stop start BMW 328XI 2008 User Guide
Page 98 of 272
Technology for driving comfort and safety
96 equipped with a tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem, TPMS, that illuminates a low tire pressure 
telltale when one or more of your tires are signif-
icantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the 
low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should 
stop and check your tires as soon as possible, 
and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving 
on a significantly underinflated tire causes the 
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. 
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency and 
tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability. Please note that the 
TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to 
maintain correct tire pressure, even if underin-
flation has not reached the level at which the 
TPMS low tire pressure telltale illuminates.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined 
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash 
for approximately one minute and then remain 
continuously lit. This sequence will continue 
upon subsequent vehicle startups as long as 
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction 
indicator is illuminated, the system may not be 
able to detect or signal low tire pressure as 
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a 
variety of reasons, including the installation of 
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the 
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning 
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction 
telltale after replacing one or more tires or 
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the 
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow 
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
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 
intervention is simultaneously deactivated 
when DSC is switched off, refer to page90.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on. Active 
steering is no longer operational. At 
low speeds, greater steering wheel 
movements are required, whereas at 
higher speeds the vehicle reacts more sensi-
tively to steering wheel movements. The stabil-
ity-enhancing feature may also be deactivated. 
Drive cautiously and think well ahead. Have the 
system checked.
Brake Force Display
On the left: normal braking
On the right: sharp braking 
Page 105 of 272
Controls
 103Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument 
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low 
beams are switched on.
1.Push button 1 up or down repeatedly until 
the appropriate symbol appears in the dis-
play, accompanied by the brightness set-
ting and scale the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Push button 1 up or down to select the 
desired brightness level.
4.Press button 2 in the turn indicator lever.
The display again shows the outside tem-
perature and the time.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps*, entry 
lamps
*, cargo bay lamp and courtesy lamps* 
are controlled automatically.
The LEDs for the courtesy lamps
 are set in the 
door handles and illuminate the ground in front 
of the doors.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps 
inside the car are switched off about 8 minutes after the ignition is switched off, refer 
to Start/stop button on page59.<
Switching interior lamps on/off 
manually
Interior lamps, front and rear*:
To switch on and off, press the button.
To switch off the interior lamps, footwell 
lamps
*, entry lamps* and courtesy lamps* per-
manently, press the button for the front interior 
lamps for about 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
There are reading lamps at the front and rear*, 
next to the interior lamps. To switch on and off, 
press the button. 
Page 109 of 272
Controls
 107Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor 
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As 
soon as the concentration of pollutants in 
the outside air has decreased sufficiently, 
the system automatically switches back to 
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode: 
the supply of outside air is permanently 
shut off. The system then recirculates the 
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the 
inside window surfaces during operation 
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch 
it off while also increasing the air flow rate as 
required. 
The recirculated-air mode should not be used 
over an extended period of time, otherwise the 
air quality inside the car will deteriorate contin-
uously.<
Via the button* on the steering wheel
You can switch quickly between the recircu-
lated-air mode and the previous mode using an 
individually programmable button
 on the steer-
ing wheel, refer to page11.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is 
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a 
school to pick up a child.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>Up to 15 minutes after the engine has been 
switched off
>While the engine is at operating tempera-
ture
>As long as battery voltage is sufficient
>At an outside temperature below 777/
256
The LED is lit when the function is on.
As of radio readiness, you can set the interior 
temperature, the air flow rate and the air distri-
bution.
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and 
front side windows.
Switch on the cooling function as well.
Switching cooling function on/off
The cooling function cools and 
dehumidifies the incoming air 
before reheating it as required, 
according to the temperature setting. This 
function is only available while the engine is 
running.
The cooling function helps prevent condensa-
tion on the windows or removes it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may 
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is automatically switched 
on along with the AUTO program.
Rear window defroster
The defroster is switched off auto-
matically after a certain time. 
Depending on your vehicle's 
equipment, the upper wires serve as an antenna 
and are not part of the rear window defroster.
Ventilation
1Use the knurled wheels to smoothly open 
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the 
airflow
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from 
the vents for the upper body area 
Page 150 of 272
Destination guidance
148 2.Select "Stop guidance" and press the con-
troller.
If you did not reach the destination before the 
end of the last journey, the following question 
will appear in the display at the start of the next 
journey:
"Continue guidance to destination?".
The destination guidance starts automatically 
after a short time.
To start destination guidance immediately:
Select "Yes" and press the controller.
Route display
You can have the route during destination guid-
ance displayed in various ways.
From another menu, you can switch 
directly to the screen last displayed, refer 
to Convenient call-up of menu items on 
page18.<
Arrow display
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Move the highlight marker to the fourth field 
from the top. Turn the controller until "Arrow display" is selected and press the 
controller.
The arrow display is shown.
1Switching voice instructions on/off
2Selecting route criteria
3Starting/stopping destination guidance
4Arrow to destination as the crow flies
5Distance to the next change of direction
6Current location
7Direction of travel
>Outline of an arrow:
Destination guidance on the calculated 
route
>Solid arrow:
Arrow points as the crow flies to the cal-
culated route whenever the vehicle is 
not in an area recorded on the navigation 
DVD, e.g. in a parking garage.
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
projected time of arrival and distance to the 
destination is displayed in the top or bottom line 
of the Control Display.
The arrows change appearance before a 
change of direction. 
Page 151 of 272
Navigation
Driving tips
 149Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
1Street name for change of direction
2Distance to change of direction
3Change of direction
To exit from the menu:
Select the   arrow and press the controller.
Map display
You can have your current position displayed on 
a map. After starting the destination guidance, 
the planned route is shown on the map.
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Move the highlight marker to the fourth field 
from the top. Turn the controller until the 
desired map display is selected:
>"Map facing north"
>"Map direction of travel"
>"Perspective"
3.Press the controller.1Switching voice instructions on/off
2Starting/stopping destination guidance
3Map-guided destination selection
4Displaying the menu in which the informa-
tion last selected can be shown/hidden, 
refer to Selecting destination using infor-
mation, page140
5Changing map display
> "Map facing north"
> "Map direction of travel"
> "Perspective"
6Changing route criteria
7Calling up traffic information
* manually
8Arrow to destination as the crow flies
The projected time of arrival and distance to the 
destination is displayed in the bottom line of the 
Control Display.
To exit from the menu:
Select the   arrow and press the controller.
At scales of less than 250 miles/500 km, you 
can have the map shown facing north or toward 
your current direction of travel, or in perspec-
tive. At scales of 250 miles/500 km or greater, 
the map is always north-oriented.
Changing map display
  
Select the corresponding symbol and press the 
controller.
The next map display is displayed.
Changing scale
Turn the controller to adjust the scale. 
Page 158 of 272
What to do if …
156
What to do if …
What to do if …
>a navigation DVD is inserted, but an instruc-
tion to insert the DVD appears on the Con-
trol Display?
The navigation DVD may not be the correct 
DVD for the navigation system. This infor-
mation is indicated on the DVD label.
>you request the current position of your 
vehicle, but do not receive a precise dis-
play?
The system is unable to receive enough 
GPS signals at your current position due to 
obstructions, your current position is not 
yet available on your navigation DVD, or the 
system is in the process of calculating your 
current position. As a rule, reception is 
guaranteed when you are in the open.
>the destination guidance does not accept a 
destination?
The data of the destination is not stored on 
the navigation DVD that is loaded. Choose a 
destination as close as possible to the orig-
inal one.
>the destination guidance does not accept 
an address without the street name?
On the navigation DVD, no downtown area 
can be determined for the city or town 
entered. Enter any street, or a destination 
such as the railway station in the selected 
town, and then start the destination guid-
ance.
