Contents© 2004 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts,
only with the written consent of
BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 158 701
US English IX/04
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.Notes
Overview
Controls and features
About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
Your individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects11Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps19
Buttons on steering wheel23
Warning triangle24
First-aid kit24
Refueling24
Fuel specifications26Locks and security systems:
Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing:
from outside31
Opening and closing:
from inside34
Liftgate35
Tailgate36
Alarm system38
Windows39
Panorama glass sunroof41
Adjustments:
Sitting safely43
Seats44
Mechanical seat adjustment45
Power seat adjustment46
Head restraints47
Power rear-seat backrest
adjustment48
Safety belts49
Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory50
Heated seats52
Steering wheel52
Steering wheel heater53
Mirrors54
43n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
The ideal sitting position can make a
vital contribution to relaxed driving that
is as fatigue-free as possible. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seat
position also plays an important role for
the passive safety of the occupants in
an accident. To ensure that the safety
systems operate with optimized effi-
ciency, we strongly urge you to observe
the instructions contained in the follow-
ing section.
For additional information on transport-
ing children safely, refer to page59.Airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock positions to minimize the
risk of injuries to your hands and arms
in the event of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag
on the front passenger side as a stor-
age area. Make sure that the front pas-
senger is correctly seated and does not
rest feet or legs on the instrument
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur
if the front airbag is triggered. Never let
an occupant's head rest near or on a
side airbag because the inflating airbag
could cause a serious injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions
injuries resulting from contact with air-
bags cannot be fully excluded, depend-
ing on the circumstances. The ignition
and inflation noise may provoke a mild –
usually temporary – hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags, refer to
page57.Safety belt For every trip, use the safety belt on all
occupied seats. Airbags complement
the safety belt as an additional safety
device, but they do not represent a sub-
stitute.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts.
Each safety belt should always be used
by only one person, babies and children
may not ride on the lap of another pas-
senger.
Pregnant women should also always
wear a safety belt and take make espe-
cially sure that the belt rests low on the
hips in the lap area, and does not press
against the abdomen.
Do not route the belt across your neck,
or run it across sharp edges. Be sure
that the belt does not become caught
or jammed. Wear the safety belt without
twisting and tautly across the lap and
shoulders as close to the body as pos-
sible. Be sure not to route it over solid
or breakable objects, as otherwise the
belt can slip over the hips in the lap
area in a frontal impact and injure the
abdomen. Avoid wearing clothing that
prevents the belt from fitting properly
and pull the belt in the upper body area
periodically to readjust the tension, in
order to avoid a reduction in the
restraint of the safety belt.<
Sitting safely
44n
Sitting safely SeatsIf the middle safety belt in the rear is
used, the wider seatback must be
locked, refer to page126, as otherwise
the safety belt has no restraining action.
Fasten safety belt, refer to page49.
Note before adjusting
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle
control could lead to an accident. On
the front passenger side as well, do not
tilt the backrest too far toward the rear
while driving. Failure to observe this
precaution can prevent the belt from
providing effective protection against
injury, as the passenger could slide
under the belt in an accident.<
Also observe the information on the
safety belts on page49 and on the
head restraints on page47.
Seat adjustment>Mechanical seat adjustment, refer to
following columns
>Power seat adjustment, refer to
page46
>Head restraints, refer to page47
>Power rear-seat backrest adjustment,
refer to page48
48n
Head restraints Power rear-seat backrest adjustment
*
Removal – front 1. Pull the head restraint upward to the
stop
2. Press the button, refer to arrow, and
remove the head restraint.Installation – front 1. Press the button, refer to arrow, and
insert the head restraint into the
guides
2. Adjust the head restraint for your
personal comfort.Removal and installation – rearTo remove the head restraint, pull it
outward with a firm movement.
To install it, press it down firmly. 530de323
You can make separate adjustments of
the backrest tilt angle on the right and
left sides.
You can select a comfortable sitting
position and also increase the capacity
of the cargo area by moving the back-
rests into their most upright position.
