2009 BMW M5 SEDAN Start

Controls
93Reference
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Mobility
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 switched off
when the light switch is in position2 or 3. The
daytime running lamps have already been
switched off at the same time as the ignition.
For this reason, switch on the side marker
lamps as needed, switch position1; otherwise,
the vehicle is not lit.
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 page95.<
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
also activate the daytime running lamps, refer to
page94. In the situations described above, the
lamps then switch to 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
94 5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Welcome light" and press the con-
troller.
The welcome lamps are switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Pathway lighting
When you activate the headlamp flasher after
parking the vehicle and switching off the lamps,
the low beams will come on for a brief period.
You can set the duration or deactivate the func-
tion via iDrive.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open 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 "Pathway lighting" and press the
controller.7.Turn the controller to select the desired
duration.
8.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lamps*
The daytime running lamps light up in
position0, 1 and 3. If the light switch remains in
position1, the parking lamps light up after the
ignition is switched off.
Activating/deactivating daytime
running lamps*
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open 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 "Daytime running lamps" and press
the controller.
The daytime running lamps are
switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.

Controls
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Mobility
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 the Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into position 3, refer to page93.
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
page93.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the high-beam
assistant is activated. The system
automatically switches between high beams

Controls
97Reference
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Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
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 pro-
vided in the outside rearview mirrors to illumi-
nate the exterior area around 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 page57.<
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
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16Air grill for interior temperature sensor –
please keep clear and unobstructed
The current setting for air distribution is dis-
played on the Control Display.
A congenial climate
The AUTO program offers the optimum air dis-
tribution and air volume for virtually all condi-
tions, refer to AUTO program below. Now you
only need to select an interior temperature
pleasant to you.
The following sections contain more detailed
information on the available setting options.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, also refer to Personal Profile
settings on page31.
AUTO program
The AUTO program handles the
adjustment of air volume and air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, in the direction of
the upper body and in the footwell.
It also adapts your instructions for the tempera-
ture to outside influences throughout the year.
The cooling function is switched on along with
the AUTO program. At the same time, a con-
densation sensor controls the program in such
a way that window condensation is prevented
as much as possible.
Intensity of AUTO program
You can adjust the intensity of the AUTO pro-
gram by repeatedly pressing the AUTO button.
The respective current setting is briefly dis-
played on the Control Display when the button
is pressed.
You can also adjust the intensity of the AUTO
program via iDrive.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".3.Select "Automatic programs" and press the
controller.
4.Select the desired intensity and press the
controller.
The marked intensity of the automatic
program is switched on.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature indi-
vidually on the driver's and front
passenger side.
The automatic climate control
adjusts this temperature as quickly as possible
at any time of year, if necessary with the maxi-
mum cooling or heating capacity, and then
keeps it constant.
When changing between different tem-
perature settings in rapid succession, the
automatic climate control does not have suffi-
cient time to adjust the set temperature.<
In the highest setting you activate the maximum
heating output, regardless of the outside tem-
perature.
Adjusting temperature in upper body
region
1.Press the button to display the current set-
ting on the Control Display.

Climate
100 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 after a while. Depend-
ing 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
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Mobility
6.Turn the controller to adjust the air distribu-
tion.
Driver's side:
1Air directed toward the windshield and side
windows
2Air for the upper body
3Air to footwell
Front passenger side:
4Air for the upper body
5Air to footwell
Pressing the AUTO button cancels the
manual air distribution settings.<
The automatic mode for the air volume remains
effective with manual air distribution.
Switching cooling function on and off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to the temperature setting.
This function is only available when the engine
is running.
The cooling function helps to avoid condensa-
tion on the window surfaces or to quickly
remove them.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is also switched on with
the AUTO program.
Maximum cooling
Maximally cooled air is obtained as
quickly as possible at an outside
temperature above approx. 327/
06 and with the engine running.At the lowest temperature, the automatic cli-
mate control switches into recirculating air
mode. The maximum air volume flows out of the
vents for the upper body. Therefore, open these
vents for maximum cooling.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode
You can respond to pollutants or
unpleasant odors in the immediate
environment by suspending the
supply of outside air. The system then recircu-
lates the air currently within the vehicle. During
AUC operation, a sensor detects pollutants in
the outside air and controls the shut-off auto-
matically.
By pressing the button repeatedly, you can
request three operating modes:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Right LED on, AUC mode: the system
detects pollutants in the outside air and
shuts off the supply as needed.
>Left LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air is permanently shut off.
Should the windows fog up in the recircu-
lated-air mode, press the AUTO button or
switch off the recirculated-air mode and
increase the air volume if necessary.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over an extended period of time, as the air qual-
ity inside the vehicle deteriorates continu-
ously.<
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a
school to pick up a child.
1.Switch off the engine.
2.Turn to the right, refer to arrow.
The function can be switched on when the fol-
lowing conditions are met:
>up to 15 minutes after switching off the
engine
>with engine at operating temperature

Climate
102 >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.
Y o u s w i t c h o n t h e s y s t e m a g a i n b y p r e s s i n g a n y
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.