key BMW SPORT WAGON 2001 Owner's Manual

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
59n
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memoryPassenger side exterior mirror tilt
function(automatic curb monitor)
1 Move the mirror selector switch
(arrow) to the "driver's mirror"
position.
2 When the selector lever is placed in
"Reverse," the passenger-side mirror
tilts downward to help the driver
monitor the area directly adjacent to
the car during parking (curbs, etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic
feature by setting the mirror selection
switch to the "passenger side" position.390de147
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a man-
ner that your personalized settings are
automatically called up for the seat,
mirror and steering wheel positions
when you unlock the vehicle with the
remote control of your personal key.<
If you make use of this setting
mode, be sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is unobstructed
before unlocking the vehicle. If you fail
to do so, any persons or objects behind
the seat could be injured or damaged
by a rearward movement of the seat.<

60n
Car Memory, Key MemoryHow the system functionsYou have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle to reflect your
own personal requirements. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has included
several user-defined functions in the
vehicle's design. Your authorized BMW
center can make these settings for you.
There are settings related to the vehicle
("Car Memory") and settings related to
individuals ("Key Memory"). You can
have two different basic positions con-
figured for two different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key.463de029
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes
the individual user by means of a data
exchange with the key, and makes
adjustments accordingly.
In order for you to distinguish between
different keys, colored decals are
supplied together with the keys.What the system can doYour authorized BMW center can
provide you with details on the capabili-
ties of the Car Memory and Key
Memory systems.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<
An example of Key Memory is the auto-
matic adjustment of the driver's power
seat with stored settings for the individ-
ual person when the vehicle is un-
locked.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
63n
AirbagsThe illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
which initiate an airbag deployment.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear.c390de142
Operational status
The indicator lamp displays the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
then goes out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on.
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out and then lighting up
again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response
range.
Have the system checked by your
BMW center immediately.
Sitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the
airbags. If you do not, the airbags may
not be able to provide their maximum
protection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with
this information:
Even though there is an airbag, wear a
safety belt every time you get in the
vehicle, because airbags enhance
safety by providing added protection.
Make sure you are seated comfortably
in your seat, in such a way that you al-
ways maintain control, and are not too
close to the steering wheel.
Always hold the steering wheel by the
rim to keep any chance of injury to
hands or arms to an absolute minimum,
should the airbag be deployed.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbag and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger-side airbag as a
storage area.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
67n
Transporting children safelyOlder children should be tightly secured
with a safety belt. Younger children
should be secured in an appropriate
forward-facing child restraint system
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.<
All rear seating positions in your
vehicle meet the recommendations
of SAE J1819, an industry-recom-
mended practice for securing child
restraint systems in motor vehicles.
Child restraint installationAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems. A label with the ap-
propriate instructions for this is located
in the immediate vicinity of the buckle
latch of each safety belt.Lock the safety beltPull 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.Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt
to its end position on the belt retractor. 365us146
Child-safety locksInsert the key to the slot of a rear door
lock and turn it outward:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only.390de019

68n
0 Steering lock engagedThis is the only position in which the
ignition key can be inserted and
removed.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
Once the ignition has been switched off
(ignition key in position 0 or pulled out),
the radio functions are still available for
approx. 20 minutes. Turn the radio back
on to use it.
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Do not move the selector lever from
position "P" until the engine is running
(ignition key position 2).390de010
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock. Therefore, the ignition key cannot
be turned to position 0 and removed
until the selector lever is in position "P"
(Interlock).< 1 Steering lock disengagedYou will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engineBefore starting
>Engage the parking brake.
>Put the manual-shift gear lever in idle
or in P for an automatic transmission.
>Step on the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Breathing the exhaust gases poses
an extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Never leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
69n
Starting the engine Switching off the engineStarting the engine>Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time. Do not turn it for
more than approx. 20 seconds. Release
the ignition key immediately as soon as
the engine starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle re-
mains stationary. Instead, begin driving
immediately at a moderate engine
speed.
BMW 540i with automatic transmission:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Simply turn the
key to position 3 (starter) and then re-
lease it immediately.
The starter continues to operate auto-
matically.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate if the battery voltage is low.
Should this condition arise, it remains
possible to jump-start the engine (refer
to page 200).<
Should the engine fail to start on the
first attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. +57 (–156)
and at elevations above 3,300 ft
(1,000 meters):
>Be sure to let the starter remain
engaged somewhat longer the first
time (approx. 10 seconds).
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, always deactivate electrical de-
vices which are not in use. Switch the
ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Never remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is rolling. The
steering locks, making it impossible to
steer the vehicle.
Always remove the ignition key and en-
gage the steering lock before leaving
the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces, since not even placing the
lever in 1st gear or reverse may not
provide adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
Vehicles with automatic transmission
*:
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in "Park" before you can
remove the ignition key.

