Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
45
Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Sequential manual gearbox
SMG*
The concept
The sequential manual gearbox SMG is an
automated transmission in which operation of
the clutch and gearshifts are performed by an
electro-hydraulic system.
SMG is operated via the selector lever in the
center console and two shift paddles on the
steering wheel.
It offers you the following functions:
>Choice of manual or automatic operation:
sequential mode or Drive mode
>Choice of two driving programs: Normal or
Sport, refer to Dynamic Driving Control,
page46
>Automatic downshifting and prevention of
misshifting in sequential mode as well
>Acceleration assistant, refer to page47
Selector lever positions
The current selector lever position can be seen
on the center console.
>R: Reverse gear
>N: Neutral, idle
>One-touch functions for sequential mode:
+: manual upshifting
–: manual downshifting>D: Drive mode or sequential mode
N is automatically selected when the
driver's door is opened while the engine is
running, as long as the pedals, shift paddles and
selector lever are not operated.
This is indicated by an acoustic signal and a
flashing N in the instrument cluster.<
Gear indicator
R N 1 to 6
The gear currently engaged is displayed, pre-
ceded by a D in Drive mode.
This indicator is the only way you can
confirm whether or not the desired selec-
tor lever position is engaged.<
Shiftlock
Before moving the lever away from N with the
vehicle stationary, first depress the brake; oth-
erwise the desired gearshift will not be carried
out.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
Gear-change mode
The gears can be changed in two different
ways.
>Sequential mode
Gears are shifted by means of the shift pad-
dles or the selector lever.
>D Drive mode
All forward gears are shifted automatically.
You can switch from one mode to the other by
pressing the selector lever towards the right in
the direction of D.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
69
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:
>When driving uphill on snow-covered roads,
in slush or on unplowed, snow-covered
roads
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow or on loose ground
>When driving with snow chains
Activating DTC
Briefly press the button; the DTC indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster come on.
To control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DTC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DTC has been activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
xDrive 325xi, 330xi
xDrive is your BMW's four-wheel-drive system.
The combined efforts of xDrive and DSC help to
further optimize traction and driving dynamics.
The xDrive four-wheel-drive system distributes
driving power variably to the front and rear axles
depending on the driving situation and road
conditions.
Malfunction
In case of any of the malfunctions
described below, drive cautiously and
think well ahead. Avoid driving on rough tracks
and pressing the accelerator pedal down to full
throttle or kick-down position, otherwise the
drive system could be damaged or accidents
could result.<
The warning lamps come on. xDrive
has failed.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
The warning lamps come on. xDrive
and DSC have failed.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Hill Descent Control HDC 325xi, 330xi
HDC is a downhill driving assistant that reduces
your speed on steep downhill gradients and
makes it even easier to control your BMW's
handling under these conditions. The vehicle
then moves slightly faster than double walking
speed without the driver needing to intervene.
HDC can be activated as long as you are driving
under approx. 20 mph or 35 km/h. When driving
downhill at a speed of under approx. 20 mph or
35 km/h, the vehicle's speed is automatically
reduced to slightly more than double walking
speed and maintained.
Increasing or decreasing speed
By accelerating or braking you can change the
speed within a range from approx. 3 to 15 mph,
approx. 5 to 25 km/h.
You can specify a target speed within the same
range using the cruise control stalk.
Technology for driving comfort and safety
72 The system must be reinitialized each
time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage
caused by external factors, nor can it identify
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>If snow chains are attached
Initializing the system
The initialization is completed during driv-
ing, which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically.
Do not initialize the system while snow chains
are attached.<
Operating principle, refer to page61.
1.Start the engine immediately before pulling
away, but do not drive off yet.
2.Lightly push button 1 in the turn indicator
stalk up or down repeatedly until the appro-
priate symbol appears in the display,
accompanied by the word "INIT".
3.Press button 2 to confirm your choice of the
Flat Tire Monitor.4.Press button 2 for approx. 5 seconds, until
the reading shown below is displayed.
5.Start to drive.
Initialization is completed while the car is on
the move, without any feedback.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. In addition, an acoustic sig-
nal sounds. There is a flat tire or sub-
stantial loss of tire pressure.
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph
or 80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed
of 50 mph or 80 km/h.
If the car is not equipped with Run-
Flat Tires, refer to page116, the stan-
dard equipment by design, do not continue
driving. Otherwise a severe accident could
result after a tire puncture.<
2.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.
If all four tires are inflated to the cor-
rect pressures, the Flat Tire Monitor
might not have been initialized. The system
must then be initialized.<
3.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guidelines:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
73
4 persons without luggage:
approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive cautiously and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph or 80 km/h. In the event
of pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibration or loud noises occur during
the journey, this may be an indication that the
damaged tire has finally failed. Reduce your
speed and pull over to the side of the road at the
earliest opportunity. Otherwise, parts of the tire
could come loose and cause an accident. Do
not continue driving. Contact your BMW Cen-
ter.<
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on in yel-
low. The Flat Tire Monitor has a mal-
function or has failed. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible.
Active steering*
The concept
Active steering varies the turning angle of the
front wheels in relation to steering wheel move-
ments. It also varies the steering force required
to turn the wheels depending on the speed at
which you are driving.
When you are driving in the low road-speed
range, e.g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct, and less effort is required to turn the
wheels. In the higher speed range, on the other
hand, the steering angle is reduced more and
more. This improves the handling capability of
your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle before the driver intervenes. This stabilizing
intervention is simultaneously deactivated
when DSC is switched off, refer to page68.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on. Active
steering is no longer operational. At
low speeds, greater steering wheel
movements are required, whereas at
higher speeds the vehicle reacts more sensi-
tively to steering wheel movements. Drive cau-
tiously and think well ahead. Have the system
checked.
If the warning lamp lights up during the first
engine starting following a power supply inter-
ruption, the system must be activated by being
initialized.
Brake Force Display*
The brake lamps light up in two stages,
depending on how sharply you apply the
brakes.
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps and the center brake lamp
light up.
>Sharp braking:
The illuminated surface of the brake lamps
is enlarged, as long as the rear fog light is
not switched on.
Climate
82
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
1.Air distribution1 in position .
2.Airflow control2 all the way to the right.
3.Temperature3 to the right, red.
4.Switch on rear window defroster 4 to
defrost the rear window .
Ventilation
1Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance if it has become
too hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and not straight at you.
Microfilter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The microfilter is changed by
your BMW Center during routine maintenance work. You can call up further information in the
service requirements display, refer to page63.
Climate
84 should therefore open them for maximum cool-
ing.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for you. The air
flow rate and your temperature specifications
will be adapted to outside influences as a result
of seasonal changes, e.g. sunlight or window
condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
Adjusting air flow rate manually
Press the left side of the button to
reduce airflow. Press the right side
of the button to increase it.
You can reactivate the automatic mode for the
air flow rate with the AUTO button.
Switching the system on/off
With the blower at its lowest setting, press the
left side of the button to switch off the auto-
matic climate control. All indicators go out.
Press any button except REST to reactivate the
automatic climate control.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating
mode by pressing this button
repeatedly:
>LEDs off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As
soon as the concentration of pollutants in
the outside air has decreased sufficiently,
the system automatically switches back to
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode:
the supply of outside air is permanently shut off. The system then recirculates the
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off while also increasing the air flow rate as
required.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over an extended period of time, otherwise the
air quality inside the car will deteriorate contin-
uously.<
Via the button* on the steering wheel
You can switch between operating modes via a
button
on the steering wheel, refer to page11:
>When outside air is coming in, you can use
the button on the steering wheel to switch
between outside air and recirculated-air
mode.
>When recirculated-air mode or AUC mode
is switched on, you can use the button on
the steering wheel to switch between recir-
culated-air mode and AUC mode.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a
school to pick up a child.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>Up to 15 minutes after the engine has been
switched off
>While the engine is at operating tempera-
ture
>As long as battery voltage is sufficient
>At an outside temperature below 777/
256
The LED is lit when the function is on.
As of radio readiness, you can set the interior
temperature, the air flow rate and the air distri-
bution.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
85
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and
front side windows.
Switching cooling function on/off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to the temperature setting.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is automatically switched
on along with the AUTO program. The passen-
ger compartment can only be cooled while the
engine is running.
Rear window defroster
The defroster switches off auto-
matically after a certain time.
Ventilation
1Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from
the vents for the upper body area
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance if it has become
too hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and not straight at you.
Ventilation in the rear
1Use the knurled wheel to smoothly open
and close the air vents
2Use the knurled wheel to adjust the temper-
ature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Use the lever to change the direction of the
airflow
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter traps dust and pollen in the
incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter pro-
vides additional protection by filtering gaseous
pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW Cen-
ter replaces this combined filter during routine
maintenance.
You can call up further information in the service
requirements display, refer to page63.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
129
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.
Changing wheels
Your BMW is equipped with Run-Flat Tires as
standard. This removes the need to change a
wheel immediately in the event of a puncture.
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall, refer to
Run-Flat Tires, page116.
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires and vice versa,
mount Run-Flat Tires for your own safety. In the
event of a flat, moreover, no spare wheel is
available. Your BMW Center will be glad to
advise you. Refer also to New wheels and tires,
page116.
The tools for changing wheels are avail-
able as optional accessories from your
BMW Center.<
Jack mounting points
The jacking points are at the positions shown in
the illustration.
Vehicle battery
Battery care
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
mate. Your BMW Center will be glad to advise in
all matters concerning the battery.
Charging the battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine off. Connections, refer to Jump starting
on page132.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW Center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright
position for transport and storage. Always
secure the battery against tipping over during
transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require ini-
tialization. Individual settings may likewise have
been lost and will have to be reprogrammed:
>Time and date
These values must be updated, refer to
page64.
>Radio
Stations must be stored again, refer to the
separate Owner's Manual for Radio.
>Seat and mirror memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to
page35.
>Inside rearview mirror with digital compass
The system must be calibrated, refer to
page88.
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating, oth-
erwise this could lead to a circuit overload, ulti-
mately resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<