2012 BMW 7 SERIES sensor

Automatic headlamp con‐
trol*  85
Daytime running lights*  85
Adaptive light control
*  85
High-beam Assistant*  86 Instrument lighting  87
8 Steering column stalk, left Turn signal  70
High beams, head‐
lamp flasher  70
High-beam Assistant*  86
Roadside parking lamps  85
Computer  77
9 Steering wheel buttons, left Store speed  112,  106
Resume speed  113,  107
Cruise control on/off, inter‐
rupt  112,  105 Increase distance*  107
Decrease distance*  107
10 Instrument cluster   14
11 Steering wheel buttons, right Entertainment source
Volume
Voice activation*  25
Telephone*  212
12 Steering column stalk, right Windshield wipers  70
Rain sensor*  
71 Clean the windshields and head‐
lamps*  70
13 Start/stop the engine and switch
the ignition on/off  65
14 Horn
15 Steering wheel heating*  60
16 Adjust steering wheel  
60
17 Open trunk lid*  
40
18 Unlocking the hood
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips Controls
At a glance

Monitor the closing process
Monitor
the closing process to ensure that
no one becomes trapped.◀
Unlocking the trunk lid separately
Press the button on the exterior of the trunk lid,
refer to page 39.
This corresponds to pressing the button.
Do not place the remote control in the
cargo area
Take the remote control with you and do not
leave

it in the cargo area; otherwise, the remote
control may be locked inside the vehicle when
the trunk lid is closed.◀
Malfunction
Comfort Access may not function properly if it
experiences interference from external sources
such as mobile phones, metal objects, overhead
power lines, transmission towers, etc.
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 33.
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 44.
▷ 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. Seite 43
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

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.
The alarm system responds in situations such
as attempts to steal a wheel or tow the car.
Interior motion sensor
The

windows and glass sunroof* must be closed
for the system to function properly.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be switched off together, such as in the fol‐
lowing situations:
▷ In automatic car washes
▷ In duplex garages. ▷
During transport on car-carrying trains, at
sea or on a trailer.
▷ When animals are to remain in the vehicle.
Switching off the tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor Press the button on the remote control
twice in succession.
The indicator lamp lights up for approx. 2 sec‐
onds and then flashes continuously.
The

tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
are switched off until the vehicle is locked again.
Power windows
General information
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for example,
cannot operate the power windows and injure
themselves.◀ Opening
▷
Press the switch to the resistance
point.
The window opens while the switch is held.
▷ Press the switch beyond the resist‐
ance point.
The window opens automatically.
Pressing again stops the motion. Seite 44
44 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 497 - 03 11 490
Opening and closing

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 71
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Automatic headlamp control
Switch
position : the low beams are switched
on and off automatically, e.g., in tunnels, in twi‐
light or if there is precipitation. The indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams always stay on when the fog
lamps are switched on.
Personal responsibility
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve

as a substitute for your personal judgment
in determining when the lamps should be
switched on in response to ambient lighting
conditions.
For example, the sensors are unable to detect
fog or hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you
should always switch on the lamps manually un‐
der these conditions.◀
Daytime running lights*
With the ignition switched on, the daytime run‐
ning lights light up in position 0, or .
After the ignition is switched off, the parking
lamps light up in position

.
Activating/deactivating
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Daytime running lamps" The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use. Roadside parking lamps
The vehicle can be illuminated on one side.
Switching on
With the ignition switched off, press the lever
either up or down past the resistance point for
approx. 2 seconds.
Switching off
Briefly press the lever to the resistance point in
the opposite direction.
Adaptive light control*
The concept
Adaptive light control is a variable headlamp
control system that enables dynamic illumina‐
tion of the road surface.
Depending on the steering angle and other pa‐
rameters, the light from the headlamp follows
the course of the road.
In tight curves, e.g., on mountainous roads or
when turning, an additional, corner-illuminating
lamp is switched on that lights up the inside of
the curve when the vehicle is moving below a
certain speed.
Controls
Activating
Switch position
with the ignition switched
on.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
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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.
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‐
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. Seite 86
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Lamps

▷
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.
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Switching on/off
Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
The system can issue warnings at speeds above
approx. 30 mph/50 km/h.
The state is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Display Information stage
The dimmed lamp in the mirror housing indi‐
cates when there are vehicles in the blind spot
or approaching from behind.
Warning
If the turn signal is set while a vehicle is in the
critical zone, the steering wheel vibrates briefly
and the lamp in the mirror housing flashes
brightly.
The warning stops when the turn signal is
switched
off, or the other vehicle leaves the crit‐
ical zone. System limits
Personal responsibility
The system cannot serve as a substitute
for the driver's personal judgment of the traffic
situation.
In

the event of a warning, do not jerk the steering
wheel, as you may lose control over the vehi‐
cle.◀
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations:
▷ When a vehicle is approaching at a speed
much faster than your own.
▷ In heavy fog, rain or snowfall.
▷ In tight curves or on narrow lanes.
Malfunctions
Steering wheel vibration
Frequent

activation of the steering wheel vibra‐
tion causes the system to overheat.
This causes Active Blind Spot Detection to be‐
come deactivated.
Let the system cool and reactivate it by pressing
the button.
Radar sensors The radar sensors are located under the rear
bumper.
The system may not be fully functional in the
following situations:
▷
Dirty or icy bumper.
▷ Stickers on the bumper.
A Check Control message is displayed when the
system is not fully functional. Seite 96
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Safety