2011 BMW 550I GT wheel

Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page
286.
Using this Owner's Manual
6 Notes
At a glance
12 Cockpit
19 iDrive
25 Voice activation system
27 Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle
Controls
32 Opening and closing
49 Adjusting
62 Transporting children safely
66 Driving
76 Displays
85 Lamps
89 Safety
99 Driving stability control systems
106 Driving comfort
127 Climate control
133 Interior equipment
139 Storage compartments
Driving tips
146 Things to remember when driving
Navigation
154 Navigation
Entertainment
172 Tone
174 Radio
181 CD/multimedia
201 Rear entertainment Communication
210
Telephone
221 Office
230 Contacts
232 BMW ConnectedDrive
Mobility
240 Refueling
242 Fuel
243 Wheels and tires
251 Engine compartment
253 Engine oil
256 Maintenance
258 Replacing components
264 Breakdown assistance
269 Care
Reference
274 Technical data
277 Short commands of the voice activation
system
286 Everything from A to Z
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For your own safety
Maintenance and repairs
Advanced technology, e.g., the use of modern
materials
and high-performance electronics, re‐
quires suitable maintenance and repair meth‐
ods.
Therefore, have this work performed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord‐
ing to BMW repair procedures with appropri‐
ately trained personnel.
If this work is not carried out properly, there is
the danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.
Parts and Accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts and ac‐
cessories approved by BMW. When you pur‐
chase accessories tested and approved by
BMW and Genuine BMW Parts, you simultane‐
ously acquire the assurance that they have been
thoroughly tested by BMW to ensure optimum
performance when installed on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from de‐
fects in material and workmanship. BMW will not
accept any liability for damage resulting from in‐
stallation of parts and accessories not approved
by BMW. BMW cannot test every product made
by other manufacturers to verify if it can be used
on a BMW safely and without risk to either the
vehicle, its operation, or its occupants. Genuine
BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and other prod‐
ucts approved by BMW, together with profes‐
sional advice on using these items, are available
from all BMW centers. Installation and operation
of non-BMW approved accessories such as
alarms, radios, amplifiers, radar detectors,
wheels, suspension components, brake dust
shields, telephones, including operation of any
mobile phone from within the vehicle without
using an externally mounted antenna, or trans‐
ceiver equipment, for instance, CBs, walkie-
talkies, ham radios or similar accessories, may
cause extensive damage to the vehicle, com‐
promise its safety, interfere with the vehicle's
electrical system or affect the validity of the
BMW Limited Warranty. See your BMW center for additional information. Maintenance, re‐
placement,
or repair of the emission control de‐
vices and systems may be performed by any au‐
tomotive repair establishment or individual
using any certified automotive part.
California Proposition 65 Warning
California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile
components and parts, including components
found in the interior furnishings in a vehicle, con‐
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cal‐
ifornia to cause cancer and birth defects and re‐
productive harm. In addition, certain fluids
contained in vehicles and certain products of
component wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds. Wash your
hands after handling. Used engine oil contains
chemicals that have caused cancer in laboratory
animals. Always protect your skin by washing
thoroughly with soap and water.
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:
▷ New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
▷ Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.
▷ Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty.
▷ Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.
▷ California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty.
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country

and continental region in order to deliver
the full driving pleasure while the vehicle is op‐
erated under those conditions. If you wish to op‐
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Cockpit
All around the steering wheel
1
Seating comfort functions* Seat, mirror, steering wheel mem‐
ory*  58
Active seat*  52
2 Roller sunblinds*  46
3 Safety switch for the rear windows and roller
sunblinds*  46
4 Power windows   45
5 Exterior mirror operation  59
6 Driver assistance systems* Active Blind Spot Detec‐
tion*  96
Collision warning*  112
Lane departure warning*  95 Night Vision with pedestrian de‐
tection*  122
Head-up Display*  
125
7 Lamps Front fog lamps  
88 Parking lamps  
85 Low beams  85
Automatic headlamp con‐
trol*  86
Daytime running lights*  86
Adaptive light control
*  86
High-beam Assistant*  87 Instrument lighting  88
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Cockpit

