2003 BMW 540I SEDAN Owners Manual

49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Manually-adjusted seatSeat adjustment1 Backward/forward adjustment
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the
seat forward or backward slightly to
engage the detent
2 Cushion height
Pull the lever and apply weight to
or remove weight from the seat as
required390us731
3 Backrest angle
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the backrest as
required.
Comply with the adjustment
instructions on page 48. Failure to
do so could result in diminished per-
sonal safety.< 390us732

50n
Electric power seats
*
1 Tilt angle (driver's seat only)
2 Backward/forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
5 Head restraint height
To adjust the angle of the head restraint
manually, tilt to the desired angle.
Read and comply with the adjust-
ment instructions on page 48.
Failure to do so could result in dimin-
ished personal safety.< 380de023
Adjusting BMW sports seat
*
With this seat, you can also adjust the
thigh support:
Press the front/rear of the switch to
adjust the thigh support for your max-
imum personal comfort.390de696
Adjusting BMW comfort seat
*
This seat allows you to make additional
adjustments for
1 Lumbar support
2 Shoulder support
Lumbar support:
You can adjust the backrest's contour
for additional support in the curvature
of your spine's lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column
receive supplementary support to help
you maintain a relaxed, upright seating
position.380de024

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Electric power seats
*
>Press the front/rear of the switch:
Increase/decrease curvature
>Press the upper/lower end of the
switch:
Increase the upper/lower curvature.
Shoulder support:
Press the front/rear of the switch: the
support angle of the upper backrest
section is adjusted.
You can use the adjustable upper back-
rest for supplementary support in the
shoulder region. This provides a
relaxed seating position and helps
relieve stress on the shoulder muscles.
To obtain the optimal shoulder support
position, we recommend:
Driver and front passenger:
1. Adjust the upper backrest section to
its extreme rear position
2 Adjust for the optimal seating posi-
tion as described on page 48
3. Bring the upper backrest section
forward until your shoulders enjoy
firm support.
530de252
Front passenger's seat adjusted for
relaxed traveling:
1. Adjust the upper backrest section
to its extreme rear position
2. Lower the backrest slightly to
increase the tilt angle
3 Bring the upper backrest section
forward until your shoulders enjoy
firm support.
Make corrections in the forward/
backward adjustment of the seat
to ensure that the safety belt still fits
firmly against your body. Failure to
observe this precaution can reduce the
amount of protection provided by your
safety belt.<

52n
Head restraints BMW active seat*AdjustingTo adjust the height of the front or rear
head restraints, pull up or push down.
For electric height adjustment, refer to
page 50.
To adjust the angle of the front head
restraints, tilt to the desired angle.390de715
Head restraints reduce the risk
of spinal injury in the event of an
accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its
center is approximately level with your
ears.
Leave the center-rear head restraint in
the fully-lowered position at all times.
Extending it limits its function.<
Active changes in the seat's cushion
help to avoid muscle cramps, pain in
the spine's lumbar region and fatigue.
To activate, press the button.390us725

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Safety beltsDrive with your safety belt onAlways fasten your safety belt before
starting off. As supplemental restraint
devices, the airbags are designed to
enhance the effectiveness of the safety
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the catch engage in
the belt buckle.To open1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the end of the belt
3. Guide the belt back into the inertia
reel.390de653
The shoulder belt anchor automatically
adjusts to continue providing an
optimum fit when you move the seat
forward or back.
The rear belt buckle with the word
"CENTER" is intended exclusively
for the passenger sitting in the middle.
sedan with through-loading system
*:
please comply with the instructions for
the center safety belt on page 121.
sport wagon: if it is not possible to
extract the center belt, this indicates
that the detent for the larger backrest is
not securely engaged, refer to
page 125.<
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
to ensure that the safety belts continue
to provide effective protection, always
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced and the belt anchorages
inspected at your BMW center.
If a child-restraint system was in the
vehicle during an accident, consult the
manufacturer's instructions regarding
replacement.c

54n
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memoryYou can store and call up three different
seat, exterior mirror and steering wheel
positions. The illustration shows the
buttons on the driver's door for making
these position adjustments.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is
not stored in the memory.390de032
To store1 Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2
2 Adjust to the desired positions for the
seat, exterior mirror and steering
wheel
3 Press the
M
EMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button comes on
4 Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as
desired: the indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored settingConvenience function:
1 Open the driver's door after
unlocking the vehicle or turn the igni-
tion key to position 1
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3,
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or
memory buttons is activated during
the adjustment process.
Safety 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 press the
M
EMORY button
accidentally: press the button a second
time; the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not select a new stored
memory setting while the vehicle
is moving. There is a risk of accident
from unexpected movement of the seat
or steering wheel.<

55n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory Seat heating
*
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a
manner that your personalized settings
are automatically called up for the seat,
mirror and steering wheel positions
when you unlock the vehicle with your
personal remote control key.<
Before using the key memory fea-
ture to unlock the vehicle always
ensure that no objects are stored in the
footwell behind the driver's seat. If you
fail to do so, persons or objects could
be injured or damaged if the seat
should move backward.<
Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt
function(automatic curb monitor)
1 Move the mirror selector switch
(arrow) to the "driver's mirror" posi-
tion
2 When the gearshift lever or the
selector lever is placed in "Reverse,"
the passenger-side mirror tilts down-
ward to help the driver monitor the
area directly adjacent to the vehicle
during parking (curbs, etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic fea-
ture by setting the mirror selector
switch to the "passenger-side" posi-
tion.390de720
The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated with the ignition key in
position 2.
You can select from different heating
modes by repeatedly pressing the
button.
You can also switch the higher heating
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer.390us729

56n
Adjusting steering wheel Steering wheel heating
*
The steering wheel can be moved in
any of four directions. Adjust by moving
the control lever in the desired direc-
tion.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. There
is a risk of accident from unexpected
movement.<
To store the steering wheel setting,
refer to "Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory" on page 54.390de711
Automatic steering wheel
adjustmentIn order to make it easier to get into and
out of the vehicle, the steering wheel
automatically moves into the top posi-
tion and returns to the driving (memory)
position.
This automatic feature is controlled by
the position of the ignition key and by
the driver's door.
The steering wheel heating feature is
available for operation when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Press the button to switch on and off.
The lamp within the button lights up
when the steering wheel heating is in
operation.
If you have a multifunction steering
wheel without steering wheel heating,
the button for the recirculated-air mode
is in this location (refer to page 22).
390de708