technical data BMW CONVERTIBLE 1998 Owner's Manual

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To release the beltRelease the buckle, remove the child
restraint device and allow the inertia
reel to retract the belt completely.b
Please also make this information
available to your passengers and urge
them to observe the instructions for
safety belt use.c
For care instructions refer to page 134.All passengers, and especially children,
should use a restraint device when
riding in the car.
Infants or small children should never
be permitted to ride on a passenger's
lap.
Children should always sit in the rear
seat and use, depending on age, either
a child restraint system or the safety
belts installed in the vehicle. Accident
statistics have shown that children are
safer when properly restrained in the
rear seats than when riding in the front.
Infants and toddlers should be secured
with a child restraint system appropri-
ate for their size.
Children of six years and older should
wear safety belts.Commercially available child seats
complying with legal standards are
designed to be secured using either a
lap belt or a combined lap-shoulder
belt. Because improperly installed
restraint systems can increase the risk
of injury to children, we strongly urge
you to carefully read and follow the
instructions supplied with the system.
Should the child restraint system of your
choice require the use of a securing or
tether strap, note that three anchoring
points (arrows) have been provided for
mounting it in your vehicle.
Ask your BMW Retailer to perform the
necessary installation work.
360us126
BMW Sedan/Coupe
Child restraint system Installing child seats

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The airbags are triggered by impacts
coming from the directions shown in
the illustration. Note that the supple-
mentary protection against lateral
impact is available only on vehicles
equipped with optional door-mounted
airbags.Indicator lamp in instrument
clusterSystem operational:
dThe indicator lamp comes on briefly.
System malfunction:
dThe indicator lamp fails to come on.dIndicator lamp lights up for approx.
4 seconds, goes out brießy and then
lights up again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response
range.
Please have your authorized BMW
Retailer inspect and repair the system
as soon as possible.
a
For your own safety, please ob-
serve the following precautions con-
cerning airbags, as otherwise their
protective function may be impaired. We
also request that you make this informa-
tion available to your passengers, and
that you urge them to observe the in-
structions for safety belt use: the air-
bags are a supplemental restraint
device designed to provide extra pro-
tection; they are not a substitute for
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at all
times. The system does not respond to
minor collisions, if the vehicle rolls over,
or if the impact is at the rear of the vehi-
cle. In this situation, only the safety belt
protects you.
When adjusting your seat, select a posi-
tion that provides maximum distance
between you and the steering wheel, the instrument panel and the door while still
allowing comfortable and safe access to
all vehicle controls.
Always grip the steering wheel on its
rim with your hands at the 9 and 3 oÕclock
positions, otherwise hand and arm inju-
ries could occur when the airbag
inflates.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and the driver/
passenger.
Do not use the cover panel above the
passenger-side airbag as a storage
area.
Do not glue, cover or in any way alter
the padded covers on the steering
wheel, the instrument panel or the side
trim panels of the front doors.
Do not install a rear-facing child re-
straint device on the front passenger
seat. Children under 12 years of age
should only sit in the back.c
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a residual risk of
mild facial injuries occurring in isolated
instances of airbag actuation. The igni-
tion and inßation noise may induce a
mild temporary hearing loss in sensitive
individuals.
Airbag information is also located on
the sun visors.
p
The indicator lamp comes on from
ignition key position 1 to indicate
that the system is operational.
390de142Airbags

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Following an unforeseen, automatic
extension, the rollover protection sys-
tem can be lowered again.
To do this, remove the screwdriver han-
dle and the special tool (stored on the
socket wrench) from the onboard tool
kit and push them together.
dPull out the head restraint upward.
dRemove the protective cap upward
from the protective bar.dPush the special tool into the guide
of the click-and-pawl mechanism as
far as possible (handle rests on the
backrest) and hold in place.
dGently press down the protective bar
until the special tool is loose.
dPull out the special tool and press
down the protective bar completely
until it audibly engages.
dRemount the protective cap on the
protective bar and push on Þrmly.
dPush in the head restraint again.Follow the same procedure for the sec-
ond protective bar.
Have the rollover protection system
checked by a BMW Retailer.
a
The opened convertible top can not
be closed with the rollover protection
system extended.c
Notes on safetyNo changes should be made to the indi-
vidual components of the rollover pro-
tection system or to its wiring.
All work on the rollover protection sys-
tem must be carried out by a BMW
Retailer.
Work carried out incorrectly may lead to
the failure or an accidental triggering of
the system.
To check the system and to ensure its
long-term operation, it is imperative that
you observe the maintenance intervals
of the Service Interval Display. The roll-
over protection system must be in-
spected every 2 years at the latest by a
BMW Retailer.
36cde016
36cde017
Rollover protection system* Ð Convertible

