
 
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 

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 additional information on trans-
porting 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 an infant or small child 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 loose 
or bulky clothing. You should remember 
to retension the lap belt periodically by 
pulling the shoulder strap to take up 
any slack in the mechanism. 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 the belt 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 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 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 41
>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 42
>Head restraint, refer to page 43 

106n
Brake systemBrake fluid level If the brake fluid level is too low and 
brake pedal travel has become longer, 
there may be a defect in one of the two 
brake system's hydraulic circuits.
Proceed to the nearest BMW 
center. It may be necessary to 
apply higher levels of pressure to the 
pedal when stopping and braking 
distances may also be longer. Please 
remember to adapt your driving style 
accordingly.
and operating conditions in which 
braking is restricted to gentle, low-
pressure applications will all increase 
the tendency for corrosion to form on 
the rotors; this is often accompanied by 
a simultaneous accumulation of 
contamination on the brake pads. The 
pads must exert a certain minimal level 
of pressure against the rotors for the 
disc brakes' inherent self-cleaning 
effect to remain effective; the pressure 
available under the above conditions 
may not provide adequate cleansing.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they 
will tend to respond to braking with a 
pulsating effect that even extended 
brake applications will fail to cure.
When driving in heavy rain and on wet 
roads it is useful to apply light pressure 
to the brake pedal every few miles. 
Monitor traffic conditions to ensure that 
this maneuver does not pose a hazard 
to you or to other road users. The heat 
generated in this process helps dry the 
pads and rotors to ensure that your 
brake system will respond with undi-
minished efficiency when you need it.
When descending steep hills and 
extended grades, downshift to a gear 
that will allow you to continue safely 
with only a minimal amount of braking. 
By minimizing the loads placed on the 
brake system, this strategy helps 
ensure that optimal brake system 
response will remain available at all 
times. Use care to avoid exceeding the 
approved engine-speed range, refer to 
page 65.Do not coast with the clutch 
depressed or with the transmis-
sion or selector lever in neutral. Do not 
coast with the engine switched off. The 
engine provides no braking effect when 
the clutch is depressed and there is no 
power-assist for braking or steering 
when the engine is not running. 
BMW 325xi: always refer all brake 
inspection and service work to your 
BMW center, as failure to observe the 
special procedures could result in 
damage to brake system components.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any 
other objects to protrude into the area 
around the accelerator, clutch and 
brake pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.<
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only 
brake pads that the manufacturer 
has released for your particular vehicle 
model. The manufacturer cannot eval-
uate non-approved brake pads to 
determine if they are suited for use, and 
therefore cannot ensure the operating 
safety of the vehicle if they are 
installed.< 

115n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Engine oilChecking oil level1. Park the vehicle on a level surface
2. Switch the engine off after it has 
reached normal operating tempera-
ture
3. After approx. 5 minutes, pull the 
dipstick out and wipe it off with a 
clean lint-free cloth, paper towel, or 
similar material
4. Carefully push the dipstick all the 
way into the guide tube and pull it 
out again
5. The oil level should be between the 
two marks on the dipstick.
As with fuel economy, oil consumption 
is directly influenced by your driving 
style and vehicle operating conditions.
The oil volume between the two marks 
on the dipstick corresponds to approx. 
1.1 US quarts (1 liter). Do not fill beyond 
the upper mark on the dipstick. Excess 
oil will damage the engine.
Adding engine oilWait until the level has dropped to just 
above the lower mark before adding oil. 
However, you should never let the oil 
drop below the lower mark.
BMW engines are designed to 
operate without oil additives; the 
use of additives could lead to damage 
in some cases. This is also true for the 
manual transmission, the automatic 
transmission, the differential, and the 
power steering system.<
Recommendation: have the oil changed 
by your BMW center. 

