wheel BMW Z4 ROADSTER 2.5I 2005 E85 Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on special
topics is by using the index starting on
page106.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
16Opening and closing
27Adjustments
33Transporting children safely
36Driving
46Everything under control
50Technology for safety and driving
convenience
56Lamps
58Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving
64Interior conveniences
Driving tips
68Special operating instructions
Mobility
76Refueling
78Wheels and tires
84In the engine compartment
89Maintenance
91Replacement procedures
96Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
102Technical data
106Everything from A to Z

Notes
6
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e. g. the use of
modern materials and high-performance
electronics, requires specially adapted mainte-
nance and repair methods. Therefore, only have
corresponding work on your BMW carried out
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If work is car-
ried out improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety risks.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of CA to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro-
ductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Batter-
ies also contain other chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer. Wash your
hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use parts and acces-
sories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Original BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed on your
vehicle. BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW retailers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any portable cellular
phone from within the vehicle without using an
externally mounted antenna, or transceiver
equipment, e.g. C.B., walkie-talkie, ham radio or
similar, may cause extensive damage to the
vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere with
the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your
BMW center for additional information.
Do not use key or remote control to lock doors
or trunk with anyone inside the vehicle. Refer to
the Owner's Manual for more details.<
Maintenance, replacement or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Control elements
1Parking lamps/Low beams56
2>Turn signal indicators42
>Standing lamps57
>High beams57
>Headlamp flasher42
>Computer
*48
3Fog lamps
*57
4Horn
5Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor
*43
6Hazard warning flashers
7Central locking system168Buttons in steering wheel
*
Volume
Press briefly:
Accept incoming call, start dialing, terminate
call
Extended pressure:
Activate and deactivate voice entry

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
25
Clothes hooks
Clothes hooks1 are located on the wind deflec-
tor panels in the rollover bars.
Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks.
If you do, they could endanger the pas-
sengers, for example during braking or evasive
maneuvers.<
Storage
For storage, e.g. to achieve a better view to the
rear when the convertible top is closed, there
are two brackets on the inside of the luggage
compartment lid.
Insert the wind deflector into the brackets.
Make sure that the wind deflector cannot
be damaged by objects in the luggage
compartment.<
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid is opened
>When attempts are made to start the vehi-
cle
>When there are movements in the vehicle
interior: interior motion sensor, refer to
page26
>To alterations in the vehicle tilt, e.g. as
would occur during attempts to steal the
wheels or tow the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The alarm produced by the system in the event
of unauthorized vehicle entry and attempted
theft depends on the country version:
>Sounding of an acoustical alarm for
30 seconds
>Activation of the hazard warning flashers for
approx. five minutes.
Arming and disarming the alarm
system
When the vehicle is locked or unlocked either
with the remote control or at the driver's door
lock, the alarm system is simultaneously armed
or disarmed.
The hazard warning flashers blink once when
the alarm system has been properly armed.
You can have different acknowledgment
signals set to confirm arming and disarm-
ing.<
You can still open the luggage compartment
even when the system is armed by pressing the
button on the remote control, refer to
page17. When it is closed, the lid is once again
secured.
Manual operation of the luggage com-
partment lid triggers the alarm. Refer to
page18.<

