air condition BMW 325Ci COUPE 2003 E46 User Guide

94
Tips for pleasant drivingUse the automatic mode – switch on
with AUTO button 7. Select an interior
temperature that is comfortable for you.
Detailed setting options are described
for you in the following section.
You can make the settings of your
vehicle in such a manner that,
when you unlock the vehicle with the
remote control of your personal key,
your own personalized setting for the
automatic climate control is initiated. supply
The AUTO program adjusts the
air distribution and the air sup-
ply for you and in addition adapts the
temperature to external influences –
summer, winter – to meet preferences
you can specify.
Individual air distribution
You can cancel the AUTO pro-
gram by selecting specific dis-
tribution patterns to suit your
own individual requirements.
While the AUTO program is deacti-
vated, the automatic airflow control
remains in operation. Air flows onto
the windows , toward the upper
body , and into the footwell . You
can switch the automatic distribution of
air back on by selecting the AUTO but-
ton.Temperature
The interior temperature that
appears in the display panel is a
general figure intended for reference
purposes. We recommend 727/
+226 as a comfortable setting, even if
the air conditioning is on. When you
start the vehicle, the system ensures
that the selected temperature is
achieved as quickly as possible regard-
less of the season. It then maintains this
temperature.
To select the units of measure 6/7
of the temperature display, refer to
page 74.
Air supply/Blower
By pressing the left or right half
of the button, you can vary the
air supply. This deactivates the auto-
matic control of the air supply, AUTO
disappears from the display panel. Nev-
ertheless, the automatic air distribution
remains unchanged. You can reactivate
the automatic air distribution mode by
selecting the AUTO button.
When the lowest blower speed is set
and you press the left half of the button,
all of the displays are canceled: the
blower, heating and air conditioner are
switched off. The outside air supply is
blocked. You can reactivate the system
by pressing any button for the auto-
matic climate control.To defrost windows and remove
condensation
This program quickly removes
ice and condensation from the
windshield and the side windows.
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehumidi-
fied and – depending on the
temperature setting – rewarmed.
Depending on the weather, the wind-
shield may fog over briefly when the
engine is started. Air conditioning helps
prevent the windows from fogging up.
Automatic climate control*
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95
Condensation forms during opera-
tion of the air conditioning system,
which then exits under the vehicle.
Traces of condensed water on the
ground underneath the vehicle are thus
normal.<
Outside air/Automatic
recirculated-air control (AUC)/
Recirculated air
You can respond to unpleasant
external odors or pollutants by
temporarily stopping the flow of outside
air. The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to select
one of three different operating modes.
>Indicator lamps off: outside airflow is
on
>Left-hand indicator lamp on – AUC
mode: the system recognizes pollut-
ants in the outside air and blocks the
flow of air when necessary. The sys-
tem then recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle. Depending on the
air quality, the automatic system then
switches back and forth between
outside air supply and recirculation of
the air within the vehicle
>Right-hand indicator lamp on: the
flow of external air into the vehicle is
permanently blocked. The system
then recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle.
If the windows should fog over in
the recirculated-air mode, switch
this mode off and increase the air sup-
ply as required. When the rear window defroster
is activated, the indicator lamp
comes on. The rear window defroster
switches off automatically.
You can have your vehicle pro-
grammed in such a way that the
rear window defroster switches on
automatically. This occurs within 5 min-
utes after starting the engine when out-
side temperatures are below approx.
397/+46.<
Draft-free ventilationYou can adjust the blower controls for
the upper body area to obtain the opti-
mum airflow rates and directions for
your personal requirements:
1Rotary dials for infinitely variable
opening and closing of the vent out-
lets
2Levers for airflow direction
3Rotary dial allows you to control the
temperature of the airflow from these
outlets as desired
Automatic climate control*
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97 Interior conveniences
Premium sound system*Harman Kardon premium sound
systemPress the button to activate and deacti-
vate the acoustic enhancement.
The system creates the acoustic
impression of a much larger passenger
compartment accompanied by
improved stereophonic sound at all
seating positions.
The system responds to poor reception
conditions by repeatedly alternating
between the stereo and monophonic
modes. You should then switch the sys-
tem off.
Glove compartmentTo openPull the handle. The lamp in the glove
compartment will come on.To closeFold the cover 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.
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111 Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressureInformation for your safetyThe factory-approved tires are matched
to your vehicle and have been selected
to provide optimum safety and driving
comfort when used properly.
It is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving comfort and – above all else
– driving safety that depend on the con-
dition of the tires and the maintenance
of the specified tire inflation pressure.
Incorrect tire inflation pressure is a fre-
quent cause of tire damage. It also sig-
nificantly influences the roadholding
ability of your BMW.
Be sure to check the tire inflation
pressure, including the space-
saver spare tire or the spare tire, on a
regular basis, at least twice a month
and before every extended journey,
refer to page 24. If this is not done,
incorrect tire pressures can cause driv-
ing instability and tire damage, ulti-
mately resulting in accidents.<
Tire conditionTire tread – tire damageInspect your tires frequently for tread
wear, signs of damage and for foreign
objects lodged in the tread. Check the
tread depth.
