
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

44n
The condition for relaxed, fatigue-free
driving is a seating position adjusted to
your needs. Together with the safety
belts and the airbags, the correct
seating position increases the passive
safety of the occupants in the case of
an accident. Therefore, observe the
following instructions, as otherwise the
protective function of the safety
systems may be impaired.
For additional information on trans-
porting children, refer to page 58.
Sitting correctly with airbags
Maintain a distance to 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. No one
and nothing is to come between the
airbags and the seat occupant. Do not
use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area
for objects, or as a rest for feet or
legs.<
For the location of the airbags and
additional information, refer to page 55.
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. Never
route the belt across your neck, do not
run it across sharp edges and ensure
that the belt does not become caught
or jammed. Avoid wearing bulky
clothing and pull on the lap belt periodi-
cally to retension it over your shoulders.
In the event of a frontal impact, a loose
lap belt could slide over your 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.<
For instructions on operating the safety
belts, refer to page 49.
Observe the following before
adjusting
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle
control could lead to an accident. Never
ride with the backrest reclined to an
extreme horizontal angle (especially
important for front passengers to
remember). Keep the backrest relatively
upright to minimize the risk of "sliding
under" the safety belt and sustaining
injury in an accident
.<
Seat adjustment>Mechanical seat adjustment, refer to
page 45
>Power seat adjustment, refer to
page 46
>Head restraints, refer to page 47
>Power rear backrest adjustment,
refer to page 48
Correct sitting posture Seats

135n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Brake system Brake fluid levelIf the brake fluid level is too low and
brake pedal travel has become longer,
there may be a defect in one of the two
brake system's hydraulic circuits.
Proceed to the nearest
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center. Here increased pressure on the
brake pedal may be required, and slight
pulling to the side and longer braking
distances may result. Please remember
to adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.<
Disc brakesWhen the vehicle is driven only occa-
sionally, during extended periods when
the vehicle is not used at all, and in
operating conditions where brake appli-
cations are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion of the
rotors and accumulation of contamina-
tion on the brake pads. This occurs
because the minimal pressure which
must be exerted by the pads to clean
the discs by brake applications is not
reached.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they
will tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect which even extended
application will fail to cure.
When driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is advisable to apply light
pressure to the brake pedal from time
to time. Watch traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not
endanger other road users. The heat
which is generated by the brake appli-
cations helps to dry the brake pads and
rotors. The braking force is then imme-
diately available when required.
Extended or steep mountain descents
should be driven in the gear in which
only minimal periodic brake application
is required. This avoids excessive strain on the brakes and possible impairment
of the braking effect.
Do not coast with the clutch
depressed or with the transmis-
sion or selector lever in neutral. Do not
drive with the engine switched off. The
engine provides no braking effect when
the clutch is depressed or the transmis-
sion is in neutral, and there is no
power-assist for braking or steering
when the engine is not running.
Have brake inspections performed at a
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center
only. If you do not, parts of the four-
wheel drive system could be damaged.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any
other objects to protrude into the area
around the accelerator, clutch and
brake pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.<
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only
brake pads that BMW has
released for your particular vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suited for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<

144n
Engine oil To add oilWhile you should wait until the level has
dropped to just above the lower mark
before adding oil, you should never
allow the oil level to fall below this
marking.
BMW engines are designed to
operate without oil additives; the
use of additives could lead to damage
in some cases. This is also true for the
manual transmission, the automatic
transmission, the differential, and the
power steering system.<
Recommendation: have the oil changed
by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center. 530de326
Continuous exposure to used oil
has caused cancer in laboratory
testing. For this reason, any skin areas
that come into contact with oil should
be thoroughly washed with soap and
water.
Always store oils, grease and similar
materials so that they are inaccessible
to children. Comply with warning labels
and information on containers.<
Comply with the applicable envi-
ronmental laws regulating the
disposal of used oil.<
Specified engine oils The quality of the engine oil selected
has critical significance for the opera-
tion and service life of an engine. Based
on extensive testing, BMW has
approved only certain engine oils.
Use only approved "BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil."
If you are unable to obtain "BMW High
Performance Synthetic Oil," you can
add small amounts of synthetic oil in
between oil changes. Use only oils with
the API SH specification or higher.
Ask your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center for details
concerning the specific "BMW High
Performance Synthetic Oil" or
"synthetic oils" which have been
approved.<
You can also call BMW of North
America at 1-800-831-1117 or visit this
website: www.bmwusa.com to obtain
this information.
Viscosity ratings Viscosity is the oil flow rating as estab-
lished in SAE classes.
The selection of the correct SAE class
depends on the climatic conditions in
the area where you typically drive your
BMW.
Approved oils are in SAE classes
5W-40 and 5W-30.<
These oils may be used for driving in all
ambient temperatures.

