2003 BMW 325xi SEDAN Owner's Manual

65
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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66
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 147.
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*

67
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp flasher1High beams – blue indicator lamp
2Headlamp flasher – blue indicator
lamp
3Turn signal indicator – green indicator
accompanied by periodic clicking
sound from the relayTo signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond
the detent. It then returns to the center
position when released.
If the flashing of the turn signal
indicators and the clicking from
the relay are both faster than normal,
one of the turn signal indicators has
failed.<
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68
Washer/wiper system/Rain sensor*0Wipers retracted
1Intermittent mode or rain sensor
2Normal wipe
3Fast wipe
4Brief wipe
5Rotary dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensorIntermittent modeNot on vehicles with rain sensor.
You can select any of four sweep inter-
vals with rotary dial 5.
In addition, the wipe interval varies
automatically depending on road
speed.
Rain sensor*The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly behind the interior
rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
>With the ignition key in position 1
or 2, move the lever to position 1.
The wipers will make at least one
sweep across the windshield.
You can leave the lever in position 1
at all times. With the ignition key
position in position 1 or higher, all
you then need to do to activate the
rain sensor is
>briefly turn the rotary dial 5, or
>clean windshield 1, refer to page 69.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain sen-
sor: turn rotary dial 5.
To switch off the rain sensor:
Return lever to position 0.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by
undesired wiper activation. ers switch automatically to intermittent
wipe – not on vehicles with rain sensor.
Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the wip-
ers revert to operate at normal speed –
not on vehicles with rain sensor.

69
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 126.
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 systemFrom ignition key position 2:
Press the button. The indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on, refer
to page 21. 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. the indicator lamp in the instrument
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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70
The speed stored in memory is deleted.To store and maintain speed or to
acceleratePress button + briefly:
The system registers and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
tap the button, the speed increases by
approx. 0.6 mph / 1 km/h.
Press and hold button +:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the button, the system reg-
isters and maintains the current speed.
If on a downhill gradient the
engine braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed can be
exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient.<
To deceleratePress button – briefly:
If you are already driving with activated
cruise control, the speed is decreased
by approx. 0.6 mph / 1 km/h every time
you tap the button.
Press and hold button –:
With the cruise control active, the sys-
tem automatically reduces the throttle
opening to slow the vehicle. When you
release the button, the system registers
and maintains the current speed.To interrupt the cruise controlWhen the system is activated, press the
button. The indicator lamp stays on.
You can use the cruise control again
whenever you want by calling up the
speed that was stored last.
In addition, cruise control is interrupted
automatically:
>When the brakes are applied
>When you apply pressure to the
clutch pedal, or when you move the
automatic transmission selector lever
from D to N
>If you exceed or fall below the pro-
grammed speed for an extended
period – by depressing the accelera-
tor, for example.To recall the stored settingPress button:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored.
Cruise control*

71 Everything under control
Odometer1Odometer
2Trip odometerOdometerYou can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the left button in
the instrument cluster – see arrow.Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the left button – see arrow – with
the ignition key in position 1 or higher.
TachometerNever allow the engine to operate with
the needle in the red overspeed zone of
the gauge – see arrow.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is
interrupted when you approach this
sector.
Energy controlIndicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg – in liters/100 km on Canadian
models. This allows you to see whether
your current driving style is conducive
to fuel economy with minimum exhaust
emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the dis-
play goes to Maximum – zero on Cana-
dian models.
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72
Fuel gaugeOnce the indicator lamp stays on con-
tinuously, there are still approx.
2 gallons/8 liters of fuel in the fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity approx.
16.6 gallons/63 liters.
Certain operating conditions, such as
those encountered in mountainous
areas, may cause the needle to fluctu-
ate slightly.
Fill the fuel tank before it is com-
pletely empty. Driving to the last
drop of fuel can prevent the engine
from operating properly and result in
damage.<
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp lights up briefly as an
operation check.
Engine coolant temperature gaugeBlueThe engine is still cold. Drive at moder-
ate engine and vehicle speeds.RedWhen you switch on the ignition, the
warning lamp comes on briefly as an
operation check.
If the lamp comes on during normal
vehicle operation: the engine has over-
heated. Shut off the engine immediately
and allow it to cool down.
To check coolant level, refer to
page 128.Between the blue and red zonesNormal operating range. The needle
may rise as far as the edge of the red
sector during normal operation.