
41 Adjustments
Safe seating positionFor driving that is relaxed and less likely 
to cause fatigue, you should select a 
sitting position that reflects your per-
sonal requirements. In combination 
with the safety belts and airbags, the 
correct seating position also plays an 
important role in enhancing occupant 
safety in the event of an accident. To 
ensure that the vehicle's safety systems 
provide you with optimal protection, we 
request that you direct your careful 
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on 
transporting children, refer to page 54.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the 
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel 
by the rim to keep any chance of injury 
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-
mum should the airbag be deployed. 
Never allow any objects, individuals or 
animals to obstruct the areas between 
passengers and airbags. Never use the 
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or 
support for objects of any kind. Never 
allow front passengers to rest their feet 
or legs on the airbag cover.<
For airbag locations and additional 
information on airbags, refer to 
page 51.Sitting safely with safety beltsYour vehicle offers five sitting positions, 
each of which is provided with a safety 
belt.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. Avoid twisting the 
belt while routing it firmly across the 
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly 
against your body as possible. Do not 
allow the belt to rest against hard or 
fragile objects. 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 
wearing bulky clothing and pull on the 
lap belt periodically to retension it over 
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal 
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over 
the hips, leading to abdominal injury. In 
addition, the safety belt's restraint 
effectiveness is reduced if it is worn 
loosely. Expectant mothers should 
always wear their safety belts, taking 
care to position the lap belt against the 
lower hips, where it will not exert pres-
sure against the abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety 
belts, refer to page 46.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex 

46
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before 
starting off. As supplemental restraint 
devices, the airbags are designed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the safety 
belts, and not to replace them.To closeMake sure you hear the catch engage in 
the belt buckle.
The warning lamp lights up after 
a short driving distance until the 
driver and front passenger have 
fastened their safety belts. At the same 
time, an acoustic signal is sounded. 
The warning lamp also lights up and the 
acoustic signal sounds if the driver or 
front passenger unfastens his or her 
safety belt while the vehicle is in 
motion.To release1. Press red button in the belt buckle
2. Hold the end of the belt
3. Guide belt back into the inertia reel.
The rear belt buckle with the word 
CENTER is intended exclusively 
for the passenger sitting in the mid-
dle.<
Adjusting safety belt heightUse the height adjustment mechanism 
to adapt the shoulder strap to the ideal 
level for your own body:
>Slide button up or down.
Please refer to the seat adjustment 
instructions on page 41.
If the safety belt system has been 
subjected to the stresses involved 
in an accident or otherwise damaged: 
have the entire safety belt mechanism 
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the 
safety belt anchors. If a child-restraint 
system was in the vehicle during an 
accident, consult the manufacturer's 
instructions regarding replacement.< 

52
All vehicle occupants should 
always sit upright and be properly 
restrained – infants and small children 
in appropriate child-restraint systems; 
larger children and adults using the 
safety belts. Never let an occupant's 
head rest near or on a side airbag 
because the inflating airbag could 
cause a serious or fatal injury. Please 
note that the word Airbag imprinted on 
the door trim panel indicates the air-
bag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile 
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly 
restrained may place his or her head on 
or near the airbag, if so equipped. For 
example, a child — even though belted 
in — may fall asleep with his or her head 
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children 
in the rear seat will remain properly 
positioned at all times and do not place 
their heads on or near the side airbag. 
Therefore, we recommend that the 
rear-seat side airbags, if installed in the 
vehicle, be deactivated if children will 
be riding in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already 
have been deactivated by a BMW cen-
ter. If you are uncertain of their status, 
or wish to have the airbags activated or 
deactivated, please contact your BMW 
center.<
Even when all these guidelines are 
observed, there is still a small residual 
risk of injuries to the face, hands and 
arms occurring from airbag deployment 
in isolated instances.
In sensitive individuals, the ignition and 
inflation noise may induce a mild hear-
ing loss that is temporary in most 
cases.
Corresponding airbag warning labels 
are found on both sun visors.This is the right way a child should sit in 
a child restraint when rear side airbags 
are provided.
Airbags 

54
Transporting children safelyCommercially available child-restraint 
systems are designed to be secured 
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion 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.Correct location for installingIn your BMW, all seats equipped with a 
three-point safety belt – except for the 
driver's seat – are suitable for installing 
universal child-restraint systems of all 
age classes and which have been 
approved for the age group in question. 
Child-restraint system with 
tether strapIf you use a child-restraint system with 
a tether strap, three additional tether 
anchorage points have been provided.
Depending on the location selected for 
seating in the rear passenger area, 
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the 
child-restraint system, as shown in the 
illustration.
If the respective seating position is fit-
ted with a head restraint, lift the head 
restraint, and pass the tether strap 
between the head restraint and the seat 
back.
It is recommended to readjust the head 
restraint in the lowest possible position.
Adjust the tether strap according to the 
child-restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions. 

