2006 BMW M5 SEDAN display

Everything under control
72 2.Select "Set date" and press the controller.
The first section of the date display is high-
lighted, in this case the month.
3.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
4.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The next setting is highlighted.
5.Make the remaining adjustments. After the
last adjustment, the date is stored.
Changing date format
1.Select "Date format" and press the control-
ler.
2.Select the desired format and press the
controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Brightness of Control Display
The brightness is automatically adapted to the
ambient lighting conditions. However, you can
change the basic setting.
1.Select "Brightness" and press the control-
ler.
2.If necessary, move the controller to the right
to select "Display".
3.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Units of measure
You can change the units of measure for con-
sumption, distances, temperature and pres-
sure.
1.Select "Units" and press the controller.
2.Select the menu item to be set and press
the controller.
3.Select the desired unit of measure and
press the controller.
The settings are stored for the remote key cur-
rently in use.
Language on Control Display
1.Select "Languages" and press the control-
ler.
2.Select "Text language" and press the con-
troller. You can change the language of the
text displays.
3.Select and activate the desired language by
pressing the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.

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Technology for comfort, convenience and
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking.
Acoustic signals and an optical display
* alert
you to the approach of an object from behind
your vehicle. To measure the distance, there
are four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper.
The range of these sensors is approx. 7 ft/2 m.
However, an acoustic warning first sound for
the sensors at the front and at the two rear cor-
ners at approx. 24 in/60 cm, and for the center
rear sensors at approx. 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an object at high speed, oth-
erwise the physical circumstances would mean
that the system warning was too late.<
Automatic activation
The system starts to operate automatically
approx. 1 second after you move the selector
lever into the R position with the engine running
or the ignition switched on.
Wait this short period before driving.
Manual activation
Press button, the LED lights up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system is
switched off and the LED goes out. You can
reactivate the system manually as needed.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, the position is corre-
spondingly indicated by an interval tone. Thus,
an object detected to the left rear of the vehicle
will be indicated by a signal tone from the left
rear speaker, etc. As the distance between
vehicle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter. If the dis-
tance to the nearest object falls to below
roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a continuous tone
sounds.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3seconds:
>if you remain in front of an object that was
only detected by one of the corner sensors
>if you drive parallel to a wall
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a message
appears on the Control Display. PDC is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effectively. Do
not spray the sensors with high-pressure clean-
ers for long periods and maintain a distance of
at least 4 in/10 cm to them.
Exhaust gases near the rear sensors can cause
a signal tone to sound.
PDC with visual warning*
You can also have the system show distances
to objects on the Control Display. Objects that
are farther away are already shown there before

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
74 a signal tone sounds. The setting is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
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.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "PDC" is selected and press
the controller.
5.Select "PDC display on" and press the con-
troller.
The PDC screen is activated.
The display appears on the Control Display as
soon as PDC is activated.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. This applies especially
in those cases where the system approaches
the physical constraints of ultrasonic measure-
ment, as occurs with tow bars and trailer cou-
plings, and in the vicinity of thin or wedge-
shaped objects. Low objects already displayed,
e.g. a curb, can disappear from the detection
area of the sensors again before a continuous
tone sounds. Higher, protruding objects, e.g.
ledges, cannot be detected. Loud sources of
sound, inside and outside the vehicle, could
drown out the PDC signal tone.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability under extreme conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely refer to page106.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking
during a lane change, driving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
DBC Dynamic Brake Control
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC optimizes the vehicle stability and traction.
It also detects unstable driving states such as
understeering and oversteering, and helps
keep the vehicle on course within the physical
limits by reducing the engine output and by
braking at the wheels.
The DSC is operational every time you start the
engine.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the

