2004 BMW 525I SEDAN child restraint

Adjustments
36
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driv-
ing.The sitting position of the occupants
plays an important role together with the
safety belts and airbags in an accident. To
ensure that the safety systems operate with
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the
following section.
For additional information on transporting
children safely, refer to page 45.
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the air-
bags. Always hold the steering wheel by
its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock and
3 o'clock positions, to minimize the risk of
injuries to your hands and arms in the event
of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.
Make sure that the front passenger is cor-
rectly seated and does not rest feet or legs
on the instrument panel, otherwise leg inju-
ries can occur if the knee and front airbag
are triggered.
Never let an occupant's head rest near or
on a side airbag because the inflating air-
bag could cause a serious or fatal injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions
injuries resulting from contact with airbags
cannot be fully excluded, depending on the
circumstances. The ignition and inflation
noise may provoke a mild hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals. This effect
is usually only temporary.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 83.
Sitting safely with safety belts
Fasten your safety belt before starting any
trip. Airbags complement the safety belt as
an additional safety device, but they do not
represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained Ð
infants and small children in appropriate
child-restraint systems; larger children and
adults using the safety belts.
Expectant mothers should always wear
their safety belts, taking care to position
the lap belt against the lower hips, where it
will not exert pressure against the abdomi-
nal area.
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.
Do not route the belt across your neck, or
run it across sharp edges. Be sure that the
belt does not become caught or jammed.
Avoid twisting the belt while routing it firmly
across the hips and shoulder. Do not allow
the belt to rest against hard or fragile
objects. Otherwise, in the event of a frontal
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over
your hips, leading to abdominal injury.
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the
belt from fitting properly and pull the lap
belt periodically to readjust the tension
across your shoulder in order to avoid a
reduction in the retention effect of the
safety belt.<
For instructions on operating safety belts,
refer to page 40.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat
while the vehicle is moving. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-

Controls
45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in a vehicle is in the rear
seat.
Older children should be tightly secured
with a safety belt, after they have outgrown
a booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height and weight.
A child sitting 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 Ñ even
though belted Ñ may fall asleep with his or
her head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that children
in the rear seat will remain properly posi-
tioned at all times and do not place their
heads on or near the side airbag. There-
fore, we recommend that the rear side air-
bags, if provided, be deactivated if you plan
to transport children in the rear seat.<
Deactivating the rear seat side
airbags
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated by a BMW center.
Labels in the rear door opening should indi-
cate the status of your rear seat side air-
bags. If you are uncertain of their status, or
wish to have the airbags activated or deac-
tivated, please contact your BMW center.
Child-restraint system in the rear
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 ft/150 cm tall
should always ride in the rear and the
restraint systems should be secured with
the vehicle's safety belts.<
Younger children should be secured in an
appropriate forward-facing child-restraint
system that has first been properly
restrained. We strongly urge you to care-
fully read and comply with the instructions for installation and use provided by the
child restraintÕs manufacturer whenever
you use such a device.
All rear sitting positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of SAE J1819,
an industry-recommended practice for
securing child-restraint systems in motor
vehicles.
Exception for the front passenger
seat
Should it become necessary to use a
child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat, the airbags on the passen-
ger's side must be deactivated. The pas-
senger airbag indicator lamp above the
interior rearview mirror must light up con-
tinuously. Otherwise, the front passenger
airbags remain active and there is consid-
erable risk of injury to children if the airbags
are triggered, even with a child-restraint
system. In this case, children should be
seated in the rear and the system should be
checked at your BMW center.<
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passen-
ger seat of this vehicle if the passenger air-
bag is not deactivated. If you do so, the
child could be severely injured when the
airbag is triggered.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the front
passenger. Because the backrest on any
rearward-facing child-restraint system Ð of
the kind designed for infants under 1 year
and 20 Ibs./9 kg Ð would be within the air-
bag's deployment range, you should never
mount such a system in the front passenger
seat, since the impact of the airbag against
the child restraint's backrest could lead to
serious or fatal injuries.<
More information on automatic deactiva-
tion of the front passenger airbags, refer to
page 83.

