2011 BMW 5 SERIES light

Display
The collision warning can be issued in the in‐
strument cluster, in the Head-up Display*, and
acoustically.
Instrument cluster
The vehicle lights up in red: prewarning
The vehicle flashes red and an acoustic
signal sounds: acute warning
You
are requested to intervene by brak‐
ing or making an evasive maneuver.
Adapting your speed and driving style
The display does not relieve the driver of
the responsibility to adapt his or her driving
speed and style to the traffic conditions.◀
System limits
Be alert
Due to system limitations, warnings may
be not be issued at all, or may be issued late or
improperly. Therefore, always be alert and ready
to intervene; otherwise, there is the danger of an
accident occurring.◀
Detection range
The detection capacity of the radar sensor and
the collision warning has limitations.
This may result in the warning not being issued
or being issued late.
For example, the following situations may not be
detected:
▷ Slow moving objects when you approach
them at high speed.
▷ Vehicles that suddenly swerve in front of
your vehicle.
▷ Two-wheeled vehicles ahead of you.
▷ Pedestrians.
Functional limitations
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations: ▷
In heavy fog, rain or snowfall.
▷ In tight curves.
▷ If the radar sensor is dirty or covered.
Prewarning sensitivity
If the prewarning setting is too sensitive, there
may be an excess of false warnings.
Cruise control
The concept
The

system is functional at speeds beginning at
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
It maintains the speed that was set using the
control elements on the steering wheel.
The system brakes on downhill gradients if en‐
gine braking action is insufficient.
Unfavorable conditions
Do not use the system if unfavorable con‐
ditions make it impossible to drive at a constant
speed, for instance:
▷ On curvy roads.
▷ In heavy traffic.
▷ On slippery roads, in fog, snow or rain, or on
a loose road surface.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident.◀
Controls
Buttons at a glance 1
System on/off, interrupt
2 Resume speed Seite 109
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Resuming the desired speed
Press the button.
The stored speed is reached and maintained.
Displays in the instrument cluster 1
Display of desired speed
2 Indicator lamp
3 Brief status display
Desired speed
Display in the speedometer: ▷The marking lights up in
green: the system is active.
▷ The marking lights up in or‐
ange: the system has been
interrupted.
▷ The marking does not light up: the system is
switched off.
Brief status display
Brief display in the speedometer: Selected desired speed
If --- appears briefly, conditions may not be ad‐
equate to operate the system.
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
In
addition to the PDC Park Distance Control, the
backup camera*, refer to page 113, can be
switched on. PDC supports you when parking. Objects that
you

are approaching slowly in front of or behind
your vehicle are indicated with:
▷ Signal tones.
▷ Visual display.
Measurement
Measurements
are made by ultrasound sensors
in the bumpers.
The range is approx. 6 ft/2 m.
An acoustic warning is first given:
▷ By the front* sensors and the two rear cor‐
ner sensors at approx. 24 in/60 cm.
▷ By the rear middle sensors at approx. 5 ft/
1.50 m.
System limits Check the traffic situation as well
PDC cannot serve as a substitute for the
driver's personal judgment of the traffic situa‐
tion.

Check the traffic situation around the vehi‐
cle with your own eyes. Otherwise, an accident
could result from road users or objects located
outside of the PDC detection range.
Loud noises from outside and inside the vehicle
may prevent you from hearing the PDC's signal
tone.◀
Avoid driving quickly with PDC
Avoid approaching an object quickly.
Avoid driving away quickly while PDC is not yet
active.
For technical reasons, the system may other‐
wise be too late in issuing a warning.◀
Limits of ultrasonic measurement
The detection of objects can reach the physical
limits of ultrasonic measurement, for instance:
▷ With tow bars and trailer hitches.
▷ With thin or wedge-shaped objects.
▷ With low objects.
▷ With objects with corners and sharp edges. Seite 111
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Low objects already displayed, e.g., curbs, can
move
into the blind area of the sensors before or
after a continuous tone sounds.
High, protruding objects such as ledges may not
be detected.
False warnings
PDC may issue a warning under the following
conditions even though there is no obstacle
within the detection range:
▷ In heavy rain.
▷ When sensors are very dirty or covered in
ice.
▷ When sensors are covered in snow.
▷ On rough road surfaces.
▷ In large buildings with right angles and
smooth

