
16
At a glanceDashboard
Around the roofliner
Coupe
1Microphone for voice activation system and 
for telephone in hands-free mode
2 SOS: sending an Emergency 
Request
276
3 Reading lamps 115
4 Glass sunroof 41
5 Interior lamps 114
6 Passenger airbag status lamp 108
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

17
Dashboard
At a glance
Convertible
1
SOS: sending an Emergency 
Request
276
2 Reading lamps 115
3 Interior lamps 114
4 Passenger airbag status lamp 108
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

47
Adjustments
Controls
Adjustments
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. As a result, some equip-
ment described may not be
 available in a partic-
ular vehicle, for example due to the options or 
national-market version selected. This also 
applies to safety related functions and systems.
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fati gue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safe ty 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 page 57.
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 ca n occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passen gers 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 e ffect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information 
on airbags, refer to page 107.
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 page 50.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has four se ats, 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 be lt 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 withou t being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and 
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

50
ControlsAdjustments
Longitudinal adjustment from 
outside/behind
To move the front seat s forward or backward 
from outside or from one of the rear seats: with 
the door open, press the front end 1 or rear 
end 2 of the switch.
Head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all 
occupied seats; otherwise, there is an 
increased risk of injury in an accident. <
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is 
approximately at ear level.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is 
as close as possible to the back of the head.
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 fu nction of the active 
head restraint.
Do not hang any items, e.g. clothes hangers, 
directly on the head re straints. Attach only 
BMW approved accessories  to the seat or head 
restraint. Otherwise, the protective 
function 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 faults, i mmobilization, or after the 
active head restraints  have been triggered, 
have the testing, repa ir, or disassembly per-
formed only by your BMW center or a workshop 
that has the required explosives licenses. 
Unprofessional attempts  to work on the system 
could lead to failure in an emergency or to 
undesired airbag activa tion, either of which 
could result in personal injury. <
For technical reasons,  the head restraint 
cannot be removed. <
Coupe: front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
> To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

53
Adjustments
Controls
Seat heating
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 previo
usly 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 page 61. 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 th e 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 page 61.
2. Briefly press the desired memory button 1 
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 page 61.
2. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2 
and keep it pressed until the adjustment 
process has been completed.
If the  button was pr essed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 48 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 additi onal safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

57
Transporting children safely
Controls
Transporting children safely
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. As a result, some equip-
ment described may not be
 available in a partic-
ular vehicle, for example due to the options or 
national-market version selected. This also 
applies to safety related functions and systems.
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 always 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 fr ont 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. 
of the front passenger airbags refer to 
page 107.
Convertible: key switch for 
passenger belt
The passenger safety belt  can be locked with a 
key switch so that it  is prevented from being 
pulled out.
The key switch is situated on the side surface of 
the passenger-side dashboard.
Locking the passenger belt
Lock the passenger belt to install a child 
restraint system.
Insert key and push in.
Keep key pushed in and tu rn it until reaching the 
stop at the   position. Pu ll key out at this stop.
After removing the ke y, make sure that 
the switch is in the   position; other-
wise, the locking action on  the safety belt is not 
guaranteed. <
Unlocking the passenger belt
If no child restraint system is fastened to the 
front passenger seat, unlock the passenger 
belt; otherwise, the freedom of movement of 
the upper body is limited.
Insert key and push in.
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

58
ControlsTransporting children safely
Keep key pushed in and turn it until reaching the 
stop at the   position. Pull key out at this stop.
Make sure that the passenger belt is 
unlocked; otherwise, the front passenger 
may become trapped by  the safety belt.<
Installing child restraint 
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructio ns 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 be lt or with the lap-belt 
section of a lap-and-shou lder belt. Incorrectly 
or improperly installed  child restraint systems 
can increase the risk of  injury to children. 
Always follow the installa tion 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 airb ags for the front passen-
ger are deactivated; ot herwise, 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 page 49.
2. Install the child seat.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts  and the front passenger 
safety belt can be prev ented 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 st rap 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 pr ovided by the manufac-
turer of the system; otherwise, the protective 
function of the seat  may be compromised. <
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG  

107
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Controls
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1
Front airbags
2 Coupe: head airbags
3 Side airbags in the seat backrests
4 Convertible: knee airbags
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 47 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 restrain t. 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 si tuation, 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 coveri ngs, and do not attach 
holders such as for navi gation instruments or 
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat cove rs, 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 individu al 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 faults, immobilization, or after the 
airbag system has been triggered, have the 
testing, repair, or disassembly and scrapping of 
gas generators performe d only by your BMW 
center or a workshop 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 resu lt 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 impr ession in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and 
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passe nger are activated or 
deactivated by the  system accordingly.
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG