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50n
Electric power seat
*
Seat and mirror memory
* 
1 Longitudinal adjustment
2 Cushion height
3 Backrest angle
The head restraint is adjusted manually.
Please refer to the adjustment in-
structions on page 47 to reduce 
the risk of personal injury.<460de016
BMW Sports Seat1 Tilt angle
2 Longitudinal adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Adjust the head restraints (page 48) and 
the thigh support (page 49) manually.
Please refer to the adjustment in-
structions on page 47 to reduce 
the risk of personal injury.<460de025
You can store and recall three different 
driver's seat and outside mirror posi-
tions. 
The adjustment setting of the lum-
bar support is not saved in the 
memory.
1 or 2
2 Adjust your seat and outside mirrors 
to the desired position
3 Press the
 M
EMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button lights up
4 Press memory button 1, 2 or 3 as 
desired: the indicator lamp goes out.
460de017 
     
        
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51n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Seat and mirror memory
*
Adjusting steering wheel 
To select a stored setting:Automatic:
1 Open driver's door after unlocking or 
ignition key in position 1
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3 
as desired.
The adjustment cycle is canceled im-
mediately if you press a seat adjust-
ment switch or one of the memory 
buttons.
Manual:
1 With driver's door closed and ignition 
key either removed or in position 
0 or 2
2 Maintain pressure on desired mem-
ory button 1, 2 or 3 until the adjust-
ment process is completed.
If you press the 
M
EMORY button acci-
dentally: Press the button a second 
time, the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not select a memory position 
while the vehicle is moving. There 
is a risk of accident from unexpected 
seat movement.<
You can adapt the vehicle settings 
so that your own personalized 
seat setting is initiated when you unlock 
the car using your personalized remote 
control key.<
When this setting is used, be sure 
that the footwell behind the driver's 
seat is clear before unlocking the vehi-
cle. Otherwise, persons or objects could 
be injured or damaged should the seat 
move backward.<
1 Push the locking lever downward
2 Adjust the steering wheel (fore/aft 
and up/down) to the desired position
3 Pull the lever back in to clamp the 
steering wheel in the new position.
Do not adjust the steering wheel 
while the vehicle is moving. There 
is a risk of accident from unexpected 
movement. See pages 48 and 58 for in-
formation on correct seating/steering 
wheel position.<460de073 
     
        
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52n
Mirrors Exterior mirrors1 Switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Selection switch for changing 
between mirrors.462us016
You can also adjust the mirrors manu-
ally by pressing against the outer edges 
of their lenses.
The mirror on the passenger's 
side features a lens with a more 
convex surface than the mirror installed 
on the driver's side. When estimating 
the distance between yourself and 
other traffic, bear in mind that the ob-
jects reflected in the mirror are closer 
than they appear. Estimations of the 
distance to following traffic should 
therefore not be regarded as precise.
with the ignition key in position 2.
Inside rearview mirror To reduce glare from behind when driv-
ing at night, tilt the small lever forward.Lighted vanity mirror
*
Fold down the sun visor and slide the 
cover panel to the side as required.
The mirror lamps come on in ignition 
key position 1 or 2.Sun visorsThese can be folded down toward the 
windshield or swiveled out against the 
side windows.460de019 
     
        
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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Airbags 1 Front airbag for driver and passenger
2 Side impact Head Protection System 
(front)
3 Side airbags (front and rear side
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing addi-
tional protection for the front-seat oc-
cupants, in the event of a severe frontal 
collision in which the protection af-
forded by the belts alone may no longer 
be sufficient. The head and side airbags 
help provide protection in the event of a 
side impact. Each of the side airbags is 
designed to help support the upper 
body.462de207
The illustration schematically depicts 
the primary directions of vehicle impact 
that initiate airbag deployment.462de208
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp shows that 
the airbag system is operational 
in ignition key positions 1 and 2.
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.
If there is a system malfunction, there 
is a risk that the airbags will not be trig-
gered in their normal response range in 
the event of an accident, even though 
the impact is severe.
Please have your authorized BMW cen-
ter inspect and repair the system as 
soon as possible. 
The airbag indicator lamp also 
comes on if the safety belt ten-
sioners have been triggered.< 
     
        
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62n
0  Steering lock engaged The key can only be inserted and 
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until 
you hear the lock engage.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic 
signal chimes after the driver's door has 
been opened.
Vehicles with automatic 
transmission:
Move the selector lever from position P 
only after the engine is running (ignition 
key in position 2).
In order to turn the key back to position 0 
or to remove it, move the selector lever 
into position P first (Interlock).<462de195
1  Steering lock disengaged Turning the steering wheel slightly to 
the right or left often makes it easier to 
turn the key from 0 to 1.
Individual electrical devices are ready 
for operation.2  Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3  Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual 
transmission: 
Step on the clutch when starting the 
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine 
from starting if the clutch is not de-
pressed.c
Before starting>Engage parking brake
>Ensure that the transmission selector 
is in "Neutral" (or "Park" if vehicle is 
equipped with automatic transmis-
sion)
>Manual transmission: Depress the 
clutch pedal
>Automatic transmission: Depress the 
footbrake.
Never allow the engine to run with 
the vehicle standing in an en-
closed area. The exhaust gases contain 
carbon monoxide, an odorless and col-
orless, but highly toxic gas. Breathing 
the exhaust gases poses an extreme 
health risk, and can lead to uncon-
sciousness and death.
Do not leave the car unattended with 
the engine running. An unattended ve-
hicle with a running engine represents a 
potential safety hazard.<
>Start the engine. Do not press the 
accelerator pedal.
Steering/ignition lock  Starting the engine  
     
        
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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Starting the engine Switching off the engine 
Do not operate the starter too 
briefly, but not longer than 
approx. 20 seconds. Release the igni-
tion 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, drive off 
immediately at a moderate engine 
speed.<
Should the engine fail to start on the 
first attempt, e.g. if it is very hot or cold:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway 
down while engaging the starter.
Cold start at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. + 57 (– 156) 
and at elevations above 3300 feet 
(1000 meters):
>On the first start attempt, engage the 
starter for a longer period (approx. 
10 seconds)
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway 
down while engaging the starter.
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Do not pull the ignition key out of a 
rolling vehicle, otherwise the igni-
tion switch could lock and it is impossi-
ble to steer the vehicle.
When you leave the vehicle, always 
remove the ignition key and engage the 
steering lock.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when 
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, as placing the lever in 1st gear or 
reverse may not provide adequate re-
sistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park".< 
     
        
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64n
Parking brake To engageThe lock engages automatically when 
you lift the lever, and the indicator lamp 
in the instrument cluster will light up in 
ignition key position 2. See page 21.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the 
button (arrow) and lower the lever.
The parking brake is primarily designed 
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while 
parked, and operates against the rear 
wheels.460de024
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 engaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when 
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, as placing the lever in 1st gear or 
reverse may not provide adequate re-
sistance 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. 
     
        
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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Manual transmission The shift lever's neutral plane (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
Reverse Select only with the vehicle stationary. 
Press the shift lever to the left to over-
come the slight 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. 
A slipping clutch increases clutch 
wear.<