2008 BMW 528I buttons

At a glance
This overview of buttons, switches and displays
is intended to familiarize you with your vehicle's
operating environment. The section will also
assist you in becoming acquainted with the
control concepts and options available for
operating the various systems.
At a glance

At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
7Buttons on steering wheel
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock6112Horn, entire surface
15Releasing hood230 Mobile phone
*194:
>Press: accepting and ending
call, starting dialing
* for
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
>Press and hold: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice
command system
* 23
Changing radio station172
Selecting music track183
Scrolling in phone book and in
lists with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable
*54
Individually programmable
*54
Leaving lane warning
*106
9
Windshield wipers68
Rain sensor68
Sports Wagon: rear window
wiper69
10Starting/stopping engine and
Switching ignition on/off 61
13
Steering wheel heater*54
Steering wheel adjustment54
14
Cruise control
*69
Active cruise control70
16Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate33, 35
17
Head-Up Display
*102
BMW Night Vision
*104
18Parking lamp108
Daytime running lamps
*109
Low beams108
Welcome lamps108
Automatic headlamp control
*108
Daytime running lamps
*109
Welcome lamps108
Adaptive Head Light
*110
High-beam assistant
*110
19
Instrument lighting112
Fog lamps
*112

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for
telephone
*
and for voice command system*23
2Reading lamps113
3SOS: initiating
an emergency request247
4Interior lamps112
5Glass sunroof
*, electric41
Panorama glass sunroof43
6Passenger airbag status lamp101
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system32
10Automatic climate control114
11Changing
>radio station168
>track168
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*142
>audio CD168
13Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons2114Drive for navigation DVDs
*142
15Drive for audio CDs168
16Switching Entertainment sound output
on/off and adjusting volume168
18Controller16
Turn, press or move horizontally in four
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display17 Temperature setting,
left/right115
Automatic air distribution and
volume115
Cooling function117
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control117
Recirculated-air mode117
Maximum cooling117
Air volume116
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation116
Rear window defroster114
17
Heated seats*51
Active seat ventilation
*52
Adjusting active backrest
width
*47
Active seat
*52
PDC Park Distance Control
*90
DTC Dynamic Traction Control92
Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
*33,35

At a glance
21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching assistance window off/on
1.Move the controller to the right to change to
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select "Assist. window off" and press the
controller.
To switch on, change to the assistance window
and press the controller.
Switching Control Display
off/on
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Display off" and press the control-
ler.
To switch on, press the controller.
Programmable memory/
direct selection buttons
You can save and run certain functions of iDrive
on the programmable memory/direct selection
buttons:
>Destinations of navigation
>Telephone, phone numbers
>Entertainment:
>radio station
>CD
>CD compartment of CD changer
*
>AUX
The assignment of the programmable memory/
direct selection buttons is stored for the remote
control currently in use.
Saving function
Destinations of navigation
1.Select navigation destination, e.g. in the
destination list or the address book.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
Special features:
>With the destination guidance system and
the map view started, the current destina-
tion is stored.
>During destination entry via a map, the
coordinates at the cursor are stored, not the
current destination.
Telephone, phone numbers
1.Enter the phone number or select it in a list
of the stored phone numbers, e.g. of the
A-Z list.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
If a name is assigned to the phone number, the
name will also be stored.

iDrive
22
Entertainment
In the Entertainment menu, the sound source
currently heard, e.g. a radio station, is stored,
regardless of the selection on the Control Dis-
play.
1.Select the desired function, e.g. radio sta-
tion or CD.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
If the vehicle is equipped with two drives,
the current track is stored for CDs with
compressed audio files.<
Run function
Press the ... button.
When selecting a phone number, the connec-
tion is also established, or the destination guid-
ance is started when a navigation destination is
selected.
Displaying button assignment
You can display the assignment of the buttons
by touching them with your finger. Please do
not wear gloves when doing so. Touching with
an object, e.g. a pen, does not function.
Displaying short info
Touch the ... button.
The assignment of the buttons is displayed.
Destination of navigation system
Entertainment source
Telephone, phone number
Not assigned
Displaying detailed information
Touch the ... button longer.
Deleting button assignments
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Select "Programmable Memory Keys" and
press the controller.
6.Select "Delete assignment of all memory
keys" and press the controller.
7.Acknowledge with "Yes".

