ignition BMW 320i 2002 User Guide

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Mirrors To adjust exterior mirrors1 Mirror switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Selection switch for changing
between mirrors
To adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edge of the lens.
Storing mirror settings, refer to Seat
and mirror memory on page 46.
The mirror on the passenger's side
features a lens with a more convex
surface than the mirror installed on the
driver's side. When estimating the
distance between yourself and other
traffic, bear in mind that the objects
reflected in the mirror are closer than
they appear. This means that estimates
of the distance to following traffic
should not be regarded as precise. This
precaution also applies to the non-
spherical outer section of the lens. *
Both mirrors are automatically heated
when you turn the ignition key to posi-
tion 2.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind
you when you are driving at night, tilt
the lens by turning the button.
Vehicles without alarm system:
Tilt the small lever forward.

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Mirrors AirbagsInterior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming feature
*
This mirror automatically dims through
an infinitely-variable range. It returns to
its clear, undimmed mode whenever
you engage reverse.
To ensure that the mirror continues to
operate efficiently, ensure that the
photocells remain clear and unob-
structed. One photocell is integrated in
the mirror's lens (arrow), while the other
is located at an offset position on the
rear of the mirror. Refrain from
attaching stickers to the windshield in
the area immediately in front of the
mirror.
1 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger sides
2 Side Impact Head Protection System
on the driver and passenger sides
(front)
3 Side airbags on the driver and
passenger sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing addi-
tional protection, in the event of a
severe frontal collision in which the
protection afforded by the belts alone
may no longer be sufficient. The Head
Protection System and side airbags
help provide protection in the event of a
collision from the side. Each of the side
airbags is designed to help support the
seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
posture, refer to page 41.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
when you turn the ignition key to
position 1 or 2.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to go out
after the engine has been started, or
comes on again during normal
driving.
Please respond to any malfunctions in
the system by immediately having it
inspected at your BMW center; other-
wise the airbag could fail to respond to
an accident in which both the angle and
the severity of the impact would
normally trigger airbag deployment.

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Airbagsthat children in the rear seat will remain
properly positioned at all times and not
place their heads on or near the side
airbag.
Therefore, we recommend that the
rear-seat side airbags, if installed in the
vehicle, be deactivated if children will
travel in the rear seat.
The rear-seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW
center. Labels in the door opening
should indicate the status of your rear-
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of
their status, or wish to have the airbags
activated or deactivated, please
contact your BMW center.<
Even when all these guidelines are
followed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances. The ignition and
inflation noise may provoke a mild
temporary hearing loss in extremely
sensitive individuals.This is the right way for a child to sit in a
child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
This is the right way for a larger child to
sit wearing the seat belt when rear side
airbags (arrow) are provided.

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Ignition lock Starting the engine 0 Steering locked
1 Steering unlocked
2 Ignition switched on
3 Starting engine
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from
position "P" until the engine is running
(ignition key position 2).
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock. Therefore, the ignition key cannot
be turned to position 0 and removed
until the selector lever is in
position "P."<
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine
from starting if the clutch is not
depressed.<
Steering lockedThe key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until you hear the lock engage.
The sound system remains operational
for approx. 20 minutes after you switch
off the ignition (ignition key in position 0
or key extracted). Simply switch it back
on.Steering unlocked You will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.
Individual electrical accessories are
ready for operation.
Before starting>Engage the parking brake
>Ensure that the shift lever is in
neutral, or, with an automatic trans-
mission, that the selector lever is in
position "P"
>Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. 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.<
When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care
to avoid contact between the exhaust
system and flammable materials (grass,
hay, leaves, etc.). Such contact could
lead to a fire, resulting in serious
personal injury and property damage.<
>Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.

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Starting the engine Switching off the engine
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time, but do not actuate 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, drive off
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 starts at extremely low tempera-
tures of roughly +5 7 (Ð15 6) or below
and at altitudes of over 3,300 ft
(1,000 m):
>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 electrical devices
that are not in use. Switch the ignition
off when the vehicle is not being driven.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent
or long periods with the starter
engaged, can lead to catalyst
damage.<
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
You should never remove the igni-
tion key when the vehicle is in
motion, as the steering lock could
engage.
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 hills and slopes, as first gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<

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Parking brake Manual transmission The parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates on the rear wheels.To engageThe detent engages automatically, the
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on when the ignition key is in
position 2, refer to page 18.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button (arrow) and lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances
make it necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling the lever up to apply
moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on hills and slopes, as first gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake lightly
from time to time when coasting to a
standstill (at a traffic signal, for
example), provided that it is safe to do
so.
Reverse Select only when the vehicle is
completely stopped. Press the shift
lever to the left to overcome the slight
resistance.
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.
Riding the clutch leads to severe and
premature clutch wear.<

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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Indicator/Headlamp flasher
Available displays
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on,
there is a malfunction in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to "P."
Engage 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,
you can place the selector lever in all
positions. However, the vehicle will now
only operate in 3rd and 4th gear.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest BMW
center.
Never 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 134.
1 High beams (blue indicator lamp)
2 Headlamp flasher (blue indicator
lamp)
3 Turn signal indicator (green indicator
accompanied by periodic clicking
sound from the relay)To signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond
the detent. It then returns to the center
position when released.
If the flashing of the turn indica-
tors and the clicking from the relay
are both faster than normal, one of the
turn signal indicators has failed.<

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Washer/Wiper system 0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent mode or rain sensor
2 Normal wipe
3 Fast wipe
4 Brief wipe
5 Rotary dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensorIntermittent mode(not on vehicles with rain sensor)
You can select any of four sweep inter-
vals with rotary dial 5.
In addition, the wipe interval varies
automatically depending on road
speed.
Rain sensor
*
The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly ahead of the inte-
rior rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
>With the ignition key in position 1
or 2, move the lever to position 1.
The wipers will make at least one
sweep across the windshield.
You can leave the lever in position 1 at
all times. With the ignition key in posi-
tion 1 or 2, all you then need to do to
activate the rain sensor is
>briefly turn the rotary dial 5, or
>clean the windshield 1, refer to
page 63.To adjust the sensitivity of the rain
sensor:
Turn rotary dial 5.
To switch off the rain sensor:
Return lever to position 0.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by
undesired wiper activation.<
Normal wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers switch automatically to intermit-
tent wipe (not on vehicles with rain
sensor).Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the
wipers revert to operate at normal
speed (not on vehicles with rain
sensor).

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Washer/Wiper system0 Wipers retracted
1 Clean the windshieldCleaning windshield
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield, as your vision
could be obscured. Always use a wind-
shield washer antifreeze in cold
weather. Refer to page 114.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty as this could cause
damage to the washer pump.<
The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
Cleaning headlamps
*
When the vehicle's lighting system is
switched on, the headlamps will also be
cleaned every fifth time the automatic
windshield washer is activated.Windshield washer nozzlesThe windshield washer nozzles are
heated automatically
* when the ignition
key is in position 2.

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Cruise control
*
You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control is available whenever
the engine is running and the system
has been activated.
To activate the systemIn ignition key position 2:
Press the button and the indicator lamp
on the instrument cluster will come on,
refer to page 20. You can now use the
cruise control.
Do not use cruise control on
twisting roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed, or when the road surface is slick
(snow, rain, ice) or loose (rocks or
gravel, sand). the indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Cruise control is also deactivated when
the ignition key is in position 0.
The speed stored in memory is deleted.
To store and maintain speed
or to acceleratePress button (+) briefly:
The system registers and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
tap the button, the speed increases by
approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button (+):
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 preset speed can be
exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient.<