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9
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publica-
tion thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following war-
ranties:
Ð New Vehicle Limited Warranty
Ð Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
Ð Federal Emissions System Defect
Warranty
Ð Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
Ð California Emission Control System
Limited Warranty
Detailed information about these warran-
ties is listed in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US models 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 noti-
fying BMW of North America, LLC, P.O.
Box 1227, Westwood, New Jersey 07675-
1227, Telephone (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 individual 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 Washington, D.C.
area) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department
of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
20590. You can also obtain other informa-
tion about motor vehicle safety from the
Hotline.
Opening and closing
36
Unlocking the vehicle
Press button 1.
The interior lamps and the door-mounted
proximity lamps come on.
Press the button once to unlock the driver's
door only; press a second time to unlock all
remaining doors as well as the luggage
compartment lid and the fuel filler door.
Convenience opening mode
Hold button 1pressed. The windows
and the sliding/tilt sunroof open. The
sliding/tilt sunroof will not be retracted if it
is already in its raised position.
Locking and securing
Press button 2.
Switching off the tilt alarm sensor
and interior motion sensor
Press button 2once again
directly after locking. For more detailed
information, refer to page 41.
Switching on interior lamps and
door-mounted proximity lamps
If the vehicle is locked, press
button 2.
Switching on the interior lamps
Press button 4.
You can also use this function to locate
your vehicle in parking garages etc.
Panic mode
By pressing and holding button 4for
more than approx. two seconds, you can
trigger the alarm system in response to any
impending danger.
To switch off the alarm: press any of the
buttons.
Opening the luggage compartment
lid
Maintain pressure on button 3for
approx. 1 second. The luggage compartment lid opens,
regardless of whether it was previously
locked or unlocked.
During opening the luggage compart-
ment lid pivots upward and to the
rear. Ensure that adequate clearance is
available before opening.
To avoid being inadvertently locked out,
never lay the remote control unit down in
the luggage compartment. If the luggage
compartment lid was locked earlier, it will
relock automatically when closed.<
Automatic luggage compartment lid
operation*
Opening the luggage compartment
lid
Maintain pressure on button 3for
approx. 1 second.
The luggage compartment lid opens all the
way, regardless of whether it was previ-
ously locked or unlocked.
To interrupt the opening process:
Press the button again while opening is in
progress.
During opening the luggage compart-
ment lid pivots upward and to the
rear. Ensure that adequate clearance is
available before opening.
To avoid being inadvertently locked out,
never lay the remote control unit down in
the luggage compartment. If the vehicle is
locked, the luggage compartment lid is also
locked again when closed.<
External systems
External systems or devices may cause
local interference in the functions of the
remote control.
Should the remote control unit fail to
operate owing to interference of this kind,
you can respond by using the key to unlock
your vehicle at one of the doors.
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41
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the luggage
compartment lid is opened
>To movement in the vehicle's interior Ð
interior motion sensor
>To changing the vehicle's tilt if someone
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 simul-
taneously activating:
>An acoustic alarm, which lasts for a
period of approx. 30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers for approx.
five minutes
>The high beams, which flash on and off
in the same rhythm.
Arming and disarming the alarm
system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either
with the remote control unit or at the door
lock, the alarm system is armed or dis-
armed at the same time.
The system indicates that it has been cor-
rectly armed by switching on the hazard
warning flashers for a single cycle and by
emitting an acoustic signal.
You can have different acknowledg-
ment signals set to confirm arming
and disarming.<
You can open the luggage compartment
lid even if the alarm is armed using
button 3of the remote control, refer
to page 36. It is armed once again when
the lid is closed.
Pressing the Panic mode button for a
longer period triggers the alarm, refer
to page 36.<
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes when the
system is armed: door(s), the hood or
luggage compartment lid are not com-
pletely closed. Even if you do not close
the alerted area, the system begins to
monitor the remaining areas, and the
indicator lamp flashes continuously
after 10 seconds. However, the interior
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 system
was armed
>If the indicator lamp flashes for roughly
5 minutes when you disarm the system,
or until the remote control unit is
inserted in the ignition lock: an
attempted entry has been detected in
the period since the system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the indi-
cator lamp will flash continuously.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor may be switched off at the same
time. You can do this to prevent a false
alarm from being triggered in garages with
elevator ramps, for instance, or when the
vehicle is transported by trailer or train:
Opening and closing
42 Lock, i.e. arm by pressing twice; press
button 2of the remote control
twice in succession, refer to page 36, or
lock twice with the key, refer to page 37.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm
sensor and the interior motion sensor are
switched off as long as the system is
armed.
