Care; Washing The Vehicle - BMW M3 Owner's Manual

Mobility

Care

Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may
not be available in a vehicle, for example due to
the special options or national-market version
selected. This also applies to safety related
functions and systems.

Washing the vehicle

Notes
When using steam cleaners or high-pres-
sure cleaning jets, make sure to maintain
a sufficient distance and stay below a maximum
temperature of 140°F/606.
Too close a distance, too high a pressure, or too
high a temperature may cause damage or pre-
liminary damage that can then lead to long-term
damage.
Follow the operating instructions for the steam
jet or high-pressure washer.<
When using high-pressure washers, do
not spray the sensors, e.g. of the Park
Distance Control, for an extended period and
maintain a distance of at least 1 ft/30 cm from
them.<
Regularly remove foreign objects, e.g. leaves, in
the vicinity of the windshield when the hood is
open.
Wash the vehicle more frequently, particularly
in winter.
Heavy soiling and road salt can lead to vehicle
damage.
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Care
Online Edition for Part no. 01402918638 - © 02/13 BMW AG
Automatic car washes
Notes
In car washes with high pressures and
nozzle positions, water may drip into the
vehicle around the windows.<
Please note the following:
> Give preference to car washes that use
cloth or soft brushes in order to avoid paint
damage.
> Wheels and tires must not be damaged by
transport devices.
> Fold in exterior mirror, refer to page 46; oth-
erwise, they can be damaged due to the
width of the vehicle.
> Deactivate the rain sensor, refer to page 64,
to prevent undesired wiper operation.
> Remove additional add-on parts, e.g. spoil-
ers or phone antennas, if they could be
damaged.
>
Unscrew the rod antenna.
> Leave the remote control in the ignition
lock.
Avoid car washes with guide rail heights
over 4 in/10 cm, otherwise there is dan-
ger of damaging chassis
Convertible: retractable hardtop
Proceed as you would in a normal car wash.
When you open a wet hardtop, water
drops may run into the trunk. If necessary,
remove items from the trunk beforehand to
avoid water stains or
Driving into an automatic car wash
Perform the following steps to ensure that the
vehicle can roll:
Manual transmission:
1. Shift into neutral.
2. Release parking brake, refer to page 55.
parts.<
soiling.<