sensor BMW CONVERTIBLE 1998 Owners Manual

At a glanceControls Car care Repairs Technical Data Index
23
Refueling Fuel specificationTo unlock the filler door in the event of a
central locking system failure, refer to
page152.a
When handling fuel, comply with
the safety regulations displayed by gas
stations.cUnleaded gasoline only.
Minimum octane requirement: 89 AKI
BMW engines are equipped with knock
sensors and automatically adapt to op-
erate with fuels of different octane rat-
ings, as long as the minimum octane
requirement is met.
Higher octane fuels will provide in-
creased performance and fuel econ-
omy, while the use of gasoline with a
lower octane rating will have an adverse
effect.
a
Never use leaded fuel, as it would
cause permanent damage to both the
catalytic converter and the engine-man-
agement systemÕs oxygen sensors.c
AKI = Anti Knock Index
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90
Controls1 Automatic air distribution
2 Individual air distribution
3 Temperature and air ßow display
4 Air grill for interior temperature
sensor - please keep clear and
unobstructed
5 To defrost windshield and door
windows
6 Air conditioner
7 Recirculated-air mode
8 Rear window defroster
9 Temperature control Ð right-hand
side
10 Air supply
11 Temperature control Ð left-hand side
Air conditioning for comfortUse the automatic system; switch on
AUTO key1. Select the interior temper-
ature that is comfortable for you, e.g.,
70 5F (226). With exterior temperatures
above 41 5F (56) you can also use air-
conditioning 6. This dries the air and
prevents window mist when e.g., per-
sons with damp clothing are in the vehi-
cle. Adjust vent 2 in such a way that the
air blows past you and does not strike
you directly. Turn the rotary control on
the left under the vents 2 for the upper
body area to a middle setting, so that
you will be driving in cooler air that
does not tire you out.
The following description gives you
additional individual settings.
Automatic air distribution
Individual air distribution
360us314
When you activate the AUTO
mode, the program takes
over the setting of the air distribution
and the air supply and, in addition,
adjusts your temperature pre-selections
to exterior conditions (summer, winter).
This program maintains a comfortable
in-car climate regardless of the season.
Select the interior temperature that is
comfortable for you, e.g., 70 5F (226).
The temperature pre-selections as well
as the lettering AUTO for the air supply
appear in indicator 3.
Open the vent outlets for the upper
body area. Switch on the air conditioner
in warm weather.
The maximum cooling capacity is
achieved when you set the rotary dial 3
(refer to page 92) to cold.
You can cancel the automatic
program by selecting distri-
bution patterns to suit your
individual requirements. You
can direct air toward the windshield and
windows 7, toward the upper body
5
and/or into the footwell
6.
AUTO
Automatic climate control

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

15 6
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the physical forces acting upon
the vehicle. If a frontal impact results in
deceleration, for which the protection
afforded by safety belts no longer suf-
fices, the gas generators of the driver's
and the passenger's airbags ignite
simultaneously. The passenger's air-
bag is activated only when a special
sensor indicates that the front passen-
ger's seat is occupied.
In the event of a severe side impact the
side airbag
* is activated on the side on
which the impact occurred.
The airbags, which are under the cover
of the steering wheel, in the instrument
panel or the side trim panels of the front
doors, are deployed and inflated by the
gas within a few milliseconds. In the
process they tear or push apart the pro-grammed separation points in their
upholstered covers.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
which the system employs to inflate the
airbag is not dangerous, and the asso-
ciated smoke is quickly dissipated.
The entire process is completed within
one twentieth of a second.Automatic Stability Control plus Trac-
tion helps maintain stable and con-
trolled vehicle response by inhibiting
slip at the drive wheels.
The system employs special sensors to
monitor wheelspeed and relay the data
to the system's electronic control unit,
which uses this information to calculate
slip rates at the individual wheels.
Depending on the driving situation, two
forms of remedial action can then be
taken by the system: it reacts to slip-
page caused by large amounts of
excess torque by instructing the engine
management system to reduce power
output. As a supplementary measure,
the system will also respond to an
especially pronounced tendency to-
ward traction loss at either of the drive
wheels with automatic individual appli-
cation of the affected wheel's brakes.
This achieves a locking action compa-
rable with a controlled limited-slip dif-
ferential. This brake action is active up
to 25 mph (40 km/h). From 25 mph
(40 km/h) upward, a diminished brake
action improves the traction up to
60 mph (100 km/h).
390de012Airbags ASC+T*