2006 BMW 550I SEDAN wheel

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

Notes
6
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Genuine BMW Parts,
you simultaneously acquire the assurance that
they have been thoroughly tested by BMW to
ensure optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation or its occupants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or
similar accessories, may cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, compromise its safety, inter-
fere with the vehicle's electrical system or affect
the validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See
your BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Sedan: sun blind* for rear window112
2Rear window safety switch41
3Opening and closing windows40
4Adjusting exterior mirror51
Automatic parking function
*52
5
Turn signal64
High beams,
headlamp flasher102
High-beam assistant
*103
Roadside parking lamps102
Check Control79
Computer75

At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
6Buttons on steering wheel
7Instrument cluster12
10Ignition lock5811Horn: entire surface
14Releasing hood204
15Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate35,33 Mobile phone
*174:
>Press: accepting and ending
call, starting dialing
* for
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
>Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice
command system
* 22
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling in phone book and in lists
with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable
*53
Individually programmable53
8
Windshield wipers65
Rain sensor65
Sports Wagon: rear window
wiper66
9Starting/stopping engine and
switching ignition on/off 58
12
Steering wheel heater*52
Steering wheel adjustment52
13
Cruise control
*66
Active cruise control
*67
16
Head-Up Display
*96
BMW Night Vision
*98
17
Parking lamps101
Low beams101
Automatic headlamp control
*101
Adaptive Head Light
*102
High-beam assistant
*103
18
Instrument lighting104
Fog lamps
*104

Voice command system
22
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out ever removing your hands from the steering
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. This frees you of
having to use the controller.
The voice command system transforms your
oral commands into control signals for the
selected systems and provides support in the
form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system uses a special
microphone located in the area of the interior
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, set the language that applies for the
voice command system in order to enable iden-
tification of the spoken commands. To set the
language of iDrive, refer to page84.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic signal tell you that the voice
command system can respond to com-
mands.
2.Say the command.
The command is displayed on the Control
Display.
This symbol is shown on the Control Display
when you can input additional commands.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice
command system.

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}}

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

Controls
37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Press the button in the driver's foot-
well.
>Press the button on the remote control
for approx. 1 second.
During opening, the tailgate pivots back
and up. Ensure that adequate clearance is
available before opening.<
To interrupt opening:
>Press the button on the outside of the tail-
gate.
>Press and hold the button on the remote
control.
>Press the button on the inside of the tail-
gate.
Automatic roll-up cover
When the tailgate or rear window is opened, the
roll-up cover is raised, and when the tailgate
and rear window is closed, it is lowered.
Make sure that the closing area of the roll-
up cover is clear of obstructions, as other-
wise the payload or the roll-up cover may be
damaged.<
Details on the roll-up cover are provided on
page117.
Closing tailgate
Make sure that the closing path of the tail-
gate is clear, otherwise injuries may
result. ton on the inside of the tailgate is pressed.
To interrupt closing:
>Press the button on the inside of the tail-
gate.
>Press the button on the outside of the tail-
gate.
Closing is not canceled when you put the
vehicle into motion.<
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate or rear window is
opened
>To movements in the vehicle: Interior
motion sensor, refer to page38
>To changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the
vehicle
>To interruptions in battery voltage
Unauthorized operations are briefly signaled by
the alarm system:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.