2006 BMW 325XI TOURING ESP

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
5
The individual vehicle
When you ordered your BMW, you chose vari-
ous items of equipment. This Owner's Manual
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment available with a specific BMW model.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, ongoing
development that is conceived to ensure that
our vehicles continue to embody the highest
quality and safety standards combined with
advanced, state-of-the-art technology. For this
reason, it is possible in exceptional cases that
features described in this Owner's Manual
could differ from those on your vehicle.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance
and repair methods. You should therefore have
the corresponding work on your vehicle per-
formed only by your BMW Center or at a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair pro-
cedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. If this work is not carried out prop-
erly, there is a danger of subsequent damage
and related safety hazards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Original BMW Parts, you
simultaneously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed on your
vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW Centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radio or sim-
ilar accessories, may cause extensive damage

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
13
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in var-
ious combinations and colors in both the indica-
tor area 1 and the display 2.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning
and thus come on briefly when the engine is
started or the ignition is switched on.
What to do in case of a malfunction
A list of all indicator and warning lamps, as well
as notes on possible causes of malfunctions
and on how to respond, can be found starting
on page130.

Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
25
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the tailgate is
opened
>To movements inside the vehicle: Interior
motion sensor, refer to the information fur-
ther below
>When the car's inclination changes, for
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to
towing away
>When there is an interruption in the power
supply from the battery
The alarm system signals unauthorized entry
attempts for a short time by means of:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
>Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
Even when the alarm system is armed, you can
open the tailgate by means of the button on
the remote control, refer to page21. When you
subsequently close the tailgate it is again
locked and monitored.
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page20, or
>insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood or tailgate are not properly
closed. Even if you do not close the alerted
area, the system begins to monitor the
remaining areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after approx. 10 sec-
onds. However, the interior motion sensor
is not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted in the
ignition, but for no longer than approx.
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel
or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
must be completely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages

Opening and closing
26 >When transporting on car-carrying trains
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
twice in a row.
The indicator lamp comes on for approx. two
seconds, then begins to flash steadily. The tilt
alarm sensor and the interior motion sensor are
switched off until the next time the vehicle is
unlocked and subsequently locked again.
Convenient access*
Convenient access enables you to enter your
vehicle without needing to hold the remote con-
trol in your hand. All you need to do is wear the
remote control close to your body, e.g. in your
jacket pocket. The vehicle automatically
detects the corresponding remote control
within the immediate vicinity or in the passen-
ger compartment.
Convenient access supports the following
functions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the tailgate separately
>Engine starting
>Convenient closure
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the tailgate can only be
locked when the vehicle detects that the
remote control currently in use is outside of
the vehicle.
>The vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked
again until after approx. 2 seconds.
>The engine can only be started when the
vehicle detects that the remote control cur-
rently in use is inside the vehicle.
Special features in comparison to
conventional remote controls
In general, there is no difference between using
convenient access or pressing the buttons on the remote control to carry out the functions
mentioned above. You should therefore first
familiarize yourself with the instructions on
opening and closing starting on page18.
Special features regarding the use of conve-
nient access are described below.
Unlocking
Grasp the handle on the driver's or front pas-
senger's door completely, arrow 1. This corre-
sponds to pressing the button.
If a remote control is detected inside the car
after the vehicle is unlocked, the electric steer-
ing wheel lock is released, refer to page42.
Locking
Touch the surface, arrow 2, with your finger for
approx. 1 second. This corresponds to pressing
the button.
For convenient closure, keep your finger on the
surface, arrow 2.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accidentally left inside the
locked vehicle's cargo area after the tailgate is
closed, the tailgate will reopen slightly. The haz-
ard warning flashers flash and an acoustic sig-
nal
* sounds.<
Unlocking just the tailgate
Press the button on the outside of the tailgate.
This corresponds to pressing the button.
Switching on radio readiness
Radio readiness is switched on by pressing the
start/stop button, refer to page42.