walls, e.g., in underground garages.
▷ In heavy exhaust.
▷ Due to other ultrasound sources, e.g.,
sweeping machines, high pressure steam
cleaners or neon lights.
Switching on automatically
Select transmission position R with the engine
running.
Switching off automatically
The

system switches off and the LED goes out:
▷ After approx. 160 ft/50 m when driving for‐
ward.
▷ Above approx. 22 mph/36 km/h when driv‐
ing forward.
Switch on the system again if necessary.
Switching on/off manually Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
Signal tones
When approaching an object, an intermittent
tone

is sounded that indicates the position of the
object. For example, if an object is detected to
the left rear of the vehicle, a signal tone sounds
from the left rear speaker.
The shorter the distance to the object becomes,
the shorter the intervals.
If the distance to a detected object is less than
approx. 12 in/30 cm, a continuous tone is
sounded.
If objects are located both in front of and behind
the vehicle, an alternating continuous signal is
sounded.
The intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3 seconds:
▷ If the vehicle stops in front of an object that
is detected by only one of the corner sen‐
sors.
▷ If moving parallel to a wall.
The signal tone is switched off:
▷ When the vehicle moves away from an ob‐
ject by more than approx. 4 in/10 cm.
▷ When transmission position P is engaged.
Volume
You can set the volume of the PDC signal tone,
refer to page 173.
The

setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object can be
shown on the Control Display. Objects that are
farther away are displayed on the Control Dis‐
play before a signal tone sounds.
A display appears as soon as Park Distance
Control (PDC) is activated. Seite 112
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Detection of objects
High, protruding objects such as ledges
may not be detected by the backup camera.
◀
Switching on automatically
Select transmission position R with the engine
running.
The backup camera image is displayed if the
system was switched on via the iDrive.
Switching off automatically
The system switches off and the LED goes out:
▷ After approx. 33 ft/10 m when driving for‐
ward.
▷ Above approx. 9 mph/15 km/h when driving
forward.
Switch on the system again if necessary.
Switching on/off manually Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
The PDC is shown on the Control Display.
Switch
on the backup camera via the iDrive, refer
to page 115.
Assistance functions
Functional requirement
▷ The backup camera is switched on.
▷ The trunk lid is fully closed. Pathway lines
▷
Can be shown in the backup camera image
when in transmission position R.
▷ Help you to estimate the space required
when parking and maneuvering on level
roads.
▷ Are dependent on the current steering angle
and are continuously adjusted to the steer‐
ing wheel movements.
Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 115.
Turning circle lines ▷
Can be shown in the backup camera image.
▷ Show the course of the smallest possible
turning circle on a level road.
▷ Only one turning circle line is displayed
when the steering wheel is turned.
Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 115.
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Camera
The camera lens is located in the handle of the
trunk lid. The image quality may be impaired by
dirt.
Clean the lens, refer to page
276.
Top View*
The concept
Top
View assists you in parking and maneuver‐
ing. The area around the doors and the road area
around the vehicle are shown on the Control
Display for this purpose.
Capturing the image
The image is captured by two cameras
integrated in the exterior mirrors and by the
backup camera.
The range equals:
▷ approx. 7 ft/2 m to the side.
▷ approx. 7 ft/2 m to the rear.
In this way, obstacles up to the height of the ex‐
terior mirrors are detected early.
System limits
Top

View cannot be used in the following situa‐
tions:
▷ With a door open.
▷ With the trunk lid open.
▷ With an exterior mirror folded in.
▷ In poor light.
A Check Control message is displayed in some
of these situations. Check the traffic situation as well
Check the traffic situation around the ve‐
hicle

with your own eyes. Otherwise, an accident
could result from road users or objects located
outside the picture area of the cameras.◀
Switching on automatically
Select transmission position R with the engine
running.
The Top View and PDC images are displayed if
the system is switched on via iDrive.
Switching off automatically
The system switches off and the LED goes out:
▷ After approx. 160 ft/50 m when driving for‐
ward.
▷ Above approx. 22 mph/36 km/h when driv‐
ing forward.
Switch on the system again if necessary.
Switching on/off manually Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
If Top View is displayed, switch on the backup
camera via the iDrive, refer to page 117.
Visual warning
The

