
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. 

Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 safety belt
Release the buckle, remove the child-restraint 
system and allow the belt retractor to reel the 
belt completely in.
Coupe: child-restraint system with 
tether strap
If you use a child-restraint system with a tether 
strap, two 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.
Each sitting position is fitted with a head 
restraint. 
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 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 fit the LATCH child-restraint fixing 
system, follow the operating and safety 
instructions of the system manufacturer.<
Access to anchorage points
The illustrations show the right rear seat as an 
example. The outer anchorage points for the 
LATCH child-restraint fixing system are identi-
fied by flags
*.
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are identified by but-
tons
*. 

Reference 201
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
C
California law
– Event Data Recorders179
California Proposition 65 
Warning6
"Call"153
Call
– accepting152
– display accepted153
– ending152
– in absence153
– starting152
Calling
– from phone book153
– from the Top 8 list153
– redialing153
"Call sender"156
Can holder, refer to Cup 
holders103
Capacities195
Capacity of the luggage 
compartment192
Car battery, refer to Vehicle 
battery183
Car care, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Car-care products, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
"Car data"74
Care, refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
Cargo loading
– securing cargo111
– stowing cargo111
– vehicle110
Caring for artificial leather, 
refer to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Caring for leather, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for light-alloy wheels, 
refer to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Caring for plastic, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochureCaring for the carpet, refer to 
the Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for the vehicle finish, 
refer to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Car keys, refer to Key set28
Car phone151
– installation location, refer to 
Center armrest102
– refer to Portable phone150
– refer to separate Owner's 
Manual
Car radio, refer to Radio136
Car wash110
– also refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
– refer to Before driving into a 
car wash110
Catalytic converter, refer to 
Hot exhaust system108
"Categories"141
CBC Cornering Brake 
Control81
CBS Condition Based 
Service178
"CD"133,143
CD changer143
– controls132
– fast forward/reverse145
– installation location145
– playing a track145
– random play sequence145
– repeating a track144
– selecting a CD144
– selecting a track144
– switching on/off132
– tone control133
– volume133
CD player143
– controls132
– fast forward/reverse145
– playing a track145
– random play sequence145
– repeating a track144
– selecting a track144
– switching on/off132
– tone control133
– volume133Center armrest
– adjusting the height102
– front102
Center console14
"Central locking"29
Central locking system29
– from inside vehicle31
Changes, technical, refer to 
For your own safety6
Changing a wheel183
Changing gear
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
Changing language on 
Control Display78
Changing measurement units 
on Control Display77
Changing wheels183
CHECK button73
Check Control71
"Check Control 
messages"73
Check Gas Cap166
Checking the air pressure, 
refer to Tire inflation 
pressure168
Child's seats, refer to Child-
restraint systems52
Child-restraint fixing system 
LATCH53
Child restraints52
Child-restraint systems52
Chrome parts, care, refer to 
the Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Cigarette lighter103
Cleaning, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Cleaning the windshield, refer 
to Wiper system61
"Climate"96
Clock69
– 12h/24h mode78
– setting time and date78
Closing
– from inside31
– from outside29
Clothes hooks, Coupe102
Cockpit10 