Opening and closing
28
Opening, closing
>Press the switch to the resistance point.
The window continues to open as long as
you keep the switch pressed.
>Press the switch beyond the resistance
point.
The window opens automatically. Press the
switch again to stop the opening move-
ment.
You can close the windows in the same manner
by pulling the switch.
There are separate switches in the rear seat
armrests.
After switching off the ignition
When the remote control is removed or the igni-
tion is switched off, you can still operate the
windows for approx. 1 minute as long as no
door is opened.
For information on convenient operation via the
remote control or the door lock, refer to page20
or22. For information on closing with conve-
nient access, refer to Locking on page20.
Take the remote control with you when
you leave the car, otherwise children
could operate the electric windows and possi-
bly injure themselves.<
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the closing force exceeds a specific value as
an electric window closes, the closing action is
interrupted immediately and the window
reopens slightly.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism
check and clear the window's travel path
prior to closing it, otherwise the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-tions, such as thin objects, and the window
would continue closing.
Pulling the switch beyond the resistance point
and holding it limits the response of the anti-
trapping mechanism. In this case, if the closing
force exceeds a defined threshold, the window
will only open a few fractions of an inch/a few
millimeters.
If the switch is pulled past the resistance point
again within approx. 4 seconds, the anti-trap-
ping mechanism will be deactivated.<
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the rear
windows from being opened or closed via the
switches in the rear passenger area, by chil-
dren, for example. When the safety function is
switched on, the LED comes on.
Always press the safety switch when chil-
dren ride in the rear, otherwise
unchecked closing of the windows could lead to
injuries.<
Accessories in a window area
If you install accessories within the power win-
dow movement range, e.g. a clip-on antenna for
your mobile phone, the system must be initial-
ized to teach it the new conditions. BMW rec-
ommends having this work done by your BMW
Center.
Panorama glass roof*
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the panorama glass roof and keep
it in your field of vision until it is shut.
Take the remote control with you when you

Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
29
leave the car, otherwise children could operate
the sunroof and possibly injure themselves.<
Raising
>Press the switch.
The closed panorama glass roof is raised
and the sliding visor is opened slightly.
>Press the switch twice.
The closed panorama glass roof is raised
and the sliding visor is opened completely.
Opening, closing
Sliding visor
The sliding visor can be opened or closed sep-
arately when the sunroof is closed or raised.
>Press the switch backwards to the resis-
tance point.
The sliding visor opens as long as you keep
the switch in this position.
>Press the switch backwards past the resis-
tance point.
The sliding visor will open automatically.
Briefly press the switch again to stop the
movement.
You can close the sliding visor in a similar man-
ner by pressing the switch forwards.
Comfort position
In the comfort position, the sunroof is not com-
pletely open, thus reducing wind noise in the
passenger compartment.
E a c h t i m e t h e p a n o r a m a g l a ss r o o f i s o p e n e d o r
closed, it stops in the comfort position. If
desired, continue the movement by pressing
the switch.
Panorama glass roof
>With the sliding visor open, press the switch
backwards again to the resistance point.
The panorama glass roof opens as long as
you keep the switch in this position.
>With the sliding visor open, press the switch
backwards again beyond the resistance
point.
The panorama glass roof opens automati-
cally. Briefly press the switch again to stop
the movement.
You can close the panorama glass roof in a sim-
ilar manner by pressing the switch forwards.
For information on convenient operation via the
remote control or door lock, refer to page20
or22.
Opening and closing the sunroof and
sliding visor at the same time
Press the switch twice in quick succession
beyond the resistance point.
Pressing the switch again stops the operation.
After the ignition is switched off
When the remote control has been removed or
the ignition switched off, you can still operate
the panorama glass roof for approx. 1 minute as
long as no door is opened.
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the panorama glass roof or the sliding visor
encounters an obstruction while closing from a
position about two-thirds closed, or during
closing from the raised position, the closing
movement is interrupted and the panorama
glass roof and the sliding visor are opened again
slightly.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism
check and clear the sunroof's travel path
prior to closing it, otherwise the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-
tions, such as very thin objects, and the sunroof
would continue closing.
Pressing the switch beyond the resistance
point and holding it there deactivates the anti-
trapping mechanism.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
31
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page39.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the instrument
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the
front airbag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their
heads against the side or head airbags, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the side air-
bags suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page71.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page33.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's
lap.
Expectant mothers should also wear the safety
belt, making sure that the strap in the pelvic
area is well down on the hips and does not press
against the abdominal region of the body.
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. The safety belt
should not be twisted and must be positioned
firmly over the pelvis and shoulder, as close to
the body as possible. It should not pass over
hard or fragile objects, otherwise the belt in the
pelvic area could slide over the hips in the event
of a head-on collision and injure the lower abdo-
men. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly
pull the belt in the upper-body area taut, other-
wise its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page36.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the

Adjustments
36
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page42.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is immediately halted
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the MEMORY buttons.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page42.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2
and maintain pressure until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pressed accidentally:
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page31 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
On the rear seats, the center belt buckle marked
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page31.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an
acoustic signal sounds. Check
whether the safety belt has been fas-
tened correctly.The 'Fasten safety
belts' reminder is issued as long as the driver's
safety belt has not been fastened. The 'Fasten
safety belts' reminder is also activated at road
speeds above approx. 5 mph or 8 km/h if the
front passenger's safety belt is not fastened, if
heavy objects are placed on the front passenger
seat, or if driver or front passenger unfasten
their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners, replaced and
the belt anchors checked. Have this work done
only by your BMW Center or at a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel. Other-
wise, it is not guaranteed that the safety devices
will function properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more convex
than the driver's mirror. The objects seen in the
mirror are closer than they appear. Do not
gauge your distance from traffic behind you on
the basis of what you see in the mirror; other-
wise there is an increased risk of an accident.<