airbag BMW 323i 2000 User Guide

60n
Child restraints
*
Installing a child restraint system
airbag against the child restraint's back-
rest could lead to serious or fatal inju-
ries.
If it is necessary for a child (not an in-
fant) to ride in the front seat, certain pre-
cautions should be taken. First, move
the passenger seat as far away from the
dashboard as possible. This important
precaution is intended to maximize the
distance between the airbag and the
child. Older children should be tightly
secured with the safety belt. Younger
children should be secured in an appro-
priate forward-facing child restraint sys-
tem that has first been properly secured
with a safety belt.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the front passenger seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for in-
stallation and use provided by the child
restraint's manufacturer whenever you
use such a device.
Be sure that all occupants (of all ages)
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.c
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of SAE
J1819, an industry recommended prac-
tice for securing child restraint systems
in motor vehicles.All of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems.
Information pertaining to this is located
in the immediate vicinity of the buckle
latch of each safety belt.
Lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
The belt cannot be extracted further.
Always comply with the installation
instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the child restraint system.462us014
Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and pull the safety belt out
to its end position on the belt retractor.

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
103n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures104
Driving notes104
Catalytic converter105
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)106
Disc brakes108
Brake system109
Winter operation110
Power steering111
Cellular phones112
Radio reception112
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressures113
Tire condition113
Tire replacement114
Tire rotation115
Wheel and tire
combinations116
Winter tires117
Snow chains117
Approved wheel and tire
specifications118Under the hood:
Hood120
Engine compartment122
Washer fluids124
Washer nozzles124
Engine oil125
Coolant128
Brake fluid129
Vehicle Identification
Number130
Care and maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System131
Caring for your car132
Airbags137
Vehicle storage137
Laws and regulations:
Technical modifications to the
vehicle138
OBD interface socket139
Car care

137n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags Vehicle storage1 Front airbags for driver and passen-
ger
2 Side impact Head Protection System
(front)
3 Side airbags (front and rear
*)
Important safety notices
Don't remove the airbag restraint
system's gas generator. Testing
and servicing must be performed by
trained technicians only. In the event of
a malfunction, deactivation, or triggered
actuation (as a response to an accident)
of the airbag restraint system, consult
your BMW center for repairs or service
operations.
460de140
Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels of the
front or rear doors and the roof pillars or
the sides of the headliner. Do not apply
adhesive materials to these compo-
nents or cover or modify them in any
way. Do not attempt to remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel.
To ensure compliance with official
safety regulations, have an BMW center
dispose of airbag generators.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury. special procedures if you intend to
store the vehicle for more than three
months.

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
161n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)162
Airbags163
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)163
Radio reception164
Safety belt tensioner164
Interior rearview mirror
with automatic dimming
feature165
Rain sensor166
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)167
Self-diagnostics168
Xenon lamps169
Technol-

163n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the acceleration forces acting
upon the vehicle. If, as the result of a
frontal collision, a deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer ade-
quate, the gas generators of the driver
and passenger-front airbags are ignited.
However, the passenger-side airbag is
only triggered if an additional sensor
has recognized that the passenger seat
is occupied.
In the event of a side collision, the Head
Protection and side airbags in the front
or rear
* are triggered if necessary.
390de319
The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process, they
tear through the designed separation
points of the upholstered covers or
press them out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
required to inflate the airbags is not
dangerous, and the smoke associated
with it dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.Highly sensitive sensors monitor the
number of revolutions of the wheels.
When equipped with DSC, they also
monitor steering angle, lateral accelera-
tion, brake pressure and the movement
of the vehicle around its vertical axis.
If differences in the wheel speeds occur,
the system counteracts the danger of
wheelspin by reducing engine torque.
If necessary, the system also responds
with additional application of the brakes
at the rear wheels.
If the system detects an instability in the
vehicle's condition, the braking action
can also be directed to the front wheels
by the DSC in order to help stabilize the
vehicle.
You may need some time to become
accustomed to this system's interven-
tion. However, it provides optimum
drive force and driving stability.
The braking intervention may be ac-
companied by sounds specific to the
system.
Airbags DSC

168n
Self-diagnostics All of the important electrical and elec-
tronic systems in the vehicle are tested
regularly and automatically Ð the driver
does not have to perform any extra
operations or adjustments.
The indicator lamps also come on
briefly after the ignition has been turned
on.
While you are driving, the functional
status of the actuator motors (for the
windshield wipers, power windows,
seats, sunroof, etc.) is constantly ana-
lyzed by current measurements in their
relays.460de177
In the same manner, the electrical re-
sistance of the airbag ignition genera-
tors and all of the remaining airbag
components is measured at all times.
Any fault in this system would be de-
tected immediately by a current fluctua-
tion that would necessarily accompany
it. The fault would be indicated immedi-
ately by the airbag warning lamp.
Even after you shut off the engine, the
overall functional status of your vehicle
is monitored. For example, all of the
flaps of the heating and ventilation sys-
tem travel to the nearest limit position.
This action ensures that the system will
be able to provide defrosting, regard-
less of other circumstances (if a mal-
function in the heating or ventilation
system should occur during the night
while the vehicle is parked, for in-
stance).
A calibration cycle runs every tenth time
the engine is shut off. During this cycle,
the actuator motors of all the heating
and ventilation flaps travel to their limit
stops in both directions. The limit posi-
tions and the return travel paths are
checked in this manner in order to en-
sure that appropriate adjustments for
the operating elements can be made at
any time.You will hear the sounds of the air flaps
as the heater/ventilation system carries
out its self-diagnostic functions after the
ignition is shut off. All of the other self-
diagnostics functions operate silently in
the background.
Any faults detected during these self-
diagnostics can be read out by your
BMW center during the next regularly-
scheduled maintenance and corrected
with a minimum of time.

Everything from A to ZAABS (Antilock Brake
System)22, 106
Accessories6
Activated-charcoal
filter90, 155
Adaptive Transmission
Control (ATC)65, 162
Adding engine oil125
Adding washer
fluid124, 175
Adjusting the backrest47
Adjusting the steering
wheel51
Adjusting the thigh support
area49
Air distribution88
Air nozzles86
Air outlets86
ventilation86
Air pressure113
Air supply89
Airbags21, 56, 137, 163
Alarm system42
Antenna112
Antenna, Diversity164
Antifreeze128
radiator110
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)22, 106
Anti-theft alarm system42
Aquaplaning104, 113
Armrest93Ashtray95
front95
rear96
ATC (Adaptive Transmission
Control)65, 162
AUC (Automatic
recirculated-air
control)89
Automatic car washes132
Automatic climate
control86
removing condensation
from the windows89
Automatic cruise control71
Automatic dimming, interior
rearview mirror53
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC)89
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic22, 65
Automatic windshield
washer69
Average consumption77
Average speed77
Axle loads174
BBackup lamps64
bulb replacement145
Battery152, 176
capacity176
charge154discharged157
removal and
installation153
Battery charge current20
Battery Safety Terminal
(BST)153
Belts54
Blower89
BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oils126
BMW Sports Seat49
Bore172
Brake fluid129
Brake hydraulic system20
Brake lamps
bulb replacement145
Brake pads22
Brakes108
malfunctions109
Break-in procedure104
Breaking in the vehicle104
BST (Battery Safety
Terminal)153
Bulb replacement142
CCapacities175
Car Memory53
Car radio112
refer also to the separate
Owner's ManualCar radio
reception112, 164
Car vacuum cleaner,
connecting96
Car wash132
Care
exterior133
interior134
Care of upholstery135
Care of wool velour135
Cargo loading99
Caring for the vehicle
finish133
Catalytic converter105
CBC (Cornering Brake
Control)21, 107
Cellular phone95, 112
refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual
Center (high-mount) brake
lamp147
Center armrest93
Central locking system34
button38
Changing a tire149
Changing a wheel149
Charge indicator lamp20
Check Control75
Child restraint
systems55, 59
Child seat59
Child-safety locks56
Cigarette lighter96
Everything from A-Z

Everything from A to Z
183n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
OOBD interface socket139
Obstruction protection44
Odometer73
Oil
capacity175
consumption125
dipstick125
quality126
specifications126
viscosity126
Oil additives125
Oil change intervals, see the
Service and Warranty
Information Booklet
Oil filter change175
Oil level
check125
indicator lamp20
Oil pressure, indicator
lamp20
OILSERVICE74
Onboard computer76
Onboard tool kit142
Outside temperature
display76PPaint blemishes133
Paint, care133
Paintwork, minor
repairs134Paintwork, waxing134
Park Distance Control
(PDC)78
Parking brake63
Parking help78
Parking lamps83
Parking, winter111
PDC (Park Distance
Control)78
Performance172
Pocket flashlight92
Pollen90
Power seat49
Power steering111
Power windows44
safety switch45
Pressure monitoring,
tires80, 167
Pressure, tires27, 113
RRadiator175
Radio
refer to the separate
Owner's Manual
Radio Data System
(RDS)164
Radio reception112, 164
Rain sensor69, 166
RDC (Tire Pressure
Control)80, 167
RDS (Radio Data
System)164Reading lamps84
Rear backrest, folding97
Rear lamps145
Rear window
defroster70, 90
Rearview mirror52
Reclining seat47
Refueling26
Remote control35
Removing condensation,
windows89
Replacement key32
Reporting safety defects7
Restraint system59
Reverse17, 64
Roller blind, sun
protection91
Roller sun blind91
Roof load capacity174
Roof-mounted luggage
rack100
Rubber parts110
SSafety belt tensioner164
Safety belts54
height adjustment54
Safety feature44
Safety lock buttons38
Seat
mechanical47
power49
Seat adjustment47Seat heating91
Seat memory50
Securing cargo99
Securing loads99
Selector lever, automatic
transmission65
Self-defrosting mirrors52
Self-diagnostics168
Service and Warranty
Information Booklet131
Service Interval
Display74, 131
Shiftlock65
Side airbags56
Side impact Head Protection
System56
Side lamps82
bulb replacement144
Ski bag98
Skid control111
Sliding/Tilt sunroof45
closing following an
electrical malfunction156
convenience operation34
Slippery roads110
Snow chains110, 118
Space-saver spare tire149
Spare key32
Spare tire149
Spare wheel149
Spark plugs176
Speaker95
Speed control71