Everything from A to Z
206 Inflation pressure, refer to Tire 
inflation pressure168
Inflation pressure monitoring, 
refer to Flat Tire Monitor84
Information
– on another location118
– on current position118
– on destination location118
"Information" for 
navigation118
"Information on 
destination"119
Initializing, refer to Power 
failure184
"Input map"118
Inside rearview mirror, 
automatically dimming, refer 
to Automatic functions50
Installation location
– CD changer145
– navigation drive114
Instructions for navigation 
system, refer to Voice 
instructions126
Instrument cluster12
Instrument illumination, refer 
to Instrument lighting93
Instrument lighting93
Instrument panel, refer to 
Instrument cluster12
Integrated universal remote 
control100
Interesting destination118
"Interim time"77
Interior lamps93
– remote control30
Interlock, refer to Steering 
locked54
Interlock on automatic 
transmission54
Intermittent mode of the 
wipers60
J
Jacking points183
Joystick, refer to Control 
Center16
Jumpering, refer to Jump 
starting186
Jumping, refer to Jump 
starting186
Jump starting186
K
Key Memory28
"Keypad"155
Keys28
Kick-down
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
– SMG Sequential manual 
transmission57
Knock control167
L
Lamps, refer to Parking lamps/
low beams91
Lamps and bulbs180
"Languages"78
"Languages" for 
navigation126
Lashing eyes, refer to 
Securing load111
Last destinations, refer to 
Destination list119
"Last seat pos."46
LATCH child-restraint fixing 
system53
LEDs Light-emitting 
diodes183
Length, refer to 
Dimensions193
Letter symbol with portable 
phone155
License plate lamps, replacing 
bulbs182
"Light"60,91
Light-emitting diodes 
LEDs183Lighter103
Lighter socket103
Lighting
– instruments93
– of the vehicle, refer to 
Lamps91
Lights on warning91
Light switch91
"Limit"76
"Lock after driving"32
Lock buttons in the doors, 
refer to Locking32
Locking
– from inside32
– from outside30
Locking and unlocking doors
– from inside31
– from outside29
"LOGIC7", refer to Tone 
control134
Low beams91
– automatic91
– replacing bulbs180
Lower back support, refer to 
Lumbar support45
Luggage compartment
– capacity192
– emergency release33
– hotel function32
– increasing capacity, 
Convertible34
– opening/closing, refer to 
Luggage compartment 
lid33
– opening from inside33
– opening from outside33
– opening with remote 
control30
Luggage compartment lid32
– emergency operation33
– emergency release33
– opening from inside33
– opening from outside33
– opening with remote 
control30
– unlocking manually33
Lumbar support45
LW, waveband136 

Reference 209
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Pressure monitoring of tires, 
refer to Flat Tire Monitor84
Programmable buttons on 
steering wheel51
Protective function, refer to 
Anti-trapping mechanism
– glass sunroof38
– windows37
R
Radio
– Autostore138
– controls132
– playing stations137
– satellite radio140
– selecting frequency 
manually137
– selecting 
waveband132,136
– station search137
– station selection136
– station with best 
reception138
– storing stations138
– switching on/off132
– tone control133
– volume133
– Weather Band139
Radio-control key, refer to 
Master key with remote 
control28
Rain sensor of the windshield 
washer system61
"Random", random play 
sequence145
Random play sequence
– CD changer145
– CD player145
Reading lamps93
Rear lamps, refer to Tail 
lamps182
Rearview mirror49
Rear window defroster94
"Received calls"154
Receiving level of portable 
phone, refer to Status 
information20Reception
– quality139
– radio stations139
– regional station138
Rechargeable flashlight101
Recirculated-air mode, refer 
to AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control95
Recirculation of air, refer to 
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control95
Reclining seat, refer to 
Backrest45
Recording times, refer to 
Stopwatch77
"Redial" for portable 
phone154
Redialing with portable 
phone153
Refueling166
Releasing hood174
"Relock door if not 
opened"32
Remaining distance
– refer to Computer75
– refer to Cruising range74
Remote control28
– garage-door opener100
– luggage compartment lid30
– malfunction30
Removing condensation from 
windows95
"Repeat" in audio mode145
Replacement fuses184
Replacement key, refer to 
New keys28
Replacing bulbs, refer to 
Lamps and bulbs180
Replacing tires
– changing a wheel183
– new wheels and tires172
Reporting an accident, refer to 
Initiating emergency 
call185
Reporting safety defects7
Reserve warning, refer to Fuel 
gage70
"Reset" for stopwatch77
"Reset" in audio mode135Residual heat mode96
Restraint systems
– for children52
– refer to Safety belts48
Retreaded tires172
Reverse, fast
– CD changer145
– CD player145
Reverse gear
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
– manual transmission56
– SMG Sequential manual 
transmission57
Road map127
"Roadside Assistance"161
Roadside Assistance186
Roadside parking lamps92
– replacing bulbs182
Rollover protection system on 
convertible87
– lowering87
Rope, refer to Towing and 
tow-starting188
Rotary pushbutton, refer to 
Control Center16
Route122
– bypassing sections128
– changing122,128
– display127
– displaying arrow view127
– displaying map127
– displaying towns/cities and 
streets127
– list127
– selecting122
– selecting criteria122
"Route list" for navigation127
Route map127
"Route preference", 
changing122
Route selection122
Run-flat tires172
– continuing driving with a 
damaged tire85
– flat tire85
– tire inflation pressure168
– tire replacement172
– winter tires173