2000 BMW 328Ci COUPE wheel

42n
Alarm system
*
The conceptThe vehicle's alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the lug-
gage compartment lid is opened
>To motion within the passenger com-
partment (interior motion sensor)
>To a change in the inclination of the
vehicle, e. g. during an attempted
wheel theft of unauthorized towing
>To 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
>Activating the hazard warning flash-
ers 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
cycle once. An acoustic warning signal
sounds at the same time.
You can have various confirmation
messages set to inform you that
the alarm system has been armed or
disarmed.<
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
inside rearview mirror.
>When the indicator lamp flashes
continuously: The system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes when it is
armed: The door(s), the hood or lug-
gage compartment lid are not com-
pletely closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area, the system be-
gins to monitor the remaining areas,
and the indicator lamp flashes contin-
uously after 10 seconds. However,
the interior motion sensor is not
activated
>If the indicator lamp goes out when
the system is disarmed: No manipula-
tion or attempted intrusions have
been detected in the period since the
system was armed460de105

48n
Mechanical seat Head restraints Correct sitting postureTo reduce strain on the spinal column,
sit all the way back in the seat and rest
your back fully against the backrest.
Ideal sitting posture is achieved with
your head extending from your spine in
a straight line.
For long-distance driving, you may wish
to to increase the backrest angle slightly
to reduce muscular tension. You should
be able to grab the steering wheel at its
highest point with your arms slightly
bent.
After a seat adjustment, adjust the
height of the safety belt also. Refer to
page 55.
Adjustments Height: Adjust by pulling up or pushing
down.
In order to move to the lowest
positions, press button 1.<
Tilting the front head restraints:
By swiveling.
Head restraints reduce the risk of
neck and spinal injuries in acci-
dents.
Adjust the head restraint so that its cen-
ter is approximately at the height of the
ear.<462de202
Removal>Pull the head restraint upward to the
stop.
>Press the button (arrow) and remove
the head restraint.Installation>Press the button (arrow) and insert
the head restraint into the openings.
>Adjust the head restraint.460de137

51n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Seat and mirror memory
*
Adjusting steering wheel
To select a stored setting:Automatic:
1 Open driver's door after unlocking or
ignition key in position 1
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3
as desired.
The adjustment cycle is canceled im-
mediately if you press a seat adjust-
ment switch or one of the memory
buttons.
Manual:
1 With driver's door closed and ignition
key either removed or in position
0 or 2
2 Maintain pressure on desired mem-
ory button 1, 2 or 3 until the adjust-
ment process is completed.
If you press the
M
EMORY button acci-
dentally: Press the button a second
time, the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not select a memory position
while the vehicle is moving. There
is a risk of accident from unexpected
seat movement.<
You can adapt the vehicle settings
so that your own personalized
seat setting is initiated when you unlock
the car using your personalized remote
control key.<
When this setting is used, be sure
that the footwell behind the driver's
seat is clear before unlocking the vehi-
cle. Otherwise, persons or objects could
be injured or damaged should the seat
move backward.<
1 Push the locking lever downward
2 Adjust the steering wheel (fore/aft
and up/down) to the desired position
3 Pull the lever back in to clamp the
steering wheel in the new position.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. There
is a risk of accident from unexpected
movement. See pages 48 and 58 for in-
formation on correct seating/steering
wheel position.<460de073

58n
Airbags
For your own safety, please ob-
serve the following precautions
concerning airbags, as otherwise their
protective function may be impaired
and your personal safety endangered.
The following information pertains to all
occupants:
The airbags are supplemental restraint
devices designed to provide extra pro-
tection; they are not a substitute for
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at all
times. The airbags will not be triggered
in the event of a minor accident, a vehi-
cle roll-over, or collisions from the rear.
In this case, the safety belt offers the
best protection.
Airbags are located under the cover
panels in the steering wheel, in the in-
strument panel, in the side trim panels
in the front and rear
*, in the roof panels,
and in the sides of the inside roof lining.
Select a seat position that is comfort-
able and allows the greatest possible
distance from each of the applicable
airbags. Hold the steering wheel at the
rim (hands at the "9 o'clock and
3 o'clock" positions) in order to avoid
injuries to the hands or arms if the air-
bag is triggered.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger airbag as a storage
area.
Never tape the airbag cover panels,
cover them over or alter them in any
other way.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
device on the front passenger seat.
Children under 13 years of age and
children who are smaller than 5 feet
(150 cm), should only travel in the rear
seat.
If your vehicle is equipped with side air-
bags in the rear, be sure that child seats
are installed correctly and with the
greatest possible distance from the side
trim panels. Do not allow children to
lean out of the child's seat in the direc-
tion of the side trim panels. Otherwise,
serious injuries could occur if the airbag
is triggered.
At all times, occupants should sit up-
right and be properly restrained (infants
and small children in appropriate child
restraint systems; larger children and
adults using the safety belts). Never let
an occupant's head rest near or on a
side airbag because the inflating airbag
could cause a serious or fatal injury.
Please note that the word "Airbag" im-
printed on the door trim panel indicates
the airbag's location.Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child
sitting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the side airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child – even though
belted – may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly positioned at all times and not
place their heads on or near the side
airbag. Therefore, we recommend that
the rear seat side airbags, if provided,
be deactivated if you plan to transport
children in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW cen-
ter. Labels in the rear door opening
should indicate the status of your rear
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of
their status, or wish to have the airbags
activated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW center.<

