2004 BMW 545I SEDAN height

Controls
37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
ment, and the ensuing loss of vehicle con-
trol could lead to an accident.
On the front passenger side as well, do not
tilt the backrest too far toward the rear
while driving. Failure to observe this pre-
caution can prevent the belt from providing
effective protection against injury, as the
passenger could slide under the belt in an
accident.
Make sure that the footwell behind the
driver's and front passenger's seat is empty
and unobstructed. If you fail to do so, any
persons or objects behind the seat could
be injured or damaged by a rearward
movement of the seat.<
Please observe the information on damage
to safety belts provided on page 41 and the
information on the active head restraints on
page 40.
Seat adjustment
To ensure that the safety systems
continue to provide optimized protec-
tion, please observe the adjustment
instructions on page 36.<
1Forward/backward
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest
Comfort seat* adjustment
In addition to the electric power seat func-
tions, several other adjustment options are
available with the comfort seat:
1Backrest width
By adjusting the backrest width, you
can increase or reduce lateral support
2Shoulder support
You can use the adjustable upper back-
rest for supplementary support in the
shoulder region. This provides a
relaxed driving position and helps
relieve stress on the shoulder muscles
Make corrections in the forward/
backward adjustment of the seat
to ensure that the safety belt still fits
firmly against your body. If you do not
do this, the protection provided by the
safety belt may be reduced.<
3Thigh support
Adjust the thigh support until the ideal
support is provided for the thigh
4Lumbar support, see below
Sports seat* adjustment
In addition to the seat cushion, on the
sports seat you can adjust the thigh sup-
port 3, see above.
Easy entry/exit*
The backrest width automatically moves as
high up and far forward as possible to ease
driver entry and exit before then returning
to the standard or stored memory setting.
This automatic feature is governed by the
driver's door and the ignition lock.

Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
6.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
is opened" and press the controller.
displays the selected setting.
When using this Key Memory feature,
always make sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is empty and unob-
structed. If you fail to do so, any persons or
objects behind the seat could be injured or
damaged by a rearward movement of the
seat.<
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and turn the
ignition key to position 0 or 2
2.Press the desired memory button 1 or 2
and maintain pressure until the adjust-
ment process has been completed.
If the
MEMORY button is pressed acciden-
tally:
Press the button a second time, the indica-
tor lamp goes out.
Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt
function*
Automatic curb monitor
1.Select the exterior mirror on the driver
side with the switch
2.When you engage reverse gear or
selector-lever position R, the exterior mirror on the front passenger side tilts
downward slightly. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adja-
cent to the vehicle Ð such as a curb Ð
when parking, etc.
You can also deactivate this automatic
function: push the mirror selector switch to
the passenger's mirror position.
Head restraints
Head restraints reduce the risk of spi-
nal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraints so that they are
centered roughly at the level of your ears.<
Front seats: adjusting the height
You can adjust the height of the head
restraints electrically.
Front seats: adjusting the angle
Swivel the head restraint.
With the comfort seat, you use the shoulder
support to set the distance to the back of
the head.

Adjustments
40
Comfort seat
Setting the side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the
head restraint forward for increased lateral
support.
Front head restraints, active*
The comfort seats are equipped with an
active head restraint.
When necessary, the system will respond
to a rear impact by automatically triggering
the active head restraints.
To ensure that the active head
restraints afford maximum protection,
and to avoid unnecessary risks to personal
safety, we request that you read and com-
ply with the following:
>Adjust the head restraints so that they
are centered roughly at the level of your
ears
>Do not install seat or head-restraint
covers
>Never use the head restraints as sup-
ports for suspending objects of any
kind, such as clothes hangers. Refrain
from mounting accessories on either
the seat or the head restraint.<
Rear seats: adjusting the height
>Upwards: by pulling
>Downwards: press the button, arrow 1,
and press the head restraint down-
wards.
Safety belts
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage
in the belt buckle.
Please fasten safety belts warning
lamp:
Lights up until the driver and front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
Depending on the model, a signal
* sounds
or a message
* appears on the Control Dis-
play at the same time.

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.

