2008 BMW 6 SERIES ESP

Opening and closing
42
Sliding visor
1.Fold the cover downward, if necessary
using the screwdriver from the onboard tool
kit, refer to page223.
2.Insert the Allen wrench supplied with the
onboard tool kit into the opening provided.
3.Use the Allen wrench to move the sliding
visor in the desired direction.
Convertible: top
The fully automatic convertible top combines
secure weather protection with simple and con-
venient operation.
Here are a few tips for getting the maximum
pleasure from your Convertible:
>It is advisable to close the convertible top
when the vehicle is parked. The closed con-
vertible top not only protects the passenger
compartment from unforeseen weather
damage, it also provides a certain amount of
protection from theft. Nonetheless, even if
the convertible top is closed, only keep
valuables in the locked luggage compart-
ment.
>Do not attach luggage rack systems to the
convertible top.In order to avoid damage, do not move the
convertible top at temperatures below
+147/–106.
Do not leave the convertible top in its storage
compartment for longer than one day when wet;
otherwise, damage from moisture can occur.
Do not place any objects on the convertible top;
otherwise, if the top were to be operated, these
objects could fall off and lead to damage or
injury.
Never move the convertible top when the roll-
over protection system is raised.
Driving without having completed the opening
or closing action can lead to damage or injury.
Do not place hands in the top mechanism dur-
ing the opening and closing action. Keep chil-
dren away from the travel path of the convert-
ible top.
For safety reasons, do not move the convertible
top unless the vehicle is stationary.<
If you have initiated top movement with
the vehicle at a stop and then start to
drive, e.g. at a traffic light, you can continue the
initiated operation up to a speed of 20 mph/
30 km/h:
To do so, press and hold the corresponding
button.<
Partial vacuums that occur at higher
speeds in the passenger compartment
can make the convertible top flap. Use the auto-
matic climate control to increase the air volume
so that a partial vacuum in the vehicle does not
occur.<
Prior to opening and closing
>Read the safety precautions above carefully
and comply with them fully.
>Ensure that the convertible top compart-
ment floor in the luggage compartment is
folded down, refer to page35, as otherwise
the convertible top cannot be opened.
>Make sure that the luggage compartment
lid is closed.

Adjusting
48
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
On the front passenger side as well, do not tilt
the backrest too far toward the rear. Failure to
observe this precaution can prevent the belt
from providing effective protection against
injury, as the passenger could slide under the
belt in an accident.<
Please follow the instructions on damage to
safety belts provided on page53 and the infor-
mation on the active front head restraints on
page50.
Convertible: with the wind deflector fitted,
do not incline the front seat backrests too
far backward if the seat is to be moved back to
the end position. Otherwise, the wind deflector
will be damaged.<
Adjusting seat
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please follow the adjustment instructions on
page47.<
1Inclination
2Longitudinal direction
3Height
4Backrest
5Convertible: head restraints, refer to
page51With the sports seat
*, you can also adjust the
thigh support manually:
Pull the lever and adjust the thigh support in the
longitudinal direction.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contours of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature:
Press front or rear of switch.
>Move curvature up or down:
Press top or bottom of switch.

Adjusting
50 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 "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.
8.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
opened".
9.Press the controller.
To cancel the request:
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
Front head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise, there is
increased danger of injury in the event of an
accident. Only remove the head restraints if no
one will be sitting on the seat in question. Rein-
stall the head restraints before transporting
passengers, as otherwise the head restraint
cannot provide its protective function.<
Active front head restraints
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient
severity, the active head restraint reduces the
distance to the head.
Do not use seat covers or head restraint
covers that could impede the proper
functioning of the active head restraint. Other-
wise, there is no assurance that the active head
restraint will perform its protective function and
it is not possible to take advantage of its injury-
reducing potential in the event of a rear-end
collision.
Have the active head restraints reset after they
are triggered in a rear-end collision. Only have
this work carried out by a BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Otherwise, this safety equipment will
not function properly.<
Please contact a BMW center if you wish
to have the front head restraints removed
and installed.<
Coupe
Adjusting height
>To raise: pull the head restraint upward.
>To lower: slide the head restraint down-
ward.
To reach the lowest position, press the
button, refer to arrow 1.<

Controls
55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Programmable buttons* on steering
wheel
You can program the buttons individually.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently 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 "Steering wheel buttons" and press
the controller.
A list of different functions appears:
>"Navigation voice instructions"
Voice instructions of the navigation sys-
tem
*
>"Air recirculation on / off"
Permanently shutting off outside air,
refer to AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control on page111
>"Mute on / off"
Mutes the audio sources
>"Monitor on / off"
Switches the Control Display on/off
>"Telephone list"
*
Display/hide phone book or last list of
stored phone numbers displayed
>"Next entertainment source"
Changes audio source
>Switches "Night Vision on / off"
BMW Night Vision
* on/off
5.Select the desired function unit and press
the controller.
6.Select the button if necessary and press the
controller.
You can now activate the selected function
using the corresponding button.
Operating function
Press the corresponding button on the steering
wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>To switch voice instructions on/off:
Press the button longer.
>To repeat the last voice instruction:
Press the button.