167n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Towing the vehicle Towing a vehicle with automatic
transmission1. Place the selector lever in position N
2. Towing speed:
Max. 45 mph (70 km/h)
3. Towing distance:
Max. 95 miles (150 km)
4. Leave the ignition key at position 1 to
ensure that the brake lamps, turn
signals, horn and windshield wipers
remain operative, and to prevent the
steering lock from engaging
5. Switch on the hazard warning
flashers (comply with country-
specific regulations).
Find some means of identifying the
vehicle in tow, for instance, place a sign
or warning triangle in the rear window.
Make sure that the ignition key
remains in position 1 even when
the electrical system has failed. This will
prevent the steering lock from
engaging. The steering and brakes are
without power assist when the engine is
not running. This means that increased
effort is required for steering and
braking.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck >Do not tow with sling-type equipment
>Use a wheel-lift or flatbed carrier
>Please comply with applicable towing
laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.< 530us138
Towing with a raised axle 1. Place the gearshift lever or selector
lever in "Neutral"
2. Turn the ignition key to position 0 or
take it out
3. Towing speed:
Maximum 30 mph (50 km/h)
4. Towing distance:
Maximum 95 miles (150 km).
Remove the rear driveshaft for
longer towing distances with the
front axle lifted; remove the front drive-
shaft for towing over longer distances
with the rear axle lifted. Failure to
comply with this will result in damage to
the transfer box.<

Everything from A to ZPPark Distance Control
(PDC)91
Parking aid91
Parking brake19, 64
Parking lamps100
Passenger side mirror tilt
function51
PDC (Park Distance
Control)91
"Please fasten safety belt"
warning lamp19
Poor driving conditions133
Power loss
sliding/tilt sunroof43t
Power outlets
flashlight125t
other appliances125t
vacuum cleaner125t
Power rating170
Power rear-seat
backrests48
Power windows40
safety switch41
Pull-out cargo floor126RRain sensor69
RDC (Tire Pressure
Monitor)98
warning lamp18, 20Reading lamps102
Rear backrests, folding
down122
Rear lamps155t
Rear passenger area climate
control110
Rear seats, power48
Rear window
defroster104, 109
Rear window wiper71
blade replacement152t
Rear-seat backrest, folding
down122
Rear-seat backrests,
power48
Rearview mirror53
Rechargeable flashlight116
Recirculated-air
mode104, 109
Reclining seat44
Refueling24, 183
Releasing
hood141t
tailgate following an
electrical
malfunction38t
Reminder signal (Memo)84
Remote control32
computer90
Removal aid for the spare
wheel159tRemoving condensation
from the
windows105t, 108t
Replacing
antifreeze, radiator145t
bulbs153t
fuses163t
tires137t
windshield wiper
blades152t
Reporting Safety Defects11
Reservoir, washer
system143t
Residual heat107, 110
Restraint systems58
Reverse65
Rims139
Roof load capacity172
Roof-mounted luggage
rack128
SSafety belts49
height adjustment49
Safety Defects, reporting11
Safety lock buttons35
Seat adjustment44
Seat belts49
Seat, electric power46
Seat heating51
Seat, mechanical45Seat memory50
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory50
Securing cargo38, 127
Selector lever, automatic
transmission66
Service and Warranty
Information Booklet (US
models)147
Service Engine Soon
indicator lamp20
Service Interval
Display76, 147
Set temperature108t
Shiftlock66
Shoulder support47
Side airbags55
Side Impact Head Protection
System55
Side lamps100
bulb replacement154t
Sitting correctly44
Ski bag120
Sliding/tilt sunroof42
closing following an
electrical
malfunction43t
convenience operation31
power loss43t
remote control33
Snow chains140

Everything from A to Z
181n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Socket
power supplies119t
vacuum cleaner119t
Spare key30
Spare tire158t
Spare wheel158
removal aid159t
Speaker117
Special features of winter
tires140
Special wash program70
Speed89
Speed control71
Speed limit86, 87
Speedometer15, 17
Sports seat45
Standing lamps101
Starting assistance164t
Starting
problems63t, 164t
Starting the engine62, 63
Steering wheel
adjustment52
adjustment, automatic52
heating53
lock62
memory50
Steering wheel with
multifunction buttons22
Steptronic66
Stopwatch84Storage compartments116
in the cargo area124
Summer tires139
Sunroof42
Sunshades112
Switching off the engine64
Switching off the vehicle64
Switch-on times
input85
Symbols8
Synthetic oils144
System malfunction
indicators77
TTachometer75
Tail lamps155t
bulb replacement155t
Tailgate37
opening from the
outside36
radio control operation33
release following an
electrical
malfunction38t
Tank capacity173
Technical
modifications10, 148
Telephone preparation117Temperature display,
outside
temperature74, 80
Temperature gauge76
Temperature
layering105, 110
Temperature setting108t
Thigh support
adjustment45
Third brake lamp156
Tilt alarm33
Tilt alarm sensor40
Tilt function, passenger side
mirror51
Time
calling up83
changing83
of arrival, estimated88
Timer
refer to Stopwatch
refer also to the Owner's
Manual for the Onboard
Computer
Tire136
damage136t
pressure monitoring98
renewal137
tread136
Tire inflation
pressures26, 136
monitoring98
table27Tire Pressure Monitor
(RDC)98
warning lamp18, 20
Tire Quality Grading138
Tools152t
Torque170
Tow fittings166t
Towing the vehicle166t
Tow-starting166t
Track width171
Traction Control System,
refer to DSC92
Transmission65, 66
Transporting children
safely58
Tread depth, tires136
Trip odometer74
Turn signal indicator69
bulb replacement154t
Turning circle171
UUniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQR)138
Universal Transmitter113
Used batteries,
disposal162
Used oil, disposal144t