2005 BMW 325I SEDAN airbag

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free telephone*
2Initiating an emergency call*
3Reading lamps88
4Glass sunroof
*, electric36
5Interior lamps87
6Passenger airbag status lamp
*84
7Microphone for voice command
system
*22
8Control Display16
9Hazard warning flashers
10DTC Dynamic Traction Control79
11Central locking system32
12Automatic climate control
13Ejecting
>Audio CD134
>Navigation DVD11414Changing
>Radio stations138
>Track146
16Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved horizon-
tally in four directions
17Activating voice command system
*22
18Opening start menu on Control Display17
19Drive for navigation DVD114
20Switching audio sources on/off and adjust-
ing volume134
21Drive for audio CDs134 Air distribution to the
windshield90
Air distribution to the upper body
area90
Air distribution to the footwell90
Automatic air distribution
and flow rate90
Cooling function92
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control91
Recirculated-air mode91
Maximum cooling90
Residual heat mode91
Air flow rate91
Defrosting windows91
Rear window defroster92
15
Heated seats*41
PDC Park Distance Control
*77
Roller sun blind
*95

Adjustments
38
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page46.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags 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 sitting correctly
and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the
front airbag is triggered. Never let an occu-
pant's head rest near or on a side airbag
because the inflating airbag could cause a seri-
ous or fatal injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries resulting from contact with airbags cannot
be fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page82.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is a risk of injury should an acci-
dent occur.<
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
At all times, occupants should sit upright
and be properly restrained: infants and
small children in appropriate child-restraint sys-
tems; 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 also wear the safety
belt, making sure that the strap in the pelvic
a r e a i s w e l l d o w n o n t h e h i p s a n d d o e s n o t p r e s s
against the abdominal region of the body.
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. The safety belt
should not be twisted and must be positioned
firmly over the pelvis and shoulder, as close to
the body as possible. It should not pass over
hard or fragile objects, otherwise the belt in the
pelvic area could slide over the hips in the event
of a head-on collision and injure the lower abdo-
men. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly
pull the belt in the upper-body area taut, other-
wise its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page43.

Controls
43Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
If the button was pressed accidentally:
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page39 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
On the rear seats, the center belt lock marked
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchorage is suitable for adults
of any stature as long as they are sitting cor-
rectly, refer to page39.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a
message will appear on the Control
Display. Check whether the safety
belt has been fastened correctly.The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is
not fastened, if heavy objects are placed on the
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the entire
belt system, including the tensioning mecha-
nisms, replaced at your BMW center or at a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Have the belt anchorage points
inspected for damage at the same time. Failure
to observe this precaution may prevent the
safety belts from effectively providing optimal
protection when needed.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the front passenger's side
features a lens with a more convex sur-
face 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.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic
curb monitor
*

Transporting children safely
46
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, as they could otherwise endan-
ger themselves and/or other persons by open-
ing the doors, for example.<
As a general rule, the front passenger's seat
and outer rear seats are suitable for installing
universal child-restraint systems for all age
groups, provided that they have been approved
for the age group in question.
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.
If your BMW is equipped with rear side
airbags, do not allow children to lean
towards the door trim, as serious injuries could
occur if the side airbags are deployed and chil-
dren are too close to the airbags.<
Deactivating rear seat side airbags
Labels in the rear door opening should indicate
the status of your rear seat side airbags. If you
are uncertain of their status, or wish to have the
airbags activated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW center.
Child-restraint system in the rear
Children under the age of 13 or smaller
than 5 ft/150 cm may only be transported
in suitable child-restraint systems on one of the
outer rear seats; otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent.<
Younger children should be secured in an
appropriate child-restraint system that has
been first properly secured to the vehicle.All rear seating positions in your vehicle meet
the recommendations of SAE J1819, an indus-
try-recommended practice for securing child-
restraint systems in motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front passenger airbags must be deac-
tivated. Otherwise, a child traveling on that seat
will be at considerable risk of injury if the airbags
are triggered off, even with a child-restraint sys-
tem. Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the front pas-
senger. 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 airbag'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.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags refer to page83.
Seat height
Before installing a universal child-restraint sys-
tem, move the front passenger's seat up as far
as it will go to ensure that the safety belt will be
ideally positioned. Do not change the seat
height afterward.
Backrest width
The backrest width of the front passen-
ger's seat must be adjusted to its widest
setting.<
1.After unlocking the vehicle, sit down on the
front passenger seat and close the door.
2.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page40.
3.Install the child seat.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
82 ments. It also varies the steering force required
to turn the wheels depending on the speed at
which you are driving.
When you are driving in the low road-speed
range, e.g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct, and less effort is required to turn the
wheels. In the higher speed range, on the other
hand, the steering angle is reduced more and
more. This improves the handling capability of
your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes. This stabilizing
intervention is simultaneously deactivated
when DSC is switched off, refer to page79.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on. Active
steering is no longer operational. At
low speeds, greater steering wheel
movements are required, whereas at
higher speeds the vehicle reacts more sensi-
tively to steering wheel movements. Drive cau-
tiously and think well ahead. Have the system
checked.
If the warning lamp lights up during the first
engine starting following a power supply inter-
ruption, the system must be activated by being
initialized.
Initializing the system
1.Start the engine.
2.With the vehicle stationary, turn the steer-
ing wheel from the straight-ahead position
to the left as far as it will go and then back to
the straight-ahead position.
3.Switch off the engine.
When you start the engine again, all the func-
tions of Active steering are available once again.
Brake Force Display*
The brake lamps light up in two stages,
depending on how sharply you apply the
brakes.
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps and the center brake lamp
light up.
>Sharp braking:
A larger part of the brake lamps' illuminating
surface lights up.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:1Front airbags for driver and front passenger
2Head airbags in front and rear

