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Owner's Manual 
for Vehicle 
 
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325Ci
330Ci 
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Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with enhanced control and 
security when you drive it. Therefore we have one request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize yourself with the 
information that we have compiled for you before starting off in your new BMW. The 
manual contains important data and instructions intended to assist you in obtaining 
maximum satisfaction from your BMW's unique array of advanced technical fea-
tures. It also contains information on vehicle maintenance designed to enhance 
operating safety while simultaneously helping you to maintain your BMW's value 
throughout an extended service life. For additional information refer to the supple-
mental manuals.
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of this vehicle. It 
should stay with the vehicle when sold to provide the next owner with important 
operating, safety and maintenance information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG
 
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4
 
Notes
 
© 2002 Bayerische Motoren Werke 
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the 
written consent of BMW AG, Munich. 
Order No. 01 41 0 156 806
US English VIII/02
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper –
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling. 
About this Owner's Manual
 
We have made every effort to ensure 
that you are able to find what you need 
in this Owner's Manual as quickly as 
possible. The fastest way to find spe-
cific topics is by using the detailed 
index at the end. If you wish to gain an 
initial overview of your vehicle, you will 
find this in the first chapter.
Should you wish to sell your BMW at 
some time in the future, please remem-
ber to hand over this Owner's Manual 
to the new owner; it is an important part 
of the vehicle.
If you have any additional questions, 
your BMW center will be glad to advise 
you.
 
Symbols used
 
Indicates precautions that must 
be followed precisely in order to 
avoid the possibility of personal injury 
and serious damage to the vehicle.
Contains information that will 
assist you in gaining the optimum 
benefit from your vehicle and enable 
you to care more effectively for your 
vehicle.
Refers to measures that can be 
taken to help protect the environ-
ment.
Marks the end of a specific item of 
information.
Indicates special equipment, coun-
try-specific equipment and optional 
extras.
Identifies systems or components 
which can be activated or adapted 
to suit an individual driver's require-
ments – Vehicle Memory, Key Memory. 
Refer to page 69. Activation and adjust-
ments on some of these systems can 
be performed at your BMW center.
 
Your individual vehicle
 
On purchasing your BMW, you have 
decided in favor of a model with individ-
ualized equipment and features. This 
Owner's Manual describes all models 
and equipment that BMW offers within 
the same group.
We hope you will understand that 
equipment and features are included 
that you might not have chosen for your 
vehicle. You can easily identify any dif-
ferences with the aid of the asterisk   
used to identify all optional equipment 
and accessories.
If your BMW features equipment which 
is not described in this Owner's Man-
ual, such as a car radio or telephone, 
supplementary Owner's Manuals are 
enclosed. We ask you to read these 
manuals as well.
 
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5
 
Notes
 
Status at time of printing
 
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, 
ongoing development conceived to 
ensure that our vehicles continue to 
embody the highest quality and safety 
standards combined with advanced, 
state-of-the-art technology. For this 
reason, the features described in this 
Owner's Manual could differ from those 
in your vehicle. Nor can errors and 
omissions be entirely ruled out. You are 
therefore asked to appreciate that no 
claims can be recognized on the basis 
of the data, illustrations or descriptions 
in this Owner's Manual.
 
For your own safety
 
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels 
containing up to and including 
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with 
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight – that is, 
15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an 
equivalent amount of co-solvent – will 
not void the applicable warranties 
respecting defects in materials or work-
manship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel 
quality – volatility, composition, addi-
tives, etc. among gasolines offered for 
sale in the United States and Canada. 
The use of poor-quality fuels may result 
in driveability, starting and stalling 
problems, especially under certain 
environmental conditions, such as high 
ambient temperature and high altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems which you suspect could be 
related to the fuel you are using, we 
recommend that you respond by 
switching to a recognized high-quality 
brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled 
maintenance.
Obey all applicable safety rules when 
handling gasoline.
 
<
 
Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine 
parts and accessories approved by 
BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested 
and approved by BMW and Original 
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire 
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure opti-
mum performance when installed on 
your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free 
from defects in material and workman-
ship.
BMW will not accept any liability for 
damage resulting from installation of 
parts and accessories not approved by 
BMW.
BMW cannot test every product on the 
market to determine whether it can be 
used on a BMW safely and without risk 
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its 
occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories 
and other products approved by BMW, 
together with professional advice on 
using these items, are available from all 
BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW 
approved accessories such as alarms, 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, 
wheels, suspension components, brake 
 
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6
 
Notes
 
dust shields, telephones – including 
operation of any portable cellular phone 
from within the vehicle without using an 
externally mounted antenna – or trans-
ceiver equipment, such as a CB, 
walkie-talkie, ham radio or similar 
accessories, may cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, compromise its 
safety, interfere with the vehicle's elec-
trical system or affect the validity of the 
BMW Limited Warranty. Contact your 
BMW center for additional information.
Do not use key or remote control to 
lock doors or luggage compartment 
with anyone inside the vehicle. Refer to 
the Owner's Manual for more details.
 
<
 
Maintenance, replacement, or 
repair of the emission control 
devices and systems may be performed 
by any automotive repair establishment 
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.
 
<
 
Symbol on vehicle parts
 
Indicates that you should consult 
the relevant section of this 
Owner's Manual for information on a 
particular part or assembly.
 
Service and warranty
 
This manual is supplemented by a Ser-
vice and Warranty Information Booklet 
for US models or a Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet for Canadian mod-
els.
We recommend that you read this pub-
lication thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following 
warranties:
 
>
 
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
 
>
 
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
 
>
 
Federal Emissions System Defect 
Warranty
 
>
 
Federal Emissions Performance War-
ranty
 
>
 
California Emission Control System 
Limited Warranty.
Detailed information about these war-
ranties is listed in the Service and War-
ranty Information Booklet for US mod-
els or in the Warranty and Service 
Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
 
Reporting safety defects
 
The following only applies to vehicles 
owned and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a 
defect which could cause a crash or 
could cause injury or death, you should 
immediately inform the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
NHTSA in addition to notifying BMW of 
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, 
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227, 
Telephone toll-free 1-800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it 
may open an investigation, and if it 
finds that a safety defect exists in a 
group of vehicles, it may order a recall 
and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your 
dealer, or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call 
the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 
1-800-424-9393 or 366-0123 in the 
Washington, D.C. area, or write to: 
NHTSA, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Washington, D.C. 
20590. You can also obtain other infor-
mation about motor vehicle safety from 
the Hotline. 
 
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7
 
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Contents
 
Notes
 
About this Owner's Manual4
Symbols used4
Your individual vehicle4
Status at time of printing5
For your own safety5
Symbol on vehicle parts6
Service and warranty6
Reporting safety defects6
 
Overview
 
Cockpit14
Instrument cluster16
Indicator and warning lamps18
Steering wheel with multifunction 
buttons*22
Hazard warning triangle*23
First-aid kit*23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressure25
 
Controls and features
 
Opening and closing:
 
Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing – via the 
remote control31
Opening and closing – via the 
door lock33
Opening and closing – from the 
inside34
Luggage compartment lid35
Luggage compartment37
Alarm system*38
Electric power windows40
Manual convertible top41
Fully-automatic convertible 
top*46
Wind deflector*50
 
To adjust:
 
Safe seating position52
Seats52
Adjusting electric power 
seats53
Lumbar support*53
Head restraints54
Entering the rear55
Safety belts56
Seat and mirror memory*57
Seat heating*58
Steering wheel59
Mirrors59
 
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