
Transporting children safely
52
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 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 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 pas-
senger seat, the airbags on the passenger's 
side must be deactivated. Deactivating the front 
passenger airbag is only possible on the Coupe. 
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 airbag 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 supple-
mental 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 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.<
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 
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 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's safety belt can be locked for mounting 
and securing child-restraint systems. 

Things to remember when driving
110 Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area around the 
accelerator and brake pedals and obstruct their 
movement.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally, 
during extended periods when the vehicle is not 
used at all, and in operating conditions where 
brake applications are less frequent, there is an 
increased tendency for corrosion to form on 
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the 
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum 
pressure which must be exerted by the pads 
during brake applications to clean the rotors is 
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the 
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating 
effect that even extended application will fail to 
cure.
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms in the automatic air condi-
tioner system during operation, and then exits 
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water 
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
To prevent the exterior mirrors from being 
damaged due to the width of the vehicle, 
always fold them in by hand before entering an 
automatic car wash.<
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage 
develops inside the tires. The ultimate result 
can assume the form of a sudden blow-out.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX lbs. or YYY kg, as otherwise the vehicle 
may be damaged and unstable driving con-
ditions may result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals 
800 lbs. and there will be four 150-lbs. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 
200 lbs.:
800 lbs. minus 600 lbs. = 200 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That 
weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle. 

Driving tips
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Mobility
Load
The permitted load is the total of the weight of 
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the 
weight of occupants, the less cargo/luggage 
can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as low 
as possible, placing it directly behind the 
bulkhead behind the rear seats.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
Securing cargo
>Use the luggage net* or securing straps to 
hold down small and lightweight luggage 
and cargo.
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing 
larger and heavier objects are available at 
your BMW center. Four lashing eyes 
mounted in the luggage compartment are 
used to secure these heavy-duty cargo 
straps, refer to arrows.
>Please observe the special instructions 
supplied with the heavy-duty cargo straps.
Always position and secure the load as 
described above, otherwise it may 
present a danger to passengers during braking 
or evasive maneuvers. 
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle 
weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer 
to page192, as excessive loads can pose a 
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of freeway safety laws. 
You should never transport heavy or hard 
objects unsecured in the passenger compart-
ment, as they could fly around and pose a safety 
hazard to the vehicle's occupants during abrupt 
braking or evasive maneuver.<
Pad on bottom of luggage 
compartment
If required, you can use the pad e.g. to transport 
dirty or soiled objects. The rubberized side is 
washable and has an anti-slip effect. 

Mobility
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Fuel specifications
The engine uses unleaded gasoline only.
Required fuel
Premium unleaded gasoline
The minimum octane rating is 91.
If you use gasoline with this minimum octane 
rating, the engine may produce knocking 
sounds when starting at high outside tempera-
tures. This has no effect on the engine life.
Minimum Octane Rating corresponds to the 
Anti Knock Index AKI and is determined accord-
ing to the so-called (R+M)/2 method.
Do not use leaded gasoline, as otherwise 
the lambda probe and catalytic converter 
will be permanently damaged.<
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant dif-
ferences in fuel quality: volatility, composition, 
additives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale 
in the United States and Canada. Fuels contain-
ing up to and including 10 % ethanol or other 
oxygenates with up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight, 
that is, 15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an 
equivalent amount of co-solvent, will not void 
the applicable warranties with respect to 
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in 
drivability, starting and stalling problems, 
especially under certain environmental condi-
tions such as high ambient temperature and 
high altitude. 
Should you encounter drivability problems 
which you suspect could be related to the fuel 
you are using, we recommend that you respond 
by switching to a recognized high-quality 
brand. 
Failure to comply with these recommendations 
may also result in unscheduled maintenance.< 

