power steering BMW 325I SEDAN 2004 E46 Owner's Manual

Contents

Notes

About this Owner's Manual4
Additional sources of
information4
Symbols used4
Your individual vehicle5
Status at time of printing5
For your own safety5
Symbol on vehicle parts6
Service and warranty7
Reporting safety defects7

Overview

Cockpit14
Instrument cluster16
Indicator and warning lamps18
Buttons in steering wheel*22
Hazard warning triangle*23
First-aid kit*23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressure25

Controls and features

Opening and closing:

Keys32
Central locking system32
Opening and closing – via the
remote control33
Opening and closing – via the
door lock36
Opening and closing – from the
inside37
Luggage compartment lid38
Luggage compartment40
Alarm system*41
Electric power windows43
Glass sunroof, electric*44

To adjust:

Safe seating position47
Seats48
Manual seat adjustment48
Power seat adjustment*50
Lumbar support*50
Head restraints51
Safety belts51
Seat and mirror memory*53
Seat heating*54
Steering wheel55
Mirrors55

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags57
Transporting children safely60
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory64

122
Brake systemBrake fluid levelLow brake fluid level in the reservoir
combined with longer than usual pedal
travel may indicate a defect in one of
the brake system's hydraulic circuits.
Proceed to the nearest BMW cen-
ter. It may be necessary to apply
higher levels of pressure to the pedal
when stopping and braking distances
may also be longer. Please remember
to adapt your driving style accord-
ingly. sionally, during extended periods when
the vehicle is not used at all, and in
operating conditions where brake appli-
cations are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion of the
rotors and accumulation of contamina-
tion on the brake pads. This occurs
because the minimal pressure that must
be exerted by the pads to clean the
rotors by brake applications is not
reached.
Corrosion on brake rotors is signaled by
a running or pulsation during braking;
even extended subsequent braking will
not cure this phenomenon.
It is a good idea to periodically dry the
brakes with a gentle application when
driving in rain and on wet roads. Watch
traffic conditions to ensure that this
maneuver does not endanger other
road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors
to ensure that your brake system will
respond with undiminished efficiency
when you need it.
When descending steep hills and
extended grades, downshift to a gear
that will allow you to continue safely
with only a minimal amount of braking.
This helps avoid placing excessive
loads on the brake system. Use care to
avoid exceeding the approved engine-
speed range, refer to page 80.Do not coast with the clutch
depressed or with the transmis-
sion or selector lever in Neutral. Do not
coast with the engine shut off. The
engine provides no braking effect when
the clutch is depressed and there is no
power-assist for braking or steering
when the engine is not running.
325xi, 330xi: always refer all brake
inspection and service work to your
BMW center, as failure to observe the
special procedures could result in dam-
age to components of the all-wheel
drive.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any
other objects to protrude into the area
around the accelerator, clutch and
brake pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.<
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only
brake pads which BMW has
approved for your specific vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suitable for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<

133
Adding engine oilOnly add engine oil when the oil level
has dropped to just above the lower
mark on the dipstick.
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.
Store oils, grease and similar materials
so that they are inaccessible to chil-
dren. Comply with warning labels and
information on containers.<
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 volumes 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
America 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
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Everything from A to ZReverse
automatic transmission
with Steptronic 73
SMG gearbox 70
Reverse gear
manual transmission 68
Roller sun blind 106
Roof load capacity 162
Roof-mounted luggage
rack 117
Run Flat tires 126, 150
S
Safe seating position 47
Safety belt height adjust-
ment 52
Safety belts 51
sitting safely 47
warning lamp 18
Safety feature
glass sunroof 45
Safety precautions 5
Safety switch for rear win-
dows 44
Safety systems, refer to
Antilock Brake
System 121
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC) 87
Screwdriver, refer to
Onboard tool kit 142Seat adjustment 48
BMW sports seat 49
mechanical 48
power 50
Seat belt tensioner, refer to
Safety belts 51
Seat heating 54
Seat memory, refer to Seat
and mirror memory 53
Seat positions, storing 53
Seats 48
Securing cargo 116
Securing the vehicle
from inside 37
from outside 33, 36
Selector lever
automatic transmission 73
sequential manual gear-
box SMG 69
Selector lever lock, refer to
Shiftlock 69, 73
Selector lever positions
automatic transmission 73
sequential manual gear-
box SMG 69
Sequential manual gearbox
SMG 69
indicator lamp 19
Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet 136
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
warning lamp 19Service interval display
82, 136
Shift paddles 70
Shifting gears
automatic transmission
with Steptronic 73
sequential manual gear-
box SMG 70
Shiftlock 69
Shiftlock, refer to Range
selection 73
Side airbags 57
Side turn signal indicators
bulb replacement 145
Sitting safely
with airbags 47
with safety belts 47
Size 161
Ski bag 113
Sliding/tilt sunroof, refer to
Electric glass sunroof 44
SMG sequential manual
gearbox 69
indicator lamp 19
Smokers' package, refer to
Ashtray 110
Snow chains 128
Socket, refer to Cigarette
lighter socket 110
SOS, refer to Emergency
call 152Space-saver spare tire
changing a wheel 147
Spare key 32
Spare tire 147
Spare wheel 150
Speed gauge, refer to
Speedometer 16
Speedometer 16
SPORT button 72
Sport program
automatic transmission
with Steptronic 74
Sports seat 49
Stability control, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC) 87
Standing lamps 95
Starting difficulties
jump-starting 153
temperature 65
Starting help DSC 87
Starting the engine 65
Starting, refer to Starting the
engine 65
Status of the Owner's Man-
ual 5
Steering wheel lock 65
Steering wheel, adjusting 55
Steptronic, refer to Manual
operation 74
Storage compartments 108
Storage nets 108