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
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.
97n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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 0 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 0 m) long.
LoadingVehicles without through-loading
system:
1. Fold the center armrest outward.
Loosen the trim from the upper
Velcro¨ fastener and place it on the
armrest
2. Press the button (arrow 1, access
from the passenger compartment):
this releases the cover panel in the
luggage compartment
3. Press the detent levers (arrows 2)
inward and fold the cover to the front
4. 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
5. Use the magnetic retainers to attach
the cover panel to the upper surface
(metal surface below rear tray) of the
luggage compartment.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.
98n
Ski bag
*
LoadingVehicles with through-loading system:
1. Fold the center armrest outward.
Loosen the trim from the upper
Velcro¨ fastener and place it on the
armrest
2. Press button 1 downward and swing
the cover forward
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to stored items. It may
be opened to allow the ski bag to dry
4. Press knob 2: the cover in the
luggage compartment is unlocked.
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 your skis are clean
before loading them into the bag.
Avoid damage from sharp edges during
loading.<
Everything from A to ZA
ABS (Antilock Brake
System)19, 105
Accessories10
Activated-charcoal filter91
Adaptive Transmission
Control (ATC)60
ADB (Automatic Differential
Brake)73
Adding
brake fluid118
coolant117
engine oil115
washer fluid114
Adjusting
head restraints44
lumbar support43
manual seats42
mirrors48
power seat43
steering wheel47
thigh support42
Air conditioning85
temperature settings86
Air distribution86, 89
Air nozzles85 Air outlets,
ventilation85, 88
Air supply86, 89
Airbags18, 49
sitting correctly41
Alarm system36
Antifreeze117
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)19, 105
Anti-theft system36
Aquaplaning104, 105
Armrest92
ASC+T (Automatic Stability
Control plus Traction)72
Ashtray
front95
rear95
ATC (Adaptive Transmission
Control)60
Attach vehicle vacuum
cleaner95
AUC (Automatic recircu-
lated-air control)90
Automatic climate
control88
temperature settings89
Automatic cruise control64
Automatic curb monitor47 Automatic Differential Brake
(ADB)73
Automatic headlight
control82
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC)90
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction (ASC+T)72
Automatic transmission59
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic18, 59
Automatic-dimming feature,
mirrors49
Average consumption70
Average speed70
Axle loads142
B
Backrest, adjusting42
Backup lamps58
bulb replacement127
Battery133
care133
charge current
indicator17
charging133
Belts, safety45
Beverage holder93 Blower86, 89
BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oil116
BMW Maintenance
System119
BMW sports seat
electrical adjustment43
manual adjustment42
Bore140
Bottle holder, refer to
beverage holder93
Brake fluid118
add118
warning lamp17
Brake lamps
bulb replacement127
Brake system104, 106
brake fluid118
brake fluid level106
brake pads106
brake pads, indicator
lamp19
disc brakes106
Break-in procedure104
Bulbs and lamps,
replacement124
A-Z
Everything from A to ZDoor mirror48
Doors
electrical malfunction31
locking and unlocking29
manual operation31
DOT Quality Grades108
Draft-free ventilation87, 90
Drive belt17
defect17
Driving notes105
DSC (Dynamic Stability
Control)73
indicator lamp19
Dynamic Brake Control
(DBC)73, 74
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)73
indicator lamp19 E
Electric power windows37
Electrical malfunction
doors31
fuel filler door22
luggage compartment
lid33
sliding/tilt sunroof40 Elements of operation14
Emergency release of
luggage compartment lid
from luggage
compartment's interior35
Energy control66
Engine compartment
essentials113
Engine coolant, refer to
Coolant117
Engine data140
Engine oil
add115
capacity143
consumption115
level19
level, check115
level, indicator lamp17
pressure17
pressure, indicator
lamp17
Engine, starting56
Engine, switching off57
Exterior mirrors48
F
Failure messages68
Filling capacities143
Fittings, tow starting and
towing135
Flat tire132
Flat Tire
Monitor80, 109, 132
warning lamp17
Flat tires107, 129
Fog lamps83
Follow me home lamps82
Front seat adjustment41
Fuel consumption70
display67
Fuel filler door22
electrical malfunction22
manual operation22
Fuel gauge67
Fuel reserve indicator
lamp67
Fuel specifications23
Fuel tank capacity143
Fuel tank gauge67
Fuel-injection system140
Fuses133
G
Gasoline gauge67
Glove compartment92
Grilles88
Gross vehicle weight142 H
Handbrake58
Hands-free system94
Hazard warning triangle22
HDC (Hill Descent
Control)77
Head restraints44
Headlamp flasher61, 83
Headlamp washer
system114
Headlight control82
Headrests44
Heated seats47
Heavy cargo99
Height141
High beams20, 61, 83
bulb replacement125
Hill Descent Control
(HDC)77
Holder for canned
beverages93
Hood112
Horn14
Everything from A to ZN
Navigation system, refer to
the Radio or Onboard
Computer "Owner's
Manual" O
OBD interface socket121
Odometer66
Oil
additives115
capacity143
consumption115
level, checking115
Oil change intervals, refer to
the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet/
Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet
Oil dipstick115
Oil filter change143
OIL SERVICE67
Onboard Computer, refer to
the "Onboard Computer
Owner's Manual"
Onboard tool kit124 Opening and closing
from the inside32
via the door lock31
via the remote control29
Outlets, ventilation88
Outside temperature
display69
P
Paintwork, refer to the
"Caring for your vehicle"
manual
Park assistant71
Park Distance Control
(PDC)71
Parking aid71
Parking brake58
Parking lamps82
bulb replacement125
Passenger-side mirror tilt
function47
PDC (Park Distance
Control)71
Phone, refer to cellular
phone
Power140
Power windows37
safety switch38
Premium sound system91
Q
Quality Grades, tires108 R
Radiator143
Rain sensor62
RDC (Tire Pressure
Monitor)78
warning lamp17
Reading lamps
front84
rear84
Rear center 3-point belt96
Rear lamps127
Rear reading lamps84
Rear window
defroster86, 90
Rear-seat backrest,
removable96
Rearview mirror48
Recirculated-air mode86
Reclining seat41
Refueling22
Remote control29
Removable rear-seat
backrest96
Reporting safety defects11
Roller sun blind91
Roof weight142
Roof-mounted luggage
rack100
S
Safe with safety belts41
Safety belts45
height adjustment45
Safety defects, reporting11
Safety tires109, 132
Seat adjustment41
Seat heating47
Seat memory46
Seat, manually adjusted42
Seats41
Securing cargo99
Securing child-restraint
system54
Selector lever, automatic
transmission59
Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet (US
models)119
Service Interval
Display67, 119
Setting temperature86
Shiftlock59
Side airbags49
Side Impact Head Protection
System49
Sitting correctly with
airbags41
Ski bag97