2003 BMW 540I SEDAN seats

Contents

© 2002 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 818
US English IX/2002
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper
Ð bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
Notes
Overview
Controls and features

About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
The individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects10Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps19
Steering wheel with multifunction
buttons22
Warning triangle23
First-aid kit23
Refueling24
Fuel specifications25
Tire inflation pressure26

Locks and security systems:

Keys32
Central locking system32
Opening and closing Ð via the
door lock33
Opening and closing Ð via the
remote control34
Opening and closing Ð from the
inside37
Luggage compartment lid/
Tailgate38
Rear window40
Luggage compartment42
Alarm system42
Electric power windows44
Sliding/tilt sunroof46

Adjustments:

Sitting safely48
Seats48
Manually-adjusted seat49
Electric power seats50
Head restraints52
BMW active seat52
Safety belts53
Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory54
Seat heating55
Adjusting steering wheel56
Steering wheel heating56
Mirrors57

Contents

48n
For relaxed and fatigue-free driving you
should select a seating position that
reflects your personal requirements.
Correct seating position combines with
safety belts and airbags to enhance
occupant safety in the event of an acci-
dent. To ensure that the vehicle's safety
systems provide you with optimal pro-
tection, we request that you direct your
careful attention to the following sec-
tion.
For additional information on trans-
porting children, refer to page 62.
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by the rim to keep any chance of injury
to hands or arms to an absolute min-
imum should the airbag be deployed.
Never allow any objects, individuals or
animals to obstruct the areas between
passengers and airbags.
Never use the front airbag's cover as a
storage tray or support for objects of
any kind. Never allow front passengers
to rest their feet or legs on the airbag
cover.<
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags refer to page 59.
Sitting safely with safety belt
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 the
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly
against your body as possible. Do not
allow the belt to rest against hard or
fragile objects in your pockets. Do not
route the belt across your neck, or run it
across sharp edges. Avoid wearing
bulky clothing and pull on the lap belt
periodically to retention it over your
shoulders. In the event of a frontal
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over
the hips, leading to abdominal injury. In
addition, the safety belt's restraint
effectiveness is reduced if it is worn
loosely. Expectant mothers should
always wear their safety belts, taking
care to position the lap belt against the
lower hips, where it will not exert pres-
sure against the abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety
belts refer to page 53.
When adjusting your seat, always
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with an unexpected
movement, and the ensuing loss of
vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never ride with the backrest
reclined to an extreme horizontal angle
(important for front passengers to
remember), otherwise, there is a risk
that you will slide under the safety belt
in an accident, thus negating the pro-
tection the safety belt provides.
Do not move the seats to the rear when
the vehicle is at an extreme angle (on
garage ramps or steep slopes, for
example). If you do so, the automatic
safety belt height adjustment can be
disengaged.<
Seat adjustment>Manually-adjusted seat, refer to
page 49
>Electric power seats, refer to page 50
>Head restraints, refer to page 52
>BMW active seat, refer to page 52
Sitting safely Seats

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

51n
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.<

118n
Glove compartment Storage compartmentsTo openPull the handle and the lamp comes on.To closeFold the cover up.
To prevent injury in the event of an
accident, close the glove com-
partment immediately after use.< 390de738
To lockUse one of the master keys. A master
key is also required for unlocking.
For example, if you turn over only
your door and ignition keys for
valet parking (refer to page 32), access
to the glove compartment is not pos-
sible.< Rechargeable flashlight
*
Located on the left-hand side of the
glove compartment.
Features integral overload-protection,
so it can be left in its holder continu-
ously.
To avoid completely discharging
and possibly damaging the lamp,
always ensure that the flashlight is
switched off before inserting it in the
socket.<
The cover of the storage compartment
on the vertical surface of the center
console can be pushed open or closed
(illustration). If your vehicle is equipped
with a cassette holder
*, open each
cassette compartment by pressing on
the small button.
Storage compartment on the center
console between the front seats: to
open, reach into the recess at the front
and pull upward.
You will find a coin holder in the door
pocket on the driver's side.
You will find additional storage com-
partments in all of the doors as well as
on the backrests of the front seats.
390de739

123n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Ski bag
*
Loading1. Press the release button (arrow 1) to
unlock the cover panel in the luggage
compartment
2. Press the detent levers (arrows 2)
inward and fold the cover to the front
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to the inside of the bag,
and can also be left open to promote
drying394de749
4. Use the magnetic retainers to attach
the cover panel to the upper surface
(metal surface below rear tray) of the
luggage compartment.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.
An unsecured ski bag could lead
to loss of vehicle control and in
case of an accident to personal injury.< 394de750
Securing the load
Secure the bag's contents by
tightening down the retaining
strap at the buckle.<
Please ensure that the skis are clean
before loading them into the bag. Take
care to avoid damage from sharp
edges.
530de284

125n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Cargo area Ð sport wagonFold the rear backrests downReach into the recess and pull upward
(arrow).
The rear backrest is divided into two
sections (one-third and two-thirds of
the width of the seat). You can fold
either section of the backrest down
separately in order to increase the
capacity of the cargo area.
When you close the backrest, be
sure that the catch engages
securely. The red warning indicator dis-
appears in the recess when the retainer
is locked.
The center safety belt can be retracted
only when the larger backrest is
engaged.<392de753
Roll-up coverPull the roll-up cover out and hook it
into the rear bracket.
The cover will support light objects
such as items of clothing.
Do not place heavy or bulky
objects on the roll-up cover,
otherwise, they could endanger occu-
pants while braking hard, during eva-
sive maneuvers, or in an accident, for
example.
Do not allow the cover to snap back,
since this could damage it.<
For storing the case, refer to the next
page.392de754
Partition netPull out the partition net by the strap
and hold the bar firmly in the other
hand. Then grasp the bar on both sides,
pull it up and engage it in the holders. It
is easiest to do this from the back seat.
Do not allow the partition net to
snap back. Doing so could pose a
risk of injury and the partition net could
be damaged.<
When the rear backrests are folded
down, you can store the case in front of
the rear seats, pull the partition net out
from there and insert it in the front
holders (refer to the next page).392de163