2004 BMW 325CI CONVERTIBLE key

4

Notes

© 2003 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 157 599
US English VIII/03
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.

Additional sources of information

If you have any additional questions,
your BMW center will be glad to advise
you.
You can find more information about
BMW, for example on its technology,
on the Internet at www.bmw.com.

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 when available.
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory,
refer to page 70. Identifies func-
tions that can be specifically adapted
for a particular key or vehicle. These
adjustments can be performed either by
yourself or by your BMW center.

6

Notes

Maintenance and repair

Advanced technology, e.g. the
use of modern materials and high-
performance electronics, requires spe-
cially adapted maintenance and repair
methods. Therefore, only have corre-
sponding work on your BMW carried
out by a BMW center or a workshop
that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If work is carried out
improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety
risks.

<

Parts and accessories

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
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.

Contents

Notes

About this Owner's Manual4
Additional sources of
information4
Symbols used4
Your individual vehicle5
Status at time of printing5
For your own safety5
Symbol on vehicle parts6
Service and warranty7
Reporting safety defects7

Overview

Cockpit14
Instrument cluster16
Indicator and warning lamps18
Buttons in steering wheel*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
Seats53
Adjusting electric power
seats53
Lumbar support*54
Head restraints54
Entering the rear55
Safety belts56
Seat and mirror memory*57
Seat heating*58
Steering wheel59
Mirrors59

Contents

9

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags61
Transporting children safely64
Rollover protection system68
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory70

Driving:

Ignition lock71
Starting the engine71
Switching off the engine73
Parking brake73
Manual transmission74
Sequential manual gearbox
SMG*75
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*79
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher82
Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor*83
Cruise control*84

Everything under control:

Odometer86
Tachometer86
Energy control86
Fuel gauge87
Engine coolant temperature
gauge87
Service interval display88
Check Control88
Clock89
Computer90

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)*92
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)93
Flat Tire Monitor*94
Brake force display96

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams97
Adaptive headlights*98
Instrument lighting98
High beams/Standing lamps99
Fog lamps99
Interior lamps100

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Air conditioning102
Automatic climate control*106

Interior conveniences:

Glove compartment111
Integrated universal remote
control*112
Storage compartments114
Cellular phone*115
Ashtray, front*115
Ashtray, rear*116

Loading and transporting:

Ski bag*117
Cargo loading118
Roof-mounted luggage rack for
the hardtop*121

Controls and features

18

Indicator and warning lamps

Technology that monitors itself

Indicator and warning lamps that are
identified by

●

are tested for proper
functioning whenever the ignition key is
turned. They each light up once for dif-
ferent periods of time.
If a fault should occur in one of these
systems, the corresponding lamp does
not go out after the engine is started, or
it lights up while the vehicle is moving.
You will see how to react in the follow-
ing section.

Red: stop immediately

Battery charge current

●

The battery is no longer being
charged. Indicates a defective
alternator drive belt or a problem with
the alternator's charge circuit. Please
contact the nearest BMW center.
If the drive belt is defective, stop
and switch off the engine immedi-
ately to prevent overheating and seri-
ous engine damage. If the drive belt is
defective, increased steering effort is
also required.

<

Engine oil pressure

●

Stop the vehicle immediately
and switch off the engine.
Check the engine oil level; top off as
required. If the oil level is correct:
please contact the nearest BMW cen-
ter.
Do not continue driving, as the
engine could sustain serious dam-
age from inadequate lubrication.

<

Flat Tire Monitor

●

In addition, an acoustic signal is
sounded: there is a flat tire.
Reduce speed and carefully come to a
stop. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers.
For additional information: refer to
page 94
Brake warning lamp

●

If the lamp comes on when the
parking brake is not engaged:
check the brake fluid level. Before driv-
ing further, be sure to comply with the
instructions on pages 126 and 141.
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.

