Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
67
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
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.
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
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.
1To increase speed
2To decrease speed
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
69
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary
to use the handbrake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in
place for approx. 2 seconds after the
brake is released. Depending on vehicle load,
the car may roll backwards a little during this
time span. Drive off without delay after releas-
ing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off assistant
will no longer hold the car in place after approx.
2 seconds and the car will start to roll back-
wards.<
Malfunction
The warning lamps for the brake sys-
tem light up in yellow. The drive-off
assistant has failed. The car will not
be held in place after the brake is
released. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Canadian models display these warn-
ing lamps.
Flat Tire Monitor FTM
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor monitors tire pressures
while the car is being driven. The system
reports any significant loss of pressure in one
tire in relation to another.
If a tire loses pressure, its rolling radius
changes, and this in turn alters the speed of
rotation. This change is detected and is
reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.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 page59.
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 t o c o n f i r m y o u r c h o i c e o f t h e
Flat Tire Monitor.
Technology for driving comfort and safety
70 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 page110, 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, cargo area full, or 4 persons without luggage:
approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo area 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