
61
Vehicle Memory, Key MemoryHow the system functionsNo doubt you have often reflected on 
how great it would be if you could per-
manently configure your vehicle's vari-
ous features and adjustments to mirror 
your own personal preferences. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has 
included a number of options for stor-
ing personal adjustment data. These 
can be programmed at your BMW cen-
ter.
The available configuration data fall into 
two categories, according to whether 
their primary orientation is the vehicle – 
Vehicle Memory – or the individual – 
Key Memory. Provided that each per-
son has a separate remote-control key, 
you can have your BMW center enter 
basic adjustment data for up to four 
individuals in the system.
The system relies on a bilateral data 
exchange to identify the individual user 
and executes the selected settings 
whenever the remote control unit is 
used to disengage the locks.
Distinguishing between keysColor-coded decals have been pro-
vided to help you distinguish the differ-
ent keys with their individual settings.What the system can doYou can learn about the entire array of 
features this system offers at your BMW 
center. Here are just a few examples:
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to 
remind you at appropriate places of the 
settings that are available to you.<
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals as acknowledgment 
when locking or unlocking your vehi-
cle, refer to pages 31, 34
>Activates/deactivates the 'Follow me 
home' function, refer to page 93
>Activates/deactivates daytime driv-
ing lamps, refer to page 93
>Sets the units of measure for display-
ing time, outside temperature, dis-
tance traveled and fuel consumption 
in the instrument cluster
>When you shift into Reverse, an 
acoustic signal indicates that PDC 
has been activated, refer to page 85
>Switches on rear window defroster 
automatically, to pages 98, 103
>Activates/deactivates various alarm 
system functions, refer to page 39
>After giving an ice warning, the 
onboard computer display returns to 
the previous setting, to page 83.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Locks the vehicle automatically after 
starting off, refer to page 35
>Unlocks the driver's door first, then 
the vehicle's remaining locks, refer to 
page 35
>Opens the tailgate instead of the rear 
window with the remote control, refer 
to page 32
>Automatically adjusts the driver's 
seat to the personal programmed 
settings when the vehicle is 
unlocked, refer to page 50
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex 

68
RReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary.NNeutralAlways engage before starting the 
engine, refer to Starting the engine on 
page 64.Sequential modeEach time the engine is started, the 
sequential mode is activated as soon as 
you move the selector lever into the for-
ward driving position while the brake is 
depressed.
The gears are shifted via the shift pad-
dles or the selector lever.
It is also possible to drive off in second 
gear, e.g. on snow-covered roads.DDrive modeIn 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.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.
KickdownYou can achieve maximum acceleration 
using kickdown.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the 
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
Shifting gearsWith 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 pad-
dles
>To downshift, push the paddle.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g. 
during passing, by manually downshift-
ing.
In the following situations, the SMG in 
the sequential mode assists you:
>The transmission will only execute 
upshifts and downshifts that will 
result in an appropriate combination 
of vehicle speed and engine rpm. For 
Sequential manual gearbox SMG* 

82
ClockIf you wish to have a permanent time 
display, you can make this setting in the 
radio display, refer to the Owner's Man-
ual for Radio.
You can set the clock and the time dis-
play in the car radio as follows.
Setting
Before the clock can be set, the 
time must be showing in the 
instrument cluster display.<
With the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher
To set ahead: turn the right button to 
the right.
To set back: turn the right button to the 
left.
The adjustment speed will increase the 
longer you continue to hold the right 
button.
To change the display mode: press the 
right button briefly.
Every time you press the button, the 
clock display alternates between the 
12-hour or 24-hour mode.
In ignition key position 0: the time is 
displayed for a few seconds after you 
press the left button, refer to Odometer 
on page 79. 

83
Computer*Mode selectionWith the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher, you can call up information from 
the computer using the button in the 
turn signal lever. By pressing the button 
briefly toward the steering column, you 
can call up a new function for display.
The displays appear in the following 
order:
Time of day, outside temperature, aver-
age fuel consumption, cruising range, 
average vehicle speed.
With the ignition key in position 1 or 
higher, the last active setting is dis-
played.
Outside temperatureYou can change the units of measure 
6/7 for the outside temperature dis-
play by pressing the right-hand reset 
button in the instrument cluster while 
the temperature display is active. The 
units of measure 6/7 in the tempera-
ture display of the automatic climate 
control change automatically, refer to 
page 100.Ice warningIf the outside temperature drops to 
about 37.57/+36, then the computer 
will automatically switch to a display of 
the outside temperature. In addition, a 
signal sounds as a warning and the dis-
play flashes for a brief period.
After giving an ice warning, the 
display returns to the previous 
setting.<
The ice warning does not alter the 
fact that surface ice can form at 
temperatures above 37.57/+36, on 
bridges or shaded road surfaces, for 
instance.<
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91
Flat Tire Monitor*The conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor 
keeps track of pressure levels in all four 
tires. The system alerts you whenever 
the inflation pressure of a tire falls sig-
nificantly below the pressure of another 
tire.
The system actually detects pressure 
loss by monitoring differences in the 
relative speeds of the four wheels. It 
interprets variations outside specified 
limits as severe pressure loss, and then 
responds by generating a warning.Functional requirementsIn order for the Flat Tire Monitor to learn 
the correct tire inflation pressure, 
please do the following:
1. Check the tire inflation pressures in 
all tires
2. Compare them with the tire inflation 
pressure table on page 26 and cor-
rect them, if necessary
3. Initialize the system.
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot pro-
vide you with advance warning of 
sudden and severe tire damage caused 
by external factors and does not detect 
the balanced and very gradual pressure 
loss that takes place in all four tires 
over an extended period of time.<
On the other hand, the following situa-
tions can lead to a delayed detection of 
pressure loss and even to the system 
not functioning:
>Driving on snow-covered or slippery 
roads 
>Performance-oriented driving: slip at 
the drive wheels, high levels of lateral 
acceleration
>When driving with snow chains, false 
warnings and undetected pressure 
losses may occur
>When driving with a space-saver 
spare tire, the Flat Tire Monitor can-
not function.
Initializing the system
Each time you correct the pres-
sure in a tire, or change a wheel or 
tire, reinitialize the system immediately 
afterwards. This requires a bit of driv-
ing.<
1. Before driving off, start the engine 
but do not start driving
2. Press the button as long as you need 
to until the yellow indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster lights up for a 
few seconds
3. Drive off.
It takes a few minutes before the Flat 
Tire Monitor can detect a flat tire and 
issue a warning.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex 

