2008 BMW Z4 3.0I ROADSTER child seat

Opening and closing
24 Manual operation of the tailgate triggers
the alarm. Refer to page21.<
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page19.
>Turn the master key in the ignition lock to
position 1, refer to page40.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp beneath the interior mir-
ror flashes continuously:
The system is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes immediately
after the vehicle is locked:
Doors, hood or luggage compartment lid/
tailgate are not properly closed. Even if you
do not close the alerted area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and
the indicator lamp flashes continuously
after approx. 10 seconds. However, the
interior motion sensor is not activated.
>If the indicator lamp goes out immediately
after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
immediately after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has been disturbed while you
were away.
After an alarm has been triggered, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor
The inclination of the vehicle is monitored. The
alarm system reacts e.g. to attempts to steal a
wheel or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor*
Coupe
All windows must be closed in order for the inte-
rior motion sensor to function optimally.
Roadster
The system monitors the footwells and the
seating areas of the driver and passenger. Even
when the convertible top is open, the alarm sys-
tem including the interior motion sensor is
armed. Objects falling into the vehicle, e.g.
leaves, can trigger unintentional alarms, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be deactivated at the same time. In this way
you can avoid unintentional alarms, e.g. in the
following situations:
>In duplex garages
>When transporting the vehicle on car-carry-
ing trains, by ship or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
>Press the button on the remote
control twice in a row.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are deactivated until
the vehicle is again unlocked and locked.
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the windows and keep them in
your field of vision until they are shut.
Take the key with you when you leave the car,
otherwise children could operate the windows
and possibly injure themselves.<

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

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.

Transporting children safely
38 To gain access to this anchor fitting, lift the
plastic plug with the help of a screwdriver, see
arrow.
Use the tether strap anchor fittings only
to fasten child-restraint systems in place;
otherwise the anchor fittings could be dam-
aged.<
Positioning the tether strap
1Forward driving direction
2Head restraint
3Child restraint anchor fitting
4Attaching clip
5Cargo bay floor
6Seat backrest
7Tether strap
I f n ec e s s a r y, f o l d up t h e a n ch o r f it t i n g up b e f o r e
using.
1.Unhook the roller-blind cover, if necessary,
and let it retract.
2.Push the head restraint upward.
3.Guide the tether strap through the head
restraint support posts.
4.Push the head restraint into its lowest posi-
tion.5.Clip the tether strap onto the anchor fitting.
M Sports seat*: positioning the tether
strap
1Forward driving direction
2Support posts
3Head restraint
4Child restraint anchor fitting
5Attaching clip
6Cargo bay floor
7Seat backrest
8Tether strap
I f n ec e s s a r y, f o l d up t h e a n ch o r f it t i n g up b e f o r e
using.
1.Unhook the roller-blind cover, if necessary,
and let it retract.
2.Guide the tether strap through the head
restraint support posts.
3.Clip the tether strap onto the anchor fitting.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system*
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
When installing a LATCH child seat, com-
ply with the child seat manufacturer's
operating and safety instructions.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
39
Anchor points
The anchor points for the LATCH child seat can
be found at the locations marked by the arrows.
Carefully push the child seat brackets through
the gap between the seat cushion and backrest
cushion at the designated locations, see
arrows.

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.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
69
Locking/unlocking
The storage compartment between the back-
rests is automatically locked and unlocked with
the central locking system.
Other compartments and nets*
Other compartments can be found on the
doors, in the center console and behind the
seats, depending on your vehicle's equipment.
Nets
* are located on the passenger side of the
center console and on the rear of the backrests.
Coupe: Eyeglasses compartment
To open
Press the strip on the eyeglasses compartment.
Cup holders
Use light and shatterproof containers,
otherwise there is an increased risk of
injury in the event of an accident. Do not press
unsuitable containers into the beverage holder
with force as this may result in damage.<
A beverage holder is located on either side
beneath the air outlets.1.Press the trim piece beneath the air outlets;
see arrow1.
2.Place the beverage into the holder.
3.Adjust the holder to fit the size of the bever-
age container; see arrow2.
Ashtray*
To empty
1.Open cover.
2.Pull out ashtray1.
Cigarette lighter
Press in lighter2. As soon as the lighter springs
back out, it can be removed.
Hold or touch the hot cigarette lighter by
the knob only. Holding or touching it in
other areas could result in burns.
The cigarette lighter remains operational even
when the key has been removed. For this rea-
son, children should never be left in the vehicle
unattended.<