Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
5
Your individual vehicle
On buying your BMW, you have decided in
favor of a model with individualized equip-
ment and features. This Owner's Manual
describes all models and equipment that
BMW offers within the same group.
We hope you will understand that equip-
ment and features are included which you
might not have chosen for your vehicle. Any
differences can easily be identified since all
optional accessories and special equip-
ment are marked with an asterisk
*
.
If your BMW features equipment not
described in this Owner's Manual, for
example a car radio or telephone, supple-
mentary Owner's Manuals are enclosed.
We ask that you read these manuals as
well.
Status of the Owner's
Manual
BMW pursues a policy of continuous,
ongoing development that is 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 on your vehicle. Nor
can errors and omissions be entirely ruled
out. You are therefore asked to appreciate
that no claims can be entertained on the
basis of the data, illustrations or descrip-
tions in this manual.
For your own safety
Fuels
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including 10 %
ethanol or other oxygenates with up to
2.8 % oxygen by weight, i.e. 15 % MTBE or
3% methanol plus an equivalent amount of
co-solvent, will not void the applicable war-
ranties respecting defects in materials or
workmanship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel quality,
i.e. volatility, composition, additives, etc.,
among gasolines offered for sale in the
United States and Canada. The use of poor
quality fuels may result in driveability, start-
ing and stalling problems especially under
certain environmental conditions, such as
high ambient temperature and high alti-
tude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems that 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 recommenda-
tions may result in unscheduled mainte-
nance.
Follow the relevant safety rules when you
are handling gasoline.
<
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e. g. the use of
modern materials and high-perfor-
mance electronics, requires specially
adapted maintenance and repair methods.
Therefore, only have corresponding work
on your BMW carried out by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel. If work is carried
out improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety
risks.
<
Notes
6
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use 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 thoroughly
tested by BMW to ensure optimum perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for dam-
age resulting from installation of parts and
accessories not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by
other manufacturers to verify if it can be
used on a BMW safely and without risk to
either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-
pants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on using
these items, are available from all BMW
retailers.
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 transceiver equip-
ment, e. g. C.B., walkie-talkie, ham radio or
similar, may cause extensive damage to
the vehicle, compromise its safety, inter-
fere with the vehicle's electrical system or
affect the validity of the BMW Limited War-
ranty. See your BMW center for additional
information.
Do not use key or remote control to lock
doors or trunk with anyone inside the vehi-
cle. 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 automo-
tive repair establishment or individual using
any certified automotive part.
<
Service and warranty
This manual is supplemented by a Service
and Warranty Information Booklet for US
models, Warranty and Service Guide Book-
let for Canadian models.
We recommend that you read this publica-
tion thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following war-
ranties:
>
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>
Federal Emissions System Defect War-
ranty
>
Federal Emissions Performance War-
ranty
>
California Emission Control System
Limited Warranty.
Detailed information about these warran-
ties is listed in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US models, War-
ranty and Service Guide Booklet for Cana-
dian models.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
17
system and switch the interior lamps on/
off.
You can have a signal set to confirm
that the vehicle's locks have engaged
securely.<
Since persons or animals in the vehi-
cle could lock the doors from the
inside, 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.
In the event of a system malfunction,
please contact your BMW center. You can
also obtain replacement keys there.<
1To unlock
2To lock and secure, activate interior
lamps, disarm tilt alarm sensor and inte-
rior motion sensor
3To open the luggage compartment
To unlock
1.Press the button to unlock the driver's
door and the fuel filler door
2.Press the button a second time to dis-
engage all vehicle locks.
To lock and secure
Press the button.
To switch on the interior lamps
With the vehicle locked:
Press the button.
To deactivate the tilt alarm* and
interior motion sensors*
Press the button a second time immedi-
ately after locking.
For additional information, refer to
page 26.
To open the luggage compartment
Press the button.
The luggage compartment lid will open
slightly, regardless of whether it was
locked or unlocked.
Before and after a trip, be sure that
the luggage compartment lid has not
been opened unintentionally.<
Panic mode*: triggering alarm
By pressing the button for 2 to 5 seconds,
the alarm can be sounded in the event of
danger. The alarm is turned off by pressing
the unlocking button 1 again.
Malfunctions
External systems or devices may cause
local interference in the functions of the
remote control.
