Towing A Trailer - BMW 318i Owner's Handbook Manual

Correct, secure loading of the roof rack will pre-
vent items from shifting or falling off during the
journey.
Drive smoothly and avoid violent acceleration,
braking or cornering.

Towing a trailer

The trailer load limit is given on page 160.
Trailer tow hitch with swivel-mounted
ball head*
Vehicles built with a factory-installed trailer tow
hitch come with the standard equipment of
reinforced springs at the rear axle and, depend-
ing on the vehicle model, with a more powerful
engine cooling system.
The ball head for the trailer tow hitch is located
on the underside of the vehicle. It can be swiv-
elled in and out when the ignition is switched
off. See also the operating instructions supplied
by the system's manufacturer.
Before driving with a trailer or load carrier,
make sure that the ball head is properly
locked, as unstable driving conditions and/or
accidents could otherwise result. The ball head
is correctly locked into place when the LED in
the button lights up in green.<
Swivelling out the ball head
1. Switch off the ignition and open the luggage
area.
2. Step out of the swivelling area of the ball
head behind the vehicle.
3. Saloon: briefly press the button on the
right-hand side of the luggage area. Tour-
ing: Briefly press the button behind the lug-
gage-area trim panel on the left-hand side.
The ball head swivels out to its intermediate
position. The LED in the button flashes in
red.
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Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 0 013 257 - © 02/07 BMW AG
Saloon:
Touring:
4. Swivel out the ball head manually until it
locks into place audibly. To protect your
hands from dirt, wear the linen gloves sup-
plied with the vehicle. The ball head is cor-
rectly locked into place when the LED in the
button lights up in green.
If the ball head is not properly locked, the
LED in the button flashes in red. Press the
button for approx. 5 seconds and swivel out the
ball head again. If the LED in the button contin-
ues to flash in red, do not use the trailer tow
hitch, as unstable driving conditions and/or
accidents could otherwise
Due to the reinforced chassis in the rear area of
a vehicle equipped for trailer towing, the self-
result.<