
37
Alarm system*The conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, the tailgate
or the rear window is opened
>To movement inside the vehicle –
interior motion sensor
>To variations in the vehicle's tilt angle
such as those occurring during
attempts to steal the wheels or tow
the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following:
>Sounding an acoustic alarm for
30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers are acti-
vated for approx. five minutes
>Flashing the high beams on and off in
rhythm with the hazard warning flash-
ers.To arm and disarm the alarm
systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
via the driver's door lock or with the
remote control, the alarm system is also
simultaneously armed or disarmed.You can have different acknowl-
edgment signals set to confirm
arming and disarming.<
You can also open the rear window
when the system is armed by pressing
the remote control button, refer to
page 32. The window is once again
secured when it is closed.
Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes while the
system is armed: the door(s), the
hood, the tailgate or rear window are
not completely closed. Even if you do
not close the alerted area(s), the
remaining areas are secured, and the
indicator lamp will flash continuously
after 10 seconds. However, the inte-
rior motion sensor is not activated
>The indicator lamp goes out when the
system is disarmed: no manipulation
or attempted intrusions have been
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed
>The indicator lamp flashes for
10 seconds when the system is dis-
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
handbook.book Page 37 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

39
Electric power windowsTo open and close windows
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key from the
lock and remember to close the doors
to prevent persons or animals from
operating the power windows and injur-
ing themselves, etc.<
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can still operate the electric power
windows for up to 15 minutes, as long
as no one opens either of the front
doors.
With the ignition key in position 1 or
higher
>Press the switch until you feel resis-
tance: the window retracts as long as
you maintain pressure on the switch
>Press the switch briefly past the pres-
sure point: the windows move auto-
matically. Pressing the switch again
stops the opening cycle.
You can close the windows in the same
manner by pulling the switch.
If your vehicle is equipped with optional
electric power windows in the rear*
separate switches will be located below
the windows.
For the convenience mode via the door
lock, refer to page 33.Safety featureThe front windows are each equipped
with contact strips located in the upper
window frames. If pressure is exerted
against this contact strip while a win-
dow 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 to ensure that
the closing path of the window is not
obstructed. Some types of objects
might fail to trigger the contact strip in
some situations – very thin objects, for
instance.
You can override this safety feature by
pressing the switch beyond the resis-
tance point and holding it.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
handbook.book Page 39 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

40
Safety switchWith the safety switch, you can prevent
the rear windows from being opened or
closed via the switches in the rear pas-
senger area, for example by children.
Press the safety switch whenever
persons or animals are riding in
the rear of the vehicle. Careless use of
the power windows can lead to injury.<
Sliding/tilt sunroof*
To prevent injuries, exercise care
when closing the sliding/tilt sun-
roof and keep it in your field of vision
until it is shut.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key from the lock
and remember to close the doors to
prevent persons or animals from oper-
ating the roof and injuring themselves,
etc.<
Electric power windows
handbook.book Page 40 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

41
Opening and closingWith the ignition key in position 1 or
higher
>Slide the switch until you feel resis-
tance: the sunroof opens and closes
as long as you hold the switch
>Slide the switch briefly past the pres-
sure point: the sunroof move auto-
matically.
Tapping the switch again stops the
motion immediately.
The headliner retracts with the sunroof
while it is opening.
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can still operate the sunroof for up
to 15 minutes, as long as no one opens
either of the front doors.
For the convenience mode via the door
lock, refer to page 32 or 33.Raising the sunroofWith the ignition key in position 1 or
higher: tap the switch.
Tapping the switch again stops the
motion immediately.
If you briefly press the switch in the
raise direction while the sunroof is
open, the sunroof will rise to its upper-
most position.
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can still operate the sunroof for up
to 15 minutes, as long as no one opens
either of the front doors.
The headliner insert slides back some-
what when you raise the roof.
Do not use force to close the
headliner insert with the sunroof in
its raised position, as damage to the
mechanism could result.
>when it is closing from the raised
position
>when it is closing from a point
roughly past the middle of its travel,
the closing cycle is interrupted and the
sliding/tilt sunroof will open again
slightly.
Despite this safety feature, be
extremely careful that the travel
path of the sunroof is not obstructed
whenever it is closed. Remember that
the safety mechanism may not be able
to detect obstructions under all circum-
stances – with very thin objects, for
instance.
You can disable this safety feature by
pressing the switch beyond the pres-
sure point and holding it.<
Sliding/tilt sunroof*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
handbook.book Page 41 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

48
Adjusting safety belt heightUse the height adjustment mechanism
to adapt the shoulder strap to the ideal
level for your own body:
>Slide the button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment
instructions on page 43.
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
Have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the
safety belt anchors. If a child-restraint
system was in the vehicle during an
accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Seat and mirror memory*You can store as many as three differ-
ent driver's seat and mirror adjustment
settings into the system for later selec-
tion.
Memory will not retain the adjust-
ment made to the lumbar sup-
port.
the desired position
3. Press the MEMORY button: indica-
tor lamp in the button comes on
4. Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as
desired: indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored setting
Do not select a memory position
while the vehicle is moving. If you
do so, there is a risk of accident from
unexpected seat movement.<
Ignition key in position 1:
>Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3,
as desired. Movement stops immedi-
ately when one of the seat-adjust-
ment or memory buttons is activated
during the adjustment process.
The driver's door is closed and the igni-
tion key is either removed or in position
0 or 2:
>Maintain pressure on the desired
memory button – 1, 2 or 3 – until the
adjustment process is completed.
If you press the MEMORY button
accidentally: press the button
again; the indicator lamp goes out.<
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a man-
ner that your personalized settings are
automatically set for the seat and exte-
rior mirror positions when you unlock
the vehicle with your personal remote
control.<
Safety belts
handbook.book Page 48 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

57
The left and right rear seats are both
equipped with a LATCH child-restraint
mounting system.
The illustration is an example showing
the anchorages for a LATCH child seat
system on the right rear seat.
The anchorages for the LATCH child
seat system are concealed behind plas-
tic covers – see arrows – that reclose
when the LATCH child seat is removed.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint mounting system.<
Child safety locksSlide down the safety lever on the rear
door:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only.
Transporting children safely
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
handbook.book Page 57 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM

58
Vehicle Memory, Key MemoryHow the system functionsNo doubt you have often reflected on
how great it would be if you could per-
manently configure your vehicle's vari-
ous features and adjustments to mirror
your own personal preferences. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has
included a number of options for stor-
ing personal adjustment data. These
can be programmed at your BMW cen-
ter.
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
basic adjustment data for up to four
individuals in the system.
The system 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 locks.
Color-coded decals have been pro-
vided to help you distinguish the differ-
ent keys with their individual settings.What the system can doYou can learn about the entire array of
features this system offers at your BMW
center. Here are just a few examples:
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 89
>Activates/deactivates daytime driv-
ing lamps, refer to page 89
>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 77
>Switches on rear window defroster
automatically, refer to pages 94, 99
>After giving an ice warning, the dis-
play returns to the previous setting,
refer to page 75.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle automatically after
starting off, refer to page 34
>Unlocks the driver's door first, then
the vehicle's remaining locks, refer to
page 34
>Opens the tailgate instead of the rear
window with the remote control, refer
to page 32
>Automatically adjusts the driver's
seat to the personal programmed
settings when the vehicle is
unlocked, refer to page 48
>Determines how far the passenger
mirror will tilt, 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 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 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
you hear the lock engage.
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 removed. 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
>Ensure that the gearshift lever is in
neutral, or, with an automatic trans-
mission, that the selector lever is in
Park
>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.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
handbook.book Page 59 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM