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Adjusting
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In the 
interaction with the safety belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seat position 
plays an important role in an accident. To 
ensure that the safety systems operate with 
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to fol-
low the instructions contained in the following 
section.
For additional information on Transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page56.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at 
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to mini-
mize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms 
in the event of airbag deployment.
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 
and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument 
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the 
knee and front airbags are triggered.
Make sure that occupants do not rest their head 
on the side or head airbags; otherwise, injuries 
can occur if the airbags are triggered.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries 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 page94.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center 
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise, there is 
increased danger of injury in the event of an 
accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page50.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts 
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Air-
bags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a 
substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats that are each 
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 lies low around the 
hips in the lap area and does not press on the 
abdomen. The safety belt must not lie across 
the neck, rub against sharp edges, be routed 
over solid or breakable objects or be pinched. 
Wear the safety belt without twisting, snugly 
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the 
body as possible. Otherwise, the belt can slip 
over the hips in the lap area in a frontal impact 
and injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing clothing 
that prevents the belt from fitting properly and 
pull the shoulder belt upward periodically to 
readjust the tension across your lap in order to 
avoid a reduction in the restraining effect of the 
safety belt.<
Safety belts refer to page52. 

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Damage to safety belts
When subjected to strain due to an acci-
dent or in the event of damage, replace 
the safety belts, the belt tensioners, and any 
child restraint systems and have the belt anchor 
points checked. Have this work carried out only 
by a BMW center or a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with 
appropriately trained personnel. Otherwise, 
correct operation of this safety equipment is not 
guaranteed.<
Heated seats*
The temperature setting advances one step in 
its control sequence each time you press the 
button. The maximum temperature is supplied 
when three LEDs are lit.
The temperature is reduced and if need be, the 
heating is switched off in order to reduce the 
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off:
Press the button longer.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is 
more curved than the driver's mirror. 
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than 
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of 
following traffic based on what you see in the 
mirrors; otherwise, there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the 
automatic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page49.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by 
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror 
glass.
Folding exterior mirrors in and out
Pressing button3 allows you to fold mirrors 
in and out up to a speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h. This is advantageous, for example, in 
car washes, narrow streets or for bringing mir-
r o r s  t h a t  h a v e  b e e n  m a n u a l l y  f o l d e d - i n  b a c k  i n t o  
the correct position. Mirrors that were folded in 
are folded out automatically at a speed of 
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the 
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on 
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heated whenever the 
engine is running or the ignition is switched on. 

Transporting children safely
56
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the 
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger 
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening 
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place 
for children is in the back.
Children younger than 13 years of age or 
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only 
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and 
height of the child. Otherwise, there is an 
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a 
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint 
system can no longer be used due to their age, 
size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child 
restraint system on the front passenger 
seat, the front, knee and side airbags on the 
passenger side must be deactivated before 
doing so. Otherwise, there is an increased risk 
of injury to the child if the airbags are triggered, 
even with a child restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation 
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page94.
Installing child restraint 
systems
Follow child restraint system manufac-
turer's instructions for the selection, 
installation and use of child restraint systems. 
Otherwise, the degree of protection they offer 
may be reduced.<
On front passenger seat
After mounting a child restraint system on 
the front passenger seat, make sure that 
the front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side are deactivated, as otherwise there is 
an increased risk of injury if the airbags are trig-
gered.<
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the 
front passenger can be locked against pulling 
out to secure child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the 
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and 
pull taut against the child restraint system. 
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child restraint system.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in com-
pletely.
LATCH child restraint fixing 
system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren. 

