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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
MirrorsExterior mirrors1 Mirror switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Left/right selection switchTo adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted by 
hand: 
Press the edge of the lens.
To store mirror settings, refer to "Seat, 
mirror and steering wheel memory" on 
page 54.390us733
Curved-lens mirror
The passenger-side mirror 
features a convex lens. When esti-
mating the distance between yourself 
and other traffic, bear in mind that the 
objects reflected in the mirror are closer 
than they appear.< 
Self-defrosting mirrorsBoth mirrors are defrosted automati-
cally when the ignition key is in 
position 2.
Interior rearview mirrorTo reduce glare from vehicles behind 
you after dark, tilt the mirror by moving 
the small lever.390de713 

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Airbags
Never apply stickers or adhesive-
backed objects of any kind to the 
airbag covers. Never attempt to reup-
holster the covers or modify them in any 
way. If the airbags deploy in response 
to an accident, if you note any signs of 
system malfunction, or if you wish to 
have any parts of the airbag passenger-
restraint system deactivated, always 
contact your BMW center, to whom we 
strongly urge you to entrust all testing, 
repair and dismantling operations. 
Never attempt to modify or tamper with 
either the system's electrical wiring or 
any of its individual components. 
System components include the uphol-
stered surfaces on the steering wheel, 
instrument panel, the trim panels on the 
front and rear doors (with rear airbags) 
and the roof braces as well as the sides 
of the headliner above the doors. 
Never attempt to remove or dismantle 
the steering wheel. 
To ensure compliance with official 
safety regulations, always entrust 
disposal of airbag generators to your 
BMW center. Attempts to carry out 
service procedures undertaken by 
anyone other than specially-trained 
professionals can result in system 
failure or undesired airbag deployment, 
both of which can lead to personal 
injury. If the airbags deploy in response 
to an accident, always remember to 
avoid all contact with system compo-
nents, as they are hot and can cause 
burns in the period immediately 
following deployment.<
All vehicle occupants should 
always sit upright and be properly 
restrained (infants and small children in 
appropriate child-restraint systems; 
larger children and adults using the 
safety belts). Never let an occupant's 
head rest near or on a side airbag: 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 automo-
bile 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 side airbag, if installed. For 
example, a child Ð even though belted Ð 
may fall asleep with his or her head 
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children 
in the rear seat will remain properly 
positioned at all times and do not place 
their heads on or near the side airbag. 
Therefore, we recommend that the 
rear-seat side airbags, if provided, be 
deactivated if you plan to transport chil-
dren in the rear seat.
The rear-seat side airbags may already 
have been deactivated, either at the 
time of manufacture or by a BMW 
center. Labels in the rear door opening 
should indicate the status of your rear-
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of 
their status, or wish to have the airbags 
activated or deactivated, please 
contact your BMW center.< 
Even when all these guidelines are 
followed, there is still a small residual 
risk of injuries to the face, hands and 
arms occurring in isolated instances. 
The ignition and inflation noise may 
provoke a mild temporary hearing loss 
in extremely sensitive individuals.
Airbag warning information is also 
provided on the sun visors. 

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Vehicle Memory, Key MemoryThe 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.
In order for you to distinguish between 
different keys, colored decals are 
supplied together with the keys.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
>Activates/deactivates the "Follow me 
home" function.Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle when you start off
>Automatically adjusts the driverÕs 
seat, the exterior mirrors and the 
steering wheel position to your 
personal programmed settings when 
you unlock the vehicle
>The automatic climate control 
assumes your preset comfort settings 
when you unlock the vehicle.
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.<  

