
 
Contents
 
Overview
Controls and features
 
Cockpit 16
Instrument cluster 18
Indicator and warning lamps 20
Multi-function steering wheel 24
Hazard warning system 25
Warning triangle 25
First-aid kit 25
Refueling 26
Fuel specifications 26
Tire inflation pressure 27
 
Locks and security systems:
 
Keys32
Electronic vehicle  immobilizer 33
Central locking system 34
Door locks – from outside 34
Using the key 34
Using the remote control 35
Door locks – from inside 38
Luggage compartment lid 39
Luggage compartment 41
Alarm system 42
Electric power windows 44
Sliding/tilt sunroof 45
 
Adjustments:
 
Seats47
Seat and mirror memory 50
Steering wheel 51
Mirrors 52
Car Memory, Key Memory 54
 
Passenger safety systems:
 
Safety belts55
Child restraint systems 56
Airbags 57
 
Driving:
 
Steering/ignition lock 62
Starting the engine 62
Switching off the engine 63
Parking brake 64 Manual transmission
65
Automatic transmission with Steptronic 66
Turn signal/Headlamp flasher 69
Wiper/washer system/Rain  sensor 69
Rear window defroster 71
Cruise control 72
 
Everything under control:
 
Odometer74
Tachometer 74
Energy control 74
Fuel gauge 75
Temperature gauge 75
Service Interval Display 76
Check Control 77
Clock 77
Onboard computer 77
 
Technology for safety and  
convenience:
 
Park Distance Control (PDC) 80
Dynamic Stability Control  (DSC) 81
Tire Pressure Control (RDC) 82 

30n
Locks and security systems:
Keys32
Electronic vehicle 
immobilizer33
Central locking system34
Door locks – from outside34
Using the key34
Using the remote control35
Door locks – from inside38
Luggage compartment lid39
Luggage compartment41
Alarm system42
Electric power windows44
Sliding/tilt sunroof45
Adjustments:
Seats47
Seat and mirror memory50
Steering wheel51
Mirrors52
Car Memory, Key Memory54
Passenger safety systems:
Safety belts55
Child restraint systems56
Airbags57
Driving:
Steering/ignition lock62
Starting the engine62
Switching off the engine63
Parking brake64 

55n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Fasten your safety belt before starting 
off.
To fasten: 
Make sure you hear the catch engage in 
the belt buckle.
To release: 
Press the red button in the buckle. Hold 
the belt and guide it back into its reel.462de205
Safety belt height adjustmentYou can adjust the safety belts to fit your 
own physical dimensions by using the 
safety belt height adjustment. 
Slide the button downward or upward.462de206
In the rear, the belt buckle with the word 
"CENTER" is provided exclusively for 
the passenger sitting in the middle.
For your safety, please comply with 
the following instruction for wear-
ing safety belts. If you do not, the safety 
belts may not be able to provide their 
maximum protection.
The following information also applies 
to your passengers:
Never allow more than one person to 
wear a single safety belt. Never allow 
infants or small children to ride in a pas-
senger's lap.
Avoid twisting the belt while routing it 
firmly across the hips and shoulder. Do 
not allow the belt to rest against hard 
or fragile objects in your pockets. Never 
route the belt across your neck, do not 
run it across sharp edges and ensure 
that the belt does not become caught 
or jammed.
Be sure that the safety belt fits snugly 
against your body at all times, and avoid 
wearing clothing that prevents the belt 
from fitting properly. Pull on the belt pe-
riodically to readjust the tension across 
your shoulder. In the event of a frontal 
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over 
your hips, leading to abdominal injury. In 
addition, the safety belt's restraint effec-
tiveness is reduced if the belt is worn 
loosely.
Safety belts  

56n
Safety belts Child restraint systems
* 
Expectant mothers should always wear 
the safety belt, taking special care to 
position the lap belt over the lower hips, 
where it will not exert pressure against 
the abdominal area.<
For child restraint system installation, 
refer to page 60.
For care instructions, refer to "Caring 
for your car" page 133.
If the safety belt system has been 
subjected to the stresses involved 
in an accident or otherwise damaged: 
Replace the entire safety belt mecha-
nism through you BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner and any 
child restraint systems
* that are in-
stalled. In addition, have your BMW 
center inspect the safety belt anchors.<
Never install a rear-facing child 
restraint device on the front pas-
senger seat. Injuries could occur if the 
airbag is triggered in the event of an 
accident.
Children should always ride in the rear.
Do not modify the child restraint system 
in any way, or it will not provide your 
child with maximum protection.< 