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driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin further by taking risks.<
DSC indicator lamp
The indicator lamp goes out shortly
after the engine is started.
The indicator lamp flashes: DSC con-
trols the drive forces and brake forces.
The indicator lamp stays lit: DSC is deactivated.
MDynamic Mode MDM
The M Dynamic Mode is a mode of the DSC
Dynamic Stability Control. It enables driving
with greater longitudinal and lateral accelera-
tion on dry road surfaces, however with limited
vehicle stability. The system does not provide
stabilizing intervention by reducing the engine
output and braking at the wheels until the abso-
lute driving limit is reached. Steering correc-
tions by the driver may also be required in this
driving state.
The M Dynamic Mode is deactivated each time
the engine is started.
With the M Dynamic Mode activated, sta-
bilizing interventions are only carried out
to a reduced degree.<
To maintain vehicle stability, drive with
DSC activated and the M Dynamic Mode
deactivated whenever possible.<
MDM indicator lamp
The indicator lamp goes out shortly
after the engine is started. The indica-
tor lamp stays lit: M Dynamic Mode is
activated.
The indicator lamp lights up continuously and
the DSC indicator lamp flashes: the M Dynamic
Mode is active and controls the drive and brak-
ing forces.
Activating MDM
You activate the M Dynamic Mode with the
button on the steering wheel, refer to MDrive on
page48.
With the ignition switched on you can change
the settings of MDrive on the Control Display.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 "MDrive" and press the controller.
5.Select "DSC" and press the controller.
6.Select "M Dynamic Mode" and press the
controller.
Deactivating MDM again
Press the button on the steering wheel
again; the MDM indicator lamp goes out.
Switching off DSC
Press the DSC button; the DSC indicator lamp
lights up continuously. DSC and MDM are
deactivated.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
When rocking free and starting off from deep
snow or on loose road surfaces, it may be prac-
tical to briefly deactivate DSC.

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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
*
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.<
With the button in the center console:
1.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
2.Press the button at least 4 seconds, how-
ever not longer than 2 minutes. After
releasing the button, the warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up yellow for a
few seconds. Warning lamp, refer to Indica-
tion of a flat tire. The message "Initializing
FTM..." appears on the Control Display for a
few seconds.
3.Start to drive. The initialization finishes dur-
ing driving without feedback.Using 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.
The message "Initializing..." is displayed for
a few seconds. The warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up yellow for a few
seconds.
8.Start to drive.
The initialization finishes during driving
without feedback.
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.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
78 1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire. To do this, check the
tire inflation pressure using the M Mobility
System, refer to Producing tire inflation
pressure on page192.
3.Repair flat tire with M Mobility System, refer
to page190, or replace the damaged wheel,
refer to Changing wheels on page192.
Brake force display
Left-hand picture: normal braking.
Right-hand picture: heavy braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page40.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way. Do not attempt to
remove the airbag retention system from the
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the doors and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner. Do not
attempt to remove or dismantle the steering
wheel. Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
80
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page53, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
readiness.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction, otherwise
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<
Head-Up Display*
The concept
With the Head-Up Display important informa-
tion is projected into the driver's field of view,
e.g. navigation instructions. This enables you to
take in this information without looking away
from the road.
Switching on/off
With the engine running or the ignition switched
on:
Press the button to activate or deactivate the
Head-Up Display.
Selecting displays
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 "Display settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Head-Up Display" and press the
controller.

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5.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
6.Press the controller.
The information is shown on the Head-
Up Display.
"M View": the M view is shown in the
Head-Up Display. Information unavailable in
the M view appears on the Control Display
in gray and cannot be selected.
"M View": the default view is displayed.
The M view for the Head-Up Display can also be
selected with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page48.
The settings are stored for the remote key cur-
rently in use.
Default view
1Navigation instructions
2Stored desired speed of cruise control
3Speed
M view
1Current engine speed, highlighted
2Advance warning field of tachometer
3Red warning field of tachometer, also refer
to Tachometer on page62
4Speed
5Gear display
For information on the shift lights in the
tachometer, refer to page58.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is automatically
adapted to the ambient lighting conditions.
However, you can change the base setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Brightness" and press the control-
ler.