2009 BMW M3 SEDAN seat adjustment

Controls
37Reference
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Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page46.
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.
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,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard,
otherwise leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their
heads against the side or head airbags, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the airbags
suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
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 page82.
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 page39.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats, 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 across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision.
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 page41.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
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Adjustments
38 accident.
On the front passenger seat as well, do not
incline the backrest too far to the rear while the
vehicle is being driven, otherwise there is a dan-
ger in the event of an accident of sliding under
the safety belt, eliminating the protection nor-
mally provided by the belt.<
Comply with the instructions on head restraint
height on page39, and on damaged safety
belts on page42.
Manual adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions
above to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Thigh support
Pull the lever and move the thigh support for-
ward or back.
Electrical adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page37 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle4Backrest
The head restraints are adjusted manually, refer
to Head restraints below.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press the
switch at the front or rear, respectively.
>Shift curvature up or down: press the switch
at the top or bottom, respectively.
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Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Backrest width*
You can change the width of the backrest to suit
your individual preferences by adjusting the lat-
eral-support pads.
Press the front or rear end of the switch.
Backrest width decreases or increases accord-
ingly.
Head restraints
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. Only remove a head
restraint if no one will be sitting on the seat in
question. Reinstall the head restraint before
transporting anyone on that seat. Otherwise,
the passenger will be without protection from
the head restraint.<
Front active head restraints
In a rear collision of a sufficient strength, the
active head restraint reduces the distance to
the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
that could impair the function of the active
head restraint. Otherwise, the protective func-
tion of the active head restraint will not be
ensured and its full potential in reducing the risk
of injury in the event of a rear collision may not
be realized.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation or
triggering of the active head restraints, have the
testing, repair and removal executed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-ing to repair procedures of BMW with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and that has the
required explosives licenses. Unprofessional
attempts to work on the system could lead to
failure in an emergency or to undesired airbag
activation, either of which could result in per-
sonal injury.<
For technical reasons, the head restraint
cannot be removed.<
Front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and
slide the head restraint down.
Rear seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and
slide the head restraint down.
The center head restraint is not height-adjust-
able.
Removing
Only with through-loading system*:
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Adjustments
40 1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2.Press the button, arrow 1, tilt the rear seat
backrest slightly forward and pull the head
restraint all the way out.
Only remove the head restraints if no pas-
sengers will be sitting in the rear. Reinstall
head restraints before transporting passengers
in the rear.<
Folding head restraints down and back
up
Folding down:
Press the button, arrow1.
Folding up:
Pull the head restraint.
Depending on the equipment version, it may be
possible to fold down the outer rear head
restraints as well.
Only fold the head restraints down if no
passengers will be sitting in the rear. Fold
up the head restraints before transporting pas-
sengers in the rear.<
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx.
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically
activated at the previously set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is
switched off entirely to save on battery power.
The LEDs stay lit.
Seat and mirror memory
You can store and call up two different combi-
nations of driver's-seat and exterior-mirror
positions.
Settings for the backrest width and lumbar sup-
port are not stored in memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or the ignition,
refer to page49.
2.Adjust the seat and exterior mirrors to the
desired positions.
3.Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1 or 2: the
LED goes out.
The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up memory while you are driv-
ing, otherwise unexpected seat move-
ment could result in an accident.<
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Controls
41Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page49.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page49.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2
and keep it pressed until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pressed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last stored is stored
for the remote control currently in use.
You can select the occasion on which the seat is
reset to that position.
>Call-up when the vehicle is unlocked.
>Call-up when the driver's door is opened.
When this Personal Profile function is
used, first make sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is free of obstacles.
Failure to do so could cause injury to persons or
damage to objects as a result of a rearward
movement of the seat.<
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Selecting automatic call-up
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"3."Last seat position auto."
The function for automatically calling up
the last seat position is switched on and is
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Switching off automatic call-up
Deactivate "Last seat position automatic"
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page37 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
On the rear seats, the center belt buckle marked
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate 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 page37.
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Adjustments
42
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front
seats
The indicator lamps light up and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. Check whether the safety belt
has been fastened correctly.
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
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is
not fastened, if objects are placed on the front
passenger seat, or if driver or front passenger
unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child-
restraint systems, replaced and the belt
anchors checked. Have this work done only by
your BMW center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly.<
Rear center safety belt
With through-loading system*:
Before using the center rear seat, release the
latch plate from the fixture on the rear window
shelf and insert it into the belt lock of the center
safety belt. Make sure you hear the latch plate
engage in the belt buckle.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more con-
vex than the driver's mirror. The objects
seen in the mirror are closer than they appear.
Do not gauge your distance from traffic behind
you on the basis of what you see in the mirror;
otherwise there is an increased risk of an acci-
dent.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The setting for the exterior mirrors is stored for
the remote control currently in use. The stored
position is called up automatically when the
vehicle is unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by
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Controls
43Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
pressing button3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors
that were folded in by hand back out into their
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are
folded out automatically at a speed of approx.
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors manually or
with button3 to prevent them from being dam-
aged, depending on the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating*
Depending on the outside temperature, both
exterior mirrors are heated automatically when
the engine is running or the ignition is switched
on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function –
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to the position for the
driver's-side mirror, arrow 1.
2.Engage reverse gear or transmission posi-
tion R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger
side tilts slightly down. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into
a parking space.
Deactivating
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger-side mirror, arrow 2.
Interior and exterior mirrors*,
automatic dimming feature
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion, otherwise there
is a risk of accident due to an unexpected move-
ment.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
82 At low speeds, steering is assisted strongly, i. e.
less effort is required to turn the vehicle. Steer-
ing assistance lessens with increasing speed.
You can select between two programs
*.
"Normal" program
Select the "Normal" program if you want com-
fort-oriented steering, e. g. in city traffic or when
parking.
"Sport" program
Select the "Sport" program if you want consis-
tently sporty steering.
Selecting a program
You can set and call up your preferred pro-
gram via MDrive, refer to page44.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: sharp braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in the seat backrests
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page37 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
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 airbags have been designed to not be trig-
gered in every collision situation, e.g. not in
minor accidents 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.
Keep the dashboard and windows on the front
passenger side clear, i.e. do not cover with
adhesive labels or coverings, and do not attach
holders such as for navigation instruments or
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat covers, cushions or other
objects not specifically approved for seats with
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