2011 BMW 550I GT lock

Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and
downward inclines, further secure the vehi‐
cle, for example, by turning the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb. ◀
While driving
Use while driving:
Pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the button is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up in red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lamps light up.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models
If the vehicle is braked to a speed of approx.
2 mph/3 km/h, the parking brake remains set.
Releasing Press the switch while the brake pedal is
pressed or transmission position P is en‐
gaged.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released.
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for example,
cannot release the parking brake.◀
Manual release
The parking brake can be released manually in
the event of a power failure or electrical fault.
Before releasing, secure the vehicle
against rolling
Before releasing the parking brake manually,
and whenever you park the vehicle with the
parking brake released, ensure that position P of
the automatic transmission is engaged. Secure the vehicle in a manner appropriate to
the inclination of the road, e.g., with a wheel
chock; otherwise, there is the danger of the ve‐
hicle rolling.◀
Unlocking
1.
Raise the rear cargo floor cover in the cargo
area, arrow 1, and fasten it with a retaining
strap. 2.
Remove the release tool from the tool kit. 3.
Take out the floor trim in the cargo area, re‐
moving

the clips with a screwdriver, arrows. Seite 68
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Driving

When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page
66, position P is engaged automatically.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:
▷ After the engine is switched off, if the car is
in
radio ready state, refer to page 66, or if the
ignition is switched off, refer to page 66, and
if position R or D is engaged.
▷ If the ignition is switched off and position N
is engaged.
▷ If the safety belt is unbuckled, the driver's
door is opened, and the brake pedal is not
pressed while the vehicle is stationary and
transmission position R or D is engaged.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the accelerator beyond
the resistance point at the full throttle position.
Engaging the transmission position
▷ Transmission position P can only be disen‐
gaged

if the engine is running and the brake
pedal is pressed.
▷ With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
Depress

the brake until you start driv‐
ing
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain pres‐
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready
to start.◀ Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
After

releasing the selector lever, it returns to its
center position. Press the Unlock button to:
▷
Engage R.
▷ Shift out of P.
Engaging P Press button P.
Seite 74
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Driving

Displays
Instrument cluster
At a glance
1
Fuel gauge
2 Speedometer
3 Indicator/warning lamps
4 Tachometer
5 Oil temperature 6
External temperature*
7 Electronic displays
8 Miles, trip miles
9 Clock*
10 Display/reset miles
Fuel gauge The vehicle inclination may
cause the display to vary.
Notes on refueling, refer to
page 240.
Range After the reserve range is
reached:
▷A Check Control message is
displayed briefly. ▷
The remaining range is
shown on the computer.
▷ When a dynamic driving style is used, such
as when corners are taken rapidly, engine
functions are not ensured.
The Check Control message appears continu‐
ously below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Refuel promptly
Refuel no later than at a range 30 miles/
50
km, or engine functions are not ensured and
damage may occur.◀ Seite 76
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Displays

Lamps
At a glance
1
Rear fog lamps*
2 Front fog lamps*
3 Automatic headlamp control / adaptive light
control* / high-beam assistant* / welcome
lamps / daytime running lights
*
4 Lamps off / daytime running lights*
5 Parking lamps / daytime running lights*
6 Low beams / welcome lamps / high-beam
assistant*
7 Instrument lighting
Parking lamps/low beams,
headlamp control
Parking lamps
Switch position : the vehicle lamps light
up on all sides, e.g., for parking.
Do not use the parking lamps for extended pe‐
riods; otherwise, the battery may become dis‐
charged

and it would then be impossible to start
the engine.
When parking, it is preferable to switch on the
one-sided roadside parking lamps, refer to
page 86.
Low beams
Switch position with the ignition switched
on: the low beams light up. Welcome lamps
When parking the vehicle, leave the switch in
position or : the parking and interior
lamps light up briefly when the vehicle is un‐
locked.
Activating/deactivating
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Welcome light" The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Headlamp courtesy delay feature
The

low beams stay lit for a short while after the
ignition is switched off, if the lamps are switched
off and the headlamp flasher is switched on.
Setting the duration
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Pathway light.: s" 4.
Set the duration.
Seite 85
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Safety
Airbags
1
Front airbag, driver
2 Front airbag, front passenger
3 Head airbag 4
Side airbag
5 Knee airbags
Front airbags
Front airbags help protect the driver and front
passenger by responding to frontal impacts in
which safety belts alone cannot provide ade‐
quate restraint.
Side airbags
In a lateral impact, the side airbag supports the
side of the body in the chest and lap area.
Head airbags
In
a lateral impact, the head airbag supports the
head.
Knee airbag
The knee airbag supports the legs in a frontal
impact. Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags
▷ Keep at a distance from the airbags.
▷ Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the

3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to keep
the danger of injury to your hands or arms as
low as possible if the airbag is triggered.
▷ There should be no people, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.
▷ Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area. Seite 89
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Controls At a glance

