airbag BMW 325CI CONVERTIBLE 2004 E46 Owner's Manual

Contents

9

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags61
Transporting children safely64
Rollover protection system68
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory70

Driving:

Ignition lock71
Starting the engine71
Switching off the engine73
Parking brake73
Manual transmission74
Sequential manual gearbox
SMG*75
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*79
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher82
Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor*83
Cruise control*84

Everything under control:

Odometer86
Tachometer86
Energy control86
Fuel gauge87
Engine coolant temperature
gauge87
Service interval display88
Check Control88
Clock89
Computer90

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)*92
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)93
Flat Tire Monitor*94
Brake force display96

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams97
Adaptive headlights*98
Instrument lighting98
High beams/Standing lamps99
Fog lamps99
Interior lamps100

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Air conditioning102
Automatic climate control*106

Interior conveniences:

Glove compartment111
Integrated universal remote
control*112
Storage compartments114
Cellular phone*115
Ashtray, front*115
Ashtray, rear*116

Loading and transporting:

Ski bag*117
Cargo loading118
Roof-mounted luggage rack for
the hardtop*121

Controls and features

18

Indicator and warning lamps

Technology that monitors itself

Indicator and warning lamps that are
identified by

●

are tested for proper
functioning whenever the ignition key is
turned. They each light up once for dif-
ferent periods of time.
If a fault should occur in one of these
systems, the corresponding lamp does
not go out after the engine is started, or
it lights up while the vehicle is moving.
You will see how to react in the follow-
ing section.

Red: stop immediately

Battery charge current

●

The battery is no longer being
charged. Indicates a defective
alternator drive belt or a problem with
the alternator's charge circuit. Please
contact the nearest BMW center.
If the drive belt is defective, stop
and switch off the engine immedi-
ately to prevent overheating and seri-
ous engine damage. If the drive belt is
defective, increased steering effort is
also required.

<

Engine oil pressure

●

Stop the vehicle immediately
and switch off the engine.
Check the engine oil level; top off as
required. If the oil level is correct:
please contact the nearest BMW cen-
ter.
Do not continue driving, as the
engine could sustain serious dam-
age from inadequate lubrication.

<

Flat Tire Monitor

●

In addition, an acoustic signal is
sounded: there is a flat tire.
Reduce speed and carefully come to a
stop. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers.
For additional information: refer to
page 94
Brake warning lamp

●

If the lamp comes on when the
parking brake is not engaged:
check the brake fluid level. Before driv-
ing further, be sure to comply with the
instructions on pages 126 and 141.
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.

Red: an important reminder

Brake warning lamp
Comes on when the parking
brake is engaged – an additional
acoustic signal sounds when you start
off.
For additional information: refer to
page 73
Brake warning lamp for Cana-
dian models.
Lock backrest/Fasten safety
belts

●

Comes on together with an
acoustic signal until the safety belts are
fastened. Flashes if the backrest is not
locked.
For additional information on locking
the seat backrests, refer to page 55
For additional information on safety
belts: refer to page 56
Airbags

●

Please have the system
inspected at your BMW center.
For additional information: refer to
page 61

52To adjust
Safe seating positionFor driving that is relaxed and less likely
to cause fatigue, you should select a
sitting position that reflects your per-
sonal requirements. In combination
with the safety belts and airbags, the
correct seating position also plays an
important role in enhancing occupant
safety in the event of an accident. To
ensure that the vehicle's safety systems
provide you with optimal protection, we
request that you direct your careful
attention to the following section.
For supplementary information on
transporting children, refer to page 64.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by the rim to keep any chance of injury
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-
mum should the airbag be deployed.
Never allow any objects, individuals or
animals to obstruct the areas between
passengers and airbags. Never use the
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or
support for objects of any kind. Never
allow front passengers to rest their feet
or legs on the airbag cover.<
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags, refer to
page 61.Sitting safely with safety beltsYour vehicle is equipped with four
seats, each of which is provided 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. Avoid twisting the
belt while routing it firmly across the
hips and shoulder, wear it as snugly
against your body as possible. Do not
allow the belt to rest against hard or
fragile objects. Do not route the belt
across your neck, or run it across sharp
edges. Be sure that the belt does not
become caught or jammed. Avoid
wearing bulky clothing and pull on the
lap belt periodically to retension it over
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over
your hips, leading to abdominal injury.
In addition, the safety belt's restraint
effectiveness is reduced if it is worn
loosely. Expectant mothers should
always wear their safety belts, taking
care to position the lap belt against the
lower hips, where it will not exert pres-
sure against the abdominal area.<
For information on using the safety
belts, refer to page 56.

56
You can lock a backrest that has
been tilted forward. This makes
sense when, for instance, someone is
climbing into the rear on an incline. To
do this, press against the backrest until
you hear it click into place. To move it
back into place, you do not need to first
unlock it by moving the lever 1.<
Lock both backrests while driving,
otherwise there is a danger of an
unexpected movement causing an
accident.<
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the
backrest is not locked, refer to
page 18.
Safety beltsAlways wear your safety beltAlways fasten your safety belt before
starting off. As supplemental restraint
devices, the airbags are designed to
enhance the effectiveness of the safety
belts, and not to replace them.
Always detach the rear safety
belts from their retainers before
wearing.<
To avoid undesired movement at
high speeds, always store the rear
safety belts in their retainers when they
are not in use.<To closeMake sure you hear the lock engage in
the belt buckle.
To release1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.Safety belt height The front belt system automatically
adapts to your body size when the
height of the head restraint is adjusted.
Refer to page 54.
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses involved
in an accident or otherwise damaged:
have the entire safety belt mechanism
replaced by your BMW center, includ-
ing the safety belt tensioner. In addi-
tion, have your BMW center inspect the
safety belt anchors. If a child-restraint
system was in the vehicle during an
accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Entering the rear

61 Passenger safety systems
Airbags1Front airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides
2Side airbags on the driver and pas-
senger sides – front and rear*Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts by providing addi-
tional protection in the event of a
severe frontal collision in which the pro-
tection afforded by the belts alone may
no longer be sufficient. The side airbags
provide protection in the event of a col-
lision from the side. They help support
the respective seat occupant's upper
body.
For information on the correct sitting
posture, refer to page 52.
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. You may have them acti-
vated if you desire to do so. Please
contact your BMW center for additional
information.<
The airbags do not deploy in
response to minor collisions, rear
impacts and certain kinds of vehicle
rollover.<
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way. Do not remove the airbag restraint
system. In the event of a malfunction,
deactivation or triggered activation – as
a response to an accident – of the air-
bag restraint system, consult your BMW
center for inspection, repair or disas-
sembly. Do not modify or tamper with
either the wiring or the individual com-
ponents in the airbag system. These
include the upholstered covers on the
steering wheel, instrument panel, side
trim panels of the doors and front roof
pillars and on the sides of the headliner.
Also, do not attempt to remove the
steering wheel. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury. Do
not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been
activated, as this could result in per-
sonal injury.<
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

62
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts.
Never let an occupant's head rest near
or on a side airbag because the inflating
airbag could cause a serious or fatal
injury. Please note that the word Airbag
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained could place his or her head
on or near the airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child — even though
belted in — may fall asleep with his or
her head against the side airbag. It may
be difficult for a driver to ensure that
children in the rear seat will remain
properly positioned at all times and not
place their heads on or near the side
airbag. Therefore, we recommend that
the rear-seat side airbags, if installed in
the vehicle, be deactivated if children
will travel in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated by a BMW cen-
ter. If you are uncertain of their status,
or wish to have the airbags activated or
deactivated, please contact your BMW
center.<
Even when all these guidelines are fol-
lowed, there is still a small residual risk
of injuries to the face, hands and arms
occurring from airbag deployment in
isolated instances.
In sensitive individuals, the ignition and
inflation noise may induce a mild hear-
ing loss that is temporary in most
cases.
Corresponding airbag warning labels
are located on both sun visors.This is the right way a child should sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
are provided.
Airbags

63
This is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the seat belt when
rear side airbags are provided.Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp indicates the
operational status of the airbag
system when the ignition key is
in position 1 or higher.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
when you turn the ignition key to
position 1 or higher.
System malfunction:
>Indicator lamp does not come on or
>indicator lamp lights up continuously.
If there is a system malfunction,
there is a risk that the airbags will
not be triggered within their normal
response range, even if the level of
impact would normally have triggered
them. Have your BMW center inspect
the airbag system immediately.<
Airbags
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