66n
0 Steering locked 
1 Steering unlocked
2 Ignition switched on
3 Starting engine
Steering locked The key can be inserted or removed in 
this position only. 
After removing the key, turn the 
steering wheel slightly to the left or right 
until the lock engages. 
An acoustic warning is sounded when 
you fail to remove the ignition key after 
opening the driver's door. 390de010
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion: 
Do not move the selector lever from the 
"Park" position until the engine is 
running (ignition key in position 2). 
To turn the key back to position 0 (for 
instance, prior to removal), start by 
moving the selector lever to position P 
(Interlock).< 
Steering unlocked You will find that it is often easier to turn 
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering 
wheel slightly to help disengage the 
lock.
Individual electrical accessories are 
ready for operation.Starting engine 
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch when 
starting the engine. A lockout prevents 
the engine from starting with the clutch 
engaged.< 
Before starting>Engage the parking brake
>Be sure that the transmission is in 
"Neutral" (or "Park" if the vehicle is 
equipped with an automatic trans-
mission)
>Step on the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in 
enclosed spaces. The exhaust 
gases contain carbon monoxide, an 
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic 
gas. Breathing the exhaust gases poses 
an extreme health risk, and can lead to 
unconsciousness and death.
Never leave the vehicle unattended 
with the engine running. An unattended 
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.< 
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine 

68n
Switching off the engine Parking brakeTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key 
while the vehicle is rolling. The 
steering locks, making it impossible to 
steer the vehicle.
Always remove the ignition key and 
engage the steering lock before leaving 
the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake 
when parking on hills and inclined 
surfaces, as first gear or reverse may 
not provide adequate resistance to 
rolling. 
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."< 
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The vehicle must be stationary and the 
selector lever in "Park" before you can 
remove the ignition key.
The parking brake is primarily designed 
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while 
parked. It operates on the rear wheels.To engageThe lever engages automatically and 
the "PARK BRAKE" or "BRAKE" (in 
Canada "P") indicator lamp comes on in 
the instrument cluster in ignition key 
position 2. Refer to pages 19 and 20.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the 
button and lower the lever.390de714
If, in exceptional circumstances, it 
should be necessary to engage 
the parking brake while the vehicle is in 
motion, do not pull it with excessive 
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed 
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply 
moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing) 
at the rear.
The brake lamps do not come on when 
the parking brake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake 
when parking on hills and inclined 
surfaces, as first gear or reverse may 
not provide adequate resistance to 
rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."< 
You can help prevent corrosion and 
avoid uneven braking response by 
gently engaging the parking brake from 
time to time when coasting to a stop at 
traffic lights (ensure that you will not 
pose a hazard to other road users).  

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Air conditioningTemperature
The numbers in the display 
panel are reference figures for 
general orientation. We 
recommend a setting of 70 7 
(22 6) for a congenial in-car climate. 
When you start the vehicle, this system 
adjusts the air to the selected tempera-
ture as quickly as possible, and then 
maintains that temperature constantly.
Air distribution 
You can direct the emerging 
air toward the windows  , 
toward your upper body   or 
into the footwell  . All inter-
mediate settings are also available. In 
the   setting, there is a low flow of air 
onto the windows to keep them free of 
condensation.
Air supply
You can control the emerging 
air's flow rate through an infi-
nitely-variable range. The 
heating and ventilation 
become more and more effective as the 
air supply settings are increased. In the 
"0" setting, the blower and climate 
control are switched off and the outside 
air supply is blocked. 
Rear window defroster 
The indicator lamp comes 
on to indicate that the rear 
window defroster is in operation. The 
rear window defroster switches off 
automatically.
Cooling
The air conditioning cools 
and dehumidifies the 
incoming air before reheating it to the 
selected temperature. Depending on 
the weather, the windshield may fog 
over briefly when the engine is started. 
You can reduce condensation forming 
on the windows by switching on the air 
conditioning.
Condensation forms in the air 
conditioning system during opera-
tion, which then exits under the vehicle. 
Traces of condensed water of this kind 
are thus normal.<
Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to 
unpleasant odors in the 
surrounding environment by using this 
mode to temporarily suspend the flow 
of outside air into the vehicle's interior. 
The system then recirculates the air 
currently within the vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with a multi-
function steering wheel
 featuring a 
recirculated-air button then you can 
also select the recirculated-air mode 
from this location (refer to page 22).
If the windows should fog over in 
the recirculated-air mode, switch 
the recirculated-air mode off and 
increase the air supply as required.< 