From the rear seats: press the corre-
sponding switch.
You can prevent adjustments of
the power rear-seat backrest from
the rear passenger area with the safety
switch for the power windows, refer to
page40.< 530de422
From the cargo area: the switches are
located on both sides of the cargo area. 530de224
49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Safety belts
Comply with the instructions on
page43. Failure to do so could
result in diminished personal safety.<
For every trip, use the safety belts on all
occupied seats. Airbags complement
the safety belt as an additional safety
device, but they do not represent a sub-
stitute.
Closing Make sure you hear the latch plate
engage in the belt buckle.Unlocking1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the belt firmly
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.530us034
In the back, the middle safety belt
buckle is provided for use exclu-
sively by the middle passenger.
If it is not possible to extract the center
belt, this indicates that the larger back-
rest is not securely locked, refer to
page126.<
Safety belt memory for front seat
Indicator lamp flashes or lights
up. In addition, a signal sounds
and, depending on the equip-
ment, a message
* appears in the
Check Control. Please check safety
belts for correct placement.
The belt memory is activated when the
safety belt on the driver's side has not
yet been fastened.
The belt memory is also active from a
speed of approx. 5 mph/8 km/h when
the passenger belt has not yet been
fastened, heavy objects are placed on
the front passenger seat or passengers
sitting in the front remove their safety
belts.
Safety belt height adjustment You can adjust the safety belts to fit
your own physical dimensions by using
the safety belt height adjustment:
Slide the button up or down as
required.
Also observe the instructions on adjust-
ing the seats on page43.530de259
52n
Heated seats
*
Steering wheel
Front The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated when the ignition key is in posi-
tion 2.
You can call up different heating modes
by repeatedly pressing the button.
You can also switch the higher heating
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer.530de417
Rear The operating concept is the same as
for the front heated seats. You can
select between two heating modes.530de234
Adjustments The steering wheel can be moved in
any of four directions. Adjust the steer-
ing wheel by moving the control lever in
the desired direction.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. There
is a risk of accident from unexpected
movement.<
To store the steering wheel setting,
refer to Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory on page50. 530de255
120n
Glove compartment Storage compartments Opening Pull the handle. The lamp inside the
glove compartment comes on.Closing Fold the cover up.
To prevent injury in the event of an
accident, close the glove com-
partment immediately after use.< 530de275
Locking Use one of the master keys. A master
key is also required for unlocking.
If you turn over only your spare
key for valet parking, for example,
refer to page30, access to the glove
compartment is not possible.< Rechargeable flashlight Located on the left-hand side of the
glove compartment.
Features integral overload-protection,
so it can be left in its holder continu-
ously.
To avoid completely discharging
and possibly damaging the lamp,
always ensure that it is switched off
before inserting it in the socket.<
You will find two storage compartments
in the armrest between the front seats.
To open the top compartment:
Press the button, refer to arrow 1.
A built-in phone
* is located in this com-
partment.
To move the armrest or open the lower
compartment:
Pull the handle, refer to arrow 2.
This compartment contains a coin tray
and a storage compartment
* for cas-
settes or CDs.
You will find additional storage com-
partments in all of the doors as well as
on the backrests of the front seats.
530de276
124n
Ski bag
*
The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
With the length of the ski bag and the
additional space in the cargo area, you
can store skis with a length of up to
6.9 ft/2.1 m. Because of the tapered
shape of the bag, the ski bag can only
accommodate two pairs of skis with a
length of 6.9ft/2.1m.
Loading 1. Fold the center armrest outward.
Loosen the trim from the upper
Velcro® fastener and place it on the
armrest 530us077
2. Press button 1 downward and swing
the cover forward
3. Press button 2: the cover in the
cargo area is unlocked.
In conjunction with pull-out cargo
floor, refer to page130: pull out floor,
release cover and push back floor
again; the floor then conceals the
cover
4. Place ski bag between the front
seats and load. The zip fastener facil-
itates access to the stowed items.
Make sure that only clean skis are
loaded into the ski bag. Wrap sharp
edges so that no damage occurs.530de283