
 8n 
Notes
Symbols
Your individual vehicle
 
Notes on the Owner's Manual
 
We have made every effort to ensure 
that you are able to find what you need 
in this Owner's Manual as quickly as 
possible. The fastest way to find 
specific topics is by using the detailed 
index at the end. If you wish to gain 
only an initial overview of your vehicle, 
you will find this in the first chapter.
The detailed table of contents is 
intended to stimulate your interest and 
encourage you to read the remainder of 
the manual.
Should you wish to sell your BMW at 
some time in the future, please 
remember to hand over this Owner's 
Manual to the new owner; it is legal part 
of the vehicle.
If you have any additional questions, 
your BMW center will be glad to advise 
you. 
Symbols used
 
Indicates precautions that must 
be followed precisely in order to 
avoid the possibility of personal injury 
and serious damage to the vehicle.
 
<
 
Contains information that will 
assist you in gaining the optimum 
benefit from your vehicle and enable 
you to care more effectively for your 
vehicle.
 
<
 
 
Refers to measures that can 
be taken to help protect the 
environment.
 
<
<
 
 Marks the end of a specific item of 
information.
 
* 
 Indicates special equipment, country-
specific equipment and optional 
extras.
Identifies systems or components, 
which can either be activated or 
adapted to suit an individual driver's 
requirements (Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory), refer to page 62.
Remember that activation and adjust-
ments on some of these systems can 
only be performed at your BMW 
center.
 
<
 
 
 
Your individual vehicle
 
On purchasing your BMW, you have 
decided in favor of a model with individ-
ualized equipment and features. This 
Owner's Manual describes all models 
and equipment that BMW offers within 
the same group.
We hope you will understand that 
equipment and features are included 
that you might not have chosen for your 
vehicle. You can easily identify any 
differences with the aid of the asterisk 
 
*  
 
 
 
used to identify all optional equipment 
and accessories.
If your BMW features equipment which 
is not described in this Owner's Manual 
(car radio or telephone, for instance), 
supplementary Owner's Manuals are 
enclosed. We ask you to read these 
manuals as well. 

 
10n
 
For your own safety
 
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels  
containing up to and including 
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with 
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight (i.e. 
15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an 
equivalent amount of co-solvent) will 
not void the applicable warranties 
covering defects in materials or work-
manship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel 
quality (volatility, composition, addi-
tives, for example) among gasolines 
offered for sale in the United States and 
Canada. The use of poor-quality fuels 
may result in driveability, starting and 
stalling problems, especially under 
certain environmental conditions, such 
as high ambient temperature and high 
altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems which you suspect could be 
related to the fuel you are using, we 
recommend that you respond by 
switching to a recognized high-quality 
brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled 
maintenance.
Obey all applicable safety rules when 
handling gasoline.
 
<
 
Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine parts  
and accessories approved by BMW. 
When you purchase accessories tested  
and approved by BMW and Original 
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire 
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure 
optimum performance when installed 
on your vehicle. 
BMW warrants these parts to be free  
from defects in material and workman-
ship. 
BMW will not accept any liability for  
damage resulting from installation of 
parts and accessories not approved by 
BMW. 
BMW cannot test every product on the  
market to determine whether it can be 
used on a BMW safely and without risk 
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its 
occupants. 
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories  
and other products approved by BMW, 
together with professional advice on 
using these items, are available from all 
BMW centers. 
Installation and operation of non-BMW  
approved accessories such as alarms, 
 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors,  
wheels, suspension components, brake 
dust shields, telephones (including 
operation of any portable cellular phone 
from within the vehicle without using an 
externally mounted antenna) or trans-
ceiver equipment (such as CB, walkie-
talkie, ham radio or similar) may cause 
extensive damage to the vehicle, 
compromise its safety, interfere with 
the vehicle's electrical system or affect 
the validity of the BMW Limited 
Warranty. Contact your BMW center for 
additional information. 
Do not use key or remote control to  
lock doors or luggage compartment 
with anyone inside the vehicle. Refer to 
pages  29 and  31 for more details.
 
<
 
Maintenance, replacement, or 
repair of the emission control 
devices and systems may be performed 
by any automotive repair establishment 
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.
 
<
 
Symbol on vehicle parts 
 
Indicates that you should consult 
the relevant section of this 
Owner's Manual for information on a 
particular part or assembly.  

