
Contents
© 2002 BMW M GmbH
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts,
only with the written consent of
BMW AG, Munich.
Order no. 01 41 0 156 830
US English IX/02
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper
Ð bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
Notes
Overview
Controls and features
About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
Your individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects10Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps16
Steering wheel with multifunction
buttons19
Warning triangle20
First-aid kit20
Refueling20
Fuel specifications22
Tire inflation pressure22
Opening and closing:
Keys26
Central locking system26
Opening and closing Ð
via the door lock27
Opening and closing Ð
via the remote control28
Opening and closing Ð
from the inside31
Luggage compartment lid32
Luggage compartment34
Alarm system35
Electric power windows36
Sliding/tilt sunroof38
Adjustments:
Sitting safely40
Seats40
BMW M sport seat41
BMW comfort seat42
Head restraints43
BMW active seat43
Safety belts44
Seat, mirror and
steering wheel memory45
Seat heating46
Steering wheel47
Mirrors48
Contents

Contents
Operation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures106
Driving notes107
Antilock Brake System107
Brake system108
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure109
Tire condition109
Tire replacement110
Wheel and tire
combinations111
Special characteristics of winter
tires112
Snow chains112
In the engine compartment:
Hood113
Engine compartment
essentials114
Washer fluids115
Engine oil115
Coolant117
Brake fluid118
Maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System119
Laws and regulations:
Technical modifications120
California Proposition
65 Warning120
OBD interface socket121
Replacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit124
Windshield wiper blades124
Lamps and bulbs124
Repairing a flat tire128
Battery131
Fuses132
Assistance, giving and
receiving:
Jump-starting133
Towing the vehicle135

22n
Fuel specifications Tire inflation pressureThe engine uses lead-free gasoline
only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline,
min. 91 AKI.
AKI = Anti Knock Index
Never use leaded fuel, as it would
cause permanent and irreparable
damage to both the oxygen sensor and
the catalytic converter.<
The inflation pressures are indicated
on a warning sticker attached to the
B-pillar behind the driver's door (visible
with door open).Check tire pressuresAll pressure specifications are indicated
in psi (kilopascal) for tires at ambient
temperature (refer also to the next
page).
After correcting the inflation pres-
sures in the tires, reactivate the
Flat Tire Monitor, refer to page 82.<390de697
Check tire inflation pressures on a
regular basis, at least every two
weeks, and before every extended
journey. Otherwise, incorrect tire pres-
sure can lead to driving instability, tire
damage and accidents.<
Comply with tire approval
specificationsThe inflation pressures in the table
apply to BMW approved tire sizes and
tire manufacturers. Your BMW center is
familiar with these pressures. Higher
pressures may be specified for tires
made by other manufacturers.
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
which not only meet US standards, but
also European standards. We recom-
mend the exclusive use of BMW
approved tires.

23n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Tire inflation pressureBMW Tires
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi
(kilopascal) with cold tires
(cold = ambient temperature)
M5245/40 ZR 18 35 (240) - 44 (300) -
275/35 ZR 18 - 38 (260) - 48 (330)
235/45 R 17 94 H M+S 35 (240) 38 (260) 39 (270) 46 (320)

66n
Text messages are used to alert the
driver to system malfunctions with the
ignition key in position 2 and higher.
The alert is accompanied by a gong.
1 Status symbol for messages
2 Display
3 CHECK button
Messages warning of system malfunc-
tions are assigned one of two priority
levels.
39mus027
Priority 1
These defects are immediately indi-
cated by a gong and a flashing warning
symbol 1. Simultaneous defects will be
displayed consecutively. These status
messages remain in the display until the
defects are corrected. They cannot be
deleted by pressing the CHECK
button 3:
>"RELEASE PARKINGBRAKE"
>"COOLANT TEMPERATURE"
The coolant is overheated. Stop the
vehicle and switch off the engine
immediately. Refer to page 117
>"STOP!ENGINE OILPRESS"
The oil pressure is too low. Stop the
vehicle and switch off the engine
immediately. Refer to pages 16, 115>"CHECK BRAKE FLUID"
The level has dropped nearly to the
minimum. Top up the brake fluid at
the earliest opportunity. Refer to
page 118. Have the source of the
brake fluid loss diagnosed and cor-
rected at your BMW center
>"TIRE DEFECT"
Reduce vehicle speed immediately
and stop the vehicle. Avoid hard
brake applications. Do not oversteer.
Refer to page 83
>"LIMIT"
*
This is displayed if the programmed
speed limit has been exceeded.
Refer to page 73.
Check Control

