2006 BMW 550I SEDAN CD changer

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page236.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
22Voice command system
Controls
28Opening and closing
45Adjustments
54Transporting children safely
58Driving
74Everything under control
85Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
101Lamps
105Climate
111Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
124Things to remember when driving
Navigation
132Starting navigation system
133Destination entry
144Destination guidance
149What to do if …
Entertainment
152On/off and tone
156Radio
165CD player and CD changer
171External audio device
Communications
174Telephoning
187TeleService, BMW Assist
Mobility
194Refueling
196Wheels and tires
204Under the hood
209Maintenance
211Replacing components
219Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
226Technical data
231Short commands of voice command
system
236Everything from A to Z

At a glance
17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or TeleService*
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for displaying
the average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
>External audio device
Climate
>Air distribution
>Seat air conditioning
*
>Automatic program
>Parked car ventilation
*
menu
>Switching off Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central
locking system
>Display of service requirements and dates
for statutory emission and vehicle inspec-
tions
>Settings for telephone
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page58, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To clear the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
On vehicles with a single drive, the message
automatically disappears after approx. 10 sec-
onds.
Start menu
You can call up all the functions of iDrive using
five menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the button.
To open the start menu from the menu:
Press the button twice.

At a glance
23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
If no other commands are possible, then oper-
ate the equipment using iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice
command system
Press the button on the steering wheel or in
the center console
or
Commands
Having possible commands read aloud
You can have the system read aloud the possi-
ble commands related to the selected menu
item on the Control Display.
To have the system list the possible com-
mands:
For example, if you have selected "CD", the
system will read aloud the possible commands
for operating the CD player and the CD
changer
*.
Opening help
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a
function, e.g.:
Running functions directly with short
commands
With short commands you can carry out certain
functions directly, regardless of which menu
item is selected, refer to page231.
Opening start menuExample: selecting a track
1.Switch on Entertainment sound output if
necessary.
2.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console.
5.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console. {Cancel}
{Options}
{Help}
{Radio on} or {Turn radio on}
{Main menu}
3.{Entertainment}
The system says:
{{Entertainment}}
4.{CD}
The system says:
{{CD drive switched on}}
6.Select track, e.g.:
{Track 1}
The system says:
{{Track 1}}

On/off and tone
152
On/off and tone
The following audio sources have shared con-
trols and setting options:
>Professional radio
* or
Business radio
>CD player
>CD changer
*
Controls
The audio sources can be operated using:
>Buttons in the area of the CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
Buttons in area of CD player
The layout of the buttons can vary depending
on your vehicle's equipment.
Single drive:
Two drives:1Entertainment sound output on/off, volume
>Press: switch on/off.
When you switch on, the last set radio
station or CD track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume.
2Drive for audio CDs
3 Eject CD
4 Station scan/track search
>Change radio station.
>Select track for CD player and
CD changer.
5Drive for navigation DVDs
Operation via iDrive
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"WB": Weather Band station
>"SAT": satellite radio
>"CD": CD player or CD changer
>"Audio Aux": external audio device
>"Set": depending on the audio source,
other adjustments can be made, e.g. with
the radio: update station with strongest
reception, save station, tone control, sam-
ple stations.

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
165Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
CD player and CD changer
Listening to CDs
Compressed audio files*
CDs with compressed audio files, i.e. MP3, can
be played by the CD player, but not by the CD
changer.
CD player: starting CD
When equipped with two drives:
The upper drive is for audio CDs.
Insert the CD into the drive with the labeled side
up. The CD is automatically pulled in.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. For CDs with compressed audio files,
it can take up to approx. 1 minute to read in the
data depending on the directory structure.
To start playback when there is already a CD in
the drive:
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".3.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "CD" is selected and press
the controller.
4.On vehicles with a CD changer, change to
the second field from the top and turn the
controller until "CD" is selected and press
the controller.
The CD player is started.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is switched on.
To eject the CD, press the button on the
CD player.
The CD emerges slightly from the drive.
CD changer: starting CD
1.Fill the CD magazine and insert, refer to
page169.
2.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
3.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
4.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "CD" is selected and press
the controller.
*

CD player and CD changer
166 5.Change to the second field from the top if
necessary. Turn the controller until the
desired CD, CD 1 - 6, is selected and press
the controller.
At the end of the last track, the next CD will be
selected.
If new CDs have been placed in the CD maga-
zine, playback starts with the lowest CD, e. g.
CD 1, track 1.
The CD magazine's load status is indicated on
the Control Display.
Selecting a track
Buttons next to CD player
Press the button for the corresponding
direction repeatedly until you reach the desired
track.
The CD will start play at the start of the track.
The track is displayed on the Control Display.
You can also change the track with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
Via iDrive
Select a track by turning the controller.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the directory if necessary and press
the controller.
2.Select the track and press the controller.
3.Select "Play" and press the controller.
To change the directory:
Select the directory and press the controller.

CD player and CD changer
168
Repeating a track
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
2.Select "Repeat" and press the controller.
The current track on the CD is repeated.
To stop repeating:
1.Press the controller again.
2.Select "Repeat" and press the controller.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the current track and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the desired menu item:
>To repeat the selected track, select
"Repeat track" and press the controller.
>To repeat all tracks of the current direc-
tory, select "Repeat directory" and press
the controller.
To stop repeating:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Repeat track" or "Repeat directory"
and press the controller.
Random play sequence
In this mode, the tracks on the current CD are
played once in a random sequence.
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
2.Select "Random" and press the controller.
Stop random function:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Random" and press the controller.

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
169Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the current track and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the desired menu item:
>To play all tracks of the current directory
in random order, select "Random direc-
tory" and press the controller.
>To play all tracks of the CD in random
order, select "Random all" and press the
controller.
Stop random function:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Random directory" or "Random all"
and press the controller.
Fast forward/reverse
Buttons next to CD player:
Press and hold the button for the corre-
sponding direction.
CD magazine
The BMW CD changer for six CDs is installed in
the glove compartment.
Removing CD magazine
To insert CDs into the CD magazine 1 or
remove them from it, you must first remove the
magazine from the CD changer:
Press button2 to eject the CD magazine1.
Wait at least 2 seconds before pushing in the
magazine again so that the inserted CDs can be
read in again.
Inserting/removing CDs into/from
CD magazine
When inserting or removing CDs, remember to
hold them by their edges, taking care to avoid
touching the data side with its reflective CD
memory surface.
Inserting CDs:
Insert one CD into each compartment of the
magazine with the labeled side up.
Removing CDs:
Pull out the desired tray and remove the CD.
Inserting CD magazine
Push in the CD magazine as far as possible in
the direction of the arrow.
The CD changer automatically reads in the
loaded CDs and is then ready for operation.