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Indicator and warning
lamps
Technology that monitors itself
The indicator and warning lamps identified
by the
+ symbol are subjected to an oper-
ation check each time you switch on the
ignition or start the engine. They each light
up once for different periods of time.
When a malfunction occurs in a monitored
system, the corresponding lamp will either
fail to go out when the engine is started, or
it will come on again during normal driving,
usually accompanied by a Check Control
message. You will find more details on the
specified pages.
Fixed indicator and warning lampsColors The indicator and warning lamps can light
up in different colors and combinations.
>Red:
Stop immediately
or
important reminder
>Red and yellow:
Continue to drive; drive cautiously
>Yellow:
Have the system checked at the earliest
opportunity
or
for your information
>Green or blue:
For your information.
Variable indicator and warning lamps
On the display 5 of the instrument cluster,
other indicator and warning lamps appear
as necessary. Pay attention to the instruc-
tions of the accompanying Check Control
messages, also refer to page 66. Turn signals60
Active steering
+80
Brake system
+
With handbrake engaged55
With handbrake released78, 173
With other warning lamps78
Brake system for Canadian models
Airbags
+81
Service Engine Soon
+176
If the indicator lamp comes on
either continuously or intermit-
tently, this indicates a malfunction
the emissions-related electronic
systems.
Although the vehicle remains oper-
ational, you should have the sys-
tems checked by your BMW center
at the earliest possible opportunity
Service Engine Soon indicator
lamp for Canadian models
Front fog lamps86
ABS Antilock Brake System +78
DTC Dynamic Traction Control78
High beams/headlamp flasher86
Please fasten safety belt
+47
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control
+78
Check Gas Cap162
Lamp for US models
Adjustments
42
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The sitting position also plays an important
role together with the safety belts and air-
bags in providing occupants with maximum
levels of passive safety 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 51.
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 sit-
ting correctly and does not rest feet or legs
on the instrument panel, otherwise leg inju-
ries can occur if the knee and front airbags
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 – usually tempo-
rary – hearing loss in extremely sensitive
individuals.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 81.
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 four seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained:
infants and small children in appropriate
child-restraint systems; larger children and
adults using the safety belts.
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.
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.
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 47.
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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.
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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.
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.
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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front pas-
senger
2Coupe: head airbags
3Front side airbags
4Knee airbag for front passenger
5Knee airbag for driver
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 a side
impact. The side airbags help restrain the
side of the occupant's upper torso, and the
head airbags help support the head while
also helping provide protection against any
objects penetrating into the passenger
compartment.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered
in every impact situation, e.g. less severe
accidents, certain rollover conditions, or
rear-end collisions.
For information on the correct sitting posi-
tion, refer to page 42.
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.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 on the Coupe 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 system could lead to failure in
an emergency or undesired airbag activa-
tion, either of which could result in personal
injury.<
Airbag warning information is also provided
on the sun visors.
Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
Airbag system operational
The airbag warning 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 warning lamp goes out after a few sec-
onds.
Airbag system malfunction
Have the airbag system checked
immediately if a malfunction occurs,
as otherwise there is a danger of the sys-
tem not responding in the expected man-
ner to an impact occurring within its normal
response range.<
There is a malfunction in the airbag
system when:
>The warning lamp does not light up as
of ignition key position 1
>The warning lamp remains on continu-
ously
>The warning lamp lights up while the
vehicle is being driven.
Convertible:
Rollover protection system
The rollover protection system is automati-
cally activated in the event of an accident
or a critical driving situation, extreme incli-
nation on the longitudinal or transverse
axis, or loss of ground contact. The rollover
bars located behind the rear head
restraints move out within fractions of a
second.As a supplement to the rollover bar inte-
grated in the windshield frame, the rollover
protection system ensures that all vehicle
occupants have the necessary headroom.
Always keep the path of movement of
the rollover protection system clear.
In less severe accidents, you are protected
by the fastened safety belt and, depending
on the severity of the accident, the belt ten-
sioner and the multistage airbag restraint
system.<
Lowering
If the protection function was not required
after automatic activation, the rollover pro-
tection system can be lowered again.
No tools are necessary for this purpose.
1.Press the release backwards and hold
in that position
2.Press the rollover bar halfway down
from above
3.Let go of the release
4.Press the rollover bar down until it
snaps into place
5.Use the same procedure for the second
rollover bar.
Have the rollover protection system
checked after unexpected triggering.
197Reference
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Everything from A to Z
Index
"..." Indicates texts on the
Control Display for the
selection of functions,
pointing out where these
are located.
A
ABS Antilock Brake
System 76
– malfunction 78
– warning lamp 13, 78
Acceleration assistant with
SMG 60
Accessories, refer to
Your individual vehicle 5
Activated-charcoal filter 92
"Activation time" for
independent
ventilation 93
Activation times 93
– entering 93
Active roll stabilization 78
Active steering 80
– initializing the system 80
– warning lamp 13, 80
Adapting the temperature
in the upper body
region 91
Adaptive brake lamps, refer
to Brake Force Display 80
Adaptive Head Light 86
"Add digits" for portable
phone 149
"Address book" for
navigation 114
Address for navigation
– deleting 115
– entering 110
– selecting 115
– storing current
location 114
"Add to destination
list" 111Adjusting the temperature
with automatic climate
control 89
Adjusting the thigh
support 43
"After opening door" 44
"After unlocking" 44
Airbags 81
– deactivating, Coupe 51
– indicator lamp 82
– sitting safely 42
Air distribution
– automatic 89
– manual 90
Airing, refer to
Ventilation 92
Air recirculation, refer to
Automatic recirculated-
air control 89
"Air recirculation on /
off" 49
Air vents, refer to
Ventilation 88
Air volume 89
AKI, refer to Fuel
specifications 163
Alarm system 32
– avoiding unintentional
alarms 33
– interior motion sensor 33
– switching off alarm 32
– switching off tilt alarm
sensor and interior
motion sensor 33
– tilt alarm sensor 33
All around the center
console 14
All around the steering
wheel 10
"All channels" 135
"All doors" 27
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires 169
Altering stretch of road 120"AM", reception
range 127, 130
Antenna for portable
phone 144
Antifreeze
– coolant 172
– washer fluid 62
Antilock Brake System,
ABS 76
Anti-theft alarm system,
refer to Alarm system 32
Anti-theft system 27
Anti-trapping mechanism
– glass roof 36
– power windows 35
Approved axle loads, refer
to Weights 190
Approved gross vehicle
weight, refer to
Weights 190
Armrest, refer to
Center armrest 96
Arrival time, refer to
Computer 70
Arrival time, refer to
Starting destination
guidance 118
"Arrow display" 119
Ashtray 97
Assistance systems, refer
to Driving stability control
systems 76
Assistance window 19
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control 89
"Audio" 128
Audio 126
– adjusting the tone 127
– controls 126
– switching on/off 126
– volume 127
Everything from A to Z
200 "Communication
interface" 155
Compact disc
– refer to CD changer 137
– refer to CD player 137
Computer 69
– clock, 12/24 hour
mode 73
– displays on Control
Display 69
– hour signal 73
"Concert hall" 128
Condition Based Service,
CBS 174
"Confirmation" 28
Confirmation signals for
locking and unlocking 28
"Confirm unlock code" 147
Connecting a vacuum
cleaner
– refer to Lighter socket 97
– refer to Power socket 97
Consumption display, refer
to Average fuel
consumption 69
"Continue guidance to
dest.?" 119
Control Center 16
– adjusting the
brightness 72
– assistance window 19
– automatic climate
control 90
– changing settings 18, 72
– changing the menu
page 18
– confirming selection or
entry 18
– controller 16
– display, menus 16
– language selection 73
– menu guidance 17
– menu item selection 18
– operating elements 16
– selecting units of
measurement and display
format 72
– setting time and date 73
– start menu 17
– status information 19
– symbols 17Control Display 16
Controller, refer to
Control Center 16
Controls, refer to
Cockpit 10
Convenience operation
– convertible top 27, 29
– glass roof 27, 29
– windows 27, 29
Convenience start, refer to
Starting engine 54, 55
Convertible program for
automatic climate
control 91
Convertible top 37
– care, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
– convenience operation 29
– emergency closing 39
– manual closing in the
event of an electrical
malfunction 39
– opening and closing 38
Coolant 172
– level 172
Cooling, maximum 89
Cornering Brake Control,
CBC 76
Country of destination for
navigation 110
Courtesy lamps 87
Cruise control 62
Cruising range 69
Cup holders 97
Curb weight, refer to
Weights 190
"Current position" 109
Current position
– displaying 109
– entering 114
– storing 114
"Customer Relations" 157
Cylinders, refer to
Engine data 190
D
Dashboard, refer to
Cockpit 10
Data 190
– capacities 193
– dimensions 191
– engine 190
– weights 190
"Date" 74
Date 64
– setting 74
"Date format" 74
Daytime driving lamps 85
DBC Dynamic Brake
Control 78
Deactivating front
passenger airbag,
Coupe 51
Decommissioning the
vehicle, refer to the
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Defect
– convertible top 39
– door lock 29
– fuel filler door 162
– glass roof 36
– luggage compartment
lid 30, 31
– SMG Sequential manual
transmission 58
Defrosting windows 89
Defrosting windows and
removing
condensation 89
Defrosting windshield, refer
to Defrosting windows 89
Defrost position, refer to
Defrosting windows 89
"Delete address book" for
navigation 116
"Delete address" for
navigation 115
"Delete all numbers" for
portable phone 150
"Delete data" for
navigation 116
"Delete" for portable
phone 149