engine BMW 325XI 2001 User Guide

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Electronic vehicle immobilizer The key to securityYour BMW is equipped with a passive
anti-theft system. This electronic immo-
bilization system is designed to reduce
the susceptibility of your vehicle to theft
by making it impossible to start the
engine using any means other than the
special keys furnished with the vehicle.
Your BMW center can cancel the elec-
tronic system authorization for individual
keys (in the event of loss, for instance). A
deactivated key can no longer be used
to start the engine.46cde060
How the electronics workAt the heart of this system is an elec-
tronic chip that is integrated into the
key. The lock mechanism itself is actu-
ally a dual-function device, simulta-
neously serving as a communications
interface designed to allow the security
system to maintain a continuous stream
of variable, vehicle-specific signals with
the electronic circuitry in the key. The
system will not release the ignition, fuel
injection and starter unless it recog-
nizes an "authorized" key.
Force applied to the key can
damage the integrated electronic
circuitry. A damaged key can no longer
be used to start the engine.<

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0 Steering lock engaged The key can only be inserted or
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until the lock engages.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal is sounded after the driver's door
has been opened.
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from the
"Park" position until the engine is
running (ignition key at position 2).
In order to turn the key back to posi-
tion 0 or to remove it, move the selector
lever into position "Park" first (Inter-
lock).<460de022
1 Steering lock disengaged Turning the steering wheel slightly to
the right or left often makes it easier to
turn the key from 0 to 1.
Individual electrical devices are ready
for operation.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch when
starting the vehicle. A lockout prevents
the engine from starting if the clutch is
not depressed.c
Before starting>Engage the parking brake
>Be sure that the shift lever is in
"Neutral" or "Park" if the vehicle is
equipped with an automatic transmis-
sion
>Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not run the engine in enclosed
areas. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Breathing the exhaust gases poses an
extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unat-
tended vehicle with a running engine
represents a potential safety hazard.<
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Starting the engine Switching off the engine Do not press the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time, but do not turn it for
more than approx. 20 seconds. Release
the ignition key immediately when the
engine starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, begin
driving immediately at a moderate
engine speed.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold start at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. +5 7 (-15 6)
and at elevations above 3,300 feet
(above 1,000 meters):
>On the first start attempt, engage the
starter for a longer period (approx.
10 seconds).
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at startup are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from
discharging, always deactivate elec-
trical devices that are not in use. Switch
the ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is still moving.
If you did so, the steering lock would
engage when the steering wheel is
turned.
When you leave the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and engage the
steering lock.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces. Placing the lever in 1st gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Manual transmission Press the clutch pedal all the way down
each time you shift, pressing the
manual-shift gear lever into its proper
end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too, otherwise, lockout will
prevent the engine from starting if the
clutch is not depressed.
The shift lever's neutral plane (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position
because of its spring loading.360de044
Reverse Select "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is at a complete stop. Press the shift
lever to the left to overcome the resis-
tance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Otherwise, riding the clutch will cause
tremendous wear and tear to the
clutch.<

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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You have the option of driving with a
normal automatic transmission or
switching to manual.
When you move the selector lever from
the "D" position to the left into the M/S
range, the performance-oriented shift
programs of the automatic transmission
are engaged. As soon as you briefly
touch the selector lever in the "+" or "Ð"
direction, Steptronic changes the gear.
The manual mode is engaged. When-
ever you want to use automatic again,
just shift the selector lever toward the
right to position D.
The automatic transmission with Step-
tronic is equipped with ATC (Adaptive
Transmission Control). ATC reacts with
precision to your individual driving style
and the current driving conditions. It is
for this reason that various shift
programs are used.
For additional details concerning the
ATC, please refer to the chapter
"Advanced technology" on page 178.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + Ð
Starting the engineThe engine can only be started in
selector lever positions P ("Park") or N
("Neutral").Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
certain selector lever positions. To
disengage the detent, press the button
on the front of the shift knob (arrow).463de061
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in
order to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.<
If you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to the "Park" or "Neutral" position
and apply the parking brake. If you fail
to do this, the vehicle could move.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a major potential safety hazard.<
P ParkSelect only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R ReverseSelect only when the vehicle is
stationary.N NeutralSelect only if your journey is interrupted
for a long period.

