oil type BMW M3 2008 Owners Manual

Care
216
Outside sensors / cameras
Keep the sensors and cameras on the
outside of the vehicle, e.g. Park Distance
Control, clean and free of ice to ensure that they
remain fully functional.<
Interior care
Upholstery / cloth trim
Vacuum regularly with a vacuum cleaner to
remove superficial dirt.
To treat severe stains, e.g. from beverages, use
a soft sponge or lint-free microfiber cloth in
combination with suitable interior cleaners. Fol-
low the instructions on the packaging.
Clean the upholstery down to the seams
using a sweeping motion. Avoid strong
rubbing.<
Opened Velcro fasteners on pants or
other articles of clothing can damage the
seat covers. Ensure that Velcro fasteners are
closed.<
Leather / leather trim
The leather used by BMW is a high quality
natural product. Slight irregularities in the
leather are a typical characteristic of natural
leather.<
Dust and road grit in the pores and folds of the
leather have an abrasive effect, leading to
increased wear and causing the leather surface
to become brittle prematurely. Therefore, fre-
quently clean the leather of dust using a cloth or
vacuum cleaner.
In particular, ensure that light-colored leather is
cleaned regularly as it has a tendency to soil
more easily.
Treat the leather twice a year using a leather
lotion as dirt and grease will gradually attack the
leather's protective layer.
Carpets / cargo bay
You can vacuum the carpets and floor mats or
clean them with interior cleaner if heavily soiled.The floor mats can be removed for cleaning.
When replacing the mats, ensure that the seat
rails do not extend over the floor mats, as this
may damage the mats.
Lint on the floor mats occurs for technical rea-
sons and can be removed by vacuuming
repeatedly.
Interior plastic parts
>Imitation leather surfaces
>Lamp glasses
>Display pane of instrument cluster
>Matt parts
Clean with water and solvent-free plastic
cleaner if necessary.
Fine wood parts
Clean fine wood trim and fine wood parts with a
damp cloth. Wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Safety belts
Do not clean with cleaning agents as
these may destroy the fabric.<
Interior sensors / cameras
To clean interior sensors and cameras, e.g. of
the High-Beam Assistant, use a lint-free cloth
moistened with glass cleaner.
Displays
To clean the displays, e.g. of the radio or instru-
ment cluster, use a display cleaning cloth or a
soft, non-abrasive, lint-free cloth.
Avoid applying excessive pressure when
cleaning the displays, otherwise damage
may occur.<
Do not use chemical or abrasive house-
hold cleaning agents. Keep all types of
fluid away from the device. Otherwise, surfaces
or electrical components may be corroded or
damaged.<
CD/DVD drives
Do not use a cleaning CD, as it may dam-
age parts of the drive.<

Under the hood
222 cific oils after confirming their suitability for use
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Do not use oil additives as these may
cause engine damage.<
Your BMW center will be glad to answer
any questions regarding BMW High Per-
formance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic
oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Viscosity ratings
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is categorized in SAE classes.
Approved oils belong to the 10W-60 SAE
class.<
Alternative oil types
If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is not
available, you can add small quantities of other
synthetic oils in between oil changes. Only use
oils with the following specifications:
>Viscosity:
preferred: SAE 10W-60;
alternative: SAE 10W-40, SAE 5W-50 or
SAE 10W-50
>Specification:
API SJ/CF, API SK/CF or higher
Low ambient temperatures
The oils used at BMW factories for your vehicle
type are suitable for virtually any ambient tem-
perature. However, if the vehicle is operated at
temperatures below –47/–206 for extended
periods, your BMW center will be glad to rec-
ommend an optimal oil.
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant
can cause burns. Not all commercially available additives are suit-
able for your BMW. Ask your BMW center for
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, otherwise
engine damage may result. Because
additives are harmful to your health, it is impor-
tant to follow the instructions on the contain-
ers.<
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Checking coolant level
1.Do not open the engine hood before the
engine has cooled down.
2.Turn the cap of the expansion tank a little
counterclockwise to allow any accumulated
pressure to escape, then continue turning
to open.
3.The coolant level is correct if it is between
the maximum and minimum marks in the
filler neck, refer also to the diagram next to
the filler neck.
4.If the coolant is low, slowly add coolant up to
the specified level; do not overfill.
5.Turn the cap until there is an audible click.
6.If the loss of coolant is substantial, have the
cause eliminated as soon as possible.