2001 BMW 320i Owners Manual

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
BMW sports seat
*
Lumbar support
* Power seat
*
With this seat, you can also adjust the
tilt angle and the thigh support:
1 To adjust the tilt angle upward:
Pull the lever as often as necessary to
reach the desired angle.
2 To adjust the tilt angle downward:
Push the lever as often as necessary
to reach the desired angle.
3 Thigh support area:
Pull the lever and adjust the position
of the cushion for thigh support as
desired.460de122
You can adjust the backrest's contour
for additional support in the curvature
of your spine's lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column
receive supplementary support to help
you maintain a relaxed, upright posture.
>Press the front/rear of switch:
Increase/decrease curvature.
>Press the upper/lower end of the
switch:
Increase the upper/lower curvature.460de103
1 Backward/Forward adjustment
2 Cushion height
3 Backrest angle
The head restraint is adjusted manually.
Please refer to the adjustment
instructions on page 47 to reduce
the risk of personal injury.<460de016

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Power seat
*
Seat and mirror memory
*
BMW sports seat1 Tilt angle
2 Backward/Forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
The head restraint (refer to page 48)
and the thigh support area (refer to
page 49) are adjusted manually.
Please refer to the adjustment
instructions on page 47 to reduce
the risk of personal injury.<460de025
You can store and recall three different
driver's seat and outside mirror posi-
tions.
The adjustment setting of the lumbar
support is not saved in the memory.To store1 Turn the key to ignition key
position 1 or 2.
2 Adjust your seat and outside mirrors
to the desired position.
3 Press the
M
EMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button lights up.
4 Press memory button 1, 2 or 3 as
desired: the indicator lamp goes out.
460de017
To select a stored setting Convenience function:
1 Open the driver's door after unlocking
or set the ignition key in position 1.
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3
as desired.
The adjustment cycle is canceled
immediately if you press a seat
adjustment switch or one of the
memory buttons.
Security function:
1 With the driver's door closed and the
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2.
2 Maintain pressure on the desired
memory button (1, 2 or 3) until the
adjustment 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. If you
do so, there is a risk of accident from
unexpected seat movement.<

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Seat and mirror memory
*
Adjusting steering wheel
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a
manner that your personalized settings
are automatically set for the seat and
outside mirror positions when you
unlock the vehicle with your personal
remote control.<
If you make use of this method of
adjustment, be sure that the foot-
well behind the driver's seat is unob-
structed before unlocking the vehicle.
If you fail to do so, persons or objects
could be injured or damaged if the seat
should move backward.<
Passenger side exterior mirror tilt
function(automatic curb monitor)
1 Move the mirror selector switch 1 to
the "driver's mirror" position.
2 When the selector lever is placed in
"Reverse," the passenger-side mirror
tilts downward. This allows the driver
to see the area directly adjacent to
the vehicle during parking (curbs,
etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic
feature: set the mirror selection switch
to the "passenger side" position.460us301
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. If you
do so, there is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement.<460de073

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Mirrors Exterior mirrors1 Switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Selection switch for changing
between mirrors460us302
You can also adjust the mirrors manu-
ally by pressing against the outer edges
of their lenses.
The mirror on the passenger's
side features a lens with a more
convex surface than the mirror installed
on the driver's side. When estimating
the distance between yourself and
other traffic, bear in mind that the
objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. Estimations of the
distance to following traffic should
therefore not be regarded as precise. with the ignition key in position 2.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from behind when
driving at night, tilt the mirror by turning
the button.Lighted vanity mirror
*
Fold down the sun visor and slide the
cover panel to the side as required.
The mirror lamps operate from ignition
key position 1.Sun visorsThese can be folded down toward the
windshield or swiveled out against the
side windows.463us011

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Mirrors Car Memory, Key Memory Interior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming feature
*
By responding to the effects of ambient
light and the glare from following traffic,
this mirror automatically dims through
an infinitely variable range.
The mirror switches to its clear,
undimmed mode whenever the trans-
mission is placed in reverse gear
(selector lever in "Reverse").
To ensure that the mirror continues to
operate properly, keep the two photo-
cells clean and unobstructed. One
photocell (arrow) is in the mirror glass,
while the other is offset somewhat on
the other side of the mirror.
For an explanation of the electro-
chromic technology used in this mirror,
refer to page 184.460de020
How the system functionsYou have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle to reflect your
own personal requirements. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has
included several user-defined func-
tions in the vehicle's design. Your BMW
center can make these settings for you
in accordance with your wishes.
There are settings related to the vehicle
("Car Memory") and settings related to
individuals ("Key Memory"). You can
have up to four different basic settings
adjusted for four different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes
the individual user by means of a data 463de029
exchange with the key, and makes
adjustments accordingly.
In order for you to distinguish between
different keys, colored decals are
supplied together with the keys.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with
details on the capabilities of the Car
Memory and Key Memory systems. A
few examples follow below:
Examples for Car Memory:
>Various signals as acknowledgement
when locking or unlocking your
vehicle.
>Deactivating/activating the Follow-
Me-Home lamps function.
>Activating/deactivating
* daytime
running lamps.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatically setting the driver's
power seat.
>Locking your vehicle after starting off.
>When unlocking your vehicle, first
unlock the driver's door, then the rest
of the vehicle.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<

