
 
6n
 
For your own safety
 
Use unleaded gasoline only. 
Fuels containing up to 10% etha-
nol or other oxygenates with up to 2.8% 
oxygen by weight (i.e. 15% MTBE or 
3% methanol plus an equivalent 
amount of co-solvent) will not void the 
applicable warranties with respect to 
defects in materials or workmanship. 
Field experience has indicated signifi-
cant differences in fuel quality (volatility, 
composition, additives, for example) 
among gasolines offered for sale in the 
United States and Canada. The use of 
poor-quality fuels may result in drive-
ability, starting and stalling problems, 
especially under certain environmental 
conditions, such as high ambient tem-
perature and high altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems that you suspect could be related 
to the fuel you are using, we recom-
mend that you respond by switching 
to a recognized high-quality brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled 
maintenance.
Follow the relevant safety rules when 
you are handling gasoline.
 
<
 
Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine 
parts and accessories approved by 
BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested 
and approved by BMW and Original 
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire 
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure opti-
mum performance when installed on 
your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free 
from defects in material and workman-
ship.
BMW will not accept any liability for 
damage resulting from installation of 
parts and accessories not approved by 
BMW.
BMW cannot test every product from 
other manufacturers to verify if it can be 
used on a BMW safely and without risk 
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its 
occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories 
and other products approved by BMW, 
together with professional advice on 
using these items, are available from all 
BMW centers.
 
Installation and operation of non-BMW 
approved accessories such as alarms, 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, 
wheels, suspension components, brake 
dust shields, telephones (including 
operation of any portable cellular phone 
from within the vehicle without using an 
externally mounted antenna) or trans-
ceiver equipment (such as C.B., walkie-
talkie, ham radio or similar) may cause 
extensive damage to the vehicle, com-
promise its safety, interfere with the 
vehicle's electrical system or affect the 
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. 
See your BMW center for additional 
information.
Do not use a key or remote control to 
lock the doors or luggage compartment 
with anyone inside the car. See 
page 34 for more details.
"Maintenance, replacement, or repair 
of the emission control devices and 
systems may be performed by any 
automotive repair establishment or indi-
vidual using any certified automotive 
part."
 
<
 
For your own safety 

32n
Keys1 The master keys with remote control 
determine the functions of the Key 
Memory. Refer to page 53.
There is an extended-life battery 
in every master key which is 
charged automatically in the steering 
lock as you drive.
For this reason, if you have a master 
key that is otherwise not used, use that 
key approximately once every year 
while driving for an extended period. 
This will charge the battery. Refer also 
to page 35.<
2 Spare key for storage in a safe place, 
such as in your wallet. This key is not 
intended for continuous use. 463de023
3 Door and ignition key
The locks for the luggage compart-
ment lid and the glove compartment 
cannot be operated with this key Ð 
this is recommended for valet park-
ing, for instance.
Replacement keysReplacement keys are available exclu-
sively through your BMW center. Since 
the keys belong to a security system 
(refer to "Electronic vehicle immobilizer" 
on page 33), your BMW center is obli-
gated to be sure that a person request-
ing a key is authorized to do so.
If possible, take all of the master 
keys that belong to the vehicle 
with you when you pick up your re-
placement key.
When you receive a new replacement 
key, turn that key to position 2 in the 
ignition lock once (ignition switched on) 
and then back. This allows the elec-
tronic vehicle immobilizer to "learn" the 
new key.< 

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. 

35n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Opening and closing Ð from outsideUsing the remote control The remote control makes opening and 
locking the doors of your vehicle very 
convenient. Furthermore, it provides 
two additional functions that can only 
be executed by means of the remote 
control:
>Switch on the interior lamps
With this function, you can also 
"search for" your car Ð when parked 
in an underground garage, for in-
stance.
>Open the luggage compartment
The luggage compartment lid will 
open slightly, regardless of whether 
the lid was previously locked or un-
locked.
The anti-theft system is also deacti-
vated simultaneously when you unlock 
the vehicle, the alarm system
* is dis-
armed, and the interior lamps are 
turned on. When you lock the vehicle, 
the systems are activated and armed, 
and the lamps go off.
You can have a confirmation mes-
sage set to inform you that the car 
has been properly locked.<
Master keysKeys with remote control are master 
keys. Refer to page 32.
Children might be able to lock the 
doors from the inside. For this rea-
son, always take the vehicle keys with 
you so that the vehicle can be opened 
again from the outside at any time.<460de494
Master keys that are used repeat-
edly are always ready for opera-
tion since the battery in the transmitter 
is charged automatically in the steering 
lock as you drive.
If it is no longer possible to unlock the 
vehicle via the remote control, the bat-
tery is discharged. Use this key while 
driving for an extended period in order 
to charge the battery. Refer also to 
page 32.
To prevent unauthorized use of the re-
mote control, surrender only the door 
and ignition key or the spare key (refer 
to page 32) when leaving the vehicle for 
valet parking, for example.
In the event of a system malfunction, 
please contact your BMW center. 
You can also obtain replacement keys 
there.< 

