2011 BMW 550I XDRIVE GT light

Display
The collision warning can be issued in the in‐
strument cluster, in the Head-up Display*, and
acoustically.
Instrument cluster
The vehicle lights up in red: prewarning
The vehicle flashes red and an acoustic
signal sounds: acute warning
You
are requested to intervene by brak‐
ing or making an evasive maneuver.
Adapting your speed and driving style
The display does not relieve the driver of
the responsibility to adapt his or her driving
speed and style to the traffic conditions.◀
System limits
Be alert
Due to system limitations, warnings may
be not be issued at all, or may be issued late or
improperly. Therefore, always be alert and ready
to intervene; otherwise, there is the danger of an
accident occurring.◀
Detection range
The detection capacity of the radar sensor and
the collision warning has limitations.
This may result in the warning not being issued
or being issued late.
For example, the following situations may not be
detected:
▷ Slow moving objects when you approach
them at high speed.
▷ Vehicles that suddenly swerve in front of
your vehicle.
▷ Two-wheeled vehicles ahead of you.
▷ Pedestrians.
Functional limitations
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations: ▷
In heavy fog, rain or snowfall.
▷ In tight curves.
▷ If the radar sensor is dirty or covered.
Prewarning sensitivity
If the prewarning setting is too sensitive, there
may be an excess of false warnings.
Cruise control
The concept
The

system is functional at speeds beginning at
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
It maintains the speed that was set using the
control elements on the steering wheel.
The system brakes on downhill gradients if en‐
gine braking action is insufficient.
Unfavorable conditions
Do not use the system if unfavorable con‐
ditions make it impossible to drive at a constant
speed, for instance:
▷ On curvy roads.
▷ In heavy traffic.
▷ On slippery roads, in fog, snow or rain, or on
a loose road surface.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident.◀
Controls
Buttons at a glance 1
System on/off, interrupt
2 Resume speed Seite 113
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Controls At a glance

Resuming the desired speed
Press the button.
The stored speed is reached and maintained.
Displays in the instrument cluster 1
Display of desired speed
2 Indicator lamp
3 Brief status display
Desired speed
Display in the speedometer: ▷The marking lights up in
green: the system is active.
▷ The marking lights up in or‐
ange: the system has been
interrupted.
▷ The marking does not light up: the system is
switched off.
Brief status display
Brief display in the speedometer: Selected desired speed
If --- appears briefly, conditions may not be ad‐
equate to operate the system.
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
In
addition to the PDC Park Distance Control, the
backup camera*, refer to page 119, can be
switched on. PDC supports you when parking. Objects that
you

are approaching slowly in front of* or behind
your vehicle are indicated with:
▷ Signal tones.
▷ Visual display.
Measurement
Measurements
are made by ultrasound sensors
in the bumpers.
The range is approx. 6 ft/2 m.
An acoustic warning is first given:
▷ By the front* sensors and the two rear cor‐
ner sensors at approx. 24 in/60 cm.
▷ By the rear middle sensors at approx. 5 ft/
1.50 m.
System limits Check the traffic situation as well
PDC cannot serve as a substitute for the
driver's personal judgment of the traffic situa‐
tion.

Check the traffic situation around the vehi‐
cle with your own eyes. Otherwise, an accident
could result from road users or objects located
outside of the PDC detection range.
Loud noises from outside and inside the vehicle
may prevent you from hearing the PDC's signal
tone.◀
Avoid driving quickly with PDC
Avoid approaching an object quickly.
Avoid driving away quickly while PDC is not yet
active.
For technical reasons, the system may other‐
wise be too late in issuing a warning.◀
Limits of ultrasonic measurement
The detection of objects can reach the physical
limits of ultrasonic measurement, for instance:
▷ With tow bars and trailer hitches.
▷ With thin or wedge-shaped objects.
▷ With low objects.
▷ With objects with corners and sharp edges. Seite 115
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Controls At a glance

Low objects already displayed, e.g., curbs, can
move
into the blind area of the sensors before or
after a continuous tone sounds.
High, protruding objects such as ledges may not
be detected.
False warnings
PDC may issue a warning under the following
conditions even though there is no obstacle
within the detection range:
▷ In heavy rain.
▷ When sensors are very dirty or covered in
ice.
▷ When sensors are covered in snow.
▷ On rough road surfaces.
▷ In large buildings with right angles and
smooth

walls, e.g., in underground garages.
▷ In heavy exhaust.
▷ Due to other ultrasound sources, e.g.,
sweeping machines, high pressure steam
cleaners or neon lights.
Switching on automatically
Select transmission position R with the engine
running.
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.
Signal tones
When approaching an object, an intermittent
tone

is sounded that indicates the position of the
object. For example, if an object is detected to
the left rear of the vehicle, a signal tone sounds
from the left rear speaker.
The shorter the distance to the object becomes,
the shorter the intervals.
If the distance to a detected object is less than
approx. 12 in/30 cm, a continuous tone is
sounded.
If objects are located both in front of and behind
the vehicle, an alternating continuous signal is
sounded.
The intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3 seconds:
▷ If the vehicle stops in front of an object that
is detected by only one of the corner sen‐
sors.
▷ If moving parallel to a wall.
The signal tone is switched off:
▷ When the vehicle moves away from an ob‐
ject by more than approx. 4 in/10 cm.
▷ When transmission position P is engaged.
Volume
You can set the volume of the PDC signal tone,
refer to page 173.
The

setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object can be
shown on the Control Display. Objects that are
farther away are displayed on the Control Dis‐
play before a signal tone sounds.
A display appears as soon as Park Distance
Control (PDC) is activated. Seite 116
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Driving comfort

