2015 BMW 5 SERIES active

Shoulder support
Also supports the back in the shoulder area:
▷Results in a relaxed seating position.▷Reduces strain on the shoulder muscles.
Active seatActive adjustment of the seat cushion's con‐
tours reduces muscular tension and fatigue to
help prevent lower back pain.
Press button. The LED lights up.
Front seat heating
Switching on Press button once for each tempera‐
ture level.
The maximum temperature is reached when
three LEDs are lit.
If the journey is continued within approx. 15
minutes, the seat heating is activated automat‐
ically with the temperature selected last.
When ECO PRO, refer to page 196, is acti‐
vated, the heater output is reduced.
Switch off Press button longer.
The LEDs go out.
Temperature distribution
The heating action in the seat cushion and
backrest can be distributed in different ways.
On the Control Display:1."Climate"2."Front seat heating"3.Select the required seat.4.Turn the controller to set the temperature
distribution.
Rear seat heating
Switching on
Press button once for each tempera‐
ture level.
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The maximum temperature is reached when
three LEDs are lit.
If the journey is continued within approx. 15
minutes, the seat heating is activated automat‐
ically with the temperature selected last.
When ECO PRO, refer to page 196, is acti‐
vated, the heater output is reduced.
Switch off Press button longer.
The LEDs go out.
Active seat ventilation, front The seat cushion and backrest surfaces are
cooled by means of integrated fans.
The ventilation cools the seat, e. g., if the vehi‐
cle interior is overheated or for continuous
cooling at high temperatures.
Switching on
Press button once for each ventilation
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.
Switch off Press button longer.
The LEDs go out.
Safety belts
Seats with safety belt
The vehicle has five seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
General information
Always make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving off.
For the occupants' safety the belt locking
mechanism triggers early. Slowly guide the
belt out of the holder when applying it.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
The upper shoulder strap's anchorage point
will be correct for adult seat occupants of ev‐
ery build if the seat is correctly adjusted.▷The two outer safety belt buckles,
integrated into the rear seat, are for pas‐
sengers sitting on the left and right.▷The center rear safety belt buckle is solely
intended for the center passenger.
Hints
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 a frontal impact and in‐
jure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck,
rub on sharp edges, be routed over breakable
objects, or be pinched.◀
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What reduces the restraining effect
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed;
otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced.◀
Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Tensioning the safety belt
automatically
When the belt is closed, it is automatically
tightened once after the release.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's and
passenger's seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be activated
if objects are placed on the front passenger
seat.
Safety mode
In critical situations, e.g., during full brake ap‐
plication, the front safety belts tighten auto‐
matically.
If the situation passes without an accident oc‐
curring, the belt tension relaxes.
If the belt tension does not loosen automati‐
cally, stop the vehicle and unbuckle the belt
using the red button in the buckle. Fasten the
belt before continuing on your trip.
Damage to safety beltsWear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work 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
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
Distance Adjust the distance so that the head restraint
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Active head restraintIn the event of a rear-end collision with a cer‐
tain severity, the active head restraint automat‐
ically reduces the distance from the head.
Reduced protective function▷Do not use seat or head restraint
covers.▷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 per‐
sonal safety of the occupants will be endan‐
gered.◀
Wear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the active headrest checked and if
needed replaced.
Adjusting the height: manual head
restraints
▷To raise: push.▷To lower: press button, arrow 1, and push
headrest down.Adjusting the height: electrical head
restraints
Adjusting electrically.
Distance to the back of the head:
manual head restraints
▷Forward: by pulling.▷Back: press the button and push the head
restraint toward the rear.
Distance to the back of the head:
electrical head restraints
The head restraint is automatically reposi‐
tioned when the shoulder support is adjusted.
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Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
General information The mirror on the passenger side is more
curved than the driver's side mirror.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the mir‐
ror setting is stored for the profile currently in
use. When the vehicle is unlocked via the re‐
mote control, the position is automatically re‐
trieved if this function is active.
Note 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.◀
At a glance1Adjusting   622Left/right, Automatic Curb Monitor3Fold in and out   62
Selecting a mirror
To change over to the other mirror:
Slide the switch.
