ESP BMW 760LI SEDAN 2003 User Guide

Adjustments
48
To set the height manually
Pull or press the head restraint.
To set the height electrically*
Set the height of the head restraint.
To adjust the tilt angle
To adjust head restraint tilt angle: adjust by
tilting the head restraint.
To set the side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the
head restraint forward for increased lateral
support.
Front head restraints, active*
When necessary, the system will respond
to a rear impact by automatically triggering
the active head restraints.
To ensure that the active head
restraints afford maximum protection,
and to avoid unnecessary risks to personal
safety, we request that you read and
comply with the following.
>Adjust the head restraints so that they
are centered at roughly ear height
>Do not install seat or head-restraint
covers
>Never use the head restraints as sup-
ports for suspending objects of any
kind, such as clothes hangers. Refrain
from mounting accessories on either
the seat or the head restraint.<
Rear seats
To adjust mechanically
>To raise: pull

Adjustments
50
To set the side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the
head restraint forward to increase lateral
support.
Safety belts
Despite the presence of airbags, you
should always remember to fasten
your safety belt before starting off; airbags
are intended to enhance the protection
provided by the safety belts, and not to
replace them.<
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage
in the belt buckle. Warning lamp Please fasten safety
belts
Accompanied by a signal or a mes-
sage in the Check Control display.
Remains on until the safety belts are fas-
tened.
Releasing
Press the red button in the buckle. Hold the
belt and guide it back into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will
be in the correct position for seat occu-
pants of every build if the seat is correctly
adjusted, refer to page 45.
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated
in the rear seat are for passengers sitting
on the left and right. The belt buckle
embossed with the word CENTER is
intended exclusively for use by passengers
riding in the center position.
Also observe the instructions on adjusting
the seats on page 45.
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the
entire belt system, including the tensioning
mechanisms, replaced at your BMW
center. Have the belt anchorage points
inspected for damage at the same time.
Failure to observe this precaution may pre-
vent the safety belts from effectively pro-
viding optimal protection when needed. If a
child-restraint system was in the vehicle
during an accident, consult the manufac-
turer's instructions regarding replace-
ment.<
Rear seats
When the rear center position is not
occupied, the latch on the safety belt
can be inserted in the slot between the
seat's upholstery and the backrest.<

Adjustments
52
Rear
The operating concept is the same as for
the front seat ventilation.
Active seat*
Active adjustment of the seat cushion's
contours reduces muscular tension and
fatigue to help prevent lower back pain.
To activate: press the button, the indicator
lamp comes on.
Mirrors
Adjusting exterior mirrors
14-way adjustment
2To select mirror for adjustment
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this
vehicle from being damaged, always
fold them in by hand before entering an
automatic car wash.<
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their
lenses.
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory on
page 54.
The mirror on the passenger's side
features a lens with a more convex
surface than the mirror installed on the
driver's side. When estimating the distance
between yourself and other traffic, bear in
mind that the objects reflected in the mirror
are closer than they appear. This means
that estimations of the distance to following
traffic should not be regarded as precise.<
Self-defrosting mirrors
The mirrors are automatically heated
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Interior and exterior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature*

These mirrors automatically respond to
ambient light and headlamp glare from fol-
lowing vehicles by automatically dimming
through an infinitely-variable range. There
are two photocells located in the interior
rearview mirror for this purpose. One is
integrated within the mirror's lens, arrow,
while the other is located at an offset posi-
tion on the rear of the mirror housing.

Adjustments
56
Protective effect
The front airbags help protect the front
passengers by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot
provide adequate restraint. When needed,
the head and side airbags help provide
protection in the event of side impact. The
side airbags help restrain the side of the
occupant's upper torso, and the head air-
bags help support the head while also
helping provide protection against any
objects penetrating into the passenger
compartment. The knee airbags help pro-
tect the legs against impact against the
cockpit.
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 BMW center
for additional information.<
For information on the correct sitting posi-
tion, refer to page 45.
The airbags do not deploy in
response to minor accidents or rear
collisions, nor do they respond to certain
kinds of vehicle rollover.<
Even when all safety guidelines are
observed, there is a small residual risk that
passengers will sustain facial, hand or arm
injuries in isolated instances. The ignition
and inflation noise may provoke a mild Ð
usually temporary Ð hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
Important safety notes
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags, cover
them or modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag
restraint system from the vehicle. If you
note any indication of system malfunction,
if you desire to have an airbag deactivated,
or if the airbags are triggered in response
to an accident, you should always entrust
all inspection, repair and dismantling oper-
ations to your BMW center.
Never modify or tamper with either the wiring or the individual components in the
airbag system. This category includes the
upholstery in the center of the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, the side
trim panels on the front or rear doors, and
the roof pillars along with the sides of the
headliner. Do not attempt to remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel.
To ensure compliance with official safety
regulations, entrust disposal of airbag gen-
erators only to a BMW center.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either
of which could result in personal injury.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of
burns.<
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained Ð
infants and small children in appropriate
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 location.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system on the front passenger
seat. If you do so, the child could be
severely injured when the airbag is trig-
gered.
Children under 13 years of age and chil-
dren less than 5 ft (150 cm) tall should
always ride in the rear and the restraint sys-
tems should be secured with the vehicle's
safety belts.
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile 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 difficult
for a driver to ensure that children in the
rear seat will remain properly positioned at
all times and do not place their heads on or

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near the side airbag. Therefore, we recom-
mend that the rear side airbags, if provided,
be deactivated if you plan to transport chil-
dren in the rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the time of
manufacture or by a BMW center. Labels in
the rear 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 from airbag deployment in iso-
lated instances. The ignition and inflation
noise may provoke a mild temporary
hearing loss in extremely sensitive individ-
uals.
Airbag warning information is also provided
on the sun visors.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp shows the
airbag and belt-tensioner system's
operational status as soon as you
insert the remote control unit in the ignition.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on or
>it remains on continuously.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response range.
Please respond to any signs of malfunction
by having the airbag system inspected
immediately at a BMW center.
Transporting children safely
Commercially-available child-restraint sys-
tems 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.
Child-restraint system with tether
strap
If you use a child-restraint system with a
tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided Ð
refer to the arrows in the illustration.
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, as shown in the illustra-
tion below.
Each seating position is fitted with a head
restraint.
Outer seating positions:
Lift the head restraint and pass the tether
strap between the head restraint and the
seat back. It is recommended to readjust
the head restraint into the lowest possible
position.
Center seating position:
The head restraint must be adjusted into
the lowest possible position. Pass the
tether strap over the head restraint.

Adjustments
60
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory
How the system functions
Doubtless you have often reflected on how
great it would be if you could configure
your vehicle's various adjustment settings
to meet your own personal requirements. In
developing your vehicle, BMW has incor-
porated a number of options for personal
adjustment which you can set in the Con-
trol Center. You can have these pro-
grammed at your BMW center.
The available configuration settings fall into
two categories, according to whether their
primary orientation is the vehicle Ð Vehicle
Memory Ð or the individual Ð Key Memory.
You can have up to four different basic set-
tings adjusted for four different persons.
The only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes the
individual user by means of a data
exchange with the key, and makes adjust-
ments accordingly.
Color-coded decals are provided to help
you distinguish the individual remote con-
trol units with their different settings.
What the system can do
Please contact your BMW center for more
information on the range of options avail-
able with Vehicle Memory and Key
Memory.
You will see this symbol throughout
the Owner's Manual. It is to remind
you at appropriate places of the settings that are available to you. These positions
can be looked up in the index under the
respective keyword.<
Following configuration of the
memory functions, vehicle operation
may differ from the description in the
Owner's Manual. Should you want to sell
your BMW some day, please remember to
have the memory functions reset to the
default state.<
Examples of Vehicle Memory
functions
>Central locking system: set different
signals as an acknowledgment
>Follow-me-home lamps: activate/deac-
tivate function
>Daytime driving lamps: activate/deacti-
vate function
>Alarm system: set different acknowl-
edgment signals to confirm arming/dis-
arming
>Alarm system: activate/deactivate inte-
rior motion sensor and tilt alarm sensor
>Automatic headlamp control: adjust
sensitivity
Examples of Key Memory functions
>Seat memory: activate/deactivate func-
tion
>Central locking system: vehicle is
locked as soon as you drive off or if you
have not opened a door or the luggage
compartment lid after unlocking. Acti-
vate/deactivate function
>Automatic climate control: key-specific
storage of the temperature, blower and
air conditioner setting. Activate/deacti-
vate function
>Check Control: set languages and units
>Seat heating: recall personal tempera-
ture distribution.

