
 
Contents
 
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the 
written consent of BMW AG, Munich. 
Order No. 01 40 0 156 144
deutsch 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
Luggage compartment lid33
Luggage compartment35
Alarm system36
Electric power windows37
Sliding/tilt sunroof38
 
Adjustments:
 
Correct sitting posture40
Seats40
Manual seat adjustment41
Power seat adjustment42
Lumbar support42
Head restraints43
Entering the rear43
Safety belts44
Seat and mirror memory45
Seat heating46
Steering wheel46
Mirrors47
 
Passenger safety systems:
 
Airbags48
Transporting children safely51
Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory53
 
Driving:
 
Ignition lock54
Starting the engine54
Switching off the engine55
Parking brake56
Manual transmission56
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic57
Indicator/Headlamp flasher59
Washer/Wiper system/Rain 
sensor60
Cruise control62
 
Everything under control:
 
Odometer64
Tachometer64
Energy control64
Fuel gauge65
Temperature gauge65
Service Interval Display65
Check Control66
Computer66
 
Technology for safety and 
driving convenience:
 
Park Distance Control (PDC)69
Automatic Stability Control plus 
Traction (ASC+T)70
Dynamic Stability Control 
(DSC)71
Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC)73
Flat Tire Monitor75
 
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 supplementary information on 
transporting 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 infants or small children to ride in 
a passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the 
belt while routing it firmly across the 
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects in your pockets. 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 bulky clothing 
and pull on the lap belt periodically to 
retension it over your shoulders. In the 
event of a frontal impact, a loose lap 
belt could slide over the hips, leading to 
abdominal injury. In addition, the safety 
belt's restraint effectiveness is reduced 
if it 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 the 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 an unexpected 
movement, and the ensuing loss of 
vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never ride with the backrest 
reclined to an extreme horizontal angle 
(important for front passengers to 
remember). Keep the backrest relatively 
upright to minimize the risk of sliding 
under the safety belt and sustaining 
injury in an accident.<
Seat adjustment>Manual seat adjustment, refer to 
page 41
>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 42
>Head restraint, refer to page 43
>Entering the rear, refer to page 43 

41n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Manual seat adjustmentSeat adjustment1 Forward/backward adjustment
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the 
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the 
seat forward or backward slightly so 
that it engages fully
2 Cushion height
Pull the lever and apply weight to 
or remove weight from the seat as 
required
3 Backrest angle
Pull the lever and apply weight to or 
remove weight from the backrest to 
reach the desired position.
BMW sports seat
* adjustment
You can also adjust the tilt angle and 
the thigh support:
1 To tilt up:
Pull the lever up repeatedly, 
continuing until the seat reaches the 
desired tilt angle
2 To tilt down:
Push the lever down repeatedly, 
continuing until the seat reaches the 
desired tilt angle
3 Thigh support:
Pull the lever and adjust the position 
of the cushion for thigh support as 
desired. 

42n
Power seat adjustment
*
Lumbar support*
Seat adjustment1 Forward/backward adjustment
2 Cushion height
3 Backrest angle
The head restraint is adjusted manually, 
refer to page 43.
Please refer to the adjustment 
instructions on page 40 to reduce 
the risk of personal injury.<
BMW sports seat
* adjustment
1 Tilt angle
2 Forward/backward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
The thigh support and the head 
restraint are adjusted manually, refer to 
pages 41, 43.
Please refer to the adjustment 
instructions on page 40 to reduce 
the risk of personal injury.<
To adjustYou can adjust the backrest's contour 
for additional support in the curvature 
of your spine's lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column 
receive supplementary support to help 
you maintain a relaxed, upright posture.
>Press front/rear of switch: increase/
decrease curvature
>Press the upper/lower end of the 
switch: increase the upper/lower 
curvature. 

