2009 BMW M5 SEDAN warning light

At a glance
13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the lower edge of the Control
Display explain the meaning of the displayed
indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e. g. on the cause and
elimination of a malfunction, can be opened via
the Check Control system, refer to page72.
In urgent cases, this information will be shown
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps signal particular
functions:
Parking lamps/low beams93
High beams/headlamp flasher95
Handbrake applied59
Handbrake applied for Canadian mod-
els
Lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive and braking
forces for maintaining vehicle
stability81
MDrive53
M Dynamic Mode81
Exhaust-gas values217
Exhaust-gas values for Canadian
models217

Controls
39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
Comfort closing
Hold a finger or the back of your hand against
the surface, arrow2 or 3, but do not grasp the
door handle while doing so.
The windows and the glass sunroof
* are
closed.
Watch during the closing process to be
sure that no one is injured. Removing the
hand from the door handle stops the closing
process immediately.<
Opening luggage compartment lid
separately
Press the button on the luggage compartment
lid. This corresponds to pressing the button.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accidentally left inside the
locked vehicle's cargo bay after the luggage
compartment lid is closed, the lid will reopen.
The hazard warning flashers flash and a signal
*
sounds.<
Switching on radio readiness
By pressing the Start/Stop button, you switch
on the radio readiness, refer to page57.
When doing so, do not depress the brake
or clutch pedal, otherwise the engine will
start immediately.<
Starting engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion if a remote control is located in the interior
of the vehicle. It is not necessary to insert a
remote control into the ignition lock, refer to
page57.
If you take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle with the engine running, a
warning lamp lights up. In addition, a message
appears on the Control Display. As long as no
remote control is detected, it is only possible to
restart the engine within approx. 10 seconds
after it is switched off.
Malfunction
The comfort access function may malfunction
due to local radio waves. Then open or close the vehicle with the buttons on the remote control
or with a key. To start the engine following this,
insert the remote control in the ignition lock.
When unlocking or locking/comfort closing do
not simultaneously grasp the door handle and
touch the surfaces, arrow2 or 3. Otherwise, you
may limit the function.
Replacing battery
If the battery of the remote control is dead, a
message will appear in the Control Display.
1.Remove integrated key from remote con-
trol, refer to page30.
2.Remove cover.
3.Lay in new battery with positive side facing
upward.
4.Press cover closed.
Return used battery to a recycling collec-
tion point or to your BMW center.<
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the windows and keep them in
your field of vision until they are shut.
Always take along the remote control when you
leave the vehicle, otherwise children could, for
example, operate the windows and injure them-
selves.<

Driving
58
Radio readiness and ignition switched
off
All indicator and warning lamps in the instru-
ment cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms,
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust
gases can cause unconsciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle represents a
potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, shift into neutral
* or move the selector
lever into position N and firmly apply the hand-
brake, otherwise the vehicle can begin to roll.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated starting attempts in
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or inadequately burned and
there is a danger of overheating and damaging
the catalytic converter.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it
running while the vehicle remains stationary.
Instead, begin to drive at a moderate engine
speed.
Manual transmission*
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort
access in vehicle, refer to page38.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Depress the clutch pedal and shift into
idling position.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Sequential Manual Transmission with
Drivelogic
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort
access in vehicle, refer to page38.
1.Firmly apply the handbrake.
2.Depress brake pedal.
3.Place selector lever in position N.
4.Press the Start/Stop button.
If the engine does not start, shift back to
the last selector lever position selected,
refer to the instrument cluster display or the
selector lever. Then select position N.
You cannot start off with the hood open.
When the engine is cold, the exhaust system
has a slightly metallic undertone due to the sys-
tem design.<
After every engine start, the Sequential mode is
activated in Drivelogic driving program 3 when
the selector lever is pushed to the right into
drive positionΒ and the brake pedal is pressed.
Switching off engine
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
remote control with you.
When parking, firmly apply the handbrake, as
otherwise the vehicle could roll.<
Manual transmission*
1.Press the Start/Stop button with the vehicle
stopped.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Firmly apply the handbrake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page57.
Sequential Manual Transmission with
Drivelogic
1.Firmly apply the handbrake.
2.Shift into a driving position.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
If N is engaged when switching off the
engine, this will be pointed out to you opti-
cally and acoustically.

Controls
67Reference
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Mobility
Everything under control
Odometer, outside
temperature display, clock
1Time, outside temperature, refer to Com-
puter on page68
2Odometer and trip odometer
3Press button:
>with ignition switched on, trip odometer
is reset
>with ignition switched off, odometer is
briefly displayed
Tachometer
The advance warning field, arrow1, and the red
warning field, arrow2, change depending on
the engine temperature. As the engine temper-
ature rises, the permissible engine speed also
increases. Avoid allowing the engine speed to
rise as far as the orange warning field whenever
possible.
Be sure to avoid engine speeds in the red warn-
ing field. At high revs in this range, the flow of
fuel is interrupted to protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
Should the coolant, and with it the engine
become too hot, a warning lamp lights up. In
addition, a message appears on the Control
Display.
Checking coolant level, refer to page215.

Everything under control
68
Engine oil thermometer
The general operating temperature lies
between 1757/806 and 2507/1206. Do
not exceed a value of approx. 2657/1306.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, the per-
missible engine speed, and with it the available
engine output is reduced.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 18.5 US gal/
70 liters. You will find information on refueling
on page202.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
After the reserve quantity has been reached, a
message briefly appears on the Control Display;
the remaining range is shown in the computer.
Below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the
message remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in instrument cluster
Press the button on the turn signal lever.
The following information is displayed in the
specified order:
>Time and outside temperature
>Cruising range
>Average fuel consumption
>Oil level, refer to Checking engine oil level
on page212
Manual transmission:
The cruising range, average fuel con-
sumption and oil level are shown in the lower
display in place of the gear indicator.
It is possible to change between the time and
data display by pressing the CHECK button.<
Time
Setting the time, refer to page76.
Outside temperature warning
If the display drops to +377/+36, a signal
sounds and a warning lamp lights up. A mes-
sage appears on the Control Display. There is
an increased danger of ice.
Even at temperatures above +377/
+36 ice can form. Therefore, drive care-
fully, e.g. on bridges and sections of road in the
shade, otherwise there is an increased accident
risk.<
You can set the unit of measure 7 or 6 on the
Control Display, refer to Units of measure on
page77.

Everything under control
72 7.Select "State inspection" and press the
controller.
8.Select "Set service date" and press the
controller. The month is selected.
9.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
10.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The year is selected.
11.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
12.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The date entry is stored.
To exit the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors functions in the
vehicle and issues a message if there is a mal-
function in the monitored systems. This kind of
Check Control message consists of indicator
and warning lamps in the instrument cluster,
and if necessary an acoustic signal and text
messages at the bottom of the Control Display.
Indicator and warning lamps
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
means that a Check Control message has
been generated. The symbol continues to be
visible even when the Check Control message
disappears after a short time. The warning
lamps and text messages are stored and can be
displayed later, also refer to page73.
Explanatory text messages
Text message at the bottom edge of the Con-
trol Display explain the meaning of the dis-
played indicator and warning lamps.

Controls
79Reference
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Mobility
Technology for comfort, convenience and
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking.
Acoustic signals and an optical display
* alert
you to the approach of an object from behind
your vehicle. To measure the distance, there
are four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper.
The range of these sensors is approx. 7 ft/2 m.
However, an acoustic warning first sounds for
the sensors at the front and at the two rear cor-
ners at approx. 24 in/60 cm, and for the center
rear sensors at approx. 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an objec t a t h i g h s p e e d , o t h -
erwise the physical circumstances would mean
that the system warning was too late.<
Automatic activation
The system starts to operate approx. 1 second
after you shift into reverse gear or move the
selector lever into position R with the engine
running or the ignition switched on.
Wait this short time before driving off.
Manual activation
Press the button; the LED lights up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Automatic deactivation
After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system is
switched off and the LED goes out. You can
reactivate the system manually as needed.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, the position is corre-
spondingly indicated by an interval tone. Thus,
an object detected to the left rear of the vehicle
will be indicated by a signal tone from the left
rear speaker, etc. As the distance between
vehicle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter. If the dis-
tance to the nearest object falls to below
roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a continuous tone
sounds.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3seconds:
>if you remain in front of an object that was
only detected by one of the corner sensors
>if you drive parallel to a wall
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a message
appears on the Control Display. PDC is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effectively. Do
not spray the sensors with high-pressure clean-
ing jets for long periods and maintain a distance
of at least 4 in/10 cm to them.
Exhaust gases near the rear sensors can cause
a signal tone to sound.
PDC with visual warning*
You can also have the system show distances
to objects on the Control Display. Objects that
are farther away are already shown there before

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
Deactivating MDM again
Press the button on the steering wheel or the
MDM button
* again; the MDM indicator lamp
goes out.
Deactivating DSC
To maintain vehicle stability, drive with
the system activated whenever possi-
ble.<
When rocking free or starting off from deep
snow or on loose road surfaces, it can be useful
to briefly deactivate DSC.
Press the DSC OFF button
*; the DSC indicator
lamp lights up continuously. DSC and MDM are
deactivated.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
Manual transmission
*:
Press and hold the MDM button.
Under unfavorable traction conditions, the
engine output may be briefly reduced even
when DSC is deactivated.
Reactivating DSC
Press the DSC OFF button; the indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes out.
You can also activate and deactivate DSC with
the button on the steering wheel, refer to
MDrive on page52.
Manual transmission
*:
Press the MDM button.
Malfunction in driving-stability control
systems
The warning lamp for the brake system
lights up yellow, together with the indi-
cator lamps for ABS, DSC and Tire
Pressure Monitor or Flat Tire Monitor.
A message appears on the Control Dis-
play. The driving-stability control sys-
tems have failed.While you may con-
tinue, you should remember to proceed
cautiously and drive defensively while
avoiding full brake applications. The
Tire Pressure Monitor or the Flat Tire Monitor is
also malfunctioning. Have the system checked
as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
The DSC warning lamp lights up. A
malfunction has occurred in DSC
including MDM. The stability mainte-
nance functions are no longer available. The
vehicle remains operational. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
The brake system warning lamp lights
up yellow. A message appears on the
Control Display. The brake assistant is
defective. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
Starting off
On slopes
The starting assistant enables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The handbrake is not
required for this purpose.