>you want to enter a destination for the des-
tination guidance, but it is not possible to 
select the letters for your desired entry?
The data of the destination is not stored on 
the navigation DVD that is loaded. In this 
case, the system will not offer you any let-
ters to choose from. Choose a destination 
as close as possible to the original one.
>the system stops furnishing directions on 
which way to turn as you approach intersec-
tions?
You are driving in an area that has not yet 
been completely recorded on the naviga-tion DVD. Instead of an arrow indicating a 
turn, you will see an arrow which indicates 
the general direction of your planned route. 
Or you have left the recommended route 
and the system requires a few seconds to 
calculate a new recommended route.
>the navigation system does not react to 
entries?
If the battery was disconnected, it takes 
about 10 minutes before the system is once 
again operational. 
Page 189 of 272
 187
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
When the status information "BMW Assist" or 
"BMW Service" is displayed in "Communica-
tion", only BMW Assist calls are possible.
It may not be possible to establish a telephone 
connection using the mobile phone while a con-
nection is being established to BMW Assist or 
while a call to BMW Assist is already in 
progress. If this happens, you must unpair the 
mobile phone and the vehicle if you wish to 
place a call with the mobile phone.
Start-up
Pairing the mobile phone with the 
vehicle
The following prerequisites must be met:
>Compatible mobile phone: the mobile 
phone is supported by the full preparation 
package mobile phone. You can obtain 
information on the Internet at: 
www.bmw.com
>The mobile phone is ready to operate.
>The Bluetooth link is activated in the vehi-
cle, refer to page191, and in the mobile 
phone.
>Depending on the mobile phone, some 
default settings may be necessary for the 
mobile phone: e. g. using the following 
menu items:
>Bluetooth switched on
>Connection without confirmation
>Reconnection
>Depending on the mobile phone type, the 
power-saving mode setting, for example, 
may result in a paired mobile phone not 
being detected by the vehicle.
>For pairing purposes, define any number as 
the Bluetooth passkey, e.g. 1. This Blue-
tooth passkey is no longer required after 
pairing has been successful.
>The ignition is switched on.
Pair the mobile phone with the vehicle 
only when the car is stationary, to avoid endangering the car's occupants and other 
road users by being distracted.<
Switch on ignition
1.Insert remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
2.Switch on ignition without operating the 
brake or clutch or pressing the start/stop 
button.
Preparation via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
3.Press the   button to call up the start 
menu.
4.Press the controller to open the   menu.
5.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
6.Select "Bluetooth" and press the controller. 
Page 242 of 272
Giving and receiving assistance
240
With a tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make 
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated 
stresses on vehicle components when 
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps. 
Attach the tow rope to the tow fittings only, as 
attaching it to other parts of the vehicle could 
result in damage.<
With a tow truck: vehicle without xDrive
Have the BMW transported with a tow truck 
with a so-called lift bar or on a flat bed.
Do not tow the vehicle with just the rear axle 
raised as this may cause the steering to turn.
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or 
body and chassis parts, otherwise dam-
age may result.<
With a tow truck: vehicle with xDrive
Do not tow a BMW with xDrive with just 
the front or rear axle raised, otherwise the 
wheels could lock up and the transfer case 
could be damaged.<
Have the BMW transported on a flatbed surface 
only.
Tow-starting
Avoid tow-starting the vehicle whenever possi-
ble; instead, jump-start the engine, refer to 
page237. Vehicles with a catalytic converter 
should only be tow-started when the engine is 
cold, vehicles with an automatic transmission 
cannot be tow-started at all.
1.Switch on hazard warning flashers, comply 
with local regulations.
2.Switch on the ignition, refer to page59.
3.Shift into 3rd gear.
4.Have the vehicle tow-started with the clutch 
depressed and slowly release the clutch. 
After the engine starts, immediately 
depress the clutch completely again.
5.Stop at a suitable location, remove the tow 
bar or rope and switch off the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
6.Have the vehicle checked.
