belt BMW 325Ci COUPE 2001 E46 User Guide

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbags 1 Front airbags for driver and
passenger
2 Side impact Head Protection System
(front)
3 Side airbags for driver and passenger
(front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags protect the front-seat
occupants in the event of a severe
frontal collision on which the protection
afforded by the belts alone may no
longer be sufficient. The side impact
Head Protection System and the side
airbags help provide protection in the
event of a collision from the side. Each
of the side airbags is designed to help
support the occupant's upper body.462us056
The side airbags in the rear
passenger area
* of your vehicle
may already have been deactivated
either at the time of manufacture or 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 illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
that initiate airbag deployment.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear.c
462de208
Operational status
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster displays the opera-
tional status of the airbag
system from ignition key position 1 and
higher.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
then goes out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on.
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out, and then lights up
again.
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
system immediately.
The airbag indicator lamp also
comes on if the safety belt
tensioners have been triggered.<

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AirbagsSitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the
airbags. If you do not, the airbags may
not be able to provide their maximum
protection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with
this information:
The airbags are supplemental restraint
devices designed to provide extra
protection; they are not a substitute for
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at all
times. The airbags will not be triggered
in the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear. In these instances, the safety belt
provides optimal protection.
Airbags are located under cover panels
in the steering wheel, in the instrument
panel, in the side trim panels in the
front and rear
*, in the roof panels, and
in the sides of the inside roof lining.
Adjust your seat to a position that
provides maximum distance between
you and the steering wheel, the instru-
ment panel and the door while still
allowing comfortable and safe access
to all vehicle controls.
To avoid sustaining hand and arm inju-
ries, always grasp the steering wheel
on the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions. Do not place your
hands on the center pad.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
passenger-side airbag as a storage
area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
Do not install a rear-facing child
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 feet (150 cm) tall
should ride only in the rear seat.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
If your vehicle is equipped with side
airbags in the rear passenger area
*, be
sure that child restraints are mounted
correctly and provided with the
greatest-possible distance between the
airbags in the side trim panels. Do not
allow children to lean out of the child's
seat in the direction of the side trim
panels. If they do so, serious injuries
can occur if the airbag is triggered. upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appro-
priate child restraint systems; larger
children 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 indicates the airbag's loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an automo-
bile is in the rear seat. However, a child
sitting in the rear seat and not properly
restrained may place his or her head on
or near the airbag, if so equipped. For
example, a child Ñ even though belted
Ñ may fall asleep with his or her head
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult 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 so equipped, be
deactivated if children will travel in the
rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Airbagscenter. Labels in the door opening
should indicate the status of your rear
seat side airbags. 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
observed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring in isolated instances.
The ignition and inflation noise may
induce a mild temporary hearing loss in
sensitive individuals.
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 146
and 175.This is the right way for a child to sit in
a child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
462us012
This is the right way for a larger child to
sit wearing the safety belt when rear
side airbags (arrow) are provided.462us013

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Transporting children safelyCommercially available child seats
complying with the legal standard are
designed to be secured with a lap belt
or with the lap belt portion of a combi-
nation lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed
restraint systems can increase the risk
of injury to children. Always read and
follow the instructions that come with
the system.
If you use a child restraint system with a
tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points (refer to the arrows in
the illustration) have been provided.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child restraint system. Remove the
cover first on the middle location.380us123
If the respective seating position is
fitted with a headrest lift the headrest
and pass the tether strap between the
headrest and the seat back.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Before installing any child restraint
system or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rear-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 rear-facing child restraint
system (of the kind designed for infants
under 1 year and 20 lbs./9 kg)) would
be within the airbag's deployment
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 instrument panel as possible.
This important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the
airbag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with the
safety belt. Younger children should be
secured in an appropriate forward-
facing child restraint system that has
first been properly secured with a
safety belt.
Never install a rear-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.
Always ensure 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 prac-
tice for securing child restraint systems
in motor vehicles.

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Transporting children safelyChild seat securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems.
Information pertaining to this is located
in the immediate vicinity of the buckle
latch of each safety belt.462us014
Lock the safety beltExtract the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.
The belt cannot be extracted further.
Always comply with the installation
instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the child restraint system.
Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and pull the safety belt out
to its end position on the belt retractor.

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Through-loading systemThe rear backrest is divided into two
sections (one-third and two-thirds of
the width of the seat). For carrying
longer objects, you can fold down
either section of the backrest sepa-
rately.
To unlock, pull the lever corresponding
to the section (arrow).460de154
The rear backrest section will move
forward slightly when it is unlocked.
Reach into the gap and pull the
backrest down.
When you fold back the backrest,
be sure that the retainer engages
correctly. If it is not correctly engaged,
transported cargo could enter the pas-
senger compartment from the luggage
compartment during brake applications
or evasive maneuvers and endanger the
vehicle occupants.<
The fittings at the inner corners of the
luggage compartment provide you with
a convenient means of attaching
luggage nets
* and flexible straps for
securing suitcases and luggage. Refer
also to "Cargo loading" on page 108.
462de240
Center 3-point-safety belt in the
rear
*
You can retract the 3-point-safety belt
in the rear, before folding the through-
loading system back:
Loosen the safety belt and put the
buckle latch that is on the end of the
safety belt into the bracket mounted on
the rear window shelf (arrow).
To install a child restraint system
always use the outer belts. The
centre seat belt should only be used
when it is necessary to secure three
child restraint systems.
Do not modify the child restraint system
in any way. If you do so, it will not
provide your child with maximum
protection.<462us054

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Cargo loadingStowing cargo If you are transporting a load in your
BMW:
>Load heavy cargo as far forward as
possible Ð directly behind the back-
rests or the luggage compartment
partition Ð and as low as possible.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>Do not pile objects higher than the
top edge of the backrest.462de241
>If you are transporting very heavy
loads when the rear seat is not occu-
pied, secure the outer safety belts in
the opposite buckles (refer to the
illustration).460de185
Securing the load >For small, light items, use the rubber-
lined non-skid side of the floor mat or
secure with a luggage net
* or flexible
straps (refer to page 41).
>For large, heavy pieces, see your
BMW center for load-securing
devices
*. Lashing eyes (arrow) are
provided at the inner corners of the
luggage compartment for attaching
these load-securing devices.
>Comply with the information
enclosed with the load-securing
devices.
460de161

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Caring for your vehicleWindow careYou can use window and glass cleaner
to clean inside window surfaces and
mirrors without smearing and streaking.
Never use polishing pastes or abrasive
(quartz) cleansers on mirror lenses.
Clean the wiper blades with soapy
water. The wiper blades should be
replaced twice a year Ð before and after
the winter months. This is especially
important for vehicles with a rain
sensor.
Use only wiper blades approved
by BMW.<
Caring for other vehicle
components and materials Light-alloy wheels should be treated
with alloy wheel cleaner, especially
during the winter months. However, do
not use aggressive products containing
acids, strong alkalis or abrasive
cleaning agents, nor steam cleaners
operating at temperatures above
140 7 (+60 6). (Follow the manufac-
turer's instructions.)
If your vehicle has chrome parts
*, such
as the window frames and door handles,
clean these parts carefully with ample
clean water and a shampoo supplement
if desired, especially if they have an
accumulation of road salt. Use a chrome
polish for an additional treatment.
Plastic components, vinyl upholstery,
headliners, lamp lenses, the clear cover
of the instrument panel and compo-
nents with a sprayed dull black surface
can be cleaned with water (add plastic
shampoo as required). Do not allow
moisture to soak through the seats or
headliner. Never use solvents such as
lacquer thinner, heavy-duty grease
remover, fuels, or similar substances.
Rubber components should be cleaned
with water only; a rubber treatment or
silicone spray may also be applied.Do not remove safety belts to clean
them. Clean them with mild soapy
water only. Do not use chemicals or dry
cleaners to clean safety belts, since this
could damage the belt fabric.
After cleaning, never allow the inertia
reel to retract the belts until they are
completely dry. Dirty safety belts
prevent the inertia reel mechanism from
retracting the strap properly, and thus
constitute a safety hazard.
Heavily soiled floor carpets and mats
*
can be cleaned with an interior cleaner.
The floor mats can be removed from
the vehicle for cleaning.
Use only a damp cloth to clean trim
panels made of real wood
* and other
parts constructed of real wood
*. Follow
up by drying with a soft cloth.
Use the cleaning and car-care
products available at your BMW
center.<

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)174
Airbags175
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC)175
Radio reception176
Safety belt tensioner176
Interior rearview mirror
with automatic dimming
feature177
Rain sensor178
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)179
Self-diagnostics180
Xenon lamps181
Technol-

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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the acceleration forces acting
upon the vehicle. If, as the result of a
frontal collision, a deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer
adequate, the gas generators of the
driver and passenger-front airbags are
ignited. However, the passenger-side
airbag is only triggered if an additional
sensor has recognized that the
passenger seat is occupied.
In the event of a side collision, the head
and side airbags in the front or rear
* are
triggered if necessary.
390de319
The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process, they
tear through the designed separation
points of the upholstered covers or
press them out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is accompa-
nied by a certain amount of ignition and
inflation noise, which will be drowned
out by the noise from the accident
itself. The gas required to inflate the
airbags is not dangerous, and the
associated smoke then dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.Highly sensitive sensors monitor the
number of revolutions of the wheels.
When equipped with DSC, they also
monitor steering angle, lateral accelera-
tion, brake pressure and the movement
of the vehicle around its vertical axis.
If differences in the wheel speeds
occur, ASC+T counteracts the danger
of wheelspin by reducing engine
torque; if necessary, ASC+T will also
respond by applying the brakes to the
rear wheels.
In addition, DSC permanently monitors
the vehicle's current operating condi-
tion and compares it with an ideal
condition that is calculated from the
sensor's signals. If deviations from this
occur (understeering or oversteering,
for instance), DSC can stabilize the
vehicle in fractions of a second by
reducing engine output and with the
assistance of braking intervention at
individual wheels. As a result,
dangerous skids can be prevented even
as they are just beginning. But this is
only possible within the laws of physics.
You may need some time to become
accustomed to this system's interven-
tion. However, it provides optimum
drive force and vehicle stability.
The braking intervention may be
accompanied by sounds specific to
the system.
Airbags ASC+T/DSC
*