Top BMW Z4 3.0SI ROADSTER 2008 E85 Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on special
topics is by using the index starting on
page116.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
18Opening and closing
30Adjustments
36Transporting children safely
40Driving
48Everything under control
51Technology for driving comfort and
safety
59Lamps
62Climate
68Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
74Things to remember when driving
Mobility
82Refueling
84Wheels and tires
91Under the hood
96Maintenance
98Replacing components
103Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
110Technical data
116Everything from A to Z

Notes
4
Notes
About this Owner's Manual
We have tried to make all the information in this
Owner's Manual easy to find. The fastest way to
find specific topics is to refer to the detailed
index at the back of the manual. If you wish to
gain an initial overview of your vehicle, you will
find this in the first chapter.
Should you sell your BMW at some time in the
future, please remember to pass the Owner's
Manual on to the new owner. The manual repre-
sents an important component of the vehicle.
Additional sources of information
Should you have any other questions, your
BMW center will be glad to advise you at any
time.
Information on BMW, e.g. on technical aspects,
can also be found on the Internet at
www.bmwusa.com
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be fol-
lowed precisely in order to avoid the pos-
sibility of personal injury and serious damage to
the vehicle.
Indicates information that will assist you
in gaining the optimum benefit from your
vehicle and enable you to care more effectively
for your vehicle.
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment.
< Marks the end of a specific item of informa-
tion.
* Indicates special equipment, country-specific
equipment and optional extras, as well as
equipment and functions not yet available at the
time of printing.
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory, refer to
page18. Identifies functions that can be
specifically adapted for a particular key or vehi-
cle. These adjustments can be performed by
your BMW center.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the rel-
evant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
13
Colors
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
various colors and combinations.
>Red:
Stop the vehicle immediately
or
an important reminder
>Red and yellow:
Continue driving cautiously
>Yellow:
Have the system checked soon
or
for your information
>Green or blue:
For your information Antilock Brake System ABS/Driving
stability control systems for Canadian
models
Brake system
+
Parking brake released95
Parking brake applied41
With other warning lamps52
Brake warning lamp for Canadian mod-
els
Brake pads
+76
Fog lamps60
Electric Power Steering
+56
Flat Tire Monitor
* +53
Tire Pressure Monitor
* +54
Airbags
+56
'Fasten safety belts' reminder33
Defective bulb59
Doors or luggage compartment lid/tail-
gate open
Automatic transmission
+43
Engine electronics
+
Malfunction in the engine electronics.
You can continue to drive with reduced
engine output. Please have the system
inspected by your BMW center.
Service engine soon
+97
Service engine soon indicator lamp for
Canadian models
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC
+51
Dynamic Traction Control
DTC
+51
Add coolant94
Add washer fluid46
Check gas cap
+82

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
15
1Reading lamps*61
2Interior lamps61
3Air conditioning62
or automatic climate control
*65
5Indicator/warning lamp
passenger airbags37
6Central locking system21
7Hazard warning flashers
8Dynamic Driving Control44 Air distribution for air
conditioning63
Air distribution for automatic cli-
mate control
*66
Automatic air distribution and flow
rate
*66
Cooling function
*63,66
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control
*67
Recirculated-air mode63,67
Maximum cooling
*66
Air flow rate63,66
Defrosting windows
*66
Rear window defroster63,67
4
Seat heating
*33
Roadster: opening the convertible
top
*27
Roadster: closing the convertible
top
*27
Dynamic Traction Control DTC51
Flat Tire Monitor FTM
*53
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM
*54

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
19
>Activation/deactivation and duration of
pathway lighting, refer to page60
>Adjustment of sensitivity of automatic
headlamp control
*, refer to page59
>Setting unit of measure for displaying the
time and outside temperature in the instru-
ment cluster, refer to page50
Examples for Key Memory
>Automatic call-up* of the driver's seat posi-
tion after unlocking, refer to page33
>Locking of the vehicle after starting off, refer
to page21
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid/tailgate
>Fuel filler door
>Storage compartment between the back-
rests
>Roadster: opened manual convertible top
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
The anti-theft system is operated at the same
time. It prevents the doors from being unlocked
with the lock buttons or release handles. The
remote control is also used to switch the interior
lamps on and off. In addition, the alarm system
*
is armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system
*, refer to
page23.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer
to page21.In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the
central locking system unlocks automatically. In
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
from outside
With the remote control
Persons or animals in the vehicle could
lock the doors from the inside. You should
therefore take the remote control with you
when leaving the vehicle so that the car can be
opened from the outside.<
Unlocking
1.Press the button once.
The driver's door and fuel filler door are
unlocked.
2.Press the button again.
The entire vehicle is unlocked.
Convenience opening
Hold the button down.
Coupe: the windows are opened.
Roadster: the windows and the fully automatic
convertible top
* are opened.
Locking
Press the button.
The hazard warning flashers light up once.
If you wish, you can have this special fea-
ture activated/deactivated.<
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
there is any person inside, because the
vehicle cannot be unlocked from inside without
special knowledge.<
Switching on interior lamps
With the vehicle locked:
Press the button.
With this function, you can also search for your
vehicle when parked in an underground garage,
for instance.

