2001 BMW 325i SEDAN Page 76

148n
Caring for your vehicleCaring for the vehicle finish Regular washing is a preventive
measure against long-term effects from
substances that are harmful to the
vehicle's finish, especially if you drive
your vehicle in areas with high levels
of air pollution or aggressive natural
substances (tree resins, pollen).
Nevertheless, you should immediately
remove especially aggressive
substances. Failure to do so can lead
to changes in the paint's chemical
structure or to discoloration. Gasoline
spilled during refueling, oil, grease and
brake fluid should always be cleaned
away immediately, as should bird
droppings.
Any contamination remaining on the
surface of the vehicle will be especially
conspicuous after washing. Use clean-
ing fluid or alcohol with a clean cloth or
cotton pad to remove. Remove tar spots
with tar remover. After cleaning, the
affected areas should be waxed to
ensure continued protection.
Use cleaning and car-care
products that you can obtain at
your BMW center.<
Waxing your vehicle Protect the finish using carnauba or
synthetic-based waxes only.
The best way to determine when the
finish needs to be waxed is by noting
when water stops beading on the
surface.
You can use a glass cleaner to remove
any wax or silicone that may have been
left on the windows during waxing.
Use cleaning and car-care
products that you can obtain at
your BMW center.<
Paint damageYou can touch up small areas of paint
damage with a BMW spray paint or a
BMW touchup stick.
The paint color code for your vehicle is
provided on a sticker located on the
right hand side under the hood and on
the first page of your Service and War-
ranty Information Booklet (US models)
or Warranty and Service Guide Booklet
(Canadian models).
Damage caused by flying stones,
scratches, etc., must be touched
up without delay to prevent rust from
forming.
If corrosion has started to form in an
area with paint damage, remove all rust
and clean the area. Then prime the area
with a BMW Primer Stick. Finally, apply
the finish coat. Wait a few days, then
polish the repaired area. Finish by
applying a wax preservative.
More extensive paint damage should
be professionally repaired in accor-
dance with the manufacturer's instruc-
tions. Your BMW center uses original
BMW finish materials in accordance
with official repair procedures.

165n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Changing a wheel
Take these precautionary
measures if you have either a flat
tire or are changing the tire:
Stop the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Park on a firm, flat
surface. Switch on the hazard flashers.
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead position, remove the key and
engage the steering lock. Shift into 1st
or reverse (selector lever in "Park" with
automatic) and engage the parking
brake.
Have all passengers leave the vehicle
and remain well away from your imme-
diate working area (behind a guardrail,
for instance).
If a warning triangle or portable hazard
warning lamp is available, set it up on
the roadside at an appropriate distance
from the rear of the vehicle. Comply
with all applicable safety guidelines and
regulations.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm
surface that is not slippery. Avoid
jacking the vehicle on a soft or slippery
support surface (snow, ice, loose
gravel, etc.), as it could slide sideways.
Position the jack on a firm support
surface.
Do not place wooden blocks or similar
objects under the jack. If you do so, the
jack might not be able to reach its full
support capacity because of the limited
height.
Do not lie under the vehicle or start the
engine when the vehicle is supported
by the jack. Failure to comply with this
creates a risk of fatal injury.<
Your BMW has either a spare wheel or
a space-saver spare tire for temporary
use and to ensure your mobility.
To remove the spare wheel, lift out
the floor panel in the luggage
compartment completely (refer to
page 41).<
You will need the followingIn order to avoid rattling noises later,
note the position of the tools when you
remove them and return them to their
original position when you are through
using them.
>Jack (1)
Raise the floor panel in the luggage
compartment (refer to page 41) and
loosen the red wing nut (arrow).
When you have completed work,
screw the jack all the way back
down. Fold the handle back and
insert it in its holder
>Wedge (2)
The wedge, or wheel chock, is
located behind the jack on the
luggage compartment's rear wall.
Loosen the wing nut to remove it460de058

166n
Changing a wheel>Spare tire or space-saver spare tire
Located next to the jack.
Loosen the wing nut (arrow) by hand,
remove the storage tray and take out
the spare wheel
>Lug wrench Ð is in the onboard tool
kit on the underside of the luggage
compartment lid (refer to page 158).460de059
Procedure1 Read and comply with the safety
precautions provided on the
previous page
2 Secure the vehicle from rolling:
Place the wedge against the rear
surface of the front tire on the side
opposite the side being raised. If
the vehicle is parked on a down-
ward slope, place the wedge
securely in front of the tire. If the
wheel must be changed on a
surface with a more severe slope,
take additional precautions to
secure the vehicle from rolling
3 If your wheels are equipped with full
wheel covers
*: reach into the venti-
lation openings and pull off the
cover
460de124
4 Loosen the lug bolts g turn
5 Position the jack at the jacking point
closest to the flat tire (refer to the
center illustration) so that the jack
base is vertically below the jacking
point and the entire surface of the
head of the jack will move into the
square recess of the jacking point
(refer to the illustration detail) when
the jack is cranked
6 Jack the vehicle up until the wheel
you are changing is raised from the
ground
7 Unscrew the lug bolts and remove
the wheel
8 Remove accumulations of mud or
dirt from the mounting surfaces of
the wheel and hub; clean the lug
bolts460de190

