
 
Contents
 
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the 
written consent of BMW AG, Munich. 
Order No. 01 40 0 156 144
deutsch 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 sunroof38
 
Adjustments:
 
Correct sitting posture40
Seats40
Manual seat adjustment41
Power seat adjustment42
Lumbar support42
Head restraints43
Entering the rear43
Safety belts44
Seat and mirror memory45
Seat heating46
Steering wheel46
Mirrors47
 
Passenger safety systems:
 
Airbags48
Transporting children safely51
Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory53
 
Driving:
 
Ignition lock54
Starting the engine54
Switching off the engine55
Parking brake56
Manual transmission56
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic57
Indicator/Headlamp flasher59
Washer/Wiper system/Rain 
sensor60
Cruise control62
 
Everything under control:
 
Odometer64
Tachometer64
Energy control64
Fuel gauge65
Temperature gauge65
Service Interval Display65
Check Control66
Computer66
 
Technology for safety and 
driving convenience:
 
Park Distance Control (PDC)69
Automatic Stability Control plus 
Traction (ASC+T)70
Dynamic Stability Control 
(DSC)71
Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC)73
Flat Tire Monitor75
 
Contents 

40n
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 51. 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 48.
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 
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects in your pockets. 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 the 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 44.
When adjusting your seat, always 
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat 
could respond with an unexpected 
movement, and the ensuing loss of 
vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never ride with the backrest 
reclined to an extreme horizontal angle 
(important for front passengers to 
remember). Keep the backrest relatively 
upright to minimize the risk of sliding 
under the safety belt and sustaining 
injury in an accident.<
Seat adjustment>Manual seat adjustment, refer to 
page 41
>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 42
>Head restraint, refer to page 43
>Entering the rear, refer to page 43 

44n
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 the 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 button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment 
instructions on page 40.
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.< 

49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags
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 rollover, 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 instrument 
panel, 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 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.
restrained (infants and small children in 
appropriate child-restraint systems; 
larger children and adults using the 
safety belts). Never let an occupant's 
head rest near or on a side airbag: in 
the event of deployment the airbag 
could cause a serious or fatal injury. 
Please note that the word Airbag 
embossed on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location. 
Accident research shows that the 
safest place for children in an automo-
bile 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 one is installed. 
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 that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly positioned at all times and do not 
place their heads on or near the side 
airbag. 
Therefore, we recommend that the 
rear-seat side airbags, if installed, be 
deactivated if children will be riding in 
the rear seat. 
The rear-seat side airbags may already 
have been deactivated, either at the  

50n
Airbagstime 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 
observed, 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 induce a mild 
temporary hearing loss in sensitive indi-
viduals.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 safety belt when rear 
side airbags (arrow) are provided. 

51n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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.
Tilt the backrest halfway forward to 
make the cover easier to remove (refer 
to page 91).
The illustration is an example showing 
the mounts for a LATCH child-restraint 
mounting system at the right rear.
Always follow all manufacturer's 
instructions and observe all safety 
precautions when installing the LATCH 
child-restraint mounting system.<
Commercially available child seats 
complying with the legal standard are 
designed to be secured with a lap belt 
or with the lap 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.
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 instruc-
tions.
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 far away 
from the instrument panel as possible. 
This important precaution is intended to  

52n
Transporting children safelymaximize 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 comply with the instructions 
for installation 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.c
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.
Securing 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. 

91n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Through-loading systemPull the corresponding lever to release 
(arrow).
The backrest moves forward slightly 
when released. Reach into the gap and 
fold it down.
When folding the backrest back 
into its original position always 
ensure that the detent engages 
securely. A loose backrest might fail to 
prevent cargo from entering the 
passenger compartment during sudden 
braking or evasive maneuvers, posing a 
potential hazard to occupants.<
To secure your luggage, use the 
luggage nets
* or flexible straps that you 
can attach to the fittings at the inner 
corners of the luggage compartment.
Refer also to Cargo loading on page 93.
Rear center 3-point belt
*
You can roll up the rear 3-point belt 
before folding back the through-loading 
system:
>Release the belt and insert its latch in 
the recess provided for this purpose 
in the rear tray (arrow).
Always use the outer safety belts 
to install child-restraint systems. 
The center seat belt should only be 
used when it is necessary to secure 
three child-restraint systems.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint 
systems. If you do this, the protection 
provided by these systems could be 
impaired.<