44n
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before 
starting off. As supplemental restraint 
devices, the airbags are designed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the safety 
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the catch engage in 
the belt buckle.To open1. Press red button in the belt buckle
2. Hold the end of the belt
3. Guide belt back into the inertia reel.
The rear belt buckle with the word 
CENTER is intended exclusively for 
the passenger sitting in the middle.<
Adjusting safety belt heightUse the height adjustment mechanism 
to adapt the shoulder strap to the ideal 
level for your own body:
>Slide button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment 
instructions on page 40.
If the safety belt system has been 
subjected to the stresses involved 
in an accident or otherwise damaged: 
have the entire safety belt mechanism 
replaced by your BMW center, including 
the safety belt tensioner. In addition, 
have your BMW center inspect the safety 
belt anchors. If a child-restraint system 
was in the vehicle during an accident, 
consult the manufacturer's instructions 
regarding replacement.< 

45n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Seat and mirror memory
* 
You can store and recall three different 
driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions.
Memory will not retain the adjust-
ment made to the lumbar 
support.
to the desired position
3. Press the 
M
EMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button lights up
4. Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as 
desired. Indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored setting
Do not select a memory position 
while the vehicle is moving. If you 
do so, there is a risk of accident from 
unexpected seat movement.<
Ignition key in position 1:
>Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3, 
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when 
one of the seat adjustment or 
memory buttons is activated during 
the adjustment process.
The driver's door is closed and the igni-
tion key is either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2:
>Press and hold the desired memory 
button (1, 2 or 3) until the adjustment 
process is completed.
If you press the 
M
EMORY button 
accidentally: press the button 
again; the indicator lamp goes out.<
Your BMW center can adjust your 
vehicle's systems in such a 
manner that your personalized settings 
are automatically set for the seat and 
exterior mirror positions when you 
unlock the vehicle with your personal 
remote control.<
Before activating the programmed 
adjustment feature ensure that the 
footwell behind the driver's seat is 
empty and unobstructed. If you fail to 
do so, any persons or objects behind 
the seat could be injured or damaged 
by a rearward movement of the seat.< 

47n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Mirrors To adjust exterior mirrors1 Switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Selection switch for changing 
between mirrors
To adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted by 
hand: 
Press the edge of the lens.
Storing mirror settings, refer to Seat 
and mirror memory on page 45.
The mirror on the passenger's side 
features a lens with a more convex 
surface than the mirror installed on the 
driver's side. When estimating the 
distance between yourself and other 
traffic, bear in mind that the objects 
reflected in the mirror are closer than 
they appear. This means that estimates 
of the distance to following traffic 
should not be regarded as precise. This 
precaution also applies to the non-
spherical outer section of the lens.
Both mirrors are automatically heated 
when you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 2.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind 
you when you are driving at night, tilt 
the lens by turning the button.
Vehicles without alarm system: 
Tilt the small lever forward. 

53n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functionsNo doubt you have reflected at one 
time or another on how great it would 
be if you could permanently configure 
your vehicle's various features and 
adjustments to mirror your own indi-
vidual preferences. In engineering your 
vehicle, BMW has incorporated a 
number of options for personal adjust-
ment that can be programmed into your 
vehicle at your BMW center.
The available configuration data fall into 
two categories, according to whether 
their primary orientation is the vehicle 
(Vehicle Memory) or the individual (Key 
Memory). Provided that each person 
has a separate remote-control key, you 
can have your BMW center enter 
adjustment data for as many as four 
different individuals into the system.
The system then relies on a bilateral 
data exchange to identify the individual 
user and dial in the selected settings 
whenever the remote control unit is 
used to disengage the door locks.
Color-coded decals have been 
provided to help you distinguish indi-
vidual keys with different settings.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with 
details on the capabilities of the Vehicle 
Memory and Key Memory systems. A 
few examples follow below:
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals as acknowledgment 
when locking or unlocking your 
vehicle, refer to page 29, 31
>Activates/deactivates the "Follow me 
home" function, refer to page 77
>Activates/deactivates daytime driving 
lamps, refer to page 77.Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle when you start off, 
refer to page 32
>Automatically adjusts the driver's 
seat to the personal programmed 
settings when the vehicle is 
unlocked, refer to page 45
>Unlocks driver's door first, then 
proceeds to disengage the vehicle's 
remaining locks, refer to page 29.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to 
remind you at appropriate places of the 
settings that are available to you.<