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Follow the system manufacturer's 
instructions on installation and use of 
LATCH child restraint systems in order not to 
impair their protective function.<
Anchor points for LATCH mounts
Before attaching the LATCH child's seat, pull 
the belt away from the region of the child 
restraint fixing system.
Make sure that both of the lower LATCH 
mounts have properly clicked into place 
and that the child restraint system is resting 
snugly against the backrest. Otherwise, the 
protective action may be impeded.<
Rear seats
The mounting points for the LATCH anchors 
are located at the positions indicated by arrows 
in the gap between the seat and the backrest.
Coupe: child restraint system with 
tether strap
Only use the top tether-strap mounting 
points to secure child restraint systems, 
otherwise the mounting points could be dam-
aged.
to arrows.
Placement of tether strap
Make sure that the tether strap is not 
routed over sharp edges and does not 
twist on its way to the upper mounting point; 
otherwise, the belt may not properly secure the 
child restraint system in the event of an acci-
dent.<
1Direction of travel
2Head restraints
3Tether strap hook
4Mounting point
5Rear window shelf/luggage compartment 
floor
6Backrest
7Tether strap of child restraint system
Before using the mounting points, fold the head 
restraint
* into its raised position.
1.Slide the head restraint into the bottom 
position.
2.Guide the tether strap over the head 
restraint.
3.Attach the tether strap hook to the mount-
ing point. 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
94
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Coupe: Head airbags
3Side airbags
4Knee airbag
5Knee airbag
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
please follow the adjustment instructions on 
page47.<
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 a side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The 
head airbag supports the head. The knee airbag 
protects the legs from colliding with 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 restraint system from the 
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the 
wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the 
instrument panel, the side trim panels on the 
doors and on the Coupe, the roof pillars along with the sides of the headliner. Do not attempt 
to remove or dismantle 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 air-
bag generators carried out only by a BMW cen-
ter or a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with appropriately trained 
personnel and has the required explosives 
licenses. Otherwise unprofessional attempts to 
service the system could lead to failure in an 
emergency or undesired airbag triggering, 
either of which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on 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 
correspondingly activates or deactivates the 
front, knee and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side.
The current status of the front passenger 
airbags, i.e. deactivated or activated, is 
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior 
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front 
passenger airbags below.<
Before transporting a child in the front 
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page56. 

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The front, knee and side airbags on the front 
passenger side can be deactivated for teenag-
ers and adults in certain sitting positions; the 
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbags 
lights up when this occurs. In these cases, 
change the sitting position so that the front pas-
senger airbags are activated and the indicator 
lamp goes out. If the desired status cannot be 
produced by changing the sitting position, 
transport the corresponding person in the rear 
seat. 
Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion padding, 
beaded mats or other items onto the front pas-
senger seat unless they are specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not place objects under 
the seat which could press against the seat 
from below. Otherwise, a correct evaluation of 
the occupied seat surface cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger 
airbags
The illustration here shows a possible arrange-
ment in the Coupe. With some vehicle equip-
ment packages or in the Convertible, the 
arrangement of the switches and indicator 
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front, 
knee and side airbags on the front passenger 
side depending on whether the seat is occu-
pied. The indicator lamp shows whether the 
front passenger airbags are activated or deacti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in 
a child restraint system intended for the 
purpose is properly detected on the seat.
The front, knee and side airbags on the front 
passenger side are deactivated.Most child seats are detected by the sys-
tem. Especially the child seats required 
by the NHTSA at the time the vehicle is manu-
factured. After installing a child seat, make sure 
that the indicator lamp for the front passenger 
airbags lights up. This indicates that the child 
seat has been detected and the front passenger 
airbags are not activated.<
>The indicator lamp does not light up when, 
for example, a correctly seated person of 
sufficient height is detected on the seat. 
The front, knee and side airbags on the front 
passenger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when 
the seat is empty.
But the front, knee and side airbags on the 
front passenger side are still deactivated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page58, the 
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the 
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up as of radio 
readiness.
>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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Cigarette lighter
Press in the lighter with the engine running or 
the ignition switched on.
The lighter can be removed as soon as it pops 
back out.
Hold or touch the hot cigarette lighter by 
the knob only. Holding or touching it in 
other areas could result in burns.
Always take along the remote control when you 
leave the vehicle; otherwise, children could, for 
example, use the lighter and burn themselves.<
Connecting electrical devices
Socket
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the cigarette lighter socket can be used as a 
power outlet for hand flashlights, car vacuum 
cleaners, etc., with power ratings of up to 
approx. 200 W at 12 V. Avoid damaging the 
socket by inserting plugs of different shapes or 
sizes.
In front passenger footwell
Access to the socket: 
Fold open the cover.
Ski bag*
The ski bag permits safe and clean transport of 
up to two pairs of standard skis or one snow-
board.
You can use the ski bag to stow skis up to 6.9 ft/
2.10 m long.
Loading
1.Press the button downward and pull the 
filler element forward.
2.Extend the ski bag between the front seats. 
The zipper gives you easy access to stowed 
items and facilitates drying of the ski bag.
3.Press the button in the luggage compart-
ment.
4.Open the loading flap and use the magnetic 
holder to secure it to the rear panel.
To stow the ski bag, perform the above steps in 
reverse order.
Only stow clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp 
edges so that no damage occurs. 

