2001 BMW 325i SEDAN ignition

45n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Electric power windows Sliding/tilt sunroof
*
Safety switch This way, you can prevent the children,
for example, from using the switch in
the rear
* to open and close the rear
windows.
Press the safety switch whenever
children are riding in the rear of
the vehicle. Careless use of the power
windows can lead to injury.<
460de014
Exercise care when closing the
sliding/tilt sunroof and keep it in
your field of vision until it is completely
closed. Failure to do so can result in
injuries.
Remove the key from the ignition and
close the doors when you leave the
vehicle so that children cannot operate
the sunroof and possibly injure them-
selves.<
To avoid pressure or drafts in the
passenger compartment when the
sunroof is open or raised, keep the air
vents in the dashboard open and
increase the air supply if necessary.
Refer to page 92 or 101.
If the sunroof is completely open, air
disturbances may be caused in the
vehicle when you are driving at higher
speeds. Close the roof as far as is
necessary until this natural phenom-
enon ceases.
For the convenience operating mode
with the door lock or the remote
control, refer to page 34 or 36.
Lifting Ð Opening Ð ClosingFrom ignition key position 1, press the
switch or slide it to the desired direction
until you feel resistance.
When lifting, the headliner retracts
several inches.
Do not use force to close the
headliner when the sunroof is
open, or you could damage the mecha-
nism.<
After the ignition has been switched off,
you can still operate the sunroof for up
to 15 minutes, as long as neither of the
front doors has been opened.460de015

50n
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.<

52n
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

56n
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.

57n
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.

62n
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.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal is sounded after the driver's door
has been opened.
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 posi-
tion 0 or to remove it, move the selector
lever into position "Park" first (Inter-
lock).<460de022
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 equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch when
starting the vehicle. A lockout prevents
the engine from starting if the clutch is
not depressed.c
Before starting>Engage the parking brake
>Be sure that the shift lever is in
"Neutral" or "Park" if the vehicle is
equipped with an automatic transmis-
sion
>Depress 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

63n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
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 turn 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 start at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. +5 7 (-15 6)
and at elevations above 3,300 feet
(above 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 startup 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.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces. Placing the lever in 1st gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<

65n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
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 if the
clutch is not depressed.
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 "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is at a complete stop. Press the shift
lever to the left to overcome the resis-
tance.
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.<