2011 BMW 550I XDRIVE GT Owner's Manual

Adjusting
Sitting safely
The
ideal seating position can make a vital con‐
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:
▷ Safety belts, refer to page 55.
▷ Head restraints, refer to page 56.
▷ Airbags, refer to page 89.
Front seats
Adjusting
General information Do not adjust the seat while driving
Never attempt to adjust the driver's seat
while driving.
The

seat could respond with unexpected move‐
ment and the ensuing loss of vehicle control
could lead to an accident.◀
Do not incline the backrest too far to the
rear
Do not incline the backrest on the front passen‐
ger side too far to the rear during driving. Oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of sliding under the
safety belt in an accident. This would eliminate
the protection normally provided by the belt.◀
The seat setting is stored for the remote control
currently in use. When the vehicle is unlocked
via the remote control, the position is automati‐
cally retrieved if this function, refer to page 37,
was activated. At a glance: partially powered seats
1
Thigh support*
2 Tilt
3 Forward/backward
4 Lumbar support*
5 Height
6 Backrest
Adjustments in detail: partially
powered seats Forward/back:
Pull the lever and slide the seat in the desired
direction.
After

releasing the lever, move the seat forward
or back slightly to make sure it engages prop‐
erly.
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Controls At a glance

Seat tilt:
Pull the lever and move the seat to the desired
tilt. After releasing the lever, apply your weight
to
the seat or lift it off to make sure the seat en‐
gages properly. Height:
Move the button in the required direction.
Backrest tilt:
Move the button in the required direction. Overview: Power* seats 1
Lumbar support*
2 Backrest width*
3 Shoulder support*
4 Backrest
5 Forward/back, height, tilt
6 Thigh support*
Adjustments in detail: power* seats
1. Forward/back. 2.
Height. Seite 50
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Adjusting

3.
Seat tilt. 4.
Backrest tilt. 5.
Thigh support*. Lumbar support*
The curvature of the seat backrest can be ad‐
justed in such a way that it supports the lumbar
region of the spine. The lower back and the
spine are supported for upright posture. ▷
Press the front/rear section of the switch.
The curvature is increased/decreased.
▷ Press the upper/lower section of the switch.
The curvature is shifted up/down.
Backrest width* Change the width of the backrest using the side
wings to adjust the lateral support.
To make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle,
the backrest width temporarily opens fully.
Shoulder support*
Also supports the back in the shoulder area:
▷
Results in a relaxed seating position.
▷ Reduces strain on the shoulder muscles.
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Controls At a glance

Active seat*
Active adjustment of the seat cushion's con‐
tours reduces muscular tension and fatigue to
help prevent lower back pain.
Press the button. The LED lights up.
Front seat heating *Switching on
Press
the button once for each temper‐
ature level.
The maximum temperature is reached when
three LEDs are lit.
Switching off
Press the button longer.
The LEDs go out.
The temperature may be reduced or seat heat‐
ing may be switched off entirely to save battery
power.
Temperature distribution*
The heating action in the seat cushion and back‐
rest can be distributed in different ways. 1.
"Climate"
2. "Seat heating distribution"
3. Select the required seat. 4.
Turn the controller to set the temperature
distribution.
Front active seat ventilation*
The seat cushion and backrest surfaces are
cooled by means of integrated fans.
The

ventilation rapidly cools the seat, e.g., if the
vehicle interior is overheated or for continuous
cooling at high temperatures. Switching on
Press
the button once for each ventila‐
tion level.
The highest level is active when three LEDs are
lit.
After a short time, the system automatically
moves down one level in order to prevent ex‐
cessive cooling.
Switching off
Press the button longer.
The LEDs go out. Seite 52
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Adjusting

Rear seats
Adjusting
Overview: manual seats
1
Forward/backward
2 Backrest
Settings in detail: manual seats Do not adjust the seat while driving
Never attempt to adjust the seat while
driving. Otherwise, the restraining effect of the
seat can be limited in an accident.
◀Forward/back:
Pull the lever and slide the seat in the desired
direction.
After releasing the level, move the seat forward
or back slightly until it engages. Backrest tilt:
Pull

the lever and apply your weight to the back‐
rest or lift it off.
Overview: Power* seats 1
Forward/backward
2 Shoulder support
3 Backrest, head restraint
The seats cannot be adjusted if the safety
switch for the power windows has been
pressed.
Settings in detail:

Power* seats
1. Forward/back. Seite 53
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Controls At a glance

2.
Backrest tilt. 3.
Head restraint. Shoulder support*
Also supports the back in the shoulder area:
▷
Results in a relaxed seating position.
▷ Reduces strain on the shoulder muscles. Reset* to standard position Maintain pressure on the button until the system
completes the adjustment.
Rear seat heating
* Switching on
Press
the button once for each temper‐
ature level.
The maximum temperature is reached when
three LEDs are lit.
Switching off
Press the button longer.
The LEDs go out.
Temperature distribution*
The heating action in the seat cushion and back‐
rest can be distributed in different ways.
1. "Climate"
2. "Seat heating rear" Seite 54
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Adjusting

3.
Select the required seat. 4.
Turn the controller to set the temperature
distribution.
Active seat ventilation* Switching on
Press the button once for each ventila‐
tion level.
The highest level is active when three LEDs are
lit.
Switching off
Press the button longer.
The LEDs go out.
Safety belts
Seats with safety belt
The vehicle has four* or five* seating positions,
each of which is equipped with a safety belt.
Notes
Always make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving away. Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
▷
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every
build if the seat is correctly adjusted.
▷ The two outer safety belt buckles,
integrated

into the rear seat, are for passen‐
gers sitting on the left and right.
▷ The center rear seat belt buckle marked with
the letters CENTER* is solely intended for
the center passenger.
One person per safety belt
Never
allow more than one person to wear
a single safety belt. Never allow infants or small
children to ride on a passenger's lap.◀
Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies low
around the hips in the lap area and does not
press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt can
slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal im‐
pact and injure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck, rub
on sharp edges, be routed over solid or breaka‐
ble objects, or be pinched.◀
Reduction of restraining effect
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the
belt from fitting properly, and pull the shoulder
belt periodically to readjust the tension across
your lap; otherwise, the retention effect of the
safety belt may be reduced.◀ Seite 55
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Controls At a glance

Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in the
belt buckle.
Unbuckling the belt
1.
Hold the belt firmly.
2. Press the red button in the belt buckle.
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.
Safety belt reminder for the driver's and
front passenger seat The indicator lamp flashes or lights up
and a signal sounds. Make sure that the
safety belts are positioned correctly.
The safety belt reminder is active at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be ac‐
tivated if objects are placed on the front pas‐
senger seat.
Damage to safety belts
In the case of strain caused by accidents or
damage:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Checking and replacing safety belts
Have the work performed only by your
service center; otherwise, it cannot be ensured
that this safety feature will function properly.◀ Front head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk
of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event of
an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all
occupied seats; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is ap‐
proximately at ear level.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is
as close as possible to the back of the head.
Active head restraint
In the event of a rear-end collision with a certain
severity, the active head restraint automatically
reduces the distance from the head.
Reduced protective function
▷Do not use seat or head restraint cov‐
ers.
▷ Do not hang objects, e.g., clothes hangers,
on the head restraints.
▷ Only attach accessories approved by BMW
to the seat or head restraint.
Otherwise, the protective function of the active
head
restraint will be impaired and the personal
safety of the occupants will be endangered.◀ Seite 56
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Adjusting