2008 BMW M5 steering

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90 7.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
8.Press the controller.
The information appears in the Head-
Up Display.
"M View": the M view appears in the
Head-Up Display. Information unavailable in
the M view appears on the Control Display
in gray and cannot be selected.
"M View": the default view is displayed.
The M view for the Head-Up Display can also be
selected with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page50.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Default view
1Navigation instructions
2Stored desired speed of cruise control
3Speed
"M view"
1Current engine speed, highlighted
2Advance warning field of tachometer
3Red warning field of tachometer, also refer
to Tachometer on page66
4Speed
5Gear display
For information on the shift lights in the
tachometer, refer to page62.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is automatically
adapted to the ambient lighting conditions.
However, you can change the basic setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.
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 "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.

Lamps
94
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves at speeds up to approx. 45 mph/
70 km/h, e.g. on mountainous roads or when
negotiating curves, turning lamps are switched
on that light up the inside area of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into position 3, refer to page92.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light directs light towards the front pas-
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, only the turning lamps
are active and illuminate the outer area of
curves.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking:
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
up to the resistance point, arrow3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off. A sensor on the front side of
the inside rearview mirror controls the process.
The assistant makes sure that the high beams
are switched on whenever traffic conditions
permit. This relieves you of the burden of con-
stantly switching back and forth and simulta-
neously provides you with the best possible vis-
ibility. Naturally, you can intervene at any time to
switch the high beams on and off as usual.
Activating system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to
page92.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.

Driving tips
115Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, and with it
the risk of serious property damage as well as
personal injury. Do not touch hot exhaust tail
pipes. Otherwise there is a risk of burns.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and is characterized by a partial or
complete loss of contact between the tires and
the road surface, ultimately undermining your
ability to steer and brake the vehicle.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tread
depth of the tires decreases, refer also to Mini-
mum tire tread on page202.
Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the road if it
is deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only at
walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. In situations that require it, it is best to
brake with full force. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
The pulsing of he brake pedal indicates that the
ABS is controlling braking.
In certain braking situations the perforated
brake rotors can cause operating noises which,
however, have not effect on the performance
and operating safety of the brake system.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
brake pedal. Even light but consistent
pedal pressure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake failure.<
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent pressure on the brake pedal
can lead to high temperatures, brake wear and
possibly even brake failure.<
Sequential Manual Transmission: do not
drive in idle or with the engine switched
off, otherwise there will be no engine braking
action or support of the braking force and steer-
ing.
Manual transmission: do not drive with the
clutch depressed, in idle or with the engine
switched off, otherwise there will be no engine
braking action or support of the braking force
and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area of movement
of the pedals and impair their operation.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.

Things to remember when driving
118
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Please comply with the precau-
tions included with the installation instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are located in the door
openings.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
its handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the specified weights under
Weights on page232.
Distribute the roof load uniformly. The load
must not be too large in area. Always stow the
heaviest pieces on the bottom. Be sure that
adequate clearance is maintained for raising the
glass sunroof, and that objects do not project
into the opening path of the luggage compart-
ment lid.
Secure roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.

Navigation
Driving tips
127Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Starting destination guidance with
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If the destination guidance does not need to
be started immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page130.
Entering destination via
voice*
You can enter a desired destination via the
voice command system. When entering the
destination, it is possible to change between
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command function for this pur-
pose if necessary.
With {Options} you can have the possible
commands read aloud.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of
destination.
Say the name of the country of destination in
the language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an
entire word.
Spelling destination
To enter the destination, spell it using the
orthography of the country of destination.
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal
volume, avoiding excessive emphasis and
pauses.
The system can suggest up to 20 destina-
tions that match your entries. Up to
6 entries are displayed at once on the Con-
trol Display.
2.{Enter address}
2.Say the name of the country of destina-
tion.
1.Spell town/city name:
Say at least the first three letters of the
destination. The more letters you say,
the more exactly the system recognizes
the town/city.
A destination is suggested by the system.
2.Select town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>To show other entries in the list:
{Next page}
>To respell the town/city: {Repeat}

Destination guidance
140
Repeating and canceling voice
instructions
With the programmable button on the steering
wheel you can also make the following settings,
refer to page50:
>Repeat the voice instruction:
Press button.
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press button longer.
Setting volume of voice instructions
The volume can only be adjusted while a voice
instruction is being output.
1.Repeat the last voice instruction, if neces-
sary.
2.Turn the knob during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.
This volume is independent of the volume of the
audio sources.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Bypassing route sections
During destination guidance, you can revise the
navigation system's route recommendations to
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the
number of miles/kilometers that you want to
travel before returning to the original route.1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until "New route" is
selected and press the controller.
3.Turn the controller to enter the desired
number and press the controller.
The route is recalculated.
To exit from the menu without changing the
route:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Traffic information*
In many congested areas, you can receive traf-
fic information transmitted by radio stations.
The traffic conditions are monitored by traffic
management centers and the traffic information
is periodically updated.
During destination guidance, the traffic infor-
mation relevant to your planned route is auto-
matically displayed. Whether destination guid-
ance is active or not, you can have the traffic
information displayed in the map view or in the
traffic info list.
Switching reception of traffic
information on/off
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.

On/off and tone
148
On/off and tone
The following audio sources have shared
controls and setting options:
>Professional
* radio or
Business radio
>CD player
>CD changer
*
Controls
The audio sources can be operated using:
>Buttons in the area of the CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
>Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons, refer to page21
Buttons in area of CD player
The layout of the buttons can vary depending
on your vehicle's equipment.
One drive:Two drives:
1Entertainment sound output on/off, volume
>Press: switch on/off.
When the system is switched on, the
most recently selected radio station or
CD track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume.
2Drive for audio CDs
3 Eject CD
4 Station scan/track search
>Change radio station.
>Select track for CD player and
CD changer.
5Drive for navigation DVDs
Operation via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
149Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"WB": Weather Band station
>"SAT": satellite radio
>"CD": CD player or CD changer
>"AUX": AUX-In connection
>USB/audio interface
*
>"Set": depending on the audio source,
other adjustments can be made, e.g. with
the radio: update station with strongest
reception, store station, tone control, sam-
ple stations.
From another menu, you can change
directly to the screen last displayed,
refer to Comfort opening of menu items,
page18.<
From radio readiness, the selected audio
source is stored for the remote control currently
in use.
Switching on/off
To switch the Entertainment sound output on
and off:
Press knob1 next to the CD player.
This symbol on the Control Display indi-
cates that sound output is switched off.
For a single drive, the sound output is available
for approx. 20 minutes with the ignition
switched off.
Switch on the sound output again for this pur-
pose.
Adjusting volume
Turn knob1 next to the CD player until the
desired volume is set.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
From radio readiness, the setting is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e. g. treble
and bass, or the speed-dependent volume
increase.
The tone settings are set for all audio sources at
once.
From radio readiness, the settings are stored
for the remote control currently in use.
Changing tone settings
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is
selected and press the controller.
4.Select "Audio" and press the controller.
The tone settings can also be selected when
you have opened "Entertainment" in the start
menu:
Select "Set" and then "Tone", and press the
controller.
Treble and bass
1.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Treble / Bass" is selected
and press the controller.