2008 BMW 550I TOURING service

528i
535i
550i
528xi
535xiOwner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you
before starting off in your new vehicle. It contains important data
and instructions intended to assist you in gaining maximum use
and satisfaction from your BMW's unique range of technical fea-
tures. The manual also contains information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW throughout an extended service
life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may call
1-800-333-0510 toll-free from anywhere in
Canada or 1-613-993-9851 from the Ottawa
region and from other countries, or contact
Transport Canada by mail at: Transport Can-
ada, ASFAD, Place de Ville, Tower C,
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca

Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Indicator lamps for turn signals
2Speedometer
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Displays for
>Active cruise control
*74
>Leaving lane warning
*105
5Tachometer78
6Energy Control79
7Display for
>Clock/date78
>Outside temperature78
>Indicator and warning lamps83
>Speed of cruise control
*70
>Desired speed for active cruise
control
*748Display for
>Odometer and trip odometer78
>Computer79
>Date and remaining travel distance
for service requirements81
>Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
*63
>Sport automatic transmission
*66
>HDC Hill Descent Control
*92
>High-beam assistant
*109
> Check Control message present83
9Fuel gauge79
10Resetting trip odometer78

At a glance
17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or BMW TeleServices*
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for displaying
the average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
>AUX-In connection
>USB audio interface
*
Climate
>Vent settings
>Automatic programs
>Seat heater distribution
*
>Parked car operation*
menu
>Switching off Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central
locking system
>Display of maintenance intervals and dead-
lines for legally mandated inspections
>Settings for telephone
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page61, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
The message is hidden after approx. 10 sec-
onds.
Start menu
You can call up all the functions of iDrive using
five menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the button.
To open the start menu from the menu:
Press the button twice.

iDrive
20
Status information
1Display for:
>Entertainment:
Radio, CD, AUX, USB audio interface
*
>Telephone* in "Communication":
Name of linked mobile phone, network
search or no network
>"BMW Assist"
*:
Existing voice connection with a service
from BMW Assist
2Entertainment sound output off
3Station that transmits traffic information is
received
*:
"TI":
Reception of traffic information for the nav-
igation system
is possible and activated
4Display for:
> New entries present in "Missed calls"
*
> Roaming active
5 Telephoning
* is possible if the mobile
phone is paired in the vehicle
Reception strength of mobile phone
network, dependent on mobile phone
6Time
Other displays:
The status information is temporarily hidden
when there are Check Control instructions or
inputs via the voice command system
*.
Assistance window*
Additional information appears in the assis-
tance window:
>The computer or the trip computer
*
>The arrow or map view with a navigation
system
*
>The current position
Selecting display
1.Move the controller to the right to change to
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select a menu item.
3.Press the controller.

Driving
72 roadways where traffic is moving relatively
smoothly as well as in slow-moving traffic. Do
not use the system in city driving; in complex
driving situations; heavy traffic such as during
rush hour; on curvy, winding roads, slippery
roads or roads with sharp curves such as high-
way off-ramps; during inclement weather such
as snow, strong rain or fog; or when entering
interchanges, service/parking areas or toll
booths. It is also important to regulate your
vehicle's speed and distance setting within
applicable legal limits. Always be ready to take
action or apply the brakes if necessary, espe-
cially when the system is actively following a
vehicle in front of you. Otherwise, driving condi-
tions can result which lead to a violation of the
law or elevated risk of an accident.
The minimum initial activation speed is 20 mph/
30 km/h, and the maximum speed is 110 mph/
180 km/h. However, you can also activate the
system while stopped, refer to While stopped,
page74.
One lever for all functions
1Storing and increasing desired speed
2Storing and reducing desired speed
3Interrupting, refer to page73,
or deactivating system, refer to page74
4Activating stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page73, or driving off, refer
to While stopped, page74
5Selecting distance to vehicle driving ahead,
refer to page73.
Storing current speed
Tap the lever, arrow1, or briefly pull it, arrow2.
The system stores the current vehicle speed. It
is indicated on the speedometer and briefly in
the instrument cluster.
Increasing desired speed
Press or tap the lever to the resistance point or
beyond, arrow1, until the desired speed is dis-
played.
The speed then displayed is stored and
achieved on a clear road.
>Each time the lever is tapped to the resis-
tance point, the desired speed is increased
by approx. 1 mph/1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is tapped beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed
increases to the next fives position in the
mph speedometer display or the next tens
position in the km/h speedometer display.
Reducing desired speed
Pull the lever, arrow2, until the desired speed is
displayed.
These functions are operated in the same man-
ner as increasing your desired speed.

Controls
81Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3.Select "Car Data" and press the controller.
4.Select "Trip computer" and press the con-
troller.
>Departure time
>Driving time
>Distance traveled
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
Starting or stopping the trip computer, or reset-
ting all values:
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
2.Select the desired menu item.
3.Press the controller.
Display options
You can display the computer or the trip com-
puter in the assistance window.
1.Move the controller to the right to change to
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select "Onboard info" or "Trip computer".3.Press the controller.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date for
the next maintenance are displayed briefly with
the ignition switched on.
Your BMW Service Advisor can deter-
mine your vehicle's current service
requirements by reading out the data stored in
the remote control.<
Additional information
You can select a display of more detailed infor-
mation on the maintenance scope on the Con-
trol Display. For operating principle refer to
page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Info sources" and press the control-
ler.
4.Select "Service Info" and press the control-
ler.

Everything under control
82 5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Service requirements" is
selected and press the controller.
6.Select "Status" and press the controller.
The display shows a list of selected service and
maintenance procedures, as well as legally
mandated inspections.
You can request more detailed information on
every entry.
Select the entry and press the controller.
To exit from the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Symbols
No service is currently required.
The deadline for service or a legally man-
dated inspection is approaching. Please
arrange a service appointment.
The service deadline has already passed.
Entering deadlines for legally required
inspections*
Make sure the date on the Control Display is set
correctly, refer to page86, otherwise the effec-
tiveness of CBS Condition Based Service is not
ensured.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Info sources" and press the control-
ler.
4.Select "Service Info" and press the control-
ler.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Service requirements" is
selected and press the controller.
6.Select "Status" and press the controller.
7.Select "State inspection" and press the
controller.
8.Select "Set service date" and press the
controller. The month is selected.