8
Steering column stalk, left Turn signal  71
High beams, head‐
lamp flasher  71
High-beam Assistant*  87
Roadside parking lamps  86
Computer  78
9 Steering wheel buttons, left Store speed  114,  107
Resume speed  115,  108
Cruise control on/off, inter‐
rupt  114,  106
Increase distance*  108
Decrease distance*  108
10 Instrument cluster   14
11 Steering wheel buttons, right Entertainment source
Volume Voice activation*  25
Telephone*  210
12 Steering column stalk, right Windshield wipers  71
Rain sensor*  
72 Clean the windshields and head‐
lamps*  71
13 Start/stop the engine and switch
the ignition on/off  66
14 Horn
15 Steering wheel heating*  61
16 Adjust the steering wheel  
61
17 Open the tailgate*  40
18 Unlocking the hood
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At a glance

Voice activation system*
The concept
▷
The voice activation system can be used to
operate
functions by means of spoken com‐
mands.
▷ Most menu items on the Control Display can
be voiced as commands. The system
prompts you to make your entries.
▷ Functions that can only be used when the
vehicle

is stationary cannot be operated us‐
ing the voice activation system.
▷ The system uses a special microphone on
the driver's side.
▷ ›...‹ Verbal instructions in the Owner's
Manual

to use with the voice activation sys‐
tem.
Requirements
Via the Control Display, set a language that is
also supported by the voice activation system
so

that the spoken commands can be identified.
Set the language, refer to page 82.
Using voice activation
Activating the voice activation system
1. Press the button on the steering
wheel.
2. Wait for the signal.
3. Say the command.
The

command is displayed in the instrument
cluster. This symbol in the instrument cluster indi‐
cates that the voice activation system is active.
If no other commands are available, continue
operating the function via iDrive. Terminating the voice activation
system
Briefly press the button on the steering wheel
or ›Cancel‹.
Possible commands
Having possible commands read aloud
The commands available in each case depend
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis‐
play.
To have the available commands read out
loud: ›Voice commands‹
For

example, if the "Settings" menu is displayed,
the commands for the settings are read out loud.
Help dialog for the voice activation
system
Calling up help dialog: ›Help‹
Additional commands for the help dialog:
▷ ›Help with examples‹: information about the
current operating options and the most im‐
portant

commands for them are announced.
▷ ›Help with voice activation‹: information
about

the principle of operation for the voice
activation system is announced.
Executing functions using short
commands
Functions on the main menu can be performed
directly

by means of short commands, irrespec‐
tive of which menu item is currently selected,
e.g., ›Vehicle status‹.
List of short commands of the voice activation
system, refer to page 277.
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At a glance

Example: playing back a CD
1.
Switch on the Entertainment sound output
if necessary.
2. Press the button on the steering
wheel.
3. ›C D and multimedia‹
The medium last played is played back.
4. Press the button on the steering
wheel.
5. ›C D track ...‹ e.g., CD track 4.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the
standard dialog or a shorter version.
In the shorter variant of the voice dialog, the an‐
nouncements from the system are issued in an
abbreviated form.
On the Control Display:
1. "Settings"
2. "Language/Units"
3. "Speech mode:"
4. Select the setting. Adjusting the volume
Turn

the volume button while giving an instruc‐
tion until the desired volume is set.
▷ The volume remains constant even if the
volume of other audio sources is changed. ▷
The volume is stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Notes on Emergency
Requests
Do
not use the voice activation system to initiate
an Emergency Request. In stressful situations,
the voice and vocal pitch can change. This can
unnecessarily delay the establishment of a tel‐
ephone connection.
Instead, use the SOS button*, refer to
page 264, in the vicinity of the interior mirror.
Environmental conditions
▷ Say the commands, numbers, and letters
smoothly and with normal volume, empha‐
sis, and speed.
▷ Always say commands in the language of
the voice activation system.
▷ When selecting a radio station, use the com‐
mon pronunciation of the station name.
▷ Keep the doors, windows, and glass sun‐
roof* closed to prevent noise interference.
▷ Avoid making other noise in the vehicle
while speaking.
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Voice activation system

