
Adjustments
46
Adjustments
Sitting safely 
The ideal sitting position can make a vital 
contribution to relaxed driving that is as 
fatigue-free as possible. The sitting posi-
tion plays an important role together with 
the safety belts and airbags in an accident. 
To ensure that the safety systems operate 
with optimized efficiency, we strongly urge 
you to observe the instructions contained 
in the following section.
For additional information on transporting 
children safely, refer to page58. 
Sitting safely with airbags 
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the air-
bags. Always hold the steering wheel by its 
rim with hands at the 9 o'clock and 
3 o'clock positions, to minimize 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 cor-
rectly seated and does not rest feet or legs 
on the instrument panel, otherwise leg inju-
ries can occur if the knee and front airbag 
are triggered. 
Never let an occupant's head rest near or 
on a side airbag because the inflating air-
bag could cause a serious or fatal injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, 
injuries resulting from contact with airbags 
cannot be fully excluded, depending on the 
circumstances. The ignition and inflation 
noise may provoke a mild – usually tempo-
rary – hearing loss in extremely sensitive 
individuals.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page98.
Sitting safely with safety belts 
Even though there is an airbag, wear a 
safety belt every time you get in the vehicle. 
Although airbags enhance safety by pro-
viding added protection, they are not a 
substitute for safety belts.
Your vehicle has five 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 systems; larger children and 
adults using the safety belts.
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.
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. 
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 lap 
belt periodically to readjust the tension 
across your shoulder in order to avoid a 
reduction in the retention effect of the 
safety belt.<
For instructions on operating safety belts, 
refer to page51.  

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Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible. 
Display of the previously described 
malfunction on Canadian models.
Dynamic Drive 
The concept 
Dynamic Drive minimizes body roll and 
optimizes vehicle stability during cornering 
and evasive maneuvers. 
Active stabilizers at the front and rear axles 
form the basis for Dynamic Drive. Suspen-
sion compliance adapts to suit driving con-
ditions, varying from performance-oriented 
during cornering to smooth and comfort-
oriented when the vehicle is proceeding in 
a straight line. 
The system assumes operational status 
each time you start the engine. 
Driving with Dynamic Drive 
During vehicle operation, the system con-
tinuously runs through closed-loop control 
cycles lasting only fractions of a second. 
Malfunction 
The warning lamp lights up, accom-
panied by a status message in the 
Check Control. Please take note of 
the additional information on the Control 
Display. A malfunction has occurred in the 
system. Have the system checked as soon 
as possible.
If the Dynamic Drive system switches 
off in response to malfunction, please 
remember to adapt your speed accord-
ingly, especially in curves. 
The suspension will be noticeably softer 
and the vehicle will display a greater ten-
dency to tilt during cornering and in cross-
winds. 
If a Check Control message stating that you 
should stop appears in addition to the red 
symbol, stop immediately and switch off 
the engine. In this case the oil level in the 
reservoir may have dropped below the min-imum, possibly owing to a leak in the 
hydraulic system. 
Please observe the additional instructions 
provided on the Control Display.< 
EDC Electronic Damping 
Control* 
The suspension responds to changes in 
factors such as road surface, or operating 
conditions such as steering and braking, by 
adapting to the new conditions within frac-
tions of a second. 
Two programs are available; they can be 
selected in the "Settings" menu. 
Comfort mode 
The Comfort mode is suitable for use 
throughout the vehicle's entire speed range 
and regardless of load. 
Sport program 
You should select the Sport program for 
consistently performance-oriented 
response from shock absorbers and steer-
ing. 
Flat Tire Monitor 
The concept 
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the 
inflation pressures in the four fitted tires as 
you drive. The system provides an alert 
whenever the inflation pressure drops sig-
nificantly in relation to the pressure another 
tire.  

