
Adjustments
44
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seated position 
has a major influence on your safety in the event 
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we 
strongly urge you to observe the instructions 
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page53.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your 
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, 
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or 
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered 
off. 
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, 
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard, 
otherwise leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their 
heads against the side or head airbags, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the airbags 
suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries 
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 page95.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way 
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page46.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats, each of which is 
equipped 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. Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits 
low across the hips and does not press against 
the abdomen. 
The safety belt must not rest against the throat, 
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt 
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the 
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise the belt could slide over your hips and 
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal 
collision. 
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull 
the belt in the upper-body area taut, otherwise 
its restraining effect could be impaired.
Sports Wagon: if the rear center safety belt is 
used, the wider backrest must be locked in 
place, refer to page115. Otherwise the safety 
belt will have no restraining effect.<
Safety belts, refer to page49.
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Controls
 45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while 
the vehicle is moving. The seat could 
respond with unexpected movement, and the 
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an 
accident.
On the front passenger seat as well, do not 
incline the backrest too far to the rear while the 
vehicle is being driven, otherwise there is a dan-
ger in the event of an accident of sliding under 
the safety belt, eliminating the protection nor-
mally provided by the belt.<
Comply with the instructions on head restraint 
height on page46, and on damaged safety 
belts on page50.
Manual adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page45 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Longitudinal direction
Pull lever 1 and slide the seat to the desired 
position.
After releasing the lever, move the seat gently 
forward or back to make sure it engages prop-
erly.
Height
Pull lever 2 and apply your weight to the seat or 
lift it off, as necessary.
Backrest
Pull lever 3 and apply your weight to the back-
rest or lift it off, as necessary.
Tilt*
Pull the lever and apply your weight to the seat 
or lift it off, as necessary.
Thigh support*
Pull the lever and move the thigh support for-
ward or back.
Electrical adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page45 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
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Adjustments
46 1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest
The head restraints are adjusted manually, refer 
to Head restraints below.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest 
to obtain additional support in the lumbar 
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a 
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press the 
switch at the front or rear, respectively.>Shift curvature up or down: press the switch 
at the top or bottom, respectively.
Backrest width*
You can change the width of the backrest to suit 
your individual preferences by adjusting the lat-
eral-support pads.
Press the front or rear end of the switch.
Backrest width decreases or increases accord-
ingly.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way 
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident. Only remove a head 
restraint if no one will be sitting on the seat in 
question. Reinstall the head restraint before 
transporting anyone on that seat. Otherwise, 
the passenger will be without protection from 
the head restraint.<
ProCarManuals.com 

Controls
 47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Removing
1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2.Press the button, arrow1, and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
Rear seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
The center head restraint is not height-adjust-
able.
Removing
Sedan:
Only with through-loading system:1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2.Press the button, arrow 1, tilt the rear seat 
backrest slighly forward and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
Only remove the head restraints if no pas-
sengers will be sitting in the rear. Reinstall 
head restraints before transporting passengers 
in the rear.<
Folding head restraints down and back 
up
Folding down: 
Press the button, arrow1.
Folding up:
Pull the head restraint.
Sedan:
Depending on the equipment version, it may be 
possible to fold down the outer rear head 
restraints as well.
Only fold the head restraints down if no 
passengers will be sitting in the rear. Fold 
up the head restraints before transporting pas-
sengers in the rear.<
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Adjustments
48
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level. 
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx. the next 
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically 
activated at the previously set temperature.
Seat and mirror memory*
You can store and call up two different combi-
nations of driver's-seat and exterior-mirror 
positions.
Settings for the backrest width and lumbar sup-
port are not stored in memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or the ignition, 
refer to page57.
2.Adjust the seat and exterior mirrors to the 
desired positions.
3.Press the   button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1 or 2: the 
LED goes out.The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up memory while you are driv-
ing, otherwise unexpected seat move-
ment could result in an accident.<
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch 
on radio readiness, refer to page57.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1 
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page57.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2 
and keep it pressed until the adjustment 
process has been completed.
If the   button was pressed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last stored is stored 
for the remote control currently in use.
You can select the occasion on which the seat is 
reset to that position.
>Call-up when the vehicle is unlocked
>Call-up when the driver's door is opened.
When this Personal Profile function is 
used, first make sure that the footwell 
behind the driver's seat is free of obstacles. 
Failure to do so could cause injury to persons or 
damage to objects as a result of a rearward 
movement of the seat.<
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
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Controls
 49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Selecting automatic call-up
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Door locks" is selected and press the 
controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.
8.Select "After unlocking" or "After door 
opened".
9.Press the controller.
Switching off automatic call-up
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page45 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
O n  t h e  r e a r  s e a t s ,  t h e  c e n t e r  b e l t  b u c k l e  m a r k e d  
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for 
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in 
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of 
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page45.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front 
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an 
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a 
message will appear on the Control 
Display. Check whether the safety 
belt has been fastened correctly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as 
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also 
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph 
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is 
ProCarManuals.com 

Adjustments
50 not fastened, if heavy objects are placed on the 
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or 
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child-
restraint systems, replaced and the belt 
anchors checked. Have this work done only by 
your BMW center or at a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is 
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more convex 
than the driver's mirror. The objects seen in the 
mirror are closer than they appear. Do not 
gauge your distance from traffic behind you on 
the basis of what you see in the mirror; other-
wise there is an increased risk of an accident.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic 
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The settings for the exterior mirrors are stored 
for the remote control currently in use
*, refer to 
Personal Profile, page28. The stored positions 
are called up automatically when the vehicle is 
unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually: 
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by 
pressing button3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors 
that were folded in by hand back out into their 
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are 
folded out automatically at a speed of approx. 
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash, 
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with 
button3, to prevent them from being damaged 
due to the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating*
At outside temperatures below a certain limit, 
both exterior mirrors are automatically heated 
while the engine is running or the ignition 
switched on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function – 
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to the position for the 
driver's-side mirror, arrow 1.
2.Engage reverse gear or move the selector 
lever to position R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger 
side tilts slightly down. This allows the 
driver to see the area immediately adjacent 
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into 
a parking space.
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Controls
 51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Deactivating
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger-side mirror, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic 
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior 
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo 
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo 
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is 
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions 
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not 
cover the area between the interior rearview 
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive 
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield 
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position 
while the car is in motion, otherwise there 
i s  a  ri s k  o f  a c c id e n t  du e  t o  a n  un e x p e ct e d  m o v e -
ment.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred 
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.
Do not use force to swing the lever 
back up, otherwise the mechanism 
will be damaged.<
Electric steering wheel lock
The steering wheel locks or unlocks automati-
cally when the remote control is removed or 
inserted, refer to page57.
Programmable buttons on the steering 
wheel
You can program the buttons to suit your per-
sonal preferences:
These settings are stored for the remote con-
trol currently in use.
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