MOBILITY -> General care for your BMW 1 Series 2019-2024

General care  
MOBILITY  
General care  
Distances and temperature  
Maximum temperature: 60 ℃/140 ℉.  
Vehicle equipment  
This chapter describes all standard, country-spe‐  
cific and optional equipment available for the  
model series. It may therefore describe equip‐  
ment and functions which are not installed in  
your vehicle, for example on account of the spe‐  
cial equipment selected or the country specifica‐  
tion. This also applies to safety-relevant func‐  
tions and systems. Please comply with the  
relevant laws and regulations when using the  
corresponding functions and systems.  
Minimum distance to sensors, cameras,  
seals: 30 cm, 12 in.  
Minimum distance to the glass sunroof:  
80 cm, 31.5 in.  
Automatic car washes  
Safety note  
NOTE  
The vehicle can be damaged if automatic  
washing bays or car washes are used incor‐  
rectly. There is a risk of material damage. Ob‐  
serve the following notes:  
Washing the vehicle  
General  
Regularly remove foreign bodies, for example  
leaves, from the area below the windscreen with  
the bonnet raised.  
▷ Textile car washes or systems using soft  
brushes are preferable, to avoid damage  
to the paintwork.  
Wash the vehicle frequently, especially in winter.  
Heavy soiling and road salt can cause damage to  
the vehicle.  
▷ Do not drive into automatic car washes  
washing or washing bays with guide rails  
higher than 10 cm, 4 in, to avoid damage  
to the body.  
Steam-jet cleaners and high-  
pressure cleaners  
▷ Note the maximum tyre width of the guide  
rail to avoid damage to tyres and rims.  
▷ Fold in the exterior mirrors to avoid dam‐  
aging them.  
Safety note  
▷ Deactivate the wipers and the rain sensor  
(if fitted) to avoid damage to the wiper sys‐  
tem.  
NOTE  
When cleaning with high-pressure cleaners, ex‐  
cessive pressure or excessive temperatures  
can damage various components. There is a  
risk of material damage. Maintain a sufficient  
distance and do not spray for an extended pe‐  
riod of time. Comply with the instructions for  
the high-pressure cleaner.  
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General care  
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Completely remove residues on the windscreens  
to avoid affecting visibility due to smearing and to  
reduce wiping noise and wiper blade wear.  
Entering a car wash with a  
Steptronic transmission  
Safety note  
Vehicle care  
NOTE  
Selector lever position P is automatically en‐  
gaged when standby state is switched off.  
There is a risk of material damage. Do not  
switch off standby state in car washes.  
Care products  
General  
BMW recommends using care and cleaning  
products from BMW. Suitable care products are  
available from a Service Partner of the manufac‐  
turer or another qualified Service Partner or a  
specialist workshop.  
General  
The vehicle must be able to roll freely whilst in  
the car wash.  
To roll or push the vehicle, see page 137.  
Safety note  
Some car washes require you to get out of the  
vehicle. It is not possible to lock the vehicle from  
the outside in selector lever position N. If an at‐  
tempt is made to lock the vehicle, a signal  
sounds.  
WARNING  
Cleaning agents can contain hazardous sub‐  
stances or constitute a health risk. There is a  
risk of injury. When cleaning the interior, open  
the doors or windows. Use only products that  
are intended for cleaning the vehicle's interior.  
Observe the notes on the packaging.  
Exiting from a car wash  
Make sure that the vehicle key is in the vehicle.  
Switch on drive-ready state, see page 122.  
Headlights  
Do not rub wet headlights dry and do not use  
abrasive or corrosive cleaning agents.  
Vehicle paintwork  
General  
Soak impurities such as insect residues with  
shampoo and wash off with water.  
Regular care promotes driving safety and pre‐  
serves your vehicle's value. Environmental ef‐  
fects in areas with high air pollution or natural  
contaminants, for example tree resin or pollen,  
may affect the vehicle paintwork. Take such fac‐  
tors into consideration when deciding on the fre‐  
quency and scope of vehicle care measures.  
Remove ice with a de-icer spray; do not use an  
ice scraper.  
After washing the vehicle  
After the vehicle has been washed, briefly apply  
the brakes to dry them, otherwise braking effec‐  
tiveness may be temporarily reduced. The heat  
generated by braking dries the brake discs and  
brake pads and protects them against corrosion.  
Immediately remove aggressive substances, for  
example spilled fuel, oil, grease or bird droppings  
to prevent paintwork damage and discolouration.  
Matt paintwork  
Only use cleaning and care products that are  
suitable for vehicles with matt paintwork.  
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60 ℃/140 ℉. Observe the manufacturer's in‐  
structions.  
Leather care  
Remove dust from the leather at regular intervals  
with a cloth or vacuum cleaner.  
Corrosive, acidic or alkaline cleaners may destroy  
the protective coatings of adjacent parts, for ex‐  
ample brake discs.  
Dust and road dirt will otherwise become worked  
into pores and folds, resulting in considerable  
abrasion and causing the leather surface to be‐  
come prematurely brittle.  
After cleaning, briefly apply the brakes to dry  
them. The heat generated by braking dries the  
brake discs and brake pads and protects them  
against corrosion.  