If you desire, the
>tilt alarm sensor
>interior motion sensor
can be switched off permanently. Please
contact your BMW center for assistance.<
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to
function properly, the windows and sliding/
tilt sunroof must be completely closed.
Be sure to deactivate the interior motion
sensor, refer to section on Avoiding unin-
tentional alarms, when you wish to leave
the windows or sliding/tilt sunroof open.
Electric power windows
Opening and closing windows
From radio mode on:
>Press the switch until you feel resis-
tance:
The window continues to move down-
ward as long as you continue to hold
the switch >Press the switch beyond the pressure
point:
The window moves downward auto-
matically. Press the switch again to
stop the opening movement.
You can close the windows in the same
manner by pulling the switch.
The electric power windows remain avail-
able for use after the ignition is switched
off:
>For approx. 15 minutes with the remote
control unit in the radio mode
>For approx. 1 minute in position 0 or
with the remote control unit disen-
gaged.
To open, press the switch beyond the pres-
sure point.
When leaving the vehicle parked,
always remove the remote control
from the ignition lock and close the doors;
this precaution prevents children from
operating the power windows and injuring
themselves, etc.<
For information on using the convenience
operation mode at the door lock or with the
remote control unit, refer to page 36 or 37.
Safety feature
If the force rises beyond a predefined
threshold during closing, the system will
immediately stop moving the window prior
to lowering it slightly.
Despite this safety feature you should
always inspect the window's travel
path prior to closing it, as the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-
tions, such as very thin objects, and the
window would continue closing.
Pulling the switch beyond the pressure
point and holding it limits the response of
the safety feature. Under these conditions
the window will respond to forces beyond a
defined threshold by only opening several
millimeters.
If you again pull the switch past the pres-
sure point and hold it in position within a
period of roughly 4 seconds, the safety fea-
ture will be deactivated.<
Driving
62
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, as otherwise the inhaling of
toxic exhaust gases can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
1.Insert the remote control unit all the way
into the ignition lock
2.Depress the brake pedal
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
Your BMW is equipped with the con-
venience starting feature. After
depressing the brake pedal, all you need to
do is briefly press the start/stop button.
The system responds by automatically
engaging the starter and allowing it to run
until the engine starts, after which it then
disengages automatically.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate or will be canceled if the battery
voltage is low. The engine can be started
by jump-starting, refer to page 202.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle remains
stationary. Instead, begin to drive immedi-
ately at a moderate engine speed.
If you have accidentally switched off
the engine while driving, it can be
restarted from a speed of approx. 3 mph/
5 km/h by pressing the button. It is not
necessary to depress the brake pedal.< Under the following conditions you should
press the accelerator pedal halfway down
when starting:
>If the engine fails to start on the first
attempt, for instance, if it is very hot or
cold
>During a cold start at high altitudes,
from approx. 3,281 ft/1,000 m, at very
low temperatures, from approx. + 5 7/
Ð 15 6.
Refrain from starting the vehicle
repeatedly at brief intervals, and
avoid an excessive number of starting
attempts if the vehicle fails to start;
repeated activation of the starter over an
extended period would allow unburned or
only partially combusted fuel to enter the
catalytic converter, where it can cause
overheating and damage to the unit.<
Switching off the engine
With the vehicle stationary, briefly press the
start/stop button. This also activates the
radio mode.
Should exceptional circumstances
render it necessary for you to switch
off the engine while the vehicle is moving,
press the start/stop button for approxi-
mately 1 second.
If you maintain pressure on the start/stop
button for longer than two seconds while
switching off the ignition, the remote con-
trol unit will be ejected.<
Always remove the remote control
unit from the ignition lock before
leaving the vehicle.<
Parking brake
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with an electrome-
chanical parking brake.
The parking brake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked.
Driving
68
P Ñ Park
Press the button.
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
The transmission lockout prevents the rear
wheels from turning. The lockout disen-
gages when you press the selector lever
toward D, N or R while the engine is run-
ning.
P is automatically engaged when you
remove the remote control unit from
the ignition lock after parking the vehicle.<
R Ñ Reverse
Press the selector lever upward, con-
tinuing to apply pressure to move it past
the detent. Select R only when the vehicle
is stationary.
N Ð Neutral
Press the selector lever as far as the
detent, but no further. Select N only if your
journey is interrupted for a long period.
>From D press the selector lever up
>From R press the selector lever down.
Note the arrows indicating direction in the
range display.
