2011 BMW 128I CONVERTIBLE service

Technology for driving comfort and safety
90
Convertible: rollover
protection system
The rollover protection system is activated
automatically in the event of an accident, a crit-
ical driving situation, an extreme tilt in the car's
longitudinal axis or upon loss of ground contact.
The protection bars behind the rear head
restraints deploy within fractions of a second.
As a supplementary system to the reinforced
windshield frame, the rollover protection sys-
tem ensures that the necessary headroom is
maintained for all vehicle occupants.
Always keep the area 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.<
Resetting
If the rollover protection system was not
impacted after being automatically activated, it
can be reset by lowering the protection bars to
their original positions. This does not require
tools.
1.Push the locking lever to one side and hold
it there.
2.Push the protection bar halfway down from
above.
3.Release the locking lever.4.Push the protection bar down until it snaps
into place.
5.Repeat the procedure for the other protec-
tion bar.
Have the rollover protection system checked
after an unexpected activation.
Never move the convertible top when the
rollover protection system is in the acti-
vated position.
Do not make any modifications to the individual
components of the rollover protection system
or its cabling.
Work on the rollover protection system should
only be performed by a BMW center.
Incorrectly performed work on the system may
lead to system failure or incorrect operation.
To check the system and ensure flawless long-
term operation, always observe the service
intervals, refer to page72.<

Things to remember when driving
112
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to
each other. Please follow the instructions below
in order to achieve the optimal service life and
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at varying engine and road speeds, but do
not exceed an engine speed of 4,500 rpm or a
road speed of 100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode.
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in
period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal
level only after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
The same break-in procedures should be
observed if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
Saving fuel
The fuel consumption of your vehicle depends
on several factors. You can lower fuel consump-
tion and the environmental impact by taking
certain measures, adjusting your driving style
and having the vehicle serviced regularly.
Remove any unneeded cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove any mounted parts after you
have finished using them
Remove unneeded additional mirrors, the roof
rack and the rear luggage rack after use.
Mounted parts affect the vehicle's aerodynam-
ics and increase fuel consumption.
Close the windows and glass roof
An open glass roof or window causes higher air
resistance and thus increases fuel consump-
tion.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Check the tire inflation pressure at least twice a
month and before embarking on a long journey,
and correct it if necessary.
Low tire inflation pressure causes higher rolling
resistance and thus increases fuel consumption
and tire wear.
Set off immediately
Do not let the engine warm up while the car is
still standing, but set off immediately at moder-
ate engine speed. This is the fastest way for the
cold engine to reach its operating temperature.

Driving tips
113Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance between you and the vehicle in front of
you. A defensive and smooth driving style
keeps fuel consumption down.
Avoid high engine speeds
Only use first gear when setting off. In second
and higher gears, accelerate without hesitation
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into
the highest applicable gear and drive with the
engine speed as low as possible and at a con-
stant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
O n a d o w n h il l s lo p e , t a k e y o u r f o o t o f f t h e a c c el -
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
Functions such as the air conditioner, seat
heating or rear window defroster draw large
amounts of power and consume additional fuel.
Especially in city traffic and in stop-and-go driv-
ing they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page207.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk
lid is closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could enter the interior of the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid
open:
1.Close all windows and the glass roof.
2.Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page98.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed in
its vicinity, and never apply undercoating to
them. When driving, standing at idle and while
parking, take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, with the
risk of serious personal injuries and property
damage. Do not touch hot exhaust tail pipes.
Otherwise, there is a risk of burns.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning,
means that the tire can completely lose contact
with the road surface, so that neither the car can
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page199.