Mobility
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645Ci Coupe
645Ci Convertible
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
All pressure specifications in 
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires – 
cold = ambient temperature
245/50 R 17 99 H M+S 
245/45 R 18 96 V M+S 
245/45 R 18 96 V M+S all season29/200 32/220 33/230 39/270
Front: 245/45 R 18 96 W
Rear: 275/40 R 18 99 W29/200
––
32/22033/230
––
39/270
Front: 245/40 R 19 94 W
Rear: 275/35 R 19 96 W29/200
––
32/22033/230
––
39/270
Front: 245/35 R 20 91 Y
Rear: 275/30 R 20 93 Y29/200
––
32/22033/230
––
39/270
More details on the permitted load and weights can be found on page192.
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
All pressure specifications in 
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires – 
cold = ambient temperature
245/50 R 17 99 H M+S 
245/45 R 18 96 V M+S 
245/45 R 18 96 V M+S all season32/220 38/260 39/270 46/320
Front: 245/45 R 18 96 W
Rear: 275/40 R 18 99 W32/220
––
38/26039/270
––
46/320
Front: 245/40 R 19 94 W
Rear: 275/35 R 19 96 W32/220
––
38/26039/270
––
46/320
Front: 245/35 R 20 91 Y
Rear: 275/30 R 20 93 Y32/220
––
38/26039/270
––
46/320
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page192. 

Technical data
192
Technical data
Engine specifications
Weights
Never exceed either the approved axle loads 
or the gross vehicle weight.
 645Ci
Displacement
Number of cylinderscu in/cmµ268.4/4,398
8
Maximum output
at engine speedhp
rpm325
6,100
Maximum torque
at engine speedlb ft/Nm 
rpm 330/450
3,600
 645Ci Coupe 645Ci Convertible
Curb weight 
with manual transmission
with automatic transmission/SMGlbs./kg
3,781/1,715
3,792/1,7204,178/1,895
4,189/1,900
Approved gross weight
with manual transmission
with automatic transmission/SMGlbs./kg
4,619/2,095
4,630/2,1004,960/2,250
4,971/2,255
Load lbs./kg 838/380 772/350
Approved front axle load lbs./kg 2,271/1,030 2,381/1,080
Approved rear axle load lbs./kg 2,513/1,140 2,778/1,260
Luggage compartment capacity
Convertible: with convertible top com-
partment floor up, refer to page34cu ft/l  15.9/450
–10.6/300
12.4/350 

 199Reference
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Mobility
Everything from A to Z
Index
"..." Identifies Control Display 
texts used to select 
individual functions, 
pointing out where these are 
located.
A
ABS Antilock Brake 
System81
– indicator lamp83
– malfunction83
ACC, refer to Active cruise 
control62
Acceleration assistant with 
SMG59
Accessories, refer to Your 
individual vehicle5
Activated-charcoal filter97
"Activation time" for 
independent ventilation98
Active cruise control62
– indicator lamps64
– malfunction68
– selecting distance65
Active roll stabilization83
Active steering85
– initializing system86
– warning lamp85
Adapting temperature in 
upper body region97
Adaptive brake lamps, refer to 
Brake Force Display86
Adaptive Head Light92
"Add digits" for portable 
phone153
"Address book" for 
navigation120
Address for navigation
– deleting121
– entering115
– selecting120
– storing current position120"Add to destination list"117
Adhesive bandages, refer to 
First-aid kit186
Adjusting the temperature 
with automatic climate 
control95
Adjusting the thigh support45
Adjusting tone during audio 
operation, refer to Tone 
control133
"After opening door"46
"After unlocking"46
Airbags86
– deactivating, Coupe52
– sitting safely44
– warning lamp87
Air distribution
– automatic95
– manual96
Airing, refer to Ventilation97
Air recirculation, refer to AUC 
Automatic recirculated-air 
control95
"Air recirculation on / off"51
Air vents, refer to 
Ventilation94
Air volume95
AKI, refer to Fuel 
specifications167
Alarm system34
– avoiding unintentional 
alarms35
– interior motion sensor35
– switching off alarm34
– switching off tilt alarm 
sensor and interior motion 
sensor35
– tilt alarm sensor35
All around the center 
console14
All around the steering 
wheel10
"All channels"141"All doors"29
All-season tires, refer to 
Winter tires172
"AM", reception 
range133,136
Antenna for portable 
phone150
Antifreeze
– coolant176
– washer fluid61
Antilock Brake System 
ABS81
– indicator lamp83
Anti-theft alarm system, refer 
to Alarm system34
Anti-theft system29
Anti-trapping mechanism
– glass sunroof38
– power windows37
Approved axle loads, refer to 
Weights192
Approved gross vehicle 
weight, refer to Weights192
Armrest, refer to Center 
armrest102
Arrival time
– refer to Computer75
– refer to Starting destination 
guidance124
"Arrow display" during 
Navigation127
Ashtray103
Assist, refer to BMW 
Assist159
Assistance systems, refer to 
Driving stability control 
systems81
Assistance window20
"Assist. window off"21
AUC Automatic recirculated-
air control95
"Audio"133 

