ECU BMW 540I SEDAN 2003 Owners Manual

Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with enhanced control and
security when you drive it. We therefore have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize yourself with the
information that we have compiled for you before starting off in your new BMW. The
manual contains important data and instructions intended to assist you in obtaining
maximum satisfaction from your BMW's unique array of advanced technical fea-
tures. It also contains information on vehicle maintenance designed to enhance
operating safety while simultaneously helping you to maintain your BMW's value
throughout an extended service life. For additional information refer to the supple-
mental manuals.
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of this vehicle. It
should stay with the vehicle when sold to provide the next owner with important
operating, safety and maintenance information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

Foreword

Contents

© 2002 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 818
US English IX/2002
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper
Ð bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
Notes
Overview
Controls and features

About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
The individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects10Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps19
Steering wheel with multifunction
buttons22
Warning triangle23
First-aid kit23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressure26

Locks and security systems:

Keys32
Central locking system32
Opening and closing Ð via the
door lock33
Opening and closing Ð via the
remote control34
Opening and closing Ð from the
inside37
Luggage compartment lid/
Tailgate38
Rear window40
Luggage compartment42
Alarm system42
Electric power windows44
Sliding/tilt sunroof46

Adjustments:

Sitting safely48
Seats48
Manually-adjusted seat49
Electric power seats50
Head restraints52
BMW active seat52
Safety belts53
Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory54
Seat heating55
Adjusting steering wheel56
Steering wheel heating56
Mirrors57

Contents

33n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the door lockUsing the keyOne turn of the key in the driver's door
lock unlocks the driver's door only.
Turning the key a second time unlocks
all of the remaining doors, the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate and the fuel
filler door.
You can have a signal set to con-
firm that the vehicle's locks have
engaged securely.< 390de723
Convenience operationYou can also operate the windows and
sliding/tilt sunroof via the door lock.
>To open: with the door closed, turn
the key to the "Unlock" position and
hold it
>To close: with the door closed, turn
the key to the "Lock" position and
hold it.
Watch the closing process care-
fully and be sure that no one is
trapped by the closing motion. The
closing process stops immediately
when you release the key.< Manual operationin the event of an electrical malfunction
Turn the key to the extreme left or right
to unlock/lock the driver's door.

34n
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlThe conceptThe remote control makes opening and
locking the doors of your vehicle very
convenient. Furthermore, it provides
three additional functions which you
can only execute via the remote control:
>To switch on interior lamps, refer to
page 35.
With this function, you can also
"search for" your vehicle, when
parked in an underground garage, for
instance
>To open the luggage compartment
lid/tailgate, refer to page 35.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate
will open slightly, regardless of
whether it was previously locked or
unlocked
>Panic mode
In case of danger, you can trigger the
alarm.
Whenever you unlock (lock) the vehicle,
you simultaneously deactivate (activate)
the anti-theft system, disarm (arm) the
alarm system and switch the interior
lamps on (off).
You can have a signal set to con-
firm that the vehicle's locks have
engaged securely.<
1 Unlock, convenience opening and
alarm system
2 Lock and secure, interior lamp activa-
tion, disarming tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
3 Open the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate, panic mode390de793
Master keys with remote control
Since passengers or animals
remaining in the vehicle might be
able to lock the doors from the inside,
take the vehicle's keys with you so that
the vehicle can be opened again from
the outside at any time.<
Master keys that are used repeat-
edly are always ready for opera-
tion, since the battery in the key is
charged automatically in the ignition
lock as you drive.
If it is no longer possible to lock the
vehicle via the remote control, the
battery is discharged. Use this key
while driving for an extended period in
order to charge the battery. Refer also
to page 32.
To prevent unauthorized use of the
remote control, surrender only the door
and ignition key 3 or the spare key 2
(refer to page 32) when leaving the
vehicle for valet parking, for example.
In the event of a system malfunction,
please contact your BMW center. You
can also obtain replacement keys
there.<

35n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlTo unlockPress button.
Press the button once to unlock the
driver's door and the fuel filler door
only; press a second time to unlock all
remaining doors as well as the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate.Convenience opening modePress and hold button to open the elec-
tric power windows and sliding/tilt sun-
roof.
To lock and securePress button.
Vehicles without armored glass:
do not lock the vehicle if anyone
will be remaining inside, as it would
then be impossible for the occupant(s)
to disengage the locks from the
inside.< To deactivate the tilt alarm sensor
and interior motion sensorPress button a second time immedi-
ately after locking.
For additional information, refer to
page 43.To switch on the interior lampsWith the vehicle locked, press button.
To open the luggage
compartment lid/tailgatePress button.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate
will open slightly, regardless of whether
it was previously locked or unlocked.
Before and after a trip, be sure
that the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate has not been opened uninten-
tionally.< Panic modeProvided that the alarm system is
armed, you can respond to imminent
danger by holding down the button for
between two and five seconds.
To cancel alarm
Press button.

