2001 BMW 325Ci CONVERTIBLE Owner's Manual

65n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Transporting children safelyCommercially available child seats
complying with the legal standard are
designed to be secured with a seat belt
or with the seat belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed
restraint systems can increase the risk
of injury to children. Always read and
follow the instructions that come with
the system.
If you use a child restraint system with a
tether strap, two additional tether
anchorage points (refer to the arrows in
the illustration) have been provided.
They are located under the convertible
top compartment.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corres-
ponding anchorage point to secure the
child restraint system.46cus001
Lift the respective headrest and pass
the tether strap between the headrest
and the seat back.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Before installing any child restraint
device or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rear-facing child restraint
system (of the kind designed for infants
under 1 year and 20 lbs./9 kg) would be
within the airbag's deployment range,
you should never mount such a device
in the front passenger seat, as the
impact of the airbag against the child
restraint's backrest could lead to
serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child (not an
infant) to ride in the front seat, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as a far away
from the dashboard as possible. This
important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the
airbag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt. Younger children should be
secured in an appropriate forward-
facing child restraint system that has
first been properly secured with a
safety belt.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the front passenger seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and observe the instructions for instal-
lation and use provided by the child
restraint's manufacturer whenever you
use such a device.
Allways ensure that all occupants (of all
ages) remain properly and securely
restrained at all times.c
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of SAE
J1819, an industry recommended
practice for securing child restraint
systems in motor vehicles.

66n
Transporting children safelyChild seat securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions
for this is located in the immediate
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.46cus027
Lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
The belt cannot be extracted further.
Always comply with the installation
instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the child restraint system.
Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt
to its end position on the belt retractor.

67n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Rollover protection systemIn the event of an accident or some
other critical driving situation (extreme
tilting in the longitudinal or transverse
axis, loss of contact with the ground),
the rollover protection system will be
automatically activated. The protective
bars located in the rear headrests
extend within fractions of a second.
In addition to the integrated rollover bar
in the windshield frame, the rollover
protection system gives all the vehicle
occupants the necessary headroom.
Always keep the travel path clear
for the rollover protection system.
Under no circumstances should you
cover the headrests.
In the event of less serious accidents,
the safety belt will protect you and,
depending on the severity of the acci-
dent, so will the safety belt tensioner
and the multi-stage airbag restraint
system.c
If, after being automatically triggered,
the protective function is not needed,
then the rollover protection system can
be lowered back into place. No special
tool is needed for this.
1 Using a screwdriver from the on-
board tool kit, remove the cover
panel; to do this, position the screw-
driver under the notch (arrow).46cde007
2Pull the lever (arrow) toward the front
of the car and hold it in this position.46cde006

68n
Rollover protection system3 Continue pressing down on the
protective bar (1) from above until
you hear it click into place.
4 Replace the cover panel and press
down firmly.
5 Press the rear section of the headrest
closed (2).46cde035
Do the same for the second protective
bar. If you are not familiar with these
procedures, consult your BMW center.
Have the rollover protection system
checked by your BMW center after it
has been inadvertently triggered.
Do not move the convertible top
under any circumstances if the
rollover protection system has
extended.
Do not use the rear headrests as
storage shelves.
Absolutely no modifications are to be
made to any of the rollover protection
system's individual components or any
of its wiring.
Only your BMW center is to carry out
any work on the rollover protection
system.
Work done on the system that is carried
out improperly could lead to failure in
an emergency or accidental airbag acti-
vation.
To have the system checked and to
ensure long-term operation: be sure to
adhere to the Service Interval Display
for maintenance intervals. Every 2 years
at the latest, the rollover protection
system must be inspected by a BMW
center.c

69n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
0 Steering lock engaged The key can only be inserted or
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until the lock engages.
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from the
"Park" position until the engine is
running (ignition key at position 2). In
order to turn the key back to position 0
or to remove it, move the selector lever
into position "Park" first (Interlock).<46cde093
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 devices and accessories
are available for use.3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine
from starting if the clutch is not
depressed.<
Before starting>Engage the parking brake.
>Put manual-shift gear lever in the
idling position or in P for automatic
transmissions.
>Step on the clutch pedal.
Do not run the engine in enclosed
areas. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Breathing the exhaust gases poses an
extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unat-
tended vehicle with a running engine
represents a potential safety hazard.<
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

70n
Starting the engine Switching off the engine Do not press the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time, but do not actuate it
for more than approx. 20 seconds.
Release the ignition key immediately
when the engine starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, begin
driving immediately at a moderate
engine speed.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at very low temperatures,
starting at about +57 (Ð156) and
at high altitudes over 3,300 ft
(1,000 meters):
>On the first start attempt, engage the
starter for a longer period (approx.
10 seconds).
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from
discharging, always deactivate elec-
trical devices that are not in use. Switch
the ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is still moving.
If you did so, the steering lock would
engage when the steering wheel is
turned.
Whenever you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and lock the
steering wheel.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always apply the parking brake
when parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces, since placing the shift lever
in 1st gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<

71n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Parking brake To engageThe parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.
The lock engages automatically when
you lift the lever, and the indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on
when the ignition key is in position 2.
Refer to page 21.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button (arrow) and lower the lever.460us024
If, in exceptional circumstances,
it should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is
in motion, do not pull the lever with
excessive pressure. Keep your thumb
pressed against the release button
while carefully pulling the lever up to
apply moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always apply the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces, since placing the shift lever in
1st gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake lightly
from time to time when coasting to a
standstill (at a traffic signal, for
instance), provided that it is safe to do
so.

72n
Manual transmission Press the clutch pedal all the way down
each time you shift, pressing the
manual-shift gear lever into its proper
end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too, otherwise, lockout will
prevent the engine from starting.
The shift lever's neutral plane (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position
because of its spring loading.360de044
Reverse Select only when the vehicle is
stationary. Press the shift lever to the
left to overcome the slight resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Otherwise, riding the clutch will cause
tremendous wear and tear to the
clutch.<