2004 BMW 525I SEDAN steering wheel

Cockpit

10

Cockpit
All around the steering wheel: controls and displays

1

Roller sun blind for rear window 97

2

Rear window safety switch34

3

Electric power windows33

4

Adjusting exterior mirrors42

5

Turn signal indicators 56
High beams, headlamp
flasher88
Check Control68
Computer70
Standing lamps88

At a glance

11

Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility

6

Buttons on steering wheel
Portable phone

*
:

>

Accepting a call

>

Start calling

>

Ending call.
Volume
Voice command system.
Fast forward/reverse:

>

Radio
Press briefly: change station
Press longer: manual tuning or auto-
matic search scan

>

CD
Press briefly: select track
Press longer: fast forward/reverse.
Individually programmable, refer to
page 44.

>

Individually programmable, refer to
page 44

>

Voice instructions for navigation.

7

Instrument cluster12

9

Ignition lock49

10

Horn: the entire surface

13

Opening the hood177

14

Opening the luggage compartment
lid31

16

Parking lamps and low beams87

8

Windshield wipers57
Rain sensor57

11

Steering wheel heater44
Steering wheel adjustment43

12

Cruise control58
Active cruise control59

15

Head-Up Display85

17

Instrument lighting88
Front fog lamps89

Voice command system
20
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to
control operation of various vehicle sys-
tems without ever removing your hands
from the steering wheel.
The menu items on the Control Display
serve as voice commands for the equip-
ment that can be operated using the voice
command system. This means you can
open these menu items using the voice
command system instead of with the con-
troller.
The voice command system transforms
your oral commands into control signals for
the selected systems and provides support
in the form of instructions or questions.
Precondition
If the language of the voice command and
Control Display do not match, change the
language of the Control Display, refer to
page 74.
Symbols used
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
Briefly press the button on the steering
wheel or in the center console.If voice command is to come from the pas-
senger side:
Press the button in the center console for a
longer period.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic message indicate that you can
enter voice commands.
The text or numbers that the voice com-
mand system has registered will appear at
this position on the Control Display.
This symbol appears on the Control Dis-
play when you can enter additional voice
commands.
If there are no other voice commands,
operate the equipment using the Control
Center.
Canceling voice command system
Press the button on the steering wheel or
in the center console
or
While notes are being recorded, canceling
is only possible using one of the buttons .
*
{...} Identifies voice commands.
{{...}} Identifies instructions generated
by the voice command system.
Entertainment{Cancel}.

At a glance
21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Voice commands
You can have the system list the possible
voice commands:
In addition to the commands described in
this Owner's Manual, alternative com-
mands are often possible for the same
functions, e.g.:
You can use short commands to make it
easier to run certain functions.
An example: selecting a radio station
1.Switch on radio
2.Press the button on the steering
wheel or in the center console{Options}.
{Radio on} or {Switch on radio}.
3.{Entertainment}.
The system issues:
{{Entertainment}}
4.{AM}.
The system issues:
{{AM}}
5.Select the station, e.g.:
>{Frequency 95 Point 5}.
The system issues:
{{95.5}}.

Adjustments
36
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driv-
ing.The sitting position of the occupants
plays an important role together with the
safety belts and airbags in an accident. To
ensure that the safety systems operate with
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the
following section.
For additional information on transporting
children safely, refer to page 45.
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the air-
bags. Always hold the steering wheel by
its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock and
3 o'clock positions, to minimize the risk of
injuries to your hands and arms in the event
of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to 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 cor-
rectly seated and does not rest feet or legs
on the instrument panel, otherwise leg inju-
ries can occur if the knee and front airbag
are triggered.
Never let an occupant's head rest near or
on a side airbag because the inflating air-
bag could cause a serious or fatal injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions
injuries resulting from contact with airbags
cannot be fully excluded, depending on the
circumstances. The ignition and inflation
noise may provoke a mild hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals. This effect
is usually only temporary.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 83.
Sitting safely with safety belts
Fasten your safety belt before starting any
trip. Airbags complement the safety belt as
an additional safety device, but they do not
represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.
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.
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 abdomi-
nal area.
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.
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 twisting the belt while routing it firmly
across the hips and shoulder. Do not allow
the belt to rest against hard or fragile
objects. Otherwise, in the event of a frontal
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over
your hips, leading to abdominal injury.
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the
belt from fitting properly and pull the lap
belt periodically to readjust the tension
across your shoulder in order to avoid a
reduction in the retention effect of the
safety belt.<
For instructions on operating safety belts,
refer to page 40.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat
while the vehicle is moving. The seat
could respond with unexpected move-

Adjustments
38
Lumbar support* adjustment
You can also adjust the contours of the
backrest to obtain additional support in the
lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive
supplementary support to help you main-
tain a relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Press the front/rear of the switch to
strengthen or weaken the curvature
>Press the upper/lower end of the switch
to strengthen the curvature at the top or
bottom.
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory*
You can store and select two different
adjustment settings for the driver's seat,
exterior mirrors and steering wheel.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2
2.Set the desired seat, exterior mirror and
steering-wheel positions 3.Press the
MEMORY button:
The indicator lamp in the button lights
up
4.Press the desired memory button 1
or 2:
The indicator lamp goes out.
Calling up a stored setting
Do not call up a position from the
memory while the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise there is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement of the seat or steer-
ing wheel.<
Convenience mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking
or turn the ignition key to position 1
2.Briefly press the desired memory but-
ton 1 or 2.
The system immediately cancels the
adjustment procedure when you press
one of the seat adjustment buttons or
use one of the memory buttons.
When the respective last driver's seat,
exterior mirror and steering-wheel position
is called up can be set for each key.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller
3.Select "Door locks" and press the con-
troller
4.Select "Central locking" and press the
controller
5.Select "Last seat position" and press
the controller

Controls
43Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 38.
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
Both exterior mirrors are automatically
heated in ignition key position 2.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle effect of following
vehicles at night, turn the knob beneath the
mirror.
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, while
the other is located at an offset position on
the rear of the mirror housing.
The mirrors automatically revert to their
clear, undimmed mode whenever you
engage reverse gear or place the selector
lever into position R.
For trouble-free operation, keep the
photocells clean and do not cover the
area between the interior rearview mirror
and the windshield. Do not attach any kind
of stickers on the windshield in front of the
mirror.<
Steering wheel adjustment
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
the vehicle is moving. There is a risk
of accident from unexpected movement.<
The steering wheel can be adjusted in any
of four directions by pressing the appropri-
ate end of the button.
Storing steering wheel positions, refer to
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory on
page 38.
Automatic steering wheel
adjustment
In conjunction with seat, mirror and steer-
ing wheel memory.
The steering wheel automatically moves as
high up and far forward as possible to ease
driver entry and exit before then returning

Adjustments
44 to the standard position or stored memory
setting.
This automatic feature is governed by the
driver's door and the ignition lock.
Steering wheel heater*
The steering wheel heater operates when
the ignition is on.
Press the button to activate or deactivate
this system.
The indicator lamp within the button lights
up when the steering wheel heater is in
operation.
Programming button function
Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
you can assign an individual function to
each of the two programmable function
buttons
* on the steering wheel for each
specific key. This feature then provides you
with quick access to this function, allowing
you to control it without undue distraction
from road and traffic conditions.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller
3.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and
press the controller A list with different functions is dis-
played:
>"Navigation"
Switching voice instructions on/off
>"Air recirculation on / off"
In this mode, you can block the sup-
ply of outside air, refer to AUC Auto-
matic recirculated-air control on
page 91
>"Mute on / off"
Mutes the audio sources
>"Screen on / off"
Switches the Control Display on/off
>"Next entertainment source"
Next audio source
>"Head-Up Display"
Switches the Head-Up Display
on/off
>"Horn"
*
4.Select the desired function and press
the controller.
.
5.If appropriate, select a button and press
the controller.
You can select the displayed function using
the button.