
 
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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15
1Parking lamps/Low beams96
2
 
>
 
Turn signal indicators77
 
>
 
Standing lamps97
 
>
 
High beams97
 
>
 
Headlamp flasher77
 
>
 
Computer85
3Washer/wiper system/Rain 
sensor78
4Hazard warning flashers
5Central locking system30
6Rear window defroster102, 107
7Horn: the entire surface
8Adjusting the steering wheel59
9Fog lamps98
 
Cockpit
 
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
 
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21
Cruise control
Lights up when the cruise con-
trol is activated: ready for oper-
ation via the steering wheel with multi-
function buttons.
For additional information: refer to 
page 79
Front fog lamps
Lights up whenever you switch 
on the fog lamps.
For additional information: refer to 
page 98
 
Blue: for your information
 
High beams
Comes on when the high beams 
are on or the headlamp flasher 
is actuated.
For additional information: refer to 
pages 77, 97
 
Indicator and warning lamps
 
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
 
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22
 
Steering wheel with multifunction buttons*
 
These buttons let you operate the fol-
lowing functions quickly and without 
being distracted from traffic conditions: 
 
>
 
Selected radio functions
 
>
 
The cruise control
 
>
 
Selected telephone functions.
The controls are active only when 
the corresponding systems and 
accessories are switched on.
 
<
 
Press briefly:
Receive a phone call, initiate dialing, 
terminate a call.
Switch between phone, radio, cassette 
and CD.
Forward:
 
>
 
Radio
Press briefly: station scan in FM band
Extended pressure: station search
 
>CD
Press briefly: jump to next track
Extended pressure: search function 
in track
>Cassette
Press briefly: jump to next track or 
stop fast forward
Extended pressure: fast forward
>Phone
Scan personal phone book.
Rewind/reverse: same functions as for-
ward.
Volume.
Cruise control: select a stored setting.
Cruise control: store and accelerate + 
or decelerate and store –.
Cruise control: activate/interrupt/deac-
tivate.
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52To adjust
Safe seating positionFor relaxed and fatigue-free driving you 
should select a sitting position that 
reflects your personal requirements. In 
combination with the safety belts and 
airbags, the correct seating position 
plays an important role in enhancing 
occupant safety in the event of an acci-
dent. To ensure that the vehicle's safety 
systems provide you with optimal pro-
tection, we request that you direct your 
careful attention to the following sec-
tion.
For supplementary information on 
transporting children, refer to page 63.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the 
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel 
by the rim to keep any chance of injury 
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-
mum should the airbag be deployed. 
Never allow any objects, individuals or 
animals to obstruct the areas between 
passengers and airbags. Never use the 
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or 
support for objects of any kind. Never 
allow front passengers to rest their feet 
or legs on the airbag cover.<
For airbag locations and additional 
information on airbags, refer to 
page 61.Sitting safely with safety belts
Never allow more than one person 
to wear a single safety belt. Never 
allow infants or small children to ride in 
a passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the 
belt while routing it firmly across the 
hips and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects. Do not route the belt 
across your neck, or run it across sharp 
edges. Be sure that the belt does not 
become caught or jammed. Avoid 
wearing bulky clothing and pull on the 
lap belt periodically to retension it over 
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal 
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over 
your hips, leading to abdominal injury. 
In addition, the safety belt's restraint 
effectiveness is reduced if it is worn 
loosely. Expectant mothers should 
always wear their safety belts, taking 
care to position the lap belt against the 
lower hips, where it will not exert pres-
sure against the abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety 
belts, refer to page 56.
SeatsWhen adjusting your seat, always 
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat 
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle 
control could lead to an accident. Never 
ride with the backrest reclined to an 
extreme angle. This is especially impor-
tant for the front passenger to remem-
ber. If you do so, there is a risk that you 
will slide under the safety belt in an 
accident, thus reducing the protection 
provided by the safety belt.
With the wind deflector in place:
To avoid damaging the wind deflector 
never push the front seats all the way 
back.<
Seat adjustment>Power seat adjustment, refer to 
page 53
>Head restraint, refer to page 54
>Entering the rear, refer to page 55.
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59
Steering wheelTo adjust
Never attempt to adjust the steer-
ing wheel while driving the vehicle 
– it could respond with unexpected 
movement, posing a potential accident 
hazard.<
1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust the steering column's rake 
and reach to suit your seat position
3. Pull the lever back up.
MirrorsTo adjust exterior mirrors1Switch for 4-way adjustment
2Selection switch for changing 
between mirrorsTo adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edge of the lens.
For storing mirror settings, refer to Seat 
and mirror memory on page 57.
The mirror on the passenger's 
side is convex. When estimating 
the distance between yourself and 
other traffic, bear in mind that the 
objects reflected in the mirror are closer 
than they appear. This means that esti-
mates of the distance to following traffic 
should not be regarded as precise.
tion 2.
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61 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the safety 
belts by providing additional protection 
in the event of a severe frontal collision 
in which the protection afforded by the 
belts alone may no longer be sufficient. 
The side airbags help provide protec-
tion in the event of a collision from the 
side. Each of the side airbags is 
designed to help support the seat 
occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting 
posture, refer to page 52.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may 
already have been deactivated either at 
the time of manufacture or by a BMW 
center. You may have them activated if 
you desire to do so. Please contact 
your BMW center for additional infor-
mation.<
The airbags do not deploy in 
response to minor collisions, rear 
impacts and certain kinds of vehicle 
rollover.<
Do not apply adhesive materials to 
the cover panels of the airbags, 
cover them or modify them in any other 
way. Do not remove the airbag restraint 
system. In the event of a malfunction, 
deactivation or triggered activation – as 
a response to an accident – of the air-
bag restraint system, consult your BMW 
center for inspection, repair or disas-
sembly. Do not modify or tamper with 
either the wiring or the individual com-
ponents in the airbag system. These 
include the upholstered covers on the 
steering wheel, instrument panel, side 
trim panels of the doors and front roof 
pillars and on the sides of the headliner. 
Also, do not attempt to remove the 
steering wheel. Unprofessional 
attempts to service the system could 
lead to failure in an emergency or 
undesired airbag activation, either of 
which could result in personal injury. Do 
not touch the individual components 
immediately after the system has been 
activated, as this could result in per-
sonal injury.<
At all times, occupants should sit 
upright and be properly restrained 
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts. 
Never let an occupant's head rest near 
or on a side airbag because the inflating 
airbag could cause a serious or fatal 
injury. Please note that the word Airbag 
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile 
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly 
restrained could place his or her head 
on or near the airbag, if so equipped. 
For example, a child — even though 
belted in — may fall asleep with his or 
her head against the side airbag. It may 
be difficult for a driver to ensure that 
children in the rear seat will remain 
properly positioned at all times and not 
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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70Driving
Ignition lockIgnition key positions0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition on
3Start engine
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from 
position P until the engine is running, 
ignition key position 2.
To turn the key to position 0 or to 
remove it, first move the selector lever 
to position P – Interlock.<
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 sounds when the driver door is 
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 P
>Depress the clutch pedal at low tem-
peratures.
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.<
>Do not press the accelerator pedal 
while starting the engine.
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