
Adjustments
44
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. The sit-
ting position also plays an important role 
together with the safety belts and airbags in 
providing occupants with maximum levels of 
passive safety in an accident. To ensure that 
the safety systems operate with optimal effi-
ciency, we strongly urge you to observe the 
instructions contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page52.
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 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 
knee and front airbags are triggered.
Never let an occupant's head rest near or on a 
side airbag because the inflating airbag could 
cause a serious 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 page86.
Safety belt
Fasten your safety belt before starting any trip. 
Airbags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a 
substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats that are all equipped 
with a safety belt.
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 sin-
gle safety belt. Never allow infants or small chil-
dren 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 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 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 page48.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat could 
respond with unexpected movement, and the 
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an 
accident. 

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. 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86
Initializing 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 the active steering will be available once 
again.
Brake Force Display
The Brake Force Display lights up in two stages 
depending on how strongly you brake.
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps and the third brake lamp 
go on.
>Heavy braking and braking with ABS:
In addition, the illuminated area of the rear 
brake lamps is enlarged, refer to illustration.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front passenger
2Coupe: Head airbags
3Front side airbags
4Knee airbag for front passenger
5Knee airbag for driver
Protective action
 To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
please observe the adjustment instructions on 
page44.
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 a side impact. The side airbag sup-
ports 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 rollover conditions, or rear-end 
collisions.
For information on the correct sitting position, 
refer to page44. 

Controls
 87Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 airbag system. This cate-
gory includes the upholstery in the center of the 
steering wheel, on the instrument panel, the 
side trim panels on the doors and on the Coupe, 
the roof pillars along with the sides of the head-
liner. Do not attempt to remove or dismantle the 
steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components 
directly after the system has been triggered, 
because there is a danger of burns.
If you note any indication of system malfunc-
tion, if you wish to have an airbag deactivated, 
or if the airbag retention system is triggered in 
response to an accident, you should always 
entrust all inspection, repair and dismantling 
operations to your BMW center. 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.
Operational readiness of airbag system
From ignition key position 1 the warning lamp 
lights up briefly, indicating the operational 
readiness of the entire airbag system and the 
belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>The warning lamp does not light up as of 
ignition key position 1.>The warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately if a malfunction occurs, as otherwise 
there is a danger of the system not responding 
in the expected manner to an impact occurring 
within its normal response range.<
Convertible: 
Rollover protection system
The rollover protection system is automatically 
activated in the event of an accident or a critical 
driving situation, extreme inclination on the lon-
gitudinal or transverse axis, or loss of ground 
contact. The rollover bars located behind the 
rear head restraints are deployed within frac-
tions of a second.
As a supplement to the rollover bar integrated 
into the windshield frame, the rollover protec-
tion system ensures that all vehicle occupants 
have the necessary headroom.
Always keep the path of movement of the 
rollover protection system clear.
In less severe accidents, you are protected by 
the fastened safety belt and, depending on the 
severity of the accident, the belt tensioner and 
the multistage airbag restraint system.<
Lowering
If the protection function was not required after 
automatic activation, the rollover protection 
system can be lowered again. No tools are nec-
essary for this purpose.
1.Press the release backward and hold in that 
position. 

 199Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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
202 Cold start, refer to Starting 
engine54
"Communication"152
"Communication 
settings"159
Compact disc
– refer to CD changer143
– refer to CD player143
Computer74
– clock, 12h/24h clock 
mode78
– displays on Control 
Display74
– hour signal78
"Concert hall"135
Condition Based Service 
CBS178
"Confirmation"30
Confirmation signals for 
locking and unlocking30
Connecting a vacuum cleaner, 
refer to Socket103
Consumption display, refer to 
Average fuel 
consumption74
"Continue guidance to 
destination?"125
Control Center16
– adjusting brightness77
– assistance window20
– automatic climate control96
– changing settings19,77
– changing the menu page19
– changing time and date78
– confirming selection or 
entry19
– controller16
– display, menus16
– language selection78
– menu item selection19
– menu navigation17
– operating elements16
– selecting units of 
measurement and display 
format77
– start menu17
– status information20
– symbols17
Control Display16Controller, refer to Control 
Center16
Controls, refer to Cockpit10
Convenience operation
– convertible top30,31
– glass sunroof30,31
– windows30,31
Convenience start, refer to 
Starting engine54,55
Convertible
– convertible program for 
automatic climate control97
– opening and closing 
windows36
– rollover protection 
system87
– top39
– wind deflector42
Convertible top
– care, refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
– convenience operation31
– emergency closing41
– manual closing in the event 
of an electrical 
malfunction41
– opening and closing40
Coolant176
– level176
Cooling, maximum95
Cornering Brake Control 
CBC81
Country of destination for 
navigation116
Courtesy lighting93
Cruise control61
– active cruise control62
Cruising range74
Cup holders103
Curb weight, refer to 
Weights192
"Current position"125
Current position
– displaying125
– entering120
– storing120
"Customer Relations"162
Cylinders, refer to Engine 
data192
D
Dashboard, refer to 
Cockpit10
Dashboard lighting, refer to 
Instrument lighting93
Data192
– capacities195
– dimensions193
– engine192
– weights192
"Date"79
Date69
– setting78
"Date format"79
Daytime driving lamps91
DBC Dynamic Brake 
Control81
– malfunction83
– warning lamp83
"Deactivated"47
Deactivating front passenger 
airbag, Coupe52
Decommissioning the vehicle, 
refer to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Deep water, refer to Driving 
through water109
Defrosting windows95
Defrosting windows and 
removing condensation95
Defrosting windshield, refer to 
Defrosting windows95
Defrost position, refer to 
Defrosting windows95
"Delete address book" for 
navigation121
"Delete all numbers" on the 
portable phone155
"Delete data" for 
navigation121
"Delete" for portable 
phone154
Destination address
– deleting121
– entering115 