Should this occur, you can still open and
close the vehicle using the master key in
either the door or luggage compartment
locks.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply
with part 15 of the FCC, Federal Communi-
cations Commission, regulations. Opera-
tion is governed by the following:
Adjustments
30
Safety function
1.Close the driver's door and turn the
ignition key to position 0 or 2
2.Press and hold the desired memory
button 1, 2 or 3 until the adjustment
process is completed.
If you press the
MEMORY button acciden-
tally:
Press the button again; the indicator lamp
goes out.
Seat heating*
The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated with the ignition key in position 2.
You can call up different heating modes by
repeatedly pressing the buttons.
The seat heating can also be switched off
from the higher heating modes:
Press the button and hold it slightly longer.
Safety belts
To close
Make sure you hear the lock engage in the
belt buckle.The warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up for a few seconds
or until the safety belts have been
fastened. Depending on the vehicle ver-
sion, an acoustic signal
* sounds at the
same time.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Press the red button in the belt buckle
2.Hold the belt
3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
The upper belt attachment point is suitable
for all body sizes provided that the person
is sitting correctly, refer to page 28.
Damaged safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the
entire belt system, including the tensioning
mechanisms, replaced at your BMW cen-
ter. Have the belt anchorage points
inspected for damage at the same time.
Failure to observe this precaution may pre-
vent the safety belts from effectively pro-
viding optimal protection when needed.<
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Never attempt to adjust the steering
wheel while driving the vehicle. It
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, posing a potential accident hazard.<
1.Push the locking lever downward
2.Adjust the steering column's reach and
height to suit your seat position
3.Pull the lever back in.
Driving
36
Driving
Ignition lock
0 Steering locked
This is the only position in which the igni-
tion key can be inserted or removed.
After removing the key, turn the steering
wheel slightly to the left or right until the
lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic signal
sounds when the driver's door is opened.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
do not move the selector lever from
position P until the engine is running.<
Interlock
In order to turn the key back to position 0 or
to remove it, move the selector level into
position P first.
1 Steering unlocked
You will find that it is often easier to turn the
ignition key from position 0 to 1 if you move
the steering wheel slightly to help disen-
gage the detent.
Individual electrical equipment and acces-
sories are available for use.
2 Ignition switched on
All systems are operational.
3 Engine started
Engine
Do not allow the engine to warm up while
the vehicle is stationary. Instead, begin
driving immediately at a moderate engine
speed.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and should
decrease as the engine warms up. If engine
speed does not decrease, service is
required.
To prevent the battery from discharging,
always deactivate electrical devices that
are not in use. Switch the ignition off when
the vehicle is not being driven.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas. Breathing
the exhaust gases poses an extreme health
risk, and can lead to unconsciousness and
death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine poses a safety haz-
ard.
When driving, standing at idle and parking
the vehicle, take care to avoid contact
between the hot exhaust system and flam-
mable materials, e.g. hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire,
resulting in serious personal injury and
property damage.<
Starting the engine
Do not press the accelerator pedal while
starting the engine.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine from
starting if the clutch is not depressed.<
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time, but do not actuate it for
more than approx. 20 seconds. Release
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
37
the ignition key immediately when the
engine starts.<
Extended starting attempts, charac-
terized by excessively frequent or
long periods with the starter engaged, can
damage the catalytic converter.<
If the engine fails to start on the first
attempt, for instance if it is very hot or cold:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down.
Cold starts at very low temperatures, start-
ing at approx. 57/–156:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down.
>On the first start attempt, engage the
starter for a longer period, approx.
10 seconds.
Manual transmission
1.Engage the parking brake
2.Gearshift lever in idling position
3.Depress clutch pedal
4.Start the engine.
Automatic transmission
1.Depress footbrake
2.Place selector lever in position P or N
3.Start the engine.
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, place the selector
lever in position P and pull the parking
brake.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine poses a safety haz-
ard.<
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
1.Depress footbrake
2.Move selector lever to neutral
position N
3.Start the engine.
If the engine does not start, re-
engage the gear last selected, refer to
the display in the instrument cluster, and move the selector lever to neutral position
N again.<
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, place the selector
lever in position N and pull the parking
brake.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine poses a safety haz-
ard.<
Switching off the engine
Do not remove the ignition key while
the vehicle is still moving. If you did
so, the steering lock would engage when
the steering wheel is turned.
