2003 BMW 325Ci CONVERTIBLE tires

Contents

Operation, maintenance

Special operating instructions:

Break-in procedures122
Driving notes123
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)123
Brake system124
Hardtop*125

Wheels and tires:

Tire inflation pressure127
Tire condition127
Tire replacement128
Wheel and tire
combinations130
Winter tires130

In the engine compartment:

Hood132
Engine compartment
essentials134
Washer fluid136
Engine oil136
Coolant138
Brake fluid139

Maintenance:

The BMW Maintenance
System140

Laws and regulations:

California Proposition 65
warning141
OBD interface socket141

Owner service procedures

Replacement procedures:

Onboard tool kit146
Windshield wiper blades146
Lamps and bulbs147
Changing a wheel151
Run Flat tires*155
Battery156
Fuses156

Giving and receiving
assistance:

Jump-starting157
Towing the vehicle158

Technical data

Engine data162
Dimensions163
Weights164
Capacities165

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25
Close the fuel filler cap carefully
after refueling until a click is
heard. While closing, be sure not to
squeeze the strap which is fastened to
the cap. A loose or missing cap will
activate the CHECK FILLER CAP
lamp.<
Fuel tank capacity>Approx. 16.6 gal./63 liters, of which
>approx. 2.1 gal./8 liters are reserve
capacity.
Do not drive to the last drop of
fuel. This can prevent the engine
from operating properly and result in
damage.<
Fuel specificationsThe engine uses lead-free gasoline
only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline,
min. 91 AKI.
AKI = Anti Knock Index
Never use leaded fuel, as it would
cause permanent and irreversible
damage to the oxygen sensor and the
catalytic converter.<
Tire inflation pressureThe specified inflation pressures are
provided on a sticker attached to the
B-pillar and are visible with the driver's
door open.Checking tire pressuresAll pressures are specified in the stan-
dard units of pressure, psi and kilopas-
cal, and apply to cold tires, that is tires
at ambient temperature. Refer to tire
pressure table at the end of this chap-
ter.
Vehicles with Tire Pressure Monitor
(TPM)/Flat Tire Monitor:
After correcting the inflation pressures,
reinitialize the system, refer to
pages 92, 93.
Refueling
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26
Another instruction plate regarding
inflation pressures on the door pillar
indicates which system your vehicle is
equipped with.
Check the tire pressures on a reg-
ular basis – at least twice a month
– and before every extended journey.
Otherwise, incorrect tire pressure can
lead to poor handling, to tire damage
and accidents.
Remember to check the inflation pres-
sure in the space-saver or standard
spare tire.
Inflate the spare tire to the highest infla-
tion pressure specified for your vehi-
cle. specificationsThe inflation pressures in the table
apply to BMW approved tire sizes and
tire manufacturers. Your BMW center
can provide you with more information
about these. Higher pressures may be
required for tires made by other manu-
facturers.
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.Tire inflation pressure
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27
BMW Tires
All pressure specifications in the table are indicated
in psi/kilopascal with cold tires –
cold = ambient temperature
325Ci 205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
205/55 R 16 91 H
225/50 R 16 92 W
225/45 R 17 91 W29/200 33/230 36/250 44/300
225/45 ZR 17
245/40 ZR 1729/200
––
33/23036/250
––
44/300
205/50 R 17 93 V M+S extra load
205/50 R 17 93 W extra load
205/55 R 16 91 Q M+S
225/50 R 16 92 Q M+S
205/50 R 17 93 Q M+S extra load
225/45 R 17 91 Q M+S32/220 36/250 39/270 46/320
330Ci 225/45 R 17 91 W 29/200 33/230 36/250 44/300
225/45 ZR 17
245/40 ZR 17
225/40 R 18
255/35 R 1829/200
–
32/220
-–
33/230
-
36/25036/250
–
39/270
-–
44/300
-
46/320
205/50 R 17 93 V M+S extra load
205/50 R 17 93 W extra load
205/50 R 17 93 Q M+S extra load
225/45 R 17 91 Q M+S32/220 36/250 39/270 46/320
All Space-saver spare tire 61/420Tire inflation pressure
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92
Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)*The conceptTPM monitors the tire pressures at all
four tires even while the vehicle is mov-
ing. The system provides an alert when-
ever the inflation pressure drops signifi-
cantly below the specified pressure in
one or more tires.
This indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster informs you when
the tire pressure deviates from
the target values.
Initializing the systemInitializing is necessary to familiarize the
system with the correct inflation pres-
sures.
Repeat this process after tire replace-
ment, tire rotation or any changes in tire
inflation pressure.
1. Check the tire inflation pressures in
all the tires, comparing them with the
inflation pressure chart on page 25,
and adjust them if necessary
2. Turn the ignition key to position 2, do
not start the engine
3. Press the button long enough for the
yellow indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster to light up for a few sec-
onds
4. After a few minutes' driving time,
TPM adopts the current inflation
pressures in the tires as the refer-
ence values to be monitored.In the event of loss in inflation
pressureIf the inflation pressure has dropped
