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57
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response range.
Please respond to any signs of malfunction
by having the airbag system inspected
immediately at a BMW center. Transporting children safely Commercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured with a
lap belt or with the lap belt portion of a
combination 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. Child-restraint system with tether
strap If you use a child-restraint system with a
tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided Ð
refer to the arrows in the illustration.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area, attach
the tether strap to the corresponding
anchorage point to secure the child-
restraint system, as shown in the illustra-
tion below. Each seating position is fitted with a head
restraint.
Outer seating positions:
Lift the head restraint and pass the tether
strap between the headrest and the seat
back. It is recommended to readjust the
head restraint into the lowest possible
position.
Center seating position:
The headrest must be adjusted into the
lowest possible position. Pass the tether
strap over the headrest.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child-restraint manufacturer's instructions.
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
rearward-facing child-restraint system Ð of
the kind designed for infants under 1 year
and 20 Ibs./9 kg Ð would be within the
airbag's deployment range, you should
never mount such a device in the front
passenger seat, since 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 Ð not an infant Ð
to ride in the front seat, 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 a

Adjustments
58 safety belt after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height, and weight. 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 rearward-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 whenever you use such a
device.
Be sure that all occupants Ð of all ages Ð
remain properly and securely restrained at
all times. If your vehicle is equipped with
electric power seats at the rear, these will
need to be returned to their standard
adjustment setting position before a child-
restraint system is used, refer to page 47.
Always press the safety switch for the
power windows before transporting chil-
dren in the rear seats, refer to page 42. This
switch also disables the power rear seat
adjustment. Incorrect or unsupervised
adjustment of the electric power seats
could lead to injuries or damage to the
child-restraint system(s) installed in the
rear.<
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.
Child seat security All of the rear belt retractors and the front
passenger's safety belt can be locked for mounting and securing child-restraint
systems.
Information regarding this is located near
the buckle latch of each safety belt.
To lock the belt Pull the entire length of the belt from the
belt retractor. 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. To release the belt Release the buckle, remove the child-
restraint device and allow the belt retractor
to reel the belt completely in. LATCH child-restraint
system
If the vehicle is equipped with electric
power seats, these must be returned
to their standard adjustment setting before
the LATCH child-restraint system can be
used, refer to page 47.<
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children.
Access to anchorage points The illustration shows the left rear seat as
an example.
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint system are identified by the flags.
*

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67
P R N D Program displayL1 Ð L6 Buttons on steering wheel L/D Ð Selecting transmission range
The selector lever is at the center
position. To select transmission
ranges D, R or N, always start by pulling
toward the steering wheel, arrow 1, then
press up or down. Note the range indicated
in the Info Display.<
>Range D or R:
Press the selector lever up or down,
continuing to apply pressure to move it
past the detent
>Neutral N:
Press the selector lever as far as, but not
beyond, the detent (resistance)
>Park P:
Press button P, arrow 2.
The selector lever immediately returns to
the center position when released.
Depress the brake pedal before
shifting out of P or N; the shift command will not be executed unless the
brake is applied Ð Shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a range, maintain pressure on
the brake pedal until you are ready to start.
You can activate the Automatic Hold
feature to suppress the vehicle's tendency
to creep when a driving position is engaged
at idle, refer to page 63.<
Shift commands are transmitted electroni-
cally. To help avoid malfunctions, each
command undergoes a plausibility check
prior to execution.
Remember to observe the Check Control
for status messages.
You can find additional information on the
Check Control on page 80.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage
the parking brake before leaving the
vehicle with the engine running. Note the
information provided in the Info Display.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
P Ñ Park
Press the button. Select only when the
vehicle is stationary. The transmission
lockout prevents the rear wheels from
turning. The lockout disengages when you
press the selector lever toward D, N or R
while the engine is running.
P is automatically engaged when you
remove the remote control unit from
the ignition lock after parking the vehicle.<
R Ñ Reverse
Press the selector lever upward,
continuing to apply pressure to move it
past the detent. Select R only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
N Neutral Ð Neutral
Press the selector lever as far as the
detent, but no further. Select N only if your
journey is interrupted for a long period.
>From D press the selector lever up

Driving
68 >From R press the selector lever down.
Note the arrows indicating direction in the
range display.
N is selected automatically whenever
the remote control unit remains
locked in the ignition lock after the ignition
is switched off. This function is useful in
automatic car washes, etc.
After approx. 30 minutes the system auto-
matically engages P. Remember to
observe the Check Control for status
messages.<
D Drive Ð Automatic
Press the selector lever down,
continuing to apply pressure to move it
past the detent. This is the range recom-
mended for normal vehicle operation. All
forward gears are available.
Kickdown The kickdown mode provides maximum
acceleration. Press the accelerator pedal
beyond full-throttle detent point. L mode We recommend the L mode for times when
you wish to suppress certain shifts, for
instance, when ascending or descending
steep grades. When the L mode is activated the transmis-
sion remains in your current gear, which
also appears in the Info Display, refer to
page 67. The transmission continues to
shift through the available ratios, but does
not proceed beyond the gear in the display.
To activate the L mode Press the L/D button on the steering wheel.
The transmission downshifts when you tap
the buttons on the rim of the steering
wheel. The newly selected limit appears in
the Info Display.
The transmission only executes downshifts
that will result in a plausible combination of
vehicle and engine speeds. The transmis-
sion will no longer execute upshifts beyond
the selected range.
Deactivate the L mode to obtain
maximum acceleration for overtaking
maneuvers, etc.<

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69
To deactivate the L mode >Press the L/D button or
>press the selector lever into position D
once again. Automatic transmission
with Steptronic Canadian models only While you can drive as with any conven-
tional automatic transmission, you also
enjoy the option of shifting manually at the
steering wheel, refer to the next column. Transmission rangesP R N D Program displayS or M1 Ð M6Buttons on steering wheel S/M/D + Ð To select a transmission range The procedure for selecting transmission
ranges is the same as that employed in the
L mode, refer to page 67.
Sport program and manual operationWhen you press the S/M/D button on the
steering wheel once, the system responds
by activating the transmission's Sport
program, as indicated by the letter S in the
Info Display, refer to previous column. We
recommend this program for performance-
oriented driving.
When you press the S/M/D button a
second time the transmission switches to
its manual mode; press again to return to
the automatic program.
You can also return to the standard auto-
matic program by reselecting D.
In the manual mode the transmission
upshifts when you briefly tap the buttons
on the rear of the steering wheel. You
downshift by briefly pressing the buttons
on the front of the steering wheel. The Info
Display shows the manual ranges M1
through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are excecuted
only when they will result in a plausible
combination of engine and vehicle speed;
thus (for example) a downshift that would
cause the engine to overrev will not be
executed by the system. The selected gear
appears briefly in the Info Display, followed
by the current gear.

Everything under control
80
Check Control Info Display screen contents Messages and status reports appear in text
form accompanied by an indicator lamp
symbol. The alert is accompanied by a
gong.
Status reports warning of system malfunc-
tions are assigned one of two priority
ratings: Priority 1: These status messages and malfunction
reports are signaled by a gong. Simulta-
neous defects will be displayed consecu-
tively. These messages cannot be deleted,
and they remain in the display until the
problem is corrected. Supplementary infor-
mation also appears in the Control Display,
refer to Automatic messages in Control
Display. Priority 2: These status messages and malfunction
reports appear in the Info Display for
approx. 20 seconds.
Briefly press the CHECK button on the turn
signal indicator lever (see arrow) to cancel the message in the display (if allowed by
priority rating).
You can select stored status reports
for viewing in the Control Display,
refer to Selecting stored status reports for
viewing in the Control Display.<
Check Control symbol and messages
in the Control Display The status of the monitored system is indi-
cated by the color of the Check Control
symbol . Green No malfunctions are present in the moni-
tored systems. Yellow or red A defect or malfunction has been detected
in the monitored system. Depending upon
how serious the problem is, a supplemen-
tary message may also appear in the
Control Display.
You can access the stored status reports
through the Control Display, refer to the
next column.
The symbol also indicates the status
of the Service Interval Display, refer to
page 25.< Automatic messages in Control
Display These supplementary messages are
intended to assist you in assessing the
severity of malfunctions; they provide you
with the information you need to decide on
the best way to respond.

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81
Select and confirm to cancel the
display.
Selecting stored status reports for
viewing in the Control Display 1.Select the "OB data" menu
2. Select and confirm your selec-
tion
3.Select "Check" and confirm
4.The stored status reports appear in the
display. Select the desired report and
confirm your selection.
The display will disappear automatically
after a short period; you can also cancel it
manually using the symbol. Displays after completion of trip Selected malfunction reports generated
during the trip are shown consecutively
when you switch off the ignition.
If indicated, the following message may
also appear:
"Parking lamps on!"
This message appears when you open the
driver's door after parking. A supplemen-
tary gong is also heard. Even with the ignition and Info Display off,
you can reactivate the screen and display
the messages.
Press the CHECK button for approx.
8 seconds, refer to page 80. The stored
status reports appear again in the display.
If several messages are present, you can
continue to press the CHECK button to
view them in succession.
The Check Control function
>cancels itself automatically after a brief
period
>can be terminated by again pressing the
CHECK button for approx. 8 seconds.
You can select the language in which
Check Control status reports and
messages from the computer will appear,
refer to page 86.<
Computer To select functions:
You can use the buttons in the turn signal
indicator lever to request a display from the
computer on the Info Display screen,
starting at the radio position in the ignition
lock.
1Info Display on left
2Info Display on right
A new function appears each time you
press the button.

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101
Temperature adjustment
You can turn to select the
desired temperatures for the
driver's and passenger sides.
Your settings appear in the
Control Display's status line.
The figures in the display provide a general
indication of interior temperature. When
you start the vehicle, this system ensures
that the selected temperature is achieved
as quickly as possible. It then maintains
this temperature, regardless of the season.
Defrost windows and clear them of
condensation
This program quickly removes
ice and condensation from the
windshield and door windows.
To adjust air supply manually
You can adjust the air supply by
turning. The automatic air
supply control is operational
whenever you see your selec-
tion represented by a bar in the
Control Display's status line. The automatic
air distribution remains in operation as
before. You can reactivate the automatic
air supply mode with the AUTO button.
Air conditioner operation
The air conditioner cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to temperature setting.
Depending on the weather, the windshield
may fog over briefly when the engine is
started.
The air conditioner comes on automatically
when you select the AUTO program.
Maximum cooling
Select this program to obtain
maximum cooling as quickly as
possible.
The temperature display reverts
to 61 7 (16 6) while the system switches
to the recirculated-air mode and starts to
provide maximum air supply through the instrument panel outlets only. For this
reason you should ensure that these
outlets are open before selecting this
program.
Outside air/AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control/Recirculated air
You can respond to unpleasant
odors or pollutants in the imme-
diate environment by tempo-
rarily suspending the flow of outside air.
The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle. AUC executes
this function automatically.
Press the button repeatedly to run through
the following control sequence:
>Indicator lamps off: outside air flows into
the vehicle
>Left-hand indicator lamp on Ð AUC
mode: the system detects pollutants in the
outside air and responds by deactivating
the outside air supply when required. The
system then recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle.
Depending upon air quality, in the auto-
matic mode the system may start to alter-
nate between its outside-air and
recirculated-air modes
>Right-hand indicator lamp on Ð Recircu-
lated-air mode: the supply of outside air
into the vehicle is permanently blocked.
The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during opera-
tion in the recirculated-air mode, you
should switch it off while also increasing air
supply as required.<
Residual heat mode
The system uses the warmth
stored in the engine to heat the
interior when the ignition is off,
for instance, while the vehicle is
stopped at a school to pick up a
child.
You can adjust the automatic climate
control's settings when the ignition lock is
in the radio mode. The system blows