2006 BMW 325XI SEDAN Owner's Manual

Controls
47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion, or an accident
may result from any unexpected movement.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.
Do not use force to swing the lever
back up, otherwise the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Electric steering wheel lock
The steering wheel locks or unlocks automati-
cally when the remote control is removed or
inserted, refer to page52.
Programmable buttons on the steering
wheel
You can program the buttons to suit your per-
sonal preferences:
These settings are stored for the remote con-
trol currently in use.iDrive concept, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "Steering wheel buttons" is selected
and press the controller.
A list showing various functions is dis-
played:
>"Navigation voice instructions"
Voice messages from the navigation
system
>"Air recirculation on / off"
Permanent shut-off of outside air, refer
to Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC on page99
>"Mute on / off"
To mute the audio sources
>"Monitor on / off"
To switch Control Display on/off
>"Telephone list"
To show/hide phone book or last dis-
played list of stored phone numbers
>"Next entertainment source"
To change the audio source
5.Select the desired function and press the
controller.

Adjustments
48 6.Select a button, if appropriate, and press
the controller.
You can operate the selected function using the
corresponding button.
Operating a function
Briefly press the appropriate button on the
steering wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press the button for a longer period
>To repeat the last voice instruction:
Press the button briefly
>To cancel a voice instruction during an
announcement:
Press the button briefly

Controls
49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening
the doors, for example.<
The rear center seat is not suitable for installing
universal child-restraint systems for all age
groups, approved for the age group in question.
Children always in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seats.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only
in the rear in suitable child-restraint systems
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child-restraint system that is
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
All rear seats in your vehicle meet the recom-
mendations of the SAE J1819 standard for
safely mounting child-restraint systems in
motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags must be deacti-
vated. Otherwise, a child traveling on that seat
will be at an increased risk of injury if the airbags
are triggered off, even with a child-restraint sys-
tem. Your BMW Center will be glad to advise
you.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags refer to page91.
Installing child-restraint
systems
Observe the child-restraint system man-
ufacturer's instructions for selecting,
installing and using child-restraint systems.
Otherwise the protective effect may be dimin-
ished.<
Standard child-restraint systems are designed
to be secured with a lap belt or with the lap-belt
section of a lap-and-shoulder belt. Incorrectly
or improperly installed child-restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to children.
Always follow the installation instructions for
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger's seat
Before installing a child-restraint system
on the front passenger's seat, make sure
that the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are deactivated, otherwise there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Seat height
Before installing a universal child-restraint sys-
tem, move the front passenger's seat up as far
as it will go to ensure that the safety belt will be
ideally positioned. Do not change the seat
height afterward.
Backrest width
The backrest width of the front passenger
seat must be adjusted to its widest set-
ting, otherwise the stability of the child seat on
the front passenger seat is limited.<
1.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page42.
2.Install the child seat.

Transporting children safely
50
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the front passenger's
safety belt can be prevented from being pulled
out in order to fasten child-restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the
way.
Child-restraint system with tether
strap
There are three additional anchors for child-
restraint systems with tether straps, see
arrows.
Placement of the tether strap
Fold the anchors upward before using them.
1.Push the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the tether strap through the mount-
ing for the head restraint.
3.Push the head restraint into its lowermost
position.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
When installing a LATCH child seat, com-
ply with the system manufacturer's oper-
ating and safety instructions.<
Rear seats with through-loading
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are located behind the
indicated protective caps. Flip up the corre-
sponding caps.

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Rear seats without through-loading
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system can be found at the loca-
tions marked by the arrows. They are not visible
from the outside.
On journeys
Child-safety locks for rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Press the safety switch for the power windows,
refer to page38, if children are traveling on the
rear seat.

Driving
52
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
>Radio readiness switches on.
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
>The electric steering wheel lock disen-
gages audibly.
Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock before you move the vehicle, other-
wise the electric steering wheel lock will not dis-
engage and you will not be able to steer the
car.<
Removing the remote control from the
ignition lock
Press the remote control in briefly; it is ejected
part of the way.
At the same time:
>The ignition switches off if it was on before-
hand.
>The electric steering wheel lock engages
audibly.
Automatic transmission
You cannot take out the remote control unless
the selector lever is in the P position: interlock.
Start/stop button
Each time the start/stop button is pressed,
radio readiness or the ignition is switched on or
off.
Briefly pressing the start/stop button
while the brake or clutch is depressed
starts the engine.<
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
The time and the outside temperature are dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>Immediately when the remote control is
removed from the ignition lock
>In cars with convenient access
*, by touch-
ing the surface above the door lock, refer to
Locking on page36
Ignition on
Most of the indicator and warning lamps in the
indicator area1 of the instrument cluster, refer
to page13, light up and remain on for different
lengths of time.
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the instru-
ment cluster go out.

Controls
53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms,
otherwise the inhaling of toxic exhaust
gases can cause unconsciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, otherwise such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car with the engine running,
place the transmission in idle or move the
selector lever to position P and apply the hand-
brake to prevent the car from moving.<
When starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it
running while the vehicle remains stationary.
Instead, begin to drive immediately at a moder-
ate engine speed.
Do not depress either the brake or the
clutch until you are ready to start the
engine. The engine is started immediately
when you briefly touch the start/stop button
and depress the brake if the car has automatic
transmission, or the clutch if the car has manual
transmission.<
Manual transmission
1.Apply the handbrake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to idle position.
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG*
1.Depress the brake.
2.Engage selector lever position N and make
sure that this position is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
3.Start the engine.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
If the engine does not start, depress the
brake and push the selector lever to the
right, then engage position N. Observe the dis-
play in the instrument cluster while doing so.<
Special starting conditions
In the following situations, press the accelerator
pedal halfway down when starting the engine:
>If the engine does not start on the first
attempt, for instance when it is extremely
hot or cold.
>If the engine is started at very low tempera-
tures, below approx. + 57/–156, at high
altitudes above approx. 3,300 ft/1,000 m.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
not burned or inadequately burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the cat-
alytic converter.<
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking on a downhill incline, apply the

Driving
54 handbrake, otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.<
Manual transmission
1.Apply the handbrake.
2.With the car at a standstill, briefly press the
start/stop button.
3.Shift into first gear or reverse.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Briefly press the start/stop button.
3.Apply the handbrake.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
1.Apply the handbrake.
2.Engage a drive position.
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
If the engine is switched off while N is engaged,
this will be signaled visually and acoustically.
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to prevent
the vehicle from rolling while parked; it brakes
the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in
addition. The handbrake is still applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the handbrake has
to be used to slow or stop the car, do not
pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, continu-
ously press the button of the handbrake lever.
Otherwise, too violent an application of the
handbrake can overbrake the rear axle and
cause the rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the hand-
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the hand-
brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<