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This is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the seat belt when
rear side airbags are provided.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system when the ignition key is
in position 1 or higher.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
when you turn the ignition key to
position 1 or higher.
System malfunction:
>Indicator lamp does not come on or
>indicator lamp lights up continuously.
If there is a system malfunction,
there is a risk that the airbags will
not be triggered within their normal
response range, even if the level of
impact would normally have triggered
them. Have your BMW center inspect
the airbag system immediately.<
Airbags
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64
Transporting children safely
To avoid undesired movement at
high speeds, always store the rear
safety belts in their retainers when they
are not in use.<
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.
Correct location for installingIn your BMW, all seats equipped with a
three-point safety belt – except for the
driver's seat – are suitable for installing
universal child-restraint systems of all
age classes and which have been
approved for the age group in question.
Child-restraint system with
tether strapIf you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, two additional tether
anchorage points have been provided.
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
illustration.
1. Open the convertible top compart-
ment lid, refer to page 41 or 46
2. Lift the headrest and pass the tether
strap between the headrest and the
seat back. It is recommended that
you return the head restraint back to
its lowest possible position
3. Adjust the tether strap according to
the child-restraint manufacturer's
instructions
4. Close the convertible top compart-
ment panel.
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65
It is recommended to cover the child-
restraint attaching clip with a soft mate-
rial to prevent damage to the stored
soft top.
Should a hard top be installed, the
fitting of child harness tether
strap/s – if child seat is required – is
necessary before installation of the
hard top.<
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 lbs/9 kg –
would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment 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 dashboard as possible. This
important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height, and weight. Younger chil-
dren should be secured in an appropri-
ate forward-facing child-restraint sys-
tem that has first been properly
installed 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 when-
ever you use such a device.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint
systems. If you do this, the protection
provided by these systems could be
impaired.
Be sure that all occupants – of all ages –
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Transporting children safely
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66
Securing child-restraint systemAll 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
is located in the immediate vicinity of
the buckle 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 observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of
the child-restraint system.To unlock the safety belt Release the safety belt, remove the
child seat and retract the safety belt to
its end position on the belt retractor.
LATCH child-restraint mounting
systemLATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren
The left and right rear seats are both
equipped with a LATCH child-restraint
mounting system.
Transporting children safely
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67
Canadian models only:
The LATCH anchorage points are iden-
tified by buttons.
The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint system are located
behind the upholstery at the positions
indicated by the arrows.
Carefully slide the brackets through the
gaps in the upholstery at the indicated
locations.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint mounting system.
To avoid undesired movement at high
speeds, always store the rear safety
belts in their retainers when they are
not in use.<
Your BMW center can provide you with
a special installation aid* that helps pre-
vent damage to the upholstery.
Press the installation aid firmly in the
crack between the seat and the back-
rest upholstery until both funnels click
onto the LATCH system bars in the
seat.
The illustration is an example showing
the anchorages for a LATCH child seat
system on the right rear seat.
Transporting children safely
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68
Rollover protection systemIn the event of an accident or some
other critical driving situation – extreme
tilting in the longitudinal or transverse
axis, loss of contact with the ground –
the rollover protection system will be
automatically activated. The protective
bars located in the rear head restraints
extend within fractions of a second.
In addition to the integrated rollover bar
in the windshield frame, the rollover
protection system affords all the vehicle
occupants necessary headroom.
Always keep the travel path for the
rollover protection system free
and clear. Under no circumstances
should you cover the head restraints.
In the event of less serious accidents,
the safety belt will protect you and,
depending on the severity of the acci-
dent, so will the safety belt tensioner
and the multi-stage airbag restraint sys-
tem as well.<
If, after being automatically triggered,
its protective function is not needed,
then the rollover protection system can
be lowered back into place. No special
tool is needed for this.
1. Using a screwdriver from the
onboard tool kit, remove the cover
panel; to do this, position the screw-
driver under the notch
2. Push the lever toward the front of the
vehicle and keep it in this position
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117 Loading and transporting
Ski bag*The ski bag allows the safe and clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard
skis or up to two snowboards.
The length of the ski bag and the addi-
tional space provided in the luggage
compartment make it possible to carry
skis up to 6 ft 10 in / 2.10 m long.
Because of the tapered shape of the
bag, only two pairs of skis longer than
6 ft 10 in / 2.10 m can be carried.
Loading1. Take the safety belts out of their
holders
2. Press button downward and remove
the filler piece by pulling it forward
3. Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper provides conve-
nient access to stored items. It may
be opened to allow the ski bag to dry
4. Press the button in the luggage com-
partment
5. Use the magnetic holder to fasten
the cover panel to the back wall.
To store the ski bag, perform the above
steps in reverse sequence.Securing cargo
Secure skis and any other objects
stored in the bag by tightening the
retaining strap at the buckle.<
Be sure that your skis are clean
before loading them into the bag.
Avoid damage from sharp edges during
loading.<
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When reattaching the cover, guide
both bars into the guide and press
the cover back into place. Secure the
safety belts in their holders again.<
Cargo loading
Avoid overloading the vehicle so
that the permitted load on the tires
is not exceeded. Overloading can lead
to overheating and internal tire damage.
The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.<
Determining the maximum load1. Locate the following statement on
your vehicle‘s placard*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or YYY lbs., as this
could otherwise result in damage to the
vehicle or unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or YYY pounds
Ski bag*