2012 BMW M3 deactivate passenger airbag

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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. automatic deactivation
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.
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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. <
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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.
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ControlsTechnology for driving comfort and safety
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 inst ructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page 57.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indi cator lamp for the front
passenger airbags lights up. In such cases, the
passenger should change his or her sitting
position so that the fr ont 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 light s up when a child in
a specially designated child restraint sys-
tem is detected, as in tended, 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 partic ularly 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 fron t passenger airbag is
lit. It indicates that th e child seat has been
detected and that the front passenger air-
bags are deactivated. <
> The indicator lamp does not light up as long
as 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 readine ss of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page 61, the
warning lamp lights up br iefly 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.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 333 - \251 08/11 BMW AG