1998 BMW 750IL SEDAN ESP

55n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Airbags1 Front airbags for driver and
front passenger
2 Side impact head protection system
(front and rear
*)
3 Side airbags (front and rear side
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by helping to provide
additional protection for the front-seat
occupants in the event of a severe fron-
tal collision in which the protection af-
forded by the belts alone may no longer
be sufficient. The head protection and
side airbags help provide protection in
the event of a severe collision from the
side. Each of the side airbags is de-
signed to help support the upper body.380de643
The illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
which initiate an airbag deployment.380de674
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational readiness of the air-
bag system from ignition key
positions 1 and 2.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
then goes out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out and then lighting up
again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response
range.
Please have your authorized BMW cen-
ter inspect and repair the system as
soon as possible.

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Airbags Child restraintsThis is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
rear side airbags (arrow) are installed.380de638
All occupants – especially children –
should be restrained whenever riding in
cars.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
Children should always sit in the rear
and, depending on age, use either a
child restraint system or the existing
safety belts. Accident statistics have
shown that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seats
than in the front seating positions.
Infants or toddlers should be secured
with a child restraint system appropri-
ate for their size.380us123
Commercially-available child restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion of a combination lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed re-
straint systems can increase the risk of
injury to children. Always read and fol-
low the instructions that come with the
system.
If the child restraint of your choice re-
quires the use of a tether strap, three
fastening points (arrows) have been
provided on the rear shelf for attach-
ment. Ask your BMW center principal to
perform the necessary work.
Before installing any child-restraint
device or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the front passenger seat of
this car.
Your car is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rear-facing child restraint sys-
tem (of the kind designed for infants un-
der 1 year and 20 lbs.) would be within
the airbag's deployment range, you
should never mount such a device in
the front passenger seat, as the impact
of the airbag against the child restraint's

64n
Automatic transmissionSpecial functionsIn program A, the Adaptive Transmis-
sion Control influences several special
functions in the selection of the drive
gear.
With the system active, some shifts that
would be made in other modes will be
suppressed. The system also reacts to
special situations by executing shifts
that would not occur with a conven-
tional transmission.Control of the winter programA winter program is automatically se-
lected when the vehicle is operated on
slippery road surfaces (snow and ice).
When this program is active, the trans-
mission starts in 2nd gear and shifts
into the higher gears earlier. This pro-
gram improves response under winter
driving conditions by providing en-
hanced traction and vehicle stability.
ATC leaves the winter program when it
registers a high-traction road surface,
when the Sport program is selected and
when ASC+T/DSC is deactivated.
Electronic transmission control
moduleIf the message "TRANS. FAILSAFE
PROG" appears in the Check Control,
there is a fault in the gearshift electronic
system or in the transmission itself.
You can still place the selector lever in
all positions. However, it is possible
that not all gears are available for the
vehicle's forward drive.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing, tow-starting or jump-start-
ing the vehicle, refer to pages 179, 180.

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Wiper/Washer systemon the traffic conditions. This is espe-
cially important under adverse weather
conditions.
To activate the rain sensor:
From ignition key position 1 and up,
move the lever to position 1. The wipers
travel once across the windshield, re-
gardless of the weather.
You can leave the lever permanently in
position 1. It is then only necessary to
activate the rain sensor from ignition
key position 1 and up. To do this
>turn rotary dial 7 briefly or
>use either the automatic windshield
washer 5 or the automatic intensive
washer 6.
To modify the sensitivity of the rain
sensor:
Turn rotary dial 7.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes.
If you do not, damage may occur if the
wipers switch on unintentionally.<
2 Normal wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the wip-
ers switch automatically to intermittent
wipe (not on vehicles with rain sensor).3 Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the wip-
ers operate at normal speed (not on ve-
hicles with rain sensor).5 Automatic windshield washerThe system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
If you only pull the lever briefly, the sys-
tem sprays washer fluid onto the wind-
shield without activating the wipers.Headlamp washers
*
If they are on, the headlamps will also
be cleaned every fifth time you activate
the automatic windshield washer.Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, otherwise vi-
sion could be obscured. For this rea-
son, use an antifreeze agent. Refer to
page 142.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty, since this could cause
damage to the washer pump.<
Windshield washer jetsThe windshield washer jets and the
windshield in the wiper sweep area are
defrosted automatically when the igni-
tion key is in position 2.