Controls
29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW
individually according to your preferences.
Personal 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.
>Behavior of the central locking system
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page30
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to
page32
>Programming buttons
* on steering wheel,
refer to page54
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page88
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page88
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page87
>Date format, refer to page87
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page88
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page67
>Welcome lamps, refer to page108
>Pathway lighting, refer to page109
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to
page109>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page110
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page90
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page102
>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer
to page105
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated air control/recirculated
air mode, temperature, air distribution, tem-
perature in the upper body region, refer to
text starting on page115
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for
destination guidance, refer to page142
In addition, the following, most recently
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons: selecting stored functions, refer to
page21
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page47
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page169
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page172
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page175
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages200,206
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
>Luggage compartment lid or tailgate and
rear window
>Fuel filler door

Opening and closing
30
Operating from outside
>via the remote control
>via the door lock
>with comfort access
* via the door handles
At the same time, the anti-theft system is also
operated. It prevents the doors from being
unlocked using the lock buttons or door han-
dles. In addition, it the remote control is used,
the welcome lamps, the interior lamps and the
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The
alarm system
is armed/disarmed at the same
time.
You can find more detailed information on the
alarm system
on page37.
Operating from inside
Via the button for central locking, refer to
page32. The fuel filler door is not locked.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the
central locking system unlocks automatically. In
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using remote control
Persons or animals left unattended in a
parked vehicle can lock the doors from
the inside. Always take along the remote control
when leaving the vehicle so that the vehicle can
then be opened from the outside.<
Unlocking
Press the button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* of the
doors and the welcome lamps are switched on.
You can set how the vehicle is unlocked. The
setting is stored for the remote control currently
in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Door locks" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Unlock button" and press the con-
troller.
8.Select a menu item:
>"All doors"
Pressing the button once unlocks
the entire vehicle.
>"Driver's door only"
Pressing the button once unlocks the
driver's door and the fuel filler door.
Pressing the button twice unlocks the
entire vehicle.
9.Press the controller.
Comfort opening
Press and hold the button. The windows and
the glass sunroof
* open.
Locking
Press the button.

Opening and closing
38
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
*
must be completely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In two-level garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains,
by sea or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort access*
Comfort access allows you to access your vehi-
cle without having to hold the remote control in
your hand. It is sufficient to carry the remote
control with you, e.g. in your jacket pocket. The
vehicle automatically detects the associated
remote control in the immediate vicinity or in
the interior.
Comfort access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking vehicle
>Comfort closing
>Opening luggage compartment lid/tailgate
separately>Sports Wagon: opening rear window sepa-
rately
>Starting engine
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment
lid/tailgate can only be locked if the vehicle
detects that the remote control you are car-
rying is outside the vehicle.
>The next unlocking and locking cycle is not
possible until after approx. 2 seconds.
>The engine can only be started if the vehicle
detects that the remote control is located in
the vehicle.
Comparison with ordinary remote
control
You can control the functions mentioned previ-
ously with the comfort access or by pressing
the buttons on the remote control. Therefore,
please familiarize yourself with the information
on opening and closing beginning on page28
beforehand.
The special features when using comfort
access are described in the following.
Should a short delay occur when opening
or closing the windows or the glass sun-
roof, the system is checking whether a remote
control is located in the vehicle. Please repeat
opening or closing if necessary.<
Unlocking
Grasp a door handle fully, refer to arrow1, but
do not touch the surfaces, arrow2 or 3 when
doing so. This corresponds to pressing the
button.