
53n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Head restraints Front headrests1 Height
Head restraints reduce the risk of 
injury to the cervical vertebra in 
the event of an accident. 
Adjust the head restraint so that its 
center is approximately at the height of 
your ears.
When moving the headrests up or 
down, do not reach between the head-
rest and the upper edge of the backrest 
to avoid the possibility of injury.<46cde029
2 Tilt angle
Position the headrest in the preferred 
position. 46cde087
Rear headrests
The rear headrests are to be 
lowered only if there are no 
passengers riding in the back. Raise the 
rear headrests before taking on any 
passengers in the back.<
To completely lower the headrests in 
the back:
1 Press the button (arrow) and hold it 
down.
2 Push the headrest down from above.
46cde100 

54n
Head restraints BMW sports seat
*
Raising the rear headrestsRaise the headrests until you feel them 
click into place.
Do not remove the rear headrests, 
as this would damage them.<
For further information, please consult 
your BMW center.
Do not use the rear headrests as 
storage shelves. Always keep the 
travel path clear for the rollover protec-
tion system. Under no circumstances 
should you put any kind of protective 
cover on the headrests (refer also to the 
labeling on the headrests).<
1 Tilt angle
2 Backward/Forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Please refer to the adjustment 
instructions on page 52 to reduce 
the risk of personal injury.<46cde013
5 Thigh support
>Pull the lever and adjust the position 
of the cushion for thigh support as 
desired.46cde040 

56n
Seat and mirror memory*You can store and recall three different 
driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions. The illustration shows the buttons 
on the driver's seat for making these 
adjustments.
The headrest setting is stored in 
the memory, but the lumbar 
support is not.
exterior mirror positions.
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.
46cde014
To select a stored settingConvenience function:
1 Open the driver's door after 
unlocking or turn the ignition key in 
position 1.
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3, 
as desired.
The adjustment cycle is canceled 
immediately if you press a seat 
adjustment switch or one of the 
memory buttons.
Security function:
1 With the driver's door closed and the 
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2.
2 Maintain pressure on the desired 
memory button (1, 2 or 3) until the 
adjustment process is completed.
If you accidentally press the 
M
EMORY 
button: press the button again; the 
indicator lamp goes out.
Do not select a memory position 
while the vehicle is moving. If you 
do so, there is a risk of accident from 
unexpected seat movement.<
Your BMW center can adjust your 
vehicle's systems in such a 
manner that your personalized settings 
are automatically set for the seat, head-
rest and exterior mirror positions when 
you unlock the vehicle with your 
personal remote control.<
If you make use of this method of 
adjustment, be sure that the foot-
well behind the driver's seat is unob-
structed before unlocking the vehicle. 
If you fail to do so, persons or objects 
could be injured or damaged if the seat 
should move backward.< 

65n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Transporting children safelyCommercially available child seats 
complying with the legal standard are 
designed to be secured with a seat belt 
or with the seat belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt. 
Improperly or inadequately installed 
restraint systems can increase the risk 
of injury to children. Always read and 
follow the instructions that come with 
the system.
If you use a child restraint system with a 
tether strap, two additional tether 
anchorage points (refer to the arrows in 
the illustration) have been provided. 
They are located under the convertible 
top compartment.
Depending on the location selected for 
seating in the rear passenger area, 
attach the tether strap to the corres-
ponding anchorage point to secure the 
child restraint system.46cus001
Lift the respective headrest and pass 
the tether strap between the headrest 
and the seat back.
Adjust the tether strap according to the 
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
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 vehicle. 
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag 
supplemental restraint system for the 
front passenger. Because the backrest 
on any rear-facing child restraint 
system (of the kind designed for infants 
under 1 year and 20 lbs./9 kg) would be 
within the airbag's deployment range, 
you should never mount such a device 
in the front passenger seat, as the 
impact of the airbag against the child 
restraint'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 a far away 
from the dashboard as possible. This 
important precaution is intended to 
maximize the distance between the 
airbag and the child. Older children 
should be tightly secured with the 
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 observe the instructions for instal-
lation and use provided by the child 
restraint's manufacturer whenever you 
use such a device. 
Allways ensure 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 
practice for securing child restraint 
systems in motor vehicles. 

67n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Rollover protection systemIn the event of an accident or some 
other critical driving situation (extreme 
tilting in the longitudinal or transverse 
axis, loss of contact with the ground), 
the rollover protection system will be 
automatically activated. The protective 
bars located in the rear headrests 
extend within fractions of a second.
In addition to the integrated rollover bar 
in the windshield frame, the rollover 
protection system gives all the vehicle 
occupants the necessary headroom.
Always keep the travel path clear 
for the rollover protection system. 
Under no circumstances should you 
cover the headrests. 
In the event of less serious accidents, 
the safety belt will protect you and, 
depending on the severity of the acci-
dent, so will the safety belt tensioner 
and the multi-stage airbag restraint 
system.c
If, after being automatically triggered, 
the protective function is not needed, 
then the rollover protection system can 
be lowered back into place. No special 
tool is needed for this.
1 Using a screwdriver from the on-
board tool kit, remove the cover 
panel; to do this, position the screw-
driver under the notch (arrow).46cde007
2Pull the lever (arrow) toward the front 
of the car and hold it in this position.46cde006 

