Opening and closing
42
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the
rear windows from being opened or closed
via the switches in the rear passenger area,
by children, for example. The same applies
to adjusting the electric rear seats, refer to
page 46 and the electric rear head
restraints, refer to page 48, as well as to
the operation of the roller sun blinds from
the rear, refer to page 112. The indicator
lamp lights up when this safety feature is
activated.
Press the safety switch whenever
children are riding in the rear of the
vehicle. Careless use of the power win-
dows can lead to injury.<
So that you can deactivate the func-
tion again, the remote control must
be inserted in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, the radio position must
be switched on.<
After installing accessories
After installing any accessory Ð such as a
clamp-on antenna for a portable phone Ð
within the window's travel range, you will
need to have the system reinitialized for
use under the new conditions. Please con-
tact your BMW center for assistance.
Glass roof, electric*
To prevent injuries, exercise care
when closing the glass roof and keep
it in your field of vision until it is shut.
When leaving the vehicle, always disen-
gage the remote control in the ignition lock and close the doors to prevent children
from operating the roof and injuring them-
selves, etc.<
Raising, opening, closing
From radio mode on, press the switch, or
slide it in the desired direction up to the
resistance point.
After switching off the ignition
You can still operate the roof:
>For approx. 15 minutes with the remote
control in the radio mode
>For approx. 1 minute in position 0 or
with the remote control disengaged.
The headliner insert slides back somewhat
when you raise the roof. When the roof is
opened the headliner retracts with it.
Do not use force to close the head-
liner insert with the roof in its raised
position, as damage to the mechanism
could result.<
For information on using the convenience
operation mode at the door lock or with the
remote control, refer to page 34 or 36.
Automatic* opening and closing
Briefly press the switch past the resistance
point and then release it.
In addition, the following response is also
automatic:
With the roof open, briefly press the switch
in the Raise direction: the roof rises to its
tilt-up end position.
Press the switch again in any direction to
stop the roof.
Adjustments
44
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed driving that is as
fatigue-free as possible. The sitting posi-
tion plays an important role together with
the safety belts and airbags in an accident.
To ensure that the safety systems operate
with optimized efficiency, we strongly urge
you to observe the instructions contained
in the following section.
For additional information on transporting
children safely, refer to page 56.
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 occupantÔs 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 Ð usually tempo-
rary Ð hearing loss in extremely sensitive
individuals.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 97.
Sitting safely with safety belts
Fasten your safety belt before starting any
trip. Although airbags enhance safety by
providing added protection, they are not a
substitute for safety belts.
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 49.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat
while operating the vehicle. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-
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You can use the button to return the rear
seats to their standard or default positions.
Maintain pressure on the button until the
system completes the adjustment.
It will be necessary to return the rear
seats to their standard position, for
instance, before using a child-restraint sys-
tem, refer to page 56.<
Head restraints
Adjustment information
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.<
Adjusting the height
Adjust the height of the head restraint.
Adjusting the tilt angle
Swivel the head restraint.
With the comfort seat, adjust the dis-
tance to the back of the head via the
shoulder support.<
Adjusting the side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the
head restraint forward for increased lateral
support.
Front head restraints, active*
The front 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 at roughly ear height
>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 manually
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.
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.
Controls
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Mobility
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.<
Driving
64 Provided that the remote control is
inserted in the ignition lock, you can
also release the parking brake manually
after the engine has been switched off,
refer to page 62. This function is useful in
automatic car washes, etc.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.<
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.<
For your safety
Automatic Hold is automatically deacti-
vated when
>the engine is switched off
>the system detects that the driver's seat
is not occupied while the engine is run-
ning
>the hood is opened while the engine is
running
>the luggage compartment lid is opened
with the transmission in reverse while
the engine is running, and
>when the parking brake is used to bring
the vehicle to a stop.
The indicator lamp changes from
green to red, and the AUTO P letters in the
Info Display disappear.
Before starting off again, briefly press the
button to disengage the parking brake
manually, refer to page 62, or reactivate
Automatic Hold, refer to page 63.
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, always move the
automatic transmission's selector lever to
position P and ensure that the parking
brake is engaged. The vehicle could start
to roll if you fail to observe these precau-
tions.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Automatic Hold is automatically
deactivated whenever the system
detects any tendency for the wheels to spin
in response to slippery road surfaces. Note the status reports in the Check Control.
You can find additional information on the
Check Control on page 82.<
Malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs, the indicator
lamp lights up yellow in the Info Dis-
play and a status report will appear in the
Check Control. Please note any supple-
mentary information that appears on the
Control Display.
Releasing the parking brake
manually
You can respond to any interruptions in the
supply of electrical power, for instance, if
the battery is discharged or disconnected,
by releasing the parking brake manually.
Before proceeding to release the
parking brake manually, and each
time you park the vehicle without engaging
the parking brake, always ensure that the
automatic transmission's selector lever is
in position P, refer to page 66. Note the
range indicated in the Info Display.
If the wheel must be changed on a surface
with a more severe slope, take additional
precautions to secure the vehicle from roll-
ing e.g. with a chock, refer to page 203.
Otherwise there is a danger that the vehicle
could start to roll if parked on a steep
slope.<
Should it also be necessary to release the
automatic transmission's lockout manually,
for instance, if the battery is discharged,
always adhere to the following sequence:
1.If necessary, start by manually releasing
the parking brake
2.Then release the automatic transmis-
sion's lockout manually, refer to
page 68.
Jump-starting and towing, refer to
pages 207 and 208.