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Drive with your safety belt onFasten your safety belt at the beginning
of every trip.
To fasten:
Make sure you hear the catch engage in
the belt buckle.
To release:
Press the red button in the buckle. Hold
the belt and guide it back into its reel.The two rear safety belt buckles which
are integrated in the rear seat are for
passengers sitting on the left and right.
The belt buckle with the word "CENTER"

is intended exclusively for passengers
sitting in the middle.
For care instructions, refer to page 149.
460us074
Safety belt height adjustmentYou can adjust the safety belts to fit
your own physical dimensions by using
the safety belt height adjustment.
Slide the button downward or upward.460de136
For your safety, please comply
with the following instruction for
wearing safety belts. If you do not, the
safety belts may not be able to provide
their maximum protection. The
following information also applies to
your passengers:
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a
passenger's lap.
Avoid twisting the belt while routing it
firmly across your hips and shoulder.
Do not allow the belt to rest against
hard or fragile objects. Never route the
belt across your neck, do not run it
across sharp edges and be sure that
the belt does not become caught or
jammed.
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents
the belt from fitting properly. Pull on the
belt periodically to readjust the tension
across your shoulder. In the event of a
frontal impact, a loose lap belt could
slide over your hips, leading to abdom-
inal injury. In addition, the safety belt's
restraint effectiveness is reduced if the
belt is worn loosely.
Expectant mothers should also wear
the safety belt, taking special care to
place the lap belt over the lower hips,
where it does not exert pressure on the
abdominal area.<
Safety belts

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Safety belts Airbags For child restraint system installation,
refer to page 61.
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center,
including the safety belt tensioner. In
addition, have your BMW center
inspect the safety belt anchors. If a
child restraint system was in the vehicle
during an accident, consult the manu-
facturer's instructions regarding
replacement.<
Vehicles with through-loading
system: please comply with the
instructions for the center safety belt on
page 109.
Child restraint systems
*
Never install a rear-facing child
restraint device on the front
passenger seat. If you do so, the child
could be injured when the airbag is trig-
gered.
Children should always ride in the rear
and the restraint systems should be
secured with the outer belts.
The centre seat belt should only be
used when it is necessary to secure
three child restraint systems.
Do not modify the child restraint system
in any way. If you do so, it will not
provide your child with maximum
protection.<
1 Front airbags for driver and
passenger
2 Side impact Head Protection System
for driver and passenger (front)
3 Side airbags for driver and pasenger
(front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing additional
protection for the front-seat occupants
in the event of a severe frontal collision
when the protection afforded by the
belts alone may no longer be sufficient.
The Side impact Head Protection
System and side airbags help provide
protection in the event of a side impact.
Each of the side airbags is designed to
help support the upper body.460de140

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Airbags
The side airbags in the rear
passenger area
* of your vehicle
may already have been deactivated
either at the time of manufacture or by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
The illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
that initiate an airbag deployment.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear.c
460de141
Operational status
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster displays the opera-
tional status of the airbag
system when the ignition key is in posi-
tion 1 and higher.
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 lights up
again.
If there is a system malfunction, there is
a risk that the airbags will not be trig-
gered within their normal response
range, even if the level of impact would
normally have triggered them.
Have your BMW center inspect the
system immediately.
The airbag indicator lamp also
comes on if the safety belt
tensioners have been triggered.<
Sitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the
airbags. If you do not, the airbags may
not be able to provide their maximum
protection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with this
information:
The airbags are supplemental restraint
devices designed to provide extra
protection; 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
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear. In these instances, the safety belt
provides optimal protection.
Airbags are located under cover panels
in the steering wheel, in the dashboard,
in the side trim panels in the front and
rear, in the roof panels, and in the sides
of the inside roof lining.
Adjust your seat to a position that
provides maximum distance between
you and the steering wheel, the instru-
ment panel and the door while still
allowing comfortable and safe access to
all vehicle controls.
To avoid sustaining hand and arm inju-
ries, always grasp the steering wheel
on the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions.