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>Alarm system: activate/deactivate inte-
rior motion sensor and tilt alarm sensor
>Automatic headlamp control: adjust
sensitivity.
Examples of Key Memory functions
>Seat memory: activate/deactivate func-
tion
>Central locking system: vehicle is
locked as soon as you drive off or if
you have not opened a door or the lug-
gage compartment lid after unlocking.
Activate/deactivate functions
>Automatic climate control: key-specific
storage of the temperature, blower and
air conditioner setting. Activate/deacti-
vate function
>Check Control: set languages and units
>Seat heating: recall personal tempera-
ture distribution.
Page 58 of 232

Transporting children safely
56
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 airbags. There-
fore, we recommend that the rear side air-
bags, if provided, be deactivated if you plan
to transport children in the rear seat.<
Child-restraint system in the rear
Child-restraint systems appropriate for
every age group and weight are available
at your BMW center.
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 vehicleÔs safety belts.<
Younger children should be secured in an
appropriate forward-facing child-restraint
system that has first been properly secured
with a safety belt.
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. Your BMW
center will be glad to advise you.<
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.<
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.
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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 sitting 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 sitting position:
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 manufacturer.<
If the vehicle is equipped with electric
power seats in the rear, return these to their
standard adjustment setting before using a
LATCH child-restraint fixing, refer to
page 46.
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Transporting children safely
58
Access to anchorage points
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 fixing3.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.
On journeys
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 trig-
gered.<
Child safety locks for the rear doors
Slide down the safety levers on the rear
doors:
The relevant door can now be opened from
the outside only.
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Safety switch for power windows and
rear seats
If the vehicle is equipped with electric
power seats in the rear, return these to their
standard adjustment setting before using a
child-restraint system, refer to page 46.
Always press the safety switch for the
electric power windows, refer to page 42,
when children are in the rear of the vehicle.
This switch also disables the power rear
seat adjustment.
Incorrect or unsupervised adjustment
of the electric power seats in the rear
could lead to injuries or damage to the
child-restraint system.<
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Driving
60
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into
the ignition lock. This also activates the
radio mode.
When the remote control unit is in the
ignition lock you can start the engine
without first switching on the ignition.<
Comfort Access*
Carry the remote control on your person if
you want to use Comfort Access.
With Comfort Access, you do not need to
insert the remote control in the ignition
lock. You can switch the ignition on and off,
see below, or start the engine, page 61,
when a remote control is detected in the
vehicle interior.
When you switch off the engine, the
transmission moves automatically to
position P: interlock.<
Switching the ignition on and off
Continue to briefly press the start/stop but-
ton to switch the radio mode on and off or
switch the ignition on and off.
Do not press the brake pedal until you
are ready to start the engine. If you
briefly press the start/stop button while the
brake pedal is pressed the engine will start
immediately.<
Radio mode
Several systems, such as the Control Cen-
ter, independent ventilation, etc., are avail-
able for use. The time and outside temper-
ature appear in the Info Display.
The radio mode is automatically
deactivated:
>After approx. 16 minutes, when a door
is closed and the system does not reg-
ister the presence of any individuals in
the vehicle
>Immediately if the remote control is
removed from the ignition lock
>With Comfort Access, by pressing the
door handle.<
Ignition switched on
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Ignition switched off
The indicator lamps in the Info Display go
out. Only the automatic transmission's
range display remains visible for a brief
period.
Removing the remote control from
the ignition lock
Press the remote control in briefly; it is
ejected and now protrudes slightly from the
lock. This procedure will also switch off the
ignition if it is on.
Switch off the engine before removing
the remote control unit from the igni-
tion lock.
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The transmission automatically shifts to
position P: interlock.<
If the remote control is still in the ignition
lock when the driver's door is opened, a
gong will sound and a message will appear
in the Info Display.
Starting the 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.<
1.Insert the remote control all the way into
the ignition lock. With Comfort Access,
this is not required
2.Press the brake pedal
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
Your BMW is equipped with the con-
venience starting feature. After press-
ing the brake pedal, all you need to do is
briefly press the start/stop button.
The system responds by automatically
engaging the starter and allowing it to run
until the engine starts, after which it then
disengages automatically.
The automatic starting mode will not oper-
ate or will be canceled if the battery voltage
is low. The engine can be started by jump-
starting, refer to page 207.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle remains stationary. Instead, drive off immediately at
a moderate engine speed.
If you have accidentally switched off
the engine while driving, it can be
restarted from a speed of approx. 3 mph/
5 km/h by pressing the button. It is not nec-
essary to press the brake pedal.<
Under the following conditions you should
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
>During a cold start at high altitudes,
from approx. 3,281 ft/1,000 m, at very
low temperatures, from approx. + 57/
Ð156.
Refrain from starting the vehicle
repeatedly at brief intervals, and
avoid an excessive number of starting
attempts if the vehicle fails to start;
repeated activation of the starter over an
extended period would allow unburned or
only partially combusted fuel to enter the
catalytic converter, where it can cause
overheating and damage to the unit.<
Switching off the engine
With the vehicle stationary, briefly press the
start/stop button. This also activates the
radio mode.
The transmission automatically shifts to
position P: interlock.
Transmission position N remains
engaged if you keep to the following
order:
1.With Comfort Access: insert the remote
control into the ignition lock
2.With the engine running, engage trans-
mission position N
3.Switch off the engine
4.Leave the remote control in the ignition
lock.
This function is useful in automatic car
washes, etc.
Position P is engaged automatically after
Page 64 of 232

Driving
62 approx. 30 minutes or when you remove
the remote control from the ignition lock.
Remember to observe the Check Control
for status messages.<
Should exceptional circumstances
render it necessary for you to switch
off the engine while the vehicle is moving,
press the start/stop button for approx.
1 second.
If you maintain pressure on the start/stop
button for longer than two seconds while
switching off the ignition, the remote con-
trol will be ejected.<
Before leaving the vehicle, remove
the remote control from the ignition
lock; with Comfort Access, always take the
remote control with you.<
Parking brake
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with an electrome-
chanical parking brake.
The parking brake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked.
You can operate or use the parking brake in
two different ways:
>Manually, by briefly pressing the button
>Automatically, through activation of the
Automatic Hold mode, refer to page 63.
An electrohydraulic mechanism then
engages the parking brake to prevent the
rear wheels from turning whenever you
switch off the engine.
When the engine is running, parking brake
engagement is controlled by the brake sys-
tem's hydraulic circuits, which act on the
disc brakes at the front and rear wheels.
Brake pedal feel
Because this function is activated using
the brake system's hydraulic circuits, the
response of the brake pedal may change
slightly. Engagement may also be accom-
panied by activation noise Ð this is normal.
Manual engagement
Briefly press the button, the
word PARK appears briefly
in the Info Display. With the
parking brake set, the indicator
lamp lights up red in the
Info Display, refer to page 12.
With the ignition off, the indicator
lamp goes out after a brief
period.<
Manual release
With the ignition on, briefly
press the button: the indicator
lamp in the Info Display goes
out.
Provided that the remote control unit
is inserted in the ignition lock, you can
also release the parking brake after the
engine has been switched off. This function
is intended for use in automatic car
washes, etc.<
When leaving the vehicle, always
release the remote control from the
detent in the ignition lock; this precaution
prevents children from disengaging the
parking brake, etc.
The parking brake can still be engaged at
any time when the remote control unit is
released from the detent. It is only possible
to disengage the parking brake with the
ignition on.<
If exceptional circumstances should
make it necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in motion,
maintain pressure on the button.
The indicator lamp appears in red in the
Info Display. A gong sounds at the same