
 
Contents
 
© 2001 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the 
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order no. 01 41 0 156 416
US English IX/2001
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper 
(bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling). 
Overview
Controls and features
 
Cockpit14 
Instrument cluster15 
Indicator and warning lamps18 
Steering wheel with multifunction 
buttons22
Warning triangle23
First-aid kit23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressures26
 
Locks and security systems: 
 
Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing 
Ð via the door lock31 
Opening and closing 
Ð via the remote control32
Opening and closing 
Ð from the inside35 
Liftgate36
Tailgate37
Alarm system39
Electric power windows40
Sliding/tilt sunroof with glass 
moonroof42
 
Adjustments: 
 
Correct sitting posture44
Seats44
Mechanical seat45
Power seat46
Head restraints47
Power rear-seat backrest 
adjustment48
Safety belt49
Seat, mirror and steering wheel 
memory50
Seat heating51
Adjusting steering wheel52
Steering wheel heating53
Mirrors53
 
Passenger safety systems: 
 
Airbags55
Transporting children safely58
Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory61
 
Driving: 
 
Ignition lock62
Starting the engine62
Switching off the engine64
Parking brake64
Manual transmission65
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic66
Indicator/Headlamp flasher68
Washer/Wiper system/Rain 
sensor69
Cruise control71
 
Everything under control: 
 
Odometer, outside temperature 
display74
Tachometer75
Energy control75
Fuel gauge75
Coolant temperature gauge76
Service Interval Display76
Check Control77
Computer80
Multi-Information Display 
(MID)82
Digital clock in the MID83
Computer in the MID86
 
Inhalt 

 
14n
1 Parking lamps/Low beams100
2 Fog lamps101
3
 
>
 
Turn signal indicator69
 
>
 
Standing lamps101
 
>
 
High beams101
 
>
 
Headlamp flasher68
 
>
 
Computer804 Wiper/Washer system69
5 Rear window defroster104, 109
6 Central locking system307 Hazard warning flashers
8 Horn, the entire surface
9 Adjusting steering wheel52
 
Cockpit 
530de328 

31n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the door lockUsing the key One turn of the key in the driver's door 
lock unlocks the driver's door only. 
Turning the key a second time unlocks 
all of the remaining doors, the liftgate/
tailgate and the fuel filler door. 
You can have an acknowledgment 
signal set to confirm that the 
vehicle is correctly closed.< 530de244
Convenience operationYou can also operate the windows and 
sliding/tilt sunroof via the door lock.
>To open: with the door closed, turn 
the key to the "Unlock" position and 
hold it
>To close: with the door closed, turn 
the key to the "Lock" position and 
hold it.
Watch during the closing process 
to be sure that no one is inadvert-
ently injured. Releasing the key stops 
the operation.< Manual operation (in the event of an electrical malfunction) 
Turn the key to the extreme left or right 
to unlock/lock the door.  

33n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlTo unlock Press button. 
Press the button once to unlock the 
driver's door only; press a second time 
to unlock all remaining doors as well as 
the tailgate/liftgate and fuel filler door. Convenience opening mode Press and hold button. The power 
windows and sliding/tilt sunroof are 
opened. 
To lock and secure Press button. To switch on the interior lamps After locking the vehicle, press button 
again. To switch off the tilt sensor alarm 
and interior motion sensorPress button a second time immedi-
ately after locking. 
For additional information: refer to 
page 40. 
To open the liftgate Press button. 
Before and after a trip, be sure 
that the tailgate/liftgate was not 
opened unintentionally.< Panic modeBy pressing and holding the button for 
more than two seconds, you can trigger 
an alarm via the alarm system if there is 
an impending danger (the alarm system 
must be armed).
To switch off the alarm 
Press button. 

