2011 BMW 550I XDRIVE GT seats

▷
Keep the dashboard and window on the
front
passenger side clear, i.e., do not cover
with adhesive labels or coverings, and do not
attach holders such as for navigation instru‐
ments and mobile phones.
▷ Make sure that the front passenger is sitting
correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and legs
in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries can
occur if the front airbag is triggered.
▷ Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.
▷ Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as jack‐
ets, over the backrests.
▷ Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
can occur if the airbags are triggered.
▷ Do not remove the airbag restraint system.
▷ Do not remove the steering wheel.
▷ Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, cover them or modify
them in any way.
▷ Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents

or the wiring in the airbag system. This
also applies to steering wheel covers, the
dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars and the
sides of the headliner.◀
Even when all instructions are followed closely,
injury from contact with the airbags cannot be
ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term

and, in most cases, temporary hear‐
ing impairment in sensitive individuals.
In the case of a malfunction, deactivation
and after triggering of the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered; oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
your service center or a workshop that has the
necessary authorization for handling explosives. Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem

could lead to failure in an emergency or un‐
desired triggering of the airbag, either of which
could result in injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are
also found on the sun visors.
Functional readiness of the airbag
system
When the ignition is switch on, the warn‐
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up briefly and thereby indicates the op‐
erational readiness of the entire airbag system
and the belt tensioner.
Airbag system malfunctioning
▷ In radio ready state, the warning lamp does
not come on.
▷ The warning lamp lights up continuously.
When there is a malfunction, have the air‐
bag system checked immediately
When there is a malfunction, have the airbag
system checked immediately; otherwise, there
is

a risk that the system does not function as ex‐
pected in the event of an accident despite cor‐
responding severity of the accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
The system determines whether the front pas‐
senger seat is occupied by measuring the re‐
sistance of the human body.
The front, knee, and side airbag on the front
passenger side are activated or deactivated ac‐
cordingly.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise, the front
passenger airbags may not function properly.◀ Seite 90
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Safety

Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before
transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, see the safety notes and instructions
under Children on the front passenger seat.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults, the
front passenger airbags may be deactivated in
certain sitting positions. In this case, the indica‐
tor lamp for the front passenger airbags lights
up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front passenger airbags are activated and
the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To make sure that the occupied seat cushion
can be evaluated correctly
▷ Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat un‐
less they are specifically recommended by
the manufacturer of your vehicle.
▷ Do not place any objects on the front pas‐
senger seat.
▷ Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.
Indicator lamp for the front passenger
airbags The indicator lamp for the front passenger air‐
bags indicates the operating state of the front
passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ac‐
tivated or deactivated. ▷
The indicator lamp lights up
when a child who is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system intended for that
purpose is detected on the
seat
or the seat is empty. The
airbags on the front passen‐
ger side are not activated.
▷ The indicator lamp does not light up when,
for example, a correctly seated person of
sufficient size is detected on the seat. The
airbags on the front passenger side are ac‐
tivated.
The system generally detects children seated in
a child seat, especially in the child seats that
were required by NHTSA when the vehicle was
manufactured.

After installing a child seat, make
sure that the indicator lamp for the front pas‐
senger airbags lights up. This indicates that the
child seat has been detected and the front pas‐
senger airbags are not activated.
Strength of the driver's and front
passenger airbag
The strength with which the driver's and front
passenger airbags are triggered depends on the
position of the driver's and front passenger
seats.
To maintain the accuracy of this function over
the long-term, calibrate the front seats when a
corresponding message appears on the Control
Display.
Calibrating the front seats
A corresponding message appears on the Con‐
trol Display.
1. Move the respective seat forward all the
way.
2. Move the respective seat forward again. It
moves forward briefly.
3. Readjust the seat to the desired position.
The calibration procedure is completed when
the
message on the Control Display disappears.
If the message continues to be displayed, repeat
the calibration. Seite 91
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

If the message does not disappear after a repeat
calibration,
have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Unobstructed area of movement
Ensure that the area of movement of the
seats is unobstructed to avoid personal injury or
damage to objects.◀
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM*
The concept
The tire inflation pressure is measured in the
four mounted tires. The system notifies you if
there is a significant loss of pressure in one or
more tires.
Functional requirements
The system must have been reset when the in‐
flation pressure was correct; otherwise, reliable
signaling of a flat tire is not ensured. Always use
wheels with TPM electronics to ensure that the
system will operate properly. Reset the system
after each correction of the tire inflation pres‐
sure and after every tire or wheel change.
System limits
Sudden tire damage
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in ad‐
vance.◀
The system does not operate correctly if it has
not been reset. For example, a flat tire may be
indicated despite correct tire inflation pres‐
sures.
The system is inactive and cannot indicate a flat
tire:
▷ For a mounted wheel without TPM electron‐
ics.
▷ When the TPM is disturbed by other sys‐
tems or devices with the same radio fre‐
quency. Status display
The
current status of the Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM can be displayed on the Control Display,
e.g., whether or not the TPM is active.
1. "Vehicle Info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Tire Pressure Monitor - TPM"
The status is displayed.
Status display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
A change in the tire inflation pressure during
driving is taken into account.
A

correction is only necessary if this is indicated
by the TPM
Wheels, green
The tire inflation pressure is equal to the target
state.
One wheel is yellow
A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire.
All wheels are yellow
▷ A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure
in several tires.
▷ The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus warns based on the infla‐
tion pressures initialized last.
▷ A flat tire in one or more tires while the sys‐
tem is being reset.
Wheels, gray
The
system cannot detect a flat tire. Reasons for
this may be:
▷ TPM is being reset.
▷ Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same radio frequency.
▷ Malfunction.
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Safety

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

Storage compartments
Storage compartments
The following storage compartments are avail‐
able in the vehicle interior:
▷
Glove compartment on the driver's and front
passenger side, refer to page 139.
▷ Storage compartment in the center console,
refer to page 141.
▷ Storage compartment in the center armrest,
refer to page 140, in the front and rear.
▷ Compartments in the doors.
▷ Pockets on the backrests of the front seats*.
▷ Net in the front passenger footwell.
No loose objects in the passenger com‐
partment
Do not stow any objects in the passenger com‐
partment without securing them; otherwise,
they may present a danger to occupants for in‐
stance during braking and avoidance maneu‐
vers.◀
Glove compartment
Front passenger side
Opening Pull the handle.
The
light in the glove compartment switches on. Close the glove compartment again im‐
mediately
Close

the glove compartment immediately after
use while driving; otherwise, injury may occur
during accidents.◀
Closing
Fold up the cover.
USB interface for data transfer Connection for importing and exporting data on
USB devices, e.g.:
▷
Personal Profile settings, refer to page 33.
▷ Music collection, refer to page 188.
Observe the following when connecting:
▷ Do not use force when plugging the con‐
nector into the USB interface.
▷ Do not connect devices such as fans or
lamps to the USB interface.
▷ Do not connect USB hard drives.
▷ Do not use the USB interface to recharge
external devices. Seite 139
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Driver's side
Opening
Pull the handle.
Close the glove compartment again im‐
mediately
Close
the glove compartment immediately after
use while driving; otherwise, injury may occur
during accidents.◀
Closing
Fold up the cover.
Center armrest
Front
A storage compartment is located in the center
armrest between the front seats.
Opening Press the buttons next to the lock. Locking the storage compartment
The storage compartment in the armrest can be
locked with an integrated key to separately se‐
cure the tailgate, refer to page
42, for example.
After

the storage compartment is locked, the re‐
mote control can be handed out without the
integrated key, refer to page 32, for instance at
a hotel.
This prevents access to the storage compart‐
ment and to the cargo area.
Connection for an external audio
device This can be used to connect an external audio
device, such as a CD or MP3 player.
▷
AUX-IN port, refer to page 192.
▷ USB audio interface*, refer to page 193.
Rear
A storage compartment is located in the center
armrest between the seats.
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Storage compartments

