Contents
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 168
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
Luggage compartment lid33
Luggage compartment35
Alarm system36
Electric power windows37
Sliding/tilt sunroof39
Adjustments:
Correct sitting posture41
Seats41
Manual seat adjustment42
Power seat adjustment43
Lumbar support43
Head restraints44
Safety belts45
Seat and mirror memory46
Seat heating47
Steering wheel47
Mirrors48
Passenger safety systems:
Airbags49
Transporting children safely52
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory55
Driving:
Ignition lock56
Starting the engine56
Switching off the engine57
Parking brake58
Manual transmission58
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic59
Indicator/Headlamp flasher61
Washer/Wiper system/Rain
sensor62
Cruise control64
Everything under control:
Odometer66
Tachometer66
Energy control66
Fuel gauge67
Temperature gauge67
Service Interval Display67
Check Control68
Clock68
Computer69
Technology for safety and
driving convenience:
Park Distance Control (PDC)71
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)72
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)73
Contents
29n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlThe conceptThe remote control gives you an excep-
tionally convenient method for
unlocking and locking your vehicle.
Furthermore, it provides two additional
functions which you can only execute
via the remote control:
>To switch on interior lamps, refer to
page 30.
With this function, you can also
search for the vehicle, when parked
in an underground garage, for
instance
>To open the luggage compartment
lid, refer to page 30.
The luggage compartment lid will
open slightly, regardless of whether it
was previously locked or unlocked.
Whenever you unlock (lock) the vehicle,
you simultaneously deactivate (activate)
the anti-theft system, disarm (arm) the
alarm system and switch the interior
lamps on (off).
You can have a signal set to
confirm that the vehicle's locks
have engaged securely.<
Since children might be able to
lock the doors from the inside,
always take the vehicle keys with you
so that the vehicle can be opened again
from the outside at any time.<
If it is no longer possible to lock
the vehicle via the remote control,
the battery is discharged. Use this key
while driving for an extended period in
order to recharge the battery.
To prevent unauthorized use of the
remote control, surrender only the door
and ignition key or the spare key, for
example when leaving the vehicle for
valet parking, refer to page 28.
In the event of a system malfunction,
please contact your BMW center. You
can also obtain replacement keys
there.<
1 Unlock and convenience opening
2 Lock and secure, interior lamp activa-
tion, disarming tilt alarm sensor and
interior monitor sensor
3 Open the luggage compartment lidTo unlockPress the button once to unlock the
driver's door.
Press the button a second time to
disengage all vehicle locks.
32n
Opening and closing Ð from the insideYou can use this button to control the
central locking system whenever the
doors are closed. The doors and
luggage compartment lid are unlocked
or locked only. The anti-theft system is
not activated.
If only the driver's door was
unlocked from the outside and
you press the button, then, with the
driver's door still open, the passenger-
side door, the luggage compartment lid
and the fuel filler door will unlock, too.
If the driver's door is closed, it will be
locked.<
If you desire, the central locking
system can be locked automati-
cally as soon as you begin to drive. This
can be adjusted to be key-specific.<
To unlock and open the doors>Either unlock the doors together with
the button for the central locking
system and then pull each of the
release handles above the armrests
or
>pull the release handle for each door
twice: the first pull unlocks the door,
and the second one opens it.
To lock the doors>Either use the central locking button
to lock all doors at once
or
>press down the individual door lock
buttons. The fuel filler door remains
unlocked. To prevent the driver from
being inadvertently locked out of the
vehicle, the driver's door lock button
will not engage as long as the door is
open.
Since children might be able to
lock the doors from the inside,
always take the vehicle's keys with you
so that you can open the vehicle again
from the outside at any time.<
37n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Alarm system
*
Electric power windows
>If the indicator lamp goes out when
the system is disarmed: no manipula-
tion or attempted intrusions have
been detected in the period since the
system was armed
>If 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 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 interior motion sensor are
deactivated for as long as the system
remains armed.
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor to
function properly, the windows and the
sliding/tilt sunroof must be completely
closed.
Nevertheless, you should deactivate
the interior motion sensor (refer to
previous column) if
>children or animals are left in the
vehicle
>the windows or the sliding/tilt sunroof
are being left open.
To open and close windowsWith ignition key in position 1 or 2.
>Press the switch up to the resistance
point: the window retracts; it remains
in motion for as long as you maintain
pressure on the switch
>Press the switch briefly past the pres-
sure point: the window moves auto-
matically. Pressing the switch again
stops the opening cycle.
You can close the windows in the same
manner by pulling the switch.
Separate switches are located under
the windows in the rear passenger
area.
38n
Electric power windowsAfter the ignition has been switched off:
You can still use the electric power
windows for up to 15 minutes, as long
as no one opens any of the front doors.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key from the
lock and remember to close the doors
to prevent children from operating the
power windows and injuring them-
selves, etc.<
For the convenience mode via the
remote control or the door lock, refer to
pages 30 or 31.
Safety feature A contact strip is located on the inside
upper frame of each of the front
windows. If pressure is exerted against
this contact strip while a window is
being raised, the system will respond
by stopping the window and then
retracting it a small distance.
Despite this safety feature, be
extremely careful to ensure that
the closing path of the window is not
obstructed. Some types of objects
might fail to trigger the contact strip in
some situations (very thin objects, for
instance).
You can override this safety feature by
pressing the switch beyond the resis-
tance point and holding it.<
Safety switch
*
With the safety switch, you can prevent
the rear windows from being opened or
closed via the switch in the rear
passenger area (by children, for
example).
Press the safety switch whenever
children are riding in the rear of
the vehicle. Careless use of the power
windows can lead to injury.<
39n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Sliding/tilt sunroof
*
To prevent injuries, exercise care
when closing the sliding/tilt
sunroof and keep it in your field of
vision until it is shut.
When leaving the vehicle, always
extract the ignition key from the lock
and remember to close the doors to
prevent children from operating the
sliding/tilt sunroof and injuring them-
selves, etc.<
Raising Ð opening Ð closingWith ignition key in position 1 or 2.
After the ignition has been switched off,
you can still operate the sliding/tilt
sunroof for up to 15 minutes as long as
neither of the front doors has been
opened.
Raising/opening/closing: press the
switch or slide it in the desired direction
until you feel resistance.
If you briefly press the switch in the
"raise" direction while the sunroof is
open, the sunroof will rise to its upper-
most position.
The headliner insert slides back some-
what when you raise the sunroof. When
the sunroof is opened, the headliner
retracts with it.
Do not use force to close the
headliner insert with the sunroof in
its raised position, as damage to the
mechanism could result.<
To use the convenience mode via the
remote control or the door lock, refer to
pages 30 or 31.
Automatic opening and closingPress the switch past the resistance
point briefly: the sunroof travels to
either the fully-closed or fully-open
position.
Pressing the switch again stops the
motion immediately.
50n
Airbags
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.<
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 roll-over, 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 dashboard,
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.<
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
(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 because
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 loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an
automobile 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
52n
Transporting children safelyLATCH child-restraint mounting
system
*
Remove the cover from the outside
mount by pulling forward. When re-
installing ensure that the recess is on
the top.
With through-loading system:
Tilt the backrest halfway forward to
make the cover easier to remove (refer
to page 96).
The illustration is an example showing
the mounts for a LATCH child-restraint
system at the right rear seat.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint system.<
Child-safety locksSlide down the lever located in the rear
door:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only.