36n
LiftgateTo open from the outside Press the button (arrow): 
The liftgate opens slightly.
The cargo area is illuminated whenever 
the liftgate is opened, refer also to 
page 102.
When the liftgate is opened, the 
clearance from the ground to the 
upper edge is more than 6.6 ft (2 m). 
Please keep this in mind when opening 
the tailgate (in a garage, for example).<530de245
Opening from inside the vehiclePress this button to open the liftgate 
when the vehicle is stationary. 
If pointed or sharp-edged objects 
could strike the rear window while 
driving, be sure to provide protection 
around all edges. If you do not do this, 
the heating conductors of the rear 
window could be damaged.< 
For information on the cargo area cover 
and on other details in the cargo area, 
refer to "Cargo area", beginning on 
page 122.530de221
Manual release In the event of an electrical malfunction, 
you can release the liftgate manually: 
1. Remove the plastic plug from inside 
the cargo area and pull toward the 
interior (arrow). The liftgate will be 
released 
2. Reinstall the plug. 530de316 

37n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Liftgate TailgateTo close You can pull the liftgate down by 
placing both hands in the handle 
recesses (arrows).
To avoid injuries, be sure that the 
travel path of the liftgate is clear 
when it is closed, as with all closing 
procedures.< 530us017
Operate the vehicle only when 
both gates are completely closed. 
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could pene-
trate the interior of the vehicle. Should it 
be absolutely necessary to operate the 
vehicle with an open gate:
>Close all windows. Shut the sliding/
tilt sunroof
>Increase the air supply for the air 
conditioner or automatic climate 
control to a high level, refer to 
page 104 or 108.< 
To openPress the button:
You can fold the tailgate down. 
When opened, the tailgate can 
accept loads of up to 440 lbs 
(200 kg). When the vehicle is parked, 
you may utilize the tailgate as a seat or 
as a loading platform for luggage or 
recreation gear, for example.< 530de246 

40n
Alarm system  Electric power windows >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. 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:
Actuate (= arm the system) the lock 
twice; in other words, press button 2 of 
the remote control twice in succession, 
refer to page 33. You may also actuate 
the locks twice with the key, refer to 
page 31.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and 
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm 
sensor and the interior motion sensor 
are deactivated as long as the system is 
armed. 
Interior motion sensor In order for the interior motion sensor to 
function properly, the windows and 
sliding/tilt sunroof must be completely 
closed. 
However, be sure to switch off the inte-
rior motion sensor (see the previous 
column) when you
>leave children or animals in the 
vehicle
>intend to leave the windows or 
sliding/tilt sunroof open. 
Open and close windowsFrom ignition key position 1: 
>Press the switch up to the pressure 
point:
The window continues to move as 
long as you continue to hold the 
switch 
>Press the switch beyond the pressure 
point:
The window moves downward auto-
matically. Touch the switch again to 
stop the opening movement. 
You can close the windows in the same 
manner by pulling the switch.530us020 

41n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Electric power windows After the ignition has been switched off:
>You can still operate the windows as 
long as neither of the front doors has 
been opened. To open the windows, 
press the switch beyond the pressure 
point.
Remove the key from the ignition 
lock and close the doors when 
you leave the vehicle so that children 
cannot operate the power windows and 
possibly injure themselves.< 
For the convenience mode via the door 
lock or the remote control, refer to 
page 31 or page 33. Safety featureA contact strip is integrated into the 
inner side of each of the upper window 
frame sections. 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 that the closing 
path of the window is not obstructed 
whenever it is closed. Otherwise, an 
object might not touch the contact strip 
in some situations (with very thin 
objects, for instance).
You can override this safety feature by 
pulling the switch beyond the pressure 
point and holding it.
Because the power windows are sealed 
at high pressure to prevent wind noise 
when closed, a powerful motor is 
required for efficient closing. When 
closing the windows, always ensure 
that they are not obstructed in any way. 
Unsupervised use of these systems can 
result in serious personal injury. 
Remove the ignition key to deactivate 
the electric power windows whenever 
you leave the vehicle. Never leave the 
keys in the vehicle with unsupervised 
children. Never place anything that 
could obstruct the driver's vision on or 
next to the windows.< 
Safety switch With the safety switch, you can prevent 
the rear windows from being opened or 
closed via the switches in the rear 
passenger area (by children, for 
example). You can also prevent adjust-
ments of the power rear-seat backrests 
from the rear passenger area, refer to 
page 48. 
Press the safety switch whenever 
children are riding in the rear of 
the vehicle. Careless use of the power 
windows can lead to injury.< 530us209