
 
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 (i.e. vola-
tility, composition, additives, etc.) 
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.
 
c
 
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 op-
eration 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 authorized BMW center for 
additional information.
Do not use key or remote to lock doors 
or luggage compartment lid with any-
one inside the car. See page 34 for 
more details.
"Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automo-
tive repair establishment or individual 
using any certified automotive part".
 
c 

93n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic climate control Heated seats
*
Roller sun blind
*
Microfilter, activated charcoal 
filter
*
A microfilter traps dust and pollen from 
the outside air. The activated-charcoal 
filter provides additional protection by 
filtering gaseous pollutants from the 
outside air. Your BMW center replaces 
this combined filter
* as a standard part 
of your scheduled maintenance. A sub-
stantial reduction in air flow indicates 
that the filter needs to be replaced 
early.
For additional details on the filter 
change, please refer to page 154.The seat cushion and backrest can be 
heated with ignition key in position 2.
By repeated actuation of a button, you 
can select one of three different opera-
tion modes.
>Two indicator lamps on: Heating at a 
high temperature
>One indicator lamp on: Heating at a 
low temperature
>Indicator lamps off: Seat heating de-
activated.
462us027
To actuate, press the button briefly with 
ignition key in position 2. 
The illustration depicts the arrangement 
of the buttons if the vehicle is fully 
equipped. This may vary, depending 
on the equipment actually installed.462us028 

105n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Clothes hooks:
When suspending clothing from the 
hooks, ensure that they will not obstruct 
the driver's vision. In order to avoid per-
sonal injuries during braking maneu-
vers, do not hang heavy objects on the 
hooks.
use with unleaded fuel only.
Even minute quantities of lead would be 
enough to permanently damage both 
the catalytic converter and the system 
oxygen sensor.
To ensure efficient, trouble-free engine 
operation and avoid potential damage:
>Be sure to comply with the scheduled 
maintenance requirements
>Do not drive until the fuel tank is 
empty
>Tow-start only when the engine is 
cold, otherwise unburned, residual 
fuel in the catalytic converter could 
ignite and cause damage. It is better 
to start the vehicle with an outside 
starting aid
>Avoid other situations in which the 
fuel is not burned, or burns incom-
pletely, such as engaging the starter 
frequently or for extended periods, or 
repeated start attempts in which the 
engine does not start (stopping and 
restarting an engine that is running 
properly does not present a problem). 
Never let the engine run with any of 
the spark plug cables disconnected.Be sure to comply with the in-
structions above to prevent un-
burned fuel from reaching the catalytic 
converter. Otherwise, the catalytic con-
verter could respond by overheating, 
leading to serious damage.
Extreme temperatures occur at the cat-
alytic converter. Heat shields are in-
stalled adjacent to some sections of the 
exhaust system. Never remove these 
shields; do not apply undercoating to 
their surfaces. When driving, standing 
at idle, and parking the vehicle, take 
care to avoid contact between the ex-
haust system and flammable materials 
(grass, hay, leaves, etc.). Such contact 
could lead to a fire, resulting in serious 
injury and property damage.

166n
Self-diagnostics All of the important electrical and elec-
tronic systems in the vehicle are tested 
regularly and automatically – the driver 
does not have to perform any extra op-
erations or adjustments.
The indicator lamps also come on briefly 
after the ignition has been turned on.
While you are driving, the functional 
status of the actuator motors (for the 
windshield wipers, power windows, 
seats, sunroof, etc.) is constantly ana-
lyzed by current measurements in their 
relays. 462de258
In the same manner, the electrical resis-
tance of the airbag ignition generators 
and all of the remaining airbag compo-
nents is measured at all times. Any fault 
in this system would be detected imme-
diately by a current fluctuation that 
would necessarily accompany it. The 
fault would be indicated immediately by 
the airbag warning lamp.
Even after you shut off the engine, the 
overall functional status of your vehicle 
is monitored. For example, all of the 
flaps of the heating and ventilation sys-
tem travel to the nearest limit position. 
This action ensures that the system will 
be able to provide defrosting, regard-
less of other circumstances (if a mal-
function in the heating or ventilation 
system should occur during the night 
while the vehicle is parked, for in-
stance).
A calibration cycle runs every tenth time 
the engine is shut off. During this cycle, 
the actuator motors of all the heating 
and ventilation flaps travel to their limit 
stops in both directions. The limit posi-
tions and the return travel paths are 
checked in this manner in order to en-
sure that appropriate adjustments for 
the operating elements can be made at 
any time.You will hear the sounds of the air flaps 
as the heater/ventilation system carries 
out its self-diagnostic functions after 
the ignition is shut off. All of the other 
self-diagnostics functions operate si-
lently in the background.
Any faults detected during these self-
diagnostics can be read out by your 
authorized BMW center during the next 
regularly-scheduled maintenance and 
corrected with a minimum of time.