65
It is recommended to cover the child-
restraint attaching clip with a soft mate-
rial to prevent damage to the stored
soft top.
Should a hard top be installed, the
fitting of child harness tether
strap/s – if child seat is required – is
necessary before installation of the
hard top.<
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat,
please read the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rearward-facing child-restraint
system – of the kind designed for
infants under 1 year and 20 lbs/9 kg –
would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment range, you should never mount
such a device in the front passenger
seat, since the impact of the airbag
against the child restraint's backrest
could lead to serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child – not an
infant – to ride in the front seat, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as far away
from the dashboard as possible. This
important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height, and weight. Younger chil-
dren should be secured in an appropri-
ate forward-facing child-restraint sys-
tem that has first been properly
installed with a safety belt.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child restraint's manufacturer when-
ever you use such a device.
Do not attempt to modify child-restraint
systems. If you do this, the protection
provided by these systems could be
impaired.
Be sure that all occupants – of all ages –
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your vehicle
meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Transporting children safely
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

68
Rollover protection systemIn the event of an accident or some
other critical driving situation – extreme
tilting in the longitudinal or transverse
axis, loss of contact with the ground –
the rollover protection system will be
automatically activated. The protective
bars located in the rear head restraints
extend within fractions of a second.
In addition to the integrated rollover bar
in the windshield frame, the rollover
protection system affords all the vehicle
occupants necessary headroom.
Always keep the travel path for the
rollover protection system free
and clear. Under no circumstances
should you cover the head restraints.
In the event of less serious accidents,
the safety belt will protect you and,
depending on the severity of the acci-
dent, so will the safety belt tensioner
and the multi-stage airbag restraint sys-
tem as well.<
If, after being automatically triggered,
its protective function is not needed,
then the rollover protection system can
be lowered back into place. No special
tool is needed for this.
1. Using a screwdriver from the
onboard tool kit, remove the cover
panel; to do this, position the screw-
driver under the notch
2. Push the lever toward the front of the
vehicle and keep it in this position

Everything from A to ZA
ABS Antilock Brake
System 125
indicator lamp 19
Acceleration assistant 78
Accessories, refer to For
your own safety 5
Accident, refer to Emer-
gency call 158
Activated-charcoal filter 110
Adaptive headlights 98
Adding brake fluid 141
Additional sources of infor-
mation 4
Air conditioning 102
Air conditioning mode 104
automatic climate
control 108
Air distribution
air conditioning 104
automatic climate
control 108
Air distribution,
individual 108
Air outlets, refer to Ventila-
tion 102, 106
Air pressure, refer to Tire
inflation pressure 25, 129
Air recirculation, refer to
Recirculated-air mode
104, 109Air supply
air conditioning 104
automatic climate
control 108
Air, drying, refer to Air con-
ditioning mode 104, 108
Airbags 61
deactivating 64
indicator lamp 18, 63
sitting safely 52
Airing out, refer to Ventila-
tion 102, 106
AKI, refer to Fuel specifica-
tions 25
Alarm system 38
avoiding unintentional
alarms 39
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires 132
Antifreeze 140
coolant 140
washer fluid 138
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 125
indicator lamp 19
Anti-theft system 30
Anti-theft warning system,
refer to Alarm system 38
Approved axle loads, refer
to Weights 168
Approved gross weight,
refer to Weights 168Armrest 114
Artificial leather, refer to the
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Ashtray
front 115
rear 116
Assistant systems, refer to
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC) 93
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control 109
AUTO program, refer to
Automatic air
distribution 108
Automatic
air distribution 108
air supply 108
cruise control 84
headlamp control 97
Automatic car wash, refer to
the Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Automatic climate
control 106
Automatic curb monitor 58
Automatic dimming, interior
rearview mirror 60
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC) 109Automatic transmission with
Steptronic 79
indicator lamp 19, 81
interlock 71
selector lever lock 79
shiftlock 79
Automatic windshield
washer, refer to Rain sen-
sor 83
Average fuel
consumption 91
Average speed 91
Avoiding unintentional
alarms 39
Axle loads, refer to
Weights 168
B
Backrest
unlock 55
Backrest, refer to Seat
adjustment 53
Backup lamps 74
bulb replacement 151
Bandages, refer to First-aid
kit 23
Bar, towing 161