2010 BMW M3 ECU

Reference
At a glance
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Driving tips
Mobility
77
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
page33 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
integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not
hang items of clothing such as coats or jackets
over the backrests. Do not attempt to remove the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do
not modify the individual components of the
system or its wiring in any way. This includes
the upholstered covers on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seats and roof posts, as well
as the sides of the roof lining. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components imme-
diately 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 executed only by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to repair
procedures of BMW with correspondingly
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 personal injury.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impression in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passenger are activated or
deactivated by the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp above the interior
rearview mirror shows the current status
of the front passenger airbags, deactivated or

Practical interior accessories
98 2.Insert the latch plate at the end of the belt
into the specially designated fixture on the
rear window shelf.
3.Push the corresponding head restraint
down as far as it will go, refer to page36.
4.To release the rear seat backrest, pull the
corresponding lever in the cargo area.
5.The unlocked rear seat backrest moves for-
ward slightly. Fold the backrest forward by
the head restraint.
Closing
1.Return the rear seat backrest to its upright
position and engage it.
When returning the backrest to its
seating position, make sure that the
seat's locking mechanism engages prop-
erly. Otherwise, cargo could be thrown around in the event of sharp braking or
swerving and endanger the occupants.<
2.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.
The lashing eyes in the cargo area provide you
with a way to attach cargo area nets
* or draw
straps for securing suitcases and luggage, refer
to page110.
Sports Wagon:
Cargo area
Roller cover
Pull out the cover and hook it into the retaining
fixtures.
Do not place objects on the cover; other-
wise, they could endanger the car's occu-
pants, e.g. in the case of braking or sudden
swerving.
Do not let the cover retract; otherwise, it could
be damaged.<

Practical interior accessories
100 3.Pull the casing out backwards, arrow 2,
without tilting it.
4.Slide the casing into the guides on the
backs of the seat backrests.
5.Carefully pull out the partition net and insert
it into the front retaining fixtures, refer to
Partition net above. This can best be done
from the front seat.
Follow the same steps in reverse order to return
the partition net and seats to their original posi-
tions. Finally, slide the casing into both retaining
fixtures on the sides until it engages. Tug on the
casing to check if it is properly locked in place.
Storage compartments inside
the cargo area
Sedan
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
following storage spaces can be found in the
cargo area:
>Left storage compartment, e.g. for storing a
box of cleaning tissues or up to 12 CD jack-
ets, depending on vehicle equipment ver-
sion
>Net
* for securing smaller objects, to be
attached to the fixtures on the floor panel
>Hooks for hanging up, e.g., shopping bags
or tote bags
>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 area>Folding, removable box
* under the floor
panel, e.g. for wet or dirty items
>Stowage compartment under the floor
panel
>Insertable dividers
* and removable storage
tray for the storage compartment under the
floor panel
Sports Wagon
The following storage spaces can be found in
the cargo area:
>Umbrella holder
* on the bottom of the par-
tition net casing
>Rubber strap on the left
* and right trim
panel for securing small objects such as a
folding umbrella
>Hooks for hanging up shopping bags or tote
bags, for example, on the left and right sides
of the cargo area
>Net for small objects on the right trim panel
of the cargo area
>Stowage compartment under the floor
panel
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, other
storage spaces can be found in the cargo area:
>Net
* for securing smaller objects, to be
attached to the fixtures on the floor panel
>Net
* on the left side trim of the cargo area
instead of the rubber strap
>Reversible floor panel with integrated plas-
tic cover
* for cargo area or bumper
>Folding, removable box
* under the floor
panel, e.g. for wet or dirty items

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
101
>Insertable dividers* and removable storage
tray for the storage compartment under the
floor panel
Folding up the floor panel
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
load of 55 lbs/25 kg for the storage com-
partment under the floor panel; otherwise, dam-
age could result.<
Sedan
Press the floor panel against the ceiling of the
cargo area; a locking device holds the floor
panel in place. To detach the floor panel, pull it
out of the locking device.
Sports Wagon
Fold up the floor panel and take it out or lean it
forward.
Lashing eyes
You will find lashing eyelets in the cargo area for
securing luggage items with nets or tensioning
straps, refer to page110.
Ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport
of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up to
2snowboards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length
of up to 6ft 10in/2.10m. When skis of 6ft 10in/
2.10 m length are loaded, the overall capacity of
the ski bag is reduced due to its tapered design.
Loading
1.Fold down the center armrest.
2.Press the button, reach into the recess and
fold down the cover.
3.Open the Velcro fastener, spread the ski
bag between the front seats and insert the
skis or snowboards.
The zip fastener makes objects in the ski
bag easier to reach.
4.Insert the latch plate of the ski bag's retain-
ing strap in the center belt buckle.
Only place clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp
edges to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose.

Practical interior accessories
102 Secure the ski 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 ski bag, perform the steps
described for loading in reverse order.
Removing the ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for
faster drying or to allow you to use other inserts.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat
backrest.
2.Pull the handle, arrow1.
3.Pull out the insert, arrow 2.
For more information on the various
inserts available, contact your BMW cen-
ter.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
109
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately
result in a sudden blowout.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>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.

Things to remember when driving
110
Sedan
Sports Wagon
>Use the partition net to protect passengers,
refer to page99. Make sure that objects
cannot penetrate the partition net.
>Do not stack cargo higher than the upper
edge of the backrests.
>Place protective material around any
objects which could bump against the rear
window while the vehicle is in motion.
Securing cargo
>Secure smaller and lighter items using
retaining straps, a cargo area net
* or draw
straps
*.
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available at
your BMW center. Four
* lashing eyes are provided for attaching the cargo straps.
Two are located on the cargo area
sidewalls1, two more are on the rear cargo
area panel2.
Please comply with the information sup-
plied 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 page177, 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
page43; otherwise, these could be damaged.<
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
f o r y o u r B M W . C o m p l y w i t h t h e d i r e c t i o n s g i v e n
in the installation instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are located in the roof/
along the roof rails
*.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
111
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 page177.
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
that adequate clearance is maintained for rais-
ing the glass roof, and that objects do not
project into the opening path of the trunk lid/
tailgate.
Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.