110n
Automatic climate control
*
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and 
dehumidified and Ð 
depending on the temperature setting Ð 
warmed again when the air conditioning 
is switched on. Depending on the 
weather, the windshield may fog over 
briefly when the engine is started. You 
can reduce condensation forming on 
the windows by switching on the air 
conditioning.
Condensation forms in the air 
conditioning system during opera-
tion, which then exits under the vehicle. 
Traces of condensed water of this kind 
are thus normal.< 
Maximum cooling
With the engine running 
this program provides 
maximum cooling at outside tempera-
tures above approximately 41 7 (5 6).
60 7 (16 6) appears in the tempera-
ture display 9, and the system reverts to 
the recirculated-air mode while simulta-
neously providing maximum airflow 
through the vent outlets only. That is 
why you need to keep these open if you 
select this program.
Automatic recirculated-air 
control (AUC)
You can respond to 
unpleasant external odors 
by temporarily stopping the flow of 
outside air. The system then recircu-
lates the air currently within the vehicle. 
Press the button repeatedly to run 
through the following control sequence:
>Indicator lamps off: outside airflow 
operational
>Left-hand indicator lamp on Ð AUC 
mode: the system recognizes pollut-
ants in the outside air and blocks the 
flow of air when necessary. The 
system then recirculates the air 
currently within the vehicle.
Depending on the air quality, the 
automatic system then switches back 
and forth between outside air supply 
and recirculation of the air within the 
vehicle
>Right-hand indicator lamp on: the 
flow of external air into the vehicle is 
permanently blocked. The system 
then recirculates the air currently 
within the vehicle.
If you have a multifunction steering 
wheel with the recirculated-air button 
(refer to page 22), you can also use it to 
switch between "Off" and the recircu-
lated-air mode or AUC and the recircu-
lated-air mode.
If the windows should fog over in 
the recirculated-air mode, switch 
the recirculated-air mode off and 
increase the air supply as required.< Rear window defroster
When the rear window 
defroster is activated, the 
indicator lamp comes on. The rear 
window defroster switches off automat-
ically. 

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Driving notes Antilock Brake System
Brakes:
Do not drive with your foot resting 
on the brake pedal. Even light but 
consistent pedal pressure can lead to 
high temperatures, brake wear and 
possibly even brake failure.
Aquaplaning:
When driving on wet or slushy roads, 
reduce vehicle speed. If you do not, a 
wedge of water may form between the 
tires and the road surface. This 
phenomenon is referred to as aqua-
planing or hydroplaning. It is character-
ized by a partial or complete loss of 
contact between the tires and the road 
surface. The ultimate results are loss of 
steering and braking control.
Driving through water:
When there is water on the roads, do 
not drive in it if it is deeper than 
1 ft (30 cm), and even then, only at 
walking speed, otherwise the vehicle 
can sustain damage to the engine, the 
electrical systems and the transmission.
Rear parcel tray:
Do not place heavy or hard objects on 
the cargo area cover. These objects 
could endanger vehicle occupants 
during heavy brake applications or 
evasive maneuvers.
Clothes hooks:
Hang items of clothing from the hooks 
so that they will not obstruct the driver's 
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on 
the hooks. If you do so, they could 
cause personal injury during braking or 
evasive maneuvers.< 
The conceptThe Antilock Brake System (ABS) keeps 
the wheels from locking during braking, 
thereby enhancing active driving safety.Braking with ABSIf you are in a situation that requires full 
braking, you will exploit the full benefits 
of the ABS system if you apply 
maximum pedal pressure ("panic stop"). 
Since the vehicle maintains steering 
responsiveness, you can avoid possible 
obstacles with a minimum of steering 
effort, despite the full brake application.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined 
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits 
indicates to the driver that ABS is in its 
active mode.