airbag BMW M3 2012 Owners Manual

16
At a glanceDashboard
Around the roofliner
Coupe
1Microphone for voice activation system and
for telephone in hands-free mode
2 SOS: sending an Emergency
Request
276
3 Reading lamps 115
4 Glass sunroof 41
5 Interior lamps 114
6 Passenger airbag status lamp 108
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17
Dashboard
At a glance
Convertible
1
SOS: sending an Emergency
Request
276
2 Reading lamps 115
3 Interior lamps 114
4 Passenger airbag status lamp 108
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47
Adjustments
Controls
Adjustments
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. As a result, some equip-
ment described may not be
available in a partic-
ular vehicle, for example due to the options or
national-market version selected. This also
applies to safety related functions and systems.
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fati gue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safe ty belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page 57.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard;
otherwise, leg injuries ca n occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passen gers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean against the cover of the
head airbag; otherwise,
serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys. <
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This e ffect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page 107.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident. <
Head restraints, refer to page 50.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has four se ats, each of which is
equipped 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. Make sure that the be lt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder withou t being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and
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50
ControlsAdjustments
Longitudinal adjustment from
outside/behind
To move the front seat s forward or backward
from outside or from one of the rear seats: with
the door open, press the front end 1 or rear
end 2 of the switch.
Head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all
occupied seats; 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.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is
as close as possible to the back of the head.
Front active head restraints
In a rear collision of a sufficient strength, the
active head restraint reduces the distance to
the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
that could impair the fu nction of the active
head restraint.
Do not hang any items, e.g. clothes hangers,
directly on the head re straints. Attach only
BMW approved accessories to the seat or head
restraint. Otherwise, the protective
function of the active
head restraint will not be ensured and its full
potential in reducing the risk of injury in the
event of a rear collision may not be realized.
In the event of faults, i mmobilization, or after the
active head restraints have been triggered,
have the testing, repa ir, or disassembly per-
formed only by your BMW center or a workshop
that has the required explosives licenses.
Unprofessional attempts to work on the system
could lead to failure in an emergency or to
undesired airbag activa tion, either of which
could result in personal injury. <
For technical reasons, the head restraint
cannot be removed. <
Coupe: front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
> To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and
slide the head restraint down.
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53
Adjustments
Controls
Seat heating
Press the button once per temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within approx. the next
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically
activated at the previo
usly set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is
switched off entirely to save on battery power.
The LEDs stay lit.
Seat and mirror memory
You can store and call up two different combi-
nations of driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions.
Settings for the backrest width and lumbar sup-
port are not stored in memory.
Storing
1. Switch on radio readiness or the ignition,
refer to page 61. 2.
Adjust the seat and exterior mirrors to the
desired positions.
3. Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2:
the LED goes out.
The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for th e remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up the memory while you are
driving; otherwise, unexpected seat
movement could result in an accident. <
Comfort function
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page 61.
2. Briefly press the desired memory button 1
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Safety feature
1. Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page 61.
2. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2
and keep it pressed until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pr essed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page 48 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection. <
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
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57
Transporting children safely
Controls
Transporting children safely
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. As a result, some equip-
ment described may not be
available in a partic-
ular vehicle, for example due to the options or
national-market version selected. This also
applies to safety related functions and systems.
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening
the doors, for example. <
Children always in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seat.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only
in the rear in suitable child restraint systems
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident. <
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child restraint system that is
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
Children in the fr ont passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger must be deactivated. Otherwise, a child
traveling on that seat will face a significant risk
of injury if the airbags are triggered off, even
with a child restraint system. automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags refer to
page 107.
Convertible: key switch for
passenger belt
The passenger safety belt can be locked with a
key switch so that it is prevented from being
pulled out.
The key switch is situated on the side surface of
the passenger-side dashboard.
Locking the passenger belt
Lock the passenger belt to install a child
restraint system.
Insert key and push in.
Keep key pushed in and tu rn it until reaching the
stop at the position. Pu ll key out at this stop.
After removing the ke y, make sure that
the switch is in the position; other-
wise, the locking action on the safety belt is not
guaranteed. <
Unlocking the passenger belt
If no child restraint system is fastened to the
front passenger seat, unlock the passenger
belt; otherwise, the freedom of movement of
the upper body is limited.
Insert key and push in.
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ControlsTransporting children safely
Keep key pushed in and turn it until reaching the
stop at the position. Pull key out at this stop.
Make sure that the passenger belt is
unlocked; otherwise, the front passenger
may become trapped by the safety belt.<
Installing child restraint
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructio ns when selecting,
installing and using child restraint systems.
Otherwise, the protective effect may be dimin-
ished. <
Standard child restraint systems are designed
to be secured with a lap be lt or with the lap-belt
section of a lap-and-shou lder belt. Incorrectly
or improperly installed child restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to children.
Always follow the installa tion instructions for
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airb ags for the front passen-
ger are deactivated; ot herwise, there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Seat position
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back and up as
possible to obtain the best possible position for
the belt. Do not change the seat position after
this.
