
 
Contents
 
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the 
written consent of BMW AG, Munich. 
Order No. 01 41 0 156 168
US English VIII/01
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper 
(bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling). 
Overview
Controls and features
 
Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps17
Multifunction steering wheel 
(MFL)21
Hazard warning triangle22
Refueling22
Fuel specifications23
Tire inflation pressures24
 
Opening and closing:
 
Keys28
Central locking system28
Opening and closing Ð via the 
remote control29
Opening and closing Ð via the 
door lock31
Opening and closing Ð from the 
inside32
Luggage compartment lid33
Luggage compartment35
Alarm system36
Electric power windows37
Sliding/tilt sunroof39
 
Adjustments:
 
Correct sitting posture41
Seats41
Manual seat adjustment42
Power seat adjustment43
Lumbar support43
Head restraints44
Safety belts45
Seat and mirror memory46
Seat heating47
Steering wheel47
Mirrors48
 
Passenger safety systems:
 
Airbags49
Transporting children safely52
Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory55
 
Driving:
 
Ignition lock56
Starting the engine56
Switching off the engine57
Parking brake58
Manual transmission58
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic59
Indicator/Headlamp flasher61
Washer/Wiper system/Rain 
sensor62
Cruise control64
 
Everything under control:
 
Odometer66
Tachometer66
Energy control66
Fuel gauge67
Temperature gauge67
Service Interval Display67
Check Control68
Clock68
Computer69
 
Technology for safety and 
driving convenience:
 
Park Distance Control (PDC)71
Automatic Stability Control plus 
Traction (ASC+T)72
Dynamic Stability Control 
(DSC)73
 
Contents 

41n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Correct sitting posture SeatsFor relaxed and fatigue-free driving you 
should select a sitting position that 
reflects your personal requirements. 
Correct posture combines with safety 
belts and airbags to enhance occupant 
safety in the event of an accident. To 
ensure that the vehicle's safety systems 
provide you with optimal protection, we 
request that you direct your careful 
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on 
transporting children, refer to page 52. Sitting correctly with airbags
Always maintain an adequate 
distance between yourself and the 
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel 
by the rim to keep any chance of injury 
to hands or arms to an absolute 
minimum should the airbag be 
deployed. Never allow any objects, 
individuals or animals to obstruct the 
areas between passengers and airbags.
Never use the front airbag's cover as a 
storage tray or support for objects of 
any kind. Never allow front passengers 
to rest their feet or legs on the airbag 
cover.<
For airbag locations and additional 
information on airbags refer to page 49.
Safe with safety belts
Never allow more than one person 
to wear a single safety belt. Never 
allow infants or small children to ride in 
a passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the 
belt while routing it firmly across the 
hips and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects. Do not route the belt 
across your neck, or run it across sharp 
edges. Be sure that the belt does not 
become caught or jammed. Avoid 
wearing bulky clothing and pull on the 
lap belt periodically to retension it over 
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal 
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over 
your hips, leading to abdominal 
injury. In addition, the safety belt's 
restraint effectiveness is reduced if it is 
worn loosely. Expectant mothers 
should always wear their safety belts, 
taking care to position the lap belt 
against the lower hips, where it will not 
exert pressure against the abdominal 
area.<
For information on using the safety 
belts refer to page 45.
When adjusting your seat, always 
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat 
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle 
control could lead to an accident. Never 
ride with the backrest reclined to an 
extreme horizontal angle (important for 
front passengers to remember). Keep 
the backrest relatively upright to mini-
mize the risk of sliding under the safety 
belt and sustaining injury in an acci-
dent.<
Seat adjustment>Manual seat adjustment, refer to 
page 42
>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 43
>Head restraint, refer to page 44 

45n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before 
starting off. As supplemental restraint 
devices, the airbags are designed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the safety 
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the catch engage in 
the belt buckle.To open1. Press red button in the belt buckle
2. Hold end of the belt
3. Guide belt back into the inertia reel.
The rear belt buckle with the word 
CENTER is intended exclusively 
for the passenger sitting in the middle.<
Adjusting safety belt heightUse the height adjustment mechanism 
to adapt the shoulder strap to the ideal 
level for your own body:
>Slide the button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment 
instructions on page 41.
If the safety belt system has been 
subjected to the stresses involved 
in an accident or otherwise damaged: 
have the entire safety belt mechanism 
replaced by your BMW center, 
including the safety belt tensioner. In 
addition, have your BMW center 
inspect the safety belt anchors. If a 
child-restraint system was in the 
vehicle during an accident, consult the 
manufacturer's instructions regarding 
replacement.< 

50n
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 airbags do not deploy in 
response to minor collisions, rear 
impacts and certain kinds of vehicle 
rollover.<
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 
these directions: 
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. Do 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 less 
than 5 ft (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 with the greatest-possible 
distance between them and 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.<
At all times, occupants should sit 
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 
automobile 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 difficult for a driver to ensure  

51n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbagsthat 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 installed in the 
vehicle, 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 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 
followed, 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 provoke a mild 
temporary hearing loss in extremely 
sensitive individuals.This is the right way for a child to sit in a 
child restraint when rear side airbags 
(arrow) are provided.
This is the right way for a larger child to 
sit wearing the seat belt when rear side 
airbags (arrow) are provided. 

52n
Transporting children safelyLATCH child-restraint mounting 
system
*
Remove the cover from the outside 
mount by pulling forward. When re-
installing ensure that the recess is on 
the top.
With through-loading system:
Tilt the backrest halfway forward to 
make the cover easier to remove (refer 
to page 96).
The illustration is an example showing 
the mounts for a LATCH child-restraint 
system at the right rear seat.
Always follow all manufacturer's 
instructions and observe all safety 
precautions when installing the LATCH 
child-restraint system.<
Child-safety locksSlide down the lever located in the rear 
door:
The door can now be opened from the 
outside only. 

53n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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, 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 
corresponding anchorage point to 
secure the child-restraint system. 
Remove the center cover first.
If the selected seating position is fitted 
with a headrest lift the headrest and 
pass the tether strap between the 
headrest and the backrest.
Adjust the tether strap according to the 
child-restraint manufacturer's 
instructions.
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat, 
please read the following: 
Never install a rear-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 installed 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. 
Always ensure that all occupants (of all 
ages) remain properly and securely 
restrained at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your vehicle 
meet the recommendations of 
SAE J1819, an industry recommended 
standard for securing child-restraint 
systems in motor vehicles. 

54n
Transporting children safelySecuring child-restraint systemAll 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.
To 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 observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of 
the child-restraint system.
To release the safety beltTo release the safety belt, remove the 
child's seat and retract the safety belt to 
its end position on the belt retractor.