62n
0 Steering lock engaged The key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal chimes after the driver's door has
been opened.
Vehicles with automatic
transmission:
Move the selector lever from position P
only after the engine is running (ignition
key in position 2).
In order to turn the key back to position 0
or to remove it, move the selector lever
into position P first (Interlock).<462de195
1 Steering lock disengaged Turning the steering wheel slightly to
the right or left often makes it easier to
turn the key from 0 to 1.
Individual electrical devices are ready
for operation.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual
transmission:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine
from starting if the clutch is not de-
pressed.c
Before starting>Engage parking brake
>Ensure that the transmission selector
is in "Neutral" (or "Park" if vehicle is
equipped with automatic transmis-
sion)
>Manual transmission: Depress the
clutch pedal
>Automatic transmission: Depress the
footbrake.
Never allow the engine to run with
the vehicle standing in an en-
closed area. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide, an odorless and col-
orless, but highly toxic gas. Breathing
the exhaust gases poses an extreme
health risk, and can lead to uncon-
sciousness and death.
Do not leave the car unattended with
the engine running. An unattended ve-
hicle with a running engine represents a
potential safety hazard.<
>Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Steering/ignition lock Starting the engine

64n
Parking brake To engageThe lock engages automatically when
you lift the lever, and the indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster will light up in
ignition key position 2. See page 21.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button (arrow) and lower the lever.
The parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked, and operates against the rear
wheels.460de024
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply mod-
erate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, as placing the lever in 1st gear or
reverse may not provide adequate re-
sistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park".<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill (at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance), provided that it is safe
to do so.

66n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You have the option of driving a normal
automatic transmission or switching to
manual.
Whenever you shift the selector lever
out of position D toward the left and
into the M/S gate, the automatic trans-
mission's sports-emphasized shift pro-
gram activates. As soon as you even
begin to move the selector lever in the
direction "+" or "–", Steptronic shifts the
gear and manual operation becomes
active. Whenever you want to use auto-
matic again, just shift the selector lever
toward the right to position D.
The Steptronic automatic transmission
is equipped with ATC (Adaptive Trans-
mission Control). ATC reacts with preci-
sion to your individual driving style and
the current driving conditions. This is
the reason why various shift programs
are used.
For details concerning ATC, please
refer to the chapter "Advanced Tech-
nology" on page 160.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting the engineThe engine can only be started in
selector lever positions P ("Park") or
N ("Neutral").Range selectionA lock prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front of the shift knob
(arrow).462de209
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in or-
der to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.<
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, shift the selector
lever to the "Park" or "Neutral" position
and apply the parking brake. The vehi-
cle will move if this is not done. Do not
leave the car unattended with the en-
gine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine represents a po-
tential safety hazard.<
P ParkSelect only with the vehicle stationary.
Transmission locks to prevent rear
wheels from turning.R ReverseSelect only with the vehicle stationary.N NeutralSelect only if your journey is interrupted
for a long period.

82n
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)
*
The conceptThe RDC monitors the tire pressures at
all four wheels, even when the vehicle is
moving. The system provides an alert
whenever the inflation pressure drops
significantly below the specified pres-
sure in one or more tires.
In order for the RDC to "learn" the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure, first check
the tire inflation pressure in all tires.
Then compare these pressures with the
tire inflation pressure chart (page 28)
and adjust if necessary. Then activate
the system.
This indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster informs you when-
ever the tire pressure is not nor-
mal.
Activate the system1 Turn ignition key to position 2
2 Press the switch long enough for the
indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter to light up yellow for a few seconds
3 After a few minutes of driving, the
RDC sets the current inflation pres-
sure in the tires as the target value to
be monitored.
You will only have to repeat this proce-
dure if the tire inflation pressure must
be corrected. Otherwise, the RDC func-
tions automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2, and thus operates
whenever the vehicle is driven.462de228
Loss of tire pressureIf the inflation pressure has dropped too
much over a period of time (which is
normal for any tire), the indicator lamp
will come on with a yellow lamp.
This alerts you to have the tires inflated
to the specified pressures as soon as
possible.
If you are prompted to check the
tire pressure shortly after a cor-
rection has been made, this indicates
that the corrected values were not ac-
curate. Please check the inflation pres-
sure again and make corrections ac-
cording to the inflation pressure table.
Then activate the system once again.<