belt BMW 540I SEDAN 2001 User Guide

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
61n
Drive with your safety belt onFasten your safety belt at the beginning
of every trip.
To fasten: make sure you hear the lock
engage in the belt buckle.
To release: press the red button in the
buckle. Hold the belt and guide it back
into its reel.
The shoulder belt anchor automatically
adjusts to continue providing an opti-
mum fit when you move the seat for-
ward or back.The two rear safety belt buckles which
are integrated in the rear seat are for
passengers sitting on the left and right.
The belt buckle with the word "CENTER"

is intended exclusively for passengers
sitting in the middle.
For care instructions, refer to page 174.
390de653
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for wearing
safety belts. If you do not, the safety
belts may not be able to provide their
maximum protection. All passengers in
the vehicle should be aware of and com-
ply with this information:
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow in-
fants or small children to ride in a pas-
senger'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 belt periodically to re-tension 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 effec-
tiveness is reduced if the belt 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 pressure against
the abdominal area.<
sedan with through-loading
system
*: please comply with the
instructions for the center safety belt on
page 128.
sport wagon: if the center safety belt
cannot be pulled out, the larger rear
backrest section is not engaged. Refer
to page 132.<
If the safety belt system has been
subjected to the stresses in-
volved in an accident or otherwise
damaged: have the entire safety belt
mechanism replaced by your BMW
center, including the safety belt ten-
sioner. In addition, have your BMW
center inspect the safety belt anchors.
If a child restraint system was in the ve-
hicle during an accident, consult the
manufacturer's instructions regarding
replacement.c
Safety belts

62n
Airbags Child restraint systems
*
Never install a rear-facing child
restraint device on the front pas-
senger seat. Otherwise, injuries could
occur when the airbag is triggered in
the event of an accident.
Children should always ride in the rear
and the restraint systems should be
secured with the outer belts.
The centre seat belt should only be
used when it is necessary to secure
three child restraint systems.
Do not attempt to modify child restraint
systems. If you do this, the protection
provided by these systems could be
impaired.<
1 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger sides
2 Side Impact Head Protection System
on the driver and passenger sides
(front and rear
*)
3 Side airbags on the driver and
passenger sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags protect the driver and
passenger in the event of a head-on
collision where the protection provided
by the safety belt alone would not be
adequate. The Head Protection System
and side airbags help provide protec-
tion in the event of a collision from the
side. Each of the side airbags is de-
signed to help support the seat occu-
pant's upper body.380de643
The side airbags in the rear pas-
senger area
* of your vehicle may
already have been deactivated, either
at the time of manufacture or by a BMW
center. You may have them activated if
you desire to do so. Please contact
your authorized BMW center for addi-
tional information.<

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
63n
AirbagsThe illustration depicts schematically
the primary directions of vehicle impact
which initiate an airbag deployment.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear.c390de142
Operational status
The indicator lamp displays the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1.
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 lighting up
again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response
range.
Have the system checked by your
BMW center immediately.
Sitting 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:
Even though there is an airbag, wear a
safety belt every time you get in the
vehicle, because airbags enhance
safety by providing added protection.
Make sure you are seated comfortably
in your seat, in such a way that you al-
ways maintain control, and are not too
close to the steering wheel.
Always hold the steering wheel by the
rim to keep any chance of injury to
hands or arms to an absolute minimum,
should the airbag be deployed.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbag and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger-side airbag as a
storage area.

64n
AirbagsDo 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 re-
straint system in the front passenger
seat of this car.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 ft (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 car 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 di-
rection of the side trim panels. If they
do so, serious injuries can occur if the
airbag is triggered.< 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 in-
jury. Please note that the word "Airbag"
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
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 side airbag, if so equipped.
For example, a child – even though
belted – may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly 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 provided, be deac-
tivated if you plan to transport children
in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a BMW cen-
ter. Labels in the rear door opening
should indicate the status of your rear
seat side airbags. If your are uncertain
of their status, or wish to have the air-
bags activated or deactivated, please
contact your BMW center.<
Even when all these guidelines are
followed, there is still a small residual
risk of injuries to the face, hands and
arms occurring from airbag deployment
in isolated instances. The ignition and
inflation noise may provoke a mild tem-
porary hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals.
Airbag warning information is also
provided on the sun visors.
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to pages 176
and 206.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
65n
AirbagsThis is the right way for a child to sit in a
child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.380de637
This is the right way for a larger child to
sit wearing the safety belt when rear
side airbags (arrow) are provided.380de638

66n
Transporting children safelyCommercially-available child restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion of a combination lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed re-
straint systems can increase the risk of
injury to children. Always read and fol-
low the instructions that come with the
system.380us123
If you use a child restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points (refer to the arrows –
the illustration shows the sport wagon)
have been provided. Depending on the
location selected for seating in the rear
passenger area, attach the tether strap
to the corresponding anchorage point
to secure the child restraint system. Re-
move the cover first on the middle loca-
tion.
If the respective seating position is fit-
ted with a headrest lift the headrest and
pass the tether strap between the head
rest and the seat back.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.392au001
Before installing any child restraint
device or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the front passenger seat of
this car.
Your car 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 Ibs./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 dashboard as
possible. This important precaution is
intended to maximize the distance
between the airbag and the child.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
67n
Transporting children safelyOlder children should be tightly secured
with a 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 in-
stallation and use provided by the child
restraint's manufacturer whenever you
use such a device.
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-recom-
mended practice for securing child
restraint systems in motor vehicles.
Child restraint installationAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems. A label with the ap-
propriate instructions for this is located
in the immediate vicinity of the buckle
latch of each safety belt.Lock the safety beltPull 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.Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt
to its end position on the belt retractor. 365us146
Child-safety locksInsert the key to the slot of a rear door
lock and turn it outward:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only.390de019

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
87n
Check Control>RELEASE PARKINGBRAKE
>COOLANT TEMPERATURE
The coolant is overheated. Stop the
vehicle immediately and switch off
the engine. Refer to pages 85
and 16 7.
>STOP!ENGINE OILPRESS
The oil pressure is too low. Stop the
vehicle immediately and switch off
the engine. Refer to page 22.
>CHECK BRAKE FLUID
Indicates that brake fluid is down to
roughly minimum level. Top up the
brake fluid at the next opportunity.
Refer to page 168. Have the source
of the brake fluid loss diagnosed and
corrected by your BMW center.
>TIRE DEFECT
*
Reduce vehicle speed immediately
and stop the vehicle. Avoid hard
brake applications. Do not oversteer.
Refer to page 104.
>SELFLEVEL SUSP.INACT
Please consult the nearest authorized
BMW center. Refer to page 148.
>SPEED LIMIT
*
Display if the programmed speed
limit has been exceeded.Priority 2
These displays appear for 20 seconds
when the ignition key is turned to posi-
tion 2. The warning symbols remain
after the message disappears. You can
display the messages again by pressing
the CHECK button 3:
>TRUNKLID OPEN
Message appears only when the
vehicle is initially set in motion.
>DOOR OPEN
This message appears after a mini-
mal defined road speed has been ex-
ceeded.
>FASTEN SEAT BELTS
*
In addition to this message, a
warning lamp with the safety belt icon
appears and an acoustical signal
sounds.
>WASHER FLUID LOW
Too low; top up fluid at the next
opportunity. Refer to page 164.
>CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV
The oil level is at the absolute mini-
mum, and therefore engine oil should
be added as soon as possible. Refer
to page 165. Until then, do not drive
more than approx. 30 miles (50 km)>CHECK FILLER CAP
Check that the filler cap is closed
correctly, refer to page 28. A loose or
missing cap will activate the message
"CHECK FILLER CAP" in the Check
Control
* or the Service Engine Soon
lamp.
>OUTSIDE TEMP. +207 (–56)
This display is only an example. The
current temperature is displayed at
outside temperatures of +37.57
(+36) and below. Refer also to
page 83.
>SET TIRE PRESSURE
*
The RDC has imported the current in-
flation pressure in the tires as the tar-
get values which the system will
monitor. Refer to page 103.
>CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
*
Check and correct the tire inflation
pressure to specifications at the earli-
est opportunity (next stop for fuel).
Refer to page 104.
>TIRECONTROL INACTIVE
*
A temporary interference of the RDC
or a system fault. Refer to page 104.
>CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS
A lamp has failed or the electrical cir-
cuit has a fault. Refer to pages 186
and 196 or consult a BMW center.

128nThrough-loading system*
The backrest of the rear seat is divided
into two portions, one-third and two-
thirds of the seat respectively. For stor-
ing longer objects, you can fold down
either side individually.
To open:
Reach into the recess and pull forward
(arrow 1).
When you close the backrest, be sure
that the catch engages securely. The
red slide (arrow 2) must go underneath.
394de117
The central belt has an additional small
buckle.
>If you connect the two belt sections,
you can use the central belt as any
normal 3-point belt.
> It is easier to fold the rear seat back-
rest up and down if you unbuckle the
belt (arrow).
394de303
With a master key, you can lock each
backrest in the rear seat.
This also prevents access to the lug-
gage compartment from the interior of
the vehicle when you turn over the door
and ignition key 3 to someone else
(refer to page 36), for valet parking for
instance.
394de118

132nLuggage compartment – sport wagon
Fold down the rear backrests
Reach into the recess and pull upward
(arrow).
The rear backrest is divided into two
sections, one-third and two-thirds of
the seat respectively. You can fold ei-
ther section of the backrest down sepa-
rately in order to increase luggage com-
partment capacity.
When you close the backrest, be
sure that the catch engages se-
curely. The red warning indicator disap-
pears in the recess when the retainer is
locked.
The center safety belt can be retracted
only when the larger backrest is en-
gaged. <
392de161
Roll-up cover
Pull the roll-up cover out and hook it
into the rear bracket.
The cover will support light objects
such as items of clothing.
Do not place heavy or bulky
objects on the roll-up cover,
otherwise, they could endanger occu-
pants while braking hard, during eva-
sive maneuvers, or in an accident, for
example.
Do not allow the cover to snap back,
since this could damage it. <
For storing the case, refer to the next
page.
392de162
Partition net
Pull out the partition net by the strap
and hold the bar firmly in the other
hand. Then grasp the bar on both sides,
pull it up and engage it in the holders. It
is easiest to do this from the back seat. Do not allow the partition net to
snap back. Doing so could pose a
risk of injury and the partition net could
be damaged. <
When the rear backrests are folded
down, you can store the case in front of
the rear seats, pull the partition net out
from there and insert it in the front hold-
ers (refer to the next page).
392de163