167n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Changing a wheel9 Position the new wheel or the
space-saver spare tire on the hub
and screw at least two lug bolts
finger-tight into opposite bolt holes
10 Screw in the remaining lug bolts.
Tighten all the bolts securely
11 Lower the jack and remove it from
beneath the vehicle
12 Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal
pattern462de267
13 Wheels with full wheel covers
*:
Position the wheel cover with the
valve opening over the valve (arrow)
and press it onto the wheel with
both hands
14 Check and correct the tire's inflation
pressure at the earliest possibility.
For vehicles with RDC (Tire Pres-
sure Control):
Reactivate the system after
mounting the spare wheel or
correcting the inflation pressure.
Refer to page 86.
Use original BMW full wheel
covers only. Other wheel covers
may not fit securely. The full wheel
cover may not be installed on the
space-saver spare tire, since this could
damage the cover.<
460de125
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not
attempt to raise another vehicle model
with it or to raise any load of any kind.
To do so could cause accidents and
personal injury.
Have the lug bolts checked for proper
tightness with a calibrated torque
wrench at the earliest possibility [torque
specification: 72 lb.ft. (100 Nm)].<
When storing the wheel, be sure that
you do not damage the retaining pin in
the spare tire recess.
If light-alloy wheels other than Original
BMW light-alloy wheels have been
mounted, it may be necessary to use
different lug bolts for those wheels.
Replace the defective tire as quickly as
possible and have the new wheel
balanced.

168n
Changing a wheel Battery Driving with the space-saver
spare tireDrive cautiously and do not exceed a
speed of 45 mph (80 km/h).
Be aware that vehicle handling will be
altered. Slower brake response time,
longer braking distances and changed
steering characteristics may be antici-
pated when approaching limit condi-
tions.
The changes in handling characteristics
will be even more pronounced in
conjunction with winter tires.
Only one space-saver spare tire
may be mounted at one time.
Mount a wheel and tire with the same
size and specifications as the others
at the earliest possible opportunity.
Maintain correct tire pressures. Refer
to page 29.<
Battery locationThe battery is located at the right-rear
of the luggage compartment. Raise the
luggage compartment floor panel (refer
to page 41). Use a screwdriver or a coin
to loosen the two fasteners in the illus-
tration f-turn. Loosen the third fastener
in the upper-center side trim panel.
Remove the fasteners. In order to
remove the storage tray, slide the side
trim panel slightly upward.
Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds. Wash hands after
handling.<460de176
Charge conditionThe "Magic Eye
*" is a hydrometer that
allows you to read the charge condition
of the battery:
>Green: adequate charge.
>Black: not adequately charged. The
battery must be recharged. Please
contact your BMW center for addi-
tional information.
>Yellow: replace the battery.
The service life specified for the
battery can be achieved only if it is
always kept adequately charged. If the
vehicle is primarily used for stop-and-
go traffic, be sure to check the charge
state often.<
460de252

170n
Battery FusesCharging the battery Charge the battery in the vehicle only
when the engine is not running.
Before doing any work on the elec-
trical system, be sure to unclamp
the cable from the battery's negative
terminal. Failure to do so can result in
short-circuits, a fire or personal injury.<
If the vehicle is to be parked longer than
four weeks, disconnect the battery from
the vehicle's electrical system by
disconnecting the negative terminal
cable and then recharge using a suit-
able charging device.
If you intend to store your vehicle for
longer than twelve weeks: remove the
battery, charge it and store it in a cool
(but frost-and dust-free) room. Every
three months and before reinstalling the
battery, have it recharged. If it is not
recharged, it will not be serviceable.
Every time the battery is discharged,
especially over extended periods, its
service life is reduced.
Return used batteries to a recy-
cling center or your BMW center.
Maintain the battery in an upright posi-
tion for transport and storage. Secure
the battery to prevent it from tilting
during transport.<
Storage periods during which the
battery is disconnected are not
taken into consideration by the Service
Interval Display for changing the brake
fluid.
For this reason, be sure that the brake
fluid is changed every two years,
regardless of the information displayed.
Read and comply with the information
on page 143 covering this subject.<
If an electrical accessory should fail,
switch it off and check the fuse. In the glove compartment1 Open the glove compartment and
turn the two white quick-release
fasteners outward. Spare fuses and
plastic tweezers are located on the
fuse holder.
2 Use the plastic tweezers to remove
the fuse for the accessory or equip-
ment that has stopped working.
3 If the fuse is burned through (the
metal strip is melted and separated),
replace it with a new fuse of the same
ampere rating (color code).460de062

172n
Manual release Pull the knob with the fuel pump symbol
(arrow) on the right trim panel of the
luggage compartment. 460de178
Manual operation 1 Remove the interior lamp (refer to
page 163), reach into the opening
and push the panel out
2 Turn the sunroof's steel crank with
the Allen wrench from the onboard
tool kit (refer to page 158) in the
desired direction.460de183
Fuel filler door Sliding/tilt sunroof
*

182n
Four-wheel driveThe transmission of power to the four
drive wheels is provided permanently
through a transfer box. The distribution
of torque between the front and rear
axles is 38% to 62%.
Traditional differential locks at the front
and rear axles and in the transfer box
are not required. Their function is taken
over by automatic braking intervention
at all four wheels. These traction inter-
ventions are governed by Automatic
Differential Brake (ADB-X), a sub-func-
tion of DSC.
If a wheel tends to slip, it is braked
automatically by ADB-X until it once
again gains traction, and drive force
can be transmitted to that wheel. In
addition, the drive force is distributed to
the remaining wheels during this 530us133
system intervention. Engine output is
also reduced if necessary.
When the DSC is deactivated, the
ADB-X traction intervention is set for
the maximum drive force. However, the
engine intervention and the stability
controls are no longer available. For
this reason, DSC should only be deacti-
vated in the exceptional circumstances
described on page 84.
The BMW 325xi and 330xi are not
intended for off-road operation. But the
permanent four-wheel drive provides a
high degree of driving stability and trac-
tion on all road conditions and surfaces.
It supports you in critical driving condi-
tions, e.g. in extreme winter conditions
or on loose road surfaces.