Contents
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 156
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
Tailgate33
Rear window34
Cargo area35
Alarm system35
Electric power windows37
Sliding/tilt sunroof38
Adjustments:
Correct sitting posture40
Seats40
Manual seat adjustment41
Power seat adjustment42
Lumbar support42
Head restraints43
Safety belts44
Seat and mirror memory45
Seat heating46
Steering wheel46
Mirrors47
Passenger safety systems:
Airbags48
Transporting children safely51Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory54
Driving:
Ignition lock55
Starting the engine55
Switching off the engine56
Parking brake57
Manual transmission57
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
Indicator/Headlamp flasher60
Washer/Wiper system/Rain
sensor61
Cruise control63
Everything under control:
Odometer65
Tachometer65
Energy control65
Fuel gauge66
Coolant temperature gauge66
Service Interval Display66
Check Control67
Clock67
Computer68
Technology for safety and
driving convenience:
Park Distance Control (PDC)70
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)71
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)73
Contents
16n
Instrument cluster
7 Indicator and warning
lamps17 to 20
8 Reset trip odometer to zero65
9 Indicator for Check Control6710 Display for
>
Trip odometer/Odometer65
>
Clock67
>
Service Interval66
>
Computer6811 Selector lever and program display
for automatic transmission18, 60
12 Clock reset button67
13 Indicator and warning
lamps17 to 20
36n
Alarm system
*
Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes while the
system is armed: the door(s), the
hood, the tailgate or rear window 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.
>The indicator lamp goes out when the
system is disarmed: no manipulation
or attempted intrusions have been
detected in the period since the
system was armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes for
10 seconds when the system is
disarmed: an attempted entry has
been detected in the period since the
system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding unintentional alarmsThe tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor may be switched off at the same
time. You can do this to prevent a false
alarm from being triggered in garages
with elevator ramps, for instance, or
when the vehicle is transported by
trailer or train:
Lock the vehicle twice (= arm the
system). Press the button on the
remote control twice in succession or
lock the vehicle twice with the key.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm
sensor and the interior motion sensor
are deactivated as long as the system is
armed.
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor to
function properly, the windows and
sliding/tilt sunroof must be completely
closed.
Nevertheless, you should switch off the
interior motion sensor (refer to previous
column) if
>children or animals are left in the
vehicle
>the windows or the sliding/tilt sunroof
are being left open.
The system deactivates the tilt-
alarm sensor and the interior
motion sensor if closing is interrupted in
the first 10 seconds and then restarted
when the convenience closing feature
is used to close the sunroof and
windows. The alarm must then be
disarmed and reactivated before it will
resume operation.<
48n
Mirrors AirbagsInterior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming feature
*
This mirror automatically responds to
glare by dimming through an infinitely
variable range. It automatically reverts
to its clear, undimmed mode whenever
you select reverse.
To ensure that the mirror continues to
operate efficiently, ensure that the area
adjacent to the photocells remains
clean and unobstructed. One photocell
is integrated within the mirror's lens
(arrow), while the other is located at an
offset position on the rear of the mirror.
Refrain from attaching stickers or other
objects to the windshield in the area
immediately behind the rearview mirror.
1 Front driver and passenger-side
airbags
2 Head airbags for driver and front
passenger
3 Side airbags on the driver and
passenger sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags protect the vehicle's
occupants during frontal impacts in
which the protection provided by the
safety belts alone might not be enough
to prevent injury. The head airbags 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 correct sitting
posture refer to page 40.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp displays 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 higher.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to go out
after the engine is started, or comes
on in the course of normal vehicle
operation.
Because a system malfunction could
prevent the airbags from deploying in
the event of a severe impact within their
normal activation range, you should
always respond to any problems by
having them corrected at your BMW
center as soon as possible.
