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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
*
4Knee airbags
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please follow the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head. The knee air-
bags help protect the legs against impact
against the cockpit.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e.g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
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 airbag retention
system from the vehicle. Never modify or
tamper with either the wiring or the individual
components in the airbag system. This cate-
gory includes the upholstery in the center of the
steering wheel, on the instrument panel, the
doors and the roof pillars along with the sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns. In the event
of malfunctions, deactivation, or triggering of
the airbag restraint system, have the testing,
repair, removal, and disposal of airbag genera-
tors executed only by a BMW center or a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information about the airbags is
also provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The system
appropriately activates or deactivates the front,
knee, and side airbag on the front passenger
side.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, pay attention to the
safety information and follow the handling
instructions under Transporting children safely,
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96 refer to page54.
In certain sitting positions, teenagers and adults
can deactivate the front, knee and side airbag
on the front passenger side; when this occurs,
the indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags lights up. In these cases, change the sit-
ting position so that the front passenger airbags
are activated and the indicator lamp goes out.
If the desired status cannot be produced by
changing the sitting position, have the person
ride in the back. Do not place slip covers, seat
cushions, beaded mats, or other objects on the
passenger seat that are not specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not lay objects under the
seat which could press against the seat from
below. Otherwise, a correct evaluation of the
occupied seat surface cannot be assured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operational status of the
front, knee and side airbag on the front passen-
ger side depending on whether the seat is
occupied. The indicator lamp shows whether
the front passenger airbags are activated or
deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child
properly seated in a child restraint system
intended for the purpose is detected on the
seat.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front
passenger side are deactivated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system. It is particularly advisable to
use child seats approved by NHTSA at the
time that the vehicle was produced. After
installing a child's seat, make sure that the indicator light for the front passenger air-
bags is illuminated. This indicates that the
system has detected the child's seat and
has deactivated the front passenger air-
bags.<
>The indicator lamp does not light up when,
for example, a correctly seated person of
sufficient height is detected on the seat.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front
passenger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
The front, knee, and side airbags on the
front passenger side are not activated in
this case either.
Operational readiness of the airbag
system
Once the radio ready position is reached, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, thus indicating
the operational readiness of the entire airbag
system and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
ready state.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction; otherwise,
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<
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BMW Night Vision*
The concept
BMW Night Vision is a driver assistance system
that is designed to provide enhanced vision for
certain objects at night. This can be especially
helpful for detecting people and larger animals.
When objects are detected, the driver may be
able to take appropriate action sooner. For
example, the driver may identify and detect the
presence of persons or animals in the road
ahead or off to the sides and can be more alert,
slow down or stop, blow the horn, etc. The
driver can decide which actions are appropriate
and then react accordingly.
A certain area in front of the vehicle is viewed by
an infrared camera and a generated image is
shown on the Control Display. The resulting
thermal image shows the relative heat radiation
of the objects present in the camera's field of
view. Warmer objects appear brighter and
cooler objects appear darker. Contrast is
dependent on the temperature difference
between the objects and the background and
on the amount of heat radiation of the object
itself. As a result, it is quite possible that a per-
son is not continually recognizable as a person
in shape, since the thermal radiation can be
affected by different clothing which blocks heat
loss. Objects with little temperature difference
to the surrounding area, or little heat radiation
are less noticeable, for example in cold weather.
Any improvement in detection depends on
many factors such as the object size and tem-
perature compared to the surroundings, or
other nearby objects, the visual recognition
skills of the driver, weather conditions, and
other factors.
Driving hints
With the system active, periodically but briefly,
glance at the thermal image on the Control Dis-
play to notice objects that could be people or
larger animals. The glance should be similar to
glancing at the rear view mirror. Do not stare at
the image for long periods while driving, as this
will take your attention away from the road. If you notice an object of interest ahead, be pre-
pared to slow down or stop, blow the horn, or
take other appropriate action.
System limits
The system is designed to supplement but not
replace forward vision through the windshield.
The driver is responsible for safe driving at
night. BMW Night Vision is not designed to be
used as a continuous viewing window for driv-
ing at night.
No system, no matter how sophisticated, can
operate without limitations. BMW Night Vision
operation is subject to physical and environ-
mental limitations that will reduce the ability of
the system to detect and display a clear thermal
image. Some of the situations in which these
limitations can occur are:
>on steep hilltops or depressions and in tight
curves
>in tunnels, as the contrast is inherently low
>when the camera lens is dirty
>in dense fog, heavy rain or snowfall
>when displaying very hot objects such as
transformers, car exhausts etc.
>when the image briefly freezes during nor-
mal system adjustment.
BMW Night Vision's potential benefits
can be limited by the driving style of the
driver, the size and relative temperature of the
detected objects, dirt or contamination on the
camera lens, adverse weather like snow, rain, or
fog, and other factors not mentioned here. It will
always be the driver's responsibility to drive at a
speed and in a manner that recognizes potential
hazards and to adjust accordingly.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
98 BMW Night Vision is not a substitute or replace-
ment for driver responsibility or for adapting to
the visibility conditions and the traffic situation.