Reference 245
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
CD changer172
– controls158
– fast forward/reverse176
– installation location176
– random sequence175
– repeating a track175
– sampling a track174
– selecting a CD173
– selecting a track173
– switching on/off158
– tone control159
– volume159
CD player172
– controls158
– fast forward/reverse176
– random sequence175
– repeating a track175
– sampling a track174
– selecting a track173
– switching on/off158
– tone control159
– volume159
Center armrest, adjusting 
height117
Center console14
"Central locking"30
Central locking
– from inside32
– from outside30
Central locking system30
– comfort access36
– hotel function33
Changes, technical, refer to 
For your own safety6
Changing a wheel225
Changing language on 
Control Display84
Changing scale for navigation 
system display148
Changing units of measure on 
Control Display84
Changing wheels214
CHECK button80
Check Control79
"Check Control 
messages"80
Check Gas Cap208
Checking air pressure, refer to 
Tire inflation pressure210Child-restraint fixing system 
LATCH56
Child restraint systems56
Child seats, refer to 
Transporting children 
safely56
Chrome parts, refer to Caring 
for your vehicle brochure
Cigarette lighter
119
Cigarette lighter socket, refer 
to Connecting electrical 
devices119
Cleaning, refer to Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
"Climate"109
Clock74
– 12h/24h format83
– hour signal83
– setting time and date82
Closing
– from inside32
– from outside30
Closing fuel filler cap208
Clothes hooks, Coupe118
Cockpit10
Cold start, refer to Starting 
engine59
Comfort access36
– observe in car wash38
– replacing battery, remote 
control38
Comfort closing
– windows, with comfort 
access with Coupe37
– with comfort access37
"Communication"190,200
Compact disc
– refer to CD changer172
– refer to CD player172
Compartment for remote 
control, refer to Ignition 
lock58
Compartments, refer to 
Storage compartments117
Compressed audio files172
Computer75
– displays on Control 
Display76
– hour signal83"Concert hall", refer to Tone 
control161
"Concierge"202
Concierge service202
Condensation, refer to When 
vehicle is parked126
Condition Based Service 
CBS221
"Confirmation"31
Confirmation signals for 
locking and unlocking31
Connecting car vacuum 
cleaner, refer to Connecting 
electrical devices119
Consumption display, refer to 
Average fuel 
consumption75
Consumption statistics, refer 
to Average fuel 
consumption75
"Continue guidance to 
destination?"147
"Contrast" with BMW Night 
Vision100
Control Center, refer to 
iDrive16
Control Display, refer to 
iDrive16
– setting brightness83
– switching off/on21
Controller, refer to iDrive16
Controls, refer to Cockpit10
Convenient operation
– convertible top31,32
– glass sunroof31,32
– windows31,32
Convertible
– convertible program for 
automatic climate 
control109
– opening and closing 
windows39
– rollover protection 
system96
– top42
– wind deflector45
– window and convertible top 
operation with comfort 
access37