The side airbags in the rear
passenger area
* of your vehicle
may already have been deactivated,
either at the time of manufacture or by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
59n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
N NeutralSelect only when stopping for an
extended period.D Drive (automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.KickdownIn the kickdown mode, you achieve
maximum acceleration and in
position D top speed.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S Manual mode and
Sport ProgramMove the selector lever from D to M/S
to activate the Sport Program; SD
appears in the display panel. The M/S
mode is recommended for perfor-
mance-oriented driving.
Once in the M/S mode you can tap the
selector lever to switch the automatic
transmission from the Sport Program to
its manual selection mode.
This mode allows you to execute
upshifts manually by tapping the lever
toward "+", while downshifts are
selected by tapping in the "Ð" direction.
The displays M1 through M5 appear in
the display panel to indicate your
current gear selection.
The Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC) executes upshifts and downshifts
only when the new gear will provide a
suitable combination of engine and
road speed, for example ATC will not
execute downshifts if the engine speed
is too high. The desired, then the actual
gear, briefly appear in the instrument
cluster.
To accelerate quickly in the
manual mode (to pass another
vehicle), shift down manually or employ
the kickdown mode.<
Shifting from M/S to the selector lever
positions P, R and N is possible only by
going through D.
60n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Indicator/Headlamp flasher
Possible displays
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on,
there is a malfunction in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop, select trans-
mission position "P", engage the
parking brake and switch the engine off
(ignition key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission
performance has been restored. Drive
off normally.
If the indicator lamp does not go out, all
selector lever positions can still be
selected; however in the forward posi-
tions the vehicle has limited perfor-
mance as it drives only in 3
rd and 4
th
gear.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest BMW
center.
Never work in the engine
compartment when a drive gear
(forward or reverse) is engaged. If you
do this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing or jump-starting, refer to the
information beginning on page 134.
1 High beams (blue indicator lamp)
2 Headlamp flasher (blue indicator
lamp)
3 Turn signal indicator (green indicator
lamps accompanied by a periodic
clicking sound from the relay).To signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond
the detent. It then returns to the center
position when released.
If the flashing of the turn signal
indicators and the clicking from
the relay are both faster than normal,
one of the turn signal indicators has
failed.<
65n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Odometer Tachometer Energy control 1 Odometer
2 Trip odometerOdometer You can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the button in the
instrument cluster.Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button with the ignition key in
position 1 or higher.
Never allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed zone of
the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is
interrupted when you approach this
sector.
Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in liters/100 km on Canadian
models). You can check your current
driving style to see whether it is condu-
cive to economy and minimum exhaust
emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the
display goes to "Maximum" (zero on
Canadian models).
66n
Fuel gauge Temperature gauge Service Interval DisplayOnce the indicator lamp stays on
continuously, there are still approx.
2 gallons (8 liters) of fuel in the fuel
tank.
For fuel tank capacity, refer to
page 143.
Certain operating conditions (such as
those encountered in mountainous
areas) may cause the needle to fluc-
tuate slightly.
Please refuel early, since driving
to the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter.<
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp lights up briefly as an
operation check.
BlueThe engine is still cold. Drive at
moderate engine and vehicle speeds.RedWhen you switch on the ignition, the
warning lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
If the lamp comes on during normal
vehicle operation: the engine has over-
heated. Switch off the engine immedi-
ately and allow it to cool down.
Checking coolant level, refer to
page 117.Between the blue and red zonesNormal operating temperature. The
needle may rise as far as the edge of
the red sector in normal operation.
Remaining distance to serviceThe displays shown in the illustration
appear for a few seconds when the
ignition key is in position 1 or after the
engine is started.
The next service due appears with the
message OIL SERVICE or INSPEC-
TION, together with the distance
remaining in miles (kilometers) before
the next scheduled service. The
computer bases its calculations of the
remaining distance on the preceding
driving style.
A flashing message and a "Ð" in front of
the number mean that the service
interval has already been exceeded by
the distance shown on the display.
Please contact your BMW center for an
appointment.