74n
Temperature gauge Service Interval DisplayBlueThe engine is still cold. Drive at moder-
ate engine and vehicle speeds.RedWhen you switch on the ignition, the
warning lamp comes on briefly to con-
firm that the system is operational.
Lights up while driving, or the message
"COOLANT TEMPERATURE” appears
in the Check Control: the engine is
overheated. Switch the engine off im-
mediately and allow it to cool down.380de007
Between the blue and red zonesNormal operating range. It is not un-
usual for the needle to rise as far as the
edge of the red zone in response to
high outside temperatures or severe
operating conditions.
Checking coolant level: Refer to
page 146.
Green lampsThe number of illuminated lamps de-
creases as the time for your next main-
tenance visit approaches.Yellow lampThis field appears together with
OILSERVICE or INSPECTION.
Maintenance is due. Please contact
your BMW center for an appointment.Red lampMaintenance is overdue.380us008

85n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Onboard computerAverage fuel consumptionThe computer can calculate average
fuel consumption rates for two different
distances at the same time (simulta-
neous data for an entire journey and for
a single segment of it, for instance).
To start calculations for distance 1:
Press the keys in the sequence shown
in the diagram.
To start calculations for distance 2:
The procedure is the same as that for
the first distance, except you will press
CONSUM 2 for your selection.
The computer starts calculating fuel
consumption as soon as you start driv-
ing.
Data request:
Press the BC key and CONSUM 1 or 2.380us189
Estimated cruising rangeDisplays the estimated travel range
available with the remaining fuel. The
system calculates the cruising range
based on operating conditions and the
amount of fuel remaining in the tank.
The computer uses the average rate of
fuel consumption over the preceding
18 miles (30 kilometers) as a reference.
Data request:
Press the keys in the sequence shown
in the illustration.
A range of under 31 miles (50 kilome-
ters) is displayed in the Check Control
in the instrument cluster.380us180
Please respond to this warning by refu-
eling at once to avoid serious damage
to the engine and catalytic converter.
When you refuel, the onboard computer
registers the additional fuel only when
more than 1.5 gallons (5 liters) are
added.

88n
Onboard computerCodeYou can program a code into the on-
board computer for supplementary pro-
tection against unauthorized attempts
to start the engine or tamper with the
vehicle. This feature provides you with
an extra measure of security extending
beyond that furnished by the vehicle im-
mobilization system (refer to page 31).
The system prevents the engine from
starting.
A code number is used to arm the sys-
tem. The code is then required for sub-
sequent starting attempts. Therefore:
Always remember the code number.
With the ignition key in position 1, press
the keys in the sequence shown in the
illustration.
"CODE – – – –" will appear in the dis-
play.380us687
Turn the ignition key to position 1
to set1 Use the 0 – 9 keys to enter the code
2 Press the SET key
3 Turn the ignition key to position 0 or
remove it.
If you press a different key of the on-
board computer before you turn the ig-
nition key to the 0 position, or if you turn
the key to position 2, the code which
has been entered will be deleted.
Code numbers from "0000" to "9999"
can be entered.
The code must be re-entered each time
the system is armed.
You can make corrections of the en-
tered numbers with the CLR key.380us688
To cancel with the ignition key at
position 1 or 2A gong and the "CODE – – – –" display
prompt the code entry.
1 Use the keys to enter the code
number
2 Press the SET key.
The system responds to attempts to
start the vehicle using an incorrect/no
code by preventing the engine from
starting.
The time automatically appears after
you enter the correct code and then
confirm it by pressing SET.
Three incorrect entries will cause the
alarm to sound for 30 seconds.

90n
Park Distance Control (PDC)
*
The PDC assists you when you are
parking. Acoustic signals warn you
of the distance to an obstacle. In addi-
tion, four ultrasonic sensors in each the
front and rear bumpers measure the
distance from the nearest object. The
monitoring range for the four front sen-
sors and that of the two rear corner
sensors ends approx. 2 feet (60 cm)
beyond the respective bumper. The two
center sensors cover a distance of
approx. 5 feet (1.50 m).380de619
The system starts to operate automati-
cally about one second after you move
the selector lever to "R" when the igni-
tion key is in position 2. It is similarly
deactivated when you move the selec-
tor lever position from the "R" position.
The indicator lamp in the button (arrow)
comes on to signal the active status.
Manual activation/deactivation is possi-
ble using the button in the center
console (arrow) (indicator lamp comes
on/goes out). The system deactivates
once the vehicle travels approximately
160 ft (50 m) or exceeds a speed of
about 18 mph (30 km/h). It must then be
switched on again as desired.
Acoustical signalsThe distance to an obstruction in the
front is indicated by a higher interval
tone, while the distance to an obstruc-
tion in the rear is indicated by a deeper
tone. As the distance between vehicle
and object decreases, the intervals be-
tween the tones become shorter. A
continuous tone indicates the presence
of an object less than 1 ft. (30 cm)
away.
The warning signal is canceled after ap-
prox. three seconds if the distance to
the obstruction remains constant during
this time (if you are moving parallel to a
wall, for instance).
System malfunctions are indicated by a
short, continuous tone and a flashing
indicator lamp (indicator lamp only
when the system is activated by shifting
the transmission into "R").
Switch the system off and consult an
authorized BMW center to have the
problem corrected.