clutch BMW CONVERTIBLE 1998 Owners Manual

54
0Steering lock engagedThe key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After extracting the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel a small amount to the left or
right until you hear the lock engage.
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock; this means that the ignition key
can not be turned into position 0 and
removed until the selector lever is in
position P.
Furthermore, the selector lever is locked
in position P when the ignition key is in
position 0 or removed from the ignition
switch.
To turn the key back into position 0 or
remove it, move the selector lever into
position P first.
1 Steering lock disengagedYou will often find that it is easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to 1 if you
move the steering wheel slightly to help
disengage the lock.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starter activationb
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch pedal while
you turn on the ignition, otherwise a
blocking system will prevent the engine
from starting.c
Before startingdApply the parking brake.
dThe manual-shift gear lever should
be in neutral; the automatic transmis-
sion selector lever should be in P
or N.
dAt low temperatures keep the clutch
pedal depressed.
dStart the engine without depressing
the accelerator.b
Do not operate the starter too briefly,
but not longer than approx. 20 seconds.
Release the ignition key as soon as the
engine starts. Do not allow the engine to
warm up by leaving it running while the
vehicle remains stationary. Instead, drive
off immediately at a moderate engine
speed.c
Should the engine fail to start on the first
attempt, e.g., if it is very hot or cold:
dStop and pause briefly before repeat-
ing the starting procedure. This pre-
vents the spark plugs from becoming
damp.
dPress the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
1 2
03
360de009Steering/ignition lock Starting the engine

57
At a glanceControls Car careRepairsTechnicalDataIndex
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

62
You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 25 mph (40 km/h).
The stored speed is deleted when the
motor is switched off.
1 Accelerate Tap the lever briefly:
The system records and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
tap the button the speed increases by
approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Hold the lever in this position:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. As soon
as you release the lever, the system
records and maintains the current
speed.
2 DecelerateHold the lever in this position:
With the cruise control active, the system
automatically reduces the throttle open-
ing to slow the vehicle. As soon as you
release the lever, the system records and
maintains the current speed.
Tap the lever briefly:
Each time you tap it you decelerate
approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h) if you are
cruising at a controlled speed.3 ResumeTap the lever briefly:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored.4 OffTap the lever briefly:
Immediately deactivates the cruise con-
trol.
In addition, the system is also automati-
cally disabled in response to the follow-
ing conditions:
dWhen you apply pressure to the
brake or clutch pedal, and when you
move the automatic transmission
selector lever from Drive to Neutral,
dif you exceed the programmed speed
by more than 10 mph (16 km/h) for a
period of more than 30 seconds.The system is switched off and the
stored speed deleted from its memory
when you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 0.
a
Refrain from using the cruise con-
trol on twisting roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed and when driving on slippery
(snow, rain, ice) or loose (stones, sand)
road surfaces.c
b
If, on a downhill gradient, the
engine braking effect is not sufficient,
the controlled speed can be exceed-ed.
Speed can drop on uphill grades if the
engine output is insufficient.c
360de063Cruise control*

101
At a glanceControlsCar careRepairsTechnicalDataIndex
ClutchDepress the clutch throughout its com-
plete travel range to shift gears. Do not
"ride" the clutch by driving with your
foot resting against the pedal.a
Brakes:
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
brake pedal. Even light but consistent
pedal pressure can lead to high temper-
atures, brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
Aquaplaning:
A wedge of water can form between
tires and road surface when you oper-
ate the vehicle on wet or slushy roads.
This phenomenon is referred to as
aquaplaning, or hydroplaning, and it is
characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and
the road surface. The ultimate results
are loss of steering and braking control.Water on the roads:
When driving through water (maximum
depth one foot = 30 cm) always drive at
walking speed, otherwise damage to
the engine, the electrical system and
the transmission can occur.
Rear window shelf:
Never use the rear window shelf to
store heavy or bulky objects. They
could pose a danger to the occupants
when the car is braked heavily.
Clothes hooks:
When suspending clothing from the
hooks, ensure that they will not obstruct
the driver's vision. Refrain from hanging
heavy objects from the hooks, as these
could cause personal injury when the
car is braked heavily.c
Driving notes