Controls
83Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3Side airbags in the seat backrests
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page38 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags will purposely not be activated by
every collision, e.g. not by more minor acci-
dents, certain roll-over situations and rear-end
collisions.
Labels in the rear door opening should
indicate the status of your rear seat side
airbags. If you are uncertain of their status, or
wish to have the airbags activated or deacti-
vated, please contact your BMW center.<
For information on the correct sitting position,
refer to page38.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way. Do not attach
seat covers, cushions or other objects not spe-
cifically approved for seats with integral side air-
bags to the front seats. Do not hang items of
clothing such as coats or jackets over the back-
rests. Do not attempt to remove the airbag
retention system from the vehicle. Do not mod-
ify the individual components of the system or
its wiring in any way. This includes the uphol-
stered covers on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, seats and roof posts, as well as the sides
of the roof lining. Do not attempt to remove or
dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components imme-
diately after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center or a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.<
Airbag warning information is also provided on
the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
Your BMW has a seat occupation detection
system. By evaluating the weight on the front
passenger seat, the system detects whether or
not the seat is occupied by a child in the child-
restraint system or an adult.
>When a child is seated in the child-restraint
system, or with an empty seat, the front and
side airbags are automatically deactivated
on the passenger side.
>When an adult is traveling in the front seat,
the front and side airbags remain active on
the passenger side.
Although not desired, it can occur in the
case of heavier children that the front
passenger airbags remain active, or in the case
of very light adults or young persons that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated. In
these cases, have the person ride in the rear
seat, refer to Passenger airbag status lamp
below. Do not load the passenger seat with any
items in addition to the person to be trans-
ported. Do not attach seat covers, seat cushion
padding, ball mats or other items to the front
passenger seat unless they are specifically rec-
ommended by BMW. Do not place any items
under the seat. Otherwise, the function of the
seat occupation detection could be impaired.<

Technology for driving comfort and safety
84
Operational readiness of airbag system
When the remote control is inserted into the
ignition lock or the car is radio-ready, refer to
page49, the warning lamp comes on briefly to
indicate that the entire airbag system and the
belt tensioners are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
>The warning lamp does not come on after
the remote control has been inserted into
the ignition switch
>Warning lamp remains permanently on
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay, as other-
wise there is the risk that the system will not
function as intended even if a sufficiently severe
accident occurs.<
Passenger airbag status lamp
The indicator lamp located above the rearview
mirror indicates whether the front passenger
airbag system is active or not active/OFF.
The indicator lamp is used only for the
front passenger airbag system. The indi-
cator lamp illuminates to show that the front
passenger airbag system is OFF/not active.<>The lamp illuminates briefly during startup,
but then goes out if the seat is empty, or an
adult or child of sufficient size is detected.
>The lamp remains illuminated when a child
in a rear-facing child-restraint system is
detected and indicates that the passenger
airbag system is off.
If the lamp is illuminated when the seat is
occupied by a very light adult or teenager,
it is recommended that the person sit in the
rear.<
Find more information about the front passen-
ger airbag system and seat occupancy detec-
tion in the section Automatic deactivation of
front passenger airbags on page83.

Everything from A - Z
206
Everything from A - Z
Index
"..." Identifies Control Display
texts used to select
individual functions and
refers you to the page where
these texts can be found.
A
ABS Antilock Brake
System78
ACC, refer to Active cruise
control57
Accessories, refer to The
individual vehicle5
Activated-charcoal filter for
automatic climate control92
Active cruise control57
– indicator lamps60
– malfunction61
– selecting distance59
– sensor61
Active steering81
– initializing the system82
– warning lamp82
Adaptive Head Light86
"Add digits" for portable
phone155
Additives
– coolant183
"Address book" in
navigation121
Address for navigation
– deleting122
– entering115
– selecting121
– storing current position121
"Add to destination list"118
Adjusting the temperature
with automatic climate
control90
Adjusting the tone during
audio operation, refer to
Tone control135Adjustment in audio mode
– front-to-rear135
– right/left balance135
Airbags82
– sitting safely38
– warning lamp84
Air distribution
– automatic90
– individual90
Air flow rate91
Airing, refer to Ventilation92
Air pressure, tires170
Air recirculation, refer to
Recirculated-air mode91
"Air recirculation on / off"45
Air vents89
AKI, refer to Fuel
specifications168
Alarm system34
– avoiding unintentional
alarms35
– interior motion sensor35
– switching off an alarm34
– tilt alarm sensor35
"All channels"
142
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires179
"All stations", calling up on
radio138
"AM", waveband134,138
AM, waveband138
Ambient air, refer to
Recirculated-air mode91
Antenna for portable
phone152
Antifreeze
– coolant183
– washer fluid55
Antilock Brake System ABS
– indicator lamp79
Anti-theft alarm system, refer
to Alarm system34
Anti-theft system29Anti-trapping mechanism
– glass sunroof, electric37
– windows35
Approved axle loads, refer to
Weights201
Approved gross vehicle
weight, refer to Weights201
Armrest, refer to Center
armrest96
Arrival time
– computer66
– destination guidance125
"Arrow display" in
navigation126
Ashtray98
Assist, refer to BMW
Assist160
Assistance systems, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC78
Assistance window20
AUC Automatic recirculated-
air control91
Audio134
– controls134
– switching on/off134
– tone control135
– volume135
"Audio Aux"134
Audio device, external97
"Audio" tone settings135
"Auto. headlamps"85
Automatic
– air distribution90
– air flow rate90
– cruise control55,57
– headlamp control85
– service notification161
– storing of stations139
Automatic climate control89
– automatic air distribution90
– settings via iDrive90
Automatic curb monitor44