Care
Car washes
Hints
Regularly remove foreign items such as leaves in the area below the windshield when the hood is raised.
Wash your vehicle frequently, particularly in winter.
Intense soiling and road salt can damage the vehicle.
Automatic car washes
Hints
Give preference to cloth car washes or those that use soft brushes in order to avoid paint damage.
Make sure that the wheels and tires are not damaged by the transport mechanisms.
Fold in the exterior mirrors; otherwise, they may be damaged, depending on the width of the vehicle.
Deactivate the rain sensor to avoid unintentional wiper activation.
In some cases, an unintentional alarm can be triggered by the interior motion sensor of the alarm system. Follow the instructions on avoiding an unintentional alarm.
Before driving into a car wash
In order to ensure that the vehicle can roll in a car wash, take the following steps:
- 1.
Drive into the car wash.
- 2.
Engage selector lever position N.
- 3.
Switch the engine off.
In this way, the ignition remains switched on, and a Check-Control message is displayed.
To start the engine:
- 1.
Depress the brake pedal.
- 2.
Press the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button without stepping on the brake turns the ignition off.
The vehicle cannot be locked from the outside when in selector lever position N. A signal is sounded when an attempt is made to lock the vehicle.
Headlamps
Do not rub dry and do not use abrasive or caustic cleansers.
Soak areas that have been soiled e.g. due to insects, with shampoo and wash off with water.
Thaw ice with deicing spray; do not use an ice scraper.
After washing the vehicle
After washing the vehicle, apply the brakes briefly to dry them; otherwise, braking action can be reduced and corrosion of the brake discs can occur.
Completely remove all residues on the windows, to minimize loss of visibility due to smearing and to reduce wiper noises and wiper blade wear.
Vehicle care
Car care products
BMW recommends using cleaning and care products from BMW, since these have been tested and approved.
Vehicle paint
Regular care contributes to driving safety and value retention. Environmental influences in areas with elevated air pollution or natural contaminants, such as tree resin or pollen can affect the vehicle's paintwork. Tailor the frequency and extent of your car care to these influences.
Aggressive substances, such as spilled fuel, oil, grease or bird droppings, must be removed immediately to prevent the finish from being altered or discolored.
Leather care
Remove dust from the leather often, using a cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Otherwise, particles of dust and road grime chafe in pores and folds, and lead to increased wear and premature degradation of the leather surface.
To guard against discoloration, such as from clothing, provide leather care roughly every two months.
Clean light-colored leather more frequently because soiling on such surfaces is substantially more visible.
Use leather care products; otherwise, dirt and grease will gradually break down the protective layer of the leather surface.
Suitable care products are available from the service center.
Upholstery material care
Vacuum regularly with a vacuum cleaner.
If they are very dirty, e.g., beverage stains, use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth with a suitable interior cleaner.
Clean the upholstery down to the seams using large sweeping motions. Avoid rubbing the material vigorously.
Caring for special components
Light-alloy wheels
When cleaning the vehicle, use only neutral wheel cleaners having a pH value from 5 to 9. Do not use abrasive cleaning agents or steam jets above 140 ℉/60 ℃ . Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Aggressive, acidic or alkaline cleaning agents can destroy the protective layer of adjacent components, such as the brake disk.
Chrome surfaces
Carefully clean components such as the radiator grille or door handles with an ample supply of water, possibly with shampoo added, particularly when they have been exposed to road salt.
Rubber components
Aside from water, treat only with rubber cleansers.
When cleaning rubber seals, do not use any silicon-containing car care products in order to avoid damage or reduced noise damping.
Fine wood parts
Clean fine wood facing and fine wood components only with a moist rag. Then dry with a soft cloth.
Plastic components
These include:
Imitation leather surfaces.
Headliner.
Lamp lenses.
Instrument cluster cover.
Matte black spray-coated components.
Painted parts in the interior.
Clean with a microfiber cloth.
Lightly dampen the cloth with water.
Do not soak the headliner.
Safety belts
Dirty belt straps impede the reeling action and thus have a negative impact on safety.
Use only a mild soapy solution, with the safety belts clipped into their buckles.
Do not allow the reels to retract the safety belts until they are dry.
Carpets and floor mats
Floor mats can be removed from the passenger compartment for cleaning.
If the floor carpets are very dirty, clean with a microfiber cloth and water or a textile cleaner. To prevent matting of the carpet, rub back and forth in the direction of travel only.
Sensors/cameras
To clean sensors and cameras, use a cloth moistened with a small amount of glass cleaner.
Displays/screens
Clean the displays with an antistatic microfiber cloth.
Long-term vehicle storage
When the vehicle is shut down for longer than three months, special measures must be taken. Additional information is available from the service center.