2006 BMW 550I SEDAN four wheel drive

Controls
29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Remove the adapter from the holder in the
glove compartment and slide the spare key into
the adapter before use.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW
individually according to your preferences. Per-
sonal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently
in use without you having to do anything. When
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding
remote control is detected and the settings
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW
set to your own personal settings even if
another person with his/her own remote control
and settings has used the vehicle since the last
time you drove it. The individual settings are
stored for a maximum of four remote controls.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the
specified pages.
>When unlocking with the remote control,
either unlock only the driver's door or the
entire vehicle, refer to page30
>Locking the vehicle after a short time or
after starting off, refer to page32
>Assigning the programmable buttons
* on
the steering wheel, refer to page53>Settings for the display on the Control Dis-
play:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page83
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page84
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page84
>12h/24h mode of the clock, refer to
page83
>Date format, refer to page83
>Showing optical warning for PDC Park Dis-
tance Control
*, refer to page85
>Selection and brightness of display in
Head-Up Display
*, refer to page97
>Display settings of BMW Night Vision
*,
refer to page99
>Air distribution, temperature in the upper
body area and intensity of the automatic air
conditioning system, refer to page106
>Setting voice instructions for destination
guidance in the navigation system
*, refer to
page147
In addition, the following, most recently
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page47
>Audio sources, volume and tone settings,
refer to page153
>Radio, displaying stored stations, refer to
page156
>Telephone, setting volume, refer to
pages178,184
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors

Adjustments
52
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
page125.
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 page47.
Electric steering wheel lock
The steering wheel locks or unlocks automati-
cally when the remote control is removed or
inserted, refer to page58.
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.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90 The initialization must be repeated after
each time the tire inflation pressure is cor-
rected and after every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natural,
even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
When you are driving with the compact wheel*
the Flat Tire Monitor is unable to function.
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. Do not initialize the sys-
tem when driving with snow chains
* or com-
pact wheel
*.<
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "FTM" and press the controller.
5.Start the engine, but do not start driving.6.Select "Set tire pressure" and press the
controller.
7.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
8.Start to drive.
The message "Initializing..." is displayed.
The initialization finishes during driving. Then
the message "Status: FTM active" appears on
the Control Display again.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. A mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal sounds.
There is a flat tire or extensive inflation pressure
loss.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire.
If identification is not possible, con-
tact a BMW center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing wheels on page215.
Run-flat tires*
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires, refer to page201, do not
continue driving. Continuing to drive with a
flat tire could cause severe accidents.<
2.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.

Controls
91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
If the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor
may not have been initialized. The system
must then be initialized.<
3.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guide values:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment or
cargo area full, or 4 persons without
luggage:
approx. 94 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
from 4 persons, luggage compartment
or cargo area full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the event of
pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur while
the vehicle is being driven, this can indicate final
failure of the damaged tire. Reduce speed and
stop at a suitable location as soon as possible,
otherwise pieces of the tire could become
detached and cause an accident. Do not con-
tinue driving, but instead contact your BMW
center.<
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor*
The concept
TPM checks the tire inflation pressure in the
four mounted tires. The system reports when
the tire inflation pressure has dropped consid-
erably in one or several tires.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must have been reset with the
correct tire inflation pressure.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics, as
otherwise fault-free operation of the system is
not ensured.
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
TPM cannot announce sudden serious
tire damage caused by external influ-
ences.<
The system does not function properly if it has
not been reset, e.g. a flat tire is reported despite
correct tire inflation pressures.
The system is inactive and cannot display a flat
tire if a wheel has been mounted without TPM
electronics, e.g. a compact wheel, or if TPM is
temporarily interfered with by other systems or
devices which use the same radio frequency.
Status display on Control Display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
TPM takes the fact that the tire pressure
changes during driving into account. A correc-
tion is only required if requested by TPM with
the color.
Green
The tire pressure matches the learned set state.
"TPM active" is displayed on the Control Dis-
play.
A wheel is yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire. A message appears on the
Control Display.

Controls
93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Standard tires
1.If all four wheels are shown in yellow, iden-
tify the damaged tire on the vehicle.
2.Replace the damaged wheel or wheels,
refer to Changing wheels on page215.
In contrast to a compact wheel, a spare wheel is
equipped with the necessary TPM electronics
and also monitored after mounting and after
resetting the system.
Have the tire replaced by a BMW center or a
workshop informed on handling TPM which
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Run-flat tires*
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires, refer to page201, do not
continue driving. Continuing to drive with a
flat tire could cause severe accidents.<
2.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guide values:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment or
cargo area full, or 4 persons without
luggage:
approx. 95 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
from 4 persons, luggage compartment
or cargo area full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the event of
pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur while the vehicle is being driven, this can indicate final
failure of the damaged tire. Reduce speed and
stop at a suitable location as soon as possible,
otherwise pieces of the tire could become
detached and cause an accident. Do not con-
tinue driving, but instead contact your BMW
center.<
Malfunction
The yellow warning light flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.
A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction;
have the system checked.
>If a wheels is mounted without TPM elec-
tronics
>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering is a system that actively var-
ies the steering angle of the front wheels in rela-
tion to the steering wheel movements.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e. g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct. In the higher speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced more
and more. This improves the handling capability
of your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes. This stabilizing
intervention is simultaneously deactivated
when DSC is switched off, refer to page87.

Telephoning
174
Telephoning
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full mobile phone
preparation package. After logging on a suitable
mobile phone on the vehicle once, you can
operate the mobile phone via iDrive, with the
buttons on the steering wheel and by voice.
A mobile phone that has been logged on once is
automatically detected again with the engine
running or the ignition switched on as soon as
it is in the vehicle interior. The logon data of up
to four mobile phones can be stored simulta-
neously. If several mobile phones are detected
simultaneously, the respective last mobile
phone logged on can be operated via the vehi-
cle.
Using a phone in your vehicle
Using snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a mobile phone
cradle, enables the battery to be charged and
the mobile phone to be connected to the exter-
nal antenna of your vehicle. This ensures
improved network reception and a consistent
voice reproduction quality. Ask your BMW cen-
ter which mobile phones snap-in adapters are
offered for.
BMW discourages the use of mobile
phones or other mobile communications
devices inside the vehicle without a direct con-
nection to an outside antenna. Otherwise, the
vehicle electronics and mobile communication
device can influence one another. In addition,
there is no assurance that the radiation which
results from transmission will be dissipated
from the vehicle interior.<
Avoid operating a mobile phone detected by
the vehicle with the keypad of the mobile
phone, otherwise malfunctions can occur.
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-
gency. While you should consult your mobile
phone's separate operating instructions for a
detailed description of safety precautions and
information, we request that you direct your
particular attention to the following:
Only make entries when the traffic situa-
tion allows you to do so. Do not hold the
mobile phone in your hand while you are driving;
use the hands-free system instead. If you do
not observe this precaution, your being dis-
tracted can endanger vehicle occupants and
other road users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Ask your BMW center which mobile phones
with a Bluetooth interface are supported by the
mobile phone preparation package or which
mobile phones snap-in adapters are available
for. These mobile phones support the functions
described in this Owner's Manual with a certain
software version. Malfunctions can occur with
other mobile phones.
Care instructions
You can find what you need to know about car-
ing for your mobile phone in the separate Caring
for your vehicle brochure and in the mobile
phone operating instructions.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone* using:
>The steering wheel, refer to page11
>iDrive, refer to page16
>Voice commands, refer to page183
*