2012 BMW 128I airbag

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Coupe: microphone for voice activation
system
* and for telephone* in hands-free
mode
Convertible: microphone on steering col-
umn
2SOS: initiating an Emergency Request
call
*234
3Reading lamps
*98
4Coupe: glass roof, electric
*39
5Interior lamps98
6Passenger airbag status lamp91
7Control Display16
8Driving stability control systems
>Dynamic Stability Control DSC83
>Dynamic Traction Control DTC84
9Hazard warning flashers
10Central locking system32
11Automatic climate control12CD/DVD drive
*144
13Selecting AM or FM waveband
14Changing the audio and entertainment
sources
15Changing
>Radio station147
>Track155
17Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
18Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
19Programmable memory keys21
20Switching entertainment audio sources on/
off and adjusting volume144
21Ejecting a CD/DVD
*155 Air distribution to the
windshield100
Air distribution to the upper body
area100
Air distribution to the footwell100
Automatic air distribution and flow
rate100
Cooling function101
Automatic recirculated air control
AUC and recirculated air
mode101
Maximum cooling100
ALL program101
Air volume101
Defrosting windows101
Rear window defroster101
Heated seats
*50
16Convertible: open convertible
top41
Convertible: closing the convertible
top41

Controls
45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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 page54.
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,
i.e. 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 page90.
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 page48.
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 reg-
ularly pull the belt in the upper-body area taut;
otherwise, its restraining effect could be
impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page50.

Adjustments
50
Heated seats*
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 page57.
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 button1 or2:
the LED goes out.
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 page57.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or2.
The adjusting procedure is halted 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 page57.
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.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page45 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.

Transporting children safely
54
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening
the doors, for example.<
Children should always sit in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seat.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only
in the rear in suitable child restraint systems
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child restraint system that is
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
Children in the front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger must be deactivated. Otherwise, a child
traveling on that seat will face a significant risk
of injury if the airbags are triggered off, even
with a child restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags refer to page91.
Installing child restraint
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions when selecting,
installing and using child restraint systems.
Otherwise, the protective effect may be dimin-
ished. <
Standard child restraint systems are designed
to be secured with a lap belt or with the lap-belt
section of a lap-and-shoulder belt. Incorrectly or improperly installed child restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to children.
Always follow the installation instructions for
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airbags for the front passen-
ger are deactivated; otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Seat position
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back and up as
possible to obtain the best possible position for
the belt. Do not change the seat position after
this.
Backrest width*
The backrest width of the front passenger
seat must be at its widest possible set-
ting. Do not change the setting after installing
the child seat; otherwise, the child seat's stabil-
ity on the front passenger seat is limited.<
1.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page47.
2.Install the child seat.
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.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
90
Servotronic*
The concept
The Servotronic varies the steering force
required to turn the wheels relative to the vehi-
cle speed.
At low speeds, the steering force is strongly
assisted, i.e. less force is needed for steering.
As the vehicle speed increases, the steering
assisting power is reduced.
This system functions automatically.
Malfunctions
The warning lamp lights up. A mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
Servotronic is malfunctioning or has
failed. Steering response will be different. You
can continue your journey, but moderate your
speed and exercise due caution. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible.
Brake Force Display*
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: sharp braking.
When the rear fog lamps
* are switched on, the
Brake Force Display is not active and the illumi-
nated area for normal braking is reduced by
approximately half.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Coupe: head airbags
3Side airbags in the seat backrests
4Convertible: knee airbags
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page45 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 window on the front
passenger side clear, i.e., do not cover with

Controls
91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
adhesive labels or coverings, and do not attach
holders such as for navigation instruments and
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
activated, refer to Status of front passenger air-
bags below.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page54.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 lights up. 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 front and side airbags in accordance
with whether and how the front passenger seat
is occupied. The indicator lamp shows whether
the front passenger airbags are activated 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, This particularly applies to
child seats that were required by NHTSA at
the time of manufacture of the vehicle. After
mounting a child seat, ensure that the indi-
cator lamp for the front passenger airbag is
lit. It indicates that the child seat has been

Technology for driving comfort and safety
92 detected and that the front passenger air-
bags are deactivated.<
>The indicator lamp does n o t c o m e o n w h e n ,
for example, 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 light up 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 page57, the
warning lamp lights up 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-
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.

Everything from A to Z
254
Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS Antilock Brake
System83
Acceleration assistant, refer to
Launch Control66
Accessories, refer to Your
individual vehicle5
Accident, reporting, refer to
Emergency Request234
Activated-charcoal filter102
Active steering89
Adaptive Light Control95
Additives
– coolant219
– engine oil219
Address, entering125,131
Address for navigation
– entering125
Adjusting temperature100
Airbags90
– sitting safely45
– warning lamp92
Air conditioner99
Air distribution
– automatic100
Airing, refer to Ventilation102
Air outlets, refer to Air
vents99
Air pressure, checking, refer
to Tire inflation
pressure208
Air recirculation, refer to
Recirculated air mode101
Air vents99
Air volume101
AKI, refer to Fuel grade207
Alarm system34
– avoiding unintentional
alarms35
– interior motion sensor35
– switching off an alarm34
– tilt alarm sensor35Albums of music
collection163
ALL program101
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires215
AM, waveband147
Ambient air, refer to
Recirculated air mode101
Antifreeze
– coolant219
– washer fluid68
Antilock Brake System
ABS83
Anti-theft alarm system, refer
to Alarm system34
Anti-theft system29
Appointments, refer to
Calendar193
Approved axle loads, refer to
Weights245
Approved engine oils219
Approved gross vehicle
weight, refer to Weights245
Apps202
Armrest, refer to Center
armrest108
Arrival time
– computer72
Ashtray109
Assistance systems, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC83
AUC Automatic recirculated
air control101
Audible instructions, refer to
Voice instructions136
Audio144
– controls144
– switching on/off144
– tone control144
– volume144Automatic
– air distribution100
– air volume100
– cruise control68
– headlamp control94
Automatic car washes223
Automatic climate control99
Automatic curb monitor52
Automatic high beams and
low beams, refer to High-
beam Assistant96
Automatic lamps
– refer to Welcome lamps94
Automatic recirculated air
control AUC101
Automatic Service
Request202
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic59
– selector lever lock60
– shiftlock60
– towing236
– tow-starting236
AUTO program for automatic
climate control100
AUX-IN port166
Available services202
Average fuel consumption72
– setting the units74
Average speed72
Avoid highways in
navigation134
Avoiding unintentional
alarms35
Axle loads, refer to
Weights245
B
Backrests, refer to Seats46
Backrest width adjustment47
Back seats, refer to Rear seats
– adjusting head restraints48