maintenance BMW CONVERTIBLE 1998 User Guide

65
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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

92
Air supply
Draft-free ventilation
You can adjust the vent outlets for the
upper body area to select the optimum
airflow rates and directions for your
own personal requirements:
Use rotary controls 1 to open and close
the vents throughout and infinitely-vari-
able range. Use the levers 2 to adjust
the direction of the air flow.
The rotary control 3 allows you to mix
the air from the outlets for your upper
body by warming or cooling it as
desired:
Turn toward blue Ð colder
Turn toward red Ð warmer
MicrofilterThe microfilter removes dust and pollen
from the incoming air. The filter is
changed by your BMW Retailer when
you bring your vehicle for maintenance.
A substantial reduction in air flow indi-
cates that the filter needs to be
replaced prematurely. In the AUTO mode, the air
supply is controlled automat-
ically and AUTO appears in display 3,
refer to the summary on page 90. Using
"+" and "Ð" you can vary the air flow.
Your setting is indicated by bars, the
automatic control is switched off. You
can reactivate it by pressing the AUTO
key.
When you press "-" during operation at
minimum blower speed all displays are
canceled: the fan, heating and air con-
ditioner are switched off, the air supply
is blocked. By pressing on any key of
the air conditioning you can again
engage the system.
Effective heating and cooling is ensured
at a medium blower speed.
1 2 3
360de056
Automatic climate control

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Index
99
Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures100
Driving notes100
Catalytic converter102
Antilock Brake System (ABS)103
Disc brakes104
Brake system105
Winter driving105
Roof-mounted luggage rack107
Radio reception108
Cellular phones108
Hardtop Ð Convertible109
Technical modifications to
the vehicle110
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressures111
Tire tread111
Tire replacement112
Interaxle tire changes112
The right choice113
Winter tires114
Approved wheels and tires115Under the hood:
Hood118
Engine compartment 120
Washer fluids124
Engine oil124
Coolant127
Brake fluid128
Power steering fluid128
Vehicle Identification Number118
Care and maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System130
Caring for your car131
Cleaning and care of the
convertible top136
Vehicle storage137

10 2
The catalytic converter reduces harmful
exhaust emissions.
It is designed for use with unleaded fuel
only.
Even minute quantities of lead would be
enough to permanently damage both
the catalytic converter and the system's
oxygen sensor.
To ensure efficient, trouble-free engine
operation and avoid potential damage:
dAlways have your car serviced in
accordance with maintenance
instructions.
dNever continue driving until the fuel
tank is empty.
dRespond to engine miss by switching
off the engine at once.
dNever tow-start the car unless the
engine is cold, or else unburned fuel
may reach the catalytic converter.
Better yet: use jumper cables!
dAvoid other situations in which the
fuel would not be (completely)
burned, for instance:
Frequent, extended, or repeated
starting attempts during which the
engine fails to start. (Switching off
and restarting a healthy engine
causes no damage).
Never let the engine run with any of
the spark-plug cables disconnected.
a
Always observe the above points
to prevent unburned mixture from
entering the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheating, leading to
serious damage.
High temperatures occur on all vehicles
equipped with a catalytic converter.
Heat shields are installed adjacent to
some sections of the exhaust system.
Never remove these shields; do not
apply undercoating to their surfaces.
When driving, standing at idle or park-
ing the vehicle, take care to avoid con-
tact between the exhaust system and
flammable materials (e.g., grass, hay,
leaves, etc.). Such contact could lead to
a fire, resulting in personal injury and
property damage.c
Traveling abroadAlways make sure that unleaded fuel
meeting your engineÕs octane require-
ments will be available when planning
trips outside the country. The use of
fuel failing to meet the official octane
requirements could result in engine
damage.
If you are considering traveling to a
country in which unleaded fuel is not
readily available, please remember that
leaded fuel will destroy the lambda oxy-
gen sensor and the catalytic converter
on your BMW. After operation on
leaded fuel, your vehicle will no longer
meet American and Canadian exhaust
emission standards, and there will also
be a loss of fuel economy. Upon your
return to the US or Canada, you will be
expected to comply with legal ordi-
nances requiring that you replace both
the oxygen sensor and the catalytic
converter, and to have the fuel system
flushed to remove any traces of leaded
fuel.
Catalytic converter

13 0
The BMW Maintenance System has
been designed as a reliable means of
providing the customer with maximum
vehicle safety and reliability with mini-
mum complication and expense.
Please remember that regular periodic
maintenance plays an essential part in
ensuring continued vehicle security. It
also helps maintain the resale value of
the vehicle.
Service Interval DisplayAdvanced technology is employed to
calculate the optimal maintenance
intervals, which are then indicated in
the Service Interval Display. While con-
ventional maintenance systems rely on
mileage alone to determine when ser-
vice is due, the BMW Maintenance Sys-
tem reflects the actual conditions under
which the vehicle is operated, because
mileage is not simply mileage:
From the point of view of maintenance,
62,000 miles (100,000 km) accumulated
in short-distance driving are not the
equivalent of the same distance cov-
ered in long-distance highway travel.
The BMW Maintenance System
includes the Engine Oil Service as well
as Inspections I and II.
Determining the maintenance intervals
according to the actual loads on the car
covers every kind of operating situation.
However, drivers who cover only
extremely short distances - substantially
less than 6,200 miles (10,000 km) annu-
ally - should have the engine oil changed
at least once a year, as it continues to
age whether or not the car is used on a
regular basis.
Service and Warranty Information
bookletPlease refer to the Service and War-
ranty Information booklet for additional
information on maintenance intervals
and procedures.
Depending on operating conditions, as
a precaution against rust it may be a
good idea to have the body checked for
stone damage and chips at the same
time.
Please ensure that all maintenance
operations are entered in the Service
and Warranty Information booklet upon
completion. These entries will consti-
tute your proof that the vehicle has
received regular maintenance. They
are also required for warranty claims.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
360us009The BMW Maintenance System

13 2
Exterior finishTo provide effective corrosion protec-
tion, multilayer paintwork is applied at
the factory. Cataphoretic immersion
priming techniques are supplemented
using special body-cavity protectants,
with the application of specially-devel-
oped and extensively tested materials.
The entire underbody is sprayed with a
flexible PVC layer before final compre-
hensive application of a wax-based
protectant.
Regular maintenance makes an impor-
tant contribution to maintaining the
safety and value of your vehicle.
Increasing awareness of the effects of
harmful environmental factors on vehi-
cle finishes have led paint and vehicle
manufacturers to initiate ongoing pro-
grams designed to further improve the
durability of their finishes. Despite the
high quality of the resulting products,
local and regional factors can still have
a negative effect on your car's paint-
work. These should guide you in deter-
mining the frequency and extent of your
efforts to maintain the vehicle finish.
Depending upon material and type of
impact (perforation of paint layer), phys-
ical stresses from sand, road salt,
gravel, etc. can cause corrosion to start extending beneath the finish, starting at
the point of impact.
Road dirt, tar spots, dead insects, ani-
mal droppings (strong alkali effect) and
tree excretions (resins and pollen) all
contain substances capable of causing
damage when allowed to remain on
your car's finish for any period of time
(spots, etching, flaking, separation in
the top coat).
In industrial areas, deposits from ßy ash,
lime, oily soot, sulphur dioxide in pre-
cipitation (acid rain) and other environ-
mental pollutants will damage the car's
surface (usually limited to the external
horizontal surfaces) unless adequate
protection is provided.
In coastal regions, high levels of atmo-
spheric salt and humidity promote cor-
rosion.
In tropical zones, temperatures of over
100 5F (approx. 406) in the shade pre-
vail, in addition to heavy ultraviolet radi-
ation and high humidity. Under those
circumstances, light-colored paints
reach temperatures of up to 175 5F
(approx. 806) and dark paints up to
250 5F (approx. 1206).
Caring for the vehicle finishAs a precaution against damage result-
ing from exposure to aggressive sub-
stances, we recommend that you wash
the car weekly when it is used in an
area with high levels of air pollution or
aggressive natural substances (tree
resin, pollen).
Remove particularly aggressive sub-
stances immediately in order to prevent
changes to, and discoloration of, the
paint. Such substances are e.g., gaso-
line spilled during refueling, oil, grease,
brake fluid and bird droppings.
Any contamination remaining on the
surface of the vehicle will be especially
conspicuous after washing. Use clean-
ing fluid or alcohol with a clean cloth or
cotton pad to remove. You can use tar
remover to remove any spots on the fin-
ish of the vehicle, but should never
apply it or any other aggressive
cleanser to lenses or headlamp covers.
These areas should then be waxed to
maintain protection.b
A full range of car-care products is
available from your BMW Retailer.c
Caring for your car

