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Luggage compartment lid To unlock from inside Press on the upper half of the button
(luggage compartment lid symbol).
The luggage compartment lid opens
slightly.
This button will not open the lug-
gage compartment lid if the glove
compartment is locked. (Refer to
page 76).<520de012
To open from outsideReach into the gap and open the lug-
gage compartment lid all the way.
The luggage compartment is illumi-
nated when the luggage compartment
lid is opened. Manual operation Should the electrical system malfunc-
tion, the luggage compartment lid can
be opened from the inside. Refer to
page 140. To close The luggage compartment is locked
again as soon as you close the lid.520us013
As with all closing procedures, be
sure that the travel path for the
luggage compartment lid is clear when
being closed to avoid injury.
Keep the luggage compartment lid
closed while driving so that no exhaust
fumes penetrate inside the vehicle. If,
however, the luggage compartment lid
has to stay open and the convertible
top is closed while driving,
>close all the windows
>increase the air supply from the heat-
ing and ventilation system to a high
level. Refer to page 70.<
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Alarm system>If the indicator lamp flashes for
10 seconds when the system is dis-
armed, an attempted entry has been
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Avoiding unintentional alarms The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor may be switched off at the same
time to prevent a false alarm from being
triggered (in garages with elevator
ramps, for instance), or when the vehi-
cle is transported by trailer or train:
Lock the vehicle twice (= arm the sys-
tem) by pressing button 2 on the re-
mote control twice in succession (refer
to page 32), or lock the vehicle twice
with the key (refer to page 30).
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.
Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor
to function properly, the windows and
the luggage compartment lid must be
closed.
Nevertheless, you should deactivate
the interior motion sensor (refer to the
previous column) if
>children or animals are left in the
vehicle
>windows should remain open.
For US vehicles only:
The interior motion sensor is not
installed on US models as it has not re-
ceived FCC (Federal Communications
Comission) approval.<
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The automatic convertible top
In order to avoid subsequent
moisture damage, do not leave
the convertible top open when it is wet
(further reference to this made begin-
ning on page 116, in the chapter "Car-
ing for your vehicle").<
To mount the cover
In order to avoid damaging or
getting dirt on the inside of the
convertible top, always drive with the
convertible cover installed.<
Take the folded up cover out of the lug-
gage compartment and pull it out of its
protective sleeve.
1 Unfold the cover and lay it out on top
of the convertible top
2 First guide the front cover's left, then
the right tab into the slot (arrow par-
tial section)
While guiding the tabs in, use one
hand to press the inside part of the
convertible top down inside, so that it
does not get jammed in or damaged.<
520de108
3 Circling it around, push the cover
under the rear edge of the convertible
top well. Lightly pounding on the
cover makes it easier to attach prop-
erly520de107
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For maximum safety when adjusting the
seating position, please observe the
following:
Never try to adjust your seat while
driving the vehicle. The seat could
respond with an unexpected move-
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle
control could lead to an accident.
Be sure that the safety belt remains
firmly against your body at all times. In
the event of a frontal impact, a loose lap
belt could slide over the hips, leading to
abdominal injury. In addition, the safety
belt's restraint effectiveness is reduced
if the belt is worn loosely.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to
an extreme angle (especially important
for the passenger to remember). If you
do so, there is a risk that you will slide
under the safety belt in an accident,
thus reducing the protection provided
by the safety belt.<
Correct sitting postureTo reduce strain on the spinal column,
sit all the way back in the seat and rest
your back fully against the backrest.
The ideal sitting posture is achieved
with your head extending from your
spine in a straight line.
For long-distance driving, you may wish
to increase the backrest tilt-angle
slightly to reduce muscular tension.
You should be able to grasp the steer-
ing wheel at its highest point with your
arms slightly bent.
1 Backward/Forward adjustment
2 Cushion height
3 Backrest angle
Adjust the head restraint manually.
Move the seat backward only if
the backrest is first locked into
place. Whenever the backrest has been
flipped forward, moved back and sub-
sequently folded back into place, it
cannot lock, which can damage the
back of the backrest and the rear trim
panel.
Do not move a seat whose backrest has
been tilted too far back, otherwise, the
back of the backrest and the rear trim
panel could be damaged.<
520de017
Seat adjustment
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Mirrors Car Memory, Key MemoryInterior rearview mirror with
automatic dimmer By responding to ambient light and the
glare from traffic behind you, this mirror
automatically dims through an infinitely
variable range. Two photocells are re-
sponsible for this. One of the photocells
is located in the mirror frame (arrow),
while the other is slightly offset and
located on the back side of the mirror.
The mirror switches to its clear, un-
dimmed mode whenever you shift into
reverse. 520de019
Keep the photocells clean for optimum
performance and keep the area be-
tween the mirror and windshield clear,
not even fastening any stickers or simi-
lar items.
For an explanation of the electro-chro-
mic technology used in this mirror, refer
to page 150.
How the system functions You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure your vehicle
individual functions to reflect your own
personal requirements. In engineering
your vehicle, BMW has included several
user-defined functions in the vehicle's
design. Your 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 up to four different basic settings
adjusted for four different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key.
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.
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Airbags 1 Front airbag for driver and passenger
2 Side airbagsProtective effectIn addition to the three-point safety
belts, the front airbags provide addi-
tional protection, in case safety belts
are not enough in a severe frontal
impact. The side airbags help provide
protection in the event of a collision
from the side. Each of the side airbags
is designed to help support the seat
occupant's upper body.520de021
The illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
that initiate airbag deployment.520de022
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp displays the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1 and on.
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 the system malfunctions, there is the
danger that the airbags will not be trig-
gered within their response range dur-
ing an accident, even if the level of
impact would normally have triggered
them.
Have your BMW center inspect the
system immediately.
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Parking brake To engageThe lock engages automatically when
you lift the lever, and the indicator lamp
in the instrument panel comes on when
the ignition key is in position 2. Refer to
page 19.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
The parking brake is designed primarily
to prevent the vehicle from rolling when
it is parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.520de024
If, in rare circumstances, it should
be necessary to engage the park-
ing brake while the vehicle is in motion,
do not pull hard on the lever. Keep your
thumb pressed against the release but-
ton while carefully pulling the lever up
to apply moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, since placing the lever in first
gear or reverse may not provide ade-
quate resistance to rolling.<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking effect, apply the parking brake
lightly from time to time when coasting
to a standstill (at a traffic signal, for in-
stance), provided that it is safe to do so.
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1 Odometer With the ignition key in position 0, you
can activate the displays shown in the
illustration by pressing the button in the
instrument cluster (arrow).2 Trip odometerTo reset the trip odometer to zero,
press the button (arrow) with the igni-
tion key in position 1.520us004
Avoid engine speeds in the gauge's red
warning zone.
If the needle gets into this range, fuel
supply is interrupted to protect the en-
gine, resulting in a noticeable loss of
power.520de029
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp lights up briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
Once the indicator lamp comes on and
stays on, there are approx. 2.6 gallons
(10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank.
For fuel tank capacity, refer to
page 157.
Certain operating conditions (such
as those encountered in mountainous
areas) may cause the needle to fluctu-
ate slightly.
Please refuel early, since driving
to the last drop of fuel can result
in damage to the engine or catalytic
converter.<520us005
Odometer Tachometer Fuel gauge