Everything from A to Z
204 Emergency operation, refer to 
Manual operation
– convertible top41
– door lock31
– driver's door31
– fuel filler door166
– glass sunroof38
– luggage compartment 
lid32,33
Emergency release33
Emergency services, refer to 
Roadside Assistance186
"Emission inspect."71
"Enable services"160
"End call"153
Engine
– breaking-in108
– data192
– speed192
– starting54
– starting difficulties54
– switching off55
Engine compartment175
Engine coolant176
Engine oil
– checking the oil level175
– dipstick175
– specified engine oils176
– temperature70
– temperature gage70
– topping off176
Engine output, refer to Engine 
data192
Engine speed, refer to Engine 
specifications192
Engine starting, refer to 
Starting engine54
"Enter address" for 
navigation116
Entering destination116
Entering the address115
Entering the intersection117
Entering the town/city for 
navigation116
Entering zip code for 
navigation116
"Entertainment"133"Entertainment settings"133
Entry map for destination117
Entry to the rear48
"Equalizer", refer to Tone 
control135
"ESN"140
ESP Electronic Stability 
Program, refer to DSC 
Dynamic Stability 
Control82
Exhaust system, refer to Hot 
exhaust system108
Exterior mirrors49
– automatic dimming 
feature50
– automatic heating50
Eye for towing, refer to Tow 
fitting188
Eyes for lashing, refer to 
Securing load111
F
Fader, refer to Tone 
control134
Failure messages, refer to 
Check Control71
False alarms, refer to Avoiding 
unintentional alarms35
Fastening safety belts, refer to 
Safety belts48
Fastest route for 
navigation122
Fast forward
– CD changer145
– CD player145
"Fast route" for 
navigation122
First aid, refer to First-aid 
kit186
First-aid kit186
First-aid pouch, refer to First-
aid kit186
Flashing when locking and 
unlocking, refer to Setting 
acknowledgement 
signals30Flashlight, refer to 
Rechargeable flashlight101
Flat tire
– Flat Tire Monitor84
– run-flat tires85,172
Flat Tire Monitor84
– false alarms84
– initializing system84
– malfunction85
– snow chains173
– system limits84
– warning lamp85
"FM", reception 
range133,136
FM, waveband136
Fog lamps92
– indicator lamp13,92
Folding up convertible top 
compartment floor, 
Convertible34
Footbrake, refer to Braking 
safely109
Footwell lamps93
For your own safety6
Front airbags86
Front head restraints47
"FTM"84
Fuel
– average consumption74
– display70
– fuel specifications167
– high-quality brands167
– quality167
– tank capacity166
Fuel display, refer to Fuel 
gage70
Fuel filler door166
– releasing in the event of 
electrical malfunction166
Fuel gage70
Fuel specifications167
Fuses184 

Reference 205
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
G
Garage-door opener, refer to 
Integrated universal remote 
control100
Gasoline
– refer to Fuel 
specifications167
– refer to Required fuel167
Gasoline display, refer to Fuel 
gage70
Gear changes
– SMG Sequential manual 
transmission57
Gear display
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
– SMG Sequential manual 
transmission57
Gearshift lever
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
– manual transmission56
– SMG Sequential manual 
transmission56
General driving notes108
Glass sunroof, electric with 
raise function37
– convenience operation31
– moving manually38
– remote control30
Glove compartment101
– rechargeable flashlight101
GPS navigation, refer to 
Navigation system114
Grills, refer to Ventilation94
Gross vehicle weight, refer to 
Weights192
H
Handbrake55
– indicator lamp13,55
Hands-free system14,151
Hazard warning flashers15
Head airbags86
Headlamp control, 
automatic91Headlamp flasher60
Headlamps
– care, refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
– cleaning, refer to Wiper 
system61
– replacing bulbs180
Head Light, refer to Adaptive 
Head Light92
Head-Up Display88
Heated mirrors50
Heated rear window94
Heated seats49
Heated steering wheel51
Heater95
Heating
– exterior mirrors50
– interior94
– rear window94
– residual heat mode96
– seats49
– steering wheel51
Heating with engine switched 
off, refer to Residual heat 
mode96
Heavy cargo, refer to Securing 
load111
Height, refer to 
Dimensions193
Height adjustment
– seats45
– steering wheel50
High beams92
– headlamp flasher92
– indicator lamp13
– replacing bulbs180
Hills109
Holder for cups103
"Home address"122
Hood174
Horn10
Hotel function32
Hot exhaust system108
"Hour memo"78
"House number" for desti-
nation entry117Hydraulic Brake Assistant, 
refer to DBC Dynamic Brake 
Control81
Hydroplaning109
– also refer to Minimum tread 
depth171
I
Ice warning69
iDrive, refer to Control 
Center16
Ignition key28
Ignition key positions, refer to 
Ignition lock54
Ignition lock54
Increasing luggage 
compartment capacity, 
Convertible34
Independent ventilation
– activating an activation 
time98
– setting activation time98
– switching on and off 
directly98
Indicator/warning lamps
– ABS Antilock Brake 
System83
– active steering85
– airbags87
– brake system13,83
– DSC Dynamic Stability 
Control13,83
– DTC Dynamic Traction 
Control13,82
– fastening safety belts49
– Flat Tire Monitor85
– fog lamps13,92
– handbrake55
Indicator and warning lamps, 
overview13
Individually assignable 
buttons on steering wheel, 
refer to Programmable 
buttons on steering 
wheel51
Individual settings, refer to 
Key Memory28