58
Vehicle Memory, Key MemoryHow the system functionsNo doubt you have reflected at one
time or another on how great it would
be if you could permanently configure
your vehicle's various features and
adjustments to mirror your own individ-
ual preferences. In engineering your
vehicle, BMW has provided for a num-
ber of options for personal adjustment
that can be programmed into your vehi-
cle at your BMW center.
The available configuration data fall into
two categories, according to whether
their primary orientation is the vehicle –
Vehicle Memory – or the individual –
Key Memory. Provided that each per-
son has a separate remote-control key,
you can have your BMW center enter
adjustment data for as many as four dif-
ferent individuals into the system.
The system then relies on a bilateral
data exchange to identify the individual
user and executes the selected settings
whenever the remote control unit is
used to disengage the door locks.
Color-coded decals have been pro-
vided to help you distinguish individual
keys with different settings.What the system can doYour BMW center can provide you with
details on the capabilities of the Vehicle
Memory and Key Memory systems.
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals as acknowledgment
when locking or unlocking your vehi-
cle, refer to pages 31, 33
>Activates/deactivates the "Follow me
home" function, refer to page 85
>Activates/deactivates daytime driv-
ing lamps, refer to page 85
>Sets the units of measure for display-
ing time, outside temperature, dis-
tance traveled and fuel consumption
in the instrument cluster>Indicates via an acoustic tone that
PDC has been activated, refer to
page 76
>Switches on rear window defroster
automatically, refer to pages 90, 95
>After giving an ice warning, the dis-
play returns to the previous setting,
refer to page 74.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Unlocks driver's door first, then the
vehicle's remaining locks, refer to
page 31
>Locks the vehicle automatically after
you start off, refer to page 34
>Automatically adjusts the driver's
seat to the personal programmed
settings when the vehicle is
unlocked, refer to page 48
>Automatic tilting of the passenger-
side mirror, refer to page 49.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<
handbook.book Page 58 Tuesday, July 30, 2002 12:16 PM
59 Driving
Ignition lock0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition switched on
3Starting the engine
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from
position P until the engine is running –
ignition key position 2.
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock. Therefore, the ignition key cannot
be turned to position 0 or removed until
the selector lever is in position P.<
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine
from starting if the clutch is not
depressed.<
Steering lockedThe key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
the lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal is sounded after the driver's door
has been opened.
The sound system remains operational
for approx. 20 minutes after you switch
off the ignition – ignition key in position
0 or key extracted. Simply switch it
back on.Steering unlockedYou will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.
Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.
Starting the engineBefore starting>Engage the parking brake
>Gearshift lever in neutral, or, with an
automatic transmission, selector
lever in position P
>Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. Otherwise,
breathing the exhaust fumes can lead
to unconsciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, an odorless and colorless, but
highly toxic gas. Do not leave the vehi-
cle unattended with the engine running.
An unattended vehicle with a running
engine represents a safety hazard.<
When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care
to avoid contact between the hot
exhaust system and flammable materi-
als – grass, hay, leaves, etc. Such con-
tact could lead to a fire, resulting in
serious personal injury and property
damage.<
>Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.
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60
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time, but do not actuate it
for more than approx. 20 seconds.
Release the ignition key immediately
when the engine starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, drive off
immediately at a moderate engine
speed.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt – if it is very hot or cold, for
instance:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at extremely low tempera-
tures below +57/–156 and at alti-
tudes of over approx. 3,300 ft/1,000 m:
>On the first start attempt, it may be
necessary to engage the starter for a
longer period, but no longer than
20 seconds
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, always deactivate electrical
devices that are not in use. Switch the
ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent
or long periods with the starter
engaged, can damage the catalytic
converter.<
Starting the engine
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61
Switching off the engineTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces. Placing the lever in gear may not
provide adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
place the selector lever in Park.<
Parking brakeThe parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates on the rear
wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically, and
the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition key
is in position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button – see arrow – and lower the
lever.
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63
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*You can drive as with a normal auto-
matic transmission. In addition, you can
also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever from
the D position to the left into the M/S
range, the performance-oriented shift
programs of the automatic transmission
are engaged. Steptronic enters the
manual selection mode and executes
the desired shift whenever you tap the
selector lever in the direction indicated
by + or –. Whenever you want to use
the automatic mode again, just shift the
selector lever toward the right to posi-
tion D.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.Selector lever positionsP R N D M/S + –Starting the engineThe engine can only be started in selec-
tor lever positions P – for Park – or N –
for Neutral.
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts to
the Reverse or Park selector lever posi-
tions. To disengage the detent, press
the button on the front side of
the selector lever button – see arrow.
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of Park or Neu-
tral, depress the footbrake in order to
disengage the selector lever's lock
mechanism – Shiftlock.
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.<
To prevent the vehicle from start-
ing off on its own, always move
the selector lever to position P and
engage the parking brake before leav-
ing your vehicle with the engine run-
ning.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a safety hazard.<
PParkSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Transmission locks to prevent rear
wheels from turning.RReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary.NNeutralSelect only when stopping for an
extended period.DDrive – automatic shift programThis position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.
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64
KickdownIn the kickdown mode, you achieve
maximum acceleration and top speed
in position D.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S manual operation and Sport
ProgramMove the selector lever from D to M/S
to activate the Sport Program; SD
appears in the display panel. The M/S
mode is recommended for
performance-oriented driving.
Once in the M/S mode you can tap the
selector lever to switch the automatic
transmission from the Sport Program to
its manual selection mode.
This mode allows you to execute
upshifts manually by tapping the lever
toward +, while downshifts are selected
by tapping in the – direction. The dis-
plays M1 through M5 appear in the dis-
play panel to indicate your current gear
selection.
The Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC) executes upshifts and downshifts
only when the new gear will provide a
suitable combination of engine and
road speed, i.e., ATC will not execute
downshifts if the engine speed is too
high. The desired, then the actual gear,
briefly appear in the instrument cluster.
To accelerate quickly in the man-
ual mode for maneuvers such as
passing another vehicle, shift down
manually or employ the kickdown
mode.<
Shifting from M/S to the selector lever
positions P, R and N is possible only by
going through D.
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*
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65
Available displaysP R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on,
there is a malfunction in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to P. Set the
parking brake and turn the engine off –
ignition key to position 0.
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission per-
formance has been restored. You may
continue to drive as usual.
If the indicator lamp does not go out,
you can place the selector lever in all
positions. However, the vehicle will now
only operate in 3rd and 4th gear.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Never work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear – for-
ward or reverse – is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing or jump-starting, refer to the
information beginning on page 141.
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*
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68
Cleaning windshield and
headlamps*0Wipers retracted
1Clean windshield and headlamps*
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, as your vision
could be obscured. Always use a wind-
shield washer antifreeze in cold
weather. Refer to page 120.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty, as this could cause dam-
age to the washer pump.<
The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned at reasonable intervals.Windshield washer nozzlesThe windshield washer nozzles are
heated automatically* when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Cruise control*You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph / 30 km/h.
The cruise control is available whenever
the engine is running and the system
has been activated.To activate the systemWith the ignition key in position 2:
Press the button. The indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on, refer
to page 20. You can now use the cruise
control.
Do not use cruise control on twist-
ing roads, when high traffic den-
sity prevents driving at a constant
speed, or when the road surface is slick
– snow, rain, ice – or loose – rocks or
gravel, sand.
cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*
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