In order to protect against discolouration, for ex‐  
ample from clothing, clean and care for the  
leather approximately every two months.  
Chrome-like surfaces  
Clean light-coloured leather more frequently as it  
has the tendency to soil faster.  
Carefully clean parts, for example the radiator  
grille and door handles, with plenty of water and  
add shampoo if need be, particularly if they have  
been exposed to road salt.  
Use leather cleaner, otherwise dirt and grease  
will attack the protective coating of the leather.  
Care of upholstery fabrics  
General  
Regularly clean the upholstery with a vacuum  
cleaner.  
Rubber parts  
The surfaces of rubber parts can be contamina‐  
ted or lose their shine due to environmental influ‐  
ences. Only use water and suitable care prod‐  
ucts for cleaning.  
In the event of heavy soiling, for example stains  
caused by drinks, use a soft sponge or a lint-free  
microfibre cloth with suitable interior cleaning  
agents.  
Rubber parts subjected to high wear and tear  
should be treated regularly with rubber care  
products. Do not use silicone-based care prod‐  
ucts for treating rubber seals, otherwise these  
could be damaged and become a source of  
noise.  
Clean the upholstery up to the seams using wide  
wiping actions. Avoid rubbing vigorously.  
Fine wood parts  
Safety note  
Clean fine wood trims and fine wood parts with a  
damp cloth only. Then dry them with a soft cloth.  
NOTE  
Open Velcro fasteners on articles of clothing  
can damage the seat covers. There is a risk of  
material damage. Make sure that any Velcro  
fasteners on your clothing are closed.  
Kenaf  
Treat parts made from kenaf fibres with a suita‐  
ble care product only.  
Plastic parts  
Care of special parts  
Light alloy wheels  
When cleaning the wheels while they are instal‐  
led on the vehicle, only use neutral rim cleaner  
with a pH value between 5 and 9. Do not use  
abrasive cleaners or steam cleaners above  
NOTE  
Cleaning agents containing alcohol or solvents,  
such as nitro thinners, cold cleaners, fuel or  
similar can damage plastic parts. There is a risk  
of material damage. Clean with a microfibre  
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General care  
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cloth. Lightly moisten the cloth with water if  
necessary.  
In the event of heavy soiling, clean floor carpets  
using a microfibre cloth and water or textile  
cleaner. Rub back and forth in the direction of  
travel to prevent matting.  
Clean with a microfibre cloth.  
Lightly moisten the cloth with water if necessary.  
Do not soak the headliner.  
Trailer tow hitch with removable ball  
linkage  
Keep ball linkage and bracket clean.  
Seat belts  
Grease or oil bearing locations, sliding surfaces  
and the small balls on the bracket pin regularly  
with resin-free grease or oil.  
WARNING  
Chemical cleaners can cause irreparable dam‐  
age to the fabric of the seat belts. The protec‐  
tive function of the seat belts will be lost. There  
is a risk of injury or even death. Only use a mild  
soap and water solution for cleaning the seat  
belts.  
Before using steam cleaners or high-pressure  
cleaners on the vehicle, remove the ball linkage  
and insert the cover into the bracket.  
Do not clean ball linkage with a steam cleaner or  
high pressure cleaner.  
Sensors and camera lenses  
Clean sensors or camera lenses using a cloth  
moistened with a small amount of glass cleaner.  
Dirt on the belt straps can interfere with the ac‐  
tion of the reel and is a safety hazard.  
Only clean the belt straps with a mild soap solu‐  
tion while still fitted to the vehicle.  
Displays, screens and protective  
glass of the Head-Up Display  
Do not allow seat belts to retract until they are  
dry.  
Carpets and foot mats  
NOTE  
Chemical cleaners, moisture or fluids of all  
kinds can damage the surface of displays and  
screens. There is a risk of material damage.  
Clean with a clean, anti-static microfibre cloth.  
WARNING  
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the  
pedal travel or block a pedal that has been  
pressed. There is a risk of accident. Ensure that  
items in the vehicle are stowed securely and  
cannot get into the driver's footwell. Only use  
floor mats that are suitable for the vehicle and  
can be securely fastened to the floor. Do not  
use loose floor mats, and do not place several  
floor mats on top of one another. Make sure  
that there is sufficient space for the pedals. En‐  
sure that floor mats are securely reattached af‐  
ter removal, for example for cleaning.  
NOTE  
Incorrect cleaning can damage the surfaces of  
displays. There is a risk of material damage.  
Avoid applying excessive pressure and do not  
use abrasive materials.  
Clean with a clean, anti-static microfibre cloth.  
Clean the protective glass of the Head-Up Dis‐  
play, see page 158, with a microfibre cloth and  
commercially available dishwashing liquid.  
Floor mats can be removed from the vehicle to  
enable the interior to be cleaned more thor‐  
oughly.  
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General care  
MOBILITY  
Laying up the vehicle  
Special measures need to be taken if putting the  
vehicle out of use for longer than three months.  
Additional information is available from a Service  
Partner of the manufacturer or another qualified  
Service Partner or a specialist workshop.  
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