Transporting children safely
56
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and
height of the child. Otherwise, there is an
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front, knee and side airbags on the
passenger side must be deactivated before
doing so. Otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury to the child if the airbags are triggered,
even with a child restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page94.
Installing child restraint
systems
Follow child restraint system manufac-
turer's instructions for the selection,
installation and use of child restraint systems.
Otherwise, the degree of protection they offer
may be reduced.<
On front passenger seat
After mounting a child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side are deactivated, as otherwise there is
an increased risk of injury if the airbags are trig-
gered.<
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked against pulling
out to secure child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and
pull taut against the child restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child restraint system.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in com-
pletely.
LATCH child restraint fixing
system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.

Driving
62 This position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style.
When the selector lever is briefly moved for-
ward or back, the manual mode is activated and
the Steptronic shifts gear. The instrument clus-
ter shows M1 through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are only carried out at a
suitable engine and vehicle speed, e.g. a down-
shift is not carried out at excessively high
engine speeds. The selected gear is briefly dis-
played in the instrument cluster, followed by the
current gear.
To resume automatic mode, press the selector
lever to the right.
Shift paddles on steering wheel
You can also shift manually with two shift pad-
dles on the steering wheel. The shift paddles
allow you to shift gears quickly, as both hands
can remain on the steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic
mode, the gearshift system switches into
the manual mode.
>If you do not shift with the shift paddles and
do not accelerate for a certain time, the sys-
tem switches into the automatic mode
again when the selector lever is in D.
>To shift up: pull one of the shift paddles.
>To shift down: press one of the shift pad-
dles.
Dynamic Driving Control
The Dynamic Driving Control makes it possible
for your BMW to react in an even more perfor-
mance-oriented manner at the push of a button:
>The speed range of the engine is optimally
utilized.
>Gearshifts are faster.
>The engine responds more spontaneously
to accelerator pedal movements.
>The steering will operate in an even sportier
mode.
>In the automatic mode, the 6th gear is not
engaged.
Activating system
Press the SPORT button.
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT is
displayed in the instrument cluster.
Deactivating system
>Press the SPORT button again
>Engage reverse gear
>Switch off engine
The LED in the button and SPORT in the instru-
ment cluster go out.
Manually unlocking and locking
transmission lock
In case of a power failure, e.g. when the battery
is drained or disconnected, or an electrical fault,
manually release the transmission lock, as oth-
erwise the rear wheels are blocked and the
vehicle cannot be towed.
Only manually release the transmission lock for
towing and firmly apply the handbrake before-
hand so that the vehicle cannot roll. Reengage

Controls
67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Especially on longer trips and in traffic conges-
tion, the system can reduce fatigue and tension,
while increasing your enjoyment of driving.
Please use it safely and responsibly.
In addition to holding a steady cruising speed, if
you encounter slower vehicles ahead, active
cruise control will, within limits, adjust your
vehicle's speed automatically so that you can
flow with the traffic without having to make con-
stant adjustments. If, for example, while cruis-
ing at the selected speed, you begin to
approach a slower vehicle ahead of you in the
same lane, the system will reduce your vehicle's
speed to the same as that of the vehicle ahead
to maintain your selected distance setting. You
can vary the following distance, which will vary
with speed. Based on your selected distance
setting, the system automatically decreases the
throttle setting and lightly applies the brakes if
necessary. In addition, if the vehicle ahead of
you slows to a complete stop, the system can
follow this action within the given scope and
can also accelerate from a complete stop if the
vehicle ahead of you drives off again shortly
thereafter. During braking, your vehicle brake
lamps will automatically illuminate to alert a fol-
lowing driver to take action. In addition, it may
be necessary for your vehicle to downshift the
automatic transmission to maintain the dis-
tance setting selected. As soon as the road in
front of you has no moving vehicles, the system
will accelerate to your desired speed. This set
speed is also maintained on downhill grades,
however the vehicle speed can drop below the
set speed when driving uphill if the engine out-
put is not sufficient.
Active cruise control cannot detect stop
signs, red lights, or any object that is
stopped or is blocking the road.
Active cruise control is not and must not be
used as a collision avoidance/warning system.
Since this active cruise control system is a new
technology and operates differently from con-
ventional cruise control systems which you may
be accustomed to, it is necessary that you read
all of the pages relating to this system before
use. Carefully read and observe the information on the system limitations beginning on page71
to obtain a good command of the system and its
range of applications.<
Brake pedal feel
When the system brakes and you also depress
the brake pedal, a somewhat different braking
feel results.
Professional* navigation system
If a navigation DVD is in the drive, refer to
page132, within limits the system adjusts the
accelerating and braking behavior of the vehicle
to the road you are driving on.
To ensure that the system is informed of
the current course of the road, always use
the latest navigation DVD if possible.<
When the vehicle position is unknown, e. g.
when you leave the map area, this influence of
the navigation system is not available.
Applications
Please try the system first during sparse traffic
and clear road conditions so that you can get
used to the system. After you have experience
and understand the system, only then use it
during normal traffic.
As with conventional cruise control systems,
active cruise control in no way reduces or sub-
stitutes for the driver's own personal experi-
ence, responsibility, alertness and awareness in
adjusting speed, braking or otherwise control-
ling the vehicle. The driver should decide when
to use the system on the basis of road, traffic,
visibility, and weather conditions. Active cruise
control is intended for use on highway-type
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

Driving
68 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,
page70.
One lever for all functions
1Storing and increasing desired speed
2Storing and reducing desired speed
3Interrupting, refer to page69, or deactivat-
ing system, refer to page70
4Activating stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page69, or driving off, refer
to While stopped, page70
5Selecting distance to vehicle driving ahead,
refer to page69.
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 place of the mph
speedometer display or the next tens place
of 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.