Contents
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 190
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
Ð via the door lock31
Ð from the inside32
Luggage compartment lid33
Luggage compartment35
Alarm system36
Electric power windows38
Manual convertible top39
Fully-automatic convertible
top42
Wind deflector46
Adjustments:
Correct sitting posture48
Seats48
Adjusting electric power
seats49
Lumbar support50
Head restraints50
Entering the rear51
Safety belts52
Seat and mirror memory53
Seat heating54
Steering wheel54
Mirrors55
Passenger safety systems:
Airbags56
Transporting children safely59Rollover protection system61
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory63
Driving:
Ignition lock64
Starting the engine64
Switching off the engine65
Parking brake66
Manual transmission66
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic67
Indicator/Headlamp flasher69
Washer/Wiper system/
Rain sensor70
Cruise control72
Everything under control:
Odometer74
Tachometer74
Energy control74
Fuel gauge75
Temperature gauge75
Service Interval Display75
Check Control76
Computer76
Technology for safety and
driving convenience:
Park Distance Control (PDC)79
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)80
Contents
44n
Fully-automatic convertible top
*
While the convertible top is in
motion, the rear window will move
toward the passenger compartment
and will gently press the heads of the
passengers sitting in the rear forward.
Normally, this is not dangerous. To
avoid possibly being pinched, passen-
gers in the back seat should lean their
heads slightly forward while the
convertible top is in motion.<
The side power windows are lowered a
small distance whenever the top is set
in motion by pressing the button and
after the opening or closing process is
completed, they will go back up, if you
keep holding the button down for more
than 2 seconds after the indicator lamp
has gone out.
The luggage compartment lid cannot be
opened while the convertible top is in
motion.
Do not close the side power
windows using the buttons if the
convertible top operation has been
interrupted.<
After having been stored for an
extended period of time in the
convertible top compartment Ñ e. g.
during the winter months because the
hardtop was being used Ñ you may have
to support the convertible top by hand
when closing it for the first time:
If the convertible top should halt just
before the closing phase is completed,
press against the front section of the
convertible top frame from the outside to
help the closing process along. Continue
pressing the switch while doing so until
the top starts up again on its own.<
If the opening or closing process
has been interrupted, the convert-
ible top will remain in that position for
15 minutes.
After that, the convertible top can be
moved again and, if it is an emergency
situation, you may need to help the top
along manually. This can also be done
in ignition key position 0.
In certain cases, the luggage compart-
ment lid cannot be opened if the
opening or closing operation has been
interrupted.
Manual closing in the event of an
electrical malfunction
The best way to close the convert-
ible top manually is to stand
outside the vehicle, keeping the driver's
door open and the driver's seat flipped
forward. No one is to be in the rear seat
during this operation.<
1. Remove the insert between the rear
seats. Take the trim off of the guide
rod and flip it forward. Press down
hard on the emergency lock (arrow).
After a brief pause, the mechanism
for the convertible top compartment
lid will be released
47n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Wind deflector2. Flip out both sides and lock into
place. It is essential for the two
components marked in the illustra-
tion (arrows) to mesh at this point
3. Hold the wind deflector so that the
smaller half points toward the front
and guide the mounting pin for the
side piece into the proper opening
4. Pull back on the mounting pin for the
other side piece by using a slide, so
that the mounting pin can be guided
into the opening provided
5. Unlock the convertible top compart-
ment lid via the convertible top
control button, refer to page 43, and
open the convertible top compart-
ment lid
6. Flip the back half of the wind
deflector backward, so that the
mounts are lying on the vehicle
7. Close the convertible top compart-
ment lid via the convertible top
control button. The wind deflector is
now attached so that it is theft-proof.
Operate the convertible top
compartment lid from above only
in order to avoid any pinching.
With the wind deflector in place: to
avoid damaging the wind deflector
never push the front seats all the way
back.<
RemovalFollow the same procedure as when
installing, just reverse the steps.
48n
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 59. 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 56.
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 pres-
sure against the abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety
belts refer to page 52.
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>Power seat, refer to page 49
>Head restraint, refer to page 50
>Entering the rear, refer to page 51
49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Adjusting electric power seatsSeat adjustment1 Backward/forward adjustment
2 Cushion height
3 Backrest angle
Please refer to the adjustment
instructions on page 48 to reduce
the risk of personal injury.<
BMW sports seat
* adjustment
1 Tilt angle
2 Backward/forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Please refer to the adjustment
instructions on page 48 to reduce
the risk of personal injury.<
5 Thigh support
Pull the lever and adjust the position of
the thigh support for your personal
comfort.
51n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Head restraints Entering the rearRear head restraints
To avoid possible violation of
traffic laws, never retract the head
restraints unless the rear seats are
empty. Always ensure that the head
restraints are raised before transporting
passengers in the rear seat.<
To completely lower the rear head
restraints:
1. Press the button (arrow) and hold it
down
2. Push the head restraint down from
above.
Raising the rear head restraintsRaise the head restraints until you hear
them click into place.
Do not remove the rear head
restraints, as this would damage
them.<
For further information, please consult
your BMW center.
Do not use the rear head
restraints as storage shelves.
Always keep the travel path for the roll-
over protection system free and clear.
Under no circumstances should you put
any kind of cover (antimacassar) on the
head restraints.<
The seat-integrated safety belt system
SGS allows for easy access to the rear.
1. Lift lever 1 up and tilt the backrest
forward
2. Press and hold button 2 in driving
direction until the seat moves to the
desired position
3. After entering the rear, fold back and
lock the backrest
4 Press button 2 opposite the direction
of travel and hold. The seat moves
back into its previous position. If the
button 2 is released beforehand, the
seat stops in the respective position.
59n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Transporting children safelyLATCH child-restraint mounting
system
*
The anchorage points for the child-
restraint system are located behind the
upholstery at the positions indicated by
the arrows.
Carefully slide the brackets through the
gaps in the upholstery at the indicated
locations.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint system.<
To avoid undesired movement at
higher speeds, always store the
rear safety belts in their retainers when
they are not in use.<
Commercially 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 corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system. Remove the
center cover first.
102n
Ski bag
*
The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
The length of the ski bag and the addi-
tional space provided in the luggage
compartment make it possible to carry
skis up to 6.8 ft (2.1 m) long. Because
of the tapered shape of the bag, the ski
bag can only accommodate two pairs
of skis up to 6.8 ft (2.1 m) long.
Loading1. Take the safety belts out of their
holders
2. Press button downward (arrow) and
remove the filler piece by pulling it
forward
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to the inside of the bag,
and can also be left open to promote
drying
4. Press the release button in the
luggage compartment (arrow)
5. Use the magnetic holder to fasten
the cover panel to the back wall.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.Securing cargo
Secure skis and any other objects
stored in the bag by tightening the
retaining strap at the buckle.<
Make sure that the skis are clean
before loading them into the bag.
Avoid damage from sharp edges during
loading.<