Opening and closing
26
Stopping the alarm
>Unlock the vehicle with the remote control,
refer to page16
>or turn the ignition key to position 1, refer to
page36.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp beneath the interior mir-
ror flashes continuously:
The system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes immediately
after the vehicle is locked:
Doors or luggage compartment lid are not
completely closed. Even if you do not close
the area causing the alert, the remaining
areas are secured and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after 10 seconds.
However, the interior motion sensor is not
activated
>If the indicator lamp goes out immediately
after the vehicle is unlocked:
No manipulation or attempted intrusions
have been detected in the period since the
system was armed
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
immediately after the vehicle is unlocked:
An attempted entry has been detected in
the period since the system was armed.
After an alarm has been triggered, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor
Tilt alarm sensor
The inclination of the vehicle is monitored. The
alarm system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal
the wheels or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor*
The system monitors the footwells and the
seating areas of the driver and passenger. Even
when the convertible top is open, the alarm sys-
tem including the interior motion sensor is
armed. Objects falling into the vehicle, e.g.
leaves, can trigger unintentional alarms, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be deactivated at the same time. In this way
you can avoid unintentional alarms, e.g. in the
following situations:
>In duplex garages
>When the vehicle is being transported on a
car-carrying train
>If animals are to be left in the vehicle.
To deactivate the tilt alarm and interior
motion sensors
Press the button on the remote control
a second time immediately after locking.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are deactivated until
the vehicle is again unlocked and locked.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
27
Adjustments
Safe seating position
For relaxed driving with as little fatigue as pos-
sible, you should select a seating position that
reflects your personal requirements. In combi-
nation with the safety belts and airbags, the cor-
rect seating position also plays an important
role in enhancing occupant safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the vehicle's
safety systems provide you with optimal pro-
tection, we request that you direct your careful
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on transporting
children refer to page33.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at
the 9 and 3 o'clock positions to minimize the
r i s k o f i n j u r i e s t o y o u r h a n d s o r a r m s i n t h e e v e n t
of airbag deployment.
Never allow any objects, individuals or animals
to obstruct the areas between passengers and
airbags.
Never use the front airbag's cover as a storage
tray or support for objects of any kind. Ensure
that the passenger is correctly seated, i.e. does
not prop feet or legs against the dashboard.
Otherwise, leg injury could result if the knee air-
bag and front airbag suddenly deployed.
Never let an occupant's head rest near or on a
side airbag because the inflating airbag could
cause a serious or fatal injury.<
Even when all these guidelines are observed,
the risk of injury as a result of contact with the
airbags cannot entirely be ruled out in some sit-
uations. In sensitive individuals, the ignition and
inflation noise may induce a mild hearing loss
that is temporary in most cases.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page53.
Safety belts
Always fasten your safety belt before starting
off. As supplemental restraint devices, the air-
bags are designed to enhance the effective-
ness of the safety belts, and not to replace
them.
Your vehicle offers two sitting positions, each of
which is equipped with a safety belt.
At all times, occupants should sit upright
and be properly restrained: infants and
small children in appropriate child-restraint sys-
tems; larger children and adults using the safety
belts.
Expectant mothers should always wear their
safety belts, taking care to position the belt in
the pelvic area against the lower hips, where it
will not exert pressure against the abdomen.
N e v e r a l l o w m o r e t h a n o n e p e r s o n t o w e a r a si n -
gle safety belt. Never allow infants or small chil-
dren to ride in a passenger's lap.
Do not route the belt across your neck, or run it
across sharp edges. Be sure that the belt does
not become caught or jammed. Avoid twisting
the belt while routing it firmly across the hips
and shoulder; wear it as snugly against your
body as possible. Do not allow the belt to rest
against hard or fragile objects. Otherwise, the
belt in the pelvic area could slide over the hips in
the event of a frontal impact, leading to abdom-
inal injury. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and pull
the belt in the upper-body area upward periodi-
cally to retension it. Otherwise, the restraining
effect of the safety belt could be diminished.<
For information on using the safety belts, refer
to page30.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
31
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Never attempt to adjust the steering
wheel while driving the vehicle. It could
respond with unexpected movement, posing a
potential accident hazard.<
1.Swing the lever downward
2.Adjust the steering column's reach and
height to suit your seating position
3.Swing the lever back up.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
1Adjustments
2To switch from one mirror to the other
3To fold the mirrors in or out
*
To adjust manually
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually, if
necessary: press on the edges of the lens.
To fold the mirrors in and out
The mirrors can be folded in or out up to a road
speed of approx. 6 mph / 10 km/h by pressing
button3. This can be useful on narrow roads,
for example, or to reset the mirrors to their cor-
rect positions after they have been folded in.
Automatic heating*
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
when the engine is running or the ignition is
switched on.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the glare from vehicles behind you
when driving at night, turn the rotary knob.
For vehicles without an alarm system:
Tilt the small lever forward.
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory
How the system functions
You have probably frequently wished that you
could configure individual functions of your
vehicle to reflect your own personal require-
ments. In engineering your vehicle, BMW has
incorporated a number of options for personal
adjustment that can be programmed into your
vehicle at your BMW center.
Vehicle Memory refers to vehicle-oriented set-
tings and Key Memory refers to person-ori-
ented settings. You can have up to four different
basic settings adjusted for four different per-
sons. The only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the remote
control, the vehicle recognizes the individual