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When starting a cold engine at extreme-
ly low temperatures (+55F/-156 or be-
low) or at high altitudes (above 3,300 ft./
1,000 meters), proceed as follows:
dAt the first attempt, keep the starter
engaged for a bit longer (approx.
10 seconds).
dPress the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
If you operate the vehicle for longer
periods of time at high altitudes and
very low temperatures, put into the
engine an oil with a viscosity of 5WÐ30
(refer to page 126). Please contact your
authorized BMW Retailer for additional
information.a
Never allow the engine to run with
the vehicle standing in an enclosed ar-
ea. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide, an odorless and colorless,
but highly toxic gas. Breathing the ex-
haust gases poses an extreme health
risk, and can lead to unconsciousness
and death.
Never leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running, as such a vehicle
represents a serious potential safety
hazard.cTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
a
Always remove the ignition key
and engage the steering lock before
leaving the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined surfaces,
since selecting 1st gear or reverse may
not provide adequate resistance to roll-
ing.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in Park.c
Starting the engine Switching off the engine

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The shift lever's neutral plane (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears
Whenever you shift from any gear into
"Neutral", the shift lever will automati-
cally return to the specified gear plane.
ReverseSelect only with the vehicle stationary.
Press the shift lever to the left to over-
come the slight resistance.Backup lampsAs you do this the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.a
Do not "ride" the clutch to hold the
vehicle in place on slopes; use the park-
ing brake instead. A slipping clutch in-
creases clutch wear.c
360de044Manual transmission

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D - Drive (automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are selected by the
transmission as necessary. 3 - Sport Program, direct controlThis position is designed for perfor-
mance-oriented driving, and features
delayed upshifts for optimal utilization
of the vehicle's power reserves.
When D is engaged, the transmission
may respond to certain conditions by
repeatedly shifting between 3rd and 4th
gears. You can select this position to
suppress upshifts into 4th gear and pre-
vent the transmission from "hunting" in
this way.
2 and 1 - Mountain ascents and
engine brakingSelect these positions to prevent un-
desired shifts on mountain roads or
extended uphill and downhill stretches.
These ranges let you use the engine's
braking effect to maximum advantage.
The transmission upshifts only as far as
the selected gear (1st or 2nd).
Do not move the selector lever to either
of these positions when traveling at
speeds of 108 mph (170 km/h) or
above. The transmission downshifts
only at correspondingly low speeds."Kickdown" (automatic downshift)To obtain maximum acceleration, the
accelerator pedal can be depressed
beyond the normal to the full-throttle
position, at which a pressure point must
be overcome.
Shift programsA - Automatic program
For economical driving. This is the initial
position each time the engine is started.
M - Manual program
This program is for driving conditions
under which the selected gear is to be
retained. The transmission then remains
in this gear both when starting off and
during acceleration. With this program
you drive only in 3rd gear in position D.
It is advantageous, e.g., on slopes or
when towing a trailer, to drive in selec-
tor lever position 1 or 2, or in winter on
slippery roads in selector lever position
3, which enables gentle starts and pre-
vents undesirable shifting.
Automatic transmission*

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0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent wipe
2 Normal wipe
3 Fast wipe
4 Brief wipe
5 Automatic windshield washer
1 Intermittent wipe The length of the interval is varied auto-
matically according to the car's actual
road speed.
The headlamp cleaning equipment
* can
also influence this interval.
dShift briefly out of 0 into 1, and back
to 0.
dThe time lapse until the switching on
(out of 0 into 1) is the desired interval
(maximum 25 seconds).
Delete the programming:
dapprox. 10 seconds after the lever is
in position 0 or
dafter switching off the engine.
2 Normal wipeThe wipers automatically revert to inter-
mittent operation when the vehicle is
stationary.5 Automatic windshield washersThe system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and actuates the wipers
for a brief period.
(Exception: If you pull the lever briefly,
the system sprays fluid onto the wind-
shield without activating the wipers).
a
Do not use the washers when there
is a danger of the fluid freezing on the
windshield, as otherwise your vision
could be obscured. Use antifreeze (refer
to page 124).
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty, otherwise damage to the
washer pump could result.c
Windshield washer jets
*
The windshield washer jets are auto-
matically heated with the ignition key in
position 2.
123
40
5
360us305Wiper/washer system

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Records the total vehicle mileage
(registers distance in kilometers on
Canadian vehicles).Trip odometerRecords trip distances up to 999.9 miles
(kilometers).To reset to zeroPress button.
The displays appear from ignition key
position 1.
To display with ignition switched off:
Press the reset button (arrow).Never allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed sector
of the gauge.
In this range the fuel supply is inter-
rupted to protect the engine, producing
the sensation of a loss of power.Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in liters per 100 km on Cana-
dian vehicles).
When the vehicle is stationary, the nee-
dle returns to zero (maximum reading
on Canadian models).
2040
120
140
km/h
240 220 200 180 160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20MPH
F360us320
360us030
360us031
Odometer Tachometer Energy control*

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b
Have your BMW Retailer carry out
the maintenance and repair. Your BMW
Retailer is always informed on the latest
maintenance work and repair tech-
niques and equipped with the required
special tools. In addition, the testing of
parts known from experience to be sub-
ject to wear is a permanent part of the
maintenance specifications.c
Service Interval Display

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Check Control with outside
temperature display and digital
clockFor explanations and operating instruc-
tions, refer to page 74 ff.
Onboard computerFor explanations and operating instruc-
tions, refer to page 77 ff.
360us309
360us310
Multi-information display (MID)*