▷
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 tailgate 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 118.
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. The display appears as soon as Top View is ac‐
tivated.
If

the backup camera image was selected last, it
again appears on the display. To switch to Top
View: "Rear view camera" Select the symbol on
the Control Display.
The

setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Display on the Control Display
Switching on the backup camera via
iDrive
With Top View switched on: "Rear view camera"
The
backup camera image is displayed. The set‐
ting is stored for the remote control currently in
use.
Brightness
With Top View switched on: Seite 118
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Driving comfort

▷
On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
The PDC is shown on the Control Display.
Switch on the backup camera via the iDrive, refer
to page 121.
Assistance functions
Functional requirement
▷ The backup camera is switched on.
▷ The tailgate is fully closed.
Pathway lines ▷
Can be shown in the backup camera image
when in transmission position R.
▷ Help you to estimate the space required
when parking and maneuvering on level
roads.
▷ Are dependent on the current steering angle
and are continuously adjusted to the steer‐
ing wheel movements.
Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 121.
Turning circle lines ▷
Can be shown in the backup camera image. ▷
Show the course of the smallest possible
turning circle on a level road.
▷ Only one turning circle line is displayed
when the steering wheel is turned.
Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 121.
Parking using pathway and turning
circle lines
1. Position the vehicle so that the turning circle
lines lead to within the limits of the parking
space. 2.
Turn the steering wheel to the point where
the pathway line covers the corresponding
turning circle line. Obstacle marking
▷
Spatially-shaped markings can be shown in
the backup camera image.
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Driving comfort

Heat image
The image shows the heat radiated by objects
in the field of view of the camera.
Warm objects have a light appearance and cold
objects, a dark appearance.
The ability to detect an object depends on the
temperature
difference between the object and
the background and on the level of heat radiation
emitted by the object. Objects that are similar in
temperature to the environment or that radiate
very little heat are difficult to detect.
For safety reasons, when driving at speeds
above approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and in low ambient
light, the image is only displayed when the low
beams are switched on.
A still image is displayed at regular intervals for
a fraction of a second.
Pedestrian detection The pedestrian detection and warning system
only

operates in darkness and only when a heat
image is displayed.
Warm objects that are similar in shape to human
beings are detected by the system.
People detected by the system are displayed
with a slight yellow hue. Under good ambient conditions, the pedestrian
detection

system operates within a range of ap‐
prox. 50 ft/15 m to approx. 330 ft/100 m. Environmental influences can limit the availabil‐
ity of pedestrian detection.
If

pedestrian detection is not available, a symbol
is displayed in the heat image.
This symbol disappears when the function be‐
comes available again.
Warning of people in danger If the system detects a person in the defined
area

in front of the vehicle and if there is the dan‐
ger of a collision with this person, a warning
symbol appears in the Control Display and
Head-up Display*.
Although both the shape and the heat radiation
are analyzed, false warnings cannot be ruled out.
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Controls At a glance

▷ "Contrast"
▷ "Pedestrian detection"
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Camera Rain, dirt, snow, or ice can impair camera oper‐
ation.
The camera is automatically heated when the
external temperatures are low.
The camera is automatically cleaned together
with the headlamps.
Clean the lens, refer to page
271.
Head-up Display
*
The concept This system projects important information into
the driver's field of vision, e.g., the speed.
In this way, the driver can get information with‐
out averting his or her eyes from the road.
Display visibility
The

visibility of the displays in the Head-up Dis‐
play is influenced by: ▷
Certain sitting positions.
▷ Objects on the cover of the Head-up Dis‐
play.
▷ Sunglasses with certain polarization filters.
▷ Wet roads.
▷ Unfavorable light conditions.
If the image is distorted, check the basic set‐
tings.
Switching on/off Press the button.
Display 1
Lane departure warning*
2 Active Cruise Control*
3 Desired speed
4 Navigation system*
5 Speed
The collision warning*, Night Vision* pedestrian
warning, or Check Control messages are dis‐
played briefly if needed. Seite 125
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Selecting displays in the Head-up
Display
1.
"Settings"
2. "Head-up display"
3. "Displayed information"
4. Select the desired displays in the Head-up
Display.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Setting the brightness
The brightness is automatically adjusted to the
ambient light.
The basic setting can be adjusted manually.
1. "Settings"
2. "Head-up display"
3. "Brightness"
4. Turn the controller.
The brightness is adjusted.
When the low beams are switched on, the
brightness of the Head-up Display can be addi‐
tionally influenced using the instrument lighting,
refer to page 88.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Adjusting the height
1. "Settings"
2. "Head-up display"
3. "Height"
4. Turn the controller.
The height is adjusted.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Special windshield
The windshield is part of the system.
The shape of the windshield makes it possible
to display a precise image.
A

film in the windshield prevents double images
from being displayed. Therefore, have the special windshield replaced
by a service center only.
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Driving comfort