2006 BMW 745i steering

Adjusting
46 It will be necessary to return the rear seats
to their standard position before using a
child restraint system, for instance, refer to
page54.<
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory
You can store and select two different adjust-
ment settings for the driver's seat, exterior mir-
rors and steering wheel.
With comfort seats, you can also use the mem-
ory to store and recall two seat positions for
each additional seat.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Storing
1.Switch on radio ready state or ignition, refer
to page57.
2.Set desired seat position; for driver's seat
also set the exterior mirror and steering
wheel position.
3.Press
MEMORY button:
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button1 or2:
The LED goes out.
Requesting manually
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.<
Comfort mode
1.With driver's door open after unlocking or
with radio ready state switched on.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button 1
or2.
The system immediately cancels the adjust-
ment procedure when you briefly press one of
the seat adjustment buttons or one of the mem-
ory buttons.
Safety mode
1.With driver's door closed and ignition
switched either on or off.
2.Press the desired memory button 1or2
and maintain pressure until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If you press the
MEMORY button accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae 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.<
Height adjustment
1.Select head restraint, button1.
2.Adjust height, arrow2.

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic
parking function, refer to Tilting down pas-
senger-side exterior mirror on page51
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page46.
Adjusting manually
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
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic parking function
Activating
1.Push the mirror selector switch into the
driver's mirror position, arrow1.
2.Engage transmission position 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
Push the mirror selector switch into the passen-
ger's mirror position, arrow2.
Illuminated vanity mirror in rear
1.Press button1. The vanity mirror folds
down.
2.Pull the mirror downwards slightly before
pivoting it.
3.Before folding mirror in, straighten it out and
then press upward.

Adjusting
52
Steering wheel adjustment
In order to prevent the risk of accident
due to an unexpected movement, do not
adjust the steering wheel while the vehicle is
moving.<
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four
directions.
To save steering wheel positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory on page46.
Assistance getting in and out
To make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle,
the steering wheel temporarily moves into the
top and front position.
This automatic feature is governed by the
driver's door and the ignition switch.
Steering wheel heater*
The steering wheel heater operates when the
ignition is on.
Press the button to activate or deactivate this
system.
When the steering wheel heater is operating,
the LED in the button lights up.
Programmable buttons
You can individually program the button on the
steering wheel and the button next to the con-
troller.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button to open the start
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Settings".
3.Select "Vehicle" and press the controller.
4.Select " button" or " button". Con-
tinue to press the controller until the
desired function appears.
>"Recirc. air"
The supply of outside air is shut off contin-
uously, refer to Automatic recirculated air
control/recirculated air mode on page105.
>"Navi info"
To repeat the most recent navigation sys-
tem instruction, refer to Route guidance by
voice instructions on page145.
>"Short info"
Display of the help and supplementary texts
of the active menu for approx. 10 seconds,
refer to page20.
" button" can additionally be programmed
with the following function.
>"AUTO P"
Activation/deactivation, refer to page59.
Rear seat screen
*:
>"Mode"
You can choose between the output
sources radio, CD player, and CD changer.
It is necessary for one of these sources to
have been activated.

Controls
53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>"FM" and "AM"
Switching between the FM and AM wave-
bands, also refer to page152.
Operating function
Press the button on the steering wheel or the
button next to the controller.
If you program the button on the steering
wheel with "AUTO P", you can conve-
niently activate and deactivate Automatic Hold
with the button, e.g. during parking. Details on
Automatic Hold are provided starting on
page59.<
The setting of the button on the steering wheel
is stored for the remote control currently in use.

Driving
60 You can program the programmable but-
ton on the steering wheel with the Auto-
matic Hold function, refer to page52. This gives
you the option of being able to quickly activate
or deactivate Automatic Hold without distract-
ing your attention from the road.<
Driving
The parking brake engages automatically when
the vehicle comes to a stop.
The indicator lamp on Info Display lights up
green.
To start off again, simply press the accelerator
pedal. The parking brake is released automati-
cally; the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not drive through an automatic car
wash with the Automatic Hold on and the
engine running. Otherwise, the system will
engage the parking brake the moment the vehi-
cle comes to a stop.<
Parking
The parking brake engages automatically when
you stop the vehicle and switch off the engine.
The indicator lamp changes from green to
red.
You can also release the parking brake
manually after the engine is switched off,
as long as the remote control is in the ignition
lock, refer to page59. You can use this function,
for example, in a car wash.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.<
When leaving the vehicle, release the
remote control from the detent in the igni-
tion lock; this precaution prevents children from
disengaging the parking brake etc.<
For your safety
Automatic Hold is automatically deactivated
when:
>the engine is switched off
>the system detects that the driver's seat is
not occupied while the engine is running
>the hood is opened while the engine is run-
ning>the luggage compartment is opened with
the transmission in position R while the
engine is running
>and when the parking brake is used to brake
the vehicle to a stop during driving
The indicator lamp changes from green to
red, and the indication AUTO P on the Info Dis-
play disappears.
Before starting off again, briefly press the but-
ton to disengage the parking brake manually,
refer to page59, or reactivate Automatic Hold,
refer to page59.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine
running, always move the automatic
transmission's selector lever to position P and
ensure that the parking brake is engaged. The
vehicle could start to roll if you fail to observe
these precautions.<
Automatic Hold is automatically deacti-
vated whenever the system detects any
tendency for the wheels to spin in response to
slippery road surfaces.
Observe the messages on the Info Display. For
additional information, refer to Check Control
on page80.<
Releasing parking brake manually
In the event of an electrical power loss or elec-
trical malfunction, you can release the parking
brake manually.
Before manually releasing the parking
brake and each time you park the vehicle
without engaging the parking brake, make sure
that the automatic transmission is in position P,
refer to page62. Be sure to pay attention to the
information on the Info Display.
If circumstances should force you to park on a
steeply inclined road surface, it is essential to
take additional precautions against inadvertent
rolling, e.g. by using the chock, refer to
page209. Otherwise, there is the danger of the
vehicle rolling, depending on the incline.<
If it becomes necessary to also unlock the
transmission lock of the automatic transmis-
sion, follow this sequence:

