
56n
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.
An acoustic warning is sounded when
you fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until the lock engages. 390de010
Steering unlocked Turning the steering wheel slightly to
the right or left often makes it easier to
turn the key from 0 to 1.
Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.Starting engine Depress the clutch when starting the
engine. A lockout prevents the engine
from starting with the clutch engaged.
Before starting>Engage the parking brake
>Move the shift lever to the neutral
position
>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.
Do not 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

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Starting the engine Switching off the engine Starting engineDo not press the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine.
While it is important not to release
the key prematurely, you should
also avoid allowing the starter to
operate continuously for more than
20 seconds at a time. Release the igni-
tion key immediately when the engine
starts.<
Do not warm up the engine by allowing
it to run with the vehicle parked.
Instead, you should drive away immedi-
ately while taking care to avoid high
engine speeds until the engine warms
to its normal operating temperature.
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (the engine is very hot or cold,
for instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at extremely low tempera-
tures of roughly +57 (Ð156) or below
and at altitudes of over 3,300 ft
(1,000 m):
>Allow the starter to turn somewhat
longer (approximately 10 seconds)
during your initial starting attempt.
The engine's idle speed is automatically
regulated by the computerized engine-
management system. A brief period at
high idle is normal just after starting; the
idle speed should gradually return to
normal as the engine warms. Should
the engine fail to revert to its normal
idle speed after warming, a problem
may exist: please refer the problem to
your BMW center.
To prevent the battery from discharging,
always switch off any electrical devices
not in use, as well as the ignition when
the vehicle is not being driven.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent
or long periods with the starter
engaged, can lead to catalyst
damage.<
When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care
to avoid contact between the exhaust
system and flammable materials (grass,
hay, leaves, etc.). Such contact could
lead to a fire, resulting in serious
personal injury and property damage.<
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is still moving. If
you do so, the steering will lock, making
it impossible to steer the vehicle.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on hills and inclined
surfaces, as even first gear or reverse
may not provide adequate resistance to
rolling.<

58n
Parking brake Manual transmission The parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates at the rear
wheels.To engageThe lever engages automatically when
it is pulled up, and the "PARK BRAKE"
(in Canada "P") indicator lamp comes
on in the instrument cluster in ignition
key position 2. Refer to page 17. 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 the lever up to apply
moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied. Always
engage the parking brake when parking
on hills and inclined surfaces, as even
first gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.<
You can help prevent corrosion and
maintain balanced braking by periodi-
cally pulling up the parking brake lever
gently while coasting to a stop at a
traffic light. Always check traffic condi-
tions first to avoid posing a hazard to
yourself or other road users.
When shifting gears, always depress
the clutch pedal all the way to the end
of its travel, then move the shift lever
until it engages securely in the desired
gear.
You will also need to depress the clutch
when starting the engine, as an auto-
matic lockout prevents the starter from
operating when the clutch is engaged.
When the vehicle lighting is switched
on, the shift pattern is illuminated on
the shift lever.
When shifting gears in the 5th/
6th-gear plane, be sure to press
the shift lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th-gear plane.<39mde017

