2008 BMW 550I TOURING light

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Do not use aggressive, acid-containing,
strongly alkaline, or coarse cleansers and
do not use steam cleaners at temperatures
greater than 1407/606; otherwise you may
damage your vehicle.<
Outside sensors
Sensors outside the vehicle, such as Park
Distance Control sensors or radar sen-
sors, should be kept clean and free of ice to
maintain their full function.<
Interior care
Upholstery materials/cloth-covered
paneling
Clean regularly with a vacuum cleaner in order
to remove surface dirt.
In the event of more serious soiling such as bev-
erage stains, use a soft sponge or a lint-free
microfiber cloth in combination with suitable
interior cleaners. Follow the instructions on the
packaging.
Clean upholstery material over a large
area extending out to the seams. Avoid
intense friction.<
Open Velcro fasteners on pants or other
items of clothing can cause damage to
the seat covering. Make sure that the Velcro
fasteners are closed.<
Leather/leather-covered paneling
The leather used by BMW is a high quality
natural product. Slight patterns in the
grain are part of the typical properties of a natu-
ral leather.<
Dust and dirt from the road chafe in pores and
folds and result in considerable wear and cause
the leather surface to become prematurely brit-
tle. We therefore suggest that you clean the
leather with a dust cloth or vacuum cleaner at
regular intervals.
Particularly with light-colored leather, make
sure to clean it regularly since it has a greater
tendency to become soiled.Treat the leather twice a year with a leather
lotion since dirt and grease harm the protective
layer of the leather.
Carpets/luggage compartment
Carpeting, floor mats, and luggage compart-
ment rugs and paneling can be cleaned with a
vacuum or in the event of more serious soiling,
cleansed with an interior cleaner.
Floor mats and luggage compartment rugs can
be removed for cleaning. When inserting into
place, make sure that the seat rails do not pro-
trude over the floor mats; otherwise floor mats
can be damaged.
Fluff on new floor mats is a result of the produc-
tion process and can be removed by repeated
vacuuming.
Plastic components inside
Clean the glass cover of the instrument panel,
imitation leather surfaces, lamp lenses, and
matte components with water and, if necessary,
a solvent-free plastic cleaner.
Fine wooden components
Use a damp cloth to clean fine wooden trim
panels and components. Follow up by drying
with a soft cloth.
Safety belts
Do not use cleansers to clean the safety
belts since this can destroy the web-
bing.<
Inside sensors
Clean inside sensors such as those of the high-
beam assistant using a lint-free cloth moist-
ened with glass cleaner.
Displays
Clean displays like the radio or the Control Dis-
play using a display-cleaning cloth or a soft,
nonabrasive lint-free cloth.
Avoid using excessive pressure when
cleaning displays; otherwise, you could
damage them.<

Replacing components
244
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. You must be duly diligent
in replacing them. BMW recommends having
your BMW center perform any work that you do
not feel competent to perform yourself or that is
not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean cloth, napkin, etc., or hold the bulb by its
metal socket.<
A selection of replacement bulbs is available at
your BMW center.
Only replace bulbs when cool, as other-
wise you may be burned.<
Whenever you perform any work on the
electrical system, turn off the systems/
consumers involved to prevent short circuits
from occurring. To avoid possible injury or
equipment damage when replacing bulbs,
observe any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<
When caring for the headlamps, please follow
the instructions under Care, starting on
page239.
For bulbs for which changing is not
described, and for checking and adjusting
headlamp aim, please contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Light-emitting diodes LEDs
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
cent lenses serve as the light source for many of
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several
hours, as irritation of the retina could result.<
Halogen headlamps
The illustration shows the left-hand side of the
engine compartment.
1Cover cap for low beams
2Cover cap for high beams
To remove the cover caps:
>Low beams: press the detent, arrow, and
remove the cover from the guide.
>High beams: turn the cover cap to the left
and remove.
Always wear gloves and eye protection –
the atmosphere within the H7 bulb is
pressurized. Otherwise there is a danger of inju-
ries if the bulb is accidentally damaged during
replacement.<

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Low beams
H7 bulb, 55 watts
1.Turn the bulb holder to the left and remove.
2.Remove and replace the bulb.
High beams
H7 bulb, 55 watts
1.Turn the bulb holder to the left and remove.
2.Remove and replace the bulb.
Parking and roadside parking lamps
In the event of a malfunction, please go to your
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel.
Xenon lamps*
The service life of these bulbs is very long and
the probability of a failure is very low, provided
that they are not switched on and off an unusual
number of times. If one of these bulbs should
nevertheless fail, it is possible to continue driv-
ing with great caution using the fog lamps, pro-
vided traffic laws in your area do not prohibit
this.
Have work on the xenon lighting system
performed only by your BMW center or a workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Due to the high voltage present in the
system, there is a danger of fatal injuries when
work is carried out improperly.<
Access to lamps
The illustration shows the left-hand side of the
engine compartment.
1Cover cap for parking and roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lamps
2Sealing cap for turning lamps
*
To remove the covers:
>Parking lamps and roadside parking lamps,
daytime running lamps: turn the cover cap
to the left and remove.
>Turning lamps: turn the sealing cap to the
left and remove.
Parking lamps and roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lamps
H8 bulb, 35 watts
1.Turn the bulb in the direction of the arrow, in
the opposite direction on the other side,
and remove.
2.Remove the connector and replace the
bulb.

Replacing components
250
Compact wheel*
1.Unscrew the wing nut 1.
2.Remove the washer 2 laterally.
3.Take out the tool mounts 3.
4.Remove the compact wheel.
Preparing wheel change
1.Observe the safety precautions above.
2.Prevent the vehicle from rolling:
Place the chock behind the front wheel on
the other side of the vehicle, or on inclines,
in front of this wheel. On steeply inclined
roads, always secure the vehicle against
rolling.
3.Loosen the lug bolts a half turn.
Jacking up vehicle
1.Position the vehicle jack at the jacking point
closest to the wheel so that the entire sur-
face of the jack base rests on the ground
perpendicularly beneath the jacking point.
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not attempt
to raise another vehicle model with it or to
raise any load of any kind. To do so could
cause accidents and personal injury.<2.Guide the jack head into the rectangular
recess of the jacking point when cranking
up, refer to illustration detail.
3.Jack the vehicle up until the wheel you are
changing is raised from the ground.
Mounting a wheel
1.Unscrew the lug bolts and remove the
wheel.
2.Remove accumulations of mud or dirt from
the mounting surfaces of the wheel and
hub. Also clean the lug bolts.
3.Position the new wheel or compact wheel.
Secure the wheel by screwing at least two
lug bolts into opposite bolt holes.
When you mount wheels other than Genu-
ine BMW light-alloy wheels, different lug
bolts may also be required.
4.Screw in the remaining lug bolts. Tighten all
the bolts securely in a diagonal pattern.
5.Lower the vehicle and remove the jack from
beneath the vehicle.
After mounting
1.Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal pattern.
To ensure safety, always have the
lug bolts checked with a calibrated
torque wrench as soon as possible to
ensure that they are tightened to the speci-
fied torque. Otherwise, incorrectly tight-
ened lug bolts are a hidden safety risk. The
tightening torque is 88.5 lb ft/120 Nm.<
2.When stowing the wheel and tools in the
vehicle, execute these steps in the reverse
order.

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Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency request
Conditions for an emergency request:
>Full preparation package mobile phone.
With this equipment, an emergency request
is still possible when no mobile phone is
paired with the vehicle.
>BMW Assist is activated.
Activating BMW Assist, refer to page215.
>Radio readiness is activated.
>The BMW Assist system is logged on to a
mobile phone network.
>The emergency request system is opera-
ble.
Once your BMW Assist subscription expires,
the BMW Assist system can be deactivated by
a BMW center without you having to visit a
workshop. Once the BMW Assist system has
been deactivated, emergency requests are not
possible. The BMW Assist system can be reac-
tivated by a BMW center after signing a new
contract.
Initiating an emergency request
1.Briefly press protective cover to open.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
2.Press the SOS button for at least 2 sec-
onds.The LED in the button lights up. As soon as the
voice connection to the BMW Assist Response
Center has been established, the LED flashes.
Even if you are unable to answer, the BMW
Assist Response Center can take further steps
to help you under certain conditions.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehicle until
the connection has been established. You will
then be able to provide a detailed description of
the situation.
If the current position of your vehicle can be
determined, it will be transmitted to the BMW
Assist Response Center.
If the LED is flashing but the BMW Assist
Response Center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The BMW
Assist Response Center may still be able to
hear you, though.
Under certain conditions, an emergency
request is automatically initiated immediately
after a severe accident. Pressing the button
does not interfere with this.
For technical reasons, the emergency request
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable condi-
tions.
You can also use other services of
BMW Assist with this button, refer to
page209.<
Warning triangle*
The warning triangle is located in the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate.

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Preparation
1.Check whether the battery of the other
vehicle has a voltage of 12 Volts and
approximately the same capacitance in Ah.
This information can be found on the bat-
tery.
2.Switch off the engine of the assisting vehi-
cle.
3.Switch off any electrical systems and com-
ponents in both vehicles.
There must not be any contact between
the bodies of the two vehicles, otherwise
there is a danger of shorting.<
Connecting jumper cables
To avoid personal injury from sparks, fol-
low this sequence when connecting
jumper cables.<
In your BMW, the so-called jump-starting termi-
nal in the engine compartment serves as a pos-
itive terminal for the battery, also refer to engine
compartment overview on page233. The cover
cap is marked with a +.
1.Fold open the cover of the BMW jump-
starting terminal. To do so, pull the tab.
2.Attach one end of the jumper cable plus/+
to the positive terminal of the battery or a
jump-starting terminal of the vehicle provid-
ing assistance.
3.Attach the second end of the cable to the
positive terminal of the battery or to a start-
ing-aid terminal of the vehicle to be started.
4.Attach one end of the jumper cable minus/–
to the negative terminal of the battery or to
an engine or body ground of the assisting
vehicle.Your BMW has a special nut as body ground
or negative terminal.
5.Attach the second end of the cable to the
negative terminal of the battery or to the
engine or body ground of the vehicle to be
started.Starting engine
1.Start the engine on the assisting vehicle
and allow it to run at idle for several minutes
at slightly increased speed.
2.Start the engine on the other vehicle in the
usual way.
If the first starting attempt is not successful,
wait a few minutes before another attempt
in order to allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the connection sequence.
Check the battery and recharge if necessary.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Tow-starting and towing
Observe applicable laws and regulations
for tow-starting and towing.<
Do not transport any passengers other
than the driver in a vehicle that is being
towed.<
Using tow fitting
Always keep the screw-in tow fitting with the
vehicle. It can be screwed in at the front or rear
of the BMW.

Giving and receiving assistance
256 Sedan:
It is located in the toolkit in the luggage com-
partment lid, refer to page243.
Sports Wagon:
It is located in the toolkit behind the left side
panel in the cargo bay, refer to page243.
Use only the tow fitting provided with the
vehicle and screw it all the way in. Use the
tow fitting for towing only on roads. Avoid lateral
loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift the vehi-
cle by the tow fitting. Otherwise damage to the
tow fitting and the vehicle can occur.<
Access to screw thread
Press the arrow symbol on the cover in the
bumper.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page61, otherwise the low
beams, tail lamps, turn signals and windshield
wipers would not be available. Do not tow the
vehicle with the rear axle raised, as otherwise
the steering can turn to the left or right. When
the engine is stopped, there is no power assist. This then requires increased effort for braking
and steering. Active steering is deactivated and
larger steering wheel movements are
required.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers depend-
ing on the local regulations. If the electrical sys-
tem fails, mark the vehicle to be towed, e.g. with
a sign or warning triangle in the rear window.
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Automatic and sport automatic
transmission
Before towing, manually release the
transmission lock, even if there is no mal-
function in the transmission. Otherwise there is
a risk that the transmission lock will engage dur-
ing towing.<
Manually unlocking and locking transmission
lock, refer to page65.
Do not exceed a towing speed of mph/
70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km; otherwise the automatic
transmission may be damaged.
Towing methods
Do not lift vehicle by tow fitting or body
and chassis parts, otherwise damage may
result.<
In some countries, towing with tow bars or
ropes in public traffic is not permitted. Familiar-
ize yourself with the regulations on towing in the
respective country.
With tow bar
The towing vehicle may not be lighter
than the vehicle to be towed, otherwise it
will not be possible to reliably control vehicle
response.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an offset
angle, please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.

Short commands of voice command system
268
Climate
menu
FunctionCommand
To adjust temperature distribution for front seat
heating51{Seat heater distribution}
To open "Vent settings"115{Vent settings}
To open "Automatic programs"114{Automatic programs}
To open "Parked car ventilation"118{Parked car operation}
To open "Automatic ventilation"118{Automatic ventilation}
To display activation times118{Activation time}
FunctionCommand
To open the menu{Settings menu}
"Display off"21{Display off}
To open "Info sources"{Info sources}
To open "Settings"{Settings}
To open "Door locks"30, 32{Door locks}
To open "Steering wheel buttons"54{Steering wheel buttons}
To open "Lighting"67{Lighting}
To open "Service requirements"81, 211{Service requirements}
To open "Service"81, 211{Service}
To open "BMW Service settings" settings214{BMW service settings}
To display "Check Control messages"84{Check Control messages}
To open "Head-Up Display"101{Head-up display}
To set brightness of Control Display87{Brightness}
To open "Units"88{Units}
To open "Language"88, 142{Language}
To open "Time"86{Time}
To open "Date"87{Date}
To open "PDC"89{PDC}
To open "FTM"94{FTM}
To open "TPM"
96{TPM}
To display "Bluetooth"198{Bluetooth}
To open "HDC"92{HDC}
To activate BMW Night Vision104{Night Vision on}
To deactivate BMW Night Vision104{Night Vision off}
To display settings for BMW Night Vision104{Night Vision settings}