Controls
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Always remember that the range and
ability of the system does have phys-
ical limitations. It will not apply the brakes
or decelerate your vehicle when there is a
slow-moving vehicle, stopped vehicle or
stationary object ahead of you, as for
example, at a traffic light or a parked vehi-
cle. Also, the system does not react to
oncoming traffic, pedestrians or other type
of potential traffic such as a rider on horse-
back. It is also possible that the system
may not detect smaller moving objects
such as motorcycles or bicycles. Be espe-
cially alert when encountering any of these
situations as the system will neither auto-
matically brake, nor provide a warning to
you. Also, be aware that every decrease in
the distance setting allows your vehicle to
come closer to a vehicle in front of you and
requires a heightened amount of alert-
ness.<
If while your vehicle is actively following a
vehicle in front of you and the vehicle
ahead speeds up or the lane ahead
becomes clear, then your vehicle will
accelerate to the speed you have selected.
Be aware that changing to a clear, unob-
structed lane will also result in your vehicle
accelerating.
Be certain to deactivate the system
when you pull into an exit lane for a
highway off-ramp.<
Also, vehicles traveling in a staggered man-
ner on a highway may cause a delay in the
system's reaction to a vehicle in front of
you or may cause the system to react to a
vehicle actually in the lane next to you.
Always be ready to take action or apply the
brakes if necessary.
Active cruise control can only decelerate
the vehicle to approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. If
the system reduces vehicle speed below
20 mph/30 km/h or if DSC/ABS is engaged
while driving, the system will automatically
deactivate.
Remember, the system cannot stop
your vehicle. In addition, the system is
deactivated whenever the driver applies
the vehicle brakes, shifts the transmission
from drive/D to neutral/N, or deactivates DSC. After any deactivation, the system
will no longer automatically activate the
vehicle brakes, which means the driver
must intervene and resume manual brak-
ing. You should then reactivate the system
only when you are fully aware of the prior
speed and distance settings.<
Active cruise control may brake when you
reduce the stored desired speed; however,
the driver must constantly monitor traffic
and intervene if necessary.
When you switch off the engine or ignition,
active cruise control is fully switched off,
too, and any settings you have selected are
canceled.
Behavior in curves
Because of the limited range of the system,
it is possible that in curves or on the peaks
and valleys of hilly roads, a vehicle ahead
may be recognized late, or not at all. There-
fore, it is up to the driver to select a speed
that is prudent in view of the curves and
terrain of the roadway.
In approaching a curve, it is possible that
active cruise control would react briefly to a
vehicle in the adjacent lane. In addition, the
system can sense if your vehicle is in a
curve and may not accelerate. If your vehi-
cle decelerates in either case, you can

Mobility
177Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Under the hood
Hood
Unlocking
Pull the lever located under the left side of
the instrument panel.
Never attempt to perform any service
or repair operations on your vehicle
without the required, professional technical
training. When you are unfamiliar with the
service procedures and precautions,
always have any required work carried out
at your BMW center. Unprofessional
attempts at service and repair, and the
incorrect handling of parts and materials
that can occur during such attempts, con-
stitute a potential safety hazard, both for
the vehicle's occupants and for other road
users.<
Opening
Press the release handle and open the
engine hood.
Closing
Close the hood from a height of approx.
16 in/40 cm with momentum. It must be
clearly heard to engage.
Observe the same precautions that
apply to all closing operations by
ensuring that the hood's travel range is
clear and unobstructed before allowing the
hood to fall into position.
If you see any signs that the hood is not
completely closed while driving your vehi-
cle, you should stop at once and close it
securely.<

Mobility
187Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Changing a wheel
Safety measures in the event of a
breakdown or wheel change:
Park the vehicle as far away as possible
from moving traffic and on firm ground.
Switch on the hazard warning flashers.
Lock the steering wheel in straight-ahead
setting of the wheels. Apply the handbrake
and engage first gear, reverse gear or
selector lever to position P.
Have all vehicle occupants get out of the
vehicle and ensure that they remain outside
the immediate area in a safe place, such as
behind a guardrail.
If a warning triangle or portable hazard
warning lamp is required, set it up on the
roadside at an appropriate distance from
the rear of the vehicle.
Comply with all safety guidelines and regu-
lations.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm sur-
face which is not slippery.
The vehicle or the jack could slip to the side
if you attempt to raise the vehicle on a soft
or slippery surface such as snow, ice, tiles,
etc.
Position the jack on a firm support surface.
Do not use a wooden block or similar
object as a support base for the jack, as
this would prevent it from extending to its
full support height and reduce its load-car-
rying capacity.
To avoid serious or fatal injury: never lie
under the vehicle, and never start the
engine while it is supported by the jack.<
What you will need
To avoid rattling noises later on, note the
positions of the tools before removing
them, then return them to their initial posi-
tions after completing work.1Chock
2Vehicle jack
3Lug wrench
are located in the tool space in the rim of
the compact wheel. Raise the floor mat and
the cover beneath it. Take out the required
tool(s). After using the tools, return them to
the storage space.
Compact wheel*
1.Unscrew the wing nut 1
2.Remove the disk 2 to the side
3.Take out the tool brackets 3
4.Remove the compact wheel.
Procedure
1.Read carefully and comply with the
safety precautions on left-hand column
2.To secure the vehicle against move-
ment:
Place the wheel chock behind the front
wheel on the side opposite the side
being raised. If the vehicle is parked on
a downward slope, place the chock in
front of the wheel. If the wheel must be
changed on a surface with a more
severe slope, take additional precau-
tions to secure the vehicle from rolling

Everything from A to Z
208 Heating 90
Ð mirrors 43
Ð steering wheel 44
Heating while stopped 92
Heavy cargo, refer to
Stowing cargo 109
Height, refer to
Dimensions 199
Height adjustment
Ð head restraints 39
Ð seats 37
Ð steering wheel 43
High beams 88
Ð headlight flasher 88
Ð indicator lamp 13
Ð replacing the bulbs 185
Hills 107
Holder for beverages 99
"Horn" 44
Horn 10
"Hour memo" 75
"House number" for
destination entry 117
Hydraulic brake assistant,
refer to DBC 79
Hydroplaning 106, 174
I
Ice warning 65
iDrive, refer to Control
Center 16
Ignition key 26
Ignition key positions, refer
to Ignition lock 49
Ignition lock 49
Independent ventilation
Ð switching on and off
directly 94
Independent ventilation/
heating
Ð entering switch-on
times 95
Ð preselecting switch-on
times 95Indicator/warning lamp
Ð active steering 82
Ð airbags 84
Ð Flat Tire Monitor 81
Ð front fog lamps 11
Ð overview 13
Ð safety belt warning 40
Individual air distribution 93
Individual button
assignment options on
steering wheel 44
Individual settings, refer to
Key Memory 26
Inflation pressure, refer to
Tire inflation
pressure 170
"Information" for
navigation 118
Information for navigation
Ð on a different city 118
Ð on city of destination 118
Ð on current position 118
"Information on
destination" 119
"Input map" 118
Installation location
Ð CD changer 144
Ð navigation computer 114
Ð portable phone 151
Instructions for navigation
system, refer to Voice
instructions 124
Instrument cluster 12
Instrument combination,
refer to Instrument
cluster 12
Instrument lighting 88
Instrument panel, refer to
Instrument cluster 10
Integrated universal remote
control 96
Interesting destination 118
"Interim time" 73
Interior lamps 89
Ð remote control 28
Interior mirror, refer to
Interior rearview mirror 43
Interior motion sensor 33
Ð switching off 28Interior rearview mirror 43
Ð automatic dimming
feature 43
Interlock, refer to Steering
locked 49
Intermittent mode of the
wipers 57
J
Jacking points 188
Joystick, refer to Control
Center 16
Jump-starting 192
K
Key Memory 26
"Keypad" 156
Keys 26
Key set, refer Central keys
with remote control 26
Kickdown 55
Knock control 169
L
Lamps and bulbs 184
"Languages" 74
"Languages" for
navigation 124
Lashing eyes, refer to
Securing the load 109
"Last seat position" 38
LATCH child-restraint
fixing 47
LEDs light-emitting
diodes 89
Length, refer to
Dimensions 199
Letter symbol on portable
phone 156
License plate light
Ð replacing the bulbs 186
Light-emitting diodes
LEDs 89
Lighter 100
Ð socket 100
"Lighting" 56, 87