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Otherwise you could loose control of the vehi-
cle and cause an accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Maintaining speed, storing speed, and
accelerating
2Maintaining speed, storing speed, and
decelerating
3Interrupting cruise control
4Resuming stored speed
Maintaining speed, storing speed,
and accelerating
Press lever to resistance point, arrow 1:
The speed currently being driven is maintained
and stored. The display1 in the speedometer,
see below, indicates this regulated speed.
Every time you press the lever, the vehicle's
speed increases by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Press lever to resistance point for a longer time:
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. The system maintains
and stores your current speed as soon as you
release the lever.
Press the lever beyond the resistance point:
increase speed by 5 mph/10 km/h.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine's braking
effect is not sufficient, the controlled speed can
be exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill grades if
the engine output is insufficient.
Maintaining speed, storing speed, and
decelerating
Pull the lever, arrow2:
Functions are the same as1, only the vehicle
speed is reduced.
Interrupting cruise control
Press the lever up or down, arrow3.
In addition, cruise control is automatically deac-
tivated:
>When the brakes are applied
>When the clutch pedal is depressed or the
automatic transmission/SMG is shifted into
the N position
>When the DSC comes on
Resuming stored speed
Press button4:
The stored speed is resumed and maintained.
Deactivating system
When the ignition is switched off, the system is
deactivated and the stored speed is deleted.
Displays in instrument cluster
1Stored desired speed
2Selected desired speed appears briefly
Active cruise control*
The concept
With active cruise control, you can select a
desired speed which is not only automatically
maintained when driving on open roadways, but
also varied to maintain a selected distance set-
ting as slower traffic is encountered.
Active cruise control is a technological advance
over the familiar cruise control and is a welcome
relief from the constant adjustment of speed
that can accompany driving in traffic on free-
ways or other high-speed thoroughfares.
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3Deactivate system, refer to page70
4Resume stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page70
5Select distance to vehicle driving ahead,
refer to page69
Maintaining current speed
Briefly press lever, arrow1, or briefly pull lever,
arrow2, at a driving speed of more than approx.
20 mph or 30 km/h.
The speed currently being driven is stored and
maintained. It is indicated on the speedometer
and briefly in the instrument cluster.
Selecting desired speed
Adjust your desired speed to the traffic
conditions and remain ready to brake at
all times, otherwise accidents can occur.<
The desired speed can drop on uphill grades if
the engine output is insufficient.
Increasing in steps
Briefly press the lever repeatedly up to the
resistance point or beyond, arrow1, until the
desired speed is displayed.
>Each time the lever is briefly pressed up to
the resistance point, the desired speed
increases by approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is briefly pressed
beyond the resistance point, the desired
speed is increased by a maximum of 5 mph
or 10 km/h until the maximum speed of
110mph or 180km/h is reached.
The speed then displayed is stored and
reached on a clear road.
Decreasing in steps
Repeatedly pull the lever up to the resistance
point or beyond, arrow2, until the desired
speed is displayed.
>Each time the lever is pulled up to the resis-
tance point, the desired speed decreases
by approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pulled beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed is
decreased by a maximum of 5 mph or
10 km/h until the minimum speed of
20 mph or 30 km/h is reached.
The speed then displayed is stored and
reached on a clear road.
Select distance
>Rotary switch downward:
Increase distance.
>Rotary switch upward:
Decrease distance.
The selected distance is displayed in the instru-
ment cluster.
Distance 1
Distance 2
Driving
70 Use good judgment to select the appro-
priate following distance given road con-
ditions, traffic, applicable laws and driving rec-
ommendations for a safe following distance.<
Deactivate system
Press the lever up or down. The displays in the
instrument cluster disappear.
