2011 BMW 135I CONVERTIBLE parking brake

At a glance
13Reference
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Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a
variety of combinations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Text messages
Text messages at the upper edge of the Control
Display explain the meaning of the displayed
indicator and warning lamps.
Supplementary text messages
You can call up more information on the Control
Display, e.g. on the cause of a malfunction and
on how to respond, via Check Control, refer to
page76.In urgent cases, this information will be shown
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher93
Fog lamps
*94
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving
stability82
Canada: parking brake applied57
Parking brake applied57
Canada: engine malfunction with
adverse effect on emissions208
Engine malfunction with adverse
effect on emissions208

Driving
56
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed areas;
otherwise, the inhalation of toxic exhaust
gases can cause loss of consciousness and
death. The exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly
toxic gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle
with the engine running; otherwise, such a vehi-
cle represents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car with the engine running,
place the transmission in neutral or move the
selector lever to position P and forcefully apply
the parking brake to prevent the car from mov-
ing.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and
there is a danger of overheating and damaging
the catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to neutral posi-
tion.
3.Press the start/stop button.The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Press the start/stop button.
The engine starts independent of the current
transmission position.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page55.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.

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3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page55.
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
If the transmission is shifted into N when the
engine is switched off, you will be notified
visually and acoustically of this fact.
2.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
3.Remove remote control from the ignition
lock, refer to page55. The transmission is
automatically shifted into transmission
position P.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off a signal sounds in addition.
The parking brake is still applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this 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 fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page59.

Driving
58
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and apply the
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the
ignition lock, you must first move the selector
lever to position P and switch off the engine:
interlock. Removing the remote control from
the ignition lock, refer to page55.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
The selector lever position is displayed and, in
manual mode, the engaged gear, e.g. M4.
Changing selector lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P.
>Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise, the selector lever will be
prevented from moving: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start. 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 this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The drive wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example.
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.

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Manually unlocking parking lock
In the event of a power supply interrup-
tion such as a discharged or discon-
nected battery or an electrical malfunction, the
parking lock must be manually unlocked; other-
wise, the rear wheels are immobilized and the
vehicle cannot be towed.<
Only unlock the parking lock manually for tow-
ing and make sure to set the parking brake
forcefully beforehand so that the vehicle cannot
roll. Lock the parking lock again after the vehicle
is parked.
Releasing
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the allen wrench from the toolkit,
refer to page213, rotate the cover until it
reaches the stop, arrow 1, and remove,
arrow2.
4.Insert allen wrench into the opening,
arrow1.5.Rotate allen wrench until it reaches the
stop, arrow2. The parking lock is unlocked.
Do not turn allen wrench in the oppo-
site direction; otherwise, you may
damage the mechanism.<
6.Remove allen wrench from the opening.
After parking the vehicle, lock the parking
lock again. Otherwise, there is a danger
that the vehicle will roll.<
Locking
1.Press the button, see arrow.
The parking lock is locked again.
2.Replace cover again.
3.Clip the selector lever sleeve back into
place.
4.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Jump-starting and towing, starting on
page220.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
82 >When driving uphill on snow-covered roads,
in slush or on unplowed, snow-covered
roads
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow or on loose ground
>When driving with snow chains
Activating DTC
Press the button; the indicator lamps for DTC in
the instrument cluster come on.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DTC is regulating the drive and braking
forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DTC has been activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in
place for approx. 2 seconds after the
brake is released. Drive off without delay after
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off assistant will no longer hold the car in place
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla-
tion pressure in the tires.
The system detects a tire pressure loss due to
speed comparisons among the individual
wheels as you drive.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed
of the affected wheel. The system detects this
and reports it as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
The system has to have been initialized at the
correct inflation pressure; otherwise, a reliable
reporting of a flat tire is not assured.
Each time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed,
reinitialize the system.
System limitations
It is impossible to provide advance warn-
ing of sudden, severe tire damage caused
by outside influences.<
The system will not detect a natural, uniform
pressure loss in all four tires. Therefore you
should check the inflation pressure regularly.
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
Status display
The current status of the Flat Tire Monitor can
be displayed on the Control Display, e.g.
whether or not the FTM is active.

Driving tips
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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.

Things to remember when driving
114
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a
lengthy period using the clutch; use the
parking brake instead. Otherwise, greater
clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page82.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most
effective way of braking in situations in which
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page59.
Sports automatic transmission with dou-
ble clutch Never drive with the transmis-
sion in neutral or the engine switched off; other-
wise, there is no engine braking action or power
assist to the brakes and steering.
Manual transmission: never drive with the
clutch depressed, the transmission in neutral,
or the engine switched off; otherwise, there is
no engine braking action or power assist to the
brakes and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals, otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage