2003 BMW M5 SEDAN airbag

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Controls and features

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags49
Transporting children safely51
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory55

Driving:

Steering/Ignition lock56
Starting the engine56
Switching off the engine57
Parking brake58
Manual transmission58
Turn signal/Headlamp flasher59
Washer/Wiper system/
Rain sensor60
Cruise control61

Everything under control:

Odometer, outside temperature
display63
Tachometer64
Engine oil temperature64
Fuel gauge64
Coolant temperature gauge65
Service Interval Display65
Check Control66
Multi-Information Display
(MID)69
Digital clock70
Computer73

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)78
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)80
M Dynamic Driving Control81
Flat Tire Monitor82

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams84
Instrument lighting85
High beams/Standing lamps85
Fog lamps85
Interior lamps86
Reading lamps86

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Automatic climate control87
Roller sun blind92
Parked-car ventilation92

Interior conveniences:

BMW Universal Transmitter93
Glove compartment96
Storage compartments96
Cellular phone97
Beverage holder97
Ashtray, front97
Cigarette lighter98
Ashtray, rear98

Loading and transporting
cargo:

Through-loading system99
Ski bag100
Cargo loading102
Roof-mounted luggage rack103

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Indicator and warning lamps

Red: an important reminder

Parking brake

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Comes on when you engage the
parking brake.
For additional information: refer to
page 58
Parking brake warning lamp for
Canadian models.
Please fasten safety belts

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An acoustic signal sounds and a
message appears in the Check
Control for 4 to 8 seconds. The acous-
tical signal remains on until the belt is
fastened.
For additional information on safety
belts: refer to page 44
Airbags

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Please have the system
inspected at your BMW center.
For additional information: refer to
page 49

Yellow: please have checked at
your earliest opportunity

Antilock Brake System
(ABS)

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ABS has been deactivated in
response to a system malfunction. Con-
ventional braking efficiency is available
and unrestricted. Please have the
system inspected at your BMW center.
For additional information: refer to
page 107
ABS warning lamp for Canadian
models.
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)

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DSC has been switched off or
has been deactivated because of a mal-
function. In the event of a malfunction,
have the system checked at your BMW
center.
For additional information: refer to
page 80

Dynamic Brake Control
(DBC)

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Malfunction in DBC system.
Conventional braking performance
remains available with no loss of effi-
ciency.
Have the system repaired by your BMW
center at the earliest possible opportu-
nity.
For additional information: refer to
page 80
Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)
warning lamp for Canadian
models.
Service Engine Soon

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If the indicator lamp lights up
either continuously or intermit-
tently, this indicates a fault in the emis-
sions-related electronic systems.
Although the vehicle remains opera-
tional, you should have the systems
checked at your BMW center at the
earliest possible opportunity.
For additional information: refer to OBD
interface socket, page 121
Service Engine Soon warning
lamp for Canadian models.

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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 51.
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and
the airbags. Always hold the steering
wheel by the rim with the hands at the
9 and 3-o'clock positions to keep any
chance of injury to hands or arms to an
absolute minimum 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 49.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 retension 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 44.
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>BMW M sport seat, refer to page 41
>BMW comfort seat, refer to page 42
>Head restraints, refer to page 43
>BMW active seat, refer to page 43
Sitting safely Seats

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Safety belts Drive 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.39mde069
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.
Vehicles with through-loading system
*:
please refer to the instructions for using
the rear center belt found on page 99.<
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.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags1 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger sides
2 Head protection airbags on driver
and passenger side (front and rear
*)
3 Side airbags on driver and passenger
side (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags help to 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 head protection
airbags and side airbags help provide
protection in the event of a collision
from the side. Each of the side airbags
is designed to help support the occu-
pant's upper body.39mde084
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area
* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated, either
at the time of manufacture or by a BMW
center. You may have them activated if
you desire to do so. Please contact
your BMW center for additional infor-
mation.<
For information on the correct seating
position, refer to page 40.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle rollover or a collision from the
rear.<
Never apply stickers or adhesive-
backed objects of any kind to the
airbag covers. Never attempt to reup-
holster the covers or modify them in any
way. If the airbags deploy in response
to an accident, if you note any signs of
system malfunction, or if you wish to
have any parts of the airbag passenger-
restraint system deactivated, always
contact your BMW center, to whom we
strongly urge you to entrust all testing,
repair and dismantling operations.
Never attempt to modify or tamper with
either the system's electrical wiring or
any of its individual components.
System components include the uphol-
stered surfaces on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, the trim panels on the
front and rear doors and the roof braces
as well as the sides of the headliner
above the doors.
Never attempt to remove or dismantle
the steering wheel.
To ensure compliance with official
safety regulations, always entrust dis-
posal of airbag generators to your BMW
center. Attempts to carry out service
procedures undertaken by anyone
other than specially-trained profes-
sionals can result in system failure or
undesired airbag deployment, both of
which can lead to personal injury. If the
airbags deploy in response to an acci-
dent, always remember to avoid all
contact with system components, as
they are hot and can cause burns in the
period immediately following deploy-
ment.<
All vehicle occupants should
always sit upright and be properly
restrained (infants and small children in
appropriate child-restraint systems;
larger children and adults using the
safety belts). Never let an occupant's
head rest near or on a side airbag: the
inflating airbag could cause a serious or

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Airbagsfatal injury. Please note that the word
"Airbag" imprinted on the door trim
panel indicates the airbag's location.
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 side airbag, if installed. For
example, a child Ð even though belted Ð
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 do not place
their heads on or near the side airbag.
Therefore, we recommend that the
rear-seat side airbags, if provided, be
deactivated if you plan to transport chil-
dren in the rear seat.
The rear-seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW
center. Labels in the rear 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 con-
tact your BMW center.< Even when all these guidelines are fol-
lowed, 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
provoke a mild temporary hearing loss
in extremely sensitive individuals.
Airbag warning information is also pro-
vided on the sun visors.
This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
380de637

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags Transporting childrenThis is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
rear side airbags (arrow) are provided.380de638
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
then goes out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out and then lighting up
again.
Please respond to any malfunctions
in the system by immediately having it
inspected at your BMW center; other-
wise the airbag could fail to respond
to an accident in which both the angle
and the severity of the impact would
normally trigger airbag deployment.
Commercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion 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.

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Transporting children safelyChild-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 corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system, as shown in the
following illustration. 380us123
Each seating position is fitted with a
head restraint. Lift the head restraint
and pass the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seat back. It is
recommended to readjust the head
restraint into the lowest possible posi-
tion.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.394au003
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 (of the kind designed for infants
under 1 year and 20 Ibs./9 kg) 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 (not an
infant) 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.