
26n
Fuel quality Tire inflation pressure The engine uses lead-free gasoline 
only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline, 
min. 91 AKI
AKI = Anti Knock Index
Do not use leaded fuels. The use 
of leaded fuels will cause perma-
nent damage to the system's oxygen 
sensor and the catalytic converter.< 
You will find the tire inflation pressures 
on the door pillar (visible with door 
open).Check tire pressuresAll pressure specifications are indicated 
in psi (kilopascal) for cold tires at 
ambient temperature (refer also to the 
next page).
Remember to reactivate the Flat 
Tire Monitor after every wheel or 
tire change, refer to page 67.<520de008
Check tire inflation pressures 
regularly Ð at least every two 
weeks and before each extended 
journey. Otherwise, incorrect tire pres-
sure can lead to poor handling, tire 
damage and accidents.<
Comply with tire approval 
specificationsThe inflation pressures in the table 
apply to tires made by BMW-approved 
manufacturers. Your BMW center is 
familiar with these pressures. Higher 
pressures may be specified for tires 
made by other manufacturers. 
You will find a list of approved tire sizes 
on page 104.
Your vehicle is equipped with tires that 
not only meet US standards, but also 
European standards. We recommend 
the exclusive use of BMW-approved 
tires. 

34n
Opening and closing Ð from the outsideTo unlock the vehicle Press button 1.
Press the button once to unlock the 
driver's door only; press it a second 
time to unlock the passenger door, the 
luggage compartment lid, the fuel filler 
door, the glove compartment, and the 
cellular phone holder. 
If necessary, you can open the fuel filler 
door by pressing the button inside the 
vehicle; refer to page 25.Convenience opening modePress and hold button 1. The windows 
are then opened. 520de143
To lock and secure Press button 2.
You can have different confirma-
tion signals programmed into the 
system to verify that it has assumed 
active operational status.<520de145
To deactivate the tilt alarm sensor 
and interior motion sensor Press button 2 again immediately after 
locking. 
For additional information, refer to 
page 39.To switch on the interior lamps With the vehicle locked, press button 2.520de145 

38n
Luggage compartment lid Alarm systemEmergency release This lever releases the luggage 
compartment lid from the luggage 
compartment's interior.390de792
The conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds
>when a door, the hood or the luggage 
compartment lid is opened
>to movement inside the vehicle 
(interior motion sensor)
>to variations in the vehicle's tilt angle 
such as those occuring during 
attempts to steal the wheels or tow 
the vehicle
>to interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to attempts of 
unauthorized vehicle incursion and theft 
by simultaneously activating the 
following
>an alarm sounds for 30 seconds
>the hazard warning flashers are acti-
vated for approx. five minutes
>the high beams flash on and off in the 
same rhythm.
To arm and disarm the alarm 
systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked 
via a door lock or with the remote 
control, the alarm system is also simul-
taneously armed or disarmed.
The interior motion sensor and tilt alarm 
sensor are activated approx. 
30 seconds after you have finished 
locking the vehicle.
The system indicates that it has been 
correctly armed by switching on the 
hazard warning flashers for a single 
cycle and by emitting an acoustic 
signal.
You can select the individual 
confirmation signal used to indi-
cate that the alarm system has been 
armed or disarmed.< 

39n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Alarm systemIndicator lamp displaysThe indicator lamp is located in the 
inside rear view mirror's rotary knob.
>The indicator lamp flashes continu-
ously: the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes during 
arming: a door, the hood or luggage 
compartment lid is not completely 
closed. Even if you do not respond by 
securing the affected area, the system 
starts to monitor all other points and 
the indicator lamp reverts to contin-
uous, uninterrupted operation once 
ten seconds have elapsed. The inte-
rior motion sensor remains off
>The indicator lamp goes out during 
disarming: no manipulation or 
attempted intrusions have been 
detected in the period since the 
system was armed520de014
>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 alarms The 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:
Lock the vehicle twice (= arm the 
system) by pressing button 2 on the 
remote control twice in succession 
(refer to page 34), or lock the vehicle 
twice with the key (refer to page 32).
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and 
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm 
sensor and the interior motion sensor 
remain deactivated for as long as the 
system is armed.
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor to 
function properly, the windows and the 
luggage compartment lid must be 
closed.
Nevertheless, you should deactivate 
the interior motion sensor (refer to the 
previous column) if
>children or animals are left in the 
vehicle
>windows should remain open. 
For US vehicles only:
The interior motion sensor is not 
installed on US models as it has not 
received FCC (Federal Communica-
tions Commission) approval.< 