10 4
Disc brakes furnish optimum decelera-
tion and braking control as well as
greater fade resistance under heavy
use.
Limited vehicle use, extended periods
with the car parked or in storage and
light loading will increase the tendency
for corrosion to form on the rotors, and
dirt to accumulate on the pads. This
happens because the minimum pres-
sure between the pad and the disc
required for the self-cleaning function
of the disc brakes is not achieved.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they
will tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect which even extended
application will fail to cure.
a
Use only original BMW-approved
brake pads, as otherwise vehicle autho-
rization is no longer valid.c
Driving notes While driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is a good idea to apply
light pressure to the brake pedal every
few miles - Watch traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not
endanger other road users. The heat
generated in this braking process helps
dry the brake pads and rotors.
Maximum braking force is obtained
while the wheels continue to rotate,
peaking when the wheels remain on the
verge of locking without actually doing
so. ABS maintains this state automati-
cally. If the ABS fails, you should revert
to the staggered braking technique
described above (refer to page 106).
Extended or steep mountain descents
do not necessarily have to lead to
reduced braking efficiency; downshift
to a gear in which only minimal periodic
brake applications are required (you
can move the selector lever to the
appropriate lower range if your car is
equipped with an automatic transmis-
sion).
You can further increase the engine's
braking effect by selecting a lower gear,
downshifting as far as first gear or plac-
ing the selector lever in position 1 (2).Should engine braking prove inade-
quate, you should still avoid extended,
continuous braking. Instead of main-
taining low to moderate pressure over
an extended period of time, you should
decelerate the vehicle by applying more
substantial force at the pedal (watch for
following traffic!) and then pausing
before repeating the application. This
staggered braking technique allows the
brakes to cool in the intervals between
active braking phases, preventing over-
heating and ensuring that full braking
capacity remains available at all times.
a
Do not allow the vehicle to coast by
pressing down the clutch pedal or shift-
ing into neutral while underway. Never
drive with the engine switched
off (!). The engine provides no braking
effect when the clutch is disengaged or
the transmission is in neutral, and there
is no power-assist for brakes and steer-
ing when the engine is not running.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or other
objects to protrude into the area around
the accelerator, clutch and brake pedals
and obstruct their movement.c
Disc brakes

10 6
BrakesWinter road conditions substantially
reduce the amount of traction available
between the tires and the road surface;
the resulting - considerable - increases
in braking distance should be continu-
ally borne in mind.
ABS is intended to prevent the wheels
from locking under braking; to help the
vehicle to remain stable and sensitive to
steering. Should the ABS fail, with lock-
ing wheels as a result: Reduce the
pressure on the brake pedal until the
wheels just start to roll again while still
maintaining enough force to continue
braking. Then increase the pressure,
release the pressure when the wheels
lock, reapply pressure, etc.
This staggered braking procedure will
reduce stopping distances while help-
ing you maintain steering control.
It can allow you to steer around hazards
once you have reduced the pressure on
the brake pedal.
a
Never downshift to exploit engine
braking when driving on slippery road
surfaces; it could lead to loss of rear-
wheel traction and endanger vehicle
control. ABS and ASC+T can not protect
against such loss of traction, since they
have no effect on this kind of decelera-
tion.c
b
Disengage the clutch during hard
braking on road surfaces affording only
poor or uneven traction.c
Loss of lateral traction (sliding)Release the accelerator pedal and
depress the clutch pedal or push the
selector lever to position N with auto-
matic transmission. Countersteer care-
fully and attempt to regain control of the
vehicle.
ParkingSelect 1st or reverse gear. If your car is
equipped with an automatic transmis-
sion, select Park. Engage the parking
brake when parking on hills and
inclined surfaces. To prevent frost and
corrosion from locking the parking
brake liners at the drum, you can dry
them by gently pulling up the lever
while stopping (ensure that you do not
endanger following traffic).a
The brake lamps do not light up
when the parking brake is applied.c
Winter driving