Red: an important reminder

Brake warning lamp
Comes on when the parking
brake is engaged – an additional
acoustic signal sounds when you start
off.
For additional information: refer to
page 73
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.
Lock backrest/Fasten safety
belts

●

Comes on together with an
acoustic signal until the safety belts are
fastened. Flashes if the backrest is not
locked.
For additional information on locking
the seat backrests, refer to page 55
For additional information on safety
belts: refer to page 56
Airbags

●

Please have the system
inspected at your BMW center.
For additional information: refer to
page 61

30Opening and closing
KeysThe key set1Master keys with remote control unit
– these keys determine the functions
of the Key Memory. Refer to page 70.
You can mark the individual keys for
subsequent identification by apply-
ing the colored decals that you
received when accepting delivery of
your vehicle
In every master key with the
remote control feature there is an
extended-life battery that is charged
automatically in the ignition lock as you
drive.
For this reason, if you have master keys
with the remote control feature that are
not being used otherwise, use those
keys at least once a year while driving
for an extended period to charge the
battery.<
2Spare key – for storage in a safe
place, such as in your wallet. This key
is not intended for constant use. The
luggage compartment lid and the
glove compartment cannot be locked
and unlocked with this key. This is
useful for valet parking, for example
Central locking systemThe conceptThe central locking system engages
and releases the following locks at the
same time:
>doors
>luggage compartment lid
>fuel filler door
>glove compartment.
The central locking system is ready for
operation whenever the driver's door is
closed.
The central locking system can be
operated
>from outside via the door lock as well
as via the remote control
>from inside by pressing a button.
The fuel filler door is not locked when
the central locking system is activated
from the inside, refer to page 34.
When the system is actuated from the
outside, the anti-theft system is also
activated. This prevents the doors from
being unlocked via the lock buttons or
the release handle. The alarm system is
also activated or deactivated.
The central locking system is automati-
cally deactivated in the event of an
accident. In addition, the hazard warn-
ing flashers and interior lamps come on.

31
Opening and closing – via the remote controlThe conceptThe remote control also provides two
additional functions beyond the central
locking feature:
>To switch on interior lamps, refer to
page 32.
With this function you can also
search for the vehicle when parked in
an underground garage, for instance
>To open the luggage compartment
lid, refer to page 32.
The luggage compartment lid will
open slightly, regardless of whether it
was previously locked or unlocked.
Whenever you unlock or lock the vehi-
cle, you simultaneously deactivate/acti-
vate the anti-theft system, disarm/arm
the alarm system and switch the interior
lamps on/off.
You can have a signal set to con-
firm that the vehicle's locks have
engaged securely.<
Master keys with remote control
Persons or animals inside the
vehicle may be able to lock the
doors from the inside. For this reason,
you should always take the vehicle keys
with you so that the vehicle can be
opened again from the outside at any
time.<
If it is no longer possible to lock
the vehicle via the remote control,
the battery is discharged. Use this key
while driving for an extended period in
order to recharge the battery.
To prevent unauthorized use of the
remote control, surrender only the
spare key when leaving the vehicle for
valet parking, for example.
In the event of a system malfunction,
please contact your BMW center. You
can also obtain replacement keys
there.<
1Unlock, convenience opening mode,
and disarm alarm system
2Lock and secure, arm alarm system,
activate interior lamps, disarm tilt
alarm sensor and interior motion sen-
sor
3Open the luggage compartment lid,
Panic mode – trigger alarmTo releasePress the button once to unlock the
driver's door.
Press the button a second time to
disengage all vehicle locks.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

32
Convenience opening mode*Press and hold button. The electric
power windows and the fully-automatic
convertible top open.To lock and securePress the button.To switch on the interior lampsWith the vehicle locked, press the but-
ton.To deactivate the tilt alarm* and
interior motion sensors*Press the button a second time imme-
diately after locking.
For additional information, refer to
page 39.To open the luggage
compartment lidPress the button.
The luggage compartment lid will open
slightly, regardless of whether it was
previously locked or unlocked.
If the luggage compartment lid
was locked, it will be locked again
after it is reclosed.
Before and after a trip, be sure that the
luggage compartment lid has not been
opened unintentionally. armed, you can respond to imminent
danger by holding down the button for
more than seconds.
To switch off the alarm:
Press the button.External systemsThe remote control system's operation
may be affected by other units or
equipment operating in the immediate
vicinity of your vehicle.
If this should occur, you can still open
and close the vehicle using the master
key in either the door or luggage com-
partment lid locks.For US owners onlyThe transmitter and receiver units com-
ply with part 15 of the FCC Federal
Communications Commission regula-
tions. Operation is governed by the fol-
lowing:
FCC ID:
>LX8EWS
>LX8FZVS
>LX8FZVE.
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful
interference
>This device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications to
these devices could void the
user's authority to operate the equip-
ment.<
Opening and closing – via the remote control