2000 BMW 323i SEDAN warning

25n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Hazard warning flashers Warning triangle
*
First-aid kit
*
The push button flashes rhythmically
when the hazard flashers are on.
To help you locate the switch in an
emergency, the button is also illumi-
nated whenever the car lamps are on.460us002
The hazard warning triangle is stored in
a recess on the left-hand side of the
luggage compartment where it is
quickly available.
Comply with legal requirements
that cover the availability of a
hazard warning triangle in the car.<460de071
The first-aid kit is located under the
passenger seat.
To open: Pull the handle and fold the
cover down.
To close: Fold the cover up.
Some of the articles in the first-aid
kit may be used within a limited
time only. For this reason, check the
expiration dates of each of the items
regularly, and replace any whose expi-
ration dates have passed. You can pur-
chase replacements in any drugstore or
pharmacy. Comply with legal require-
ments that cover the availability of a
first-aid kit in the car.< 460de003

26n
Refueling Fuel specificationsFuel filler doorPress on the rear edge of the fuel filler
door to open and close it.
To unlock the fuel filler door if there is a
malfunction of the central locking sys-
tem, refer to page 156.
When handling fuels, comply with
all of the applicable safety precau-
tions and regulations pertaining to fuels.
Never carry spare fuel containers in your
vehicle. Whether empty or full, these
containers can leak, cause an explo-
sion, or lead to fire in the event of a col-
lision.< 460de004
Simple and environmentally
friendly
Open the fuel filler cap carefully.
If you do not, fuel could spray out.
Fuel spray may cause injury.<
Keep the filler cap in the bracket at-
tached to the fuel filler door.
When refueling, insert the filler nozzle
completely into the filler pipe. Pulling
the nozzle out of the pipe during refuel-
ing
>results in premature pump shutoff
>and will reduce the effect of the vapor
recovery system on the pump.
Close the fuel cap carefully after
refueling. A loose or missing cap
will activate the Service Engine Soon
warning lamp.<
460de005
Use unleaded gasoline only.
Recommended fuel: Premium with a
minimum octane rating of 91 AKI.
BMW engines are equipped with knock
sensors and will adapt automatically to
different octane ratings, provided that
the minimum octane requirement
(87 AKI) is met.
Fuels with higher octane ratings will pro-
vide enhanced performance and lower
fuel consumption, while the use of fuels
with lower octane ratings will have the
opposite effect.
Do not use leaded fuels. The use of
leaded fuels will cause permanent
damage to the system's oxygen sensor
and the catalytic convertor.<
AKI = Anti Knock Index

34n
Central locking system Opening and closing Ð from outside The conceptThe central locking system is ready for
operation whenever the driver's door is
closed. The system engages and re-
leases the locks on the
>doors,
>luggage compartment lid and
>fuel filler door.
The central locking system can be
operated
>from outside via the door lock and
using the remote control
>from inside by pressing a button.
Activating it from inside does not lock
the fuel filler door (see page 38). When
the system is actuated from the out-
side, the antitheft system is activated
simultaneously. Both the door locks
and the safety lock buttons remain
locked. The alarm system
* is also
armed or disarmed.
If locked from the inside, the central
locking system unlocks automatically in
the event of an accident. In addition,
the hazard warning flashers and interior
lamps come on.
Using the keyOne turn of the key in the driver's door
lock unlocks the driver's door only.
Turning the key a second time unlocks
the passenger-side door, the luggage
compartment lid and the fuel filler door.
You can have a confirmation mes-
sage set to inform you that the car
has been properly locked.<
You will find additional information on
the alarm system
* on page 42.
460de006
Convenience operating modeYou can also operate the power win-
dows and sliding/tilt sunroof
* via the
door lock.
>To open: With the door closed, turn
the key to the "Unlock" position and
hold it.
>To close: With the door closed, turn
the key to the "Lock" position and
hold it.
Watch during the closing process
to be sure that no one is injured.
Releasing the key stops the opera-
tion.<
Manual operation (in the event of electrical malfunction)
Turn the key to the extreme left or right
to unlock/lock the door.

42n
Alarm system
*
The conceptThe vehicle's alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the lug-
gage compartment lid is opened
>To movement inside the vehicle
(interior motion sensor)
>To a change of the vehicle's tilt Ð if
someone attempts to steal the wheels
or tow the vehicle without authoriza-
tion, for example
>If there is an interruption of battery
voltage.
The alarm system signals unauthorized
access to the vehicle or an attempted
theft in different ways:
>Sounding an acoustical alarm for
30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers are acti-
vated for approx. five minutes.
To activate and deactivate the
alarm systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
by using a key or with the remote con-
trol, the alarm system is also simulta-
neously armed or disarmed.
The interior motion sensor is activated
approx. 30 seconds after you have fin-
ished locking the car.
If the alarm system has been armed
correctly, the hazard warning flashers
flash once. An acoustic warning signal
sounds at the same time.
You can have different acknow-
ledgment messages set to confirm
arming and disarming.<
You can also open the luggage com-
partment lid when the system is armed
by pressing button 3 of the remote con-
trol (refer to page 37). When it is closed,
the lid is once again secured.
Indicator lamp displaysThe indicator lamp is located under the
interior rearview mirror.
>When the indicator lamp flashes con-
tinuously: The system is armed.
>If the indicator lamp flashes during
arming of the system: The door(s),
the hood or luggage compartment lid
are not completely closed. Even if
you do not close the alerted area, the
system begins to monitor the remain-
ing areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after 10 sec-
onds. However, the interior motion
sensor is not activated.
>If the indicator lamp goes out when
the system is disarmed: No manipu-
lation or attempted intrusions have
been detected in the period since the
system was armed.460de105

