2001 BMW M ROADSTER COUPE Owners Manual

49n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Drive with your safety belt onFasten your safety belt before begin-
ning every trip.
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
to its reel.
The safety belt locks:
>In an abrupt stop or a collision.
>If it is pulled out very quickly.
>During sudden braking or accelera-
tion.
>When the vehicle is at an extreme
angle.367de018
M roadsterMake sure the safety belts are routed
through the belt guides on the seat
backrests.367de019
M roadster
Safety belt height adjustment –
M coupeYou can adjust the safety belts to fit
your own physical dimensions by using
the safety belt height adjustment mech-
anism.
Downward adjustment:
Press the button down (arrow 1).
Upward adjustment:
Grasp the deflection fitting on the sides
and slide it upward (arrows 2).367de636
M coupe
Safety belts
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50n
Safety belts
Comply with the following instruc-
tions for wearing safety belts. If
you do not, maximum personal protec-
tion will not be provided and the safety
function of the belt is limited. These
instructions also apply for vehicle
passengers:
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a
passenger's lap.
Avoid twisting the belt while routing it
firmly across your pelvis and shoulder,
wear it as snugly against your body as
possible. Do not route the belt across
hard or fragile objects. Do not route the
belt across your neck, or run it across
sharp edges. Be sure that the belt does
not become caught or jammed.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing which will
prevent proper belt fit. Pull the safety
belt across your shoulders frequently to
re-tension it. 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
effectiveness is reduced if the belt is
worn loosely.
Expectant mothers should also wear
their safety belt at all times, taking care
to ensure that the lap belt fits against
the lower hips and does not exert pres-
sure on the abdominal area.<
For care and cleaning, refer to
page 120.
If the safety belt system has been
stressed as a result of an accident
or if it has been damaged in any other
way: have the belt system, including the
safety belt tensioner replaced by an
BMW center. In addition, have your
BMW center inspect the safety belt
anchors.
If a child restraint system was in your
vehicle during an accident, consult the
manufacturer's instructions regarding
replacement.<
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags1 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger side
2 Side airbags on the driver and
passenger sideProtective effectThe front airbags help protect the driver
and passenger in the event of a head-
on collision where the protection
provided by the safety belt alone would
not be adequate. The side airbags help
provide protection in the event of a side
collision. Each side airbag provides
support to the side chest area.36mde786
The illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
which initiate airbag deployment.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or an impact from the
rear.< 36mde745
Operational readiness
The indicator lamp on the instru-
ment cluster shows the airbag
system's operational readiness
starting with ignition key position 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on.
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out and then lighting up
again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to a high-
intensity frontal impact occurring within
its normal response range.
Please have your BMW center inspect
the system immediately.
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AirbagsSitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the
airbags. If you do not, the airbags may
not be able to provide their maximum
protection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with
this information:
The airbags are supplemental restraint
devices designed to provide extra
protection; they are not a substitute for
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at
all times.
Adjust your seat to a position that is
comfortable for you, allowing unre-
stricted vehicle operation, and is not
closer to the steering wheel than
necessary.
Always grasp the steering wheel by the
steering wheel rim, keeping your hands
at the "9-o'clock" and "3-o'clock" posi-
tions in order to minimize any risk of
injury to hands or arms if the airbag
does deploy.
There should not be any other people,
animals or objects between the airbag
and the passenger in that seat.
Do not use the cover panel for the front
airbag on the passenger side as a
storage area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
If you use a child restraint system, read
carefully and comply with the instruc-
tions on page 53.
Be sure that child seats are installed
correctly and with the greatest possible
distance from the airbag in the side trim
panel. Do not allow children to lean out
of the child's seat in the direction of the
side trim panel. Otherwise, serious inju-
ries could occur if the airbag is trig-
gered.<
Even when you have complied with all
of these guidelines, there is still a small
residual risk of minor facial, hand and
arm injuries from airbag deployment
occurring in isolated instances.
The ignition and inflation noise may
cause a mild temporary hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
Corresponding airbag safety precau-
tions are provided on both sun visors
and the instrument panel (US models).
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 122
and 150.This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
367de359
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags Transporting children safely This is the correct way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
side airbags (arrow) are provided.367de360
Before installing any child restraint
system or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the passenger seat of this
vehicle.
If the airbag deploys and hits the back-
rest of the rear-facing child seat, it is
likely that the child sitting in the rear-
facing child seat will be seriously
injured or killed.
If it is necessary for a child (not an
infant) to ride in the vehicle, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as far away
from the instrument panel 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 secured with a safety belt.
In the interest of the child's safety,
please read carefully and comply with
the instructions for installation and use
provided by the child restraint's manu-
facturer whenever you use such a
system.
Do not allow children to lean out of a
child restraint system toward the door
or instrument panel, as otherwise
serious injuries may result if the airbag
deploys. Always ensure that all occu-
pants (of all ages) remain properly and
securely restrained at all times.
Read carefully and comply with the
safety precautions covering safety belts
on pages 49, 50. If you do not, the
protective function of the safety belts
will be limited.<
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Transporting children safelyChild restraint installationThe safety belt on the passenger side
can be locked for mounting and
securing child restraint systems.
A label with operating instructions is
attached to the belt next to the sliding
latch plate.367de361
To lock the 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 retracted further.
Comply with the installation instructions
provided by the manufacturer of the
child restraint system.To release the beltRelease the buckle, remove the child
restraint system and allow the inertia
reel to retract the belt completely.
M coupeFor the use of child restraint systems
with a tether strap, an additional
mounting point is provided in the coupe
at the right rear on the roof frame.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
mounting point. Adjust the tether strap
according to the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions.367us704
M coupe
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
0 Steering lock engagedThis is the only position in which the
ignition key can be inserted and
removed.
An acoustic warning sounds when you
fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until you hear the lock engage.1 Steering lock disengagedYou will often find that it is easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to 1 if
you move the steering wheel slightly to
help disengage the detent.
Individual electrical equipment and
accessories are available for use.367de009
2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engineWhen starting, depress the clutch,
since a lock otherwise prevents the
engine from being started.
Steering/Ignition lock
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Starting the engineBefore starting>Engage the parking brake.
>Put manual-shift gear lever in idling
position.
>Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not run the engine in enclosed
spaces. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless
and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Breathing the exhaust gases poses an
extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Starting the engineStart the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time. Do not turn it for
more than approx. 20 seconds. Release
the ignition key immediately after the
engine starts.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
allowing it to run while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, begin
driving immediately at a moderate
engine speed.
Should the engine fail to start on the
first attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at very low temperatures,
from approx. +5 7 (–15 6) and at
altitudes above approx. 3,300 ft
(1,000 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.
Usually, it is not necessary to depress
the accelerator pedal. However, at high
altitudes or in very hot or very cold
weather, depress the pedal halfway
down when starting the engine.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at start-up are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from
discharging, always switch off any
accessories which are not required.
Switch off the ignition when the vehicle
is not being driven.
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