93 Lamps
Parking lamps/Low beamsParking lamps
The front, rear and side vehicle 
lighting is switched on. You can 
use the parking lamps to signal 
the position of the vehicle when it is 
parked. For lighting on one side for 
parking as an additional feature, refer to 
page 94.
Low beams
When the ignition is switched off 
while the low beams are on, the 
headlamps go out and only the 
parking lamps remain on.
Follow me home lampsWhen you activate the headlamp 
flasher after parking the vehicle with the 
lamps turned off, the low-beam head-
lamps will come on for a short time. 
You can also have this function 
deactivated.
tion 0, you will hear an acoustic signal 
for a few seconds to remind you that 
the lamps have not been switched off.Daytime driving lamps*If you desire, the lamp switch can be 
left in the second position: when the 
ignition is switched off, the external 
lighting is also switched off.
You can have the activation set-
tings for the daytime driving lamps 
programmed on your vehicle.<
Automatic headlight control*
When the switch is set to this 
position the system automati-
cally activates and cancels the 
low beams in response to changes in 
ambient light – in tunnels, at dusk, etc. – 
and in the event of rain and snow.
The vehicle's external lights 
remain on constantly when you 
switch on the front fog lamps after the 
headlights have come on automati-
cally.<
Automatic headlight control can-
not serve as a substitute for the 
driver's judgement in determining when 
the vehicle lights should be switched 
on. For example, the sensors are not 
able to detect fog. To avoid safety risks, 
you should respond to these kinds of 
low-visibility situations by switching the 
headlights on manually.<
You can have the sensitivity of 
your vehicle's automatic head-
light control adjusted.<
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125
Do not drive on a deflated – flat – 
tire unless your vehicle is 
equipped with Run Flat tires. A flat tire 
greatly impairs steering and braking 
response, and can lead to complete 
loss of control over the vehicle.
Avoid overloading the vehicle so that 
the permitted load on the tires is not 
exceeded. Overloading can lead to 
overheating and internal tire damage.
The ultimate result can assume the 
form of a sudden air loss.
Unusual vibrations encountered during 
normal vehicle operation can indicate a 
damaged tire or some other vehicle 
malfunction. This type of problem can 
be caused by contact with curbs, etc. 
This is also true for irregularities in the 
vehicle's handling characteristics, such 
as a pronounced tendency to pull to the 
left or right. Should this occur, respond 
by immediately reducing your speed. 
Proceed carefully to the nearest BMW 
center or professional tire center, or 
have the vehicle towed in to have it, its 
wheels or its tires inspected.
Tire damage, up to and including sud-
den and complete air loss, can endan-
ger the lives of both the vehicle occu-
pants and other road users.<
Tire replacementTo maintain good handling and vehicle 
response, use only tires of a single 
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer.
Comply with the specified tire inflation 
pressures — and be sure to have the 
wheel and tire assembly balanced 
every time you change a tire or wheel.DOT quality gradesTread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must con-
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades.
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified government test 
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would 
wear one and one-half – 1 
1/2 – times as 
well on the government course as a tire 
graded 100. The relative performance 
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may 
depart significantly from the norm due 
to variations in driving habits, service 
practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.TractionThe traction grades, from highest to 
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability 
to stop on wet pavement as measured 
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of 
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C 
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to 
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does 
not include acceleration, cornering, 
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.
tire's resistance to the generation of 
heat and its ability to dissipate heat 
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory 
test wheel.
Tire condition
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex 

128
the tire sidewall, refer to Changing a 
wheel. In this case, use only Run Flat 
winter tires, since no spare tire is pro-
vided in the event of a flat tire.Tire condition, tire pressureAt tread depths below approx.  3/16 in / 
4 mm, winter tires display a perceptible 
decrease in their ability to cope with 
winter driving conditions, and should be 
replaced in the interest of safety.
Comply with the specified tire inflation 
pressures — and be sure to have the 
wheel and tire assembly balanced 
every time you change a tire or wheel.Snow chains*Only certain snow chains have been 
tested by BMW and determined and 
approved as roadworthy. Consult any 
BMW center for details. BMW recom-
mends using only these approved fine-
link snow chains. Use them in pairs on 
either summer or winter tires, but only 
on both rear wheels.325xi: in an extreme emergency – for 
instance, with the vehicle stuck on one 
side, or when obstructions make it 
impossible to reach one tire – a chain 
may also be mounted on just one tire 
for the limited period needed to resolve 
the problem.
Comply with all manufacturer's safety 
precautions when mounting the chains. 
Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph / 
50 km/h when using snow chains.
You cannot mount snow chains on the 
following tires:
225/50 R 16
225/45 R 17
245/40 R 17
225/40 R 18
255/35 R 18
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Moni-
tor after mounting snow chains to 
the tires.
When driving with snow chains, it may 
be useful to turn off the DSC for a short 
time, refer to page 87 or 88.