
Adjustments
30
Adjustments
Safe seating position
For relaxed driving with as little fatigue as pos-
sible, you should select a seating position that 
reflects your personal requirements. In combi-
nation with the safety belts, the head restraints 
and the airbags, the seating position has a 
major influence on your 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 page36.
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.
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. Ensure 
that the passenger is correctly seated, e.g. does 
not prop feet or legs against the dashboard. 
Otherwise, leg injury could result if the knee air-
bag and front airbag suddenly deployed.
Make sure that the passenger does not lean his 
or her head against the side airbag, otherwise 
serious injuries could result if the airbags sud-
denly deployed.<
Even when all these guidelines are observed, 
the risk of injury as a result of contact with the 
airbags cannot entirely be ruled out in some sit-
uations. In sensitive individuals, the ignition and 
inflation noise may induce a mild hearing loss 
that is temporary in most cases.
For airbag locations and additional information 
on airbags, refer to page56.
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 page32.
Safety belt
Make sure every occupant fastens his or her 
safety belt. As supplemental restraint devices, 
the airbags are designed to enhance the effec-
tiveness of the safety belts, and not to replace 
them.
Your vehicle offers two sitting positions, 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 against the hips and does not press against 
the abdomen. The safety belt must never rest 
against the throat, rub against sharp edges, 
pass over hard or fragile objects or be pinched. 
Fasten the safety belt around your body snugly, 
ma king sure tha t it is  pulled taut across  your lap 
and shoulder and that it is not twisted; other-
wise, the belt can slide over the hips in the event 
of a frontal collision and injure your abdomen. 
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull 
the belt in the upper-body area taut, otherwise 
its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page33.
Seats 
Before adjusting your seat, always 
observe the following precautions
Never try to adjust your seat while driving. 
Otherwise, the seat could respond with 
unexpected movement, and the ensuing loss of  

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 31
vehicle control could lead to an accident.
On the passenger seat as well, do not incline 
the backrest too far to the rear while the vehicle 
is being driven, otherwise there is a danger in 
the event of an accident of sliding under the 
safety belt, eliminating the protection normally 
provided by the belt.<
Comply with the instructions on head restraint 
height on page32 and on damaged safety belts 
on page34.
Seat adjustment
Comply with the preceding instructions in 
this chapter to ensure the best possible 
personal protection.<
Backward/forward adjustment
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.
Power seat adjustment*
Read and comply with the adjustment 
instructions on page30. Failure to do so 
can result in diminished personal safety.<
1Tilt angle
2Backward/forward adjustment
3Height
4Backrest
The head restraint is adjusted manually, refer to 
Head restraints on page32.
M Sports seat*
On this seat, you can also adjust the thigh sup-
port and the tilt angle. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 33
Convenience function
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or turn 
the key to position 1, refer to page40.
2.Press memory button 1, 2 or 3 briefly.
Movement stops when one of the seat adjust-
ment or memory buttons is operated during the 
adjustment process.
You can have this feature programmed so 
that after you use the remote control from 
your personalized key to unlock your door, your 
seat will move into your own preferred posi-
tion.<
Safety function
1.Close the driver's door and turn the key to 
position 0 or 2.
2.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or 3 
until the adjustment process is completed.
If you press the M
EMORY button accidentally: 
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Before activating the programmed 
adjustment feature, ensure that the space 
behind the driver's seat is empty and unob-
structed. If you fail to do so, objects behind the 
seat could be damaged, should the seat move 
backward.<
Seat heating*
The seat cushion and backrest can be heated 
with the ignition key in position 2.
Press once for each temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
Safety belts
Comply with the instructions on page30, 
or the occupants' personal safety will be 
diminished.<
Make sure every occupant fastens his or her 
safety belt. As supplemental restraint devices, 
the airbags are designed to enhance the effec-
tiveness of the safety belts, and not to replace 
them.
To fasten
Make sure you hear the lock 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 page31.
To unlock
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder
The indicator lamp flashes or lights up. 
A signal also sounds. Check whether 
the safety belt has been fastened cor-
rectly.
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/
8 km/h if the passenger's safety belt is not fas-
tened, if heavy objects are placed on the pas-
senger seat, or if driver or passenger unfasten 
their safety belts. 

Transporting children safely
36
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the 
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger 
themselves and/or other persons by opening 
the doors, for example.<
Children on the passenger seat
Children under 13 years of age or under 
5 ft/150 cm in height may only be trans-
ported in child-restraint systems suitable for 
their age, weight and size and if the passenger 
airbags are deactivated. Otherwise, there is an 
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent or should the airbags deploy.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no 
longer is any child-restraint system that is 
appropriate for their age, weight and size.
For a child, not an infant, certain precautions 
should be taken. Position the passenger seat as 
far back as possible and at the lowest level. This 
important precaution is intended to maximize 
the distance between the airbags and the child.
Deactivating/reactivating passenger 
airbags
The passenger airbags must be deacti-
vated before using a rear-facing child-
restraint system on the passenger seat, refer 
also to page37 for explanation.
BMW also recommends that the passenger air-
bags be deactivated if a child is transported in a 
front-facing child-restraint system, regardless 
of the age of the child. If you transport a child in 
the passenger seat, not an infant in a rear-fac-
ing seat, who is properly seated and seat-belted 
at all times, the potential benefits of airbags 
deploying in an accident generally outweigh the 
risks of the child being injured by the force of a 
deploying airbag. 
Therefore, you should deactivate the passen-
ger airbags only if you find it difficult to ensure 
that the child will remain properly seated and seat-belted at all times.
Always position the passenger seat as far back 
as possible and at the lowest level.
The above warning and recommendations are 
compatible with regulations established by the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, permitting the deactivation of passen-
ger airbags by means of an on-off switch for 
members of certain at-risk groups.
Specifically, the at-risk groups are:
>Infants in rear-facing infant seats
>Persons with certain medical conditions
>Children aged 12 and under in the passen-
ger seat.
NHTSA provides this information via their web-
site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov, or via their Auto 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 
1-800-424-9393 or 366-0123 
in Washington, D.C. area.<
Key switch for passenger 
airbags
The front, side and knee airbags for the passen-
ger can be deactivated and reactivated using a 
key switch. It is located on the passenger side 
on the side of the dashboard.
The passenger airbags can only be deactivated 
and reactivated while the vehicle is at a stand-
still and the passenger door is open. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 37
Deactivating
Use the key to turn the key switch to the OFF 
position.
The passenger airbags are deactivated in this 
position. The airbags for the driver remain 
active.
Reactivate the passenger airbags as soon 
as a child-restraint system is no longer 
installed on the passenger seat; otherwise they 
may not deploy as intended in the event of an 
accident.<
Reactivating
Use the key to turn the key switch to the ON 
position.
The passenger airbags in the vehicle are reacti-
vated and will be triggered in certain situations.
Operational status of the passenger 
airbags
>The indicator lamp remains lit when the 
passenger airbags are deactivated.
>The indicator lamp is not lit when the pas-
senger airbags are activated.
When the seat is empty, the passenger 
airbags are always deactivated. The indi-
cator lamp is not lit.<
Installing child-restraint 
systems
Before installing a child-restraint system 
on the passenger seat, make sure that the 
front and side airbags for the passenger are 
deactivated, otherwise there is an increased 
risk of injury if the airbags deploy. Observe the child-restraint system manufacturer's instruc-
tions for selecting, installing and using child-
restraint systems. Otherwise the protective 
effect may be diminished.<
Child seat security
The passenger's safety belt can be prevented 
from being pulled out in order to fasten child-
restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the 
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut 
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the 
way.
Coupe: child-restraint system with 
tether strap
There is an anchor fitting in the cargo bay for 
child-restraint systems with a tether strap. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 57
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have 
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center 
or a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with correspondingly trained 
personnel 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.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the 
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impression in the passenger 
seat cushion determines whether and how the 
seat is occupied. The front and side airbags for 
the passenger are activated or deactivated by 
the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp in the center console 
shows the current status of the passen-
ger airbags, deactivated or activated, refer to 
Status of passenger airbags below.<
Before transporting a child on the pas-
senger seat, observe the safety and han-
dling instructions under Transporting children 
safely, refer to page36. 
Adolescents and adults sitting in certain posi-
tions could inadvertently deactivate the front 
and side airbags on the passenger side; the 
indicator lamp for the passenger airbags comes 
on. In such cases, the passenger should change 
his or her sitting position so that the passenger 
airbags are activated and the indicator lamp 
goes out. If the passenger airbags cannot be 
restored to the desired status despite the pas-
senger changing his or her seat position, use 
the key switch to activate or deactivate the pas-
senger airbags, refer to page36. Do not attach 
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or 
other items to the passenger seat unless they 
are specifically recommended by BMW. Do not 
place any items under the seat which could 
press against the seat from below. Otherwise a 
correct analysis of the seat cushion is not 
ensured.<
Status of passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the passenger airbags 
shows the functional status of the passenger's 
front and side airbags in accordance with 
whether and how the passenger seat is occu-
pied. The indicator lamp shows whether the 
passenger airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp comes on as intended 
when a child in an appropriate child-
restraint system is detected on the seat. 
The front and side airbags for the passen-
ger are not activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on as 
long as a person of sufficient size and in a 
correct sitting position is detected on the 
seat. The front and side airbags for the pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the 
seat is empty. However, the front and side 
airbags for the passenger are not activated.
