wheel BMW 128I CONVERTIBLE 2008 E88 Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page244.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
23Voice command system
Controls
28Opening and closing
45Adjustments
55Transporting children safely
58Driving
67Everything under control
81Technology for driving comfort and
safety
92Lamps
97Climate
103Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
114Things to remember when driving
Navigation
122Starting the navigation system
123Destination entry
136Destination guidance
146What to do if …
Entertainment
150On/off and settings
154Radio
160Satellite radio
163CD player and CD changer
169AUX-In port
170USB-audio interface
Communications
176Telephoning
191BMW Assist
Mobility
202Refueling
204Wheels and tires
212Under the hood
217Maintenance
219Care
223Replacing components
229Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
236Technical data
240Short commands for the voice command
system
244Everything from A - Z

5Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The individual vehicle
When you ordered your BMW, you chose vari-
ous items of equipment. This Owner's Manual
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment available with a specific BMW model.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, ongoing
development that is conceived to ensure that
our vehicles continue to embody the highest
quality and safety standards combined with
advanced, state-of-the-art technology. For this
reason, it is possible in exceptional cases that
features described in this Owner's Manual
could differ from those on your vehicle.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance
and repair methods. You should therefore have
the corresponding work on your vehicle per-
formed only by your BMW center or at a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair pro-
cedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. If this work is not carried out prop-
erly, there is a danger of subsequent damage
and related safety hazards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Original BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed on your
vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may cause extensive damage

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Convertible: opening and closing
windows jointly38
2Convertible: opening and closing
rear windows38
3Opening and closing front
windows38
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out
*51
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor
*51
6
Parking lamps92
Low beams93
Automatic headlamp control
*92
Adaptive Head Light
*94

At a glance
11Reference
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Driving tips
Communications
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Mobility
7
Fog lamps*95
8
Turn signals62
High beams, headlamp flasher94
Roadside parking lamps
*94
Computer68
Settings and information about the
vehicle71
Settings and information about the
vehicle71
Instrument lighting95
9Instrument cluster12
10
Windshield wipers63
Rain sensor
*63
11Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine58
12Ignition lock58
13Buttons on the steering wheel
Telephone
*:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call; starting dialing
* of
selected phone number; redi-
aling if no phone number is
selected.
>Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice com-
mand system
*
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and
lists with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable53
Individually programmable53
14Horn: the entire surface
15Adjusting the steering wheel53
16
Cruise control
*65
17Releasing the hood212
18Opening the luggage compartment lid33

At a glance
23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out removing your hands from the steering
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. It is not neces-
sary to use the controller.
The voice command system transforms your
oral commands into control signals for the
selected systems and provides support in the
form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system uses a special
microphone located in the area of the interior
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, select the language in which the
voice command system is operating, so that the
spoken commands can be identified. Selecting
the language for iDrive, refer to page80.
Symbols in the Owner's Manual
Saying commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
This symbol on the Control Display and a sig-
nal indicate that the voice command system is
ready to receive spoken commands.
2.Say the command.
Text or digits that are understood by the
voice command system are displayed on
the Control Display.
This symbol appears on the Control Display
when you can enter additional commands.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice
command system.

Voice command system
24 If no further commands are possible, continue
by operating the item of equipment via iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice
command system
Press the button on the steering wheel
or
Commands
Having the possible commands read
aloud
You can have the system read aloud the possi-
ble commands related to the selected menu
item on the Control Display.
To have the possible commands read out to
you:
For instance, if you have selected "CD", the
commands available for operating the CD
player and CD changer
* are read out.
Opening help
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a
function, e.g.:
Calling up functions immediately via
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain
functions immediately, irrespective of which
menu item is selected, refer to page240.
Opening the start menu
Example: selecting a track
1.If necessary, switch on entertainment audio
output.
2.Press the button on the steering wheel.
{Cancel}
{Options}
{Help}
{Radio on} or {Turn radio on}
{Main menu}
3.{Entertainment}.
The system says:
{{Entertainment}}.
4.{CD}.
The system says:
{{CD on}}.

