2011 BMW 550I rear view mirror

If this occurs, open or close the vehicle using the
buttons
on the remote control or use a key in the
door lock.
To subsequently start the engine, hold the re‐
mote control against the marked area on the
steering column, refer to page 29.
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds to:
▷ Opening of a door, the hood or the trunk lid.
▷ Movements in the vehicle: interior motion
sensor, refer to page 40.
▷ Changes in the vehicle tilt, e.g., during at‐
tempts to steal a wheel or when towing the
car.
▷ Interruptions in battery voltage.
The alarm system briefly indicates tampering:
▷ By sounding an acoustic alarm.
▷ By switching on the hazard warning system.
▷ By flashing the high beams.
Arming and disarming the alarm
system
General information
When

you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock*, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
Door lock and armed alarm system
Unlocking via the door lock will trigger the alarm
on some country-specific versions.
Trunk lid and armed alarm system
The trunk lid can be opened using the remote
control, even if the alarm system is armed.
Press the button on the remote control
for approx. 1 second and release.
After the trunk lid is closed, it is locked and
monitored again by the alarm system. The haz‐
ard warning system flashes once. In some vehicle equipment variants, the trunk lid
can only be opened using the remote control if
the vehicle was unlocked first.
Panic mode*
Press

the button on the remote control
for at least 3 seconds.
Switching off the alarm
▷ Unlock the vehicle using the remote control.
▷ With Comfort Access: If you are carrying the
remote control with you, pull on the door
handle.
Indicator lamp on the interior rearview
mirror ▷
The indicator lamp flashes briefly every
2 seconds:
The system is armed.
▷ The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
The doors, hood or trunk lid is not closed
properly, but the rest of the vehicle is se‐
cured.
After

10 seconds, the indicator lamp flashes
continuously. The interior motion sensor is
not active.
▷ The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
The vehicle has not been tampered with.
▷ The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until

the engine is started, but no longer than
approx. 5 minutes:
An alarm has been triggered.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. Seite 39
39Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490

Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

General information
The
mirror on the passenger side is more curved
than the driver's side mirror.
Estimating distances correctly
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. Do not estimate the distance
to the traffic behind you based on what you see
in the mirror, as this will increase your risk of an
accident.◀
The mirror setting is stored for the remote con‐
trol currently in use. When the vehicle is un‐
locked via the remote control, the position is au‐
tomatically retrieved if the setting for this
function is active.
Selecting a mirror
To change over to the other mirror:
Slide the mirror changeover switch.
Adjusting electrically The setting corresponds to the direction
in which the button is pressed.
Storing positions*
Seat, mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer
to page 51.
Adjusting manually
If an electrical malfunction occurs, for example,
press the edges of the mirror glass.
Automatic Curb Monitor*
When the reverse gear is engaged, the mirror
glass tilts downward slightly on the front pas‐
senger side. This improves your view of the curb
and other low-lying obstacles when parking, for
example.
Activating
1. Slide the mirror changeover switch
to the driver's side mirror position.
2. Engage transmission position R. Deactivating
Slide the mirror changeover switch to the pas‐
senger's side mirror position.
Fold in and out*
Press the button.
Possible up to approx. 15 mph/20 km/h.
For example, this is advantageous
▷ In car washes.
▷ In narrow streets.
▷ For folding back mirrors that were folded
away manually.
Mirrors that were folded in are folded out auto‐
matically
at a speed of approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Fold in the mirror in a car wash
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with the
button; otherwise, they could be damaged, de‐
pending on the width of the vehicle.◀
Automatic heating
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
whenever the engine is running.
Automatic dimming feature
Both exterior mirrors are automatically dimmed.
Photocells are used for control in the Interior rear
view mirror, refer to page 53.
Interior rearview mirror
Reducing the blinding effect From behind when driving at night: turn the
knob. Seite 52
52 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490
Adjusting

Interior rearview mirror, automatic
dimming feature
*Photocells are used for control:
▷
In the mirror glass.
▷ On the back of the mirror.
For proper operation:
▷ Keep the photocells clean.
▷ Do not cover the area between the inside
rearview mirror and the windshield.
Steering wheel
General information Do not adjust while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving; otherwise, an unexpected movement
could result in an accident.◀
Manual steering wheel adjustment 1.
Fold the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seating posi‐
tion.
3. Fold the lever back. Power* steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four di‐
rections.
Storing the position
Seat, mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer
to page
51.
Steering wheel heating

*
Switching on/off Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out. Seite 53
53Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490

Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Switching off and brief wipe
Press the wiper levers down.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷
Brief wipe: press down once.
▷ To switch off normal wipe: press down once.
▷ To switch off fast wipe: press down twice.
Rain sensor
The concept
The time between wipes is controlled automat‐
ically
and depends on the intensity of the rainfall.
The sensor is located on the windshield, directly
in front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating/deactivating the rain sensor Press the button on the wiper lever.
When

activated, the wipers move over the wind‐
shield once.
The LED in the steering column stalk lights up. Deactivate the rain sensor in car washes
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through

an automatic car wash; otherwise, dam‐
age could be caused by undesired wiper activa‐
tion.◀
Rain sensor sensitivity Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield,

headlamps* Pull the lever.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In

addition, the headlamps are cleaned at regular
intervals when the vehicle lights are switched
on.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if there is any danger
that the fluid will freeze on the windshield; oth‐
erwise, your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use antifreeze.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; otherwise, you could damage the
pump.◀ Seite 63
63Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490

Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the adaptive
light control directs light towards the front pas‐
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When
driving in reverse, only the turning lamp is
active.
Self-leveling headlights
The self-leveling headlights feature adapts the
light distribution to the contours of the road.
The light distribution is lowered on hilltops to
avoid blinding oncoming traffic and tilted in de‐
pressions to increase visibility.
Malfunction
A Check Control message is displayed.
Adaptive light control is malfunctioning or has
failed. Have the system checked as soon as pos‐
sible.
Headlamp range control*
The headlamp range of the low beams can be
manually adjusted for the vehicle load to avoid
blinding oncoming traffic.
The values following the slash apply to trailer
operation.
0 / 1 = 1 to 2 people without luggage.
1 / 1 = 5 people without luggage.
1 / 2 = 5 people with luggage.
2 / 2 = 1 person, full cargo area.
High-beam Assistant*
The concept
When the low beams are switched on, this sys‐
tem automatically switches the high beams on
and off. The procedure is controlled by a sensor
on the front of the interior rearview mirror. The
assistant ensures that the high beams are
switched on whenever the traffic situation al‐
lows. The driver can intervene at any time and
switch the high beams on and off as usual. Activating the High-beam Assistant
1.
Turn the light switch to or .
2. Press the button on the turn signal lever, ar‐
row.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
When the lights are switched on, the
high beams are switched on and off automati‐
cally.
The system responds to light from oncoming
traffic

and traffic driving ahead of you, and to ad‐
equate illumination, e.g., in towns and cities.
Switching the high beams on and off
manually ▷
High beams on, arrow 1.
▷ High beams off/headlamp flasher, arrow 2.
To reactivate the High-beam Assistant, press
the button on the turn signal lever.
System limits
Personal responsibility
The high-beam assistant cannot serve as
a substitute for the driver's personal judgment
of

when to use the high beams. Therefore, man‐ Seite 82
82 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490
Lamps

ually switch off the high beams in situations
where this is required to avoid a safety risk.
◀
The system is not fully functional in situations
such as the following, and driver intervention
may be necessary:
▷ In very unfavorable weather conditions,
such as fog or heavy precipitation.
▷ In detecting poorly-lit road users, such as
pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and
wagons; when driving close to train or ship
traffic; and at animal crossings.
▷ In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions,
in cross traffic or half-obscured oncoming
traffic on freeways.
▷ In poorly-lit towns and cities and in the pres‐
ence of highly reflective signs.
▷ At low speeds.
▷ When the windshield in front of the interior
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov‐
ered with stickers, etc.
Camera The camera is located on the front of the interior
rearview mirror.
Keep the area in front of the interior rearview
mirror clear.
Fog lamps
Front fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on.
Press the button. The green indicator
lamp lights up. If the automatic headlamp control, refer to
page
81, is activated, the low beams will come
on automatically when you switch on the front
fog lamps.
Instrument lighting
Adjusting
The parking lamps or low beams
must
be switched on to adjust the
brightness.
Adjust the brightness using the
thumbwheel.
Interior lamps
General information
The interior lamps, footwell lamps, entry lamps
and courtesy lamps are controlled automati‐
cally.
The brightness of some of these lamps is influ‐
enced by the thumbwheel for the instrument
lighting. 1
Interior lamps
2 Reading lamp
Switching the interior lamps on and off Press the button.
To switch off permanently: press the button for
approx. 3 seconds.
To clear this setting: press the button. Seite 83
83Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490

Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

▷
When braking hard.
▷ When using the turn signal.
System limits Personal responsibility
The system cannot serve as a substitute
for
the driver's personal judgment of the course
of the road and the traffic situation.
In the event of a warning, do not jerk the steering
wheel, as you may lose control of the vehicle.◀
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations:
▷ In heavy fog, rain or snowfall.
▷ In the event of worn, poorly visible, merging,
diverging,

or multiple lane markings such as
in construction areas.
▷ When lane markings are covered in snow,
ice, dirt or water.
▷ In tight curves or on narrow lanes.
▷ When the lane markings are covered by ob‐
jects.
▷ When driving very close to the vehicle in
front of you.
▷ When driving toward bright lights.
▷ When the windshield in front of the interior
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov‐
ered with stickers, etc.
Malfunctions
Steering wheel vibration
Frequent

activation of the steering wheel vibra‐
tion causes the system to overheat.
This causes the lane departure warning to be‐
come deactivated.
Let the system cool and reactivate it by pressing
the button. Camera
The camera is located on the front of the interior
rearview mirror.
Keep the area in front of the interior rearview
mirror clear.
Active Blind Spot Detection

*
The concept Two radar sensors below the rear bumper mon‐
itor the area behind and next to the vehicle at
speeds above approx. 30 mph/50 km/h.
The

system indicates whether there are vehicles
in the blind spot, arrow 1, or approaching from
behind on the adjacent lane, arrow 2.
The lamp in the exterior mirror housing lights up
dimly.
Before you change lanes after setting the turn
signal, the system issues a warning in the situa‐
tions described above.
The lamp in the housing of the exterior mirror
flashes and the steering wheel vibrates.
Seite 92
92 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490
Safety

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
116 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 469 - 03 11 490
Driving comfort