With xDrive: do not activate Hill Descent 
Control HDC when the vehicle is being 
tow-started, page90.< 
Page 251 of 272
Reference 249
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Navigation
Onboard info
FunctionCommand
To open navigation140{Navigation}
To display current position155{Current position}
To open "Enter address"134{Enter address}
To open "New destination"134{New destination}
To display "Input map"139{Input map}
To open "Information"140{Info menu}
To display address book142{Address book} or
{From address book}
To display destination list141{Destination list}
To switch on destination guidance147{Start guidance}
To switch off destination guidance147{Stop guidance}
To display route criteria145{Route preference}
To switch on voice instructions150{Navigation info on}
To switch off voice instructions150{Navigation info off}
To repeat voice instructions151{Repeat navigation info}
To show arrow display148{Arrow display}
To display map149{Map}, {Map facing north},
{Map direction of travel} or 
{Perspective}
To open route136, 151 
{Route menu}
To open "New route"151{New route}
To change scale149{Scale ... miles} or
{Scale ... feet}
To display towns/cities and streets along the 
route150{Route list}
FunctionCommand
To open "Car Data"76{Car Data}
To display computer76{Onboard info}
To display trip computer77{Trip computer}
To open speed limit85{Limit}
To open stopwatch86{Stopwatch}
To activate road-speed limit85{Limit on}
To deactivate road-speed limit85{Limit off} 
Page 256 of 272
Everything from A - Z
254 Brakes, refer to Braking 
safely126
Brake system124
– BMW Maintenance 
System229
– breaking in124
– disc brakes126
Breakdown services, refer to 
Roadside Assistance236
Breaking in the clutch124
Breaking in the differential, 
refer to Engine and 
differential124
Break-in period124
Brightness of the Control 
Display86
"Brightness" on the Control 
Display86
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps 
and bulbs231
Button for starting the engine, 
refer to Start/stop button59
Buttons on the steering 
wheel11
C
California Proposition 65 
warning6
"Call"194,205
Call
– accepting192
– displaying accepted194
– ending193
– missed194
– starting193
Calling
– from phone book193
– from Top 8 list194
– redialing194
Can holders, refer to Cup 
holders115
Capacities247
Capacity of the cargo bay247
Car battery, refer to Vehicle 
battery235
Car care, refer to Caring for 
your vehicle brochureCar-care products, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
"Car Data"76
Care, refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Cargo, securing128
Cargo bay
– capacity247
– convenient access37
– folding up the floor 
panel119
– lamp, refer to Interior 
lamps103
– opening from inside33
– opening from outside33
Cargo loading
– securing cargo128
– stowing cargo127
– vehicle127
Caring for artificial leather, 
refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Caring for leather, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for plastic, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for the carpet, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for the vehicle finish, 
refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Car jack
– jacking points235
Car key, refer to Integrated 
key/remote control28
Car phone186
– installation location, refer to 
Center armrest114
– refer to Mobile phone186
– refer to separate Owner's 
Manual
Car radio, refer to Radio164Car wash126
– also refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
– with convenient access37
Catalytic converter, refer to 
Hot exhaust system125
"Categories" for satellite 
radio171
CBS Condition Based 
Service229
"CD"160,173
CD changer173
– compressed audio files173
– controls160
– fast forward/reverse177
– installation location177
– playing a track175
– random order176
– repeating a track176
– selecting a CD173
– selecting a track174
– switching on/off160
– tone control161
– volume161
CD player173
– compressed audio files173
– controls160
– fast forward/reverse177
– playing a track175
– random order176
– repeating a track176
– selecting a track174
– switching on/off160
– tone control161
– volume161
Center armrest114
Center brake lamp
– replacing bulb234
Center console, refer to 
Around the center 
console14
"Central locking"30
Central locking
– from inside32
– from outside29
Central locking system29
– convenient access36
– hotel function34