You also deactivate the system when you
brake, shift very slowly or into neutral, or
engage the selector lever position N. In addi-
tion, the system is deactivated automatically:
>When you activate DTC Dynamic Traction
Control
>When you deactivate DSC Dynamic Stabil-
ity Control
>When the system does not recognize any
objects for a longer time, e. g. on infre-
quently traveled roads without a shoulder or
guard rails, or if the radar sensor is covered
with dirt, refer to page71
>When the speed is reduced to below
20 mph/30 km/h due to a traffic situation
The system deactivates automatically
when the speed is set to below 20 mph/
30 km/h. A signal sounds and a message
appears on the Control Display. The active intervention of the driver is required, otherwise
accidents can occur.<
Resume stored desired speed and
distance
Press button 4.
The displays appear in the instrument cluster.
When you switch off the ignition, the stored
desired speed is deleted.
Displays in instrument cluster
1Stored desired speed
2Lights up yellow: vehicle driving ahead is
detected
Flashes red, a signal sounds: the system
cannot establish the distance, apply the
brakes yourself
Flashes yellow: driving stability control sys-
tems intervene, the active cruise control is
deactivated
3Selected distance to vehicle driving ahead:
lights up as soon as the system is activated
4Selected desired speed appears briefly
If the display ACC --- mph/km/h briefly
appears in the instrument cluster, it might
be that conditions necessary for operation are
not currently being met. To call up Check Con-
trol messages, refer to page79.< Distance 3
This distance is set when the sys-
tem is used for the first time after
starting the engine.
Distance 4
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Energy Control
Displays the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current driving
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 18.5 gallons/
70 liters. You will find information on refueling
on page194.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
After the reserve quantity has been reached, a
message briefly appears on the Control Display;
the remaining range is shown in the computer.
Below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the
message remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in instrument cluster
To display the information, press the BC button
in the turn signal lever from radio readiness.
The following information is displayed in the
specified order:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available
with the remaining fuel. The range is projected
based on the driving style over the last 20 miles/
30 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine
switched off are not included in the calculations
of average speed.
To reset average speed: press BC button on
turn signal lever for approx. 2 seconds.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for
the time during which the engine is running.
You can use the Control Display to view your
fuel consumption rate over two different dis-
tances, refer to Displays on Control Display or
Trip computer
*.
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9.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The year is highlighted.
10.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
11.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The date entry is stored.
To exit the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors functions in the
vehicle and issues a message if there is a mal-
function in the monitored systems. This kind of
Check Control message consists of indicator
and warning lamps in the instrument cluster,
and if necessary an acoustic signal and text
messages at the bottom of the Control Display.
Indicator and warning lamps
Indicator and warning lamps can light up both in
the display area1 and in the display2 in various
combinations and colors.
means that a Check Control message has
been generated. The symbol continues to be
visible even when the Check Control message disappears after a short time. The warning
lamps and text messages are stored and can be
displayed later, also refer to page80.
Explanatory text messages
Text message at the bottom edge of the Con-
trol Display explain the meaning of the dis-
played indicator and warning lamps.
You can display additional information on most
Check Control messages later, e.g. on the
cause of the malfunction and on corresponding
need for action, see below.
In the case of corresponding urgency, this infor-
mation is displayed immediately when the
related lamp lights up.
Exit the displayed information:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Importance of Check Control
messages
Important Check Control messages continue to
be displayed until the malfunctions have been
corrected. They cannot be deleted. If a number
of malfunctions occur simultaneously, they are
displayed in succession.
Less important messages disappear after
approx. 20 seconds, but remain in memory.
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driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin further by taking risks.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button until the DSC indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up, but not longer
than approx. 10 seconds. DTC Dynamic Trac-
tion Control and DSC are deactivated together.
Stabilizing and drive output promoting actions
are no longer executed. In addition, the stability
promoting intervention of the active steering
*
is deactivated, refer to page93.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button; the indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up:
DSC is deactivated.
