2006 BMW 550I SEDAN climate control

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
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for handsfree mode for
telephone
*
and for voice command system*22
2Reading lamps104
3Initiating
an emergency call219
4Interior lamps104
5Glass sunroof
*, electric41
Panorama glass sunroof
*43
6Passenger airbag status lamp95
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system32
10Automatic climate control105
11Changing
>radio station152
>track15212Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*132
>audio CD152
13Drive for navigation DVDs
*132
14Drive for audio CDs152
15Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume152
17Controller16
Turn, press or move horizontally in four
directions
18Activating voice command system
*22
19Opening start menu on Control Display17
20Dynamic Driving Control
*62 Temperature setting, left/
right106
Automatic air distribution and
volume106
Cooling function107
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control108
Recirculated-air mode108
Maximum cooling107
Residual heat mode108
Switching off automatic climate
control108
Air volume107
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation107
Rear window defroster105
16
Heated seats*50
Active seat ventilation
*51
Adjusting active backrest
width
*47
Active seat
*51
PDC Park Distance Control
*85
DTC Dynamic Traction Control87

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.

iDrive
18
Opening menu items of start menu
With the start menu you can open the menu
items Communication, Navigation, Entertain-
ment and Climate by moving the controller to
the left, right, front or rear.
You can open the menu by pressing the con-
troller.
Comfort opening of menu items
Comfort opening offers you:
>Opening of a menu item of the start menu in
the last display shown
>Direct switching between Communication,
Navigation, Entertainment and Climate
without pressing the button
For this purpose, move the controller in the cor-
responding direction and hold it for longer than
approx. 2 seconds.
Displays in menu
1Each menu is divided into fields. The
respective active field is highlighted.
2A symbol indicates the last selected menu
item of the start menu:
1Menu items are usually grouped in horizon-
tal or vertical lists.
2In these lists, arrows indicate the possibility
of accessing other menu items that are not
currently visible.
3Settings are displayed graphically or
numerically.
Communication
Navigation or onboard information
Entertainment
Climate
menu

Controls
105Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Climate
Automatic climate control
1Airflow directed toward the windshield and
side windows
2Air for the upper body region, refer to
Front ventilation on page108
3Air to footwell
4Temperature, left side of passenger
compartment
5Maximum cooling
6Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
7Air volume, manual
8Switching off automatic climate control9Switching cooling function on and off
manually
10Temperature, right side of passenger
compartment
11Residual heat mode
12AUTO program
13AUC Automatic recirculated-air control/
recirculated-air mode
14LED for parked car ventilation
*
15Rear window defroster
16Air grill for interior temperature sensor –
please keep clear and unobstructed

Climate
106 The current setting for air distribution is dis-
played on the Control Display.
A congenial climate
The AUTO program offers the optimum air dis-
tribution and air volume for virtually all condi-
tions, refer to AUTO program below. Now you
only need to select an interior temperature
pleasant to you.
The following sections contain more detailed
information on the available setting options.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, also refer to Personal Profile
settings on page29.
AUTO program
The AUTO program handles the
adjustment of air distribution to the
windshield and side windows, in
the direction of the upper body, and in the foot-
well, as well as the air volume. It also adapts
your instructions for the temperature to outside
influences throughout the year.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program. At the same time, a con-
densation sensor controls the program in such
a way that window condensation is prevented
as much as possible.
Intensity of AUTO program
To meet your individual needs, you can weaken
or strengthen the intensity of the automatic cli-
mate control.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".3.Select "Automatic programs" and press the
controller.
4.Select the desired intensity and press the
controller.
The marked intensity of the automatic
program is switched on.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature indi-
vidually on the driver's and front
passenger side.
The automatic climate control
adjusts this temperature as quickly as possible
at any time of year, if necessary with the maxi-
mum cooling or heating capacity, and then
keeps it constant.
When switching between different tem-
perature settings in rapid succession, the
automatic climate control does not have suffi-
cient time to adjust the set temperature.<
Adjusting temperature in upper body
region
1.Open the start menu.
2.Open "Climate".
3.Select "Vent settings" and press the con-
troller.

Controls
107Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Select the field by moving the controller and
turning the controller to adjust the temper-
ature.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly remove ice and condensa-
tion from the windshield and front
side windows.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a
while.
Air volume, manual
You can adjust the air volume by
turning. You can reactivate the
automatic mode for the air volume
with the AUTO button.
Manual air distribution
You can specify the air distribution.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Open "Climate".
3.Select "Vent settings" and press the con-
troller.
The driver's and front passenger side can
be adjusted separately with the fields on the
right or left side.
4.Select the driver's or front passenger side
if necessary.
Move the controller to the right or left
repeatedly until the driver's or front passen-
ger side is selected.
5.Select the desired field by moving the con-
troller.6.Turn the controller to adjust the air distribu-
tion.
Driver's side:
1Airflow directed toward the windshield and
side windows
2Airflow for the upper body
3Air to footwell
Front passenger side:
4Airflow for the upper body
5Air to footwell
Pressing the AUTO button cancels the air
distribution settings on the Control Dis-
play and vice versa.<
Switching cooling function on and off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to the temperature setting.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati-
cally with the AUTO program. The passenger
compartment can only be cooled with the
engine running.
Maximum cooling
Maximally cooled air is obtained as
quickly as possible from an outside
temperature above 327/06 and
with the engine running.
The automatic climate control changes over to
the lowest temperature and switches into the
recirculated-air mode. The maximum air quan-
tity only flows out of the vents for the upper

Climate
108 body. Therefore, open these vents for maxi-
mum cooling.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode
You can respond to pollutants or
unpleasant odors in the immediate
environment by suspending the
supply of outside air. The system then recircu-
lates the air currently within the vehicle. During
AUC operation, a sensor detects pollutants in
the outside air and controls the shut-off auto-
matically.
By pressing the button repeatedly, you can
request three operating modes:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Right LED on, AUC mode: the system
detects pollutants in the outside air and
shuts off the supply as needed.
>Left LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air is permanently shut off.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off while also increasing the air volume as
required.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over an extended period of time, as the air qual-
ity inside the vehicle deteriorates continu-
ously.<
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a
school to pick up a child.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>up to 15 minutes after switching off the
engine
>with engine at operating temperature
>with sufficient battery voltage
>at an outside temperature below 777/
256The LED lights up when the function is
switched on.
From radio readiness the interior temperature,
the air volume and the air distribution can be
set.
Switching off automatic climate control
The air volume, the heater and the
cooling function are all switched
off.
You can restart the automatic cli-
mate control by pressing any of its buttons
except the REST button.
Front ventilation
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Levers to change the air vent direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the
vent outlets, otherwise these could be
catapulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance, if the interior
has become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.