2004 BMW 530I SEDAN Parking light

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

Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
6.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
is opened" and press the controller.
displays the selected setting.
When using this Key Memory feature,
always make sure that the footwell
behind the driver's seat is empty and unob-
structed. If you fail to do so, any persons or
objects behind the seat could be injured or
damaged by a rearward movement of the
seat.<
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and turn the
ignition key to position 0 or 2
2.Press the desired memory button 1 or 2
and maintain pressure until the adjust-
ment process has been completed.
If the
MEMORY button is pressed acciden-
tally:
Press the button a second time, the indica-
tor lamp goes out.
Passenger-side exterior mirror tilt
function*
Automatic curb monitor
1.Select the exterior mirror on the driver
side with the switch
2.When you engage reverse gear or
selector-lever position R, the exterior mirror on the front passenger side tilts
downward slightly. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adja-
cent to the vehicle Ð such as a curb Ð
when parking, etc.
You can also deactivate this automatic
function: push the mirror selector switch to
the passenger's mirror position.
Head restraints
Head restraints reduce the risk of spi-
nal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraints so that they are
centered roughly at the level of your ears.<
Front seats: adjusting the height
You can adjust the height of the head
restraints electrically.
Front seats: adjusting the angle
Swivel the head restraint.
With the comfort seat, you use the shoulder
support to set the distance to the back of
the head.

Driving
50 lever in idle position and apply the hand-
brake.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Automatic transmission
1.Press the brake pedal
2.Place the selector lever in position P
or N
3.Start the engine.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P or N and
engage the handbrake before leaving the
vehicle with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Sequential manual transmission
SMG
1.Press the brake pedal
2.Place the selector lever in the idle posi-
tion N
3.Start the engine.
If the engine does not start, engage
the last gear selected, refer to Display
in the instrument cluster, and return the
selector lever to the idle position N.<
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, place the selector
lever in position N and apply the hand-
brake.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Switching off engine
Do not remove the ignition key while
the vehicle is rolling, as otherwise the
steering wheel lock would engage while
steering.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key and lock the steering.
When parking on downward inclines, apply
the handbrake.<
Manual transmission
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Automatic transmission
1.Engage selector-lever position P
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Sequential manual transmission
SMG
If the selector lever is in position R or in the
sequential mode and you turn the ignition
key to position 1 or 0, the gear remains
engaged automatically.
If the selector lever is in the idle position N
and you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0, an acoustic signal and the flashing
gear indicator in the display reminds you
that the vehicle is not secured against roll-
ing away.
The warning stops sounding after approx.
9 seconds.
When parking on downward inclines,
apply the handbrake. Engaging a gear
is not sufficient to secure the vehicle from
rolling away under certain circumstances.<
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up with
the handbrake applied, and an
acoustic signal also sounds when
starting off.
Indicator lamp for Canadian mod-
els.
Applying
The lever locks into place automatically;
the indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up in ignition key position 2.

Controls
51Reference
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Communications
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Mobility
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances should
make it necessary to engage the
handbrake while the vehicle is in motion,
do not pull it too strongly. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the handbrake
lever.
Strong application of the handbrake can
lead to overbraking of the rear axle and
associated 'fishtailing' of the vehicle rear
end.
The brake lamps do not light up when the
handbrake is applied.
Vehicles with manual or SMG transmission:
When parking on inclines, apply the hand-
brake, as under certain circumstances
even engaging the first or reverse gear
might not secure the vehicle against mov-
ing.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place selector lever in position P.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided
braking action, occasionally apply the
handbrake lightly when the vehicle is
slowly coming to a standstill if the traffic
conditions are suitable.<
Manual transmission
While shifting gear in the 5th/6th gear
level, make sure that you press the
gearshift lever to the right to prevent inad-
vertently selecting a gear in the 3rd/4th
gear level. On inclines, do not hold the
vehicle with the clutch; use the handbrake.
Holding with the clutch causes high clutch
wear.<
Reverse gear
Select R only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. When pressing the gear-
shift lever to the left, overcome some resis-
tance.
The backup lamps automatically come on
in ignition key position 2.
Sequential manual
transmission SMG*
The concept
The Sequential manual transmission SMG
is an automated manual transmission in
which an electro-hydraulic system handles
the clutching and gear changes.
You operate the SMG using the selector
lever in the center console and two shift
paddles on the steering wheel.
It provides you with the following functions:
>Sequential mode: manual mode
>Drive mode: automatic mode
>Choice between two drive programs:
Normal, Sport, refer to page 54
>Operating reliability with protection
against incorrect gearshifts