When you leave the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key and engage the steering
lock.
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on downhill roads.<
You can have an acoustic signal set
as a reminder that the ignition key is
still in the ignition switch after the driver's
door has been opened.<
Manual transmission
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Automatic transmission
Place the selector lever in position P and
turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
If you turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0
with the selector lever in position R, or in
sequential mode, a gear automatically
remains engaged.
If you turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0
with the selector lever in neutral position N,
a warning tone and the flashing gear indi-
cator in the display remind you that the
vehicle is not secured against rolling.
The warning stops after approx. 9 seconds.
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on downhill roads.
Engaging a gear may not sufficiently secure
the vehicle against rolling.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
39
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic*
You can drive as with a normal automatic
transmission. In addition, you can also shift
manually.
When you move the selector lever from the
D position to the left into the M/S range, the
performance-oriented shift programs of the
automatic transmission are engaged. As
soon as you briefly tap the selector lever in
the + or — direction, Steptronic changes the
gear. The manual mode is engaged. When
you wish to use the automatic transmission
mode again, move the selector lever to the
right to position D.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + —
Range selection
A detent prevents inadvertent shifting into
selector lever positions R and P. To disen-
gage the detent, press the button on the
front of the selector lever knob, see arrow.
Shiftlock
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of P or N, depress
the footbrake in order to disengage the
selector lever's lock mechanism.<
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise start to
move when a drive position is engaged.
If you leave the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, move the selector lever to the P posi-
tion and apply the parking brake. If you fail
to do this, the vehicle could move.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine poses a safety haz-
ard.<
PPark
Select reverse only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary. The transmission locks to prevent
the rear wheels from turning.
RReverse
Select reverse only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
NNeutral
Select only when stopping for an extended
period.
DDrive: automatic shift program
This position is designed for driving under
all normal operating conditions. All forward
gears are available.
Kickdown
In the kickdown mode, you achieve maxi-
mum acceleration in position D.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-throt-
tle position.
M/S Manual mode and
Sport program
When you change from D to M/S, the Sport
program is activated. This is indicated in
the gear indicator by SD. The M/S mode is
recommended for performance-oriented
driving.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport program
to the manual mode.
When you tap the selector lever in the +
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
41
Forward position with one-touch functions:
Sequential mode
+:manual upshifting
—:manual downshifting
D: drive mode.
The SMG is ready for operation in ignition
key positions 2 and 3.
The gearbox is automatically taken
out of gear if the driver's door is
opened while the engine is running and the
driver does not actuate the pedals, the shift
paddles or the selector lever.
This is accompanied by an acoustic signal
and the flashing gear indicator.
The gear indicator in the instrument cluster
displays N.
A driving position can only be engaged
when the driver's door is closed.
When the vehicle is unlocked, a buzzing
sound in the area of the transmission indi-
cates that the system is ready to operate.<
Shiftlock
For your safety, it is only possible to
engage a driving position from selector
lever position N when the footbrake is
depressed.
Please keep in mind while driving
When driving off on inclines, drive
smoothly without pausing. Do not
keep the vehicle in place by depressing the
accelerator pedal; instead, apply the park-
ing brake. Otherwise, the SMG gearbox
could overheat.<
RReverse
Select reverse only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
NNeutral
Always engage before starting the engine,
refer to Starting the engine.
Sequential mode
Each time the engine is started, the
sequential mode is activated as soon as you move the selector lever into the for-
ward driving position.
The gears are shifted via the shift paddles
or the selector lever.
It is also possible to drive off in second
gear, e.g. on snow-covered roads.
D Drive mode
In the drive mode all forward gears are
shifted automatically.
To switch from sequential to drive mode:
tap the selector lever to the right toward D.
For rapid acceleration, e.g. during passing,
depress the accelerator pedal completely:
kickdown.
Kickdown:
In the kickdown mode, you achieve maxi-
mum acceleration.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-throt-
tle position.
To switch back to sequential mode: tap the
selector lever again to the right toward D,
or change the current gear via the shift
paddles or the selector lever.
Shifting gears
With selector lever
>To upshift, tap the selector lever
toward +
>To downshift, tap the lever toward —.
With shift paddles on steering wheel
>To upshift, pull one of the shift paddles
>To downshift, push the paddle.