Everything from A to ZA 
ABS (Antilock Brake 
System)19, 105 
Accessories10 
Activated-charcoal filter91 
Adaptive Transmission 
Control (ATC)59 
ADB (Automatic Differential 
Brake)73 
Adding 
brake fluid118 
coolant117 
engine oil115 
washer fluid114 
Adjusting 
backrest41 
manual seat41 
mirrors47 
power seat42 
steering wheel46 
thigh support41 
Air conditioning85 
Air distribution86, 89 
Air outlets, 
ventilation85, 88 
Air supply86, 89 Airbags18, 48 
sitting correctly40 
Alarm system35 
Antifreeze and anti-
corrosion agents117 
disposal117 
Antilock Brake System 
(ABS)19, 105 
Anti-theft system35 
Approved gross vehicle 
weight142 
Aquaplaning105, 107 
Armrest92 
ASC+T (Automatic Stability 
Control plus Traction)71 
Ashtray 
front94 
rear95 
ATC (Adaptive Transmission 
Control)59 
Attach vehicle vacuum 
cleaner94 
AUC (Automatic recircu-
lated-air control)90 Automatic climate 
control88, 89 
Automatic cruise control63 
Automatic Differential Brake 
(ADB)73 
Automatic headlight 
control82 
Automatic recirculated-air 
control (AUC)90 
Automatic Stability Control 
plus Traction (ASC+T)71 
Automatic transmission58 
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic18, 58 
Average fuel 
consumption69 
Average speed69 
Axle loads142 
B 
Backrest41 
Backup lamps57 
bulb replacement127 
Battery133 
care133 
charging133 
disposal133 Battery charge current 
indicator17 
Beverage holder93 
Blower86, 89 
BMW High Performance 
Synthetic Oil116 
BMW Maintenance 
System119 
BMW sports seat 
manual adjustment41 
power adjustment42 
Bore140 
Bottle holder, refer to 
beverage holder93 
Brake fluid118 
disposal118 
Brake lamps 
bulb replacement127 
Brake pads19 
Brake system 
brake fluid level106 
brake pads106 
brake rotors, 
corrosion106 
defect in hydraulic 
circuits106 
disc brakes106 
   
A-Z 

P 
Paintwork, refer to the 
"Caring for your vehicle" 
manual 
Park assistant70 
Park Distance Control 
(PDC)70 
Parking aid70 
Parking brake57 
Parking lamps82 
bulb replacement126 
Partition net97 
PDC (Park Distance 
Control)70 
Phone94 
Pocket light92 
Power seat adjustment42 
Power windows 
safety switch38 Q 
Quality Grades, tires108 
R 
Radiator143 
Rain sensor61 
RDC (Tire Pressure 
Monitor)78 
Rear backrests, folding97 
Rear fog lamps 
bulb replacement127 
Rear lamps127 
Rear reading lamps84 
Rear window34 
Rear window 
defroster86, 90 
Rearview mirror47 
Recirculated-air mode86 
Reclining seat40 
Refilling washer 
reservoir114 
Refueling22 
Remote control29 
Remove window 
condensation87, 89 
Replace rear window wiper 
blades124 Replace windshield wiper 
blades124 
Replacement keys28 
Reporting safety defects11 
Retractable luggage cover, 
refer to cargo area cover 
Reverse57 
Roof load capacity142 
Roof-mounted luggage 
rack100 
S 
Safe with safety belts40 
Safety belts40 
height adjustment44 
Safety defects, reporting11 
Safety tires109, 132 
Seat adjustment40 
Seat heating46 
Seat memory45 
Seat, manually-adjusted40 
Securing cargo100 
Selector lever, automatic 
transmission58 
Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet (US 
models)119 Service Interval 
Display66, 119 
Setting temperature86 
Shiftlock58 
Shoulder strap height 
adjustment44 
Side airbags48 
Side Impact Head Protection 
System48 
Sitting correctly with 
airbags40 
Ski bag96 
Sliding/tilt sunroof38 
electrical malfunction39 
manual operation39 
Socket for power 
appliances94 
Sound system91 
Spare key28 
Spare tire129 
Speedometer15 
Sports seat 
manual adjustment41 
power adjustment42 
Standing lamps83 
Starting problems56 
Starting the engine55 
Steering wheel46