70n
Parking brake Manual transmissionThe parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.To engageThe lever engages automatically and
the "PARK BRAKE" or "BRAKE" (in
Canada "P") indicator lamp comes on in
the instrument cluster in ignition key
position 2. Refer to pages 22 and 23.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.390de042
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply mod-
erate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake
when parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces, since not even placing the
lever in 1st gear or reverse may not
provide adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill (at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance), provided that it is safe
to do so.
BMW 525i, BMW 530iEvery time you shift gears, always
depress the clutch pedal all the way
down, pushing the manual-shift gear
lever into the respective end position.
Depress the clutch even when starting
the engine, otherwise, a lock will pre-
vent the engine from being started.
The shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.360de044

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
71n
Manual transmissionBMW 540iEvery time you shift gears, always
depress the clutch pedal all the way
down, pushing the manual-shift gear
lever into the respective end position.
Depress the clutch even when starting
the engine, otherwise, a lock will pre-
vent the engine from being started.
The shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.380de044
When shifting gears in the 5th/
6th-gear plane, be sure to press
the gear lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th-gear plane.<
ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary. Press the shift lever to the
left to overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Riding the clutch causes increased
clutch wear.<

74n
Automatic transmission
*
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or if the message "TRANS.
FAILSAFE PROG" appears in
the Check Control
*, there is a malfunc-
tion in the transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop, select the
"Park" position, apply the parking brake
and shut the engine off (ignition key po-
sition 0). Restart the engine after a few
seconds. If the indicator lamp goes out
again after a few seconds, the normal
transmission functions have been re-
stored. You may continue to drive as
usual.
If the indicator lamp does not go out,
you can place the selector lever in all
positions. However, the vehicle will now
only drive forward with limited gear
selection.
Under these circumstances, avoid ex-
treme engine loads and consult the
nearest BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 200 and 201.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
77n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Upshifts or downshifts will be carried
out by the ATC only at appropriate
engine speeds and road speeds. For
instance, if engine speed is too high, a
downshift will not be executed. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the
current gear.
If you are driving in the manual
mode and wish to accelerate
rapidly from low road speeds (when
passing, for instance), you must shift
down manually or with the "Kickdown"
function.<
You can only change from "M/S" to
selector lever positions "P," "R," and
"N" via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts
automatically to the next higher gear.
shortly before the RPM cutoff point
>At low speeds, the transmission
shifts down automatically – you do
not have to act.
>In the "Kickdown" mode, the trans-
mission shifts down to the lowest
gear which is possible, depending on
the engine speed.
>According to the situation, for
instance in wintry conditions, the
vehicle can be started in 2nd or
3rd gear.Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or the message "TRANS.FAIL-
SAFE PROG" appears in the
Check Control
*, there is a fault in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to "P." Set
the parking brake and turn the engine
off (ignition key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission
performance has been restored. You
may continue to drive as usual. If the
indicator lamp does not go out, you can
place the selector lever in all positions.
However, the vehicle will now only drive
forward with limited gear selection.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest BMW
center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 200 and 201.