Controls
55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Changing the selector-lever
positions
An interlock prevents inadvertent gear-
shifts into selector-lever positions R and P.
To cancel the interlock, press the button on
the front of the selector lever knob, refer to
arrow.
Press the brake pedal before shifting
out of P or N; the shift command will
not be executed unless the brake is
applied: Shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain pres-
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready
to start.<
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage
the handbrake before leaving the vehicle
with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
P Parking
Select P only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. The rear wheels are
blocked.
R Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
N Neutral
Select N only if your journey is interrupted
for a long period.
D Drive Ð automatic driving position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All
forward gears are available.Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
Kickdown
A kickdown provides you with maximum
acceleration and the maximum road speed
in position D.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the
full-throttle resistance point.
M/S manual operation and Sport
program
Shifting from D into M/S activates the Sport
program and this is indicated with D S in the
gear display. This position is recom-
mended if a performance-oriented driving
style is desired.
The first time the selector lever is even
slightly touched, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts from the Sport program into
manual operation.
If you start to move the selector lever
towards +, the transmission shifts
upwards; moving it towards Ð it shifts
downwards. The gear display shows M1
through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combi-
nation of engine and vehicle speed; thus,
for example, a downshift that would cause
the engine to overrev will not be executed
by the system. The selected gear appears
briefly in the instrument cluster, followed by
the current gear.
To obtain maximum acceleration, for
passing maneuvers, etc., during
operation in the manual mode, use the
kickdown or downshift manually.<

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
76
Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking.
Signal tones indicate the current distance
to an object behind or in front of your vehi-
cle. Four ultrasonic sensors in both the
bumpers monitor the distance to the near-
est object. The sensors at the front and at
the two rear corners have a range of
approx. 1.64 ft/50 cm; the rear middle sen-
sors have approx. 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an object at high speed,
as otherwise the physical circumstances
would mean that the system warning was
too late.<
Automatic function
In ignition key position 2, the system auto-
matically assumes operational status after
a few seconds each time you engage
reverse gear or selector-lever position R.
Wait this short period before revers-
ing.<
Manual activation
Press the button, the indicator lamp lights
up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the indicator lamp
goes out.
Automatic deactivation
The system is automatically deactivated
once the vehicle travels approx. 165 ft/
50 m or exceeds a speed of roughly
20 mph/30 km/h; the indicator lamp goes
out. You can reactivate the system manu-
ally as needed.
Signal tones
The signal indicating the distance to the
nearest obstacle is directional. Thus, an
object detected to the left rear of the vehi-
cle will be indicated by a signal tone from
the left rear speaker, etc. As the distance
between vehicle and object decreases, the
intervals between the tones become
shorter. The signal tone becomes continu-
ous once the distance to the nearest object
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm.
The warning signal is canceled after
approx. 3 seconds when the distance to an
object remains constant during this time,
if you are moving parallel to a wall, for
instance.
Malfunctions
The indicator lamp within the button
flashes and a message appears on the
Control Display. Please note any supple-
mentary information that appears there.
Switch the system off and have the cause
of the malfunction corrected by your BMW
center.
PDC with visual warning*
You also enjoy the option of having the sys-
tem show distances to objects on the Con-
trol Display for the specific key in use. The
Control Display will also indicate the pres-

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
System malfunctions
Indicator lamp
The symbol in the instrument clus-
ter lights up yellow and a message
appears on the Control Display.
Please contact your BMW center.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears on the Control Display.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering is a system that actively
varies the steering angle of the front wheels
in relation to the steering wheel move-
ments.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e.g. in a town or when parking, the
steering angle is reinforced, i.e. the steer-
ing becomes very direct and significantly
improves the handling capability of your
BMW.
In the higher road speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced,
also optimizing the handling capability.
In critical situations, the system can make
targeted changes to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the
vehicle before the driver intervenes.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently: malfunction in the system.
Please have the system inspected
at your BMW center.
Conventional steering efficiency remains
available without limitations.
Brake Force Display
The Brake Force Display indicates the
intensity with which you are applying your
brakes to drivers of following vehicles. The display consists of two stages:
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps in the tail assemblies
and the high-mount brake lamp on top
of the rear window light up during brak-
ing
>Heavy braking and braking with ABS:
The tail lamps also light up with the
same intensity as the standard brake
lamp units to enhance the warning
effect of the brake lamps.

Controls
87Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
Parking lamps
With the switch in this position, the
front, rear and side vehicle lighting
is switched on. You can use the side
marker lamps for parking. For lighting on
one side for parking as an additional fea-
ture, refer to page 88.
Low beams
When you switch off the ignition
with the headlamps on, the head-
lamps go out, and only the parking
lamps remain on.
Pathway lighting
After parking the vehicle and switching off
the headlamps, operating the headlamp
flasher activates the low beams. You can
set the duration using the Control Center or
deactivate the function.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller
3.Select "Lighting" and press the control-
ler 4.Select "Pathway lighting" and press the
controller
5.Turn the controller to select the corre-
sponding duration
6.Press the controller to apply the setting.
Lights on warning
If you turn the ignition key to position 0, an
acoustic signal sounds when you open the
driver's door for a few seconds to remind
you that the light has not yet been switched
off. At the same time a message appears
on the Control Display.
Daytime driving lamps*
If desired, the light switch can remain in the
low beam position:
When you switch off the ignition, the exte-
rior lighting goes out.
Always observe all applicable laws govern-
ing the use of daytime driving lamps.
You can switch on the parking lamps when
needed using the standard procedure
described under Parking lamps.
Automatic headlamp control*
When you set the switch to this
position, the system activates and
switches on and off the low beams
in response to changes in ambient light
conditions, for instance, in a tunnel, at
dawn and dusk, and in rain and snow. The
LED next to the symbol is illuminated when
the low beams are on.