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Locking
To lock the glove compartment, use the inte-
grated key of the remote control, refer to
page26.
USB interface for data transmission
Port for importing and exporting data on USB
devices, e.g. music collections, refer to
page 160.
Observe the following when connecting:
> Do not use force when plugging the con-
nector into the USB audio interface.
> Do not connect devices such as fans or
lamps to the USB audio interface.
> Do not connect USB hard disks.
> Do not use the USB interface to recharge
external devices.
Center armrest
Storage compartment
The center armrest between the front seats
contains either a compar tment or the cover for
the snap-in adapter
*, depending on the equip-
ment version. For more information about this
mobile phone base plate, refer to page 177.
Opening
Press the button, see arrow.
Settings*
Slide the center armrest into the desired posi-
tion on the driver's side.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks
over the car's loudspeaker system:
> AUX-IN port, refer to page 161
> USB-audio interface
*, refer to page 162
Storage compartments inside
the vehicle
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, you
will find compartments be side the steering col-
umn
*, in the front doors and in the center con-
sole
*.
There are nets
* on the front-seat backrests.
Clothes hooks
There are clothes hooks on the grab handles in
the rear passenger compartment.
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remote control so that children cannot operate
the cigarette lighter and burn themselves.<
Ashtray, rear
Opening
Push the ridge on the cover.
Emptying
Lift out the insert.
Connecting electrical
appliances
In your BMW, when the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on, you can use electrical
devices such as a flashlight, car vacuum
cleaner, etc., up to approx. 200 watts at
12 volts, as long as one of the following sockets
is available. Avoid damaging the sockets by
attempting to insert plugs of unsuitable shape
or size.
Cigarette lighter socket*
To access the socket: ta ke the cigarette lighter
out of the socket.
Socket in the center armrest
External audio device, refer to page 103.
Sockets in the rear center console*
Remove corresponding cover.
Socket in the cargo bay*
Sedan
Sports Wagon
Open the cap.
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The lashing eyes in the cargo bay provide you
with a way to attach cargo bay nets
* or draw
straps for securing suitcases and luggage, refer
to page 118.
Sports Wagon:
Cargo bay
Roll-up cover
Pull out the cover and hook it into the retaining
fixtures.
Do not place objects on the cover, other-
wise they could endanger the car's occu-
pants, e.g. in the case of braking or sudden
swerving.
Do not let the cover retr act, otherwise it could
be damaged. <
The roll-up cover is raised when the rear
window or tailgate is opened
*. Before
closing the rear window or tailgate, press the
roll-up cover downward until it engages. <
Expanding the cargo bay
The rear seat backrest is divided. You can fold
down either division in order to expand the
cargo bay. Reach into the recess
and pull forwards.
When folding the backrest back up, make
sure that the catch engages properly. If
you cannot see a red warning area in the recess,
the catch is properly engaged. Otherwise,
cargo can be thrown around inside the passen-
ger compartment and enda nger the car's occu-
pants, e.g. in the case of braking or sudden
swerving. <
Observe the instructions concerning the
safety belt on page 41 to ensure the best
possible personal protection. <
Partition net
Do not let the partition net retract, other-
wise there is a risk of danger and the par-
tition net could be damaged. <
Use the loop strap to pull the partition net out of
the casing. Grip the bar on both ends and insert
it into the retaining fixtures, arrow 1. This can
best be done from the rear seat.
When you no longer require the partition net,
grip both ends of the ba r and take it out of the
retaining fixtures, arrow 2. Let the partition net
slide into the casing slowly.
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Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance to the forward vehicle. A defensive and
smooth driving style keeps fuel consumption
down.
Avoid high engine speeds
Only use first gear when setting off. In second
and higher gears, accele rate without hesitation
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into
the highest applicable ge ar and drive with the
engine speed as low as possible and at a con-
stant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red lig ht, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engi ne during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
Functions such as the air conditioner and the
seat or rear window heating draw large amounts
of power and consume a dditional fuel. Espe-
cially in city traffic and in stop and go driving
they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page 216.