At a glance
25Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
5.Press the button on the steering wheel.
Notes
For information on voice control of the
telephone, refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
>Pronounce the commands and digits
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding
excessive emphases and pauses. The same
applies to spelling when entering a destina-
tion for navigation.
>Always speak the commands in the lan-
guage of the voice command system.
>When selecting a radio station, use the
standard pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone
book, only use names in the language of the
voice command system and no abbrevia-
tions.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass roof
closed to prevent interference from outside
noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while
speaking.6.Select a track, e.g.:
{Track 1}.
The system says:
{{Track 1}}

Opening and closing
28
Opening and closing
Remote control
Each remote control contains a rechargeable
battery that is automatically recharged when it
is in the ignition lock while the car is being
driven. Use each remote control at least twice a
year for longer road trips in order to maintain the
batteries' charge status. In cars with convenient
access
*, the remote control contains a replace-
able battery, refer to page37.
The settings called up and implemented when
the car is unlocked depend on which remote
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile below.
In addition, information about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to
Service data in the remote control, page217.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
>Driver's door, refer to page32
>Convertible: glove compartment, refer to
page106>Luggage compartment lid, refer to page33
New remote controls
Your BMW center can supply new remote con-
trols with integrated keys as additional units or
as replacements in the event of loss.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to
suit your personal needs and preferences.
Without any action on your part, Personal Pro-
file ensures that most of these settings are
stored for the remote control currently in use.
When you unlock the car, the remote control
used for the purpose is recognized and the set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings will be
activated for you, even if in the meantime your
car was used by someone else with another
remote control and the corresponding settings.
The individual settings are stored for a maxi-
mum of four remote controls. They are stored
for two remote controls if convenient access
* is
in use.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer
to the specified pages.
>Assignment of programmable memory
keys, refer to page21
>Response of the central locking system
when the car is unlocked, refer to page29
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to
page32
>Automatic call-up
* of the driver's seat posi-
tion after unlocking, refer to page49
>Programming buttons
* on the steering
wheel, refer to page53

Opening and closing
34 Turn the key all the way to the left: the luggage
compartment lid opens.
Locking or unlocking separately
The switch is located in the glove compartment.
1Locking the luggage compartment lid
2Unlocking the luggage compartment lid
Locking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 1.
The luggage compartment lid is locked and
cannot be unlocked using the central locking
system.
If you give the remote control without the inte-
grated key to someone else while the glove
compartment is locked, the luggage compart-
ment lid cannot be opened. This is an advan-
tage when using valet parking, for example.
Locking the glove compartment, refer to
page106.
Unlocking separately
Push the switch in the direction of arrow 2.
Emergency release
Pull the lever in the cargo bay. The luggage
compartment lid is unlocked.
Closing
The handle recesses on the interior trim of the
luggage compartment lid make it easier to pull
down.
Make sure that the closing path of the
luggage compartment lid is clear, other-
wise injuries may result.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid is opened
>To movements inside the vehicle: interior
motion sensor, refer to page35
>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
page35

Controls
35Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>When there is an interruption in the power
supply from the battery.
Depending on the national-market version, the
alarm system briefly signals unauthorized entry
attempts by:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on
* the hazard warning flashers
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.
You can open the luggage compartment lid
using the button of the remote control even
if the alarm system is armed, refer to page30.
The lid is locked and monitored again as soon
as it is closed.
Panic mode
You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press the button for at least three seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page29, or
>insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood or luggage compartment lid are not properly closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area, the system begins to
monitor the remaining areas, and the indi-
cator lamp flashes continuously after
approx. 10 seconds. The interior motion
sensor and the tilt alarm sensor are not acti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt 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
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass roof must
be completely closed
*.
Convertible
The interior of the car is monitored up to the
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated together with the interior
motion sensor even if the convertible top is
open. The alarm can be triggered unintention-
ally by falling objects such as leaves, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages
>During transport on car-carrying trains,
boats/ships or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle