2015 BMW I3 seats

FOR OVER THREE QUARTERS OF
A CENTURY, THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND
THE CAR WAS LEFT UNTOUCHED.
Until now. Today, the BMW i3 introduces a wealth of new ways to create
the ultimate sustainable electric car. One key innovation is LifeDrive:
the first serial production passenger cell made of light and extremely
robust carbon fiber. It substantially reduces the weight of the vehicle
for maximum electric range. Moreover, streamflow aerodynamics
reduce drag and energy consumption.
The interior of the BMW i3 features natural-fiber based raw materials
in the instrument panel and door trim surfaces. Textiles for the seats
are made of up to 100% recycled materials. The leather components
are tanned with natural olive leaf extract, which gives the leather a
unique, fresh scent. The interior wood panels are made of open-pore
eucalyptus wood. All wood is sourced from responsible forestry and
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®).
Innovation is also built into the BMW i3 product development process
itself: To ensure a truly sustainable product, measurable targets were
already set in the early strategic phase of development to define envi-
ronmental guidelines for the entire product life cycle – from the sourcing
of raw materials to production, utilization and recycling. These were
agreed to and monitored throughout the development phase of the
vehicle. The life cycle assessment process and the results have been
certified by a third party according to ISO 14040/14044. Further
details can be found online at bmw-i.com.
01. DEVELOPMENT
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AdjustingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Sitting safely The ideal seating position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:▷Safety belts, refer to page 55.▷Head restraints, refer to page 56.▷Airbags, refer to page 93.
Seats
Hints Do not adjust the seat while driving
Do not adjust the driver's seat while driv‐
ing, or the seat could respond with unexpected
movement and the ensuing loss of vehicle
control could lead to an accident.◀
Do not incline the backrest too far to the
rear
Do not incline the backrest too far to the rear
while driving, or there is a risk of slipping under
the safety belt in the event of an accident. This
would eliminate the protection normally pro‐
vided by the belt.◀
Keep the movement area unobstructed
When changing the seat position, keep
the seat's area of movement unobstructed;
otherwise, people might get injured or objects
damaged.◀
Adjusting seats
At a glance1Forward/backward   532Height  543Backrest tilt   54
Forward/backward
Pull the lever and slide the seat in the desired
direction.
After releasing the lever, move the seat for‐
ward or back slightly making sure it engages
properly.
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Safety beltsSeats with safety belt
The vehicle has four seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
General information
Always make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving off.
For the occupants' safety the belt locking
mechanism triggers early. Slowly guide the
belt out of the holder when applying it.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
The upper shoulder strap's anchorage point
will be correct for adult seat occupants of ev‐
ery build if the seat is correctly adjusted.
Hints One person per safety belt
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow infants or
small children to ride on a passenger's lap.◀
Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies
low around the hips in the lap area and does
not press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt
can slip over the hips in a frontal impact and in‐
jure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck,
rub on sharp edges, be routed over breakable
objects, or be pinched.◀
What reduces the restraining effect
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed;
otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced.◀Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's and
passenger's seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be activated
if objects are placed on the front passenger
seat.
Damage to safety belts Wear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work properly.◀
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Front head restraintsDistance
The spacing is adjusted to the back of the
head using the incline of the seat backrest.
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint
is as close as possible to the back of the head.
Removing The head restraints cannot be removed.
Rear head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; 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.
Adjusting the height▷To raise: push.▷To lower: press button, arrow 1, and push
headrest down.Folding down head restraints
Extending/retracting head restraint
Only fold down head restraint if no pas‐
sengers are in the rear. Fold out retracted
headrests again if passengers are being car‐
ried in the rear; otherwise, there is increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.◀▷To lower flaps: press the button, arrow 1,
and press down the head restraint, arrow 2.▷Fold back up: pull up head restraints.
Removing
Only remove the head restraint if no one will be
sitting in the seat in question.
Fold the seat down, refer to page 142, before
removing the head restraint, otherwise the
head restraint cannot be removed.
1.Raise the head restraint up against the re‐
sistance.2.Press button, arrow 1, and pull the head re‐
straint out completely.Seite 56ControlsAdjusting56
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erwise, the level of protection may be re‐
duced.◀
Mounts for the lower LATCH anchors The lower anchors may be used to attach the
CRS to the vehicle seat up to a combined child
and CRS weight of 65 lb/30 kg when the child
is restrained by the internal harnesses.
Note Properly engage the lower LATCH an‐
chors
Make sure that the lower LATCH anchors have
properly engaged and that the child restraint
system is resting snugly against the backrest; otherwise, the degree of protection may be re‐duced.◀
Position The corresponding symbol shows the
mounts for the lower LATCH anchors.
Seats equipped with lower anchors are
marked with a pair, 2, of LATCH sym‐
bols. It is not recommended to use the
inner lower anchors of standard outer
LATCH positions to fasten a child restraint
system on the middle seat. Use the vehicle
seat belt instead for the middle seat.
Before installing LATCH child
restraint systems
Pull the belt away from the area of the child re‐
straint system.
Assembly of LATCH child restraint
systems1.Mount the child restraint system; refer to
the user's manual of the system.2.Ensure that both LATCH anchors are prop‐
erly connected.Child restraint fixing system with a
tether strap
Mounting points The respective symbol shows the an‐
chor for the upper retaining strap.
Seats with an upper Top Tether are
marked with this symbol. It can be found on
the rear seat backrest or the rear window shelf.
Note Mounting eyelets
Use the mounting eyes only for the up‐
per retaining strap to secure child restraint
systems; otherwise, the mounting eyes could
be damaged.◀
Retaining strap guide Retaining strap
Make sure that the upper retaining strap
is not passed over the head restraints or sharp
edges and is not twisted up to the upper
mounting points; otherwise, the belt cannot
properly secure the child restraint system in an
accident.◀1Direction of travel2Head restraint3Hook for upper retaining strap4Mounting point/eye5Seat backrest6Upper retaining strapSeite 62ControlsTransporting children safely62
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Knee airbagThe knee airbag supports the legs in a frontal
impact.
Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags▷Keep at a distance from the airbags.▷Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
keep the risk of injury to your hands or
arms as low as possible when the airbag is
triggered.▷There should be no person, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.▷Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.▷Dashboard and windshield on the front
passenger side must stay clear - do not at‐
tach adhesive labels or coverings and do
not attach brackets or cables, e. g., for GPS
devices or' mobile phones.▷Make sure that the front passenger is sit‐
ting correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and
legs in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries
might occur when front airbag is activated.▷Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.▷Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as
jackets, over the backrests.▷Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
might occur when airbag is activated.▷Do not remove the airbag system.▷Do not remove the steering wheel.▷Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, do not cover them or
modify them in any way.▷Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents or the wiring in the airbag system.
This also applies to steering wheel covers,
the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars
and the sides of the roofliner.◀
Even when you follow all instructions very
closely, injury from contact with the airbags
cannot be ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term and, in most cases, temporary
hearing impairment in sensitive individuals.
Malfunction, deactivation and after de‐
ploying the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered;
otherwise, you may risk burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
the service center or an authorized repair shop
for handling explosives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or
unintentional activation of the airbag - both
may lead to injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are also found on the sun visors.
Functional readiness of the airbag
system
With operating readiness turned on
warning light in the instrument cluster
lights up briefly indicating airbag sys‐
tem and belt tension are functional.
Airbag system malfunctioning
▷Warning lamp does not come on when op‐
erating readiness is turned on.▷The warning lamp lights up continuously.Seite 94ControlsSafety94
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In case of a malfunction have airbag sys‐
tem checked immediately.
In case of a malfunction have airbag system
checked immediately; otherwise, there is a risk
that the system does not function as expected
in case of a severe accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front-
seat passenger airbags
The system reads if the front passenger seat is
occupied by measuring the human body's re‐
sistance.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front pas‐
senger's side are either activated or deacti‐
vated.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger
keeps his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise,
proper functioning of the front passenger air‐
bag might not be assured.◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front pas‐
senger seat, refer to the safety notes and in‐
structions for children on the front passenger
seat, see Children.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front-seat passenger airbags may be deac‐
tivated in certain sitting positions. In this case,
the indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front-seat passenger airbags are activated
and the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To enable correct recognition of the occupied
seat cushion▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats
or other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by your vehicle's manufacturer.▷Do not place any electronic devices on the
passenger seat if a child restraint system is
to be installed on it.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.▷No moisture in or on the seat.
Indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front-seat passen‐
ger airbags indicates the operating state of the
front-seat passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ei‐
ther activated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system or when the seat
is empty. The airbags on the
front passenger side are not
activated.▷The indicator lamp does not light up when,
e.g., a correctly seated person of sufficient
size is detected on the seat. The airbags
on the front passenger side are activated.
Detected child seats
The system generally detects children seated
in a child seat, particularly in child seats re‐
quired by NHTSA when the vehicle was manu‐
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factured. After installing a child seat, make
sure that the indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags lights up. This indicates
that the child seat has been detected and the
front-seat passenger airbags are not activated.
Strength of the driver's and front-seat
passenger airbag
The explosive power that activates driver's/
front passenger's airbags very much depends
on the positions of the driver's/front passeng‐
er's seat.
With a respective message appearing on Con‐
trol Display calibrate the front seats to keep
the accuracy of this function over the long-
term.
Calibrating the front seats A corresponding message appears on the
Control Display.1.Press the reel and move the respective
seat all the way forward.2.Press the reel forward again. The seat still
moves forward slightly.3.Readjust the seat to the desired position.
The calibration procedure is completed when
the message on the Control Display disap‐
pears.
If the message continues to be displayed, re‐
peat the calibration.
If the message does not disappear after a re‐
peat calibration, have the system checked as
soon as possible.
Unobstructed area of movement
Ensure that the area of movement of the
seats is unobstructed to avoid personal injury
or damage to objects.◀
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM
The concept The system monitors tire inflation pressure in
the four mounted tires. The system warns you
if there is a significant loss of pressure in one
or more tires. For this purpose, sensors in the
tire valves measure the tire inflation pressure
and tire temperature.
Hints Tire damage due to external factors
Sudden tire damage caused by external
circumstances cannot be recognized in ad‐
vance.◀
With use of the system observe further infor‐
mation found under Tire inflation pressure, re‐
fer to page 173.
Functional requirements
The system must have been reset with the
correct tire inflation pressure; otherwise, relia‐
ble signaling of tire inflation pressure loss is
not assured.
Reset the system after each adjustment of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics to
ensure that the system will operate properly.
Status display The current status of the Tire Pressure Moni‐
tor TPM can be displayed on the Control Dis‐
play, e.g., whether or not the TPM is active.
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)"
The status is displayed.
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