2001 BMW 325i SEDAN airbag

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
AirbagsDo not place your hands on the center
pad.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
passenger-side airbag as a storage
area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
Do not install a rear-facing child
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 feet (150 cm) tall
should ride only in the rear seat.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
If your vehicle is equipped with side
airbags in the rear passenger area, be
sure that child restraints are mounted
correctly and provided with the
greatest-possible distance between the
airbags in the side trim panels. Do not
allow children to lean out of the child's
seat in the direction of the side trim
panels. If they do so, serious injuries
can occur if the airbag is triggered. upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appro-
priate 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" imprinted on the door
trim panel indicates the airbag's loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an automo-
bile 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 airbag, if so equipped. For
example, a child Ñ even though belted
Ñ may fall asleep with his or her head
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children
in the rear seat will remain properly
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 so equipped, be
deactivated if children will travel in the
rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may
already have been deactivated, either
at the time of manufacture or by a
BMW center. 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.<
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances. The ignition and
inflation noise may induce a mild
temporary hearing loss in sensitive indi-
viduals.
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 152
and 179.

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AirbagsThis is the right way for a child to sit in a
child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.462us012
This is the right way for a larger child to
sit wearing the safety belt when rear
side airbags (arrow) are provided.462us013

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Transporting children safelyCommercially available child seats
complying with the legal standard are
designed to be secured with a lap belt
or with the lap 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, three additional tether
anchorage points (refer to the arrows in
the illustration) have been provided.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child restraint system. Remove the
cover first on the middle location.380us123
If the respective seating position is
fitted with a headrest lift the 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.) would be within the
airbag's deployment range, you should
never mount such a device in the front
passenger seat, since the impact of the
airbag against the child restraint's back-
rest could lead to serious or fatal inju-
ries.
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 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 comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child restraint's manufacturer whenever
you use such a device.
Be sure 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.

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
115n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Under the hood:
Hood134
Engine compartment136
Washer fluids138
Washer nozzles138
Engine oil139
Coolant142
Brake fluid143
Vehicle Identification
Number144
Care and maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System145
Caring for your vehicle146
Airbags151
Airbags152
Laws and regulations:
Technical modifications to the
vehicle153
California Proposition
65 Warning153
OBD interface socket154
Car care Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures116
Driving notes117
Catalytic converter117
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)118
Disc brakes120
Brake system121
Winter operation122
Power steering123
Cellular phones124
Radio reception124
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure125
Tire condition125
Tire replacement126
Tire rotation127
Wheel and tire
combinations128
Winter tires129
Snow chains129
Approved wheel and tire
specifications130

151n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags For protection against dampness or
moisture, treat the leather with a BMW
impregnating agent.
We recommend that you perform this
procedure twice a year on leather
exposed to normal use.
Spills should be wiped up immediately.
Remove grease and oil stains without
rubbing, but rather by dabbing with
spot remover.
If the upholstery will be exposed to
intense sunlight, or if the vehicle is to
be stored for an extended period, cover
all leather surfaces to prevent fading (or
better yet, cover the windows).
Use cleaning and car-care
products that you can obtain at
your BMW center.<
Cleaning agents can contain
substances that are dangerous or
that pose health risks. For this reason,
always comply with the warnings and
danger notices on the packaging.
Open the doors or windows on your
vehicle when cleaning the interior.
Never clean your vehicle with solvents
or other materials not specifically
intended for this purpose.<

152n
Airbags Vehicle storage1 Front airbags for driver and
passenger
2 Side impact Head Protection System
for driver and passenger (front)
3 Side airbags for driver and passenger
(front and rear
*)
Important safety notices
Don't remove the airbag restraint
system's gas generator. Testing
and servicing must be performed by
trained technicians only. In the event of
a malfunction, deactivation, or triggered
actuation (as a response to an accident)
of the airbag restraint system, consult
your BMW center for repairs or service
operations.
460de140
Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels of the
front or rear doors and the roof pillars or
the sides of the headliner. Do not apply
adhesive materials to these compo-
nents or cover or modify them in any
way. Do not attempt to remove or
dismantle the steering wheel.
To ensure compliance with official
safety regulations, have a BMW center
dispose of airbag generators.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury. special procedures if you intend to
store the vehicle for more than three
months.

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
177n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)178
Airbags179
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC)180
Radio reception181
Four-wheel drive182
Safety belt tensioner183
Interior rearview mirror
with automatic dimming
feature184
Rain sensor185
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)186
Self-diagnostics187
Xenon lamps188
Technol-

179n
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 simultaneously. 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
protection and side airbags in the front
and rear
* are triggered if necessary.
390de319
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 necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
required to inflate the airbags is not
dangerous, and the smoke associated
with it dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.
Airbags