2005 BMW X3 2.5I child seat

Adjustments
24
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed driving that is as fatigue-free
as possible. The sitting position plays an impor-
tant role together with the safety belts, head
restraints and airbags in providing occupants
with maximum levels of passive safety in an
accident. Therefore, observe the following
instructions, as otherwise the protective func-
tion of the safety systems may be impaired.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page31.
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 correctly seated
and does not place feet or legs against the
instrument panel, as otherwise leg injuries can
result 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 – usually temporary – hearing
loss in extremely sensitive individuals.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page31.
Safety belts
Make sure the safety belts are worn in all occu-
pied seats every time you drive. Although air-
bags enhance safety by providing added pro-
tection, they are not a substitute for safety
belts.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all equipped
with a safety belt.
Occupants should sit upright and be
properly restrained at all times: infants
and small children in appropriate child-restraint
systems; larger children and adults using the
safety belts.
Never allow more than one person to wear a sin-
gle safety belt. Infants and children must not
ride on a 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. The
safety belt must not rest against the neck, nor
be wedged in any way or permitted to rub
against sharp edges. Avoid twisting the belt
while routing it snugly across the hips and
shoulder, as close to the body as possible, with-
out resting against hard or fragile objects. Oth-
erwise, 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 upward periodically to read-
just the tension across your lap in order to avoid
a reduction in the restraining action of the
safety belt.<
If the middle safety belt in the rear is used, then
the wider backrest must be secured, refer to
page67, otherwise, the safety belt cannot exert
any restraining action.
For fastening safety belts, refer to page27.

Adjustments
28 3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
The upper shoulder strap's anchorage point will
be in the correct position for seat occupants of
every build if the seat is correctly adjusted, refer
to page24.
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 posi-
tion.<
Safety belt reminder for front seats
The indicator lamp flashes or lights up.
In addition, a signal sounds. Please
make sure that the safety belts are
being worn correctly.
The safety belt reminder is activated if the
safety belt on the driver's side has not yet been
fastened.
At speeds greater than 5 mph/8 km/h, the
safety belt reminder is also activated if the pas-
senger side safety belt has not yet been fas-
tened, if heavy objects are placed on the pas-
senger's seat, or if the front passenger's safety
belt is released.
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 Sports Activity
Vehicle Center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. 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. If a
child-restraint system was in the vehicle during
an accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent from unexpected movement.<
1.Fold the clamping lever downward.
2.Adapt the steering wheel in the longitudinal
direction and height of the seat position.
3.Fold the clamping lever back up.
Steering wheel heater*
The button for steering wheel heater is located
on the steering wheel, refer to page12.
Steering wheel heater: switching on/off
The steering wheel heater operates as of igni-
tion key position 2.
Press the button to activate or deactivate this
system.
The indicator lamp within the button lights up
when the steering wheel heater is in operation.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger side fea-
tures a lens with a more convex surface
than the mirror installed on the driver's side.
When estimating the distance between yourself
and other traffic, bear in mind that the objects
reflected in the mirror are closer than they
appear. This means that estimations of the

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
31
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.
If your vehicle is equipped with rear side
airbags, do not allow children to lean
toward the door trim, as serious injuries could
occur if the side airbags are deployed and chil-
dren are too close to the airbags.<
Deactivating side airbags in the rear
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 Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Child-restraint system in 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 properly secured.<
Younger children should be secured in an
appropriate child restraint system that has been
first properly secured to the vehicle.
All rear seating positions in your vehicle meet
the recommendations of SAE J1819, an indus-
try-recommended practice for securing child-
restraint systems in motor vehicles.
Exception for the front passenger seat
Should it become necessary to use a
child-restraint system on the front pas-
senger seat, the airbags on the passenger side
must be deactivated. The passenger airbag
indicator lamp above the interior rearview mirror
must light up continuously. Otherwise, the front
passenger airbags remain active and there is considerable risk of injury to children if the air-
bags are triggered, even with a child-restraint
system. In this case, children should be seated
in the rear and the system should be checked at
your BMW Sport Activity Vehicle Center.<
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.<
More information on automatic deactivation of
the front passenger airbags, refer to page52.
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 selection,
installation and use of the child-restraint sys-
tem. Otherwise the degree of protection can be
reduced.
After an accident, have all parts of the relevant
vehicle safety belt system checked by a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle 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

Transporting children safely
32 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.
Information regarding this is located near the
buckle latch of each safety belt.
To lock the 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. To gain access to this anchor fitting lift the plastic plug with the help of a screw-
driver. Depending on the location selected for
seating 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.
Routing of tether strap
Outer seating positions:
Route the tether strap through the center
between the head restraint and the backrest.
Center seating position:
Fold the center armrest forward and pull the
tether strap through the opening. Then fold up
the center armrest and engage it.
When using the cargo area cover: tether strap
must run between the rear backrest and the
cargo area cover.

