2008 BMW M5 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
7Shift paddles61
8Buttons on steering wheel
9Instrument cluster12
12Ignition lock56
13Horn, entire surface16Releasing hood206
Mobile phone
*174:
>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 station152
Selecting music track163
Scrolling in phone book and in
lists with stored phone numbers
MDrive, call up individual
settings50
Individually programmable50
10
Windshield wipers63
Rain sensor63
11Starting/stopping engine and
Switching ignition on/off 56
14
Steering wheel heater
*49
Steering wheel adjustment49
15
Cruise control65
17Opening luggage compartment
lid33
18
Head-Up Display
*89
19
Parking lamps92
Low beams92
Daytime running lamps
*93
Automatic headlamp control92

Daytime running lamps*93
Adaptive Head Light
*94
High-beam assistant
*94
20
Instrument lighting96

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 lamps96
3SOS: initiating
an emergency request223
4Glass sunroof
*, electric38
5Interior lamps96
6Passenger airbag status lamp88
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system32
10Automatic climate control97
11Changing
>radio station148
>track148
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*148
>audio CD148
13Drive for navigation system DVD with
Professional
* navigation system122
14Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons21
15Drive for audio CDs14816Switching Entertainment sound output
on/off and adjusting volume148
18Controller16
Turn, press or move horizontally in four
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display17
20Drivelogic of Sequential Manual
Transmission61
21EDC Electronic Damper Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission82
22DSC OFF Dynamic Stability Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission81
23POWER M Engine Dynamic Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission59
24EDC Electronic Damper Control for manual
transmission
*82
25MDM
>M Dynamic Mode for manual
transmission80
>Switching DSC on and off in manual
transmission81 Temperature setting, left/right98
Automatic air distribution and
volume98
Cooling function100
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode100
Maximum cooling100
Air volume99
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation99
Rear window defroster97
17
Heated seats46
Active seat ventilation
*47
Adjusting active backrest
width
*43
Flat Tire Monitor
*83
PDC Park Distance Control
*78
Opening luggage compartment
lid
*33

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
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 button on steering wheel,
refer to page50
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page76
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page76
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page75
>Date format, refer to page76
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page77
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page63
>Welcome lamps, refer to page92
>Pathway lighting, refer to page93
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to
page93
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page94
>Individual settings for MDrive, refer to
page50
>Drivelogic driving program in the Sequential
mode, refer to page61
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page79>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page89
>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 page98
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for
destination guidance, refer to page122
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 page43
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page149
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page152
>Switching RDS Radio Data System
on/off
*, refer to page155
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages180,186
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
>Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>via the remote control
>via the door lock
>with comfort access
* via the door handles

Opening and closing
30 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 page35.
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.
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
persons are inside, as unlocking from the

Opening and closing
36
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 sepa-
rately
>Starting engine
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment lid
can only be locked if the vehicle detects that
the remote control you are carrying is out-
side 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.
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.