Contents
© 2001 BMW M GmbH
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW M GmbH, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 249
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
Steering wheel with multifunction
buttons21
Warning triangle22
First-aid kit22
Refueling22
Fuel specifications24
Tire inflation pressure24
Opening and closing:
Keys28
Central locking system28
Opening and closing Ð via the
door lock29
lOpening and closing Ð via the
remote control30
Opening and closing Ð from the
inside33
Luggage compartment lid34
Luggage compartment36
Alarm system37
Electric power windows39
Convertible top40
Adjustments:
Correct sitting position44
Seats44
Head restraints46
Entering the rear47
Safety belts48
Seat and mirror memory48
Seat heating49
Steering wheel50
Mirrors50
Passenger safety systems:
Airbags52
Transporting children safely54
Rollover protection system58
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory60
Driving:
Steering/Ignition lock61
Starting the engine61
Switching off the engine62
Parking brake63
Manual transmission63
Sequential M gearbox SMG II64
Indicator/Headlamp flasher70
Washer/Wiper system/Rain
sensor71
Cruise control73
Everything under control:
Odometer75
Tachometer75
Engine oil temperature gauge75
Fuel gauge76
Temperature gauge76
Service Interval Display76
Check Control77
Clock77
Computer78
Technology for driving comfort
and safety:
Park Distance Control (PDC)80
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)81
Flat Tire Monitor82
M Engine dynamics control84
Contents
42n
Convertible top
If the opening or closing operation
is interrupted, the convertible top
remains in the respective position for
15 minutes, and the sequence can be
continued in the desired direction with
the button. After that, the convertible
top can be moved again and, if it is an
emergency situation, you may have to
help the top along manually. This can
also be done in ignition key position 0.
In certain cases, the luggage compart-
ment lid cannot be opened if the
opening or closing operation has been
interrupted.<
Convenience operation from the
driver's door lockRefer to page 29.
Closing manually in the event of
an electrical malfunction1 Emergency operation
2 Allen wrench
3 Recess
Only actuate the convertible top
manually to close it, however
never to open it, as the convertible top
compartment lid cannot be locked and
would open during driving.<
Manual closing is best carried out
with two persons from outside
with the driver's door open and the
driver's seat folded forward. No one is
to be in the rear seat while you are
doing this.<
1. Remove the center piece between
the rear seats. Take the trim off of the
guide rod and flip it forward. Press
down hard on the emergency lock 1.
After a brief pause, the mechanisms
for the convertible top compartment
will be unlocked
If the mechanisms for the convert-
ible top compartment lid do not
unlock, then insert the Allen wrench 2
into the recess 3 and turn clockwise
until the mechanisms unlock.c
2. If the luggage compartment lid is
closed, open the convertible top
compartment lid up as far as the stop
will allow
44n
For relaxed and fatigue-free driving you
should select a sitting position that
reflects your personal requirements.
Correct position 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 54.
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 53.
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 the belt 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. Leave the rear safety
belts in the holders, if they are not
needed, to avoid unwanted movement
from the safety belts at high speeds.<
For information on using the safety
belts, refer to page 48.
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 angle (especially
important for the front passenger to
remember). If you do so, there is a risk
that you will slide under the safety belt
in an accident, thus reducing the
protection provided by the safety belt.
With the wind deflector in place: never
push the front seats all the way back to
avoid damaging the wind deflector.<
Correct sitting position Seats
45n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Seats1 Tilt angle
2 Forward/backward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Thigh support Pull the lever and adjust the position of
the cushion for thigh support as
desired.
Adjusting the lumbar support
*
You 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 position.
>Press the front/rear of switch:
increase/decrease curvature
>Press the upper/lower end of the
switch: increase the upper/lower
curvature.
46n
Head restraintsFront head restraints1 Height
Head restraints reduce the risk
of spinal injury in the event of an
accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its
center is approximately at the height of
your ears.
When moving the head restraints up or
down, do not grab on between the
head restraint and the upper edge of
the backrest to avoid the possibility of
injury.<
2 Tilt angle
Position the head restraints manually in
the preferred position.
Rear head restraints
The rear head restraints may only
be lowered if there are no passen-
gers in the rear seats. If you do so, you
are in violation of the law. Raise the rear
head restraints before taking on any
passengers in the back.<
To completely lower the rear head
restraints:
1. Press the button (arrow) and hold it
down
2. Push the head restraint down from
above.
Raising the rear head restraints: raise
the head restraints until you hear them
click into place.
54n
Airbags
Transporting children safely
This is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
rear side airbags (arrow) are provided.
Operational status
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster shows the airbag
system status starting in ignition
key position 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly,
when the ignition key is turned into
position 1 or 2
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on,
when the ignition key is turned
>The indicator lamp fails to go out
after the engine has been started, or
it comes on during normal driving.
Please respond to any malfunctions in
the system by immediately having it
inspected at your BMW center; other-
wise the airbag could fail to respond to
an accident in which both the angle and
the severity of the impact would
normally trigger airbag deployment.
Commercially available child seats
complying with the legal standard are
designed to be secured with a lap belt
or with the lap belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt. Improperly or
inadequately installed restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to chil-
dren. Always read and follow the
instructions that come with the system.
96n
Storage compartments Cellular phone
*
Front center armrest
*
To release: press the button (arrow) and
lift upward.Other compartments and netsYou will find additional storage areas in
the doors and in the center console
above the ashtray. Storage nets are
located on the backrests of the front
seats.
Beverage holder, coin boxA coin box and two beverage holders
are provided in the center console.
Hands-free systemIn vehicles with telephone preparation
*
the cover for the hands-free micro-
phone is located above the interior
rearview mirror on the driver side.
For further information on the cellular
phone, refer to the Supplementary
Owner's Manual.
98n
Ski bag
*
The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 3 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
The length of the ski bag and the addi-
tional space provided in the luggage
compartment make it possible to carry
skis up to 6.8 ft long (2.1 0 meters).
Because of the tapered shape of the
bag, the ski bag can only accommodate
two pairs of skis up to 6.8 ft long
(2.1 0 meters).
Loading1. Release the safety belts from their
holders
2. Press lever downward (arrow) and
remove the center piece by pulling it
forward
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to stored items. It may
be opened to allow the ski bag to dry
4. Press the release button in the
luggage compartment (arrow)