▷
Dynamic Driving Control: sport program, re‐
fer to page 104.
▷ Driver's seat position, refer to page 37: au‐
tomatic retrieval after unlocking.
▷ Programmable memory buttons, refer to
page 23: assignment.
▷ Head-up Display, refer to page 125: selec‐
tion, brightness and position of the display.
▷ Headlamp courtesy delay feature, refer to
page 85: time setting.
▷ Tone, refer to page 172: tone settings.
▷ Automatic climate control, refer to
page 127: settings.
▷ Steering wheel position, refer to page 61
▷ Navigation, refer to page 154: map views,
route criteria, voice output on/off.
▷ Night Vision with pedestrian detection, refer
to
page 122: selection of functions and type
of display.
▷ Daytime running lights*, refer to page 86:
current setting.
▷ Park Distance Control PDC, refer to
page 173:

adjusting the signal tone volume.
▷ Radio, refer to page 174: stored stations,
station listened to last, special settings.
▷ Backup camera, refer to page 119: selec‐
tion of functions and type of display.
▷ Side View, refer to page 121: selection of
the display type.
▷ Language on the Control Display, refer to
page 82.
▷ Lane departure warning, refer to page 95:
last setting, on/off.
▷ Active Blind Spot Detection, refer to
page 96: last setting, on/off.
▷ Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page 71.
▷ Locking the vehicle, refer to page 39: after
a brief period or after starting to drive. Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system becomes active
when the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and re‐
leases the locks on the following:
▷
Doors.
▷ Tailgate.
▷ Fuel filler flap.
Operating from the outside
▷ Via the remote control.
▷ Via the driver's door lock*.
▷ Via the door handles*.
▷ Via the button on the tailgate*.
The following takes place simultaneously when
locking/unlocking the vehicle via the remote
control:
▷ Anti-theft protection is switched on/off.
Doors cannot be unlocked using the lock
buttons or the door opener.
▷ The welcome lamps, interior lamps and
courtesy lamps* are switched on and off.
▷ The alarm system*, refer to page 44, is
armed or disarmed.
Operating from the inside Via the button for the central locking system.
If the vehicle has been locked from inside, the
fuel filler flap remains unlocked.
If an accident of a certain severity occurs, the
central locking system unlocks automatically.
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With automatic trunk lid operation*:
Press the button on the remote control
for approx. 1 second and release.
The large tailgate opens automatically.
Note the opening height of the large tail‐
gate
The tailgate pivots back and up when it opens.
Ensure that there is sufficient clearance when
the large tailgate opens; otherwise, damage may
result.◀
The tailgate opens, regardless of whether it was
previously locked or unlocked.
In some vehicle equipment variants, the tailgate
can only be opened using the remote control if
the vehicle was unlocked first.
To avoid locking yourself out of the vehicle, do
not place the remote control into the cargo area.
The tailgate is locked again as soon as it is
pushed closed.
Provide edge protection
Sharp or angular objects can hit the rear
window while driving and damage the heating
wires of the rear window. Provide edge protec‐
tion.◀
Confirmation signals from the vehicle
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks"
3. Deactivate or activate the desired confirma‐
tion signals.
▷"Acoustic sig. lock/unlock"
▷ "Flash when lock/unlock" Retrieving the seat, mirror, and
steering wheel settings
The driver's seat, exterior mirror, and steering
wheel positions selected last are stored for the
currently used remote control.
When the vehicle is unlocked, these positions
are automatically retrieved if this function was
activated.
Pinch hazard when moving back the seat
If
this function is used, first make sure that
the footwell behind the driver's seat is empty.
Otherwise, people can be injured or objects
damaged when the seat is moved back.◀
The adjustment procedure is interrupted:
▷ When a seat position switch is pressed.
▷ When a button of the seat, mirror, and steer‐
ing wheel memory is pressed briefly.
Activating the setting
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks"
3. "Last seat position auto." Malfunction
If the vehicle can no longer be locked or un‐
locked

with the remote control, the battery may
be discharged or there may be interference from
external sources such as mobile phones, metal
objects, overhead power lines, transmission
towers, etc.
If this occurs, unlock or lock the vehicle at the
door lock using the key. Seite 37
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Controls At a glance