
 
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 

 
16n
 
Instrument cluster
 
7 Indicator and warning 
lamps17 to 20
8 Reset trip odometer to zero74
9 Indicator for Check Control7610 Display for
 
>
 
Trip odometer/Odometer74
 
>
 
Clock76
 
>
 
Service Interval75
 
>
 
Computer7611 Selector lever and program display 
for automatic transmission18, 69
12 Control button for the clock76
13 Indicator and warning 
lamps17 to 20 

37n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Alarm system
*
Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior 
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes during 
arming: the door(s), the hood or the 
luggage compartment lid 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 sensorDeactivate the interior motion sensor 
(refer to Avoiding unintentional alarms 
in the previous column) if children or 
animals are to remain in the vehicle.For US owners onlyThe transmitter and receiver units 
comply with part 15 of the FCC (Federal 
Communication Commission) regula-
tions. Operation is governed by the 
following:
FCC ID: LTQSDR2G5
Compliance statement: 
This device complies with part 15 of the 
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the 
following two conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful 
interference, and
>this device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference 
that may cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications to 
these devices could void the 
user's authority to operate the equip-
ment.< 

56n
Mirrors AirbagsInterior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming featureThis mirror automatically dims through 
an infinitely-variable range. It returns to 
its clear, undimmed mode whenever 
you engage reverse.
To ensure that the mirror continues to 
operate efficiently, ensure that the 
photocells remain clear and unob-
structed. One photocell is integrated in 
the mirror's lens (arrow), while the other 
is located at an offset position on the 
rear of the mirror. Refrain from attaching 
stickers to the windshield in the area 
immediately in front of the mirror.
1 Front airbags on the driver and 
passenger sides
2 Side airbags on the driver and 
passenger sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the safety 
belts by providing additional protection, 
in the event of a severe frontal collision 
in which the protection afforded by the 
belts alone may no longer be sufficient. 
The head protection system 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 the correct sitting 
posture refer to page 48.
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 has been started, or 
comes on again during normal 
driving.
Please respond to any malfunctions in 
the system by immediately having it 
inspected at your BMW center; other-
wise the airbag could fail to respond to 
an accident in which both the angle and 
the severity of the impact would 
normally trigger airbag deployment.
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.< 

62n
Rollover protection system2. Pull up on the lever (arrow) toward 
the front of the vehicle and keep it in 
this position
3. Keep pressing down on the protec-
tive bar 1 from on top until you hear it 
click into place 
4. Put the cover panel back in place 
and press down firmly
5. Press the rear part of the head 
restraint 2 to retract it.
Do the same for the second protective 
bar. If you are not familiar with any of 
the procedures, consult your BMW 
center.
Have the rollover protection system 
checked out by your BMW center after 
it has been inadvertently triggered.
Do not move the convertible top 
under any circumstances if the 
rollover protection system has 
extended.
Do not use the rear head restraints as 
storage shelves.
Absolutely no modifications are to be 
made to any of the rollover protection 
system's individual components or any 
of its wiring.
Only your BMW center is to carry out 
any work on the rollover protection 
system.
Work done on the system that is carried 
out improperly could lead to failure in 
an emergency or accidental activation.
Regarding having the system checked 
to ensure long-term operation: be scru-
pulous in adhering to the Service 
Interval Display for maintenance inter-
vals. Every 2 years at the latest, the roll-
over protection system must be 
inspected at a BMW center.< 

68n
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.Kickdown modeIn 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. 

69n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Indicator/Headlamp ßasher
 
Available 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. Move the 
transmission selector lever to "P." 
Engage the parking brake and turn 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. You 
may continue to drive as usual. 
If the indicator lamp does not go out, 
you can place the selector lever in all 
positions. However, the vehicle will now 
only operate in 3rd and 4th gear. 
If this happens, avoid extreme engine 
loads and consult the nearest BMW 
center.
Do not 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 140.
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.< 

74n
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.
Do not operate the engine 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). This allows you to see whether 
your current driving style is conducive 
to fuel economy with minimum exhaust 
emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the 
display goes to "Maximum" (zero on 
Canadian models).