2001 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE child restraint

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the
safety belt anchors. If a child restraint
system was in the vehicle during an
accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
For care instructions, refer to page 135.
Drive with your safety belt onFasten your safety belt before starting
off.
Before putting your safety belts on
in the rear, take them out of the
holder.<
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.
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for wearing
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
passenger's lap.
Untwist the safety belt before putting it
on, and wear it so that it lies as snugly
as possible over your abdomen and
shoulder, and do not let it rub against
any hard or fragile objects. 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.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and pull
on the belt periodically to re-tension it
over your shoulders. In the event of a
frontal impact, a loose lap belt could
slide over your hips, leading to abdom-
inal injury. In addition, the safety belt's
restraint effectiveness is reduced if the
belt is worn loosely.
Expectant mothers should always wear
their safety belts, taking care to position
the lap belt against the lower hips,
Safety belts

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Safety belts Transporting children safelywhere it will not exert pressure against
the abdominal area.
Leave the rear safety belts in the
holders, if they are not needed, to avoid
unwanted movement from the safety
belts at high speeds.< Safety belt height adjustmentThe front safety belts automatically
adjust to your height based on the
height adjustment of the head
restraints, refer to page 51.
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the
safety belt anchors. If a child restraint
system was in the vehicle during an
accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Child restraint systems
*
Never install a rearward-facing
child restraint device in the front
passenger's seat. If the airbag is trig-
gered, any child in a rear-facing
restraint located within the airbag's
deployment range could sustain serious
injuries.
Children should always travel in the rear
seats, where they should be secured in
a suitable child restraint device
attached to the safety belts in the
outboard positions.
Do not use the center belts to secure a
child restraint unless the two outboard
positions are already occupied, and a
third safety seat is needed.
Never attempt to modify or change a
child restraint device in any way, as
tampering could reduce the protection
it provides in an accident.<
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. Improperly or
inadequately installed restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to chil-
dren. 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 lid.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child restraint system.

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Transporting children safelyLift the head restraint 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 rear-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 - 30 lbs/9 - 14 kg)
would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment 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 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 comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child restraint's manufacturer when-
ever you use such a device.
Always 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 stan-
dard for securing child restraint
systems in motor vehicles.
LATCH attachment for child seatThe brackets for the LATCH child
restraint system are not visible from the
outside and are located at the points
marked with the arrows.
Carefully press the brackets through
the seam between backrest and seat
upholstery at the locations indicated.
To mount the LATCH child
restraint system, please follow the
manufacturer's operating and safety
precautions.c
Leave the rear safety belts in the
holders, if they are not needed, to
avoid unwanted movement from the
safety belts at high speeds.c

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Transporting children safelyChild seat securityAll 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
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.
To 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 comply with the installation
instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the child restraint system.
To unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt
to its end position on the belt retractor.

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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. The airbags will not be triggered
in the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle rollover, or collisions from the
rear. In these instances, the safety belt
provides optimal protection.
Airbags are located under cover panels
in the steering wheel, in the instrument
panel and in the side trim panels in the
front and rear
*.
Adjust your seat to a position that
provides maximum distance between
you and the steering wheel, the instru-
ment panel and the door while still
allowing comfortable and safe access
to all vehicle controls.
To avoid sustaining hand and arm inju-
ries, always grasp the steering wheel
on the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions. Do not place your
hands on the center pad.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
passenger side airbag 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.
Do not install a rear-facing child
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 feet (150 cm) tall
should ride only in the rear seat.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
If your vehicle is equipped with side
airbags in the rear passenger area
*, be
sure that child restraints are mounted
correctly and provided with the
greatest-possible distance between the
airbags in the side trim panels. Do not
allow children to lean out of the child's
seat in the direction of the side trim
panels. If they do so, serious injuries
can occur if the airbag is triggered. upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appro-
priate 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" imprinted on the door
trim panel indicates the airbag's loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an automo-
bile 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 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 diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children
in the rear seat will remain properly
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 so equipped, be
deactivated if children will travel in the
rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbagscenter. Labels in the 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.<
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring in isolated instances.
The ignition and inflation noise may
induce a mild temporary hearing loss in
sensitive individuals.
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 139
and 168.This is the right way for a child to sit in a
child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
This is the right way for a larger child to
sit wearing the safety belt when rear
side airbags (arrow) are provided.

Everything from A to Z
187n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Car telephone96
Car wash132
Care
convertible top137
exterior133
interior134
upholstery135
wool velour135
Cargo loading100
Cassette operation, refer to
the radio Owner's Manual
Catalytic converter105
starting problems105
CBC (Cornering Brake
Control)107
warning lamp21
CD operation, refer to the
radio Owner's Manual
Cellular phone96, 112
refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual
Center armrest95
Center brake lamp151
Central locking system33
key38
Check Control76t
Checking brake fluid
level130t
Checking coolant
level129t
Checking engine oil
level127tChild restraint systems58
Child seat security60
Cigarette lighter97
Cleaning headlamps71
Cleaning windshield70
Clock76
refer to the "Radio and
Information Systems"
Owner's Manual or to the
"Onboard Computer"
Owner's Manual
Cockpit16
Code, refer also to the radio
Owner's Manual
Coin holder95
Combination switch69
Compression178
Computer77
refer to the "Onboard
Computer" Owner's
Manual
Configuring settings
car memory, key
memory55
Connecting portable vacuum
cleaner97
Consumption78
Consumption display74
Convertible top
compartment panel41
electrical defect162tfold down convertible top
compartment base41
operation45
Coolant110, 125t, 129
antifreeze110
temperature gauge74
Cooling system181
Copyright4
Cornering Brake Control
(CBC)107
warning lamp21
Cruise control71
Cruising range78
Cup holder, refer to
Beverage holder
Curb weight180
DDash panel lighting84
Dashboard16
Data
dimensions179
engine178
technical178
vehicle performance181
weights180
Data link connector for
onboard diagnosis142
Daylight driving lamps
switch84
Deep water105
Defrost position91tDefrostable rear window92
Defrosting, windows91t
Difficult steering112t
Digital clock76
Dimensions179
Dipstick127
Disarm tilt alarm
sensor43t
Disc brakes108
Displacement178
Display lighting84
Displays18
Disposal of used
batteries159t
Disposal of used engine
oil128t
Distance warning79
Diversity Antenna169
Door locks, care110
Doors
emergency lock
operation34t
keys32
manual opening and
closing34
opening and closing via
remote control35
unlocking and locking35
DOT Quality Grades116
Draft-free ventilation92
Drive belts182
Driving in winter110