2006 BMW 525XI rear view mirror

Voice command system
22
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out ever removing your hands from the steering
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. This frees you of
having to use the controller.
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.
The voice command system uses a special
microphone located in the area of the interior
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, set the language that applies for the
voice command system in order to enable iden-
tification of the spoken commands. To set the
language of iDrive, refer to page82.
Symbol in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic signal tell you that the voice
command system can respond to com-
mands.
2.Say the command.
The command is displayed on the Control
Display.
This symbol appears on the Control Display
when you can input additional commands.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice
command system.

Controls
37Reference
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>To changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the
vehicle
>To interruptions in battery voltage
Unauthorized operations are briefly signaled by
the alarm system:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate can also
be opened with the system armed with the
button on the remote control, refer to page33.
When the luggage compartment lid/tailgate is
closed, it is locked and monitored again.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control,
refer to page30, or
>insert the remote control as far as possible
into the ignition lock, refer to page56.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the inside rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, luggage compartment lid/tailgate or
rear window
* is/are not closed. Even if you
do not close the alerted area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and
the indicator lamp flashes continuously after approx. 10 seconds. However, the
interior motion sensor is not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted into the
ignition lock, however for a maximum of
approx. 5 minutes: your vehicle has been
disturbed while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
*
must be completely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In stacking garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
once again directly after locking.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort access*
Comfort access enables you to access your
vehicle without having to hold the remote con-
trol in your hand. It is sufficient to carry the

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The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: push
switch forward or back.
>Shift curvature up or down: push switch up
or down.
Adjusting active backrest width*
First set a comfortable backrest width, see
above. Based on the backrest width set, the lat-
eral support is automatically adapted to the cur-
rent driving situation.
The adaptation of the backrest width and the
speed of the adjustment vary depending on the
program. You can select from among three pro-
grams from comfort to sport.
Press program button once:
>"Comfort" program: one LED
>"Normal" program: two LEDs
>"Sport" program: three LEDs
To switch off: press button longer.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the backrest width
temporarily opens all the way.
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory*
You can store and request two different posi-
tions for the driver's seat and passenger seat
*,
external rearview mirrors, and steering wheel.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or ignition, refer
to page56.
2.Set the desired seat, exterior mirror and
steering wheel positions.
3.Press the button:
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button1 or2:
The LED goes out.
Requesting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving. There is a
risk of accident from unexpected movement of
the seat or steering wheel.<
Convenience mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or
switch on radio readiness.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or2.
The system immediately cancels the
adjustment procedure when you briefly
press one of the seat adjustment buttons or
one of the memory buttons.

Adjustments
46
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2
and maintain pressure until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pressed inadvertently:
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Activating with remote control
The last positions of the driver's seat, the exter-
nal rearview mirrors, and steering wheel are
stored for the remote key currently in use.
You can choose when the position is requested:
>Request when unlocking vehicle
>Request when opening driver's door
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Door locks" and press the control-
ler.
5.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
6.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.7.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
opened".
8.Press the controller.
To cancel the request:
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
When using this feature, always make
sure that the footwell behind the driver's
seat is empty and unobstructed. Failure to do
so could cause injury to persons or damage to
objects behind the seat as a result of a rearward
movement of the seat.<
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is
increased danger of injury in the event of an
accident.<
Front seats: height adjustment
You can adjust the height of the head restraints
electrically.

Adjustments
50
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic parking function*
Activating
1.Slide switch into the driver's side mirror
position, arrow 1.
2.Engage reverse gear or selector lever posi-
tion R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat
on the passenger's side. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror
position, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle effect of following vehi-
cles at night, turn the knob.
Automatically dimming mirrors
*, refer to
page117.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent as the result of unexpected movement.<
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four
directions.
Storing steering wheel positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory on page45.
Electric steering wheel lock
The steering wheel locks or unlocks automati-
cally when the remote control is removed or
inserted, refer to page56.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the steering wheel
temporarily moves into the uppermost position.
Steering wheel heater*
Press the button with the ignition switched on.
When the steering wheel heater is operating,
the LED in the button lights up.

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Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever to the resistance point; the turn
signal flashes three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Lighting" and press the controller.
5.Select "Triple turn signal activation" and
press the controller.
Triple turn signaling is activated.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating rain sensor
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps
5Adjusting rain sensor
sensitivity level
Switching on wipers
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system reverts to operation in the intermit-
tent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system reverts to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Rain sensor
The wiper operation is controlled automatically
as a function of the rain intensity. The rain sen-
sor is located on the windshield, directly in front
of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating rain sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Turn the knurled wheel5.
Deactivating rain sensor
Press the button again, arrow3. The LED goes
out.
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through an automatic car wash. Failure to
do so could result in damage caused by undes-
ired wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
The system sprays washer fluid against the
windshield and activates the wipers for a brief
period.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. 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 are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents, certain roll-over conditions, or rear-end
collisions.
Stickers on the rear door frame indicate
the status of the rear side airbags. If the
status cannot be clearly recognized, or if you
want to have the airbags activated/deactivated,
please contact your BMW center.<
For details on the correct seat position, refer to
page43.
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 retention system from the
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the doors and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner. Do not
attempt to remove or dismantle the steering
wheel. Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns. In the
event of malfunctions, deactivation, or trigger-
ing of the airbag restraint system, have the test-
ing, repair, removal, and disposal of airbag gen-
erators executed only by a BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel and has the required explosives
licenses. 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.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The front and
side airbag on the front passenger side are acti-
vated or deactivated accordingly by the system.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<

Controls
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The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.
With the daytime driving lamps
* activated, the
low beams are always switched on when the
ignition is switched on.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors
cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
lamps manually under these conditions.<
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In the switch position1, the Adaptive Head
Light is active and the automatic headlamp con-
trol
* is switched on.
To avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light is not active when driving in
reverse and points toward the passenger side
when the vehicle is stopped.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking. When using
this function, comply with national regulations:
After parking the vehicle, press the lever in the
desired direction3, past the resistance point.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not switch them on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine.<
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off again. A sensor on the front of
the inside rearview mirror controls the process.
The assistant ensures that the high beams are
switched on whenever the traffic situation
allows. This reduces the strain on you while at
the same time providing you with the best pos-
sible visibility. Of course, you can intervene at
any time and switch the high beams on and off
in the accustomed manner.