General driving notes
Close the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid/tailgate and rear
window are closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could enter the interior of the vehicle. <
If the vehicle must be driven with the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate open:
1. Close all windows and the glass roof.
2. Greatly increase the ai r volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page 95.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sect ions of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply un dercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, with the
risk of serious personal injuries and property
damage. Do not touch ho t exhaust tail pipes.
Otherwise there is a risk of burns. <
Diesel particulate filter*
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti-
cles and burns them periodically at high tem-
peratures. This cleaning process takes several
minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that
the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and
that a somewhat higher engine speed is neces-
sary to achieve the accustomed performance.
Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount
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When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
General information on caring for your BMW
can be found on page218.
Sports Wagon: re ar window wiper
Driving through an automatic car wash can
result in damage to the rear window wiper. If
necessary, ask the operator of the car wash
about protective measures you should take.
With convenient access and automatic
transmission
Insert the remote control into the ignition
switch.
The engine can be switched off when the selec-
tor lever is in position N. Refer also to page 218.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overlo ading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately
result in a sudden blow-out. <
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
bay, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle. <
Determining loading limit
1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your tra iler will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the availa ble cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
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Opening the tone settings
1."Radio" or "CD/Multimedia"
2. "Tone"
Treble, bass, balance, fader
>"Balance": left/right volume distribution
> "Fader": front/rear volume distribution
1. Select the desired tone setting.
2. To adjust: turn the controller.
3. To store: press the controller.
Equalizer*
You can set individual sound frequency ranges.
1."Equalizer"
2. Select the desired setting. >
To adjust: turn the controller.
> To store: press the controller.
Individual High-End Audio System* or
LOGIC7*
You can choose between stereo and surround.
"L7 Surround"
Multi-channel playback is simulated when play-
ing back an audio track in stereo.
Surround is automatically activated or deacti-
vated, depending on the audio track selected.
LOGIC7 and the LOGIC7 logo are registered
trade marks of Lexicon, Inc., a company of the
Harman International Group.
Volume
> "Speed volume": speed-dependent volume
control
> "PDC"
*: volume of the PDC signal tone rel-
ative to the entertainment sound output
> "Gong": volume of the signal tone, e.g. for
the 'fasten safety belt' reminder, relative to
the entertainment sound output
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Sedan: tire inflation pressures for the 328i
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds up to a max. of
100 mph / 160 km/h Traveling speeds
including those exceeding 100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
without Sports package
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/50 R 16 92 V
225/50 R 16 92 H M+S 32/220 36/250 32/220 35/240 33/230 41/280
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 V 32/220 38/260 32/220 36/250 36/250 44/300
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL 32/220 39/270 32/220 36/250 36/250 44/300
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 32/220 - 32/220 - 36/250 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 35/240 - 33/230 - 39/270
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 32/220 - 32/220 - 36/250 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 39/270 - 36/250 - 44/300
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 Y 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 Y - 39/270 - 33/230 - 39/270
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 35/240 - 32/220 - 36/250 -
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 44/300 - 38/260 - 44/300
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199Reference
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Sedan: tire inflation pressures for the 328xi
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds up to a max. of
100 mph / 160 km/h Traveling speeds
including those exceeding 100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
without Sports package:
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/50 R 16 92 H M+S
225/50 R 16 92 V
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 W 32/220 36/250 32/220 35/240 35/240 41/280
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL 32/220 38/260 32/220 36/250 35/240 42/290
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 33/230 - 32/220 - 36/250
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 33/230 - 33/230 - 36/250 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 38/260 - 35/240 - 41/280
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 39/270 - 35/240 - 39/270 -
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 42/290 - 36/250 - 42/290
with Sports package:
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/50 R 16 92 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S 32/220 36/250 32/220 35/240 35/240 41/280
225/50 R 16 92 V
225/45 R 17 91 W 32/220 36/250 35/240 39/270 38/260 45/310
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL 32/220 38/260 35/240 41/280 41/280 48/330
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 32/220 - 35/240 - 38/260 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 33/230 - 36/250 - 42/290
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 33/230 - 38/260 - 41/280 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 38/260 - 39/270 - 45/310
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 39/270 - 38/260 - 42/290 -
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 42/290 - 39/270 - 45/310
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page241.
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