Operational readiness of the airbag 
system 
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher, the 
warning lamp comes on briefly to indicate that 
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners 
are operational. 

Replacing components
102
Jacking points
The jacking points are located at the positions 
indicated in the illustration.
Vehicle battery
Maintenance
The battery is completely maintenance-free. 
This means that the original electrolyte will nor-
mally last for the service life of the battery under 
moderate climatic conditions. Your BMW cen-
ter will be happy to advise you if you have any 
questions concerning the battery.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up:
The battery is no longer being charged. 
The alternator drive belt is defective or 
there is a malfunction in the charging circuit of 
the alternator. Have the system checked as 
soon as possible.
If the drive belt is defective, pull over and 
switch off the engine immediately to pre-
vent overheating and serious engine damage.
If the onboard supply voltage drops to a very 
low level, increased steering effort may also be 
necessary.<
Charging the battery
Charge the battery in the vehicle only when the 
engine has been switched off. Connections, 
refer to Jump-starting on page104.
Battery disposal
After changing a battery, have the used 
battery disposed of by your BMW center or bring it to a recycling point. Maintain the bat-
tery in an upright position for transport and stor-
age. Secure the battery against tilting when 
transporting.<
Power loss
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of 
some equipment may be limited and require ini-
tialization. Individual settings are also lost and 
must be reset:
>Seat memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to 
page32.
>Clock must be reset, refer to page49.
Fuses
Do not attempt to repair a burned fuse or 
replace it with a fuse having a different 
color or amperage rating. To do this could 
cause a fire in the vehicle as a result of circuit 
overload.<
You will find the fuses and information on their 
respective allocation behind the glove compart-
ment.
1.Open the glove compartment.
2.Press the lock on the left, arrow1.
3.Press the lock on the right, arrow2.
4.Swing the glove compartment down.
Spare fuses and plastic tweezers for grasping 
the fuses are found in the onboard tool kit; refer 
to page98. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 117
B
Backrests, refer to Seat 
adjustment31
Backup lamps
– bulb replacement101
Bandages, refer to First-aid 
kit104
Bar, refer to Towing 
methods106
Battery102
– charging102
– disposal102
– indicator/warning 
lamp12,102
– jump-starting104
– power supply 
interruption102
– remote control18
Being towed106
Belts, refer to Safety belts33
Belt tensioner, refer to Safety 
belts33
Beverage holders69
Blower, refer to Air flow 
rate63,66
BMW Homepage4
BMW Maintenance 
System96
Bottle holders, refer to 
Beverage holders69
Brake assist, refer to Dynamic 
Brake Control DBC51
Brake fluid95
– indicator/warning 
lamp13,95
– low level95
Brake Force Display56
Brake hydraulics, refer to 
Brake system95
Brake hydraulic system
– indicator/warning lamp13
Brake lamps
– brake force display56
– bulb replacement101
– indicator lamp, defective 
bulb13Brake pads76
– break-in procedures74
– warning lamp76
Brake pad wear indicator
– brake pads76
– indicator/warning lamp13
Brake rotors75
– brake system75
– break-in procedures74
Brakes
– ABS51
– brake fluid95
– brake pads
76
– braking safely75
– break-in procedures74
– indicator/warning 
lamps13,52
– parking brake41
Brake system95
– brake fluid95
– brake pads76
– break-in procedures74
– disc brakes75
– indicator/warning lamp13
Breakdown service, refer to 
Roadside Assistance103
Breaking in the clutch74
Breaking in the differential, 
refer to Engine and 
differential74
Break-in procedures74
Bridging, refer to Jump-
starting104
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps 
and bulbs98
Bulb replacement, refer to 
Lamps and bulbs98
Buttons on the steering 
wheel11
C
California Proposition 65 
warning5
Can holders, refer to Beverage 
holders69
Capacity
– cargo bay, refer to 
Weights113Car battery, refer to Vehicle 
battery102
Car care, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Care, refer to the Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
Care products, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Cargo bay23
– capacity113
– emergency release23
– floor panel98
– increasing capacity23
– opening and closing21,22
– opening from inside the 
vehicle21,22
– opening from the outside21
– roller-blind cover70
Cargo loading
– stowing cargo77
– vehicle76
Car jack
– jacking points102
Car keys, refer to The key 
set18
Carpet care, refer to the 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Car phone, refer to the 
separate Owner's Manual
Car radio, refer to the separate 
Owner's Manual
Car wash, refer to the Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Catalytic converter, refer to 
Hot exhaust system74
CD changer, refer to Owner's 
Manual for Radio/Onboard 
Computer
CD operation, refer to Owner's 
Manual for Radio/Onboard 
Computer
Center console, refer to 
Around the center 
console14
Center high-mount brake 
lamp, bulb replacement101