2008 BMW M5 SEDAN battery

Lamps
92
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control, daytime run-
ning lamps
*, welcome lamps, Adaptive
Head Light
* and high-beam assistant*
If you open the driver's door with the ignition
switched off, the exterior lighting is automati-
cally switched off when the light switch is in
position0, 2 or 3.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It is preferable to
switch on the roadside parking lamps on one
side, refer to page94.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control
In switch position3, the system activates the
low beams and switches them on or off in
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk
and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head
Light
* is active. The LED next to the symbol
lights up when the low beams are on. You can
activate the daytime running lamps, refer to
page93. In the situations named above, the
system then automatically switches over to the
low beams.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors
cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
low beams manually under these conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position2 or 3
when parking the vehicle, then when you unlock
the vehicle, the parking lamps and interior light-
ing remain illuminated for a brief time.
Activating/deactivating welcome
lamps
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.

Lamps
96
Switching off via iDrive
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 "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "High-beam assistant" and press
the controller.
High-beam assistant is switched off.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Instrument lighting
The lighting intensity can be adjusted with the
knurled wheel with the parking lamps/low
beams switched on.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry
lighting and courtesy lamps
* are controlled
automatically.
With the courtesy lamps, LED lights are located
in the door handles to illuminate the exterior
area before the doors.
To protect the battery, all lamps in the
vehicle are switched off approx. 15 min-
utes after radio readiness is switched off, refer
to Start/Stop button on page56.<
Switching interior lamps on and off
manually
Press the button.
If the interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry
lighting and courtesy lamps are to remain
switched off continually, press the button for
approx. 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
Reading lamps are located in the front and rear
adjacent to the interior lamps. Press the button
to switch the lamps on and off.

Controls
99Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
2.Select the field by moving the controller and
turning the controller to adjust the temper-
ature.
You can also adjust the temperature in the
upper body region with iDrive.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Open "Climate".
3.Select "Vent settings" and press the con-
troller.
4.Select the field by moving the controller and
turning the controller to adjust the temper-
ature.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly remove ice and condensa-
tion from the windshield and front
side windows.
To do this, also switch on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a
while. Depending on the vehicle
equipment, upper wires are used as an antenna
and are not part of the rear window defroster.
Air volume, manual
You can adjust the air volume by
turning. You can reactivate the
automatic mode for the air volume
with the AUTO button.
The air quantity is reduced and if need be, the
ventilation is switched off in order to reduce the
load on the battery. The display stays the same.
Manual air distribution
You can route the air flowing out into the vehicle
interior via various programs, separately for the
driver's and passenger's side:
>Upper body region
>Upper body region and footwell
>Footwell
>Driver's side: windows and footwell
>Individual program
Selecting program
Press the button repeatedly until
the desired air distribution of the
respective program is shown on
the Control Display.
Adjusting air distribution individually –
individual program
Your settings are stored in this program.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Open "Climate".
3.Select "Vent settings" and press the con-
troller.
The driver's and front passenger side can
be adjusted separately with the fields on the
right or left side.
4.Select the driver's or front passenger side
if necessary.
Move the controller to the right or left
repeatedly until the driver's or front passen-
ger side is selected.
5.Select the desired field by moving the con-
troller.

Controls
101Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>with sufficient battery voltage
>at an outside temperature below 777/
256
From radio readiness the interior temperature,
the air volume and the air distribution can be
set.
Switching automatic climate control
on and off
1.Turn to the left to minimum air volume.
2.After approx. 1 second, turn to the left
again.
You switch on the system again by pressing any
button of the automatic climate control.
Front ventilation
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
vent outlets
2Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the
vent outlets, otherwise these could be
catapulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance, if the interior
has become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Rear ventilation
1Knurled wheel to smoothly open and close
vent outlets
2Knurled wheel to adjust the temperature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW
center replaces this combined filter as a stan-
dard part of your scheduled maintenance.
Parked car ventilation
The concept
The parked car ventilation blows air into the
passenger compartment to lower interior tem-
peratures.
It is ready to use in the parked car mode at any
outside temperature.
You can set two different times for the system
to start. The parked car ventilation can also be
switched on and off directly. It remains
switched on for 30 minutes.
Since the system uses a substantial amount of
electrical current, you should refrain from acti-
vating it twice in succession without allowing
the battery to be recharged in normal operation
between use.

Navigation
Driving tips
145Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
What to do if …
What to do if …
>a navigation DVD is inserted, but an instruc-
tion to insert the DVD appears on the Con-
trol Display?
The navigation DVD may not be the correct
DVD for the navigation system. This infor-
mation is indicated on the DVD label.
>you request the current position of your
vehicle, but do not receive a precise dis-
play?
The system is unable to receive enough
GPS signals at your current position due to
obstructions, your position is not yet avail-
able on your navigation DVD, or the system
is in the process of calculating your posi-
tion. Reception is best when you have an
unobstructed view to the sky.
>the destination guidance does not accept a
destination?
The data of the destination is not stored on
the navigation DVD that is loaded. Select a
destination that is as close as possible to
the original.
>the destination guidance does not accept
an address without the street name?
On the navigation DVD, no downtown area
can be determined for the city or town
entered. Enter any street, or a destination
such as the railway station in the selected
town, and then start the destination guid-
ance.
>you want to enter a destination for the des-
tination guidance, but it is not possible to
select the letters for your desired entry?
The data of the destination is not stored on
the navigation DVD that is loaded. In this
case, the system will not offer you any let-
ters to choose from. Select a destination
that is as close as possible to the original.>the system stops furnishing directions on
which way to turn as you approach intersec-
tions?
You are driving in an area that has not yet
been completely recorded on the naviga-
tion DVD. Instead of an arrow indicating a
turn, you will see an arrow which indicates
the general direction of your planned route.
Or you have left the recommended route
and the system requires a few seconds to
calculate a new recommended route.
>the navigation system does not react to
entries?
If the battery was disconnected, it takes
about 10 minutes before the system is once
again operational.

Telephoning
174
Telephoning
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full mobile phone
preparation package. After pairing a suitable
mobile phone in the vehicle once, you can oper-
ate the mobile phone via iDrive, with the buttons
on the steering wheel and by voice.
A mobile phone that has been paired once is
automatically detected again with the engine
running or the ignition switched on as soon as
it is in the vehicle interior. The logon data of up
to four mobile phones can be stored simulta-
neously. If several mobile phones are detected
simultaneously, the respective last mobile
phone paired can be operated via the vehicle.
Using a phone in your vehicle
Using snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a mobile phone
cradle, enables the battery to be charged and
the mobile phone to be connected to the exter-
nal antenna of your vehicle. This ensures
improved network reception and a consistent
voice reproduction quality. Ask your BMW cen-
ter which mobile phones snap-in adapters are
offered for.
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-
gency. While you should consult your mobile
phone's separate operating instructions for a
detailed description of safety precautions and
information, we request that you direct your
particular attention to the following:
Only make entries when traffic conditions
allow you to do so. Do not hold the mobile
phone in your hand while you are driving; use
the hands-free system instead. If you do not
observe this precaution, your being distracted
can endanger vehicle occupants and other road
users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Ask your BMW center which mobile phones
with a Bluetooth interface are supported by the
mobile phone preparation package or which
mobile phones snap-in adapters are available
for. These mobile phones support the functions
described in this Owner's Manual with a certain
software version. Malfunctions can occur with
other mobile phones.
Care instructions
You can find what you need to know about car-
ing for your mobile phone in the separate Caring
for your vehicle brochure and in the mobile
phone operating instructions.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone* using:
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
>iDrive, refer to page16
>Voice commands, refer to page185
>Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons, refer to page21
Avoid operating a mobile phone detected by
the vehicle with the keypad of the mobile
phone, otherwise malfunctions can occur.
Placing phone calls with BMW Assist
system*: BMW Assist calls
You can use the BMW Assist system via the
hands-free unit for BMW Assist calls.
When the status information "BMW Assist" or
"BMW Service" is displayed in "Communica-
tion", only BMW Assist calls are possible.
It may not be possible to establish a telephone
connection using the mobile phone while a con-
nection is being established to BMW Assist or
while a call to BMW Assist is already in
progress. If this happens, you must log off the
*

Telephoning
188
Mounting/removing snap-in
adapter
1.Press the area 1 around the button and
remove the cover.
2.Insert the snap-in adapter at the front and
press down until it engages.
To remove the snap-in adapter:
Press the area 1 around the button.
Inserting mobile phone
1.Remove the protective cap from the mobile
phone's antenna connector if necessary, so
that the mobile phone can engage in the
snap-in adapter.
2.Push the mobile phone with the buttons
facing upward toward the electrical connec-
tions and press down until it engages.
The mobile phone's battery is charged from
radio readiness or with the steering unlocked.
To protect the vehicle's batteries, avoid
using the phone when the ignition is
switched off.<
Removing mobile phone
Press button.

Replacing components
222
Vehicle battery
Battery care
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, i.e., the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
ma te. Your BM W center will be glad to advise in
all matters concerning the battery.
Charging battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine switched off. Connections, refer to
Jump starting on page224.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright
position for transport and storage. Always
restrain the battery to prevent it from tipping
over during transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power supply interruption,
some settings are lost. Take the following
steps:
>Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory
Store the positions again, refer to page43.
>Time and date
Reset, refer to text starting on page75.
>Radio
Store stations again, refer to page154.
>Navigation system
Wait until the system starts, refer to
page122.
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating, as
this could lead to a circuit overload, ultimately
resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<
Spare fuses, plastic tweezers and fuse alloca-
tion diagram are located in the compartment for
the onboard tool kit, refer to page214.
In glove compartment
1.Release both quick-release fasteners.
2.Fold the cover forward or remove.
In cargo bay
1.Lift up floor mat.
2.Release the quick-release fastener of the
right side panel and pull out the panel.