Page 153 of 178

153
Jump-startingWhen your battery is discharged, you
can use two jumper cables to start your
vehicle with power from the battery in a
second vehicle. You can also use the
same method to help start another
vehicle. Only use jumper cables with
fully insulated handles on the terminal
clamps.
Do not touch high-voltage wiring
and cables on a running engine.
Contact with components carrying high
voltage can be harmful or fatal. Care-
fully observe the following instructions
to avoid personal injury and/or damage
to one or both vehicles.
support vehicle has 12 volts and
approximately the same capacity –
measured in Ah. This information is
provided on the battery
2. Stop the engine of the support vehi-
cle
3. Switch off all electrical components
in both vehicles.
Make absolutely certain that there
is no contact between the body-
work of the two vehicles, otherwise
there is a short circuit hazard.<
Connecting the jumper cables
Always adhere to this sequence
when connecting jumper cables;
failure to observe this procedure can
lead to sparks at the battery terminals
and pose an injury hazard.<
The auxiliary jump-starting terminal
located in your BMW's engine compart-
ment acts as the positive battery termi-
nal. Refer to the engine compartment
overview on page 130. The cover of this
auxiliary terminal is marked with a +.
1. Open the cover of the BMW auxiliary
jump-starting terminal. Do so by pull-
ing the tab – see arrow 1
2. Connect one terminal clamp of the
plus/+ jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the battery or to an auxil-
iary jump-starting terminal of the
support vehicle
3. Connect the second terminal clamp
of the plus/+ jumper cable to the
positive terminal of the battery or to
an auxiliary jump-starting terminal of
the vehicle to be started
4. Your BMW is equipped with a special
nut – see arrow 2 – to serve as the
ground or negative terminal.
Attach a terminal clamp of the
minus/– jumper cable to the negative
terminal of the support vehicle's bat-
tery or to a suitable ground on its
engine or bodywork
5. Attach the second terminal clamp of
the minus/– jumper cable to the neg-
ative terminal of the battery or to a
suitable ground on the engine or
bodywork of the vehicle to be
started.Starting the engine1. Start the engine of the support vehi-
cle and let it run for several minutes
at a slightly elevated engine idle
speed
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Page 154 of 178
154
2. Start the engine of the other vehicle
as usual.
If the first start attempt is not suc-
cessful, wait a few minutes before
another attempt in order to allow the
discharged battery to recharge
3. Allow the engines to run for several
minutes
4. Disconnect the jumper cables in
reverse sequence.
Depending on the cause of the fault,
have the battery checked and
recharged by your BMW center.
Do not use spray starter fluids to
start the engine.<
Towing the vehicle
Always observe all applicable
towing laws and regulations.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck>Use wheel lift or flat bed carrier
>Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.
Never attach tie-down hooks, chains,
straps, or tow hooks to tie rods, control
arms, or any other part of the vehicle
suspension, as severe damage to these
components will occur, possibly lead-
ing to accidents.<
Jump-starting
Page 155 of 178

155
Towing the vehicle with the front
axle raisedVehicles with automatic transmission:
1. Towing speed: maximum 45 mph /
70 km/h
2. Towing distance: maximum
90 miles/150 km.
Vehicles with sequential manual gear-
box SMG:
While the ignition is on, move the selec-
tor lever to position N, then turn off the
ignition.325xi: towing the vehicle with the
front or rear axle raised1. Place the transmission in Neutral
2. Switch off the engine
3. Towing speed:
max. 30 mph / 50 km/h
4. Towing distance:
max. 90 miles/150 km.
Remove the rear driveshaft for
longer towing distances with the
front axle lifted; remove the front drive-
shaft for towing over longer distances
with the rear axle lifted. Failure to com-
ply with this will result in damage to the
transfer box.<
Towing eyeletThe screw-in towing eyelet is stored in
the onboard tool kit; be sure that it
remains in the vehicle at all times. It can
be attached at the front or rear of the
vehicle. The towing eyelet should not
be used to pull a vehicle out of deep
snow, mud, sand, etc. Always observe
all applicable towing laws and regula-
tions.
Access to tow socketsFront:
Press out the cover panel with a screw-
driver inserted in the recess at the top.
Towing the vehicle
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Page 156 of 178

156
Rear:
Press out the cover panel with a screw-
driver inserted in the recess at the top.
Use only the towing eyelet sup-
plied with the vehicle and screw it
in firmly until it stops. Use the towing
eyelet for towing on paved roads only. If
you do not follow these instructions, the
towing eyelet could be torn out and
vehicle damage could occur. Never
attach tie-down hooks, chains, straps,
or tow hooks to tie rods, control arms,
or any other part of the vehicle suspen-
sion, as severe damage to these com-
ponents will occur, possibly leading to
accidents.<
Avoid staggered towing and be
careful that the towing strap is
taut before starting to drive the vehicle
doing the towing.<
Use only a nylon towing strap to tow
the vehicle, since the inherent resil-
ience of this material helps protect both
vehicles from sudden jerking move-
ments.
The towed vehicle should always
be the lighter of the two vehicles.
If this is not the case, it will not be pos-
sible to control vehicle handling.<
Tow-startingFor instructions on jump-starting, refer
to page 153.
Never attempt to use your vehicle to
push another car, since damage to the
energy-absorbing bumpers could
result.
Towing the vehicle
Page 157 of 178
157
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Page 158 of 178
Page 159 of 178
159
Overview
Controls and features
Operation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Page 160 of 178
160
Engine data
325i, 325xi
Displacement
Number of cylinderscu in/cm
3
152.2/2,494
6
Maximum power output
at engine speedhp
rpm184
6,000
Maximum torque
at engine speedlb ft/Nm
rpm175/237
3,500
Compression ratioε10.5
Stroke
Borein/mm
in/mm2.95/75
3.31/84
Fuel mixture preparation Digital electronic engine-management system (DME)
325xi: power can be tested only on a suitable dynamometer.