2001 BMW 325Ci COUPE Owner's Manual

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Towing the vehicleTow fittingThe screw-in tow fitting is stored in the
onboard tool kit; be sure that it remains
in the vehicle at all times. This fitting is
designed for installation in the tow
sockets located at the front and rear of
the vehicle. It is intended for towing on
paved road surfaces only. This fitting
should not be used to pull a vehicle out
of deep snow, mud, sand, etc.
Always comply with all applicable
towing laws and regulations.
Access to tow socketsFront:
Use a screwdriver to press on the top
part of the recess and pop the cover
panel out.462de254
Rear:
Press out the cover panel with a
screwdriver on the top part of the
recess.
Screw the tow fittings in
completely and tightly. If you do
not, the threads could be damaged.
Do not tow the vehicle by any compo-
nents of the running gear, or lash them
down in any way. If you do so, the
components could be damaged,
leading to possible accidents.<462de255

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Towing the vehicleTowing with a commercial tow
truck>Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment.
>Use wheel lift or flat bed equipment.
>Please comply with applicable state
towing laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.
Never attach tie-down hooks, chains,
straps, or tow hooks to tie rods, control
arms, or any other part of the vehicle
suspension, as severe damage to these
components will occur, leading to
possible accidents.c462us039

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview

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Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)174
Airbags175
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC)175
Radio reception176
Safety belt tensioner176
Interior rearview mirror
with automatic dimming
feature177
Rain sensor178
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)179
Self-diagnostics180
Xenon lamps181
Technol-

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On vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion, the ATC (Adaptive Transmission
Control) uses a number of factors to
calculate the maximally efficient gear.
In this process, it considers your indi-
vidual driving style as well as current
driving conditions.
ATC recognizes your personal driving
style from the positions and movements
of the accelerator pedal, deceleration
when braking, and lateral acceleration
through curves. Based on different shift
characteristics Ð from comfort-oriented
to performance-oriented Ð ATC will
select the appropriate gear.
462us011
In order to include driving conditions in
its calculations, ATC registers curves
and both uphill and downhill gradients.
For example, if you maintain speed
through a curve, the transmission does
not shift up. On uphill gradients, it shifts
up only when the engine speed
increases in order to make more effi-
cient use of power reserves. On down-
hill gradients, ATC shifts down when
the speed of the vehicle increases and
the driver must apply the brakes.
ATC
*

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the acceleration forces acting
upon the vehicle. If, as the result of a
frontal collision, a deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer
adequate, the gas generators of the
driver and passenger-front airbags are
ignited. However, the passenger-side
airbag is only triggered if an additional
sensor has recognized that the
passenger seat is occupied.
In the event of a side collision, the head
and side airbags in the front or rear
* are
triggered if necessary.
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The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process, they
tear through the designed separation
points of the upholstered covers or
press them out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is accompa-
nied by a certain amount of ignition and
inflation noise, which will be drowned
out by the noise from the accident
itself. The gas required to inflate the
airbags is not dangerous, and the
associated smoke then dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.Highly sensitive sensors monitor the
number of revolutions of the wheels.
When equipped with DSC, they also
monitor steering angle, lateral accelera-
tion, brake pressure and the movement
of the vehicle around its vertical axis.
If differences in the wheel speeds
occur, ASC+T counteracts the danger
of wheelspin by reducing engine
torque; if necessary, ASC+T will also
respond by applying the brakes to the
rear wheels.
In addition, DSC permanently monitors
the vehicle's current operating condi-
tion and compares it with an ideal
condition that is calculated from the
sensor's signals. If deviations from this
occur (understeering or oversteering,
for instance), DSC can stabilize the
vehicle in fractions of a second by
reducing engine output and with the
assistance of braking intervention at
individual wheels. As a result,
dangerous skids can be prevented even
as they are just beginning. But this is
only possible within the laws of physics.
You may need some time to become
accustomed to this system's interven-
tion. However, it provides optimum
drive force and vehicle stability.
The braking intervention may be
accompanied by sounds specific to
the system.
Airbags ASC+T/DSC
*

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Radio reception Safety belt tensionerThe AM frequency bands (medium-
wave, long-wave and short-wave) make
it possible to receive stations from a
great distance, because the broadcast
signals travel not only along the ground
as surface waves, but also as atmo-
spheric waves that are reflected from
the ionosphere.
Frequency modulation (FM) offers
substantially better sound quality than
the other frequencies. However,
because FM transmissions rely on line-
of-sight broadcast waves, their effec-
tive reception range is limited. 360de084
The limitations inherent to radio recep-
tion in a moving vehicle have been
minimized by a number of innovative
system designs:
The Radio Data System (RDS) makes
sure that, for broadcast stations
sending on several frequencies, the
radio automatically tunes to the
frequency with the best reception
quality.
The Antenna Diversity system employs
several FM antennas integrated within
the rear window to provide three sepa-
rate sources for receiving broadcast
waves. An integral processor automati-
cally selects the antenna with the best
FM reception quality at any given time.
The selection of the antenna takes
place within milliseconds, and is
therefore not noticed by the radio
listener.The safety belt tensioner makes sure
that the belt tightens during a head-on
collision to ensure that occupants
remain firmly positioned in their seats.
A gas-pressure system retracts the
buckle assembly to tension the
shoulder and lap belts within fractions
of a second. This reduces the tendency
to slide under the lap belt.
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