
 
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 

 8n 
Notes
Symbols
Your individual vehicle
 
Notes on the Owner's Manual We have made every effort to ensure 
that you are able to find what you need 
in this Owner's Manual as quickly as 
possible. The fastest way to find 
specific topics is by using the detailed 
index at the end. If you wish to gain 
only an initial overview of your vehicle, 
you will find this in the first chapter.
The detailed table of contents is 
intended to stimulate your interest and 
encourage you to read the remainder of 
the manual.
Should you wish to sell your BMW at 
some time in the future, please 
remember to hand over this Owner's 
Manual to the new owner; it is part of 
the vehicle.
If you have any additional questions, 
your BMW center will be glad to advise 
you. 
Symbols used
 
Indicates precautions that must 
be followed precisely in order to 
avoid the possibility of personal injury 
and serious damage to the vehicle.
 
<
 
Contains information that will 
assist you in gaining the optimum 
benefit from your vehicle and enables 
you to care more effectively for your 
vehicle.
 
<
 
 
Refers to measures that can 
be taken to help protect the 
environment.
 
<
<
 
Marks the end of a specific item of 
information.
 
* 
Indicates special equipment, country-
specific equipment and optional extras.
 
Identifies systems or components, 
which can either be activated or 
adapted to suit an individual driver's 
requirements ("Vehicle Memory", "Key 
Memory"), refer to page 55.
 
<
 
Remember that activation and adjust-
ments on some of these systems can 
only be performed at your BMW 
center.
 
<
 
  

 
10n
 
For your own safety
 
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels  
containing up to and including 
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with 
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight (i.e. 
15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an 
equivalent amount of co-solvent) will 
not void the applicable warranties 
covering defects in materials or work-
manship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel 
quality (volatility, composition, addi-
tives, for example) among gasolines 
offered for sale in the United States and 
Canada. The use of poor-quality fuels 
may result in driveability, starting and 
stalling problems, especially under 
certain environmental conditions, such 
as high ambient temperature and high 
altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems which you suspect could be 
related to the fuel you are using, we 
recommend that you respond by 
switching to a recognized high-quality 
brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled 
maintenance.
Obey all applicable safety rules when 
handling gasoline.
 
<
 
Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine parts  
and accessories approved by BMW. 
When you purchase accessories tested  
and approved by BMW and Original 
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire 
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure 
optimum performance when installed 
on your vehicle. 
BMW warrants these parts to be free  
from defects in material and workman-
ship. 
BMW will not accept any liability for  
damage resulting from installation of 
parts and accessories not approved by 
BMW. 
BMW cannot test every product on the  
market to determine whether it can be 
used on a BMW safely and without risk 
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its 
occupants. 
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories  
and other products approved by BMW, 
together with professional advice on 
using these items, are available from all 
BMW centers.
 
Installation and operation of non-BMW  
approved accessories such as alarms, 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, 
wheels, suspension components, brake 
dust shields, telephones (including oper-
ation of any portable cellular phone from 
within the vehicle without using an exter-
nally mounted antenna) or transceiver 
equipment (such as CB, walkie-talkie, 
ham radio or similar) may cause exten-
sive damage to the vehicle, compromise 
its safety, interfere with the vehicle's 
electrical system or affect the validity of 
the BMW Limited Warranty. See your 
BMW center for additional information. 
Do not use key or remote control to lock  
doors or luggage compartment with 
anyone inside the vehicle. Refer to 
page 34 for more details.
 
<
 
Maintenance, replacement, or 
repair of the emission control 
devices and systems may be performed 
by any automotive repair establishment 
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.
 
<
 
Symbol on vehicle parts 
 
Indicates that you should consult 
the relevant section of this 
Owner's Manual for information on a 
particular part or assembly.  

28n
Keys Central locking systemThe key set1 Master key with remote control unit, 
for information on programming the 
Key Memory refer to page 55.
You can mark individual keys for 
subsequent identification by applying 
the colored decals that you received 
when accepting delivery of your 
vehicle
There is an extended-life battery 
in every master key that is 
charged automatically in the ignition 
lock as you drive.
For this reason, if you have a master 
key that is not being used otherwise, 
use those keys approximately once a 
year while driving for an extended 
period to charge the battery, refer also 
to page 29.<
2 Spare key for storage in a safe place, 
such as in your wallet. This key is not 
intended for constant use 
3 Door and ignition key
The locks for the luggage compart-
ment lid and the glove compartment 
cannot be operated with this key Ð 
this is useful for valet parking, for 
instance
The conceptThe central locking system is ready for 
operation whenever the driver's door is 
closed. The system engages and 
releases the locks on the
>doors
>luggage compartment lid
>fuel filler door. 
The central locking system can be 
operated
>from outside via the remote control 
as well as via the driver's door lock
>from inside by pressing a button.
Activating it from inside does not lock 
the fuel filler door, refer to page 32. 
When the system is actuated from the 
outside, the anti-theft system is acti-
vated simultaneously. Both the door 
locks and release handles remain 
locked. The alarm system is also acti-
vated or deactivated.
If locked from the inside, the central 
locking system unlocks automatically in 
the event of an accident, except on 
doors that have been locked individu-
ally using the lock buttons, refer to 
page 31. In addition, the hazard 
warning flashers and interior lamps 
come on. 