Driving
36
Driving
Ignition lock
0 Steering locked
This is the only position in which the ignition key
can be inserted or removed.
After removing the key, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left or right until the lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic signal
sounds when the driver's door is opened.
Interlock
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
In order to turn the key back to position0 or to
remove it, move the selector level into position
P first.
1 Steering unlocked
You will find that it is often easier to turn the
ignition key from position0 to 1 if you move the
steering wheel slightly to help disengage the
detent.
Individual electrical equipment and accessories
are available for use.
2 Ignition switched on
All systems are operational.
3 Starting engine
Engine
Engine idle speed is controlled by the engine
computer system. Increased speeds at start-up are normal and should decrease as the engine
warms up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharging, always
deactivate electrical devices that are not in use.
Switch the ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.
Do not leave the engine running in
enclosed spaces. Otherwise, inhaling the
hazardous exhaust gases could lead to uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust gases con-
tain carbon monoxide, an odorless and color-
less, but highly toxic gas.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with the
engine running. An unattended vehicle with a
running engine poses a safety hazard.
Before you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, place the engine in idle first or engage
the P position and apply the parking brake. If
you fail to do this, the vehicle could move.<
Starting the engine
Do not press the accelerator pedal while start-
ing the engine.
Do not let the engine warm up in idling position.
Instead, begin to drive at moderate engine
speeds.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Step on the clutch when starting the vehi-
cle. A lockout prevents the engine from starting
if the clutch is not depressed.<
Do not end the starting procedure too early, but
do not continue it for more than 20 seconds.
Release the ignition key immediately when the
engine starts.
If the engine fails to start on the first attempt,
e.g. if it is very hot or cold:
Press the accelerator pedal halfway down.
Cold starts at very low temperatures, below
approx. +57/–156, and at high altitudes,
above 3,300 ft/1,000 m:

Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
37
>On the first attempt, engage the starter for
approx. 10 seconds
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway down.
Avoid frequent starting attempts in short
succession or repeated starting attempts
during which the engine does not start. Other-
wise, uncombusted or incompletely combusted
fuel will pose a risk of the catalytic converter
overheating and being damaged.<
Manual transmission
1.Engage the parking brake
2.Gearshift lever in idling position
3.Depress the clutch pedal.
If the clutch pedal is not depressed, the
engine cannot be started
4.Start the engine.
Automatic transmission
1.Depress footbrake
2.Place selector lever in position P or N
3.Start the engine.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
1.Depress footbrake
2.Move selector lever to neutral position N
3.Start the engine.
If the engine does not start, re-engage the
position last selected, refer to the display
in the instrument cluster, and then engage posi-
tion N again.<
Switching off the engine
Do not remove the ignition key while the
vehicle is still moving. If you did so, the
steering lock would engage when the steering
wheel is turned.
When you leave the vehicle, always remove the
ignition key and engage the steering lock.
Apply the parking brake when parking on steep
gradients, as the vehicle could otherwise start
to roll.<
You can have an acoustic signal set as a
reminder that the ignition key is still in the ignition switch after the driver's door has been
opened.<
Manual transmission
1.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0
2.Engage first gear or reverse gear.
Automatic transmission
1.Place the selector lever in position P
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
1.Engage a drive position
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0. An
acoustic signal sounds if the engine is
switched off while position N is engaged.
Parking brake
The parking brake is designed primarily to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling when parked. It
operates against the rear wheels.
The indicator lamp lights up. As the
vehicle drives off, an acoustic signal
also sounds. The parking brake has
been applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
To engage
The detent engages automatically and the indi-
cator lamp in the instrument cluster comes on
when the ignition key is in position 2.

Reference
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Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
39
A detent prevents inadvertent shifting into
selector lever positions R and P. To disengage
the detent, press the button on the front of the
selector lever knob, see arrow.
PPark
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels
from turning.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
NNeutral
Select this, for example, in car washes. The
vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic shift program
This position is designed for driving under all
normal operating conditions. All forward gears
are available.
Kickdown
With kickdown, you achieve maximum acceler-
ating performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-throttle
position.
M/S Manual mode and Sport program
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S range:
The Sport program is activated. This is indi-
cated by the display SD in the instrument clus-
ter. This position is recommended for perfor-
mance-oriented driving. The Sport program is
enabled automatically when the Driving
Dynamic Control system is activated, refer to
page41.
Steptronic enters the manual selection mode
and executes the desired shift whenever you
tap the selector lever in the direction indicated
by + or –. M1 to M 5 appear in the instrument
cluster.
The transmission will only execute upshifts and
downshifts that will result in an appropriate
combination of vehicle speed and engine rpm.
For instance, downshifts that would result in
excessive engine speed will not be executed.
The desired gear will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster, followed by the actual gear.
To use the automatic transmission mode again,
move the selector lever to the right to position
D.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up. The trans-
mission system is malfunctioning.
Avoid heavy loads.
All of the selector lever positions can continue
to be engaged; in the forward drive positions,
however, the vehicle will be operating in a
restricted gear range only. Have the system
checked immediately.
Towing and jump starting beginning with
page97.