2006 BMW 550I SEDAN seat memory

Controls
47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 page58.
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
48
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 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 "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.
Front seats: angle adjustment
Swivel the head restraint.

Controls
49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
With the comfort seat, use the shoulder support
to set the distance to the back of the head.
Adjusting side extensions in comfort
seat
You can fold the side extensions on the head
restraint forward for increased lateral support in
the resting position.
Front head restraints, active*
The comfort seats are equipped with an active
head restraint.
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient
severity, the active head restraint reduces the
distance to the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
and do not hand objects, e.g. clothes
hangers, on the head restraints or attach any
accessories to the seat or head restraint. Other-
wise the protective function of the active head
restraints will be impaired and personal safety
endangered.<
Rear seats: height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and
push the head restraint downward.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page45.<
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Air-
bags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a
substitute.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Safety belt memory for driver's seat
and passenger seat*
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig-
nal sounds. A message also appears on
the Control Display. Please check
whether the safety belt is correctly positioned.
The safety belt memory is operative at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be acti-
vated if objects are placed on the passenger
seat.

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Active seat ventilation*
The system progresses one step through the
control sequence each time you press the but-
ton.
To switch off: press the button longer.
The highest position with three LEDs is
used for rapid cooling, e.g. when the vehi-
cle has gotten heated up. After a short time, the
system is automatically switched down one
position in order to prevent excessive cooling.<
Active seat*
The seat cushion is actively varied by alter-
nately raising and lowering the right and left half
of the seat cushion. This reduces muscular ten-
sion and fatigue to help prevent lower back
pain.
Press the button to switch on; the LED lights
up.
If you switch off the active seat, it can take up
to 1 minute before the two halves of the seat
cushion have returned to their initial position.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is
more curved than the driver's mirror.
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of
following traffic based on what you see in the
mirrors, otherwise there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic parking function
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page47.
Manual adjustment
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this
vehicle from being damaged, always fold
them in by hand before entering an automatic
car wash.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both
exterior mirrors are automatically heated when
the motor is running or the ignition is switched
on.

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.

Transporting children safely
54
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the back seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and
height of the child. Otherwise there is an
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
size and weight.
With the exception of the driver's seat, all seats
in your BMW comply with the recommenda-
tions of the standard SAE J1819 for the safe
securing of child restraint systems in motor
vehicles.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbag on the passenger
side must be deactivated. Otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury for the child if the air-
bags are triggered, even with a child restraint
s ystem. Your BMW center will be glad to advis e
you.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page95.
Installing child restraint
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions for selection,
installation and use of the child restraint sys-
tems. Otherwise the degree of protection may
be reduced.<
Backrest width* on front passenger
seat
Before mounting a child restraint system
on the front passenger seat, the backrest
width adjustment must be open completely.
After mounting the child's seat, no memory
position may be called up and the active back-
rest width adjustment must be deactivated,
otherwise the stability of the child's seat on the
front passenger seat is limited.<
1.After unlocking the vehicle, place on the
front passenger seat and close the door to
call up the memory position.
2.Completely open the backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page46.
3.Deactivate active backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page47.
4.Install child's seat.
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked against pulling
out to secure child restraint systems.

Replacing components
218
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright
position for transport and storage. Always
restrain the battery to prevent it from tipping
over during transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require
reinitialization. Individual settings are also lost
and must be updated:
>Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to
page47.
>Time and Date
The values must be updated, refer to
page82.
>Radio
Stations must be stored again if necessary,
refer to page158.
>Navigation system
Wait until the system starts, refer to
page149.
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating, as
this could lead to a circuit overload, ultimately
resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<
Sedan
Spare fuses, plastic tweezers and fuse alloca-
tion diagram are located in the compartment for
the onboard tool kit, refer to page211.
Sports Wagon
Reserve fuses and a pair of plastic tweezers are
contained in the onboard tool kit, refer to
page211. A fuse allocation diagram is located
in the cargo area behind the right-hand side
panel.
In glove compartment
1.Release both quick-release fasteners.
2.Fold the cover forward or remove.
Sedan: in luggage compartment
1.Lift up floor mat.
2.Release the quick-release fastener of the
right side panel and pull out the panel.
Sports Wagon: in cargo area
1.Unhook the retaining strap*, refer to
page119.
2.Open the right-hand side panel.

Everything from A to Z
244 Ignition key position 1, refer to
Radio readiness58
Ignition key position 2, refer to
Ignition on58
Ignition lock58
– starting engine with comfort
access40
Independent ventilation, refer
to Parked car ventilation109
Indicator/warning lamps
– active steering94
– airbags96
– brake fluid207
– brake pads208
– DSC13,87
– DTC13,87
– Flat Tire Monitor90
– fog lamps13
– safety belt warning49
– TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor92
Indicator and warning
lamps13
Individual air distribution107
Individually programmable
buttons on steering
wheel53
Individual settings, refer to
Personal Profile29
Inflation pressure, refer to Tire
inflation pressure196
Inflation pressure monitoring
– refer to Flat Tire Monitor89
– refer to TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor91
Information
– on another location138
– on current position138
– on destination location138
"Information" for navigation
system138
"Information on
destination"140
"Initializing..."90Initializing
– Flat Tire Monitor90
– radio, refer to Storing
stations158
– refer to Power failure218
– refer to Setting time and
date82
– seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory47
"Input map"138
Installation location
– CD changer169
– mobile phone113
– navigation drive132
Instructions for navigation
system, refer to Voice
instructions147
Instrument cluster12
Instrument illumination, refer
to Instrument lighting104
Instrument lighting104
Instrument panel
– refer to Cockpit10
– refer to Instrument
cluster12
Integrated key28
Integrated universal remote
control111
Interesting destination for
navigation138
"Interim time"82
Interior lamps104
– switching on with remote
control31
Interior motion sensor38
– switching off38
Interior rearview mirror52
– automatic dimming
feature125
Interlock on automatic
transmission63
Intermittent mode of the
wipers65
J
Jacking points216
Joystick, refer to iDrive16
Jumpering, refer to Jump
starting220
Jump starting220
K
Keyless-Go, refer to Comfort
access38
Keyless opening and closing,
refer to Comfort access38
Key Memory, refer to Personal
Profile29
"Keypad"182
Keys28
– key-related settings, refer to
Personal Profile29
Kick-down
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic64
– SMG Sequential Manual
Transmission62
Knock control195
L
Lamps, refer to Parking lamps/
low beams101
Lamps and bulbs212
"Languages"84
– for navigation system147
Lashing eyes, refer to
Securing cargo128
Last destinations, refer to
Destination list139
"Last seat pos."48
LATCH child-restraint fixing
system56
Length, refer to
Dimensions227
License plate lamp, replacing
bulbs215
Light-emitting diodes
LEDs212