Transporting children safely
46
Installing child-restraint
systems
Before installing any child-restraint system
or child seat, read the following:
Observe the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions for instal-
lation and use. Otherwise the degree of
protection can be reduced.
Following an accident, have all parts of the
affected vehicle safety-belt system
checked and, if necessary, replaced by a
BMW center.<
Commercially-available child-restraint sys-
tems are designed to be secured with a lap
belt or with the lap belt portion of a combi-
nation 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.
Child seat security
All of the rear belt retractors and the front
passenger's safety belt can be locked for
mounting and securing child-restraint sys-
tems.
Information regarding this is located near
the buckle latch of each safety belt.
To lock the safety belt
Pull the entire length of the belt from the
belt retractor. 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.
To unlock the safety belt
Release the buckle, remove the child-
restraint system and allow the belt retractor
to reel the belt completely in.
Child-restraint system with tether
strap
If you use a child-restraint system with a
tether strap, three additional tether anchor-
age points have been provided, refer to the
arrows in the illustration. Depending on the
location selected for sitting in the rear pas-
senger area, attach the tether strap to the
corresponding anchorage point to secure
the child-restraint system, as shown in the
illustration below.
Each sitting position is fitted with a head
restraint.
Outer seating positions:
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
position.
Center seating position:
Pull the center armrest forward somewhat
to guide the tether strap through the open-
ing. Then reengage the center armrest.

Controls
47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjust the tether strap according to
the child-restraint manufacturer's
instructions.<
LATCH child-restraint fixing
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for
CHildren.
The rear outer sitting positions are pro-
vided with anchors for a LATCH child-
restraint fixing.
To fit the LATCH child-restraint fixing,
follow the operating and safety
instructions of the manufacturer.<
Access to anchorage points on the
basic seat
The illustrations show the left rear seat as
an example. The outer anchorage points
for the LATCH child-restraint fixing are
identified by small flags.
Canadian models only:
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing are identified by buttons.
Installation guide
The installation guide makes it easier to fit
the LATCH child-restraint fixing and at the
same time protects the surface of the
seats.The installation guide is available at
your BMW center. Always observe all
instructions for installation and use pro-
vided by the child-restraint's manufac-
turer.<
1.Engage the center safety belt into the
belt buckle
2.Pull the belt away from the area of the
child-restraint fixing
3.Firmly press the installation guide into
the gap between the upholstery on seat
and backrest, continuing until the two
funnel-shaped guides snap into place in
the LATCH support braces in the seat.
Pull the installation guides to remove.
Access to anchorage points on the
rear seat with through-loading
system
The illustration shows the right rear seat as
an example.
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing are located behind the pro-
tective caps.
Before fitting the child-restraint fixing,
remove the LATCH protective caps.

Transporting children safely
48 1.Engage the center safety belt into the
belt buckle
2.Pull the belt away from the area of the
child-restraint fixing.
On journeys
If side airbags are fitted in the rear,
make sure that children do not lean
out of the child's seat towards the door
panels. Otherwise severe injuries can be
caused if the side airbags are triggered.<
Child safety locks for the rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear
doors:
The relevant door can now be opened from
the outside only.

Controls
83Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front pas-
senger
2Head airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective effect
The front airbags help protect the driver
and front passenger by responding to fron-
tal impacts in which safety belts alone can-
not provide adequate restraint. When
needed, the head and side airbags help
provide protection in the event of side
impact. The relevant side airbag helps to
restrain the side upper body area. The rel-
evant head airbag helps to support the
head and provides protection against
objects entering the vehicle.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered
in every impact situation, e.g. less severe
accidents, certain roll-over conditions, or
rear-end collisions.
The rear seat side airbags may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. Labels in the rear door open-
ing 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 contact
your BMW center.<
For information on the correct sitting posi-
tion, refer to page 36.
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags, cover
them or modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag reten-tion system from the vehicle. Never modify
or tamper with either the wiring or the indi-
vidual components in the airbag system.
This category includes the upholstery in the
center of the steering wheel, on the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels on the
doors and the roof pillars along with the
sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns.
If you note any indication of system mal-
function, if you desire to have an airbag
deactivated, or if the airbag retention sys-
tem is triggered in response to an accident,
you should always entrust all inspection,
repair and dismantling operations to your
BMW center.
Unprofessional attempts to service the sys-
tem could lead to failure in an emergency
or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.
To ensure compliance with official safety
regulations, please also entrust disposal of
airbag generators to a BMW center.<
Airbag warning information is also provided
on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
Your BMW has a seat occupation detection
system. By evaluating the weight on the
front passenger's seat, the system detects
whether or not the seat is occupied by a
child in the child-restraint system or an
adult.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
84 >When a child is seated in the child-
restraint system or with an empty seat,
the front and side airbags are automat-
ically deactivated on the passenger's
side
>When an adult is traveling in the front
seat, the front and side airbags remain
active on the passenger side.
Although not desired, it can occur in
the case of heavier children that the
front passenger airbags remain active or in
the case of very light adults or young per-
sons that the front passenger airbags are
deactivated.
The state of the front passenger airbags is
shown with the telltale lamp, refer to Indi-
cator lamps in the following. In this case
transport the corresponding persons on
the rear seat.
Except when persons to be transported, do
not increase the load on the front passen-
ger seat with additional items. Do not fit
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball
mats or other items to the front passenger
seat unless they are specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not place any items
under the seat. Otherwise, the function of
the seat occupation detection could be
impaired.<
Indicator lamps
Operational readiness of airbag
system
The airbag indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster indicates the operational readiness
of the entire airbag system and the safety
belt tensioners as of ignition key position 1.
The indicator lamp goes out after a few
seconds.The telltale lamp above the interior rear-
view mirror indicates whether the front-
passenger airbag system is activated or
deactivated as of ignition key position 1.
The telltale lamp refers exclusively to
the front-passenger airbag system.<
>The telltale lamp goes out after a few
seconds.
The front passenger airbags are active,
e.g. when transporting an adult
>The telltale lamp lights up continuously.
The front passenger airbags are deacti-
vated, e.g. when transporting a child in
the child-restraint system or when the
seat is unoccupied.
For more information on the operating prin-
ciple of the front passenger airbag system
and seat occupation detection, refer to
Automatic deactivation of the front passen-
ger airbags.
Airbag system malfunction
A system malfunction could prevent
the system from responding in the
expected manner to an impact occurring
within its normal response range.
Please have the airbag system inspected
immediately at a BMW center.<
There is a fault in the airbag system
if the airbag indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster behaves as fol-
lows:
>Indicator lamp does not light up as of
ignition key position 1
>It remains on continuously
>Indicator lamp lights up while the vehi-
cle is being driven.

