2008 BMW 550I TOURING warning

Notes
6
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Genuine BMW Parts,
you simultaneously acquire the assurance that
they have been thoroughly tested by BMW to
ensure optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation or its occupants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment
such as CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or the
like may cause extensive damage to the vehicle,
compromise its safety, interfere with the vehi-
cle's electrical system, or affect the validity of
the BMW Limited Warranty. See your BMW
center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<

At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
7Buttons on steering wheel
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock6112Horn, entire surface
15Releasing hood232 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 com-
mand system
* 23
Changing radio station172
Selecting music track182
Scrolling in phone book and in lists
with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable
*54
Individually programmable
*54
Leaving lane warning
*105
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 control71
16Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate33, 35
17
Head-Up Display
*101
BMW Night Vision
*103
18Parking lamp107
Daytime running lamps
*108
Low beams107
Welcome lamps107
Automatic headlamp control
*107
Daytime running lamps
*108
Welcome lamps107
Adaptive Head Light
*109
High-beam assistant
*109
19
Instrument lighting111
Fog lamps
*111

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
13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the bottom edge of the Con-
trol Display explain the meaning of the dis-
played indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e.g. on the cause of a
malfunction and on the corresponding need to
take action can be displayed via the Check Con-
trol, refer to page83.In urgent cases, this information will be shown
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps signal particular
functions:
High beams/headlamp flasher109
Fog lamps
*111
Handbrake applied63
Handbrake applied for Canadian mod-
els
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC controls the drive and
braking forces for maintaining vehicle
stability91
DTC Dynamic Traction Control92
Engine malfunction with deteriorating
emissions levels238

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 lamps112
3SOS: initiating
an emergency request253
4Interior lamps111
5Glass sunroof
*, electric41
Panorama glass sunroof42
6Passenger airbag status lamp100
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system32
10Automatic climate control113
11Changing
>radio station172
>track168
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*142
>audio CD181
13Programmable memory buttons21
14Drive for navigation DVDs
*14215Drive for audio CDs181
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/right114
Automatic air distribution and
volume114
Cooling function116
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control116
Recirculated-air mode116
Maximum cooling116
Air volume115
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation115
Rear window defroster115
17
Heated seats*51
Active seat ventilation
*52
Adjusting active backrest
width
*47
Active seat
*52
PDC Park Distance Control
*89
DTC Dynamic Traction Control91
Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
*33,35

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
*, and
the welcome lamps are switched on.
Setting unlocking behavior
You can set whether the first press of the button
unlocks only the driver's door or the entire vehi-
cle.
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.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Comfort opening
Press and hold the button. The windows and
the glass sunroof
* open.

Controls
37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic roll-up cover
When the tailgate or rear window are opened,
the roll-up cover is raised, and when the tailgate
and rear window are closed, it is lowered.
Make sure that the closing area of the roll-
up cover is clear of obstructions, other-
wise the payload or the roll-up cover may be
damaged.<
Details on the roll-up cover are provided on
page127.
Closing tailgate
Make sure that the closing path of the tail-
gate is clear, otherwise injuries may
result.<
The tailgate closes automatically when the but-
ton on the inside of the tailgate is pressed.
To interrupt the opening or closing process:
>Press the button on the inside of the tail-
gate.
>Press the button on the outside of the tail-
gate.
Closing is not canceled when you put the
vehicle into motion.<
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate or rear window are
opened
>To movements in the vehicle: interior
motion sensor, refer to page38>To changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the
vehicle
>To interruptions in battery voltage
Unauthorized operations are briefly signaled by
the alarm system:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate can also
be opened with the system armed with the
button on the remote control, refer to page33.
When the luggage compartment lid/tailgate is
closed, it is locked and monitored again.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control,
refer to page30.
>Insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
doors, hood, luggage compartment lid/tail-
gate or rear window
are not properly closed.
Even if you do not close the alerted area, the
system begins to monitor the remaining
areas, and the indicator lamp flashes con-

Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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.
Locking
>On the driver's door, touch the highlighted
surface, arrow2, with a finger for approx.
1 second, but do not grasp the door handle.
>On the remaining doors, touch the high-
lighted surface, arrow3, with the back of
your hand for approx. 1 second, but do not
grasp the door handle.
This corresponds to pressing the but-
ton.
Please make sure that the ignition and all
electronic systems/consumers are
switched off before locking to save the bat-
tery.<
Comfort closing
Hold a finger or the back of your hand against
the surface, arrow2 or 3, but do not grasp the
door handle while doing so.
The windows and the glass sunroof
* are
closed.
Watch during the closing process to be
sure that no one is injured. Removing the
hand from the door handle stops the closing
process immediately.<
Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate separately
Press the button on the luggage compartment
lid/tailgate. This corresponds to pressing the
button.If a remote control accidentally left in the
cargo bay is detected in the locked vehi-
cle after closing the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate or the rear window, the lid or rear win-
dow opens again. The hazard warning flashers
flash and a signal
* sounds.<
Sports Wagon: opening rear window
separately
Press the button on the rear window, refer to
page34.
Switching on radio readiness
By pressing the Start/Stop button, you switch
on the radio readiness, refer to page61.
When doing so, do not depress the brake
or clutch pedal, otherwise the engine will
start immediately.<
Starting engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion if a remote control is located in the interior
of the vehicle. It need not be inserted in the igni-
tion lock, refer to page61.
If you take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle with the engine running, a
warning lamp lights up. In addition, a message
appears on the Control Display. As long as no
remote control is detected, it is only possible to
restart the engine within approx. 10 seconds
after it is switched off.
Switching off engine with automatic
and sport automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off in trans-
mission position P, refer to page62.
To switch off the engine in transmission posi-
tion N, the remote control must be inserted in
the ignition lock.
Before driving into a car wash with
automatic and sport automatic
transmission
1.Insert remote control into ignition lock.
2.Depress brake pedal.
3.Engage transmission position N.