38n
Luggage compartment lid/TailgateLock Ð sedan onlyOnly the master keys (refer to page 32)
fit in the lock of the luggage compart-
ment lid.Opening separatelyTurn the master key to the left in the
luggage compartment lock, continuing
until it stops Ð the luggage compart-
ment lid will open slightly.
The luggage compartment is locked
again as soon as you close the lid.394de783
Secure separatelyTurn the master key to the right past the
pressure point and then pull it out in the
horizontal position.
This locks the luggage compartment lid
and disconnects it from the central
locking system. This feature can be
used to prevent unauthorized access to
the luggage compartment when you
hand over the door and ignition key
(refer to page 32) for valet parking, etc.394de731
Manual operationIn the event of an electrical malfunction,
you can also open the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate manually:
sedan:
Turn the master key to the left in the
luggage compartment lock, continuing
all the way to the end of its travel Ð the
luggage compartment lid will open
slightly.
The luggage compartment is locked
again as soon as you close the lid.

42n
Luggage compartment Alarm systemLuggage strapsUse the straps on the floor of the
luggage compartment to secure smaller
items of luggage.
Movement is reduced when objects are
placed on the straps.
The lashing eyes at the corners of the
luggage compartment provide you
with a convenient means of attaching
luggage nets
* and flexible straps for
securing suitcases and luggage.
Refer also to "Cargo loading" on
page 128.
394de302
HangerOn the left-hand side of the luggage
compartment is a hanger for fastening
shopping bags, packages and similar
items.394de144
The conceptThe vehicle alarm system responds
>when a door, the hood, the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate or the rear
window is opened
>to movement inside the vehicle (inte-
rior motion sensor)
>to variations in the vehicle's tilt angle
such as those occurring during
attempts to steal the wheels or tow
the vehicle
>to interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following
>an acoustic alarm for 30 seconds
>the hazard warning flashers, for
approx. five minutes
>the high beams flash on and off in the
same rhythm as the hazard warning
flashers.

43n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Alarm systemTo arm and disarm the alarm
systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked
with the key or the remote control, the
alarm system is also simultaneously
armed or disarmed.
You can have different acknowl-
edgment signals set to confirm
arming and disarming.<
You can also open the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate when the system is
armed by pressing the button on the
remote control (refer to page 35). When
you close the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate, the luggage compartment is
secured again.
Indicator lamp displays>The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes during
arming: door(s), the hood or luggage
compartment lid/tailgate are not
completely closed. Even if you do not
secure the indicated area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining
areas, and the indicator lamp flashes
continuously after 10 seconds. How-
ever, the interior motion sensor is not
activated
>If the indicator lamp goes out when
the system is disarmed: no manipula-
tion or attempted intrusions have
been detected in the period since the
system was armed390de020
>If the indicator lamp flashes for
10 seconds when the system is
disarmed: an attempted entry has
been detected in the period since the
system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding unintentional alarmsThe tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor may be switched off at the same
time. To prevent an unintentional alarm
from being triggered (in garages with
elevator ramps, for instance), or when
the vehicle is transported by trailer or
train:
Lock the vehicle (arm the alarm system)
twice in succession: press button 2 on
the remote control twice (refer to
page 35), or turn the key in the door
lock to the right (lock) twice in succes-
sion (refer to page 33).
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm
sensor and the interior motion sensor
are deactivated as long as the system is
armed.

53n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Safety beltsDrive with your safety belt onAlways fasten your safety belt before
starting off. As supplemental restraint
devices, the airbags are designed to
enhance the effectiveness of the safety
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the catch engage in
the belt buckle.To open1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the end of the belt
3. Guide the belt back into the inertia
reel.390de653
The shoulder belt anchor automatically
adjusts to continue providing an
optimum fit when you move the seat
forward or back.
The rear belt buckle with the word
"CENTER" is intended exclusively
for the passenger sitting in the middle.
sedan with through-loading system
*:
please comply with the instructions for
the center safety belt on page 121.
sport wagon: if it is not possible to
extract the center belt, this indicates
that the detent for the larger backrest is
not securely engaged, refer to
page 125.<
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
to ensure that the safety belts continue
to provide effective protection, always
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced and the belt anchorages
inspected at your BMW center.
If a child-restraint system was in the
vehicle during an accident, consult the
manufacturer's instructions regarding
replacement.c

62n
Transporting children safelyCommercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion of a combination lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed
restraint systems can increase the risk
of injury to children. Always read and
follow the instructions that come with
the system.
Child-restraint system with tether
strap If you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided Ð
refer to the arrows in the illustrations.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system, as shown in the
following illustrations. 380us123
sport wagon:
To gain access to each anchor fitting lift
the plastic plug (arrows) with the help of
a screwdriver.392au001