clear BMW 328I 2011 E90 Owner's Guide

Mobility
225Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Under the hood
Do not work on the car unless you pos-
sess the necessary technical knowledge.
If you are unfamiliar with the statutory guide-
lines, have any work on the vehicle performed
only by a BMW center or by a workshop that
work according to BMW repair procedures with
correspondingly trained personnel. If this work
is not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Hood
Releasing
Pull the lever.
Opening
In order to avoid damage, make sure that
the wiper arms are against the windshield
before you open the hood. Do not open the
engine hood before the engine has cooled
down; otherwise, injuries may result.<
Press the release handle and open the hood.
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of
approx. 10 in/25 cm. It must be clearly heard
to engage.
Make sure that the closing path of the
hood is clear; otherwise, injuries may
result.
If you see any signs while driving your vehicle
that the hood is not completely closed, stop
at once and close it securely.<

Care
234
Steam jets/high-pressure washers
When using steam jets or high-pressure
washers, ensure that you maintain suffi-
cient clearance to the vehicle and do not exceed
a temperature of 1407/606.
Insufficient clearance or excessive pressure or
temperature can lead to component damage or
water penetration. Follow the operating instruc-
tions of the high-pressure washer.<
When using high-pressure washers, do
not spray against the sensors and cam-
eras, e.g. of the Park Distance Control or Rear
View Camera, for an extended period and main-
tain a distance of at least 1 ft/30 cm.<
Manual car wash
When washing the vehicle by hand, use large
quantities of water and car shampoo if neces-
sary. Clean the vehicle with a sponge or wash-
ing brush, applying light pressure only.
Before cleaning the windshield, deacti-
vate the rain sensor or switch off the igni-
tion to prevent unintentional activation of the
wipers.<
Observe local regulations pertaining to
washing vehicles by hand.<
Headlamps
Do not rub them dry and do not use abrasive or
corrosive cleaning agents.
Loosen dirt, e.g. insects, with shampoo or
insect remover and wash away with copious
quantities of water.
Thaw ice with a windshield deicer and do not
use an ice scraper.
Windows
Clean the inside and outside surfaces of the
windows and the mirrors with window cleaner.
Do not clean the mirrors with cleaners
containing quartz.<
Paintwork care
Regular care contributes to value retention and
protects the paintwork against the long-term
effects of damaging substances.
Region-specific environmental influences can
damage the vehicle paintwork. Therefore, it is
important to adapt the frequency and scope of
car care accordingly.
Immediately remove aggressive materials such
as spilled fuel, oil, grease, brake fluid, tree sap or
bird droppings to prevent damage to the paint-
work.
Repairing paintwork damage
Immediately repair scratches or similar
damage, such as that caused by stones
hitting the vehicle, where necessary to prevent
rusting.<
BMW recommends having paintwork damage
repaired by a professional paint repair work-
shop according to BMW specifications using
original BMW paint materials.
Preservation
A preservation treatment is necessary when
water no longer beads off the clean paintwork
surface. Only use products for paintwork pres-
ervation that contain carnauba or synthetic
waxes.
Rubber seals
Treat only with water or rubber care products.
Do not use silicon-containing care prod-
ucts on rubber seals; otherwise, noise
and damage could occur.<
Chrome parts
Carefully clean vehicle parts such as the radia-
tor grill, door handles or window frames with
copious quantities of water and a shampoo
additive, especially when roads are treated with
deicing salt. For additional treatment, use
a chrome polish.

Mobility
249Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Using a tow fitting
The screw-in tow fitting must always be carried
in the car. It can be screwed in at the front or
rear of the BMW.
Sedan: it is stored in the onboard vehicle tool kit
underneath the cover on the right-hand side of
the cargo area, refer to page237.
Sports Wagon: it is stored in the onboard vehi-
cle tool kit underneath the cover on the left-
hand side of the cargo area, refer to page237.
Use only the tow fitting provided with the
vehicle and screw it all the way in. Use the
tow fitting for towing on paved roads only. Avoid
lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift
the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise, the
tow fitting and the vehicle could be damaged.<
Access to screw thread
Release the cover panel in the bumper:
Press on the upper part of the cover panel.
Front
RearBeing towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page55; otherwise, the low-beam
headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and
windshield wipers may be unavailable.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort. Active
steering is not active and it will be necessary to
turn the steering wheel further.<
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing selector lever positions, refer to
page58.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 45 mph
or 70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km; otherwise, the automatic
transmission may be damaged.<
Towing methods
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or
body and chassis parts; otherwise, dam-
age may result.<
With a tow bar
The towing vehicle must not be lighter
than the towed vehicle; otherwise, it may
be impossible to maintain control.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an angle,
please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>The tow bar will generate lateral forces if it is
attached offset.
Attach the tow bar to the tow fittings only,
as attaching it to other parts of the vehicle
could result in damage.<