Navigation
Driving tips
125Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Opening the search for special
destinations
1."Navigation"
2."Points of Interest"
The search can be narrowed by entering the
location and type of special destination.
Special destination location
Search for a special destination according to its
location relative to a locality or route.
1."Search area"
2.Select the location where the system is to
search for the special destination:
>"At current location"
>"At destination"
>"At a different destination"
>"Along route"
Special destination category
1."Category"
2.Select "All" or a specific category, e.g.
hotels or restaurants.
Category details
For some special destinations, additional
details can be displayed that are available in the
navigation data, e.g. Italian-style restaurant."Category details"
Starting the search for special
destinations
1."Start search"
2.A list of the special destinations is dis-
played.
>"At current location"
Special destinations are listed according
to their distance from the current loca-
tion and are displayed with a directional
arrow pointing to the destination.
>"At destination", "At a different destina-
tion", "Along route"
Special destinations are listed according
to their distance from the location where
the search is being performed.
>Destinations of the selected category
are displayed in the map view as sym-
bols. The display depends on the map
scale and the category.
3.Highlight a special destination: the destina-
tion is displayed in the preview map.
4.Select the special destination.
5.Select the symbol.
6."Start guidance" or "Add as another dest.".
If a phone number is available, a connection
can be established, if desired.
Destination entry via BMW Assist*
A connection is established to the BMW Con-
cierge service, refer to page185.
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Open "Options".
4."BMW Assist dest. entry"

Navigation
Driving tips
133Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Viewing the map
1.Select the symbol.
2.Select a setting:
>"View facing north"
>"View in dir. of travel"
>"Perspective view"
>"Arrow display"
3.Press the controller.
Changing the map section
Select "Interactive map".
>To shift the map: move the controller in the
required direction.
>To shift the map diagonally: move the con-
troller in the required direction and turn it.
Changing scale
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller to adjust the scale.
Automatic scaling of the map
In the map view facing north, turn the controller
in any direction until AUTO is displayed as the
map scale.
The map shows the entire range from your loca-
tion to the destination.
Settings for the map view
The map is shown on the Control Display.
1.Open "Options".
2."Settings"
3.Set the optimized map view.
>"Day/night mode"
Select and apply the necessary settings
depending on the light conditions. If the
"Traffic conditions/gray map" is acti-
vated, this setting is not taken into
account.
>"Satellite images"
Depending on the availability and resolu-
tion, satellite images
* are displayed in
scales of approx. 1 mile to 600 miles/
2km to 1,000km.>"Perspective view in 3D"
Displays a three-dimensional view.
Prominent areas that are contained in
the navigation data are displayed on the
map in 3D.
>"Traffic conditions/gray map"
The map is optimized for displaying traf-
fic bulletins. Symbols for the special
destinations are no longer displayed.
Map view for the split screen display
The map view for the split screen can be
selected separately from the main screen.
1.Open "Options".
2."Split screen"
The split screen is switched on.
3.Move the controller to the right repeatedly
until the split screen content is selected.
4.Select the map view:
>"Arrow display"
>"Map facing north"
>"Map direction of travel"
>"Map view with perspective"
>"Exit ramp view"
Changing scale
1.Move the controller to the right until the
split screen is selected.
2.Turn the controller.
Traffic bulletins*
You can display the traffic bulletins from radio
stations that broadcast the TMC (Traffic Mes-
sage Channel) of a traffic information service.
This information from the traffic information
service is continuously updated on the basis of
measurement data from traffic control centers
and information on traffic congestion.
During destination guidance, traffic bulletins
that are relevant to areas along the route are
automatically displayed and taken into account
in the route planning. You can open all traffic
bulletins manually via iDrive.
The traffic bulletins are shown in the map view.

Navigation
Driving tips
135Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Traffic bulletins in the map
When the traffic bulletin map is activated, the
Control Display changes to a grayscale display.
This enables a better view of the traffic bulle-
tins. The day/night mode is disregarded in this
setting. The symbols for the special destina-
tions are no longer displayed.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Settings"
5."Traffic conditions/gray map"
Symbols in the map view
Depending on the scale of the map and the
location of the traffic obstruction along the
route, the symbols for the traffic obstructions
are displayed.
Additional information in the map view
Depending on the map scale, a traffic obstruc-
tion's length, direction and impact are displayed
on the map using triangles or gray bars along
the calculated route. The colors displayed
depend on the information transmitted by the
traffic information service.
>Red: traffic jam
>Orange: stop-and-go traffic
>Yellow: heavy traffic
>Green: traffic flowing freely
>Gray: general traffic information, e.g. con-
struction zone
Filtering of traffic bulletins
You can filter which traffic bulletins are to be
displayed by the system:
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Traffic Info categories"5.Select the desired categories.
Traffic bulletins of the selected categories are
displayed.
>Traffic bulletins on incidents along the route
are always displayed.
>For your own safety, traffic bulletins that
notify you of potentially dangerous situa-
tions, such as wrong-way drivers, cannot be
hidden.
Traffic bulletins during destination
guidance
System response will vary depending on
whether or not "Dynamic guidance" is selected,
refer to page131.
During destination guidance, traffic obstruc-
tions on the route are taken into consideration.
Information on sources of great danger, such as
wrong-way drivers, is displayed regardless of
the setting.
Displaying traffic obstructions
When the navigation system receives a traffic
obstruction message and "Dynamic guidance"
is not selected, you will be shown certain infor-
mation, such as the length of the traffic jam,
when you are approx. 30 miles/50 km away
from the traffic obstruction.
The last possible detour exit is indicated just
before you reach it.
This information is displayed even if you have
called up another application on the Control
Display.