Rear entertainment*
Controls
1
Screen, left
2 Screen, right
3 Center armrest, remote control
4 CD/DVD player
Rear CD/DVD player 1
CD/DVD slot
2 Eject CD/DVD
3 On/off, right
4 Headphone connection, right
5 RCA sockets
6 Headphone connection, left
7 On/off, left
Switching the system on/off Press the left or right side of the button
on the CD/DVD player in the rear for the
respective page. Rear entertainment and screens are switched
on/off.
After

switching off the ignition, the system must
be switched on again.
Screens
Adjusting
Danger of burns when screen is folded out
Do not reach behind the screen; other‐
wise, there is the danger of getting burned. The
back of the screen can become very hot.◀ ▷
To fold out: pull at the bottom edge.
▷ To fold in: press against the bottom edge.
Notes
▷ Do not cover lower screen edge, since this
is where the sensors and the infrared inter‐
face are installed.
▷ When loading the rear seats and adjusting
the backrest of the front seat, fold in the
screens.
▷ When using the through-loading system,
fold the screens down.
▷ When cleaning the screen, follow the care
instructions, refer to page 271. Seite 201
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Reference Mobility Communication
Entertainment Navigation Driving tips Controls At a glance

Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS, Antilock Brake Sys‐
tem 99
ACC, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go 106
Activated-charcoal filter 130
Active Blind Spot Detec‐ tion 96
Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, ACC 106
Active seat, front 52
Active seat ventilation, front 52
Active seat ventilation, rear 55
Active Steering, integral 102
Adaptive brake assistant 99
Adaptive brake lights, refer to Brake force display 98
Adaptive drive 101
Adaptive light control 86
Adaptive
light control, bulb re‐
placement 259
Additional telephone 210
Additives, oil 254
Adjustments, seats/head re‐ straints 49
Airbags 89
Airbags, indicator/warning light 90
Air circulation, refer to Recir‐ culated-air mode 128
Air distribution, manual 127
Air drying, refer to Cooling function 129
Air pressure, tires 243
Air vents, refer to Ventila‐ tion 130
Air volume, automatic climate control 128
Alarm system 44
Alarm, unintentional 45 All around the center con‐
sole 17
All around the headliner 18
All around the steering wheel 12
ALL program, automatic cli‐ mate control 129
All-season tires, refer to Win‐ ter tires 249
All-wheel-drive 100
Alternating-code hand-held transmitter 134
Alternative oil types 254
AM/FM station 174
Announcement, navigation, refer to Spoken instruc‐
tions 163
Antifreeze, washer fluid 73
Antilock Brake System, ABS 99
Anti-slip control, refer to DSC 99
Appointments 226
Approved engine oils 254
Apps 236
Armrest, refer to Center arm‐ rest 140
Arrival time 80
Ashtray 135
Assist 232
Assistance, Roadside Assis‐ tance 265
Assistance when driving off 99
Audio playback 181
Audio playback, Blue‐ tooth 196
AUTO intensity 128
Automatic car wash 269
Automatic climate con‐ trol 127
Automatic Cruise Control with Stop & Go 106 Automatic Curb Monitor
60
Automatic deactivation, front passenger airbags 90
Automatic headlamp con‐ trol 86
Automatic Hold 69
Automatic locking 39
Automatic recirculated-air control 128
Automatic Soft Closing, doors 39
Automatic Soft Closing, tail‐ gate 40
Automatic transmission with Steptronic 73
Automatic trunk lid 40
AUTO program, automatic cli‐ mate control 128
AUTO program, intensity 128
AUX-IN port 192
Average fuel consumption 79
Average speed 79
Axle loads, weights 275
B
Backrest curvature, refer to Lumbar support 51
Backrest, seats 49
Backrest, width 51
Back seats, adjusting 53
Backup camera 119
Backup lamps, bulb replace‐ ment 261
Balance 172
Band-Aids, refer to First aid kit 265
Bar for tow-starting/tow‐ ing 267
Basic position, rear seats 54
Bass 172
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Everything from A to Z