Driving
62 The indicator lamp on Info Display lights
up green.
>Releasing: the parking brake is ready for
operation.
The indicator lamp on the Info Display
goes out.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also shift manually using the buttons on the
steering wheel, refer to page63.
Transmission range selection
P R N D
Displays on Info Display
P R N D S or M1 to M6
The transmission range is indicated, and in the
manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Selecting transmission range
>Only engage transmission positions D, R,
or N when the engine is running: interlock.
>With the vehicle stationary, depress the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
maintain pressure on the brake pedal until
you are ready to start off. Activate Auto-
matic Hold to suppress the tendency to
creep, refer to page59. Display.
Selecting D, R or N
Lightly pull selector lever and engage desired
position:
>N Neutral:
Up to resistance point, arrowN.
>D Drive:
Downward past resistance point, arrowD.
>R Reverse:
Upward past resistance point, arrowR.
The selector lever immediately returns to the
center position when released.
Selecting P
Press button P.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
The rear wheels are locked.
Transmission automatically shifts into P
as soon as you switch off the engine
unless N is selected and the remote control is
inserted into the ignition lock, refer to
page58.<

Controls
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this position, for example, in car
washes. The vehicle can roll.
Transmission remains in N even after the
ignition is switched off whenever you
leave the remote control in the ignition lock.
This function is useful in automatic car washes,
etc.
After approx. 30 minutes the system automati-
cally shifts into position P. Observe the mes-
sages on the Info Display.
Switching off engine, refer to page58.<
D Drive, automatic position
This is the mode recommended for normal
vehicle operation. All forward gears are avail-
able.
Under normal operating conditions, the fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in posi-
tion D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
Press button1 on the steering wheel.
The sport program is activated and S appears
on the Info Display. This program is recom-
mended for a performance-oriented driving
style.
Press button1 again to switch into the manual
mode and then into the Automatic program
again.
In the manual mode, the Steptronic changes
gears when one of the buttons2 on the front or
back of the steering wheel is briefly pressed.
The Info Display shows the manual ranges M1
through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
the system will not execute a downshift that
would cause the engine to overrev. The
requested gear appears briefly on the Info Dis-
play, followed by the current gear.
Press button1 again to switch into the Auto-
matic program again.

Controls
67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Windshield and headlamp washer
system
Capacity: 6.3 US quarts/6 liters.
Fill with water and – if required – with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Programmable cruise control
The concept
The programmable cruise control is available
for use at speeds of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h
and higher. The vehicle maintains and stores
the speed that you set using the lever mounted
on the steering column.
You can also use the multilevel preset mode to
store six desired speeds for later selection with
the lever, refer to page67.
This feature assists you in quickly adapting the
vehicle speed to specific road conditions, e.g.
changes in speeds limits.
Do not use the programmable cruise con-
trol when unfavorable conditions do not
permit you to drive at a constant speed, e.g.
when driving on winding roads, in heavy traffic
or under poor road conditions such as snow,
rain, ice, or a loose road surface. If you do, you
could lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Maintaining speed, storing, and accelerat-
ing
2Maintaining speed, storing, and decelerat-
ing
3Interrupt or deactivate cruise control
4Resuming stored speed
Maintaining speed, storing, and
accelerating
Press lever to resistance point, arrow 1:
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed. The pointer5 in the speedome-
ter indicates this speed, refer to Displays in
speedometer on page68. Each time the lever is
pressed again briefly, the speed is increased by
approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
Push the lever to the resistance point for a
longer time:
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. The system maintains
and stores your current speed as soon as you
release the lever.
Press the lever past the resistance point if no
desired speeds6 are stored:
The pointer5 jumps to the next multiple of
5 mph or 10 km/h and then further, as long as
the lever is held. The speed then indicated is
reached and stored.
The vehicle may accelerate beyond the preset
speed on steep downhill stretches where the
engine's braking action alone may not be suffi-
cient to slow the vehicle. Speed can drop on
uphill grades if the engine output is insufficient.