N is selected automatically whenever
the remote control unit remains
locked in the ignition lock after the ignition
is switched off. This function is useful in
automatic car washes, etc.
After approx. 30 minutes the system auto-
matically engages P. Remember to
observe the Check Control for status mes-
sages.<
D Drive Ð Automatic
Press the selector lever down, con-
tinuing beyond the detent. This is the range
recommended for normal vehicle opera-
tion. All forward gears are available.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
Kickdown
The kickdown mode provides maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond full-
throttle detent point.
L mode
We recommend the L mode for times when
you wish to suppress certain shifts, for
instance, when ascending or descending
steep grades.
When the L mode is activated the transmis-
sion remains in your current gear, which
also appears in the Info Display, refer to
page 67. The transmission continues to
shift through the available ratios, but does
not proceed beyond the gear in the display.
Activating the L mode
Press the L/D button on the steering wheel.
The transmission downshifts when you
press the buttons on the rim of the steering
wheel briefly. The newly selected limit
appears in the Info Display.
The transmission only executes downshifts
that will result in a plausible combination of
vehicle and engine speeds. The transmis-
sion will no longer execute upshifts beyond
the selected range.
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69
Deactivate the L mode to obtain max-
imum acceleration for overtaking
maneuvers, etc.<
Deactivating the L mode
>Press the L/D button or
>press the selector lever into position D
once again.
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic*
While you can drive as with any conven-
tional automatic transmission, you also
enjoy the option of shifting manually at the
steering wheel, refer to the next column.
Transmission ranges
P R N D
Program display
S or M1 Ð M6
Buttons on steering wheel
S/M/D + Ð
Selecting a transmission range
The procedure for selecting transmission
ranges is the same as that employed in the
L mode, refer to page 67.
Sport program and manual operation
When you press the S/M/D button on the
steering wheel once, the system responds
by activating the transmission's Sport pro-
gram, as indicated by the letter S in the Info
Display, refer to previous column. We rec-
ommend this program for performance-ori-
ented driving.
When you press the S/M/D button a
second time the transmission switches to
its manual mode; press again to return to
the automatic program.
You can also return to the standard auto-
matic program by reselecting D.
In the manual mode the transmission
upshifts when you briefly tap the buttons
on the rear of the steering wheel. You
downshift by briefly pressing the buttons
on the front of the steering wheel. The Info
Display shows the manual ranges M1
through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combi-
nation of engine and vehicle speed; thus,
for example, a downshift that would cause
the engine to overrev will not be executed
by the system. The selected gear appears
briefly in the Info Display, followed by the
current gear.
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73
Selecting wiper fold-out position
Important for changing wiper blades, when
folding away from windshield to prevent
blades from sticking when ice forms, etc.
1.Switch off the engine and remove the
remote control unit from the ignition
lock
2.Press the wiper lever up and maintain
pressure for about 3 seconds until the
wipers are roughly vertical Ð this is the
fold-out position.
After folding the wipers back against the
windshield you will need to reactivate the
wiper system:
1.Insert the remote control unit to activate
the radio mode in the ignition lock
2.Apply brief upward pressure to the
wiper lever. The wipers return to their
retracted position and are ready for
normal operation.
To prevent damage to the wipers,
always fold them back against the
windshield before switching on either the
radio mode or the ignition.<
Washer fluid
Windshield and headlamp washer
system
Capacity: 6.3 US quarts (6 liters).
Fill with water and Ð if required Ð with a
washer antifreeze, according to manufac-
turer's recommendations.
We recommend that you mix the
washer fluid before adding it to the
reservoir.< Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Always keep it well away from sparks
and open flames, and store it in tightly
closed containers well out of the reach of
children. Always observe the instructions
for use provided on the container.<
Programmable cruise
control
The concept
The programmable cruise control is avail-
able for use at speeds of approx. 20 mph
(30 km/h) and higher. The vehicle maintains
and stores the speed that you set using the
lever mounted on the steering column.
You can also use the multilevel preset
mode to store 6 desired speeds for later
selection with the lever on the steering
column, refer to page 75.
This feature assists you in quickly adapting
the vehicle speed to specific road condi-
tions, e.g. changes in speeds limits.
Do not use the cruise control when
driving on winding roads, in case of
heavy traffic or poor road conditions Ð
snow, rain, ice, loose road surface Ð that do
not permit a constant speed.<
One lever for all functions
Activating system
Press 1 or pull 2 lever as far as the detent.
The system maintains and stores the cur-
rent vehicle speed.