73n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
1 Odometer You can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the button in the
instrument cluster (arrow).2 Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button (arrow) with the
ignition key in position 1 or 2.460us144
Avoid engine speeds in the red warning
zone of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is
automatically interrupted in this zone;
you will notice a loss of power.460us079
Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in l/100 km for Canadian mod-
els). You can check your current driving
style to see whether it is conducive to
economy and minimum exhaust emis-
sions.
The needle goes back to zero when the
car is not moving.460us080
Odometer Tachometer Energy Control

76n
Onboard computer
*
Mode selectionIn ignition key positions 1 and 2, you
can call up information from the on-
board computer using the button in the
turn signal lever. By pressing the button
briefly in the direction of the steering
column, you can call up a new function
for display.
The displays appear in the following
order:
Time, outside temperature, average fuel
consumption, cruising range, average
vehicle speed.
The function that was last selected will
be displayed when the ignition is
switched on.460de084
Outside temperature You can change the units of measure-
ment for the outside temperature dis-
play (6/7) by pressing the right-hand
reset button in the instrument cluster
when the temperature display is active.460us146
Ice warning If the outside temperature drops to ap-
prox. +37.5 7 (+3 6), the onboard
computer switches automatically to the
outside temperature display. In addi-
tion, a signal sounds as a warning and
the display flashes for a brief period.
The warning is repeated whenever the
temperature climbs to at least +43 7
(+6 6) following the last warning and
then drops back to +37.5 7 (+3 6).
The ice warning does not alter the
fact that surface ice can form at
temperatures above +37.5 7 (+3 6),
on bridges or shaded road surfaces, for
instance.<

78n
The PDC assists you when you back
into a parking space. A signal warns
you of the distance to an obstacle. To
do this, four ultrasonic sensors in the
rear bumper measure the distance to
the nearest object. The monitoring
range of the two corner sensors ex-
tends to approx. 2 feet (60 cm) behind
the bumper. The two center sensors
cover a distance of approx. 4.9 feet
(1.50 meters).
The system starts to operate automati-
cally about one second after you select
reverse with the ignition key in position 2.
PDC is deactivated when you shift back
out of reverse.
Acoustical signalsThe distance to the nearest object is in-
dicated by a tone sounding at various
intervals. As the distance between vehi-
cle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter.
A continuous warning tone sounds if
the distance to a recognized object is
less than 1 foot (30 cm).
The warning signal is canceled after
approx. three seconds if the distance to
the obstacle remains constant during
this time (if you are moving parallel to
a wall, for instance).
System malfunctions will be indicated
by a continuous high-pitched tone
when the system is activated the first
time. Please refer the problem to your
BMW center.The PDC does not remove the
driver's personal responsibility for
evaluating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstacles. Even when
sensors are involved, there is a blind
spot in which objects cannot be de-
tected. This applies especially in those
cases where the system approaches
the physical limits of ultrasonic mea-
surement, as occurs with tow bars and
trailer couplings, and in the vicinity of
thin and painted objects.
Certain sources of sound, such as a
loud radio, could drown the PDC signal
tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free
of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they continue to operate effec-
tively.
Do not apply high-pressure spray to the
sensors for a prolonged period of time.
Maintain an adequate distance of more
than approx. 4 inches (10 cm).<
Park Distance Control (PDC)
*

82n
Parking lamps
With the switch in this position,
the front, rear and side vehicle
lighting is switched on. For light-
ing on one side for parking, refer to
page 83.
Low beam headlamps
When you switch the ignition off
with the low beam headlamps
on, only the parking lamps will
remain on.
"Follow-me-home lighting:"
If you actuate the headlamp
flasher after you have parked the vehi-
cle and shut off the engine, the low
beams will remain on for a brief period.
You can also have this function deacti-
vated.<
460us035
LAMPS ON warningWhen you open the driver's door after
turning the ignition key to position 0, an
acoustic signal sounds for a few sec-
onds to remind you that the headlamps
have not been switched off.Daytime running lamps
*
If you desire, the light switch can be left
in the second position:
When the ignition is switched off, the
external lighting is also switched off.
Turn the rotary dial to adjust the illumi-
nation intensity.
460us036
Parking lamps/Headlamps Dash lighting