55
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat, 
please read the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger 
seat of this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag 
supplemental 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 lbs/9 kg – 
would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment range, you should never mount 
such a device in the front passenger 
seat, since the impact of the airbag 
against the child-restraint's backrest 
could lead to serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child – not an 
infant – to ride in the front seat, certain 
precautions should be taken. First, 
move the passenger seat as far away 
from the dashboard as possible. This 
important precaution is intended to 
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. 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. Younger children 
should be secured in an appropriate 
forward-facing child-restraint system 
that has first been properly installed 
with a safety belt.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger 
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read 
and comply with the instructions for 
installation and use provided by the 
child restraint's manufacturer when-
ever you use such a device.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint 
systems. If you do this, the protection 
provided by these systems could be 
impaired.
Always ensure that all occupants – of all 
ages – remain properly and securely 
restrained at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your vehicle 
meet the recommendations of 
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended 
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Securing child-restraint systemAll of the rear belt retractors and the 
front passenger's safety belt can be 
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions 
for this is located in the immediate 
vicinity of the buckle latch of each 
safety belt.To lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from 
the inertia reel mechanism. 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. 
Transporting children safely
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex 

 
56
The belt cannot be extracted further. 
Always observe the installation instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of 
the child-restraint system.
 
To unlock the safety belt
 
Release the safety belt, remove the 
child seat and retract the safety belt to 
its end position on the belt retractor.
 
LATCH child-restraint mounting 
system
 
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for 
CHildren
The left and right rear seats are both 
equipped with a LATCH child-restraint 
mounting system.
The LATCH anchorage points may be 
identified by symbols.
 
Remove the cover from the outside 
mount by pulling forward. When rein-
stalling ensure that the recess is on the 
top.
 
Transporting children safely 

57
With through-loading system: tilt the 
backrest halfway forward to make the 
cover easier to remove, refer to 
page 104.
The illustration is an example showing 
the mounts for a LATCH child-restraint 
mounting system at the right rear.
Always follow all manufacturer's 
instructions and observe all safety 
precautions when installing the LATCH 
child-restraint mounting system.

Everything from A to Z
161
Battery 145
charge 145
charge current 18
disposal 145
indicator lamp 18
jump-starting 147
remote control 28, 29
Belts, refer to Safety 
belts 46
Beverage holders 100, 101
Blower
air conditioning 92
automatic climate 
control 96
BMW High Performance 
Synthetic Oils 127
BMW Maintenance 
System 130
BMW sports seat 43
Bottle holders, see Bever-
age holders 100, 101
Brake fluid 128
indicator lamp 18, 128
level 128
Brake force display 84
Brake lamps
bulb replacement 139
indicator lamp, defective 
lamp 76
Brake lamps, refer to Brake 
force display 84Brake pads
brake fluid level 18, 129
breaking in 112
Brake rotors
breaking in 112
Brake system
brake pads, indicator 
lamp 19
Brake wear warning
indicator lamp 19
Brakes
ABS 115
brake fluid 128
brake force display 84
brake pads 114
breaking in 112
driving notes 113
indicator/warning lamp 
18, 19
parking brake 61
Break-in procedures 112
Bulb replacement, refer to 
Lamps and bulbs 137
Bulb, replacing 137
Buttons in steering wheel 21
C
California laws
event data recorders 132
Proposition 65 
warning 132Can holders, see Beverage 
holders 100, 101
Capacities 157
Car battery 145
Car care, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Car keys, refer to Keys 28
Car radio, refer to the 
Owner's Manual for Radio
Car telephone 
preparation 101
Car telephone, refer to the 
separate Owner's Manual
Car vacuum cleaner, con-
necting 102
Car wash, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Carpet care, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Cassette operation, refer to 
the Owner's Manual for 
Radio/Onboard Computer
CBC Cornering Brake Con-
trol 115
warning lamp 18
CD changer, refer to the 
Owner's Manual for 
Radio/Onboard Computer
CD operation, refer to the 
Owner's Manual for 
Radio/Onboard ComputerCenter high-mount brake 
lamp
bulb replacement 140
Central locking system 28
button 32
passenger 
compartment 32
Charge indicator lamp 18
Check Control 76
Check Gas Cap
indicator lamp 19
Child seats, refer to Child-
restraint systems 54
Child-restraint mounting 
system (LATCH) 56
Child-restraint systems 54
Chock 142
Cigarette lighter 102
Cleaning chrome parts, refer 
to the Caring for your vehi-
cle brochure
Cleaning light alloy wheels, 
refer to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Cleaning the vehicle, refer to 
the Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Cleaning windshield 72
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex