2009 BMW 135I convertible

Technology for driving comfort and safety
72 Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page44.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indicator lamp for the front
passenger airbags comes on. In such cases, the
passenger should change his or her sitting
position so that the front passenger airbags are
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or
other items to the front 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. Other-
wise a correct analysis of the seat cushion is not
ensured.<
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger's front and side airbags in accor-
dance with whether and how the front passen-
ger seat is occupied. The indicator lamp shows
whether the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a specially designated child-restraint sys-
tem is detected, as intended, on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system, especially child seats
required by the NHTSA at the time of vehi-cle production. After mounting a child seat,
ensure that the indicator lamp for the front
passenger airbag is lit. It indicates that the
child seat has been detected and that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated.<
>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 front pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page47, the
warning lamp comes on briefly to indicate that
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners
are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up at radio
readiness or beyond.
>Warning lamp remains permanently on.
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay, otherwise
there is the risk that the system will not function
as intended even if a sufficiently severe acci-
dent occurs.<
Convertible: rollover
protection system
The rollover protection system is activated
automatically in the event of an accident, a crit-

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
73
ical driving situation, an extreme tilt in the car's
longitudinal axis or upon loss of ground contact.
The protection bars behind the rear head
restraints deploy within fractions of a second.
As a supplementary system to the reinforced
windshield frame, the rollover protection sys-
tem ensures that the necessary headroom is
maintained for all vehicle occupants.
Always keep the area of movement of the
rollover protection system clear.
In minor accidents, you are protected by the
fastened safety belt and, depending on acci-
dent severity, by the safety belt tensioner and
multi-phase airbag retention system.<
Resetting
If the rollover protection system was not
impacted after being automatically activated, it
can be reset by lowering the protection bars to
their original positions. This does not require
tools.
1.Push the locking lever to one side and hold
it there.
2.Push the protection bar halfway down from
above.
3.Release the locking lever.4.Push the protection bar down until it snaps
into place.
5.Repeat the procedure for the other protec-
tion bar.
Have the rollover protection system checked
after an unexpected activation.
Never move the convertible top when the
rollover protection system is in the acti-
vated position.
Do not make any modifications to the individual
components of the rollover protection system
or its cabling.
Work on the rollover protection system should
only be performed by a BMW center.
Incorrectly performed work on the system may
lead to system failure or incorrect operation.
To check the system and ensure flawless long-
term operation, always observe the service
intervals, refer to page61.<

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Mobility
83
The automatic climate control goes into recir-
culated-air mode at the lowest temperature. Air
flows at maximum rate from the vents for the
upper body area. You should therefore open
them for maximum cooling.
AUTO program
The AUTO program adjusts the air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, towards the upper
body area and into the footwell for you. The air
flow rate and your temperature specifications
will be adapted to outside influences as a result
of seasonal changes, e.g. sunlight or window
condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program.
Convertible program
The Convertible program is active when the
convertible top is open. In the Convertible pro-
gram, the automatic climate control is opti-
mized for driving with the convertible top down.
In addition, the air flow rate is increased as vehi-
cle speed increases.
The effectiveness of the Convertible pro-
gram can be enhanced considerably by
installing the wind deflector.<
Adjusting air flow rate manually
Press the left side of the button to
reduce airflow. Press the right side
of the button to increase it. You can
reactivate the automatic mode for the air flow
rate with the AUTO button.
The air flow rate may be reduced or the blower
may be switched off entirely to save on battery
power. The display remains the same.
Switching the system on/off
With the blower at its lowest setting, press the
left side of the button to switch off the auto-
matic climate control. All displays are cleared
except for the rear window defroster if it is
switched on.
Press any button except REST or rear window defroster to reactivate the automatic climate
control.
The recirculated-air mode is switched on
when you switch off the automatic cli-
mate control. If the air quality deteriorates or the
window fogs over, switch the system back on
and increase the air volume.<
Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating
mode by pressing this button
repeatedly:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As
soon as the concentration of pollutants in
the outside air has decreased sufficiently,
the system automatically switches back to
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode:
the supply of outside air is permanently
shut off. The system then recirculates the
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off while also increasing the air flow rate as
required.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
continuously for lengthy periods, otherwise the
quality of the air inside the car will gradually
deteriorate.<
Via the button* on the steering wheel
You can use a button on the steering wheel,
refer to page11, to select between the different
modes.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a
school to pick up a child.

Practical interior accessories
88
Calibrating the digital compass
The digital compass must be calibrated in the
following situations:
>An incorrect compass direction is shown.
>The compass direction shown does not
change although the direction of travel
does.
>Not all compass directions are shown.
Procedure
1.Make sure that no large metal objects or
overhead power lines are in the vicinity of
your vehicle and that you have enough
space to drive in a circle.
2.Set the currently valid compass zone.
3.Convertible: ensure that the convertible top
is fully closed.
4.Press the adjustment button for approx.
6-7 seconds to call up C. Then drive in at
least one full circle at a speed of no more
than 4mph or 7km/h.
If calibration is successful, the display
changes from C to a compass direction.
5.Convertible: open the convertible top fully
and repeat step 4.
Setting right-hand/left-hand steering
Your digital compass is factory-set to right-
hand or left-hand steering, in accordance with
your vehicle.
Setting the language
You can set the language of the display:
Press the adjustment button for approx.
12-13 seconds. Briefly press the adjustment
button again to switch between English, "E",
and German, "O".
The setting is automatically saved after approx.
10 seconds.
Glove compartment
Opening
Pull the handle.
The light in the glove compartment comes on.
To prevent injury in the event of an acci-
dent while the vehicle is being driven,
close the glove compartment immediately after
use.<
Closing
Fold cover up.
Locking
To lock the glove compartment, use the inte-
grated key of the remote control, refer to
page18.
Center armrest*
Storage compartment
The center armrest between the front seats
contains a credit card holder and, depending on
the equipment version, a compartment or a
snap-in adapter
*.

Reference
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Mobility
91
Coupe: through-loading
system
Opening
1.To release the rear seat backrest, pull the
corresponding lever in the cargo bay.
2.The unlocked rear seat backrest moves for-
ward slightly. Fold the backrest forward by
the head restraint.
Closing
Return the rear seat backrest to its upright posi-
tion and engage it.
When returning the backrest into its seat-
ing position, make sure that the seat's
locking mechanism is properly engaged. Other-
wise, cargo could be thrown around in the event
of sharp braking or swerving and endanger the
occupants.<
The lashing eyes in the cargo bay provide you
with a way to attach cargo bay nets
* or draw
straps for securing suitcases and luggage, refer
to page99.
Convertible: cargo loading
Enlarging the cargo bay
When the convertible top is closed you can
enlarge the cargo bay:
To do so, fold the cargo bay partition upward.
Before opening the convertible top, pull the
cargo bay partition down until it engages.
Ensure that pointed objects do not press
against the cargo bay partition from below.
The convertible top can only be opened
when the cargo bay partition is folded
down.<
Storage compartments inside
the cargo bay
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
following storage spaces can be found in the
cargo bay:
>Rubber strap
* on the left trim panel for
securing small objects such as a folding
umbrella
>Net
* for small objects on the right trim
panel of the cargo bay
>Retaining straps
* on cargo bay floor: for
securing smaller objects or as an anti-slip
surface when you place objects on the
straps
The lashing eyes in the cargo bay provide you
with a way to attach cargo bay nets
* or draw
straps
* for securing suitcases and luggage,
refer to page100.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
93
Convertible: through-loading
opening with integrated
transport bag
*
The transport bag is designed for safe, clean
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up
to 2 snowboards.
With the transport bag you can stow skis up to a
length of 6.6 ft /2.0 m. When skis of 6.6 ft/2.0 m
length are loaded, the overall capacity of the ski
bag is reduced due to its tapered design.
When using the transport bag, it is not
permissible to transport passengers in
the rear seats.<
Loading
1.Pull the grip in the filler piece of the rear
backrest up and take out the filler piece.
2.Place the filler piece onto the seat cushion
with the backrest side facing up.
3.In the cargo bay: press the two recesses
together and fold down the cover.
4.Release the strap, lay out the transport bag
between the front seats and load it.
The zip fastener makes objects in the ski
bag easier to reach.Ensure that the skis are clean when you load
them into the transport bag. Wrap sharp edges
to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the transport bag and its
contents. Tighten the retaining strap on the
tensioning buckle for this purpose.
Secure the transport bag in the manner
described, otherwise it could endanger
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.<
To store the transport bag, perform the steps
described for loading in reverse order.

Things to remember when driving
100
Convertible
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the
respective seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
Securing cargo
>Secure smaller and lighter items using
retaining straps
*, a cargo bay net* or draw
straps
*.
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available at
your BMW center. To attach the cargo
straps, there are two lashing eyes, arrows 1,
on the inside wall of the cargo bay. Depend-
ing on your vehicle's equipment, there may
be two additional lashing eyes, arrows2, on
the cargo bay sidewalls.
Follow the information included with the
cargo straps.
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above, so that it cannot endan-
ger the car's occupants, for example if sudden
braking or swerving is necessary.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer
to page149, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown
around, for example as a result of heavy braking,
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants.
Only attach the cargo straps using the lashing
eyes shown in the illustration. Do not secure
cargo with the anchors for tether straps, refer to
page45, otherwise these could be damaged.<
Coupe: roof-mounted
luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Comply with the directions given
in the installation instructions.
Mounting points
Fold open the cover.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the applicable data under Weights
on page149.
The roof load must be distributed uniformly and
should not be too large in area. Heavy items
should always be placed at the bottom. Be sure

Wheels and tires
108
Convertible: tire inflation pressures for the 128i
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph / 160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
without Sports package
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S 32/220 35/240 32/220 35/240 32/220 39/270
205/50 R 17 89 H M+S 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 35/240 42/290
Front: 205/50 R 17 89 V 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 225/45 R 17 91 V - 35/240 - 35/240 - 41/280
Front: 215/40 R 18 85 Y 35/240 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 245/35 R 18 88 Y - 39/270 - 35/240 - 41/280
with Sports package
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S 32/220 35/240 32/220 35/240 32/220 39/270
205/50 R 17 89 H M+S 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 35/240 42/290
Front: 205/50 R 17 89 V 32/220 - 33/230 - 38/260 -
Rear: 225/45 R 17 91 V - 36/250 - 36/250 - 45/310
Front: 215/40 R 18 85 Y 35/240 - 33/230 - 38/260 -
Rear: 245/35 R 18 88 Y - 41/280 - 36/250 - 44/300
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page149.