51 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Head airbags for driver and front pas-
senger
3Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides – front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing addi-
tional protection in the event of a
severe frontal collision in which the pro-
tection afforded by the belts alone may
no longer be sufficient. The head and
side airbags help provide protection in
the event of a collision from the side.
The respective side airbag helps sup-
port the seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
posture, refer to page 41.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
The airbags do not deploy in
response to minor collisions, rear
impacts and certain kinds of vehicle
rollover.<
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way. Do not remove the airbag restraint
system. In the event of a malfunction,
deactivation or triggered activation – as
a response to an accident – of the air-
bag restraint system, solely consult
your BMW center for inspection, repair
or disassembly. Do not modify or
tamper with either the wiring or the indi-
vidual components in the airbag sys-
tem. These include the upholstered
covers on the steering wheel, the
instrument panel, side panels on doors
and in the rear and the roof struts as
well as down the sides of the roof lin-
ers. Also, do not attempt to remove the
steering wheel. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury. Do
not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been
activated, as this could result in per-
sonal injury.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
52
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
because the inflating airbag could
cause a serious or fatal injury. Please
note that the word Airbag imprinted on
the door trim panel indicates the air-
bag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the airbag, if so equipped. For
example, a child — even though belted
in — 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 installed in the
vehicle, be deactivated if children will
be riding in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated by a BMW cen-
ter. If you are uncertain of their status,
or wish to have the airbags activated or
deactivated, please contact your BMW
center.<
Even when all these guidelines are
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances.
In sensitive individuals, the ignition and
inflation noise may induce a mild hear-
ing loss that is temporary in most
cases.
Corresponding airbag warning labels
are found on both sun visors.This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
are provided.
Airbags
