2005 BMW 545I SEDAN belt

Adjustments
38
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. The sit-
ting position of the occupants also plays an
important role for passive safety together with
the safety belts and airbags in an accident. To
ensure that the safety systems operate with
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the fol-
lowing section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page47.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, to mini-
mize 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 injuries can
occur if the front airbag is triggered. Never let an
occupant'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 page83.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Airbags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional 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 always wear their
safety belts, taking care to position the lap belt
against the lower hips, where it will not exert
pressure against the abdominal 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 snugly 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 shoulder belt
periodically to readjust the tension across your
lap in order to avoid a reduction in the retention
effect of the safety belt.<
For instructions on operating safety belts, refer
to page42.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident. Also on the passenger side, do not
incline the backrest too far to the rear while the
vehicle is being driven, as otherwise there is a
danger in the event of an accident of 'sliding
under' the safety belt, eliminating the protec-
tion normally provided by the belt.<

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Please observe the information on damage to
safety belts provided on page43 and the infor-
mation on the active front head restraints
on
page42.
Seat adjustment
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page38.<
1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest
Adjusting comfort seat*
In this seat, you can also adjust:
1Backrest width
2Shoulder support
3Thigh support
4Lumbar support, see below.
Shoulder support: the adjustable upper back-
rest also supports the back in the shoulder
region. This provides a relaxed driving position
and helps relieve stress on the shoulder mus-
cles.
After making corrections in the forward/
backward adjustment of the seat, make
sure that the safety belt still fits snugly against
your body. Failure to do so may reduce the pro-
tection provided by the safety belt.<
Adjusting sport seat*
In this seat, you can also adjust the thigh sup-
port 3, see above.
Adjusting lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.

Adjustments
42
Front seat: height adjustment
You can adjust the height of the head restraints
electrically.
Front seat: angle adjustment
Swivel the head restraint.
With the comfort seat, use the shoulder support
to set the distance to the back of the head.
Adjusting side extensions in the
comfort seat
You can fold the side extensions on the head
restraint forward for increased lateral support in
the resting position.
Front head restraints, active*
The comfort seats are equipped with an active
head restraint.
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient
severity, the active head restraint reduces the
distance to the head.
To ensure that the active head restraints
afford maximum protection, and to avoid
unnecessary risks to personal safety, we
request that you read and comply with the fol-
lowing:>Do not install seat or head-restraint covers
>Never use the head restraints as supports
for suspending objects of any kind, such as
clothes hangers. Refrain from mounting
accessories on either the seat or the head
restraint.<
Rear seats: height adjustment
Up: pull up.
Down: press button1 and slide the head
restraint downward.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page38.<
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Air-
bags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a
substitute.

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Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Safety belt memory for driver's seat
and passenger seat*
The indicator lamp lights up, a signal
sounds, and a message appears on the
display. Please check whether safety
belts are correctly placed.
The safety belt memory is operative at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be acti-
vated if objects are placed onto the passenger
seat.
Releasing
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be in
the correct position for adult seat occupants of
every build if the seat is correctly adjusted, refer
to page38.The two rear safety belt buckles integrated into
the rear seat are for passengers sitting on the
left and right. The belt buckle embossed with
the word CENTER is intended exclusively for
use by passengers riding in the center position.
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.<
Heated seats*
Front
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. When the maximum tempera-
ture is selected, three LEDs light up.
To switch off: press the button longer.

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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.
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, even though belted, may fall
asleep with his or her head against the side air-
bag. It may be difficult for a driver to ens ure that
children in the rear seat will remain properly
positioned at all times and do not place their
heads on or near the side airbag. Therefore, we
recommend that the rear seat side airbags, if
provided, be deactivated if you plan to transport
children in the rear seat.<
Deactivating rear seat side airbags
The rear seat side airbags may already have
been deactivated by a BMW center. Labels in
the rear door opening should indicate the status
of your rear seat side airbags. If you are uncer-
tain 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 13 years of age and chil-
dren 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 sys-
tem that has first been properly restrained. 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 be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the airbags on the front passenger side
must be deactivated. Otherwise, there is a con-
siderable risk of injury for the child when the air-
bags are triggered, even with a child-restraint
system. Your BMW center will be glad to advise
you.<
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle if the passenger's airbag is
not deactivated. If you do so, the child could be
severely injured when the airbag is trig-
gered.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.<
More information on automatic deactivation of
the front passenger airbags, refer to page83.
Backrest width adjustment
The backrest width adjustment of the
passenger seat must be opened com-
pletely. After the child's seat is installed, mem-
ory positions must not be requested and the
active backrest width adjustment must be
deactivated, otherwise there is the risk of
injury.<

Transporting children safely
48 1.After the vehicle is unlocked, sit in the pas-
senger seat and close the door.
2.Open the backrest width adjustment com-
pletely, refer to page39.
3.Deactivate active backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page40.
4.Install child's seat.
Installing child-restraint
systems
Before installing any child-restraint system or
child seat, read the following:
Observe the child-restraint system man-
ufacturer's instructions for installation
and use. Otherwise the degree of protection
may be reduced. After an accident, have all
parts of the child-restraint system and of the
relevant vehicle safety belt system checked and
r e p la c e d i f n e c e s s a ry . H a v e t h is w o r k d o n e o n ly
at your BMW center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. <
Commercially-available child-restraint systems
are designed to be secured with a lap belt or
with the lap belt portion of a combination 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.
Child seat security
All of the rear belt retractors and the front pas-
senger safety belt can be locked for mounting
and securing child-restraint systems.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 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 anchorage 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.
Placement of the tether strap
Outer sitting positions:
Lift the head restraint and pass the tether strap

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between the head restraint and the seat back. It
is recommended to readjust the head restraint
into the lowest possible position.
Center sitting position:
Pull the center armrest forward somewhat to
guide the tether strap through the opening.
Then reengage the center armrest.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child-restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.<
LATCH child-restraint fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
The rear outer sitting positions are provided
with anchors for a LATCH child-restraint fixing
system.
To attach the LATCH child-restraint fix-
ing system, follow the operating and
safety instructions of the manufacturer.<
Access to anchorage points on rear
seat with through-loading system
The illustration shows the left rear seat as an
example.The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are located underneath
the identifying symbols.
Before attaching the LATCH child-restraint fix-
ing system, pull the belt out of the region of the
child-restraint fixing system.
Access to anchorage points on rear
seat with through-loading system
The illustration shows the right rear seat as an
example.
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are located behind the
indicated protective caps.
Before attaching the child-restraint fixing sys-
tem, remove the LATCH protective caps and
pull the belt away from the region of the child-
restraint fixing system.
On journeys
If the rear is equipped with side airbags,
make s ure that children do not lean o ut of
the child's seat towards the door panels. Other-
wise severe injuries can be caused if the side
airbags are triggered.<

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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front passenger
2Head airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page38.<
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 are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents, certain roll-over conditions, or rear-end
collisions.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated by a BMW center.
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.<
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 attempt to remove the airbag retention system from the
vehicle. Never modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the side trim panels on the
doors and the roof pillars along with the sides of
the headliner. Do not attempt to remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel. Do not touch the
individual components immediately 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 airbag generators executed only
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel and has the
required explosives licenses. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could lead to
failure in an emergency or undesired airbag
activation, either of which could result in per-
sonal 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.