DTC Dynamic Traction Control
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:
>When driving on snowy inclines, in slush, or
on unplowed, snow-covered road surfaces
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow or on loose ground
>When driving with snow chains
*
Activating DTC
Press the button briefly; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DTC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up:
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes out.
xDrive on 525xi, 530xi
xDrive is the 4-wheel drive system of your
BMW. The combined effects of xDrive and DSC
further optimize the traction and dynamic driv-
ing characteristics. The 4-wheel drive system
xDrive variably distributes the drive torque to
the front and rear axle depending on the driving
situation and prevailing road conditions.
Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
88
HDC Hill Descent Control on 525xi,
530xi
The concept
HDC is a system for driving downhill in steep
terrain. This system reduces vehicle speed on
steep downhill gradients, thus allowing you to
maintain even better control of your BMW
under these conditions. The vehicle moves at
approximately twice walking speed without
active intervention from the driver.
HDC is available for activation at vehicle speeds
below approx. 22 mph/35 km/h. When driving
down steep hills with a speed below approx.
22 mph/35 km/h, the vehicle reduces speed
automatically down to approximately double
walking speed, approx. 7 mph/12 km/h, and
then maintains this speed at a constant.
You can use the accelerator or brakes to vary
this automatically controlled speed within a
range extending from approx. 3 mph/5 km/h to
15 mph/25 km/h.
You can specify a target speed within the same
range by using the lever of the cruise control.
Activating HDC
You can activate HDC:
>with the programmable buttons on the
steering wheel, refer to page53
>or via iDrive
iDrive, for explanation of principle, 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 "HDC" and press the controller.
5.Select "HDC on" and press the controller.
The HDC display is shown in the instrument
cluster.
If the vehicle is automatically braked, a message
is displayed on the Control Display for approx.
20 seconds.
Deactivating HDC
When you use the programmable buttons on
the steering wheel or via iDrive, the HDC display
goes out.
Over approx. 37 mph/60 km/h HDC is immedi-
ately deactivated, and after approx. 10 seconds
when the ignition is switched off.
Using HDC
Manual transmission:
Use HDC in low gears and reverse gear.
Automatic transmission:
You can use HDC in every drive position.
Displays in instrument cluster
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
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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.
Activating high-beam assistant
1.Turn the light switch to switch position3,
refer to page101.
2.Press the turn signal lever in the high beam
direction with the low beams switched on.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the high-beam
assistant is activated. The assistant
automatically switches between high and low
beams, whereby the system reacts to oncom-
ing traffic and traffic ahead, as well as to suffi-
cient lighting, e.g. towns/cities.
Manually switching between high and
low beams
You can intervene at any time if you wish or the
situation requires.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on
the high beams, however you nevertheless
want to use the low beams, simply switch to
the low beams with the turn signal lever.
The high-beam assistant is deactivated in
the process. To reactivate the system, briefly press the
turn signal lever in the high beam direction
again.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on
the low beams, however you nevertheless
want to use the high beams, switch to the
high beams in the accustomed manner. The
system is deactivated in the process and
you must switch to the low beams manually.
To reactivate the system, briefly press the
turn signal lever in the high beam direction
again.
>You use the headlamp flasher as usual with
low beams.
System limits
The high-beam assistant cannot replace
personal decisions on the benefits of
using the high beams. In situations which
require this, you should therefore switch to the
low beams manually to avoid a safety risk.<
In the following example situations, the system
does not operate or only with limitations and a
personal reaction may be required:
>Under extremely unfavorable weather con-
ditions, such as fog or heavy precipitation
>For perceiving road users with poor lighting
of their own, e.g. pedestrians, cyclists, peo-
ple on horseback, horse-drawn vehicles,
with train or ship traffic close to the road and
wild animals crossing the road
>In tight curves, on steep crowns or depres-
sions, with cross traffic or partially con-
cealed oncoming traffic on the freeway
>In poorly lit places and with highly reflective
signs
>In the low speed range
>When the windshield is fogged up, dirty or
covered with stickers, vignettes etc. in the
area of the inside rearview mirror
>When the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor
on the front side of the inside rearview mir-
ror with a cloth moistened with a small
amount of glass cleaner