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Vehicles with run-flat tires: 
1.Cautiously reduce the vehicle speed to 
below 50 mph/80 km/h. Avoid sudden 
braking and steering maneuvers. Do not 
exceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph/80 
km/h 
Due to the reinforcement on the 
side walls of the run-flat tires, 
inflation pressure loss can not usually 
be recognized from the outside, refer to 
Run-flat tires on page206.<
2.To continue driving, comply with the 
instructions for driving with damaged 
tires on page206.
Malfunction 
The indicator lamp lights up yellow, 
accompanied by a status message 
in the Check Control. The Flat Tire 
Monitor has malfunctioned or failed. Have 
the system checked as soon as possible.
Self-leveling suspension* 
Malfunction 
A Check Control message appear-
ing together with this symbol indi-
cates a malfunction in the self-level-
ing suspension. Please take note of the 
additional information on the Control Dis-
play. 
Stop and inspect the vehicle. If the rear of 
the vehicle is visibly lower than the front, 
possibly accompanied by a tilt noticeable 
when you compare the left rear with the 
right rear, please respond by immediately 
proceeding to the nearest BMW center. 
Drive with appropriate caution in the mean-
time. The vehicle has reduced ground 
clearance and driving comfort may be 
noticeably reduced. Even if the attitude of 
the vehicle is normal, you should consult 
the nearest BMW center if the warning 
lamp indicates a system fault. 
Brake Force Display 
The Brake Force Display indicates the 
intensity with which you are applying your 
brakes to drivers of following vehicles. 
The display consists of two stages:
>Normal braking: 
The brake lamps in the tail lamp assem-
blies and the high-mount brake lamp on 
the rear tray light up during braking 
>Heavy braking and braking with ABS: 
The rear lamps also light up with the 
same intensity as the standard brake 
lamp units to enhance the warning 
effect of the brake lamps.  

Wheels and tires
188
Wheels and tires 
Tire inflation pressure 
Information for your safety 
It is not merely the tire's service life, but 
also driving comfort and – to a great extent 
– driving safety that depend on the condi-
tion of the tires and the maintenance of the 
specified tire pressure. 
Check the tire inflation pressure regu-
larly and correct it if necessary, 
including the spare tire: at least every two 
weeks and before beginning a longer trip. 
If you fail to observe this precaution you 
may be driving on tires with incorrect tire 
pressures, a condition that can not only 
compromise your vehicle's stability, but 
also lead to tire damage and the risk of an 
accident. 
Do not drive with deflated, i.e. flat tires, 
except run-flat tires. A flat tire will seriously 
impair your vehicle's handling and braking 
response. Attempts to drive on a flat tire 
can lead to loss of control over the vehi-
cle.<
Checking inflation pressure 
Only check tire inflation pressure when the 
tires are cold. This means after a maximum 
of 1.25 miles/2 km driving or when the 
vehicle has been parked for at least 
2 hours. When tires are warm, the tire infla-
tion pressure increases.
After correcting the inflation pressure(s), 
always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, 
refer to page96. 
Inflation pressures for standard tires
The inflation pressures for your standard 
tires can be found on the door pillar when 
you open the driver's door.
Inflation pressures for other tire 
sizes
The table below provides all the correct 
inflation pressures for the specified tire 
sizes at ambient temperature.
After correcting the inflation pres-
sure(s), always reinitialize the Flat Tire 
Monitor, refer to page96.<
Tire size
The inflation pressures apply to the tire 
sizes approved and tire brands recom-
mended by BMW; a list of these is available 
from your BMW center. 

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Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, 
B and C, representing the tire's resistance 
to the generation of heat and its ability to 
dissipate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified indoor lab-
oratory test wheel. 
Sustained high temperature can cause the 
material of the tire to degenerate and 
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature 
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C 
corresponds to a level of performance 
which all passenger car tires must meet 
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A repre-
sent higher levels of performance on the 
laboratory test wheel than the minimum 
required by law. 
The temperature grade for this tire is 
established for a tire that is properly 
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive 
speed, underinflation, or excessive load-
ing, either separately or in combination, 
can cause heat buildup and possible tire 
failure.< 
RSC: run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular 
symbol containing the letters RSC on the 
side of the tire, refer to page192.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than 
summer tires.
Tire condition 
Inspect your tires frequently for treadwear, 
signs of damage and for foreign objects 
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth. 
Tire tread 
The tread depth should not drop below 
εin/3 mm, although, for example, Euro-
pean legislation only specifies a minimum 
tread depth of κ/ΦΚin/1.6 mm. At tread 
depths below εin/3 mm, there is an 
increased risk of high-speed hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of water are 
present on the road surface.
As winter tires display a noticeable loss in 
their ability to cope with cold-weather driv-
ing conditions once the tread wears to 
below κ/Κin/4 mm, to ensure continued 
safety you should always have such tires 
replaced.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, 
refer to arrow, are distributed over the tire's 
circumference and are marked on the side 
of the tire with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. 
These indicators signal at a tread depth of 
κ/ΦΚin/1.6 mm that the legally permitted 
wear limit has been reached. 
Wheel/tire damage 
Due to low-profile tires, please note 
that wheels, tires and suspension 
parts are more susceptible to road hazard 
and consequential damages. 
Unusual vibrations encountered during 
normal vehicle operation can indicate tire 
failure or some other vehicle defect. This 
can, for example, be caused by driving over 
curbs. These kinds of problems may also 
be signaled by other changes in vehicle 
response, such as a strong tendency to pull 
to the left or right. 
In these cases reduce speed immediately. 
Drive carefully to the next BMW center or 
tire dealer, or have the vehicle towed to one 
of these locations if necessary. 
Tire damage, extending to sudden and 
complete loss of pressure in extreme 
cases, can pose a potentially lethal safety 
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and 
other road users alike.<  

Wheels and tires
192
Run-flat tires* 
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular 
symbol containing the letters RSC on the 
side of the tire. 
The run-flat tires consist of self-supporting 
tires and special rims. The tire reinforce-
ment ensures that the tire retains some 
residual safety in the event of pressure 
drop and driving remains possible to a 
restricted degree. 
Continuing driving with a damaged 
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue, 
depending on the vehicle load and the 
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum 
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. 
In the case of complete inflation pressure 
loss, 0 psi/kPa, or obvious tire damage, 
you can estimate the possible distance for 
continued driving on the basis of the fol-
lowing guide values: 
>With low load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
Approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or 
4 persons without luggage:
Approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With full load:
More than 4 persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
Approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a 
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. With infla-
tion pressure loss, the driving characteris-
tics change, for example reduced track 
stability on braking, extended braking dis-tance, and altered self-steering character-
istics.
For safety reasons BMW recommends that 
you do not have damaged run-flat tires 
repaired, and that you go to a BMW center 
in this case.< 
New wheels and tires 
Only have new wheels and tires 
mounted by a specialist. If this work is 
not carried out properly, there is a danger 
of subsequent damage and related safety 
hazards.< 
You can ask your BMW center for the right 
wheel and tire combination. Have the 
wheel and tire assemblies balanced every 
time either a wheel or a tire is replaced.
The correct wheel and tire combination 
affects various systems whose function 
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS 
or DSC.
BMW does not recommend the use of 
retread tires, as otherwise driving 
safety may be reduced. Possible variations 
in the design and the age – which could be 
substantial – of the carcasses can lead to 
unusually rapid wear.< 
The right wheels and tires 
BMW recommends that you use only 
wheel and tire combinations that 
BMW has tested and approved for your 
particular vehicle. Variations in factors such 
as manufacturing tolerances mean that 
even wheels and tires with identical official 
size ratings could actually have different 
dimensions than the approved units – these 
differences could lead to body contact, and 
with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW 
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving 
safety.< 
To maintain good handling and vehicle 
response, use only tires of a single tread 
configuration from a single manufacturer. 
After a flat tire, always remember to have 
the original wheel and tire combination  

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remounted on the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible. 
Recommended tire sizes and brands 
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire 
size, classifies them as road-safe and 
approves them. You can find out about 
these at specialized dealers or at your 
BMW center. Observe any country-specific 
regulations, e.g. on making a correspond-
ing entry in the vehicle documents.
The factory-mounted tires have been spe-
cially selected to provide optimized perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle; if 
properly cared for, they will provide a com-
bination of safety and excellent ride com-
fort.
Run-flat tires 
If your BMW is equipped with run-flat tires, 
refer to Run-flat tires, only use these tires, 
as in the event of a breakdown there is no 
spare tire available.
Special characteristics of winter 
tires 
BMW recommends winter tires for use in 
cold winter driving conditions. Although so-
called all-season M+S tires provide better 
winter traction than summer tires, they 
generally fail to provide the same levels of 
cold-weather performance as winter tires. 
Run-flat tires 
When mounting new tires or switching from 
summer to winter tires, or vice versa, use 
run-flat tires, as in the event of a break-
down there is no spare wheel available. 
Your BMW center will be glad to advise 
you.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed 
for which the winter tires are rated. 
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to ser-
vice tires can lead to damage and acci-
dents. Have this work performed by skilled 
professionals only. The technicians at your 
BMW center will be glad to assist you with the required professional knowledge and 
specialized equipment.< 
Storage 
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry 
pl ace  w it h  as l itt le  exp osu r e t o li gh t a s po s-
sible. Always protect tires against all con-
tact with oil, grease and fuels.
Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation 
pressure indicated on the side wall of the 
tire.
Snow chains* 
BMW only tests certain snow chains, clas-
sifies them as road-safe and approves 
them. Consult your BMW center for more 
information. BMW recommends only using 
these approved, narrow-link snow chains. 
Use on summer or winter tires is only per-
missible in pairs on the rear wheels. 
Observe the manufacturer's instructions 
when installing snow chains. 
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of 30 mph/
50 km/h with the chains mounted. 
After mounting snow chains, do not 
activate the Flat Tire Monitor.
When you are driving with snow chains, it 
can be beneficial to switch off DSC briefly, 
refer to page94.<  

Replacing components
206 3.Check and correct the tire inflation 
pressure at the earliest opportunity 
Protect valve stems and valve 
stem seal caps against dirt and 
contamination. Dirt in valve stems is a 
frequent source of gradual air loss.<
4.Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer 
to page 96 
5.Replace the damaged tire with a new 
one as soon as possible and have the 
new wheel balanced. 
Driving with spare tire
On certain wheel-tire combinations, 
the size of the spare tire deviates from 
that of the rest of the tires. The spare tire is 
fully capable of running in all load and 
speed ranges. However, to recreate the 
original conditions, the tire should be 
replaced as soon as possible.< 
Run-flat tires* 
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular 
symbol containing the letters RSC on the 
side of the tire. They consist of self-con-
tained tires and special rims. The tire rein-
forcement ensures that the tire retains 
some residual safety in the event of pres-
sure drop and driving remains possible to a 
restricted degree. The vehicle is equipped 
with a Flat Tire Monitor which indicates 
punctures. 
The reinforcement on the flanks of the 
tires means that it is usually not pos-
sible to detect an air loss from outside.< 
Flat tire 
If you have a flat tire, the indicator lamp 
symbol in the Check Control will light up in 
red, and a message will appear. In addition, 
a gong sounds. 
You can find more detailed information on 
the Flat Tire Monitor on page96. 
Reduce vehicle speed carefully to under 
50 mph/80 km/h, avoiding hard brake 
applications and steering maneuvers. 
If the defective wheel is not recognizable as 
such immediately, check the inflation pres-
sure in all four tires. 
For reasons of safety, do not arrange 
for run-flat tires to be repaired. Your 
BMW center has the information needed 
for working with these tires and is equipped 
with the necessary special tools.< 
Continuing driving with a damaged 
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue 
depending on the vehicle load and the 
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum 
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. You can deter-
mine the possible mileage for continued 
driving on the basis of the following general 
indications: 
>Tire inflation pressure 0 psi/kPa: 
With empty vehicle approx. 90 miles/
150 km 
With full payload approx. 30 miles/
50 km 
>Tire inflation pressure 7 psi/50 kPa to 
15 psi/100 kPa: 
Approx. 300 miles/500 km 
>Tire inflation pressure greater than 
15 psi/100 kPa: 
Approx. 600 miles/1,000 km. 
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a 
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the case 
of air loss, you can expect changes in vehi-
cle handling such as reduce lane stability, 
longer braking distances, and changes in 
self-steering properties.<