13 7
At a glanceControlsCar careRepairsTechnicalDataIndex
Never use spot remover, paint thinner,
solvents, gasoline etc. to remove spots
from the convertible top and from the
rear window, as these substances
destroy the rubber seals and lead to
leaks. Use only BMW-approved clean-
ers.
In addition to the advantage of being
extremely flexible, the rear window also
has the disadvantage of having a rela-
tively soft surface. For this reason, only
clean the rear window with a soft, anti-
static cloth or with BMW Convertible
Rear Window Cleaner.
If you wash the vehicle frequently in
brush car washes, and in particular in
those with hard brushes, faint scratches
in the rear window may result. With the
window replacement system you can
replace a heavily scratched window at a
relatively low price. Please contact your
authorized BMW Retailer for additional
information. b
A full range of car-care products is
available from your BMW Retailer.c
a
Cleaning agents can contain sub-
stances that are dangerous or bad for
your health. Therefore always observe
the warnings and danger notices on the
package.
Open the doors or windows on your ve-
hicle when cleaning the interior.
Never clean your vehicle with solvents
or other materials not specifically in-
tended for this application.c
Hardtop:Please follow the instructions for car
care from page 131.If the vehicle is to be temporarily stored
for more than three months, have the
following maintenance performed by
your BMW Retailer:
1 Cleaning, preservation and retreat-
ment of the engine, engine compart-
ment, underbody, axles and
subassemblies in accordance with
the factory speciÞcations. Vehicle
washing with interior cleaning fol-
lowed by paint and chrome care.
Clean rubber seals of the hood, lug-
gage compartment lid and doors and
rub with either talcum powder or
glycerine oil.
2 Change engine oil and oil Þlter at
operating temperature. As an addi-
tional corrosion protection measure,
an anti-corrosive agent can be added
to the engine in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
3 Check the coolant level and concen-
tration and top up if necessary.
4 Check the acid level in the battery
cells and add distilled water if neces-
sary.
5 Increase the tire inßation pressure to
50.9 psi (3.5 bar).
Cleaning and care of the convertible top Vehicle storage

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13 9
Replacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit140
Windshield wiper blades140
Lamp and bulbs141
Master key with battery lamp145
Changing tires146
Battery149
Fuses151
In case of electrical
malfunction:
Fuel filler door 152
Sliding/tilt sunroof 152
Assistance, giving and receiving:
Jump-starting153
Towing the vehicle154
Towing154

14 9
At a glanceControlsCar careRepairsTechnicalDataIndex
The battery is located behind the right-
side trim panel in the luggage compart-
ment. A separate positive terminal in
the engine compartment is available for
jump-starting (also refer to page 153).
Only certain battery types may be used
on the BMW convertible. Consult your
BMW Retailer for details.
The battery is maintenance-free, mean-
ing that the electrolyte will normally last
for the life of the battery.
Should the electrolyte drop to below
the minimum level - e.g., during extend-
ed operation in hot climates - add dis-
tilled water (no acid!).
Electrolyte level: Up to the "MAX" mark
on the outside of the battery in each
cell, approx. 0.2 inches (5 mm) above
the top of the plates.
Keep the top of the battery clean and
dry.
SymbolsYou will find the following symbols on
your car battery. To avoid injury, please
observe the corresponding precautions
whenever you work with or near the
battery.

360de125
Before working with the battery,
read the following:
R
Wear eye protection. Avoid let-
ting acid or lead particles come
into contact with your eyes, your
skin or your clothing.
S
Battery acid is extremely corro-
sive. Wear eye protection and
protective gloves. Do not tilt the
battery; acid could emerge from the
ventilation openings.
T
Ensure that children keep well
away from batteries and battery
acid.
U
Never allow sparks or open
ßame, and do not smoke in the
vicinity of the battery. Avoid
sparks from electrical cables and
equipment. Never short-circuit the bat-
tery terminals. There is a danger of
injury from powerful sparks.
V
A highly-explosive gas is gener-
ated when the battery is
charged.
W
If you happen to get acid in your
eyes, rinse thoroughly for sev-
eral minutes with clear water.
Then consult a physician immediately. If
you get acid spray on your skin or cloth-
ing, apply soap immediately to neutral-
ize the acid, then rinse with plenty of
water. If electrolyte is accidentally
ingested, consult a physician immedi-
ately.
X
To protect the casing against
ultraviolet radiation, avoid
exposing it to direct sunlight.
A discharged battery can freeze; always
store the battery in areas where the
temperature remains above freezing.
Battery

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15 5
Airbags156
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction (ASC+T)156
Radio reception157
Safety belt tensioner157