
57n
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 them and 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.
(infants and small children in appro-
priate child-restraint systems; larger 
children and adults using the safety 
belts). Never let an occupant's head 
rest near or on a side airbag, as the 
inflating airbag could cause a serious or 
fatal injury. Please note that the word 
Airbag imprinted on the door trim panel 
indicates the airbag's location. 
Accident research shows that the 
safest place for children in an auto-
mobile 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 so 
equipped. 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 children in the rear seat will remain 
properly positioned at all times and not 
place their heads on or near the side 
airbag. 
Therefore, we recommend that the 
rear-seat side airbags, if installed in the 
vehicle, be deactivated if children will 
travel in the rear seat. 
The rear-seat side airbags may already 
have been deactivated, either at the 
time of manufacture or by a BMW  

60n
Transporting children safelyIf the selected seating position is 
equipped with a head restraint, lift the 
head restraint and pass the tether strap 
between the head restraint 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 precau-
tions should be taken. First, move the 
passenger seat as a far away from the 
instrument panel 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 installa-
tion 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.
Child-safety locksAll 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 
is located in the immediate vicinity of 
the buckle of each safety belt. 

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. 

76n
Check Control ComputerWhen you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 2, any of the following symbols may 
appear to call your attention to problem 
areas; the symbols remain in the 
display panel until the problem is 
corrected:
1 Check the low and high beams as 
well as the parking lamps
2 Door open
3 Luggage compartment lid open
4 Check tail or brake lamps
When you open the driver's door after 
completing a journey, an acoustic 
warning signal will sound if the head-
lamps are still on.
Mode selectionFrom ignition key position 1, you can 
call up information from the computer 
using the button in the turn signal lever. 
The information is displayed in the 
instrument cluster. By pressing the 
button briefly toward the steering 
column, you can call up a new function 
for display.
The displays appear in the following 
order:
Time of day, outside temperature, 
average fuel consumption, cruising 
range, average vehicle speed.
When the ignition key is turned to posi-
tion 1 or higher the last active setting is 
displayed.
ClockIf you wish to have a permanent time 
display, you can make this setting in the 
radio display (refer to the Radio 
Owner's Manual).
You can set the clock and the time 
display in the car radio as follows. 

118n
To releasePull the lever located under the left-
hand side of the instrument panel.
Do not attempt to service your 
vehicle if you do not have the 
required technical background. Failure 
to work in an informed, professional 
manner when servicing components 
and materials constitutes a safety 
hazard for vehicle occupants and other 
road users. If you are not familiar with 
the guidelines, please have the opera-
tions performed at your BMW center.<
To openPull the release handle and open the 
hood.
To closeAllow the hood to fall from a height of 
about 12 in (30 cm) so that it audibly 
engages.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the 
travel path of the hood is clear 
when it is closed, observing the same 
precautions as with all closing proce-
dures.
If you notice that the hood is not 
completely closed while driving, stop 
immediately and close it securely.<
Hood 

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
OBD interface socketThe interface socket for onboard diag-
nostics is located on the left-hand side 
of the driver's side, behind a specially 
marked cover located beneath the 
instrument panel. The cover has the 
letters OBD on it.
This interface makes it possible to 
access data on emissions-related 
components using special equipment.
An illuminated indicator informs 
you of the need for service, not 
that you need to stop the 
vehicle. However, the systems should 
be checked by your BMW center at the 
next opportunity.
If the indicator blinks or flashes, this 
indicates a high level of engine misfire. 
Reduce speed and contact the nearest 
BMW center immediately. Severe 
engine misfiring over even a short 
period of time can seriously damage 
emission control system components, 
especially the catalytic converter.
SERVICE ENGINE SOON 
warning lamp for Canadian 
models.
If the fuel filler cap is not on tight 
enough, the OBD system can 
detect leaking vapor and the indicator 
will light up. If the fuel filler cap is then 
tightened, the indicator will usually go 
out after a short period of time.< 

Everything from A to Z
153n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
G 
Garage-door opener97 
Gasoline gauge75 
Glove compartment97 
Gross vehicle weight146 H 
Handbrake66 
Hands-free system100 
microphone100 
Hardtop110 
Hazard warning triangle22 
Head restraints50 
Headlamp cover, care131 
Headlamp flasher88 
Headlamp washer 
system120 
capacity147 
Headlight control87 
Heated seats54 
Heavy cargo103 
Height145 
High beams20, 69, 88 
bulb replacement131 
High Performance Synthetic 
Oil122 
Holder for canned 
beverages100 
Hood118 
Horn14 
I 
Ice warning77 
Icy roads77 
Ignition keys28 
Ignition lock64 
Imprint4 
Indicator lamps17 
Inflation pressures, 
tires24, 113 
INSPECTION75 
Instrument cluster15 
Instrument lighting88 
Instrument panel15 
Interface socket for onboard 
diagnostics (OBD)127 
Interior lamps30, 89 
remote control30 
Interior motion sensor36 
operating via remote 
control30 
switching off37 
Interior rearview mirror55 
with automatic 
dimming56 
Interlock64 
J 
Jack135 
Jump-starting140 K 
Key Memory63 
Key set28 
Keys28 L 
Lamps and bulbs, 
replacement131 
Lashing eyes104 
LATCH child-restraint 
system59 
Length145 
License plate lamps, bulb 
replacement134 
LIGHTS ON warning87 
Load-securing devices104 
Lock buttons32 
Low beams87 
bulb replacement131 
Lug wrench135 
Luggage compartment35 
capacity146 
enlarging35 
floor panel35 
secure separately33 Luggage compartment lid 
electrical malfunction33 
manual operation33 
operate via remote 
control30 
Luggage compartment 
lighting33 
Luggage compartment's 
interior, emergency 
release34 
Luggage rack105 
Lumbar support50 
M 
M+S tires117 
Maintenance125 
Malfunction displays76 
Manual closing 
fully-automatic convertible 
top44 
Manual convertible top39 
close41 
open39 
Manual operation 
doors31 
fuel filler door22 
luggage compartment 
lid33