significantly over a long period of time,
which is normal for any tire, the yellow
indicator lamp will come on.
This alerts you to have the tires inflated
to the specified pressures as soon as
possible.
If you are prompted to check the
tire pressure shortly after a cor-
rection has been made, this indicates
that the corrected values were not
valid. Please check the inflation pres-
sure again and make corrections
according to the inflation pressure
table. Then reinitialize the system. sure, the red warning lamp will come
on. This visual alert is accompanied by
an acoustic warning signal.
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93
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed
immediately and stop the vehicle in a
safe location. Avoid hard brake applica-
tions. Do not oversteer. Replace the
defective tire, refer to page 151.
The space-saver spare tire is pro-
vided for temporary use only in the
case of a tire failure. It does not have
TPM electronics and is not monitored.
The spare tire that has the same dimen-
sions as the tires already mounted on
the vehicle is equipped with the neces-
sary TPM electronics and will also be
monitored once the tire has been
mounted and the system initialized.<
The TPM cannot alert you to
severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors.<
Have the tires changed by your
BMW center.
Your BMW center has the information
needed for working with TPM and is
equipped with the necessary special
tools. quency can interfere with the TPM.
The yellow indicator lamp will come on
during the malfunction.
The indicator lamp also comes on
>in the event of a system fault
>if a wheel is mounted without the
appropriate TPM electronics
>if, in addition to the spare tire, addi-
tional wheels with TPM electronics
are being carried on board.
Please refer the problem to your BMW
center.
Flat Tire Monitor*The conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor
keeps track of pressure levels in all four
tires in order to detect and warn of any
substantial pressure loss.
The system actually detects pressure
loss by monitoring differences in the
relative speeds of the four wheels. It
interprets variations outside specified
limits as severe pressure loss, and then
responds by generating a warning.
Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)*
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94
Initializing the systemInitializing is necessary to familiarize the
system with the correct inflation pres-
sures.
Repeat this process after any changes
in tire inflation pressure, tire rotation or
replacement. Do not carry out further
system initialization after adjusting the
inflation pressure and letting the system
"learn" the correct pressures.
1. Check the tire inflation pressures in
all the tires, comparing them with the
inflation pressure chart on page 25
and adjusting their pressure if neces-
sary
2. Turn the ignition key to position 2
3. Press the button until the yellow indi-
cator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up. After a little while, the indi-
cator lamp will go out by itself
4. After a few minutes' driving time, the
Flat Tire Monitor adopts the current
pressure levels as the reference and
from that point on, can detect and
report a flat tire.
To activate/deactivate the systemThe Flat Tire Monitor automatically
assumes operation whenever you turn
the ignition key to position 2. Unless
manually deactivated, it is always on
during normal vehicle operation.
To deactivate the system: press the
button, the yellow indicator lamp comes
on.
To activate the system: press the but-
ton again, the indicator lamp goes out.
You should deactivate the system
before driving with snow chains, as the
chains can generate spurious warnings
and/or prevent the system from detect-
ing actual pressure loss.
Flat Tire Monitor*
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95
Flat tire
The red warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up to
warn of pressure loss and tire
failure. This visual alert is accompanied
by an acoustic warning signal. Reduce
your speed immediately, and steer and
brake gently as you bring the vehicle to
a stop.
To reset the warning lamp: after replac-
ing the damaged tire you will need to
reset the red warning lamp manually:
maintain pressure on the Flat Tire Moni-
tor button until the warning lamp goes
out. Then reinitialize the system.
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot pro-
vide you with advance warning of
sudden and severe tire damage caused
by external factors.
The system also does not detect the
gradual and minor loss of pressure that
all tires display over extended periods
of time.<
Check tire inflation pressures on a
regular basis, correcting them as
necessary, refer to page 25.
The system may respond to operation
on slippery or snow-covered road sur-
faces with false warnings or delays in
detecting actual pressure loss.
Performance-oriented driving, slip at
the drive wheels and high rates of lat-
eral acceleration can also increase the
time that the Flat Tire Monitor requires
to detect a flat.<
System malfunctionsThe yellow indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up and remains on
until the problem is corrected.
Please refer the problem to your BMW
center.
Flat Tire Monitor*
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