29n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlThe conceptThe remote control gives you an excep-
tionally convenient method for 
unlocking and locking your vehicle. 
Furthermore, it provides two additional 
functions which you can only execute 
via the remote control:
>To switch on interior lamps, refer to 
page 30.
With this function, you can also 
search for the vehicle, when parked 
in an underground garage, for 
instance
>To open the luggage compartment 
lid, refer to page 30.
The luggage compartment lid will 
open slightly, regardless of whether it 
was previously locked or unlocked.
Whenever you unlock (lock) the vehicle, 
you simultaneously deactivate (activate) 
the anti-theft system, disarm (arm) the 
alarm system and switch the interior 
lamps on (off).
You can have a signal set to 
confirm that the vehicle's locks 
have engaged securely.<
Since children might be able to 
lock the doors from the inside, 
always take the vehicle keys with you 
so that the vehicle can be opened again 
from the outside at any time.<
If it is no longer possible to lock 
the vehicle via the remote control, 
the battery is discharged. Use this key 
while driving for an extended period in 
order to recharge the battery.
To prevent unauthorized use of the 
remote control, surrender only the door 
and ignition key or the spare key, for 
example when leaving the vehicle for 
valet parking, refer to page 28.
In the event of a system malfunction, 
please contact your BMW center. You 
can also obtain replacement keys 
there.<
1 Unlock and convenience opening 
2 Lock and secure, interior lamp activa-
tion, disarming tilt alarm sensor and 
interior monitor sensor
3 Open the luggage compartment lidTo unlockPress the button once to unlock the 
driver's door.
Press the button a second time to 
disengage all vehicle locks. 

30n
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlConvenience opening modePress and hold button to open the elec-
tric power windows and sliding/tilt 
sunroof.To lock and securePress button.
Do not lock the vehicle if anyone 
will be remaining inside, as it 
would then be impossible for the occu-
pant(s) to disengage the locks from the 
inside.< To switch on the interior lampsAfter locking the vehicle, press button 
again.To switch off the tilt alarm sensor
* 
and the interior motion sensor
* 
Press button a second time immedi-
ately after locking.
For additional information, refer to 
page 37.
To open the luggage 
compartment lidPress button.
The luggage compartment lid will open 
slightly, regardless of whether the lid 
was previously locked or unlocked.
Before and after a trip, be sure 
that the luggage compartment lid 
has not been opened unintentionally.
danger by holding down the button for 
between two and five seconds. 
Press the button to cancel the alarm.External systemsThe remote control system's operation 
may be affected by other units or 
equipment operating in the immediate 
vicinity of your vehicle.
If this should occur, you can still open 
and close the vehicle using the master 
key in either the door or luggage 
compartment lid locks.
For US owners onlyThe transmitter and receiver units 
comply with part 15 of the FCC (Federal 
Communication Commission) regula-
tions. Operation is governed by the 
following:
FCC ID: LX8EWS
LX8FZVS
LX8FZVE
Compliance statement: 
This device complies with part 15 of the 
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the 
following two conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful 
interference, and
>this device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference 
that may cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications to 
these devices could void the 
user's authority to operate the equip-
ment.<  

31n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the door lockOne turn of the key in the driver's door 
lock unlocks the driver's door only. 
Turning the key a second time unlocks 
all of the remaining doors, the luggage 
compartment lid and the fuel filler door.
Do not lock the vehicle if anyone 
will be remaining inside, as it 
would then be impossible for the occu-
pant(s) to disengage the locks from the 
inside.< 
You can have a signal set to 
confirm that the vehicle's locks 
have engaged securely.<
Convenience operationYou can also operate the power 
windows and the sliding/tilt sunroof via 
the door lock.
>To open: with the door closed, hold 
the key in the "Unlock" position
>To close: with the door closed, turn 
the key to the "Lock" position and 
hold it.
Whenever closing the windows or 
sliding/tilt sunroof you should 
always monitor their path and progress 
to ensure that no injuries occur. 
Release the key to stop the windows 
(sliding/tilt sunroof).<
Manual operation (in the event of electrical malfunction)
Turn the key to the extreme left or right 
to unlock/lock the driver's door. 

32n
Opening and closing Ð from the insideYou can use this button to control the 
central locking system whenever the 
doors are closed. The doors and 
luggage compartment lid are unlocked 
or locked only. The anti-theft system is 
not activated.
If only the driver's door was 
unlocked from the outside and 
you press the button, then, with the 
driver's door still open, the passenger-
side door, the luggage compartment lid 
and the fuel filler door will unlock, too. 
If the driver's door is closed, it will be 
locked.<
If you desire, the central locking 
system can be locked automati-
cally as soon as you begin to drive. This 
can be adjusted to be key-specific.<
To unlock and open the doors>Either unlock the doors together with 
the button for the central locking 
system and then pull each of the 
release handles above the armrests 
or
>pull the release handle for each door 
twice: the first pull unlocks the door, 
and the second one opens it.
To lock the doors>Either use the central locking button 
to lock all doors at once 
or
>press down the individual door lock 
buttons. The fuel filler door remains 
unlocked. To prevent the driver from 
being inadvertently locked out of the 
vehicle, the driver's door lock button 
will not engage as long as the door is 
open.
Since children might be able to 
lock the doors from the inside, 
always take the vehicle's keys with you 
so that you can open the vehicle again 
from the outside at any time.<