2010 BMW M3 seats

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
15
1Microphone for telephone* in hands-free
mode
2SOS: initiating an Emergency Request
call
*155
3Reading lamps83
4Glass roof/panorama glass roof
*30
5Interior lamps83
6Passenger airbag status lamp
*78
7Hazard warning flashers
8Dynamic Traction Control DTC70
9Central locking system22
10Radio, refer to separate Owner's Manual
11Air conditioner or automatic climate con-
trol
*
Air distribution for air
conditioner85
Air distribution to the
windshield
*87
Air distribution to the upper body
area
*87
Air distribution to the footwell
*87
Automatic air distribution and flow
rate
*88
Cooling function89
Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC
* and recirculated-air
mode88
Recirculated-air mode85
Maximum cooling
*87
ALL program
*88
Air volume85,88
Defrosting windows*89
Rear window defroster86,89
Heated seats
*37
12
Park Distance Control PDC
*69
Sedan:
Roller sun blind
*94
Hill Descent Control HDC
*71

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
33
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 page42.
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 should come between the
airbags 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 deploys.
Make sure that passengers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag; otherwise,
serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys.<
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 page77.
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 page35.
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.
Sports Wagon: if the rear center safety belt is
used, the wider backrest must be locked in
place, refer to page99. Otherwise, the safety
belt will have no restraining effect.<
Safety belts, refer to page38.

Adjustments
34
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
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
danger in the event of an accident of sliding
under the safety belt, eliminating the protection
normally provided by the belt.<
Comply with the instructions on head restraint
height on page35, and on damaged safety
belts on page39.
Manual adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page34 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Longitudinal direction
Pull lever 1 and slide the seat to the desired
position.
After releasing the lever, move the seat gently
forward or back to make sure it engages prop-
erly.
Height
Pull lever 2 and apply your weight to the seat or
lift it off, as necessary.
Backrest
Pull lever 3 and apply your weight to the back-
rest or lift it off, as necessary.
Tilt*
Pull the lever and apply your weight to the seat
or lift it off, as necessary.
Thigh support*
Pull the lever and move the thigh support for-
ward or back.
Electrical adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page34 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<

Adjustments
36
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
Sedan:
Only with through-loading system:
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.
O nly 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.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
37
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*
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, press
one of the buttons labeled1 or 2 here.
Press the button once per temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx. the next
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 posi-
tions.
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 page46.
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 the memory while you are
driving; otherwise, unexpected seat
movement could result in an accident.<
Comfort function
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page46.
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 page46.
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.

Adjustments
38
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last set is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
You can select whether or not the seat is reset
to that position automatically.
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.
Activating/deactivating automatic call-
up
For operating principle refer to page64.
1.Lightly push button1 in the turn indicator
lever up or down repeatedly until the sym-
bol appears in the display accompanied by
the word "SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Lightly push button1 in the turn indicator
lever down repeatedly until the symbol
appears in the display.
4.Press button 2.5.Use button 1 to select:
>
Call-up when the vehicle is unlocked.
>
Call-up when the driver's door is
opened.
>
Switch off automatic function.
6.Press button 2.
The setting is stored.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page34 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 page34.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
43
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger
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.
LATCH child restraint fixing
system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
To install and use the LATCH child
restraint system, follow the operating and
safety instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the system; otherwise, the protective
function of the seat may be compromised.<
Before installing the child seat, pull the belt out
of the area for the child restraint fixing system.
Ensure that both lower LATCH anchors
are correctly engaged and that the child
restraint system is resting firmly against the backrest; otherwise, the protective function of
the seat may be compromised.<
Rear seats with through-loading
system
The anchor points for the lower LATCH
anchors are located behind the labeled protec-
tive caps.
Rear seats without through-loading
system
The anchor points for the lower LATCH
anchors are located at the positions indicated
by arrows, in the gap between the seat and the
backrest.
Child restraint system with tether strap
Use the top tether anchors to secure child
restraint systems only; otherwise, the
anchors could be damaged.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
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