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EnglishControls -> Adjustments for your BMW 3 Series 2006-2013
Adjustments
Head restraint
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety 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.
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 43.
Safety belt
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page 50.
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
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.
Your vehicle has five seats, 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 belt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
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 without being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull
the belt in the upper-body area taut; otherwise,
its restraining effect could be impaired.
Sports Wagon: if the rear center safety belt is
used, the wider backrest must be locked in
place, refer to page 110. Otherwise, the safety
belt will have no restraining effect.<
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 can occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passengers 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 effect is usually only tem-
porary.
Safety belts, refer to page 46.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page 90.
41
Backrest
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
On the front passenger seat as well, do not
incline the backrest too far to the rear while the
vehicle is being driven; otherwise, there is a
danger in the event of an accident of sliding
under the safety belt, eliminating the protection
normally provided by the belt.<
Pull lever 3 and apply your weight to the back-
rest or lift it off, as necessary.
Tilt*
Comply with the instructions on head restraint
height on page 43, and on damaged safety
belts on page 46.
Manual adjustment
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page 42 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Pull the lever and apply your weight to the seat
or lift it off, as necessary.
Thigh support*
Longitudinal direction
Pull lever 1 and slide the seat to the desired
position.
After releasing the lever, move the seat gently
forward or back to make sure it engages prop-
erly.
Pull the lever and move the thigh support for-
ward or back.
Height
Electrical adjustment
Pull lever 2 and apply your weight to the seat or
lift it off, as necessary.
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page 42 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
42
>
Shift curvature up or down: press the switch
at the top or bottom, respectively.
Backrest width*
1
2
3
Longitudinal direction
Height
Angle
You can change the width of the backrest to suit
your individual preferences by adjusting the lat-
eral-support pads.
Press the front or rear end of the switch.
Backrest width decreases or increases accord-
ingly.
Head restraints
4
Backrest
Correctly adjusted head restraint
The head restraints are adjusted manually, refer
to Head restraints below.
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Lumbar support*
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. Only remove a head
restraint if no one will be sitting on the seat in
question. Reinstall the head restraint before
transporting anyone on that seat. Otherwise,
the passenger will be without protection from
the head restraint.<
Height
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is
as close as possible to the back of the head.
>
Increase or decrease curvature: press the
switch at the front or rear, respectively.
43
Front active head restraints
Rear seats
In a rear collision of a sufficient strength, the
active head restraint reduces the distance to
the head.
Height adjustment
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
that could impair the function of the active
head restraint. Otherwise, the protective func-
tion 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 malfunctions, deactivation or
triggering of the active head restraints, have the
testing, repair and removal executed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to repair procedures of BMW with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and 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 result in per-
sonal injury.<
>
>
To raise: pull up.
To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and
slide the head restraint down.
The center head restraint is not height-adjust-
able.
Removing
Sedan:
Only with through-loading system:
For technical reasons, the head restraint
1. Pull up as far as it will go.
cannot be removed.<
2. Press the button, arrow 1, tilt the rear seat
backrest slightly forward and pull the head
restraint all the way out.
Front seats
Only remove the head restraints if no pas-
sengers will be sitting in the rear. Reinstall
head restraints before transporting passengers
in the rear.<
Height adjustment
Folding head restraints down and back
up
>
>
To raise: pull up.
To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and
slide the head restraint down.
Folding down:
Press the button, arrow 1.
Folding up:
Pull the head restraint.
44
Depending on the equipment version, it may be
possible to fold down the outer rear head
restraints as well.
Storing
Only fold the head restraints down if no
passengers will be sitting in the rear. Fold
up the head restraints before transporting pas-
sengers in the rear.<
Heated seats*
1. Switch on radio readiness or the ignition,
refer to page 54.
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 the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Press the button once per temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
Call-up
Do not call up the memory while you are
driving; otherwise, unexpected seat
movement could result in an accident.<
If you continue driving within approx. the next
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically
activated at the previously set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is
switched off entirely to save on battery power.
The LEDs stay lit.
Comfort function
1. Unlock and open the driver's door or switch
on radio readiness, refer to page 54.
2. Briefly press the desired memory button 1
or 2.
Seat and mirror memory*
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
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.
Safety feature
1. Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page 54.
2. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2
and keep it pressed until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the
button was pressed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
45
On the rear seats, the center belt buckle marked
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last set is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
You can select whether or not the seat is reset
to that position automatically.
When this Personal Profile function is
used, first make sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is free of obstacles.
Failure to do so could cause injury to persons or
damage to objects as a result of a rearward
movement of the seat.<
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or
one of the memory buttons.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Selecting automatic call-up
1. "Settings"
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page 42.
2. "Door locks"
3. "Last seat position auto."
Opening
1. Grasp the belt firmly.
2. Press the red button in the buckle.
3. Guide the belt into its reel.
"Fasten safety belts" reminder for
driver's and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. Check whether the safety belt
has been fastened correctly.
The function for automatically calling up
the last seat position is switched on and is
stored for the remote control currently in use.
The "Fasten safety belts" reminder is issued as
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The "Fasten safety belts" reminder is
also activated at road speeds above approx.
5 mph or 8 km/h if the front passenger safety
belt is not fastened, if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts.
Switching off automatic call-up
Deactivate "Last seat position automatic".
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page 42 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Damage to safety belts
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
If the safety belts are damaged or
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child
restraint systems, replaced and the belt
46
anchors checked. Have this work done only by
your BMW center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly.<
Rear center safety belt
With through-loading system*:
Before using the center rear seat, release the
latch plate from the fixture on the rear window
shelf and insert it into the belt lock of the center
safety belt. Make sure you hear the latch plate
engage.
1
2
Adjustments
Switching to the other mirror or automatic
curb monitor*
3
Folding mirrors in and out*
The setting for the exterior mirrors is stored for
the remote control currently in use*. The stored
position is called up automatically when the
vehicle is unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by
pressing button 3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors
that were folded in by hand back out into their
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are
folded out automatically at a speed of approx.
25 mph/40 km/h.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more con-
vex than the driver's mirror. The objects
seen in the mirror are closer than they appear.
Do not gauge your distance from traffic behind
you on the basis of what you see in the mirror;
otherwise, there is an increased risk of an acci-
dent.<
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors manually or
with button 3 to prevent them from being dam-
aged, depending on the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating*
Depending on the outside temperature, both
exterior mirrors are heated automatically when
the engine is running or the ignition is switched
on.
47
Passenger side mirror tilt function –
automatic curb monitor*
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
Activating
1. Push the switch to the position for the
driver's side mirror, arrow 1.
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
2. Engage reverse gear or move the selector
lever to position R.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger
side tilts slightly down. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into
a parking space.
Deactivating
Steering wheel
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger side mirror, arrow 2.
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion; otherwise, there
is a risk of an accident due to unexpected move-
ment.<
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving at night.
1. Fold the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3. Swing the lever back up.
48
Do not use force to swing the lever
back up; otherwise, the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up when the steer-
ing wheel heating is switched on.
49
