The visibility of the displays in the Head-up Dis-
play is influenced by:
>Sunglasses with certain polarization filters
>Certain seating positions
>Objects on the cover of the Head-up Dis-
play
>Wet road surface and unfavorable lighting
conditions
If the image is distorted, please have the basic
setting checked at a BMW center.
Special windshield
The windshield is part of the system. The shape
of the windshield complies with the require-
ments of the Head-up Display to enable a pre-
cise display. A film in the windshield prevents
double images from being displayed.
Windshield replacement should be carried out
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.
Care instructions
You can find valuable information on this topic
under Care, starting on page199.

Mobility
195Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
>"Measurement not possible at this time."
>"Measuring engine oil level...":
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at
a standstill on a level surface and the engine
is running, and about 5 minutes while the
car is moving.
If the engine oil has been topped off, the
measurement of the oil level can take up to
30 minutes.
>"Engine oil level below minimum. Add 1
quart!":
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of
engine oil at the next opportunity, refer also
to Adding engine oil below. If the oil level
displayed is below minimum, add engine oil
immediately. Failure to do so may lead to
engine damage.
>"Engine oil level too high! Have this
checked.":
Too much oil will harm the engine.
Have the vehicle checked without
delay.<
>"Measurement inactive. Have this
checked.":
Do not add engine oil. You can continue
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer
to Service requirements on page68. Have
the system checked as soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Do not add oil until a value slightly above the
minimum of 0.0 US quarts/liters is displayed by
the oil level measurement. In this area a mes-
sage is also shown on the Control Display.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be damaged.Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of oil; oth-
erwise, the engine may be damaged by adding
too much oil.
Add at least 0.5 US quart/0.5 liter of oil; other-
wise, the oil level check cannot reliably display
the current oil level.<
Please conduct a fast measurement after
adding engine oil to check the oil quantity
added and to update the display.<
Continuous exposure to used oil has
caused cancer in laboratory testing.
For this reason, thoroughly wash exposed areas
of skin with soap and water after such work.
Keep oil, grease etc. out of reach of children and
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or
at a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel.
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical
significance for the operation and service life of
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Do not use oil additives; under some cir-
cumstances, they can damage your
engine.<
Your BMW center will be happy to answer
detailed questions on BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic
oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is specified in SAE grades.
Approved oils belong to the SAE grade
10W-60.<