Driving
62
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, as otherwise the inhaling of
toxic exhaust gases can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
1.Insert the remote control unit all the way
into the ignition lock
2.Depress the brake pedal
3.Briefly press the start/stop button.
Your BMW is equipped with the con-
venience starting feature. After
depressing the brake pedal, all you need to
do is briefly press the start/stop button.
The system responds by automatically
engaging the starter and allowing it to run
until the engine starts, after which it then
disengages automatically.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate or will be canceled if the battery
voltage is low. The engine can be started
by jump-starting, refer to page 202.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle remains
stationary. Instead, begin to drive immedi-
ately at a moderate engine speed.
If you have accidentally switched off
the engine while driving, it can be
restarted from a speed of approx. 3 mph/
5 km/h by pressing the button. It is not
necessary to depress the brake pedal.< Under the following conditions you should
press the accelerator pedal halfway down
when starting:
>If the engine fails to start on the first
attempt, for instance, if it is very hot or
cold
>During a cold start at high altitudes,
from approx. 3,281 ft/1,000 m, at very
low temperatures, from approx. + 5 7/
Ð 15 6.
Refrain from starting the vehicle
repeatedly at brief intervals, and
avoid an excessive number of starting
attempts if the vehicle fails to start;
repeated activation of the starter over an
extended period would allow unburned or
only partially combusted fuel to enter the
catalytic converter, where it can cause
overheating and damage to the unit.<
Switching off the engine
With the vehicle stationary, briefly press the
start/stop button. This also activates the
radio mode.
Should exceptional circumstances
render it necessary for you to switch
off the engine while the vehicle is moving,
press the start/stop button for approxi-
mately 1 second.
If you maintain pressure on the start/stop
button for longer than two seconds while
switching off the ignition, the remote con-
trol unit will be ejected.<
Always remove the remote control
unit from the ignition lock before
leaving the vehicle.<
Parking brake
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with an electrome-
chanical parking brake.
The parking brake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked.

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You have two separate options for
engaging the parking brake:
>Manually, by briefly pressing the button
>Automatically, through activation of the
Automatic Hold mode, refer to page 64.
An electrohydraulic mechanism then
engages the parking brake to prevent the
rear wheels from turning whenever you
switch off the engine.
When the engine is running, parking brake
engagement is controlled by the brake
system's hydraulic circuits, which act on
the disc brakes at the front and rear
wheels.
Brake pedal feel
Because this function is activated using the
brake system's hydraulic circuits, the
response of the brake pedal may change
slightly. Engagement may also be accom-
panied by activation noise Ð this is normal.
Manual engagement
Press the button briefly, the
word PARK appears briefly in
the Info Display. With the
parking brake set, the indicator
lamp lights up red in the
Info Display, refer to page 14.
With the ignition off, the indicator
lamp goes out after a brief
period.<
Manual release
With the ignition on, briefly
press the button: the indicator
lamp in the Info Display goes
out.
Provided that the remote control unit
is engaged in the ignition lock, you
can also release the parking brake after the
engine has been switched off. This function
is intended for use in automatic car
washes, etc.<
When leaving the vehicle, always
release the remote control unit from
the detent in the ignition lock; this precau-
tion prevents children from disengaging the
parking brake, etc.
The parking brake can still be engaged at
any time when the remote control unit is
released from the detent. It is only possible
to disengage the parking brake with the
ignition on.<
If exceptional circumstances should
make it necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in motion,
maintain pressure on the button.
The indicator lamp appears in red in the
Info Display. A gong sounds at the same
time.
The brake lamps come on.
The vehicle continues to brake automati-
cally for as long as you maintain pressure
on the button.<
When you brake the vehicle to a vir-
tual stop, i.e., down to a speed of
approximately 2 mph/3 km/h or below, the
parking brake remains engaged.
The indicator lamp in the Info Display
lights up red. Press the button briefly to
disengage the parking brake manually.<
Automatic Hold
You can activate this feature after starting
the engine; it then remains operational until
the next time the engine is switched off.
This feature provides supplementary sup-
port during vehicle operation by automati-
cally engaging and releasing the parking
brake during stops at traffic lights, in stop-