68n
Rollover protection system3 Continue pressing down on the 
protective bar (1) from above until 
you hear it click into place. 
4 Replace the cover panel and press 
down firmly.
5 Press the rear section of the headrest 
closed (2).46cde035
Do the same for the second protective 
bar. If you are not familiar with these 
procedures, consult your BMW center.
Have the rollover protection system 
checked by your BMW center after it 
has been inadvertently triggered.
Do not move the convertible top 
under any circumstances if the 
rollover protection system has 
extended. 
Do not use the rear headrests as 
storage shelves. 
Absolutely no modifications are to be 
made to any of the rollover protection 
system's individual components or any 
of its wiring. 
Only your BMW center is to carry out 
any work on the rollover protection 
system. 
Work done on the system that is carried 
out improperly could lead to failure in 
an emergency or accidental airbag acti-
vation. 
To have the system checked and to 
ensure long-term operation: be sure to 
adhere to the Service Interval Display 
for maintenance intervals. Every 2 years 
at the latest, the rollover protection 
system must be inspected by a BMW 
center.c 

193n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Rollover protection system
Xenon lamps
* 
The rollover protection system offers 
additional protection to the airbags and 
the safety belts. It uses highly sensitive 
sensors that respond immediately to 
any unstable vehicle condition encoun-
tered while driving, e. g. a steep angle 
or loss of wheel contact with the 
ground. The protective bar in the rear 
headrests would be triggered in this 
type of situation.
The xenon lamp provides forward illu-
mination with significantly more bright-
ness and uniformity than the traditional 
halogen lamp.
In a xenon lamp, an electric arc replaces 
the filament in order to generate intense 
illumination. A gas mixture in a quartz 
glass tube with metal vapor is ignited by 
a high electric voltage. The arc that is 
generated is then sustained by a lower 
voltage. When the lamp is turned on, 
there is a brief warm-up period. 
Maximum brightness is attained in 
approx. 15 seconds.
390de134
Xenon lamps provide significantly 
improved visibility, especially during 
adverse weather conditions and difficult 
driving situations (e. g. driving at night in 
heavy rain or through road repair areas 
where there are no lane markers).
Vehicles with xenon lamps are equipped 
with an automatic headlamp range 
control. As a result, the lane ahead of 
you is always optimally lighted, even 
under varying load conditions, and 
drivers in oncoming traffic are not 
blinded.
Xenon lamps make a significant contri-
bution to highway safety since other 
highway users, bicyclists and motor-
cyclists in the right lane, and pedes-
trians are more easily detected.  

Everything from A to Z
A 
ABS (Antilock Brake  System) 22,122  
Accessories 6 
Activated-charcoal  filter 106,180  
Adaptive Transmission  Control (ATC) 73,188  
Adding engine oil 145 
Adding washer  fluid 144,199  
Adjusting backrest 52 
Adjusting headrests 53 
Adjusting the steering  wheel 57 
Adjusting the  temperature 98,104  
Adjusting thigh support 54 
Air conditioner 96 
Air distribution 98,104  
Air nozzles 96,102  
Air outlets 96,102  
ventilation 96,102  
Air pressure, tires 27,132  
Air supply 98,105  
Airbags 21,61 ,159 ,189  
sitting properly with 62 
Alarm system 42 
Antenna 129 
Antenna, Diversity 190  Antifreeze
147 
radiator 127 
Antilock Brake System  (ABS) 22,122  
Anti-theft alarm system 42 
Aquaplaning 121,132  
Armrest 110 
ASC+T (Automatic Stability  Control plus  
Traction) 22,88  
Ashtray  front 111 
rear 112 
ATC (Adaptive Transmission  Control) 73,188  
Attach vacuum cleaner 112 
AUC (Automatic  recirculated-air 
control) 105 
Automatic car washes 151 
Automatic climate  control 102 
remove window 
condensation 105 
Automatic cruise control 79 
Automatic dimming, interior  rearview mirror 58 
Automatic recirculated-air  control (AUC) 105 
Automatic Stability Control  plus Traction 
(ASC+T) 22,88   Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic 21,73  
Automatic windshield  washer 77 
Average consumption 85 
Average speed 86 
Avoiding unwanted  alarm 43 
Axle loads 198 
B 
Backrest  adjusting 52 
locking 21,55  
releasing 55 
Backup lamps 72 
bulb replacement 169 
Battery 176,200  
capacity 200 
charge current 20,176  
charging 178 
discharged 183 
removal and 
installation 178 
Belts 60 
Beverage holder 111 
Blower 98,105  
BMW High Performance  Synthetic Oils 146 
BMW Maintenance  System 150  BMW sports seat
54 
Bore 196 
Brake fluid 148 
Brake hydraulic system 20 
Brake lamps, bulb  replacement 169 
Brake pads 22,126  
Brake system 126 
Brakes 125 
malfunctions 126 
Break-in procedures 120 
Bulb replacement 166 
C 
California Proposition  65 Warning 161 
Capacities 199 
Car Memory 59 
Car radio 129 
reception 129,190  
refer also to the Radio 
Owner's Manual 
Car washes 151 
Care  convertible top 157 
exterior 152 
interior 154 
leather upholstery 155 
rubber seals and 
components 127