The forward view illuminated by the headlamps
must always be the basis for making safe driv-
ing decisions; otherwise, a safety risk will
result.<
Activating BMW Night Vision
1.Turn the light switch to position2 or3, refer
to page100.
2.When the low beams are switched on:
>Press the button.
>Press the button.
Programming button on the steering
wheel, refer to page52.
The image will be displayed on the Control Dis-
play after a few seconds. Depending on the last
mode selected, either the normal or full screen
image will be displayed.
Due to the system's need to adjust periodically,
a still image is displayed at certain intervals for
fractions of a second. This is normal and not an
indication of a problem.
To prevent driving without headlamps, at a
speed of more than approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and
when dark, the thermal image on the Control Display is only shown when the low beams are
on.
BMW Night Vision is not available on the
rear screen. When the system is active,
neither the navigation system nor BMW Assist
can be started from the rear screen.<
Deactivating BMW Night Vision
>Press the button.
>Press the button.
>Press the button.
>Make a selection with the controller, i. e.:
change the radio station or make a phone
call. For iDrive details, refer to page16.
Selecting settings
1.Activate BMW Night Vision.
2.Press the controller to display the menu
items.
3.Select the menu item and press the control-
ler:
>"Zoom":
At higher speeds, the image is zoomed
in.
>"Curve mode":
Depending on the steering angle and
other parameters, the image section fol-
lows the course of the road to some
degree.
>"Full screen":
The image is shown on the entire Con-
trol Display.
>"Contrast":
The contrast of the screen can be
adjusted, refer to page172.
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>"Brightness":
The brightness of the screen can be
adjusted, refer to page172.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
To exit the menu:
The image will automatically disappear after
a p p r o x . 5 s e c o n d s , o r s e l e c t t h e r e t u r n a r r o w
and press the controller to exit sooner.
Cleaning camera
The function of the camera may be affected by
heavy rain and fog, dirt, snow or ice on the lens.
When this occurs, the displayed image on the
Control Display may become gray.
To minimize icing the camera lens is automati-
cally heated. However, it may be necessary to
clean the camera lens manually under severe
weather conditions. When doing so, cautiously
remove any debris, ice or snow. To avoid dam-
age to the lens, do not use sharp or abrasive
instruments to clean ice, snow, or dirt off the
lens.
When the windshield is cleaned with the head-
lamps on, the camera lens area is automatically
sprayed as well. Refer to page65.
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Lamps
100
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams
3Automatic headlamp control, daytime run-
ning lamps
* and Adaptive Head Light*
If you open the driver's door when the ignition is
switched off, then the exterior lighting is
switched off if the light switch is in position0, 2
or3.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time; otherwise, it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It is preferable to
switch on the left-hand or right-hand roadside
parking lamps, refer to page101.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control
In the switch position3, the system activates
the low beams and switches them on or off in
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for example in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk,
and in case of precipitation. The LED next to the symbol is illuminated when the low beams are
on.
The low beams may be switched on when the
sun is low on the horizon in a clear sky.
The low beams remain switched on
regardless of the ambient light when you
switch on the front fog lamps.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
lamps manually under these conditions.<
Pathway lighting
After parking the vehicle and switching off the
headlamps, you can use the headlamp flasher
control to activate the low beams for a period of
roughly 40 seconds.
Pressing the button on the remote control,
refer to page32, also switches on the low
beams for approx. 40 seconds. In addition, the
door handle and interior lamps are switched on
for approx. 10 seconds.
Daytime running lamps*
The daytime running lamps light up in posi-
tion0, 1 or3. The light output is lower than with
the low-beam headlamps.
If the light switch remains in position1, then the
parking lamps are lit after the ignition is
switched off.
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables dynamic illumina-
tion of the road surface. Depending on the
steering angle and other parameters, the light
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from the headlamp follows the course of the
road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In switch position3, the Adaptive Head Light is
activated and Automatic headlamp control is
switched on.
In order not to blind oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light is not active when driving in
reverse and only points toward the passenger
side when the vehicle is stationary.
Malfunction
The LED above the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left and right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking:
After parking the vehicle, press the lever in the
desired direction3, past the resistance point.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time; otherwise, it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Front fog lamps
Briefly press the button to switch on/off.
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on for the fog lamps to operate. The
green indicator lamp on the Info Display lights
up whenever the fog lamps are on.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the lighting intensity with the
knurled wheel.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry
lighting, the perimeter lighting, and the luggage
compartment lamps are controlled automati-
cally.
Page 104 of 254
Lamps
102
Switching interior lamps on and off
Briefly press the button.
If you wish the interior lamps, footwell lamps,
door entry lighting, and the perimeter lighting to
stay off, press and hold the button for approx.
3seconds.
To revert to normal operation, briefly press the
button.
The button for the interior lamps in the rear pas-
senger area only switches these lamps on and
off.
Reading lamps
Reading lamps are provided in the front and
rear, adjacent to the interior lamps. They can be
switched on and off with the respective button
located next to the them.
To avoid discharging the battery, all of the
vehicle's interior lamps are automatically
extinguished approx. 15 minutes after the igni-
tion is switched off.<