Reference
At a glance
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Driving tips
Mobility
33
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 seating 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 picture shows the right rear seat as an
example. The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint fixing system are located behind
the cover caps.
Remove the cover caps toward the front.
Press on to remount.
Before attachment of the LATCH child-restraint
fixing system, remove the cover caps and pull
the belt out of the region of the child-restraint
fixing system.
For driving
With side airbags in the rear, make sure
that children do not lean out of the child's
seat toward the door panel, as otherwise major
injuries can result if the side airbags are trig-
gered.<
You can have the rear side airbags permanently
deactivated.
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center will
be happy to advise you.
Child-safety lock of rear doors
Slide down the safety levers on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Always press the safety switch for the power
windows, refer to page20, when children are in
the rear of the vehicle.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
52
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
Your BMW has a seat occupation detection
system. By evaluating the weight on the front
passenger's 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 deactivated on the passen-
ger side.
>When an adult is traveling in the front seat,
the front and side airbags remain active on
the passenger side.
Although not desired, it can occur in the
case of heavier children that the front
passenger airbags remain active or in the case
of very light adults or young persons that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated. In
these cases, have the person ride in the rear
seat, refer to Passenger airbag status lamp
below. Do not load the passenger seat with any
items in addition to the person to be trans-
ported. Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion pad-
ding, ball mats or other items onto the front pas-
senger seat unless they are specifically
r e c o m m e n d e d b y B M W . D o n o t p l a c e a n y i t e m s
under the seat. Otherwise, the function of the
seat occupation detection could be impaired.<
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of ignition key position 1, the warning lamp
lights up briefly, thus indicating the operational
readiness of the entire airbag system and the
safety 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 failing to
respond in the expected manner to an impact
occurring within its normal response range.<
Passenger airbag status lamp
One of the illustrated indicator lamps is located
above the interior rearview mirror.
The indicator lamp indicates whether the front
passenger airbag system is active or not active/
OFF.
The indicator lamp is used only for the
front passenger airbag system. The indi-
cator lamp illuminates to show that the front
passenger airbag system is OFF/not active.<
>The indicator lamp goes out after a few sec-
onds.
The front passenger airbags are active, e.g.
when transporting an adult.
>The indicator lamp lights up continuously.
The front passenger airbags are deacti-
vated, e.g. when a child is traveling in the
vehicle in the child-restraint system or
when the seat is empty.
Find more information about passenger airbag
system and seat occupancy detection in sec-
tion Automatic deactivation of front passenger
airbags above.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
65
Storage compartment in the
instrument panel*
Opening
Press the button in the direction of the arrow.
Closing
Fold the cover down.
Storage package*
Your convenience is enhanced by:
>Armrest, front
>Sliding lashing eyes in cargo area, refer to
page69
>Floor cover in cargo area that can be used in
two positions, refer to page69
>Nets in cargo area, on rear side of front seat,
and in passenger footwell
Clothes hooks
When suspending clothing from the
hooks ensure that it will not obstruct the
driver's vision. Do not hang heavy objects on
the hooks. If you do so, they could cause endan-
ger passengers during braking or evasive
maneuvers.<
Ashtray*
Press the edge of the opened cover: the ashtray
moves up and can be removed.
On vehicles with the non-smoking package, the
insert is removed in the same way.
Lighter*
Press in the cigarette lighter1.
The lighter can be removed as soon as it pops
out.
Hold or touch the hot cigarette lighter by
the knob only. Holding or touching it in
other areas could result in burns.
The cigarette lighter remains operational when
the ignition key has been removed. For this rea-
son, do not leave unsupervised children in the
vehicle.<
Power socket
The cigarette lighter socket can be used as a
power socket to plug in hand flashlights, car
vacuum cleaners, etc., with power ratings of up
to approx. 200 W at 12 V. Avoid damage to the
socket caused by inserting plugs of a different
shape or size. With the non-smoker's equip-
ment package the socket is covered with a
removable cap.

Everything from A to Z
114 Black ice, refer to Ice
warning44
Blower
– air conditioner57
– automatic climate control60
BMW maintenance system93
Bottle holder, refer to Cup
holders63
Brake fluid92
– level92
– warning lamp92
Brake Force Display50
Brake lamps
– Brake Force Display50
– indicator lamp, defective
lamp12,53
– replacing bulbs98
Brake pads
– breaking-in72
Brake pedal, refer to Safe
braking73
Brake rotors
– brake system72
– breaking-in72
Brakes73,92
– ABS73
– brake fluid92
– breaking in72
– handbrake35
– indicator/warning lamp11
Brake system92
– brake fluid92
– brake pads92
– breaking-in72
– disc brakes74
– warning lamp92
Brake wear warning
– brake pads92
– warning lamp92
Breakdown service, refer to
Receiving assistance103
Breaking-in72
Bulb replacement, refer to
Lamps and bulbs95
Buttons on steering wheel12
C
California law
– Event Data Recorders94
– Proposition 65 Warning6
Calling, refer to telephone
Owner's Manual
Can holder, refer to Cup
holders63
Capacities112
Capacity, cargo area112
Car care, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
Car-care products, refer to the
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Care, refer to the Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Cargo, securing75
Cargo area67
– capacity112
– cover67
– emergency operation, refer
to Manual unlocking19
– floor cover69
– folding rear seat backrest67
– lashing eyes69
– lid, refer to Tailgate19
– opening, remote control17
– power socket69
Cargo loading74
– determining load limit74
– securing cargo75
– stowing cargo75
– vehicle74
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 plastic, refer to the
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Caring for the carpet, refer to
the Caring for your vehicle
brochureCaring for the vehicle finish,
refer to the Caring for your
vehicle brochure
Car keys, refer to Key set16
Car phone, refer to separate
Owner's Manual
Car phone preparation66
Car radio, refer to Owner's
Manual for Radio/Onboard
Computer
Car wash73
– refer to the Caring for your
vehicle brochure
Cassette operation, refer to
Owner's Manual for Radio/
Onboard Computer
Catalytic converter, refer to
Hot exhaust system73
CD operation, refer to Owner's
Manual for Radio/Onboard
Computer
Central locking system16
– interior18
Changes, technical, refer to
For your own safety6
Changing a wheel99
Changing gears
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic37
Changing wheels86
Charge-current indicator
lamp12,101
Charging battery101
Check Gas Cap, warning
lamp12,80
Checking oil level90
Child's seats, refer to Child-
restraint systems31
Child-restraint fixing system
LATCH33
Child-restraint systems31
Child-safety locks33
Chock99
Chrome parts, care, refer to
the Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Cigarette lighter65