 
21n
 
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
 
Multifunction steering wheel (MFL)
 
* 
The buttons integrated in the multifunc-
tion steering wheel (MFL) are provided 
so that you can operate a number of 
accessories quickly and without being 
distracted from traffic conditions. You 
may operate:
 
>
 
Selected radio functions
 
>
 
The cruise control
 
>
 
Selected cellular phone functions.
The controls are active only when 
the corresponding systems and 
accessories are switched on.
 
< 
 
Press briefly:
Receive a phone call, initiate dialing, 
terminate a call.
 
Switch between phone, radio, cassette 
and CD.
Forward:
 
>
 
Radio
Press briefly: station scan in FM band
Extended pressure: search function
 
>
 
CD
Press briefly: jump to next track
Extended pressure: search function 
in track
 
>
 
Cassette
Press briefly: stop track scan or fast 
forward
Extended pressure: fast forward
 
>
 
Phone
Scan personal phone book.
Rewind/reverse: functions as fast 
forward.
 
Volume
Cruise control: select a stored setting.
Cruise control: store and accelerate (+) 
or decelerate and store (Ð).
Cruise control: activate/interrupt/deac-
tivate. 

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. 

79n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Park Distance Control (PDC)
*
The conceptPDC provides extra safety and conve-
nience during parking and all backing 
operations by providing an acoustic 
signal to indicate the distance between 
your rear bumper and the nearest 
object. The system features four ultra-
sonic sensors mounted in your rear 
bumper. The monitoring range for the 
two corner sensors extends outward 
roughly 2 ft (60 cm), while two centrally 
located sensors detect objects at 
distances of up to approx. 5 ft (1.50 
meters).
The system starts to operate automati-
cally approx. one second after you 
select reverse or move the selector 
lever into the "R" position with the igni-
tion key in position 2. PDC is deacti-
vated when you shift back out of 
reverse.
Acoustic signalsThe distance to the nearest object is 
indicated by a tone sounding at various 
intervals. As the distance between 
vehicle and object decreases, the inter-
vals between the tones become 
shorter. A continuous tone indicates the 
presence of an object less than 1 ft 
(30 cm) away.
The warning signal is canceled after 
approx. three seconds if the distance to 
the obstacle remains constant during 
this time (if you are moving parallel to 
a wall, for instance).
System malfunctions will be indicated 
by a continuous high-pitched tone 
when the system is activated the first 
time. Please refer the problem to your 
BMW center.The PDC does not remove the 
driver's personal responsibility for 
evaluating the distance between the 
vehicle and any obstacles. Always 
remember that the sensors can neither 
detect nor provide warnings of obsta-
cles located within their blind angles. 
This applies especially in those cases 
where the system approaches the 
physical limits of ultrasonic measure-
ment, as occurs with tow bars and 
trailer couplings, and in the vicinity of 
thin or wedge-shaped objects.
Certain sources of sound, such as a 
loud radio, could drown the PDC signal 
tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free 
of ice or snow in order to ensure 
that they will continue to operate effec-
tively.
Do not apply high pressure spray to the 
sensors for a prolonged period of time. 
Always maintain a distance of more 
than 4 in (10 cm).< 

84n
Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC)
*
In the event of a flat tireIf there is a tire failure with loss of pres-
sure, the red warning lamp will come 
on. In addition, an acoustic signal is 
sounded.
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed 
immediately and stop the vehicle in a 
safe location. Avoid hard brake applica-
tions. Do not oversteer. Replace the 
wheel and flat tire.
The space-saver spare tire is 
provided for temporary use only in 
the case of a flat tire. It does not have 
RDC electronics and is not monitored. 
The spare tire
 that has the same dimen-
sions as the tires already mounted on 
the vehicle is equipped with the neces-
sary RDC electronics and will be also 
monitored once the tires have been 
mounted and the system activated.<
The RDC cannot alert you to 
severe and sudden tire damage 
caused by external factors.<
Have the tires changed by your 
BMW center.
Your BMW center has the information 
needed for working with RDC and is 
equipped with the necessary special 
tools.<
System interferenceLocal devices using the same radio 
frequency can interfere with the RDC.
The yellow indicator lamp will come on 
during the malfunction. 
The indicator lamp also comes on
>in the event of a system fault 
>if a wheel is mounted without the 
appropriate RDC electronics 
>if, in addition to the spare tire, addi-
tional wheels with RDC electronics 
are being carried on board.
Please contact your BMW center for 
additional information.