58n
Airbags
For your own safety, please ob-
serve the following precautions 
concerning airbags, as otherwise their 
protective function may be impaired 
and your personal safety endangered. 
The following information pertains to all 
occupants: 
The airbags are supplemental restraint 
devices designed to provide extra pro-
tection; they are not a substitute for 
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at all 
times. The airbags will not be triggered 
in the event of a minor accident, a vehi-
cle roll-over, or collisions from the rear. 
In this case, the safety belt offers the 
best protection.
Airbags are located under the cover 
panels in the steering wheel, in the in-
strument panel, in the side trim panels 
in the front and rear
*, in the roof panels, 
and in the sides of the inside roof lining.
Select a seat position that is comfort-
able and allows the greatest possible 
distance from each of the applicable 
airbags. Hold the steering wheel at the 
rim (hands at the "9 o'clock and 
3 o'clock" positions) in order to avoid 
injuries to the hands or arms if the air-
bag is triggered. 
Never allow any objects to obstruct the 
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the 
front passenger airbag as a storage 
area. 
Never tape the airbag cover panels, 
cover them over or alter them in any 
other way.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint 
device on the front passenger seat. 
Children under 13 years of age and 
children who are smaller than 5 feet 
(150 cm), should only travel in the rear 
seat. 
If your vehicle is equipped with side air-
bags in the rear, be sure that child seats 
are installed correctly and with the 
greatest possible distance from the side 
trim panels. Do not allow children to 
lean out of the child's seat in the direc-
tion of the side trim panels. Otherwise, 
serious injuries could occur if the airbag 
is triggered.
At all times, occupants should sit up-
right and be properly restrained (infants 
and small children in appropriate child 
restraint systems; larger children and 
adults using the safety belts). Never let 
an occupant's head rest near or on a 
side airbag because the inflating airbag 
could cause a serious or fatal injury. 
Please note that the word "Airbag" im-
printed on the door trim panel indicates 
the airbag's location.Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile 
is in the rear seat. However, a child 
sitting in the rear seat and not properly 
restrained may place his or her head on 
or near the side airbag, if so equipped. 
For example, a child – even though 
belted – may fall asleep with his or her 
head against the side airbag. It may be 
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly positioned at all times and not 
place their heads on or near the side 
airbag. Therefore, we recommend that 
the rear seat side airbags, if provided, 
be deactivated if you plan to transport 
children in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already 
have been deactivated, either at the 
time of manufacture or by a BMW cen-
ter. Labels in the rear door opening 
should indicate the status of your rear 
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of 
their status, or wish to have the airbags 
activated or deactivated, please contact 
your BMW center.< 

59n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
AirbagsEven when all these guidelines are ob-
served, there is still a small residual risk 
of injuries to the face, hands and arms 
occurring in isolated instances. The ig-
nition and inflation noise may induce a 
mild temporary hearing loss in sensitive 
individuals.
For additional information concerning 
the airbag system, refer to page 135 
and 161.
This is the right way a child should sit in 
a child restraint when rear side airbags 
(arrow) are provided.
462us012
This is the right way a larger child 
should sit wearing the safety belt when 
rear side airbags (arrow) are provided.462us013 

60n
Child restraints
*
All occupants and especially children 
should be restrained whenever riding 
in a motor vehicle.
Infants or small children should never 
be held on the lap of a passenger.
Children should always sit in the rear 
and, depending on age, use either a 
child restraint system or the existing 
safety belts. Accident statistics have 
shown that children are safer when 
properly restrained in the rear seats 
than in the front seating positions.
Infants or toddlers should be secured 
with a child restraint system appropri-
ate for their size.
Commercially available child seats 
complying with the legal standard are 
designed to be secured with a lap belt 
or with the lap belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt. 380us123
Improperly or inadequately installed re-
straint systems can increase the risk of 
injury to children. Always read and fol-
low the instructions that come with the 
system.
If the child restraint of your choice re-
quires the use of a tether strap, three 
fastening points (see arrows) have been 
provided on the rear shelf for attach-
ment. Ask your BMW center to perform 
the necessary work.
Before installing any child restraint 
device or child seat, please read 
the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child 
restraint system in the front passenger 
seat of this car.
Your car is equipped with an airbag 
supplemental restraint system for the 
front passenger. Because the backrest 
on any rear-facing child restraint sys-
tem (of the kind designed for infants 
under 1 year and 20 lbs.) would be 
within the airbag's deployment range, 
you should never mount such a device 
in the front passenger seat, as the im-
pact of the airbag against the child re-
straint's backrest could lead to serious 
or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child (not an 
infant) to ride in the front seat, certain 
precautions should be taken. First, 
move the passenger seat as far away 
from the dashboard as possible. This 
important precaution is intended to 
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. Older children should 
be tightly secured with the safety belt. 
Younger children should be secured in 
an appropriate forward-facing child re-
straint system that has first been prop-
erly 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.c
All rear seating positions in your vehicle 
meet the recommendations of SAE 
J1819, an industry recommended prac-
tice for securing child restraint systems 
in motor vehicles. 

61n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
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 appropriate instructions 
for this is located in the immediate vi-
cinity of the buckle latch of each safety 
belt.Lock the safety beltExtract 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. 
The belt cannot be extracted further. 
Always observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of 
the child restraint system.462us014
Release the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the 
child's seat and retract the safety belt to 
its end position on the belt retractor.