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
D Drive (automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available, the
Adaptive Transmission Control (ATC) is
fully operational."Kickdown"In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
the maximum performance.
To activate this mode, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle position, at which a resistance
point must be overcome.
M/S Manual operation and
Sport ProgramShifting from D into M/S activates the
Sport Program. This is indicated by
"SD" in the gear selection display. This
position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport
Program to the manual mode.
When you move the selector lever
forward in the "+" direction, the trans-
mission shifts up. When the lever is
moved back in the "Ð" direction, the
transmission shifts down. M1 to M5
appear in the gear indicator.463de062
Upshifts or downshifts will only be
carried out by the ATC at appropriate
engine speeds and road speeds. If the
engine speed is too high, for instance, a
downshift will not be executed. The gear
selected will appear briefly in the instru-
ment cluster followed by the current
gear.
To accelerate quickly in the
manual mode (to pass another
vehicle, for instance), shift down manu-
ally or employ the kickdown mode.<
Shifting from M/S to the selector lever
positions P, R and N is possible only by
going through D.

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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent the engine from
overrevving, the transmission shifts
automatically to the next higher gear
just before the engine speed cutoff
point.
>If you do not do anything to inter-
vene, it will automatically downshift
at lower speeds.
>In kickdown, it will downshift into
the lowest gear possible, depending
on the engine speed.
>According to the situation, for
instance in wintry conditions, the
vehicle can be started in 2nd or
3rd gear.
Available displays
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5460us143
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on,
there is a malfunction in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop, select trans-
mission position "P," set the parking
brake and turn the engine off (ignition
key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission
performance has been restored. You
may continue to drive as usual.
If the indicator lamp does not go out,
all selector lever positions can still be
selected, however in the forward
positions the vehicle has limited
performance as it drives only in 3rd
and 4th gear.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest BMW
center.
Do not work in the engine
compartment when a drive gear
(forward or reverse) is engaged. If you
do this, the vehicle could move.<
For towing or jump-starting, refer to the
information beginning on page 173.

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Cruise control
*
You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h).
Do not use cruise control on
twisting roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed, when the road surface is slick
(snow, rain, ice), or when the road
surface is loose (rocks, sand).<To activate the system From ignition key position 1:
Press button 1. The indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on. You
can now use the cruise control.460de077
To store and maintain speed or
to accelerate Press button 2 briefly:
The system registers and maintains the
current vehicle speed. The speed will
now be increased by approx. 0.6 mph
(approx. 1 km/h) every time you tap the
button.
Press and hold button 2:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the button, the system
registers and maintains the current
speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the
engine braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed may be
exceeded. Speed may drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient.<
To deceleratePress button 3 briefly:
When the cruise control is active,
vehicle speed is reduced by approx.
0.6 mph (approx. 1 km/h) every time
you tap the button.
Press and hold button 3:
With the cruise control active, the
system automatically reduces the
throttle opening to slow the vehicle.
When you release the button, the
system registers and maintains the
current speed.

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1 Odometer You can activate the displays shown in
the illustration with the ignition key in
position 0 by pressing the button in the
instrument cluster (arrow).2 Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button (arrow) with the igni-
tion key in position 1 and up.460us144
Avoid engine speeds in the red warning
zone of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is
automatically interrupted in this zone;
you will notice a loss of power.460us079
Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in l/100 km on Canadian vehi-
cles). You can check your current
driving style to see whether it is condu-
cive to economy and minimum exhaust
emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the
display goes to "Maximum" (zero on
Canadian models).460us080
Odometer Tachometer Energy Control

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Fuel gauge Temperature gauge Service Interval Display When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is stationary.
Once the indicator lamp begins to light
up continuously, there are still approx.
2 gallons (8 liters) of fuel in the fuel
tank.
Tank capacity: refer to page 195.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies (extended
driving in mountainous areas, for
example), there may be slight fluctua-
tions of the needle.
Fill the fuel tank well before it is
empty. Driving to the last drop of
fuel can result in damage to the engine
and/or the catalytic converter.<460us081
BlueThe engine is still cold. Drive at
moderate engine and vehicle speeds.RedWhen you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
If the lamp comes on while operating
the vehicle: the engine is overheated.
Stop and switch the engine off immedi-
ately and allow it to cool down.Between the blue and red zonesNormal operating range. It is not
unusual for the needle to rise as far as
the edge of the red zone in response to
high outside temperatures or severe
operating conditions. Checking coolant
level: refer to page 142.460de082
Remaining distance for serviceThe displays shown in the illustration
appear for a few seconds from ignition
key position 1 or after the engine is
started.
The next service due appears with the
message OILSERVICE or INSPECTION,
together with the remaining distance
before the service is due.
The computer bases its calculations of
the remaining distance on the previous
driving style.
A flashing message and a "Ð" in front of
the number mean that the service
interval has already been exceeded by
the distance shown on the display.
Please contact your BMW center for an
appointment.460us112