2011 BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE I drive

Opening and closing
38
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After a power failure, there is a possibility that
the glass roof can only be raised. The system
must be initialized. BMW recommends having
this work done by your BMW center.
Closing manually*
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the glass roof manually:
1.Unclip the front of the cover of the interior
lamps using the screwdriver from the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page233.
2.Insert the screwdriver into the openings on
each side to press the clips.
3.Remove the control unit.
4.Unplug the motor. Considerably less effort
will be required for manual operation.5.Insert the Allen wrench
* supplied with the
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page233,
into the opening provided. Move the glass
roof in the desired direction.
6.Reinstall the control unit and reattach the
lamp cover.
Convertible: retractable
hardtop
The retractable hardtop combines reliable
weather protection with simple and convenient
operation.
The following tips will enhance your driving
pleasure in your Convertible:
>It is advisable that you close the retractable
hardtop when you park the vehicle. Not only
does the closed hardtop protect the vehicle
interior against unanticipated weather dam-
age, it also offers theft protection. However,
even when the hardtop is closed, valuables
should only be stored in the locked cargo
area.
>Do not attach roof rack systems to the
retractable hardtop, and in particular do not
attach magnetic racks.
>Do not attach rack systems to the trunk lid,
and in particular do not attach magnetic
racks.
>When the retractable hardtop is operated,
the trunk lid swings back and up. Before
operating the retractable hardtop, ensure
that there is enough clearance, e.g. when
parked in front of a wall.

Controls
39Reference
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Mobility
>If you open the hardtop while it is wet, e.g.
after driving in the rain, water may drip into
the cargo area. If necessary, remove items
from the cargo area beforehand to avoid
water stains or soiling.
Do not place any objects on the retract-
able hardtop or on the trunk lid; other-
wise, they could fall during movements of the
retractable hardtop and cause damage or injury.
Never move the retractable hardtop when the
rollover protection system is in the activated
position.
Driving when the hardtop is not fully opened or
closed may result in damage or injury.
Do not reach into the mechanism during the
opening or closing procedure. Keep children
away from the swiveling area of the retractable
hardtop.<
The retractable hardtop cannot be moved
at temperatures below + 147/–106. A
message appears on the Control Display.<
The retractable hardtop can only be
opened and closed when the vehicle is
stationary. To avoid causing damage, do not
drive off until the hardtop has stopped mov-
ing.<
Before opening and closing
>Comply with the safety precautions
described above.
>Ensure that the cargo area partition is
folded down and engaged on both sides,
refer to page119; otherwise, it will not be
possible to open the retractable hardtop.
>Do not place any objects next to or on the
cargo area partition and close the storage
compartment on the left side of the cargo
area.
>Do not exceed the maximum loading height
under the cargo area partition; refer to the
label in the cargo area showing a line indi-
cating the maximum height.
>Ensure that the trunk lid is closed.
>The vehicle should be parked on fairly
level ground. Excessive angle is indicated
by a lamp.
Opening and closing
When the vehicle is stationary and at radio
readiness or beyond, refer to page55:
If possible, conserve the battery by only
operating the retractable hardtop when
the engine is running.
Before closing the retractable hardtop, remove
all foreign objects from the windshield frame as
these could prevent the hardtop from closing
properly.<
1Push button: open the retractable hardtop.
Pull button: close the retractable hardtop.
2LEDs
The side windows move down when the
switch for hardtop operation is pulled or
pushed.<
LEDs
In the following situations, a message appears
on the Control Display or an acoustic signal
sounds in addition to the LED lighting up:
>While the hardtop is being operated, the left
LED lights up green. It goes out as soon as
the top is fully opened or closed.
>If the right-hand LED flashes red when you
release the switch, the opening or closing
action has not yet finished.
>If the right LED lights up red when the
switch is pressed, the cargo area partition is
folded up, the trunk lid is not closed, the
vehicle is standing on a strong incline or
there is a malfunction. The retractable hard-
top cannot be moved.

Adjustments
42
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 page52.
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 page98.
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.
Otherwise, there is an increased risk of injury in
the event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page45.
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 four 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 page49.

Controls
43Reference
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Mobility
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 page45, and on damaged safety
belts on page49.
Manual adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page43 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
forward or back.

Adjustments
48
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
support are not stored in memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or the ignition,
refer to page55.
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 page55.
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 page55.
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 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.
Selecting automatic call-up
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".

Controls
49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page43 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.
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 page43.
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
driver's and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition,
a message appears on the Control
Display. 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 safety
belt is not fastened, if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger 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.<
Coupe: belt hand-over
The concept
The belt hand-over makes it easier for you to
fasten your safety belt. When you close the
door and switch on radio readiness or the igni-
tion, the belt hand-over extends automatically
and presents the in a position that is convenient
for fastening it around you. After you have fas-
tened your safety belt, the belt hand-over
retracts to its original position.
Even if you have not yet fastened your safety
belt, the belt hand-over will retract if you:
>Wait for more than approx. one minute
>Open the corresponding door
>Start driving.
Closing the respective door reactivates the belt
hand-over if the ignition or radio readiness is on.
Front passenger seat
The belt hand-over will extend only if the seat is
occupied and after the front passenger door is
closed.

Adjustments
50
Pinch protection system
If the belt hand-over encounters resistance on
moving in or out, it moves back slightly in the
opposite direction and stops in this position. To
reactivate the belt hand-over: open and close
the door or switch the ignition off and on.
Although there is a pinch protection sys-
tem, always check that the maneuvering
area of the belt hand-over is clear. Otherwise it
cannot be ensured that the system will stop
moving in certain extreme situations.<
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 pressing button3. This can be beneficial
in narrow 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.Shift into reverse or engage the selector
lever- or transmission position 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.

Controls
57Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the
selector lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the
ignition lock, refer to page55.
Sports automatic transmission with
double clutch
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
If the transmission is shifted into N when the
engine is switched off, you will be notified
visually and acoustically of this fact.
2.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
3.Remove remote control from the ignition
lock, refer to page55. The transmission is
automatically shifted into transmission
position P.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in
addition. The parking brake is still
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<