Backrest width
The backrest width of the front passenger
seat must be at its widest possible set-
ting. Do not change the setting after installing
the child seat; otherwise, the child seat's stabil-
ity on the front passenger seat is limited. <1.
Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page 49.
2. Install the child seat.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger
safety belt can be prev ented from being pulled
out in order to fasten child restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1. Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.
2. Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3. Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut
against the child restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1. Open the belt buckle.
2. Remove the child restraint system.
3. Allow the safety belt st rap to retract all the
way.
LATCH child restraint fixing
system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
To install and use the LATCH child
restraint system, follow the operating and
safety instructions pr ovided by the manufac-
turer of the system; otherwise, the protective
function of the seat may be compromised. <
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107
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Controls
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1
Front airbags
2 Coupe: head airbags
3 Side airbags in the seat backrests
4 Convertible: knee airbags
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page 47 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection. <
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restrain t. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags have been designed to not be trig-
gered in every collision si tuation, e.g. not in
minor accidents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the dashboard and windows on the front
passenger side clear, i. e. do not cover with
adhesive labels or coveri ngs, and do not attach
holders such as for navi gation instruments or
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat cove rs, cushions or other
objects not specifically approved for seats with integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not
hang items of clothing such as coats or jackets
over the backrests. Do
not attempt to remove
the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do
not modify the individu al components of the
system or its wiring in any way. This includes
the upholstered covers on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seats and roof posts, as well
as the sides of the roof lining. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components imme-
diately after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of faults, immobilization, or after the
airbag system has been triggered, have the
testing, repair, or disassembly and scrapping of
gas generators performe d only by your BMW
center or a workshop that has the required
explosives licenses. Unprofessional attempts to
work on the system could lead to failure in an
emergency or to undesired airbag activation,
either of which could resu lt in personal injury.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impr ession in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passe nger are activated or
deactivated by the system accordingly.
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108
ControlsTechnology for driving comfort and safety
The indicator lamp above the interior
rearview mirror shows the current status
of the front passenger airbags, deactivated or
activated, refer to Status of front passenger air-
bags below. <
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling inst ructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page 57.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indi cator lamp for the front
passenger airbags lights up. In such cases, the
passenger should change his or her sitting
position so that the fr ont passenger airbags are
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat unless
they are specifically recommended by BMW.
Do not place any items under the seat which
could press against the seat from below. Other-
wise, a correct analysis of the seat cushion is
not ensured. <
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger front and side airbags in accordance
with whether and how the front passenger seat
is occupied. The indicator lamp shows whether
the front passenger airbags are activated or
deactivated. >
The indicator lamp light s up when a child in
a specially designated child restraint sys-
tem is detected, as in tended, on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system, This partic ularly applies to
child seats that were required by NHTSA at
the time of manufacture of the vehicle. After
mounting a child seat, ensure that the indi-
cator lamp for the fron t passenger airbag is
lit. It indicates that th e child seat has been
detected and that the front passenger air-
bags are deactivated. <
> The indicator lamp does not light up as long
as a person of sufficient size and in a correct
sitting position is detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are activated.
> The indicator lamp does not light up if the
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Operational readine ss of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page 61, the
warning lamp lights up br iefly to indicate that
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners
are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
> Warning lamp does not light up at radio
readiness or beyond.
> Warning lamp remains permanently on.
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Technology for driving comfort and safety
Controls
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay; otherwise,
there is the risk that the system will not function
as intended even if a su fficiently severe acci-
dent occurs. <
Convertible: rollover
protection system
The rollover protection system is activated
automatically in the event of an accident, a crit-
ical driving situation, an extreme tilt in the car's
longitudinal axis or upon loss of ground contact.
The protection bars behind the rear head
restraints deploy within fractions of a second.
As a supplementary system to the reinforced
windshield frame, the rollover protection sys-
tem ensures that the necessary headroom is
maintained for all vehicle occupants. Always keep the area of movement of the
rollover protection system clear.
In minor accidents, you are protected by the
fastened safety belt and, depending on acci-
dent severity, by the sa fety belt tensioner and
multi-phase airbag retention system. <
Resetting
If the rollover protection system was not
impacted after being automatically activated, it
can be reset by lowering the protection bars to
their original positions. This does not require
tools.
1. Push the locking lever to one side and hold
it there. 2.
Push the protection bar halfway down from
above.
3. Release the locking lever.
4. Push the protection bar down until it snaps
into place.
5. Repeat the procedure for the other protec-
tion bar.
Have the rollover protection system checked
after an unexpected activation.
Never move the retrac table hardtop when
the rollover protection system is in the
activated position.
Do not make any modifica tions to the individual
components of the rollover protection system
or its cabling.
Work on the rollover protection system should
be performed only by your BMW center.
Incorrectly performed work on the system may
lead to system failure or incorrect operation.
To check the system and ensure flawless long-
term operation, always observe the service
intervals, refer to page 87.<
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 333 - \251 08/11 BMW AG