67n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Check Control Priority 2
These displays appear for 20 seconds
with the ignition key in position 2. The
warning symbols remain after the mes-
sage disappears. The messages can be
recalled again with CHECK button 3.
>"TRUNKLID OPEN"
This message appears only when you
initially begin a trip
>"DOOR OPEN"
This message appears after a defined
road speed has been exceeded
>"FASTEN SEAT BELTS"
*
In addition to this message, an indi-
cator lamp with the safety belt icon
appears and an acoustic signal is
sounded
>"WASHER FLUID LOW"
Too low; top up fluid at the next
opportunity. Refer to page 115
>"CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV"
The oil level is at the absolute min-
imum, so add engine oil as soon as
possible. Refer to page 115. Until
then, do not drive more than approx.
30 miles (50 km)>"TIRE PRESSURE SET"
The Flat Tire Monitor has adopted the
tires' current inflation pressures as its
reference levels. Refer to page 82
>"TIRECONTROL INACTIVE"
Transient malfunctions and system
errors in the Flat Tire Monitor. Refer
to page 83
>"CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS"
A lamp has failed or the electrical cir-
cuit has a fault. Refer to pages 126
and 132 or consult a BMW center
>"CHECK LOWBEAM LIGHTS"
"CHECK SIDE LIGHTS"
"CHECK REAR LIGHTS"
"CHECK FRONT FOGLAMPS"
"CHECK LICPLATE LIGHT"
"CHECK HIGHBEAM LIGHT"
"CHECK BACK UP LIGHTS"
Defective bulb or circuit. Refer to
page 124 and following and
page 132 or consult a BMW center>"CHECK BRAKE LININGS"
Have the brake pads checked at your
BMW center. Refer to page 108
>"CHECK COOLANT LEVEL"
The coolant level is too low; top off
at the next opportunity. Refer to
page 118
>"CHECK FILLER CAP"
Check to see whether the fuel filler
cap has been properly closed. Refer
to page 21
>"ENGINE FAILSAFE PROG"
Indicates a malfunction in the elec-
tronic engine-management system,
which then reverts to an emergency
default program allowing continued
operation at reduced power and
lower engine speeds.
Please have the system inspected by
your BMW center
>
"OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE 24 7
(Ð 5.0 6)"This temperature display is only an
example. The current temperature is
displayed at outside temperatures of
37.5 7 (+3 6) and below. Refer also
to page 63.

82n
Flat Tire MonitorThe conceptThe Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the
inflation pressures in your tires as you
drive. The system provides an alert
whenever the inflation pressure drops
significantly in one of the tires.
To initialize the Flat Tire Monitor system
with the correct tire inflation pressures,
start by checking the inflation pressures
in all four tires, comparing them with
the figures specified in the tire inflation
pressure table (page 23). Then correct
the tire inflation pressures as neces-
sary. Now you can activate the system. The Check Control (refer to page 66)
will inform you if the tire inflation pres-
sure of one the tires has dropped signif-
icantly.
Activating the system1. Turn the ignition key to position 2
(do not start the engine)
2. Press the button and maintain pres-
sure until the message "SET TIRE
PRESSURE" appears in the Check
Control (several seconds)
3. As you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor
automatically enters the system ini-
tialization mode in which it stores the
current pressures as its reference
figures. The initialization process
lasts for ten minutes or somewhat
longer. Once it has been completed
the Tire Pressure Monitor is able to
detect and warn of flat tires.39mde119
Repeat this process after altering the
tire inflation pressure, changing the tire,
or rotating the wheels.
Do not carry out a new initialization of
the system, if you correct the inflation
pressures to the already specified tire
pressures.

83n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Flat Tire MonitorFlat tireIn the event of a flat tire, the message,
"TIRE DEFECT" will appear in the
Check Control. This visual alert will be
accompanied by a gong.
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed
immediately and stop the vehicle. Avoid
hard braking and overcorrecting at the
steering wheel.
Correct the flat tire using the M Mobility
system (refer to page 128).
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot alert
you to severe and sudden tire
damage caused by external factors.
Another factor which the Flat Tire Mon-
itor does not recognize is the balanced
and very gradual pressure loss that
takes place in all tires over an extended
period of time.<
Check the tire inflation pressure
on a regular basis and correct if
necessary. Refer to page 22.
Do not carry out any kind of system
activation when using snow chains.
Under these kinds of conditions, false
warnings and unidentified losses in
pressure are possible.
In certain circumstances, when driving
on snow-covered or slippery road sur-
faces, there may be a delay in identi-
fying any loss in inflation pressure.
Performance-oriented driving (slip at
the drive wheels, high levels of lateral
acceleration) can also delay the appear-
ance of status messages in the Flat Tire
Monitor's display panel.<
System malfunctionsThe message "TIRECONTROL INAC-
TIVE" appears in the Check Control
and remains on until the problem is cor-
rected.
The same message is displayed if there
is a system malfunction.
Please refer the problem to your BMW
center.