Everything from A to Z
200 Audio132
– controls132
– switching on/off132
– tone control133
– volume133
Automatic
– air distribution95
– air volume95
– cruise control61,62
– headlamp control91
– service notification160
– steering wheel adjustment, 
refer to Easy entry/exit50
– storing stations138
Automatic car washes110
– also refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
Automatic climate control94
– automatic air distribution95
– convertible program97
– settings using Control 
Center96
– switching off96
Automatic curb monitor47
"Automatic programs"97
Automatic recirculated-air 
control AUC95
Automatic station search137
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
– convenience start55
– Dynamic Driving Control59
– interlock54
– kick-down58
– selector lever interlock58
– shiftlock58
– starting engine55
– towing188
– tow-starting189
"Automatic ventilation"98
AUTO program with 
automatic climate control95
"Autostore" on the 
radio136,138
Average fuel consumption74
– setting units77
Average speed74"Avoid ferries" for 
navigation123
Avoid freeways for 
navigation122
"Avoid highways" for 
navigation122
Avoiding unintentional 
alarms35
"Avoid tollroads" for 
navigation123
Axle loads, refer to 
Weights192
"A - Z"153
B
Backrests, refer to Seats44
Backup lamps, refer to 
Reverse gear56
Balance, refer to Tone 
control134
Balance adjustment in audio 
mode, right/left134
Bandages, refer to First-aid 
kit186
"Bass", refer to Tone 
control134
Bass, refer to Tone 
control133
Battery
– jump starting186
– refer to Vehicle battery183
Being towed188
Belts, refer to Safety belts48
Beverage holder, refer to Cup 
holders103
Black ice, refer to Ice 
warning69
Blower, refer to Air volume95
BMW Assist159
– enabling159
– services offered160
BMW maintenance 
system178
"BMW Service"161
"BMW Service settings"159
Bottle holder, refer to Cup 
holders103Brake Assistant, refer to DBC 
Dynamic Brake Control81
Brake fluid177
– warning lamp177
Brake Force Display86
Brake hydraulic system177
Brake lamps
– Brake Force Display86
– replacing bulbs182
Brake pads177
– breaking-in108
Brake rotors110
Brakes109
– ABS Antilock Brake 
System81
– brake fluid177
– Brake Force Display86
– brake pads108,177
– breaking-in108
– CBC Cornering Brake 
Control81
– handbrake55
Brake system108
– brake fluid level177
– brake pads108,177
– brake rotors110
– breaking-in108
– warning lamp13,83,177
Brake wear warning
– brake pads177
Braking
– electronic brake-force 
distribution81
– refer to Braking safely109
Breakdown assistance161
Breakdown services, refer to 
Roadside Assistance186
Breaking-in108
– clutch108
– differential108
Break wear warning
– warning lamp177
"Brightness"77
Buttons on steering wheel11
Bypassing route sections128