68n
Check ControlDisplays after completion of a tripAll of the malfunctions registered during
the trip appear consecutively when the
key is turned to position 0.
The following displays will appear when
appropriate:
>"LIGHTS ON"
This display appears when you open
the driver's door after parking the
vehicle
>"KEY IN IGNITION LOCK"
>"CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV"
Check the engine oil at the earliest
opportunity (next stop for fuel). Refer
to page 115.
Status messages remain available for a
period of approx. three minutes after
the display goes out and the key is
removed from the ignition. Press the
CHECK button 3 to display these
messages. If there were multiple
messages, press the CHECK button
repeatedly to view them all in
sequence.
To check the Check ControlPress the CHECK button 3 with the
ignition key in position 2:
CHECK CONTROL OK appears in the
display.
There are no faults in the monitored
systems.ComputerYou can find descriptions of the
computer starting on page 73 and in
the "Onboard Computer Owner's
Manual."
You can have the Check Control
and computer messages
displayed in a different language.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Multi-Information Display (MID)Central DisplayThe MID serves as the central display
and control for the following onboard
systems:
>Digital clock (e. g. time displayed in
digital numerals, date)
>Audio systems (radio, cassette, CD)
>Computer ( e.g. fuel consumption,
cruising range)
>Cellular phone ( e.g. dialing).
You will find explanations and notes for
operating the digital clock and the
computer on the following pages.
Please refer to the Owner's Manual for
operating the audio systems, the
cellular phone and the onboard
computer.
The system rejects all implausible
data entries.
All stored data will be lost if the power
supply is interrupted. Time of day,
switch-on times for parked-car ventila-
tion, distance and cruise control speed
limit may have to be reset once the
power supply has been re-estab-
lished.<
1 Function button for audio systems
2 Function button for the cellular
phone
*
3 Indicator lamp for parked-car ventila-
tion system
>remains on if switch-on time is
active
>flashes while operating
4 Function button for the digital clock
and computer
5 Indicator display for the various
onboard systems390us705
6 Display for the entry and query
buttons. Depending on the operating
mode, the functions and alternatives
which can be selected at the buttons
are displayed here
7 Entry and check buttons for
operating the various onboard
systems

70n
Digital clock
Only make entries when the
vehicle is standing still Ð to avoid
endangering yourself or other road
users.<
Displaying time or datePress the left of the button.
Display shows:
You can have the time of day displayed
in 12 or 24 hours.
To change the display:
Press the left of the button.
If the 12-hour time display is in use, AM
or PM appears after the time.
Changing the time displayPress the left of the button.
Press the right of the button:
The dots flash in the display.
To alter the setting:
Press on left or right, or hold the button
down.
To store the entry:
Press the right of the button.
Changing the datePress the left of the button.
Press.
Press the right of the button:
The dots and the DATE display will
flash.
To alter the setting:
Press on left or right, or hold the button
down.
To store the entry:
Press the right of the button.
The clock takes leap years into account
and therefore does not have to be reset
manually.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Digital clockReminder signalYou can program an hourly reminder
signal (Memo), that will, for example,
remind you of news broadcasts.
Press the left of the button.
Press:
MEMO OFF appears in the display for
entry and query buttons, and the tone
symbol will appear in the upper right of
the display.
A signal is then heard 15 seconds
before each hour.
StopwatchPress the left of the button.
Press.
Display shows:
To start the stopwatch:
Press the right of the button.
To take an intermediate time reading:
Press.
Press:
The stopwatch display can be seen
counting up; the stopwatch continues
to run.
To halt the stopwatch:
Press the right of the button.
The stopwatch is halted when the
ignition key is turned back to 0,
but starts to run again when the ignition
key is turned to 1.<

72n
Digital clockSetting activation times for
parked-car ventilation systemYou can enter two different activation
times.
After 30 minutes, the ventilation will
switch off automatically.
Please observe the instructions
for operating the parked-car venti-
lation system on page 92.<
Press the left of the button.
Press at left or right.
Display shows:
Press the right of the button:
Display flashes, e. g. TIMER 1.
To enter the time:
Press on left or right, or hold down.
To confirm the entry:
Press the right of the button.
The activated time is marked with an
asterisk.
The switch-on times remain memorized
until new entries are made.
You can change switch-on times that
have already been memorized by
setting a new time using the procedure
described above.
When the switch-on time is active, the
LED comes on in the MID. During actual
operation of the ventilation, the LED
flashes. The LED goes out when the
system is switched off.
To activate/deactivate the time:
Press twice.Turning the parked-car ventilation
system on and off directly
The parked-car ventilation system
is available exclusively in ignition
key position 1.<
Press the left of the button.
Press
or
press.