2006 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE Owner's Manual

49
Rear head restraints
The rear head restraints may only
be lowered if there are no passen-
gers in the rear seats. If you do so, you
are in violation of the law. Raise the rear
head restraints before taking on any
passengers in the back.<
To completely lower the rear head
restraints:
1. Press the button and hold it down
2. Push the head restraint down from
above.
Raising the rear head restraintsRaise the head restraints until you hear
them click into place.
Do not remove the rear head
restraints as this would damage
them.<
For further information, please consult
your BMW center.
Do not use the rear head
restraints as storage shelves.
Always keep the travel path for the roll-
over protection system free and clear.
Under no circumstances should you put
any kind of cover such as an antima-
cassar on the head restraints, refer also
to the labeling on the head restraints.<
Entering the rearThe seat-integrated safety belt system
allows for easy access to the rear.
1. Lift lever 1 up and tilt the backrest
forward until it engages
2. Press and hold button 2 in driving
direction until the seat moves to the
desired position
3. After entering the rear, fold back and
lock the backrest
4. Press button 2 opposite the direction
of travel and hold. The seat moves
back into its previous position. If the
button 2 is released beforehand, the
seat stops in the respective position.
Head restraints
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50
The seat can be locked into posi-
tion when it is tilted forward. This
is particularly convenient when entering
the vehicle on an incline, for example.
Press against the backrest until you
hear it snap into place. Lever 1 does
not have to be released to fold the seat
back.<
Lock both backrests while driving,
otherwise there is a danger of an
unexpected movement causing an
accident.<
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the
backrest is not locked, refer to
page 18.
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.
Before putting your safety belts on
in the rear, take them out of the
holder.<
Leave the rear safety belts in the
holders if they are not needed, in
order to avoid unwanted movement
from the safety belts at high speeds. the belt buckle.
To release1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.Safety belt heightThe front safety belt automatically
adapts to your body size via the setting
of the head restraint height, refer to
page 48.
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.<
Entering the rear

51
Seat and mirror memoryYou can store and recall three different
driver's seat and outside mirror posi-
tions.
Memory will not retain the adjust-
ment made to the lumbar sup-
port. 2. Adjust your seat and outside mirrors
to the desired position
3. Press the M
EMORY
button: the indica-
tor lamp in the button lights up
4. Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as
desired. The indicator lamp goes out.
To select a stored setting
Do not select a memory position
while the vehicle is moving. If you
do so, there is a risk of accident from
unexpected seat movement.<
Driver's door open after unlocking or
ignition key in position 1:
>Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3,
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or mem-
ory buttons is operated during the
adjustment process.
With the driver's door closed and the
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2:
>Press and hold the desired memory
button – 1, 2 or 3 – until the adjust-
ment process is completed.
If you press the M
EMORY
button acci-
dentally: press the button again; the
indicator lamp goes out.
You can have this feature pro-
grammed so that when you use
the remote control from your personal-
ized key to unlock your door, your seat
and the exterior mirrors will move into
your own preferred positions.<
Before activating the programmed
adjustment feature, ensure that
the footwell behind the driver's seat is
empty and unobstructed. If you fail to
do so, persons, animals or objects
could be injured or damaged if the seat
should move backward.<
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52
Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt
functionAutomatic curb monitor*
To activate:
1. Select the driver's mirror using the
mirror selector switch 1
2. When shifting into Reverse or placing
the selector lever in position R, the
passenger-side mirror tilts down-
ward. This allows the driver to see
the area directly adjacent to the vehi-
cle, e.g. the curb, during parking.
To deactivate:
Set the mirror selector switch to the
passenger-side position.
How far the passenger mirror tilts
can be set individually for each
ignition key.<
Seat heating*The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated with the ignition key in
position 2.
You can call up different heating modes
by repeatedly pressing the buttons.
You can also switch the higher heating
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer.
Seat and mirror memory

53
MirrorsTo adjust exterior mirrors1Switch for 4-way adjustment
2Switch to select between mirrorsTo adjust manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally:
Press the edges of the lens.
To store the mirror setting, refer to Seat
and mirror memory on page 51.Curved mirrorThe outer part of each mirror conveys a
slightly distorted, larger field of vision
than the inner part of the mirror. This
helps to extend your range of vision
toward the rear and to reduce the size
of the blind spot.
The mirror on the passenger's
side is more convex than the
driver's mirror. 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 when you
are estimating the distance to following
vehicles, the mirror is not necessarily a
reliable aid. This also applies to the
outer parts of each mirror.<
Electric defrostingBoth mirrors are heated automatically in
ignition key position 2.
Interior rearview mirror with
automatic dimming featureWhile the vehicle is being driven for-
ward, this mirror dims light through an
infinitely variable range depending on
the light's incidence. Two photocells in
the interior rearview mirror serve this
purpose. One is positioned in the mir-
ror's frame, while the other is slightly
offset on the opposite side of the mir-
ror.
To ensure perfect functioning, keep the
photocells clean and the area between
the interior rearview mirror and the
windshield free of any obstruction like
stickers, etc.
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54
Steering wheelTo adjust
Never attempt to adjust the steer-
ing wheel while driving the vehicle
– it could respond with unexpected
movement, posing a potential accident
hazard.<
1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust steering column reach and
height for your selected seating posi-
tion
3. Pull the lever back up.

55 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides – front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags protect the driver and
passenger in the event of a head-on
collision where the protection provided
by the safety belt alone would not be
adequate. The side airbags provide
protection in the event of a collision
from the side. They help support the
respective seat occupant's upper body.
For information on the correct sitting
position, refer to page 46.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, cer-
tain vehicle rollover situations or colli-
sions from the rear.<
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 air-
bag restraint system from the vehicle. In
the event of a malfunction, deactivation
or triggered activation – as a response
to an accident – of the airbag restraint
system, consult your BMW center for
inspection, repair or disassembly. Mod-
ifications may not be made on either
the wiring or the individual components
in the airbag system. These include the
upholstered covers on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, side trim pan-
els of the doors and front roof pillars
and on the sides of the headliner. Do
not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury. Do
not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, as otherwise there is a danger of
burns.<
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56
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren 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 indi-
cates the airbag'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 side airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child – even though
belted – may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly positioned at all times and not
place their heads on or near the side
airbag. Therefore, we recommend that
the rear seat side airbags, if provided,
be deactivated if you plan to transport
children 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.
Airbag warning information is also pro-
vided on the sun visors.This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
are provided.
Airbags