light BMW 325CI 2005 Owner's Guide

94
Because the sides of Run Flat
tires are reinforced, a drop in infla-
tion pressure usually cannot be
detected from the outside, refer to Run
Flat tires, page 135.<
2. To continue driving, follow the
instructions under Driving with a
damaged tire on page 135.
System malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up yellow.
The Flat Tire Monitor is malfunc-
tioning or out of order. Please refer the
problem to your BMW center.
Brake force displayBrake force display indicates to the
road users behind you how hard you
are braking.
>Normal braking: the brake lamps
among the rear lamps and the center
brake lamp light up
>Hard braking or braking with ABS: in
addition, the illuminated rear lamp
surface is extended, refer to the pic-
ture.
Flat Tire Monitor*

95 Lamps
Parking lamps/Low beamsParking lamps
The front, rear and side vehicle
lighting is switched on. You can
use the parking lamps to signal
the position of the vehicle when it is
parked. For lighting on one side for
parking as an additional feature, refer to
page 97.
Low beams
When the ignition is switched off
while the low beams are on, the
headlamps go out and only the
parking lamps remain on.
Follow me home lampsWhen you activate the headlamp
flasher after parking the vehicle with the
lamps turned off, the low-beam head-
lamps will come on for a short time.
You can also have this function
deactivated. having turned the ignition key to posi-
tion 0, you will hear an acoustic signal
for a few seconds to remind you that
the lamps have not been switched off.Daytime driving lamps*If you desire, the light switch can be left
in the second position: when the igni-
tion is switched off, the external lighting
is also switched off.
You can have the activation set-
tings for the daytime driving lamps
programmed on your vehicle.<
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is set to this
position the system automati-
cally activates and cancels the
low beams in response to changes in
ambient light, for example in tunnels, at
dusk, and when it is raining or snowing.
The low-beam headlamps remain
on, regardless of the ambient
light, when you switch on the fog
lamps.<
Automatic headlamp control can-
not serve as a substitute for the
driver's judgement in determining when
the vehicle lights should be switched
on. For example, the sensors are not
able to detect fog. To avoid safety risks,
you should respond to these kinds of
low-visibility situations by switching the
headlamps on manually.<
You can have the sensitivity of
your vehicle's automatic head-
lamp control adjusted.<
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96
Adaptive headlights*The conceptAdaptive headlights is a variable head-
lamp control system for dynamically
illuminating the road. Depending on the
steering angle and other factors the
light from the headlamps follows the
course of the road.Activating Adaptive headlights
With the ignition key in position
2, turn the light switch to the
automatic headlamp control
position, refer to page 95. The LED next
to the symbol lights up.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic,
adaptive headlights are
>not active while reversing,
>active only towards the front passen-
ger side while the vehicle is at a
standstill.
System malfunctionThe LED next to the symbol for auto-
matic headlamp control flashes. The
adaptive headlight system is malfunc-
tioning or out of order. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
Instrument lightingTurn the rotary dial with the parking/
low beam lamps on to adjust the illumi-
nation intensity.

97
High beams/Standing lamps1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Standing lampsStanding lamps, left or rightAs an additional feature, you can illumi-
nate your vehicle on either side for
parking:
With the ignition key in position 0,
engage the lever in the appropriate
turn-signal position.
Front fog lampsTap the button to switch on or off.
The parking lamps or low-beam
headlamps must be switched
on. The green indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up to indi-
cate that the front fog lamps are on.
If the automatic headlamp control
is on, the low beams will come on
automatically whenever you activate
the front fog lamps.<
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109 Interior conveniences
Glove compartmentTo openPull the handle. The lamp in the glove
compartment comes on.To closeFold the cover back up.
To prevent injury in the event of an
accident, close the glove com-
partment immediately after use. master key will also be required to
unlock the glove compartment. To open
the luggage compartment lid when the
glove compartment is locked, refer to
the instructions on page 33.
If – for example for valet parking –
you turn over only your spare key,
refer to page 28, then access to the
glove compartment and luggage com-
partment is not possible.<
Rechargeable flashlightThe flashlight is located on the left-
hand side of the glove compartment.
It features integral overload-protection,
so it can be left in its holder continu-
ously.
To avoid completely discharging
and possibly damaging the flash-
light, always ensure that it is switched
off before inserting it in the socket.<
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113
Beverage holders, coin boxA coin box and two beverage holders
are provided in the center console.
Do not place any glass containers
in the beverage holders, as this
increases the risk of injury in the event
of an accident.<
Microphone*Hands-free systemOn vehicles that are wired for a tele-
phone* or equipped with a Voice Input
System*, the hands-free microphone is
located on the steering column.
For further information on using your
cellular phone or the Voice Input Sys-
tem, refer to the separate Owner's
Manual.
Ashtray, front*To emptyPress on the edge of the open cover.
The ashtray moves up and can be
removed.Cigarette lighter
Hold or touch the hot cigarette
lighter by the knob only. Holding
or touching it in other areas could result
in burns.
The cigarette lighter remains opera-
tional when the ignition key has been
removed. For this reason, children
should never be left in the vehicle unat-
tended.<
Press the lighter 1 in. You can remove
the lighter from its socket for use as
soon as it springs back out.
Storage compartments
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114
Power socketThe cigarette lighter socket can be
used as a power socket for a flashlight,
car vacuum cleaner, etc., up to a rating
of approx. 200 watts at 12 volts. Do not
damage the socket by inserting plugs of
the wrong shape or size. In vehicles
with a non-smoker's equipment pack-
age, the socket is covered by a remov-
able cap.
Ashtray, rear*To emptyPress on the edge of the open cover in
the opening direction. The ashtray
moves up and can be removed.
Ashtray, front*

119
Securing cargo>For small, light items, use the rubber-
lined, non-skid side of the floor mat
or secure using the luggage compart-
ment net* or elastic straps
>For large, heavy pieces, see your
BMW center for load-securing
devices*. Four anchorages located in
the luggage compartment can be
used for fastening these load-secur-
ing devices.
Read and comply with the information
enclosed with the load-securing
devices.
Always position and secure loads
correctly. If you do not, the load
can endanger the passengers during
braking or evasive maneuvers.
Do not exceed the approved gross
vehicle weight or the approved axle
loads, refer to page 172, otherwise the
vehicle's operating safety is no longer
assured and the vehicle will not be in
compliance with the certification regu-
lations.
Do not stow heavy or hard objects in
the passenger compartment without
securing them. Otherwise they could be
thrown around during braking and eva-
sive maneuvers and could endanger the
passengers.<
Cargo loading
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124Special operating instructions
Break-in proceduresTo ensure that your vehicle continues to
provide maximum economy throughout
an extended service life, we request
that you devote careful attention to the
following instructions.Engine and differentialThe first 1,250 miles/2,000 km:
Drive at varying engine and road
speeds, but do not exceed an engine
speed of 4,500 rpm or a road speed of
100 mph / 160 km/h.
Always obey all official speed limits.
Do not use full throttle, and avoid
pressing the accelerator beyond the
kickdown point during these initial
miles.
You can then proceed to increase
engine or vehicle speeds once the ini-
tial 1,250 miles/2,000 km have elapsed.TiresOwing to technical factors associated
with their manufacture, tires do not
achieve their full traction potential until
an initial break-in period has elapsed.
We thus ask you to drive with extra care
during the first 200 miles/300 km.
Always obey all official speed limits.
Brake systemApprox. 300 miles/500 km must elapse
before the brake pads and rotors
achieve the optimal pad-surface and
wear patterns required for trouble-free
operation and an extended service life
later on.
To break in the separate parking brake
drums, apply the parking brake lightly
when coasting to a standstill, e.g. at a
traffic signal, provided that traffic condi-
tions permit to do so.
You can prevent corrosion in the drums
by periodically repeating this proce-
dure.
The brake lamps do not come on
when the parking brake is set.
Vacuum for the brake system servo unit
on your BMW is available only when the
engine is running. When you move the
vehicle with the engine off – when tow-
ing, for example – substantially higher
levels of pedal force will be required to
brake the vehicle.<
ClutchApprox. 300 miles/500 km must elapse
before the clutch starts to operate at
optimum efficiency. Remember to
engage the clutch carefully during this
initial period.After replacing partsFollow the same break-in procedures if
any of the components mentioned
above have to be replaced in the future.

125
General driving notesHot exhaust system
High temperatures occur with
every vehicle equipped with a cat-
alytic converter. Heat shields are
installed adjacent to some sections of
the exhaust system. Never remove
these shields; do not apply undercoat-
ing to their surfaces. When driving,
standing at idle and parking the vehicle,
take care to avoid contact between the
hot exhaust system and flammable
materials, e.g. hay, leaves, grass, etc.
Such contact could lead to a fire,
resulting in serious personal injury and
property damage.<
Parking the vehicleCondensation forms in the air condi-
tioner system during operation, which
then exits under the vehicle. It is thus
not unusual for a small puddle to form
under the car while the system is run-
ning.Before driving through a car washFold in the exterior mirrors manually
because they could otherwise be dam-
aged due to the width of the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy
roads, reduce vehicle speed. If
you do not, a wedge of water may form
between tire and road surface. This
phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and can lead to partial or com-
plete loss of traction, vehicle control
and braking effectiveness.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as
the tread depth of the tires decreases,
refer also to Tire tread on page 135.
Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the
road if it is deeper than 1 ft/30 cm,
and then only at walking speed. Other-
wise, the vehicle's engine, the electrical
systems and the transmission may be
damaged.<
Braking safelyYour BMW is equipped with ABS as a
standard feature. If you are in a situa-
tion which requires full braking, it is
best to brake using maximum brake
pressure: panic stop. Since the vehicle
maintains steering responsiveness, you
can avoid possible obstacles with a
minimum of steering effort, despite the
full brake application.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits
indicates to the driver that ABS is in its
active mode.
Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Otherwise,
even light but consistent pedal pres-
sure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake
failure.<
Wet roads:
if the roads are wet or if there is heavy
rain, it is advisable to gently press the
brakes for a brief moment every few
miles/kilometers. Monitor traffic condi-
tions to ensure that this maneuver does
not endanger other road users. The
heat generated in this process helps
dry the pads and rotors. Immediate
braking force is then available if neces-
sary.
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