Music collection
158
Music collection
Storing music
The music tracks from CDs, DVDs and USB
devices can be stored in the music collection in
the vehicle and played from there.
>Audio CD: tracks are converted into a com-
pressed audio format when they are stored.
If available, information on the album, such
as the artist, is stored as well.
>CD / DVD or USB device with compressed
audio files: the entire content of the CD /
DVD or the USB device is stored in the vehi-
cle as an album. After storing, the tracks and
directories can be deleted individually. Files
are only stored in the WMA, MP3, and AAC
formats.
Tracks with DRM copy protection can be
stored in the vehicle but cannot be played
back.
Regularly back up the music data; other-
wise, it could be lost if there is a fault on
the hard disk.<
Music recognition technology and
related data are provided by
Gracenote®. Gracenote® is the industry stan-
dard in music recognition technology and
related content delivery. For more information,
please visit www.gracenote.com.
CD and music-related data from Gracenote,
Inc., copyright © 2000-2009 Gracenote.
Gracenote Software, copyright © 2000-2009
Gracenote. This product and service may make
use of one or more of the following U.S. Patents:
5,987,525; 6,061,680; 6,154,773; 6,161,132;
6,230,192; 6,230,207; 6,240,459 and
6,330,593 as well as other granted or pending
patents. Some services supplied under license
from Open Globe, Inc. for U.S. Patent:
#6,304,523.
Gracenote and CDDB are registered trade-
marks of Gracenote. The Gracenote logo and
logotype, and the "Powered by Gracenote"
logo are trademarks of Gracenote.
Storing files from CDs/DVDs
CDs / DVDs can only be stored from the CD/
DVD player.
1.Insert a CD / DVD into the CD/DVD player.
2."CD/Multimedia"
3."CD/DVD"
4. Select the symbol for the CD/DVD
player.
5."Store in vehicle"
The music collection is displayed.
The tracks are stored and played back in
sequence from the music collection.
Observe the following during the storage pro-
cess:
Do not switch back to the CD/DVD player and
do not remove the CD / DVD from the CD/DVD
player; otherwise, the storage process will be
interrupted.
You can switch to the other audio sources with-
out interrupting the storage process. Tracks
from the current CD / DVD can also be called up,
if they have been stored already.
Interrupting storage
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
159Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
3."Storing..."
4."Cancel storing"
The storage process is interrupted and can be
continued at any time.
Continuing the storage process
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3. Select the symbol for the CD/DVD
player.
4."Continue storing"
Storage of the CD continues at the beginning of
the track at which storage was interrupted.
Album information
During storage, information such as the name
of the artist is stored with the track, if this infor-
mation is available in the vehicle database or on
the CD.
To update the database, contact your service
center.
Storing from a USB device
To store music, a suitable device must be con-
nected to the USB interface in the glove com-
partment.
>Suitable devices: USB mass storage
devices, such as USB flash drives or MP3
players with a USB interface.
>Unsuitable devices: USB hard drive, USB
hubs, USB memory card readers with multi-
ple inserts, Apple iPod/iPhone.
Music from a USB device can be stored
only via the USB interface in the glove
compartment.<1.Connect the USB device to the USB inter-
face in the glove compartment.
2."CD/Multimedia"
3."Music collection"
4.Open "Options".
5."Music data import/export"
6."Import music (USB)"
Playing music
Music search
All tracks for which additional information has
been stored can be accessed by the music
search. Tracks without additional information
can be called up via the corresponding album.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."Music collection"
3."Music search"