56
Securing child-restraint systemAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions
for this is located in the immediate
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.To lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child-restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
The belt cannot be extracted further.
Always observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of
the child-restraint system.To unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt
to its end position on the belt retractor.
Child-restraint mounting system
(LATCH)LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren
Canadian models only:
The LATCH anchorage points are iden-
tified by buttons.
Transporting children safely
handbook.book Page 56 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.<
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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 move
the selector lever toward the right to
position 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. The vehicle will otherwise "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.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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64
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.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 perfor-
mance-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*
handbook.book Page 64 Saturday, July 27, 2002 1:36 PM
106Loading and transporting
Ski bag*The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
The length of the ski bag and the addi-
tional space provided in the cargo area
make it possible to carry skis up to
6 ft 10 in / 2.10 m long. Because of the
tapered shape of the bag, only two
pairs of skis longer than 6 ft 10 in /
2.10 m can be carried.
Loading1. Fold the center armrest outward.
Loosen the trim from the upper
Velcro® fastener and place it on the
armrest
2. Press the button – see arrow 1, from
inside the passenger compartment:
the cargo hatch drops onto the floor
of the cargo area
3. Press down the detent lever – see
arrow 2 – and fold the cover forward
4. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to the inside of the bag,
and can also be left open to promote
drying.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.
Securing cargo
Secure skis and any other objects
stored in the bag by tightening the
retaining strap at the buckle.<
Be sure that your skis are clean
before loading them into the bag.
Avoid damage from sharp edges during
loading.<
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107
Cargo areaFolding rear backrestReach into the recess and pull forward
– see arrow.
When you fold back the backrest,
be sure that the catch engages
securely. The red warning indicator dis-
appears in the recess when the retainer
is locked.<
Cargo area cover
Never use the cover to carry
heavy or hard objects, as such
objects could pose a hazard to the
vehicle's occupants during sudden
braking maneuvers.
Guide the cover back into place; do not
allow it to snap back, as it could sustain
damage.<
Pull out the cover and suspend it by
attaching it to the holders.
You can carry light objects such as arti-
cles of clothing on the cover.
Partition net*Use the loop to pull out the partition
net, then grasp both sides of the rod
and insert it into its holder. It is easiest
to do this from the back seat.
Do not allow the partition net to
snap back. Doing so could pose a
risk of injury and the partition net could
be damaged.<
If the backrests are folded forward, the
partition net's case can be stored on
the backrests; you can then extract the
partition net and hold it in place by
inserting the retainers into the front
holders, refer to next page.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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109
Lifting the floor panel1. Lift up the floor panel slightly at
loop 1
2. Release the loop end from the under-
side of the floor panel; see arrow
3. Hook the loop end with the tab onto
the rubber weather-stripping.
Before folding the floor panel back
down, attach the loop end to the
holder on the underside of the floor
panel.<
Side coversOpen the side covers by pressing the
button.
Cargo loading
Always position and secure loads
correctly. If you do not, the load
can endanger the passengers during
braking or evasive maneuvers.
Do not exceed the approved gross
weight or the approved maximum axle
loads, refer to page 154, otherwise the
vehicle's operating safety is no longer
assured and you are in violation of the
law.
Do not stow heavy or hard objects in
the passenger compartment without
securing them. Otherwise they would
be thrown around during braking and
evasive maneuvers and could endanger
the passengers.<
Cargo area
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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110
Stowing cargo>Load heavy cargo as far forward as
possible – directly behind the back-
rests or the cargo area partition – and
as low as possible
>Cover sharp edges and corners
>Do not pile objects higher than the
top edge of the backrest
>Pull out the partition net*, refer to
previous page, taking care to ensure
that there is no danger that any of the
objects stored in the cargo area will
protrude through the net*
>For very heavy loads when the rear
seat is not occupied, secure each
safety belt in the opposite buckle.
Securing cargo>Small and light luggage and cargo
can be secured with the aid of flexi-
ble straps or a cargo area net*, refer
to page 36
>For large, heavy pieces, see your
BMW center for load-securing
devices*. Lashing fittings located in
the cargo area can be used for fas-
tening the load-securing devices; see
arrow.
Read and comply with the instructions
enclosed with the load-securing
devices.
Cargo loading
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