Adjusting electrically
The setting corresponds to the direc‐
tion in which the button is pressed.
Saving positions
Seat, mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer
to page 61.
Adjusting manually In case of electrical malfunction press edges of
mirror.
Automatic Curb Monitor
The concept
If reverse gear is engaged, the mirror glass on
the front passenger side is tilted downward.
This improves your view of the curb and other
low-lying obstacles when parking, e.g.
Activating1. Slide the switch to the driver's side
mirror position.2.Engage selector lever position R.
Deactivating
Slide the switch to the passenger side mirror
position.
Fold in and out Press button.
Possible at speeds up to approx.
15 mph/20 km/h.
E. g. this is advantageous
▷In car washes.▷In narrow streets.▷For folding mirrors back out that were
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The radio-ready state switches off automati‐
cally:▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the cen‐
tral locking system.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started.
The radio-ready state remains active if, e.g.,
the ignition is automatically switched off for the
following reasons:
▷Opening or closing the driver's door.▷Unfastening of the driver's safety belt.▷When automatically switching from low
beams to parking lights.
If the engine is switched off and the ignition is
switched on, the system automatically
switches to the radio-ready state if the lights
are turned off or, if correspondingly equipped,
the daytime running lights are activated.
Starting the engine
Hints Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running; doing so poses a risk of
danger.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, set the parking brake and place the trans‐
mission in selector lever position P or N to pre‐
vent the vehicle from moving.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at
moderate engine speeds.
Diesel engine
If the engine is cold and temperatures are be‐
low approx. 32 ℉/0 ℃, the start process may
be delayed somewhat due to automatic pre‐
heating.
A Check Control message is displayed.
Steptronic transmission
Starting the engine1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
Manual transmission
Starting the engine
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press on the clutch pedal and shift to neu‐
tral.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
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Engine stop
Hints Take the remote control with youTake the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not start the engine.◀
Apply parking brake and further secure
the vehicle if needed.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, e.g., by turning the steering wheel in the
direction of the curb.◀
Before driving into a car wash So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 251.
Steptronic transmission
Switching off the engine1.Engage selector lever position P with the
vehicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The engine is switched off.
The radio-ready state is switched on.3.Set the parking brake.
Manual transmission
Switching off the engine
1.With the vehicle at a standstill, press the
Start/Stop button.2.Shift into first gear or reverse.3.Set the parking brake.Auto Start/Stop function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the engine during a
stop, e.g., in traffic congestion or at traffic lights. The ignition remains switched on. The
engine starts again automatically for driving
off.
Automatic mode After every start of the engine using the Start/
Stop button, the Auto Start/Stop function is in
the last selected state, refer to page 73.
When the Auto Start/Stop function is active, it
is available when the vehicle is traveling faster
than about 3 mph, approx. 5 km/h.
Engine stop
The engine is switched off automatically dur‐
ing a stop under the following conditions:
Steptronic transmission:▷The selector lever is in selector lever posi‐
tion D.▷The brake pedal remains pressed while the
vehicle is stationary or the vehicle is held
by Automatic Hold.▷The driver's safety belt is buckled or the
driver's door is closed.
Manual transmission:
▷Neutral is engaged and the clutch pedal is
not pressed.▷The driver's safety belt is buckled or the
driver's door is closed.
The air flow from the air conditioner is reduced
when the engine is switched off.
Displays in the instrument cluster The display indicates that the
Auto Start/Stop function is
ready for an Automatic engine
start.
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Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Press the selector lever to the left out of selec‐
tor lever position D.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., S1.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Press the selector lever to the left out of
selector lever position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the currently se‐
lected gear.
Not M550d xDrive: Steptronic Sport transmission: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
The Steptronic Sport transmission does not
automatically upshift in M/S manual mode
once the maximum speed is reached, if one of
the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
With the respective transmission version, the
lowest possible gear can be selected by simul‐
taneously operating the kickdown and the left
shift paddle. However, this effect is not pro‐
duced via the shift paddles when switching
briefly from D to manual mode.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
▷Shift up: briefly pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: briefly pull left shift paddle.Seite 81DrivingControls81
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