Opening and closing
20
Unlocking the luggage compartment
lid/tailgate
Press the button for approx. 1 second.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate opens a
short distance, regardless of whether it was
locked or unlocked.
A previously locked luggage compart-
ment lid/tailgate is locked again after
closing.
Before and after each trip, check that the lug-
gage compartment lid/tailgate has not been
inadvertently unlocked.<
Panic mode*
You can also trigger the alarm system* if you
find yourself in a dangerous situation:
Press the button for at least 3 seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Malfunctions
The remote control may malfunction due to
local radio waves. If this occurs, unlock and lock
the car at the door lock or luggage compart-
ment lid/tailgate lock with the key.
If the car can no longer be locked with a remote
control, the battery in the remote control is dis-
charged. Use this remote control key while driv-
ing for an extended period in order to recharge
the battery, refer to page18.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply with
part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communications
Commission regulations. Operation is gov-
erned by the following:
FCC ID:
LX8EWS
LX8FZVS
LX8FZVE
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and>this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or
changes to these devices could void the
user's authority to operate this equipment.<
At the door lock
1.Turn the key.
The driver's door and fuel filler door are
unlocked.
2.Turn the key again.
The entire vehicle is unlocked.
When the vehicle is locked, the hazard warning
flashers light up once.
If you wish, you can have these special
features activated/deactivated.<
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
there is any person inside, because the
vehicle cannot be unlocked from inside without
special knowledge.<
Convenience operation
You can also operate the windows and the
Roadster's fully automatic convertible top
* via
the door lock.
Hold the key in the position for unlocking or
locking.
Watch the closing process to ensure that
no one is trapped. Releasing the key
stops the operation.<
Manual operation
If there is a malfunction, you can unlock or lock
the driver's door by turning the key in the lock all
the way to the left or right.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
21
Opening and closing:
from inside
This button serves to unlock or lock doors and
the luggage compartment lid/tailgate when the
doors are closed, but does not activate the anti-
theft system. The fuel filler door remains
unlocked.
If only the driver's door was unlocked from the
outside and you press the button, then, with the
driver's door still open, the luggage compart-
ment lid/tailgate and the fuel filler door will
unlock, too. If the driver's door is closed, it will
be locked.
If you prefer, the central locking system is
activated automatically as soon as you
begin to drive. You can have the corresponding
adjustment made for each key specifically.<
Unlocking and opening
>Either unlock the doors together using the
button for the central locking system and
then pull the door handle above the armrest
or
>pull the release handle for each door twice:
the initial pull unlocks the door, and the sec-
ond one opens it.
Locking
>Either use the central locking button to lock
both doors simultaneously, or
>press down the safety lock button of a door.
To prevent you from being locked out, the
open driver's door cannot be locked using
the lock button.
Persons or animals in the vehicle could
lock the doors from the inside. You should therefore take the key with you when leaving
the vehicle so that the car can be opened from
the outside.<
Coupe: tailgate
The tailgate swings upward and towards
the rear when it is opened. Make sure that
it has enough clearance.<
Opening from inside the vehicle
If the tailgate has not been locked separately,
you can open it with this button in the footwell
on the driver's side when the vehicle is station-
ary.
Opening from the outside
Press the top half of the BMW emblem or press
the button on the remote control for approx.
1 second:
The tailgate will open.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
23
The handle recess in the interior trim of the lug-
gage compartment lid makes it easier to pull
down.
Make sure that the closing path of the
luggage compartment lid is clear, other-
wise injuries may result.<
Cargo bay
Emergency release
Pull the lever in the cargo bay. The luggage
compartment lid/tailgate is unlocked.
Roadster: increasing cargo bay
capacity
The cargo bay can be enlarged when the con-
vertible top is closed.
Turn the handles on both sides of the cargo bay
outward beyond the resistance point at the
same time, arrow 1.
The convertible top compartment panel swings
up, arrow 2.
Before opening the convertible top:
Turn both handles inward.
The convertible top compartment panel is
folded down.To avoid any damage when opening the
convertible top, make sure that the con-
vertible top compartment panel in the cargo bay
has been folded down.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate is opened
>When attempts are made to start the vehi-
cle
>When there are movements in the vehicle
interior: interior motion sensor, refer to
page24
>When the car's inclination changes, for
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to
towing away: Tilt alarm sensor, refer to
page24
>When there is an interruption in the power
supply from the battery
The alarm system signals unauthorized entry
attempts for a short time by means of:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
>Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
The hazard warning flashers light up once when
the alarm system has been properly armed.
You can have different acknowledgment
signals set to confirm arming and disarm-
ing.<
Even when the alarm system is armed, you can
open the luggage compartment lid/tailgate
using the button on the remote control,
refer to page20. When you subsequently close
the luggage compartment lid/tailgate, it is
locked again and monitored.