Everything from A to Z
204 Cargo, securing 109
Cargo area
Ð locking separately 31
Caring for artificial leather,
refer to Caring for your
vehicle brochure
Caring for leather, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Caring for light-alloy
wheels, refer to Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Caring for plastic, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Caring for the carpet, refer
to Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Caring for the vehicle finish,
refer to Caring for your
vehicle brochure
Car jack
Ð jacking points 188
Car keys, refer to Central
keys with remote
control 26
Car phone 151
Ð installation location, refer
to Center armrest 98
Ð refer to Portable
phone 150
Ð refer to separate Owner's
Manual
Car radio, refer to
Radio 134
Car wash 106
Ð refer also to Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Catalytic converter, refer to
High temperatures 106
"Categories" 138
CBC Cornering Brake
Control 78
CBS Condition Based
Service 181
"CD" 130CD changer 144
Ð adjusting the tone 131
Ð controls 130
Ð fast forward/reverse 146
Ð installation location 144
Ð listening to a CD 144
Ð playing a track 145
Ð random order 146
Ð repeating a track 145
Ð selecting track 145
Ð switching on/off 130
Ð volume 131
CD for navigation 114
CD player 141
Ð adjusting the tone 131
Ð controls 130
Ð fast forward/reverse 142
Ð playing a track 142
Ð random order 142
Ð repeating a track 142
Ð selecting tracks 141
Ð switching on/off 130
Ð volume 131
Center armrest 98
Center console, refer to
Comfort area 14
Central keys with remote
control 26
"Central locking" 38
Central locking system 27
Ð from inside vehicle 30
Ð from outside vehicle 27
Changes, technical, refer to
Parts and accessories 6
Changing a wheel 187
Changing selector-lever
positions 55
Changing the direction
display for navigation 124
Changing the language on
the Control Display 74
Changing the
measurement units on the
Control Display 74
Changing wheels 174
CHECK button 69
Check Control 68
"Check Control
messages" 69
Check Gas Cap 168Checking the air pressure,
refer to Tire inflation
pressure 170
Child's seat 45
Child-restraint fixing
LATCH 47
Child restraints 45
Child-restraint system 45
Child-safety lock 48
Chock 187
Chrome parts, care, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Cigarette lighter 100
Circulation of air, refer to
Recirculated-air mode 91
"City" for destination
entry 117
Cleaning, refer to Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Cleaning headlamps
Ð washer fluid 57
Cleaning windshield 57
"Climate" 41
Clock 65
Ð 12/24 hour mode 74
Ð setting the time and
date 74
Closing
Ð from inside 30
Ð from outside 27
Cockpit 10
Comfort area 14
Comfort seat 37
"Communication" 152
"Communication
interface" 161
Compact Disc
Ð refer to CD changer 144
Ð refer to CD player 141
Compact wheel
Ð inflation pressure 171
Ð wheel change 187
Compression ratio, refer to
Engine data 198
Computer 70
Ð clock, 12/24 hour
mode 74
Ð displays on the Control
Display 70