2004 BMW 645CI COUPE&CONVERTIBLE Owners Manual

Controls
47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage
in the belt buckle.
Please fasten safety belt
warning lamp:
Lights up until the driver and front
passenger have fastened their safety belts.
Depending on the model, a signal
* sounds
or a message
* appears on the Control Dis-
play at the same time.
The warning is also issued when the driver
or front passenger removes his or her
safety belt while driving.
The warning can also take place if
objects are placed on the passenger
seat.<
Releasing
1.Hold the belt firmly
2.Press the red button in the belt buckle
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will
be in the correct position for adults of every
build if the seat is correctly adjusted, refer
to page 43.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the
entire belt system, including the tensioning
mechanisms, replaced at your BMW cen-
ter. Have the belt anchorage points
inspected for damage at the same time.
Failure to observe this precaution may pre-
vent the safety belts from effectively pro-
viding optimal protection when needed.<
Heated seats
The system regulates the temperatures of
the seat cushion and backrest.
The temperature setting progresses one
step through its control sequence each
time you press the button.
To switch off:
Maintain pressure on the button for several
seconds.

Adjustments
48
Mirrors
Adjusting exterior mirrors
Armrest in the driver's door:
14-way adjustment
2Switching to the other mirror or auto-
matic curb monitor, refer to page 45
To prevent the exterior mirrors from
being damaged due to the width of
the vehicle, always fold them in by hand
before entering an automatic car wash.<
You can also adjust the mirrors manually
if necessary by pressing against the outer
edges of their lenses.
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory,
page 44.
The mirror on the passenger's side
features a lens with a more convex
surface than the mirror installed on the
driver's side. When estimating the distance
between yourself and other traffic, bear in
mind that the objects reflected in the mirror
are closer than they appear. This means
that estimations of the distance to following
traffic should not be regarded as precise.<
Automatic functions
>Both exterior mirrors are automatically
heated in ignition key position 2
>The interior and exterior mirrors dim
depending on the light occurring when
the vehicle is being driven forward
*.There are two photocells in the interior
mirror to control the automatic dimming
of the interior mirror. One is integrated
within the mirror's lens, refer to arrow,
while the other is located at an offset
position on the rear of the mirror hous-
ing.
For trouble-free operation, keep the
photocells clean and do not cover the
area between the interior rearview mir-
ror and the windshield. Do not attach
any kind of stickers on the windshield in
front of the mirror, either.
Steering wheel adjustment
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
the vehicle is moving. There is a risk
of accident from unexpected movement.<
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four
directions.
Storing the steering-wheel position, refer
to Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory,
page 44.

Controls
49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic steering wheel
adjustment
In conjunction with seat, mirror and steer-
ing wheel memory.
The steering wheel automatically moves as
high up and far forward as possible to ease
driver entry and exit before then returning
to the standard position or stored memory
setting.
This automatic feature is governed by the
driver's door and the ignition lock.
Steering wheel heater*
In ignition key position 2, press the button.
The indicator lamp within the button lights
up when the steering wheel heater is in
operation.
Programming button function
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, an
individual function can be assigned to each
of the two programmable function buttons
in the steering wheel.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller
3.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and
press the controller.A list with different functions is dis-
played:
>"Navigation"
Voice instructions for the navigation
system
>"Air recirculation on / off"
In this mode, you can continuously
block the supply of outside air, refer
to AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control on page 89
>"Mute on / off"
Mutes the audio sources
>"Screen on / off"
Switches the Control Display on/off
>"Short cut / Telephone"
Display/hide phone book
>"Next entertainment source"
Changes audio source
4.Select the desired function
5.Press the controller
6.Select button if necessary
.
7.Press the controller.
Depending on which key you have used to
open the vehicle, the last adjustment is
applied.
You can operate the selected function
using the corresponding button.

Adjustments
50
Operating function
Briefly press the corresponding button on
the steering wheel.
Voice instructions of navigation system:
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Maintain pressure on the button for
several seconds
>Repeat the last voice instruction:
Briefly press the button
>To prevent the navigation system from
interrupting other audio sources, such
as a news program or traffic bulletin,
you can cancel the voice instructions:
Press the button briefly during an
instruction.

Controls
51Reference
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.
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
secured. We strongly urge you to carefully
read and comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the child-
restraint's 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 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. Deactivat-
ing the passenger airbags is only possible
on the Coupe. Your BMW center will be
glad to advise you. 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 – of
the kind designed for infants under 1 year
and 20 Ibs./9 kg – 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.<
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.
After an accident, have all parts of the
child-restraint system and of the relevant
vehicle safety belt system checked by a
BMW center and replaced if necessary.<
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.

Transporting children safely
52
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 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 safety belt
Release the buckle, remove the child-
restraint system and allow the belt retractor
to reel the belt completely in.
Coupe: child-restraint system with
tether strap
If you use a child-restraint system with a
tether strap, two 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
passenger 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.
The head restraint must be adjusted into
the lowest possible position. Pass the
tether strap over the head restraint.
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 system manufacturer.<
Access to anchorage points
The illustrations show the right rear seat as
an example. The outer anchorage points
for the LATCH child-restraint fixing are
identified by flags.

Controls
53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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
the related operating instructions and
safety precautions.<
1.Pull the belt away from the area of the
child-restraint fixing
2.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 guide to remove.

Driving
54
Driving
Ignition lock
0 Steering locked
The key can only be inserted or removed in
this position.
After removing the key, turn the steering
wheel slightly until it locks.
Interlock on automatic transmission
>Only move the selector lever from
position P with the engine running
>To turn the key back to position 0 or to
remove it, first select the selector lever
position P.
1 Steering unlocked
A slight steering wheel movement often
makes it easier to turn the key from 0 to 1.
Individual current consumers are ready for
operation.
2 Ignition switched on
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
3 Start engine
Starting engine
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, as otherwise the inhaling of
toxic exhaust gases can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always
select idle position or position N and apply
the handbrake before leaving the vehicle
with the engine running.<
When starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle remains
stationary. Instead, begin to drive immedi-
ately at a moderate engine speed.
Special starting conditions
Press the accelerator pedal halfway down
when starting if
>the engine fails to start on the first
attempt, for instance, if it is very hot or
cold
>the engine is started at very low tem-
peratures, below approx. + 57/–156,
at high altitudes, over 3,300 ft/1,000 m.
Avoid frequent starting in quick suc-
cession or repeated start attempts in
which the engine does not start. Otherwise,
the fuel is not burned or inadequately
burned and there is a danger of overheat-
ing and damaging the catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission
1.Apply the handbrake
2.Gearshift lever in idle position
3.Press the clutch pedal
If the clutch pedal is not
depressed, the engine will not
start.<
4.Start the engine.
Do not terminate the starting operation
too early, but after approx. 20 seconds
at the latest. When the engine starts, let
go of the ignition key immediately.