87n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Brakes:
Do not rest your foot on the brake 
pedal while driving. Even light but 
consistent pressure on the brake pedal 
could lead to high temperatures, brake 
wear, and possibly, to brake system 
failure.
Aquaplaning:
Reduce speed while driving on wet or 
slushy roads, otherwise, a wedge of 
water can form between the tires and 
the road surface. This phenomenon is 
referred to as "aquaplaning" or "hydro-
planing." It is characterized by a partial 
or complete loss of contact between 
the tires and the road surface. The ulti-
mate 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 elec-
trical systems and the transmission.<
The catalytic converter reduces harmful 
exhaust emissions.
It is designed for use with unleaded fuel 
only. Even minute quantities of lead 
would be enough to permanently 
damage both the catalytic converter 
and the system's oxygen sensor.
To ensure efficient, trouble-free engine 
operation and to avoid potential 
damage:
>Be sure to comply with the scheduled 
maintenance requirements
>Fill the fuel tank well before it is empty
>Tow-start only when the engine is 
cold. If you attempt to tow-start with 
a warm engine, unburned residual 
fuel could ignite on the way to the 
catalytic converter and cause 
damage. It is better to start the 
vehicle with a battery charger or 
assistance from another vehicle
>Avoid other situations where the fuel 
is either not burned or burns incom-
pletely, such as engaging the starter 
frequently or for extended periods, or 
repeated start attempts in which the 
engine does not start (stopping and 
restarting an engine which is running 
properly does not present a problem). 
Never allow the engine to run with 
any of the spark plug cables discon-
nected.Be sure to comply with the 
instructions above to prevent 
unburned fuel from reaching the cata-
lytic converter. Otherwise, there is the 
danger of overheating and damage to 
the catalytic converter.
Extreme temperatures are present with 
the catalytic converter both on this and 
every catalyst-equipped vehicle. Heat 
shields are installed adjacent to some 
sections of the exhaust system. Never 
remove these shields; do not apply 
undercoating to their surfaces. When 
driving, standing at idle, and parking 
the vehicle, take care to avoid contact 
between the exhaust system and flam-
mable materials (grass, hay, leaves 
etc.). Such contact could start a fire, 
resulting in serious personal injury and 
property damage.<
Driving notes Catalytic converter 

150n
Deceleration sensors continuously 
monitor the acceleration forces acting 
upon the vehicle. If there is a decelera-
tion because of a collision, where the 
protection normally afforded by the 
safety belts is no longer sufficient by 
itself, then the gas generators for the 
front airbag will be simultaneously 
ignited on both the driver and 
passenger sides. The front airbag on 
the passenger side, however, will be 
deployed only if a second sensor has 
detected that the passenger is occu-
pied. 
In the event of a side collision, only the 
side airbags will be triggered if neces-
sary. And only that airbag for that side 
of the vehicle where the collision 
occurred will be triggered.
390de012
The airbags located under the marked 
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of 
milliseconds. In this process, they tear 
through the designed separation points 
of the covers or press them out.
Because the inflation process must be 
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily 
accompanied by a certain amount of 
ignition and inflation noise. The gas 
required to inflate the airbags is not 
dangerous, and the associated smoke 
then dissipates. 
The entire process is completed within 
fractions of a second.
Airbags  

152n
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
 
Highly sensitive sensors monitor the 
number of revolutions of the wheels, 
steering angle, lateral acceleration, 
brake pressure and the movement of 
the vehicle around its vertical axis.
When the system detects substantial 
differences in rotation rates between 
wheels, it acts to inhibit uncontrolled 
wheelspin by reducing the drive torque 
transmitted to the affected wheel(s), 
while also initiating selective braking 
intervention as needed. 
In addition, DSC permanently monitors 
the vehicle's current operating condi-
tion and compares it with an ideal 
status calculated based on sensor 
signals. DSC reacts to deviations from 
this ideal status, such as incipient 
understeer or oversteer, to restore the 
vehicle's stability using a combination 
of adjustments to engine torque and 
selective braking applications at indi-
vidual wheels. Dangerous skids are 
thus prevented before they can even 
start, all of this is possible, of course, 
only within physically possible limits.You may need some time to become 
accustomed to this system's interven-
tion. However, it provides optimum 
drive force and vehicle stability. 
The braking intervention may be 
accompanied by sounds specific to the 
system. 

154n
Interior rearview mirror with automatic dimmer The interior rearview mirror with auto-
matic dimmer reduces glare from 
following traffic by adapting the inten-
sity of the reflected images to corre-
spond to levels of light registered by 
the unit's sensors. The mirror reverts to 
its undimmed setting as soon as the 
light source disappears. One light 
sensor is mounted on the front of the 
interior mirror housing. This forward-
facing sensor measures light intensity in 
the area ahead of the vehicle. The 
second light sensor is integrated within 
the mirror's frame. The electronic 
control system compares the light 
intensity from front and rear. The differ-
ence provides the basic parameter 
used to modulate an electrical current 
and induce chemical changes in a 
semisolid layer incorporated in the lens.520de096
The semisolid reacts chemically to this 
electrical current, thus providing 
dimming of the mirror through an infi-
nitely-variable range (electrochromatic 
technology).
As a result, it is no longer necessary to 
dim the interior mirror manually, and the 
driver can concentrate completely on 
traffic conditions.