Driving stability control systems
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS
prevents locking of the wheels during brak‐
ing.
The vehicle remains steerable even during full
brake applications, thus increasing active
safety.
ABS is operational every time you start the en‐
gine.
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost. It thus helps to achieve the shortest
possible braking distance during full braking.
This system utilizes all of the benefits provided
by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
Adaptive brake assistant
In combination with the Active Cruise Control,
this system ensures that the brakes respond
even more rapidly when braking in critical situa‐
tions. Refer also to Collision warning, refer to
page 112.
Drive-off assistant
This system supports driving away on gradients.
The parking brake is not required.
1. Hold the vehicle in place with the foot brake.
2. Release the foot brake and drive away with‐
out delay.
After the foot brake is released, the vehicle is
held in place for approx. 2 seconds.
Depending on the vehicle load, the vehicle may
roll back slightly. Driving off without delay
After
releasing the foot brake, start driving
without delay, since the drive-off assistant will
not hold the vehicle in place for more than ap‐
prox. 2 seconds and the vehicle will begin rolling
back.◀
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control
The concept
DSC prevents traction loss in the driving wheels
when driving away and accelerating.
DSC also recognizes unstable vehicle condi‐
tions, such as fishtailing or nose-diving. Subject
to physical limits, DSC helps to keep the vehicle
on a steady course by reducing engine speed
and by applying brakes at individual wheels.
Adjust your driving style to the situation
An appropriate driving style is always the
responsibility of the driver.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed, even
with DSC.
Therefore, do not reduce the additional safety
margin by driving in a risky manner.◀
Deactivating DSC: DSC OFF
DSC can be deactivated. To do this, activate the
DSC OFF program.
This is performed via the Dynamic Driving Con‐
trol, refer to page 103.
Indicator/warning lamps The indicator lamp flashes: DSC con‐
trols the drive forces and brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC has
failed. Seite 99
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Controls At a glance

▷
Left LED on, automatic recirculated-air con‐
trol: a sensor detects pollutants in the out‐
side air and controls the shut-off automati‐
cally.
▷ Right LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air into the vehicle is per‐
manently blocked.
If the windows are fogged over, switch off the
recirculated-air mode and press the AUTO but‐
ton on the driver's side to utilize the condensa‐
tion sensor. Make sure that air can flow onto the
windshield.
Continuous recirculated-air mode
The recirculated-air mode should not be
used for an extended period of time, as the air
quality inside the vehicle deteriorates steadily.◀
Cooling function
The passenger compartment can only be
cooled with the engine running.
Press the button.
The air is cooled and dehumidified and
– depending on the temperature setting –
warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati‐
cally with the AUTO program.
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water, refer to page 148, develops
that exits underneath the vehicle.
Rear window defroster
Press the button.
The rear window defroster switches off
automatically after a certain period of time.
ALL program
Press the button.
The current settings on the driver's side
for temperature, air volume, air distribution, and
AUTO program are transferred to the front pas‐
senger side and to the left and right rear*. The program is switched off if the settings on
the front passenger side or in the rear* are
changed.
Residual heat
The

heat stored in the engine is used to heat the
interior.
Functional requirement
▷ Up to 20 minutes after the engine has been
switched off.
▷ Warm engine.
▷ The battery is sufficiently charged.
▷ External temperature below 77 ℉/25 ℃.
Switching on
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Press the right side of the button on
the driver's side. is shown on the display of the automatic cli‐
mate control.
The

interior temperature, air volume and air dis‐
tribution can be adjusted with the ignition
switched on.
Switching off
At the lowest fan speed, press the left side of the
button on the driver's side. on the display of the automatic climate control
goes out.
Switching the system on/off
Switching off
▷ Complete system:
At the lowest fan speed, press the
left

side of the button on the driver's
side. ▷
On the front passenger side:
At the lowest fan speed, press the
left side of the button on the front
passenger side. Seite 129
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Controls At a glance

The cargo partition and the rear backrest are
subdivided at a ratio of 40–20–40. You can also
fold down the left and right sides separately.
Foldable rear backrests, manual
Pull the lever. The backrest folds forward.
Fold
the backrest back; the backrest engages in
an upright position. Pull the lever again to adjust
the backrest to the desired angle.
Locking the backrests
Before letting passengers ride in the rear,
engage the seat backrests, locking them in
place. Otherwise, there is the danger of an ac‐
cident due to unexpected seat movement.◀
Foldable rear backrests, powered* 1
Fold backrest forward
2 Loading position
3 Basic position
Fold backrest forward Move
the front seats to an upright position
Before folding down the rear backrests,
ensure that the front seats are moved forward
slightly and are in an upright position. Other‐ wise, the head restraint and screen could be
damaged.

◀
Press the button until the backrest is
folded all the way forward.
Folding the backrest back
Before anyone can be transported in the rear:
1. Put the rear seat backrests into their stand‐
ard position.
2. For the best possible individual seat posi‐
tion, adjust the inclination of the rear seat
backrest if necessary.
Adjust the standard position of the rear
seat backrest
Before transporting passengers in the rear and
adjusting

the rear seat backrest, set the rear seat
backrest to its basic position. Otherwise, the
rear seats may not effectively restrain passen‐
gers in an accident if the backrests are not ade‐
quately inclined.◀
Loading position
Press the button. The seat moves for‐
ward and the backrest moves to the ba‐
sic position. Comfortable seating is still possible
although knee clearance is reduced.
Basic position
Press and hold the button until the seat
stops automatically in its basic position.
Operation of the rear backrest was
deactivated
After a brief period, operation of the rear back‐
rest is deactivated to save battery power.
To reactivate operation:
▷ Open or close a door or the tailgate.
▷ Press a button on the remote control.
▷ Press the Start/Stop button. Seite 137
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Controls At a glance