approach of the vehicle to an object can be
shown on the Control Display.
When the distance to an object is small, a red bar
is shown in front of the vehicle, as it is in the PDC
display. Seite 116
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Ultrasound sensors measure parking spaces on
both sides of the vehicle.
The parking assistant calculates the best pos‐
sible parking line and takes control of steering
during the parking procedure.
When parking, also take note of the visual and
acoustic
information issued by the PDC and the
parking assistant and accelerate or brake ac‐
cordingly.
A component of the parking assistant is the PDC
Park Distance Control*, refer to page 111.
Personal responsibility
The parking assistant does not relieve the
driver of responsibility for the vehicle during the
parking procedure.
Watch the parking space and parking procedure
closely and intervene if necessary; otherwise,
there is the danger of an accident.◀
Requirements
For measuring parking spaces
▷ Maximum speed while driving forward ap‐
prox. 22 mph/35 km/h.
▷ Maximum distance to row of parked vehi‐
cles: 5 ft/1.5 m.
Suitable parking space
▷ Gap between two objects with a minimum
length of approx. 5 ft/1.5 m.
▷ Minimum length: own vehicle length plus
approx. 4 ft/1.2 m.
▷ Minimum depth: approx. 5 ft/1.5 m.
For parking procedure
Closed doors. Switching on
Using the button
Press the button.
The LED lights up.
The parking assistant is activated automati‐
cally.
The current status of the parking space search
is indicated on the Control Display.
By engaging reverse
Engage reverse gear or transmission position
R*.
The current status of the parking space search
is indicated on the Control Display.
Activate: "Parking Assistant" Select the
symbol in the Control Display.
Display on the Control Display
System status Symbol Meaning
Gray: the system is not available.
White:
the system is available but not
activated. The system is activated. Seite 119
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To ensure full operability:
▷
Keep the sensors clean and free of ice.
▷ When using a pressure washer, keep the
sprayer moving and maintain a distance of
at least 12 in/30 cm from the sensors.
Night Vision with pedestrian
detection*
The concept
Night
Vision with pedestrian detection is a night
vision system.
An infrared camera records the area in front of
the vehicle and displays the image on the Con‐
trol Display.
The picture is a heat image. The system has an
integrated pedestrian detection function that
detects pedestrians and cyclists. Warm objects
that are similar in shape to human beings are
detected by the system.
Personal responsibility
Night Vision cannot replace the driver's
personal judgment of the visibility conditions
and the traffic situation. The view ahead and the
actual visibility conditions must always be the
basis on which the vehicle speed is adjusted;
otherwise, there is a risk to road safety.◀
Heat image The image shows the heat radiated by objects
in the field of view of the camera.
Warm objects have a light appearance and cold
objects, a dark appearance. The ability to detect an object depends on the
temperature

difference between the object and
the background and on the level of heat radiation
emitted by the object. Objects that are similar in
temperature to the environment or that radiate
very little heat are difficult to detect.
For safety reasons, when driving at speeds
above approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and in low ambient
light, the image is only displayed when the low
beams are switched on.
A still image is displayed at regular intervals for
a fraction of a second.
Pedestrian detection The pedestrian detection and warning system
only

operates in darkness and only when a heat
image is displayed.
Warm objects that are similar in shape to human
beings are detected by the system.
People detected by the system are displayed
with a slight yellow hue.
Under good ambient conditions, the pedestrian
detection system operates within a range of ap‐
prox. 50 ft/15 m to approx. 330 ft/100 m. Environmental influences can limit the availabil‐
ity of pedestrian detection.
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Activation/deactivation
Press the button.
Display
Night Vision with pedestrian detection is not
available on the
rear screen*.
Settings via iDrive
With Night Vision switched on:
1. Activate Night Vision with pedestrian detec‐
tion.
2. Press the controller.
3. Open the desired menu item.
▷ "Brightness"
▷ "Contrast"
▷ "Pedestrian detection"
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Camera Rain, dirt, snow, or ice can impair camera oper‐
ation.
The camera is automatically heated when the
external temperatures are low. The camera is automatically cleaned together
with the headlamps.
Clean the lens, refer to page
276.
Head-up Display

*
The concept This system projects important information into
the driver's field of vision, e.g., the speed.
In this way, the driver can get information with‐
out averting his or her eyes from the road.
Display visibility
The

visibility of the displays in the Head-up Dis‐
play is influenced by:
▷ Certain sitting positions.
▷ Objects on the cover of the Head-up Dis‐
play.
▷ Sunglasses with certain polarization filters.
▷ Wet roads.
▷ Unfavorable light conditions.
If the image is distorted, check the basic set‐
tings.
Switching on/off Seite 124
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