37n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Opening and closing Ð from outsideTo open the luggage compartmentPress button 3.
The luggage compartment lid will open 
slightly, regardless of whether the lid 
was previously locked or unlocked.
Before and after a trip, be sure 
that the luggage compartment lid 
was not opened unintentionally.<463de026
Panic-Mode (trigger alarm)By pressing button 3 for two to five sec-
onds, the alarm
* can be sounded in the 
event of danger, if it is armed.
Pressing button 1 will deactivate the 
alarm.
The LED (light-emitting diode) lights up 
briefly when the individual buttons are 
pressed.
Non-BMW systemsThe proper functioning of the remote 
control system may be affected by 
other units or equipment operating in 
the immediate vicinity of your car.
If this should this occur, you can still 
open and close the vehicle using the 
master key in both the door and lug-
gage compartment locks.
For US owners onlyThe transmitter and receiver units com-
ply with part 15 of the FCC (Federal 
Communications Commission) regula-
tions. Operation is governed by the 
following:
FCC ID: LX8EWS
LX8FZVS
LX8FZVE
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the 
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the 
following two conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful 
interference, and
>this device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference 
that may cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or 
changes to these devices could 
void the user's authority to operate this 
equipment.< 

43n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Alarm system
*
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 
10 seconds when the system is dis-
armed: An attempted entry has been 
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the in-
dicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding an unintentional alarmThe tilt alarm sensor and interior motion 
sensor may be switched off at the same 
time. You can do this to prevent a false 
alarm from being triggered (in garages 
with elevator ramps, for instance), or 
when the vehicle is transported by 
trailer or train:
Lock the vehicle twice (= arm the sys-
tem). Press button 2 on the remote con-
trol twice in succession or lock the 
vehicle twice with the key (refer to 
page 36).
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and 
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm 
sensor and the interior motion sensor 
are deactivated as long as the system is 
armed.
Interior motion sensorThe transmitter and receiver of the inte-
rior motion sensor are located in a trim 
panel in the vehicle's roof.
In order for the interior motion sensor to 
function properly, the windows and 
sliding/tilt sunroof must be completely 
closed.
However, you should switch off the inte-
rior motion sensor (see previous column 
under the heading "Avoiding an unin-
tentional alarm") if you wish to leave the 
windows or sliding/tilt sunroof open.460de159
The tilt sensor and interior motion 
sensor are deactivated if the con-
venience closing mode for the windows 
and the sliding/tilt sunroof is interrupted 
within the first 10 seconds and then 
reinitiated. If this happens, you must 
disarm the system and then re-arm it.< 

44n
Electric power windowsOpen and close the windowsIn ignition key position 1 or 2:
>Depress the switch until you feel 
resistance:
The window will continue to open as 
long as you hold the switch.
>Press the switch briefly past the pres-
sure point:
The window will automatically open 
completely. Pressing the switch 
again briefly stops the opening cycle.
You can close windows in the same 
manner by pulling the switch.460de013
Separate switches are located under 
windows in the rear passenger area.
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can still operate the power win-
dows for up to 15 minutes, as long as 
neither of the front doors has been 
opened. 
Remove the key from the ignition 
key and close the doors when you 
leave the vehicle, so that children can-
not operate the power windows and 
possibly injure themselves.< 
For the convenience operating mode 
with the door lock or remote control, 
refer to page 34 or 35.
Safety feature A contact strip is located on the inside 
upper frame of each of the windows. If 
pressure is exerted against this contact 
strip while a window is being raised, the 
system will respond by stopping the 
window and then retracting it a small 
distance.
Despite this safety feature, be ex-
tremely careful to ensure that the 
closing path of the window is not ob-
structed. Otherwise, an object might 
not touch the contact strip in some situ-
ations (very thin objects, for instance).
You can disable this safety feature by 
pressing the switch beyond the resis-
tance point and holding it.< 

45n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Electric power windows Sliding/Tilt sunroof
* 
Safety switch You can use the safety switch to deacti-
vate the rear power window switches 
(when children are in the rear seats, for 
instance).
Press the safety switch whenever 
children are riding in the rear of 
the vehicle. Careless use of the power 
windows can lead to injury.<460de014
Exercise care when closing the 
sliding/tilt sunroof and keep it in 
your field of vision until it is completely 
closed. Failure to do so can result in 
injuries.
Remove the key from the ignition and 
close the doors when you leave the ve-
hicle so that children cannot operate 
the sunroof and possibly injure them-
selves.<
To avoid pressure or drafts in the pas-
senger compartment when the sunroof 
is open or raised, keep the air vents in 
the dashboard open and increase the air 
supply if necessary. Refer to page 89.
If the sunroof is completely open, air 
disturbances may be caused in the 
vehicle when you are driving at higher 
speeds. Close the roof as far as is nec-
essary until this natural phenomenon 
ceases.
For the convenience operating mode 
with the door lock or the remote con-
trol, refer to page 34 or 35.
Lifting Ð Opening Ð ClosingIn ignition key position 1 or 2, press the 
switch or slide it to the desired direction 
until you feel resistance. 
When lifting, the headliner retracts 
several inches.
After the ignition has been switched off, 
you can still operate the sunroof for up 
to 15 minutes, as long as neither of the 
front doors has been opened.Automatic opening and closing>Press the switch past the resistance 
point briefly: The sunroof travels to 
either the fully-closed or fully-open 
position.460de015