Tread depth should not be allowed to
go below 1/8 in / 3 mm, even though
the legally specified minimum tread
depth is 1/16 in / 1.6 mm.
Below 1/8 in / 3 mm tread depth, there
is a great risk of hydroplaning, even at
relatively moderate speeds and with
only small amounts of water on the
road. Tread wear indicators in the
tread-groove base – see arrow – are
distributed around the wheel circumfer-
ence and are labeled on the tire side-
wall with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. At
a tread depth of 1/16 in / 1.6 mm, the
indicators signal that the legally permis-
sible wear limit has been reached.
Do not drive on a deflated – flat –
tire. A flat tire greatly impairs
steering and braking response, and can
lead to complete loss of control over
the vehicle. Avoid overloading the vehi-
cle so that the permitted load on the
tires is not exceeded. Overloading can
lead to overheating and internal tire
damage.
The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
normal vehicle operation can indicate a
flat tire or some other vehicle malfunc-
tion. This type of problem can be
caused by contact with curbs, etc. This
is also true for irregularities in the vehi-
cle's handling characteristics, such as a
pronounced tendency to pull to the left
or right. Should this occur, respond by
immediately reducing your speed. Pro-
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112
ceed carefully to the nearest BMW cen-
ter or professional tire center, or have
the vehicle towed in to have it, its
wheels or its tires inspected.
Tire damage up to and including sud-
den and complete air loss can endan-
ger the lives of both the vehicle occu-
pants and other road users.<
Tire replacementTo maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer.DOT quality gradesTread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must con-
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified government test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half – 1
1/2 – times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.
TractionThe traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does
not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics. highest, B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive tem-
perature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
Tire condition
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114
Wheel and tire combinationsThe right choice
BMW recommends using only
wheels and tires that have been
approved by BMW for your particular
vehicle model, as otherwise body con-
tact and serious accidents can result
despite the use of the same nominal
size, e.g. due to manufacturing toler-
ances. BMW cannot evaluate all tires
and wheels on the market, and is thus
unable to guarantee that the vehicle will
continue to perform safely if unap-
proved tires and/or wheels are
mounted.<
For each tire size, BMW has assessed
the safe performance of specific tire
brands and approved them for use.
Consult any BMW center for details.
Comply with any local/national regula-
tions, for example by recording the tire
type in the vehicle documents.
The correct wheel and tire combi-
nation affects various systems
that would otherwise be impaired, for
example ABS, ASC+T/DSC and
ADB/DBC.
For this reason, use only tires of the
same manufacture and tread configura-
tion. In the event of a flat tire, for exam-
ple, remount the approved wheel and
tire combination as soon as possible.<
StorageAlways store tires in a cool, dry place.
Store them away from light whenever
possible. Protect the tires against con-
tact with oil, grease and fuel.
Winter tiresChoosing the right tireBMW recommends winter tires – M+S
tires – for operation under inclement
winter driving conditions. While all-sea-
son tires – M+S designation – provide
better winter traction than the corre-
sponding summer tires, they generally
do not achieve the performance of win-
ter tires.
In the interest of safe tracking and
steering response, install winter tires
made by the same manufacturer and
having the same tread configuration on
all four wheels.
Never exceed the maximum
speed for which the winter tires
are rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and
accidents.
Have this work performed by trained
professionals only. Any BMW center
has the required technical knowledge
and the proper equipment and will be
happy to assist you.<
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115
Tire condition, tire pressureAt tread depths below approx. 3/16 in /
4 mm, winter tires display a perceptible
decrease in their ability to cope with
winter driving conditions, and should be
replaced in the interest of safety.
Comply with the specified tire inflation
pressures – and be sure to have the
wheel and tire assembly balanced
every time you change a tire or wheel.Snow chains*BMW has assessed the safe perfor-
mance of certain specific tire brands
and approved them for use. Consult
any BMW center for details. BMW rec-
ommends using approved fine-link
snow chains only. Use them inpairs on
either summer or winter tires, but only
on both rear wheels.
Comply with all manufacturer's safety
precautions when mounting the chains.
Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph /
50 km/h when using snow chains.
You cannot mount snow chains on the
following tires:
225/50 R 16
225/45 R 17
225/40 R 18
245/40 R 17255/35 R 18Winter tires
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121
Adding engine oilWhile you should wait until the level has
dropped to just above the lower mark
before adding oil, you should never
allow the oil level to fall below this
mark.
BMW engines are designed to
operate without oil additives; the
use of additives could lead to damage
in some cases. This also applies to the
manual transmission, the automatic
transmission, the differential, and the
power steering system.<
Recommendation: have the oil changed
at your BMW center.
Continuous exposure to used oil
has caused cancer in laboratory
testing. For this reason, any skin areas
that come into contact with oil should
be thoroughly washed with soap and
water.
