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
36n
Alarm system
*
The conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the
luggage compartment lid is opened
>To movement inside the vehicle (inte-
rior motion sensor)
>To variations in the vehicle's tilt angle
such as those occurring during
attempts to steal the wheels or tow
the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following:
>The acoustic alarm sounds for
30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers are acti-
vated for approx. five minutes
>The high beams flash on and off in
rhythm with the hazard warning
flashers.
To arm and disarm the alarm
systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
via the driver's door lock or with the
remote control, the alarm system is also
simultaneously armed or disarmed.
You can have different acknowl-
edgment signals set to confirm
arming and disarming.<
You can open the luggage compart-
ment lid even when the system is
armed by pressing the button on the
remote control, refer to page 30. When
it is closed, the lid is once again
secured.
Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes during
arming: the door(s), the hood or
luggage compartment lid are not
completely closed. Even if you do not
close the alerted area(s), the
remaining areas are secured, and the
indicator lamp will flash continuously
after 10 seconds. However, the inte-
rior motion sensor is not activated
46n
Seat and mirror memory
*
You can store and recall three different
driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions.
Memory will not retain the adjust-
ment made to the lumbar
support.
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: indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored setting
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.<
Ignition key position 1:
>Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3,
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or
memory buttons is activated during
the adjustment process.
With the driver's door closed and the
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 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
accidentally: press the button
again; the indicator lamp goes out.<
You can have this feature
programmed so that when you
use the remote control from your
personalized key to unlock your door,
your seat and exterior mirrors will all
move into your own preferred
positions.<
Before activating the programmed
adjustment feature ensure that the
footwell behind the driver's seat is
empty and unobstructed. If you fail to
do so, persons or objects could be
injured or damaged if the seat should
move backward.<
47n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Seat and mirror memory
*
Seat heating
*
Steering wheel
Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt
function(automatic curb monitor
*)
1. Move the mirror selector switch 1 to
the "driver's mirror" position
2. When the selector lever is placed in
"Reverse," the passenger-side mirror
tilts downward to help the driver
monitor the area directly adjacent to
the vehicle during parking (curbs,
etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic
feature by setting the mirror selector
switch to the "passenger-side" posi-
tion.
The seat cushion and backrest can
be heated with the ignition key in posi-
tion 2.
You can select different heating modes
by repeatedly pressing the buttons.
You can also switch the higher heating
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer.
Adjustments1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust the steering column's rake
and reach to suit your seat position
3. Pull the lever back in to clamp the
steering wheel in the new position.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving, other-
wise you run the risk of an accident due
to unexpected movement.<
48n
Mirrors To adjust exterior mirrors1 Mirror switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Selection switch for changing
between mirrors
To adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edge of the lens.
Storing mirror settings, refer to Seat
and mirror memory on page 46.
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. This means that estimates
of the distance to following traffic
should not be regarded as precise. This
precaution also applies to the non-
spherical outer section of the lens.
Both mirrors are automatically heated
when you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 2.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind
you when you are driving at night, tilt
the lens by turning the button.
Vehicles without alarm system:
Tilt the small lever forward.
49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Mirrors AirbagsInterior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming feature
*
This mirror automatically dims through
an infinitely-variable range. It returns to
its clear, undimmed mode whenever
you engage reverse.
To ensure that the mirror continues to
operate efficiently, ensure that the
photocells remain clear and unob-
structed. One photocell is integrated in
the mirror's lens (arrow), while the other
is located at an offset position on the
rear of the mirror. Refrain from
attaching stickers to the windshield in
the area immediately in front of the
mirror.
1 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger sides
2 Side Impact Head Protection System
on the driver and passenger sides
(front)
3 Side airbags on the driver and
passenger sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing addi-
tional protection, in the event of a
severe frontal collision in which the
protection afforded by the belts alone
may no longer be sufficient. The Head
Protection System and side airbags
help provide protection in the event of a
collision from the side. Each of the side
airbags is designed to help support the
seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
posture, refer to page 41.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
when you turn the ignition key to
position 1 or 2.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to go out
after the engine has been started, or
comes on again during normal
driving.
Please respond to any malfunctions in
the system by immediately having it
inspected at your BMW center; other-
wise the airbag could fail to respond to
an accident in which both the angle and
the severity of the impact would
normally trigger airbag deployment.
55n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functionsNo doubt you have reflected at one
time or another on how great it would
be if you could permanently configure
your vehicle's various features and
adjustments to mirror your own indi-
vidual preferences. In engineering your
vehicle, BMW has incorporated a
number of options for personal adjust-
ment that can be programmed into your
vehicle at your BMW center.
The available configuration data fall into
two categories, according to whether
their primary orientation is the vehicle
(Vehicle Memory) or the individual (Key
Memory). Provided that each person
has a separate remote-control key, you
can have your BMW center enter
adjustment data for as many as four
different individuals into the system.
The system then relies on a bilateral
data exchange to identify the individual
user and dial in the selected settings
whenever the remote control unit is
used to disengage the door locks.
Color-coded decals have been
provided to help you distinguish indi-
vidual keys with different settings.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with
details on the capabilities of the Vehicle
Memory and Key Memory systems. A
few examples follow below:
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals as acknowledgment
when locking or unlocking your
vehicle, refer to pages 29, 31
>Activates/deactivates the "Follow me
home" function, refer to page 82
>Activates/deactivates daytime driving
lamps, refer to page 82.Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle when you start off,
refer to page 32
>Automatically adjusts the power seat
to your personal programmed
settings when you unlock the vehicle,
refer to page 46
>Unlocks driver's door first, then
proceeds to disengage the vehicle's
remaining locks, refer to page 29.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<
62n
Washer/Wiper system 0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent mode or rain sensor
2 Normal wipe
3 Fast wipe
4 Brief wipe
5 Rotary dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensorIntermittent mode(not on vehicles with rain sensor)
You can select any of four sweep inter-
vals with rotary dial 5.
In addition, the wipe interval varies
automatically depending on road
speed.
Rain sensor
*
The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly ahead of the inte-
rior rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
>With the ignition key in position 1
or 2, move the lever to position 1.
The wipers will make at least one
sweep across the windshield.
You can leave the lever in position 1 at
all times. With the ignition key in posi-
tion 1 or 2, all you then need to do to
activate the rain sensor is
>briefly turn the rotary dial 5, or
>clean the windshield 1, refer to
page 63.To adjust the sensitivity of the rain
sensor:
Turn rotary dial 5.
To switch off the rain sensor:
Return lever to position 0.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by
undesired wiper activation.<
Normal wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers switch automatically to intermit-
tent wipe (not on vehicles with rain
sensor).Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers revert to operate at normal
speed (not on vehicles with rain
sensor).