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For your safety
Automatic Hold is automatically deacti-
vated when
>the engine is switched off
>the system detects that the driver's seat
is not occupied while the engine is run-
ning
>the hood is opened while the engine is
running
>the luggage compartment is opened
with the transmission in reverse while
the engine is running, and
>when the parking brake is used to bring
the vehicle to a stop.
The indicator lamp changes from
green to red, and the AUTO P letters in the
Info Display disappear.
Before starting off again, briefly press the
button to disengage the parking brake
manually, refer to page 63, or reactivate
Automatic Hold, refer to page 64.
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, always move the
automatic transmission's selector lever to
position P and ensure that the parking
brake is engaged. The vehicle could start to
roll if you fail to observe these precautions.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Automatic Hold is automatically
deactivated whenever the system
detects any tendency for the wheels to spin
in response to slippery road surfaces. Note
the status reports in the Check Control.
You can find more detailed information on
Check Control on page 85.<
Malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs, the indicator
lamp lights up yellow in the Info Dis-
play and a status report will appear in the
Check Control. Please note any supple-
mentary information that appears in the
Control Display.
Releasing the parking brake
manually
You can respond to any interruptions in the
supply of electrical power, for instance, if
the battery is discharged or disconnected,
by releasing the parking brake manually.
Before proceeding to release the
parking brake manually, and each
time you park the vehicle without engaging
the parking brake, always ensure that the
automatic transmission's selector lever is
in position P, refer to page 67. Note the
range indicated in the Info Display.
If it is not possible to avoid parking on an
extremely steep slope, use some supple-
mentary means, such as a wheel chock, to
make certain that the vehicle will not roll,
refer to page 198. Otherwise the danger
exists that the vehicle could roll when
parked on a very steep hill.<
Should it also be necessary to release the
automatic transmission's lockout manually,
for instance, if the battery is discharged,
always adhere to the following sequence:
1.If necessary, start by manually releasing
the parking brake
2.Then release the automatic transmis-
sion's lockout manually, refer to
page 70.
Jump-starting and towing, refer to
pages 202 and 203.
What you will need
1Screwdriver handle
2Emergency-release tool
310 mm open-end wrench
You will find the required tools in the
onboard tool kit mounted on the inside of

Driving
66 the luggage compartment lid, refer to
page 195.
Insert the emergency-release tool in the
screwdriver handle as shown in the illustra-
tion.
Releasing
1.Remove the floor mat and the cover on
the spare tire
2.Guide the emergency-release tool with
the screwdriver handle into the
opening, arrow 1
3.Apply the open-end wrench to the
hexagon on the emergency-release
tool.
Press against the resistance from the
spring to guide the emergency-release
tool all the way in, then hold it in place.
Turn the emergency-release tool in the
direction indicated by arrow 2, con-
tinuing until you hear the mechanism
snap into place and feel resistance;
maintain pressure on the tool after the
mechanism engages
4.Use the open-end wrench to turn the
emergency-release tool against the
drive unit's mechanical resistance, con-
tinuing to rotate it in arrow direction 2
until you feel a substantial increase in
turning effort.
To prevent possible damage to the
rear brakes, always make sure that
the parking brake is completely released
before driving the vehicle.< 5.Return the tools to their places
6.Return the spare tire cover and the floor
mat to their original locations.
Have any defects repaired at the
nearest BMW center. The technicians
can also return the parking brake to normal
operational status after it has been
released manually in response to malfunc-
tion.<
Following manual release, the actual
status of the parking brake may vary
from that displayed by the indicator lamp.<
Operation after interruptions in
power supply
The parking brake may only be used
again, if it was released manually after
an interruption in power supply, i.e. as a
result of a discharged or disconnected bat-
tery. If this is not done, the parking brake
may fail to operate correctly. Even with the
parking brake engaged, there would be a
danger of the vehicle rolling on steep
hills.<
Once the electrical power supply has been
restored you can again use the parking
brake:
With the ignition on and the
vehicle stationary, press the
button briefly three times at
intervals of approx. 5 seconds.
This initializes the system as
follows:
>Initializing the released setting
>Engage Ð the system registers the new
status and the brake setting is initial-
ized. The indicator lamp in the
Info Display lights up red.
>Release Ð the parking brake is ready for
operation. The indicator lamp in
the Info Display goes out.