Always store oil, grease, etc., out of
reach of children. Comply with all warn-
ing labels and information on contain-
ers.<
Comply with the applicable envi-
ronmental laws regulating the dis-
posal of used oil.<
Specified engine oilsThe quality of the engine oil is
extremely important for the operation
and service life of an engine. Based on
extensive testing, BMW has approved
only certain grades of engine oil.
Use only approved BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil.
If an approved BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oil should be unavailable, you
may use small amounts of other syn-
thetic oils for topping up between oil
changes. Use only oils with the specifi-
cation API SH or higher.
Ask your BMW center for details
concerning the specific BMW
High Performance Synthetic Oil or syn-
thetic oils that have been approved.<
You can also call BMW of North Amer-
ica toll-free at 1-800-831-1117 or visit
this website: www.bmwusa.com to
obtain this information.
Viscosity ratingsViscosity is the oilflow rating as estab-
lished in SAE classes.
The selection of the correct SAE class
depends on the climatic conditions in
the area where you drive your BMW.
Approved oils are in SAE classes
5W-40 and 5W-30.<
These kinds of oil may be used for driv-
ing in all ambient temperatures.
Engine oil
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124Maintenance
The BMW Maintenance SystemThe BMW Maintenance System has
been designed as a reliable means of
providing maximum driving and operat-
ing safety – and as cost-effectively for
you as possible.
Please keep in mind that regular main-
tenance is not only necessary for the
safety of your vehicle, but also plays a
significant role in maintaining the resale
value of the vehicle.Service interval displayWhile conventional systems rely on dis-
tance traveled alone to determine when
service is due, the BMW Maintenance
System has for years taken the actual
conditions under which the vehicle
operates into consideration, because
miles can be traveled in many different
ways:
From a maintenance point of view,
62,000 miles/100,000 km of short-dis-
tance urban driving cannot be com-
pared with 62,000 miles/ 100,000 km of
long-distance highway travel.
The BMW Maintenance System
includes the Engine Oil Service and
Inspections I and II.
Determining the maintenance intervals
according to the actual use of the vehi-
cle covers every kind of operating situa-
tion. Minimal use drivers – significantly
fewer than 6,200 miles/10,000 km
annually – should have the engine oil
changed at least every 2 years since oil
deteriorates over time, regardless of
use.
Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models/
Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian modelsFor additional information on required
maintenance intervals and procedures,
please refer to the Service and War-
ranty Information Booklet for US mod-
els, or the Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
As a precaution against rust, it is advis-
able to have the body checked for dam-
age from rocks or gravel at the same
time, depending upon operating condi-
tions.
Have your BMW center perform
maintenance and repair.
Be sure that all maintenance work is
recorded in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US models, or
in the Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models. These
entries are your verification of regular
maintenance on your vehicle and are
required for the performance of war-
ranty repairs.<
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Everything from A to ZA
ABS Antilock Brake System
18, 109
Accessories 5
Activated-charcoal filter 96
ADB Automatic Differential
Brake 77
Adding brake fluid 123
Air conditioning 88, 94
Air distribution 90, 94
Air nozzles 88, 92
Air outlets 88, 92
Air pressure 111
check 24
Air supply 90, 94
Airbags 18, 52
Alarm system 38
Anchorages 105
Antifreeze 122
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
18, 109
Anti-theft system 38
Armrest 98
ASC+T Automatic Stability
Control plus Traction 18,
19, 77
Ashtray
front 100
rear 100
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control 95Automatic car wash, refer to
the Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Automatic climate control 92
Automatic cruise control 68
Automatic Differential Brake
(ADB) 77
Automatic dimming, interior
rearview mirror 51
Automatic headlamp
control 85
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC) 95
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction (ASC+T) 18,
19, 77
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic 19, 63
Average fuel
consumption 75
Average speed 75
Avoiding unintentional
alarms 39
Axle loads 148
B
Backrest, adjusting 44
Backup lamps 62
replacing bulb 133Battery
charge 140
charge current 18
discharged 140
Belts 47
Beverage holder 98, 99
Blind, sun protection 96
Blower 90, 94
BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oils 121
BMW sports seat 44
Bore 146
Bottle holder, see Beverage
holder 98
Brake hydraulic system 18
Brake lamps
replacing bulb 133
Brake pads 19
Brake, parking 61
Brakes, malfunctions 110
Break-in procedures 108
Bulb, replacing 131
C
California Proposition 65
warning 126
Can holder, see Beverage
holder 98
Capacities 149
Car care, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochureCar telephone
refer to the separate
Owner's Manual
Car vacuum cleaner, con-
necting 100
Car wash, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
Cargo loading 104
Cassette player operation,
refer to the Owner's Man-
ual for Radio
CBC Cornering Brake
Control 18, 109
CD player operation, refer to
the Owner's Manual for
Radio
Cellular phone 99
Center armrest 98
Center high-mount brake
lamp 134
Central locking system 30
button 34
Charge indicator lamp 18
Check Control 72
Child-restraint mounting
system (LATCH) 56
Cigarette lighter 100
Cleaning windshield 68
Clock 73
setting, refer also to the
radio or onboard com-
puter Owner's Manual
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