Opening and closing
24 Manual operation of the tailgate triggers
the alarm. Refer to page21.<
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page19.
>Turn the master key in the ignition lock to
position 1, refer to page40.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp beneath the interior mir-
ror flashes continuously:
The system is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes immediately
after the vehicle is locked:
Doors, hood or luggage compartment lid/
tailgate are not properly closed. Even if you
do not close the alerted area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and
the indicator lamp flashes continuously
after approx. 10 seconds. However, the
interior motion sensor is not activated.
>If the indicator lamp goes out immediately
after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
immediately after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has been disturbed while you
were away.
After an alarm has been triggered, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor
The inclination of the vehicle is monitored. The
alarm system reacts e.g. to attempts to steal a
wheel or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor*
Coupe
All windows must be closed in order for the inte-
rior motion sensor to function optimally.
Roadster
The system monitors the footwells and the
seating areas of the driver and passenger. Even
when the convertible top is open, the alarm sys-
tem including the interior motion sensor is
armed. Objects falling into the vehicle, e.g.
leaves, can trigger unintentional alarms, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be deactivated at the same time. In this way
you can avoid unintentional alarms, e.g. in the
following situations:
>In duplex garages
>When transporting the vehicle on car-carry-
ing trains, by ship or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
>Press the button on the remote
control twice in a row.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are deactivated until
the vehicle is again unlocked and locked.
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the windows and keep them in
your field of vision until they are shut.
Take the key with you when you leave the car,
otherwise children could operate the windows
and possibly injure themselves.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
25
Opening, closing
Ignition key in position 1 or higher:
>Press the switch downward to the resis-
tance point.
The window continues to open as long as
you press the switch.
>Press the switch beyond the resistance
point.
The window opens automatically. Press the
switch again to stop the opening move-
ment.
You can close the window in the same manner
by pulling the switch upward.
If you wish, you can have this special fea-
ture activated/deactivated.<
After switching off the ignition
You can still open or close the windows for
approx. 1 minute, as long as no one opens any
of the doors.
For convenience operation via the remote con-
trol or the door lock, refer to page19 or20,
respectively.
Pinch protection system
If the closing force exceeds a certain value while
a window is being raised, the system responds
by stopping the window and then retracting it a
short distance.
Despite the pinch protection system
check and clear the window's travel path
prior to closing it, otherwise the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-
tions, such as thin objects, and the window
would continue closing.
Do not install any accessories within the win-dows' range of movement; otherwise the pinch
protection system could be impaired.<
The closing force can change as a result
of extreme temperature fluctuations. The
window then opens slightly after closing even if
there is no obstacle within the window's travel
path. If this occurs, override the pinch protec-
tion system.<
Pulling the switch beyond the resistance point
and holding it there overrides and deactivates
the pinch protection system.
After a power supply interruption
After a power supply interruption, for instance
after disconnecting the battery, the pinch pro-
tection system must be reinitialized.
Roadster: when the convertible top has
been stored in the convertible top com-
partment for an extended period of time, e.g. in
the winter months because the hardtop was
being used, it may also be necessary to reinitial-
ize the pinch protection system.<
Ensure that the doors and the Roadster's con-
vertible top are closed before initializing.
1.Open the window completely.
2.Press the switch 4 times within approx.
10 seconds.
Afterward, perform the following procedure
twice for each window:
1.Close the window completely by pulling the
switch.
2.After the window is closed, keep pulling the
switch for approx. 2 seconds.
3.Open the window completely by pressing
the switch.
Roadster: manual convertible
top
The fabric top offers perfect protection against
the weather and can be opened easily and
quickly by one person alone.
Here are a few tips so that you get the most out
of your BMW: