2015 BMW 5 SERIES Indicator

On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3.Open "Options".4."Last Service Request"
Gear shift indicatorThe conceptThe system recommends the most fuel effi‐
cient gear for the current driving situation.
Depending on the vehicle's features and coun‐
try version of the vehicle, the gear shift indica‐
tor is active in the manual mode of the Step‐
tronic transmission and with manual
transmission.
Suggestions to shift gear up or down are dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
On vehicles without a gear shift indicator, the
engaged gear is displayed.
Manual transmission: displaying
SymbolDescriptionFuel efficient gear is set.Shift up to fuel efficient gear.Shift down to fuel efficient gear.Shift into neutral.Steptronic transmission: displaysExampleDescriptionFuel efficient gear is set.Shift into fuel efficient gear.
Speed limit detection
The concept
Speed limit detection
Speed limit detection uses a symbol in the
shape of a traffic sign to display the currently
detected speed limit. The camera in the area of
the interior rearview mirror detects traffic signs
at the edge of the road as well as variable over‐
head sign posts. Traffic signs with extra sym‐
bols for wet road conditions, etc. are also de‐
tected and compared with the vehicle's
onboard data, such as for the rain sensor, and
will be displayed depending on the situation.
The system takes into account the information
stored in the navigation system and also dis‐
plays speed limits present on routes without
signs.
Hints Personal judgment
The system cannot serve as a substitute
for the driver's personal judgment of the traffic
situation.
The system assists the driver and does not re‐
place the human eye.◀
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Headlight courtesy delay featureThe low beams stay lit for a short while after
the radio-ready state is switched off if the
lights are turned off and the headlight flasher is
switched on.
Setting the duration
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Pathway lighting:"4.Set length of time.
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Automatic headlight control
Position of switch
: the low beams are acti‐
vated and off automatically, e.g., in tunnels, in
twilight or if there is precipitation. The indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
When emerging from a tunnel during the day,
the low beams are not switched off immedi‐
ately but instead only after approx. 2 minutes.
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
lights are activated.
Personal responsibility
The automatic headlight control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal judg‐
ment in determining when to turn the lights on
in response to ambient lighting conditions.
E. g. the sensors are unable to detect fog or
hazy weather. To avoid safety risks under
these conditions, you should always switch on
the lights manually.◀
Daytime running lights With the ignition switched on, the daytime run‐
ning lights light up in position
, or
. After the ignition is switched off, the park‐
ing lights light up in position
.
Activating/deactivating
In some countries, daytime running lights are
mandatory, so it may not be possible to deacti‐
vate the daytime running lights.
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Daytime running lamps"
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Roadside parking lights
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.
Switch off Briefly press the lever to the resistance point in
the opposite direction.
Adaptive Light Control The concept
Adaptive Light Control is a variable headlight
control system that enables dynamic illumina‐
tion of the road surface.
Depending on the steering angle and other pa‐ rameters, the light from the headlight follows
the course of the road.
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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.
Activating Position of switch
with the ignition
switched on.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adap‐
tive Light Control does not swivel to the driv‐
er's side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
The turning lights are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
When driving in reverse, the turning lights may
be automatically switched on regardless of the
steering angle.
Self-leveling headlights The self-leveling headlights compensate for
acceleration and braking operations in order
not to blind the oncoming traffic and to achieve
optimum illumination of the roadway.
Malfunction A Check Control message is displayed.
Adaptive Light Control is malfunctioning or has
failed. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
High-beam Assistant
The concept When the low beams are activated, this system
automatically switches the high beams on and
off or suppresses the light in the areas that
blind oncoming traffic. The procedure is con‐
trolled by a camera on the front of the interior
rearview mirror. The assistant ensures that the
high beams are activated whenever the traffic
situation allows. The driver can intervene at
any time and switch the high beams non and
off as usual.
Note Personal responsibility
The High-beam Assistant cannot serve
as a substitute for the driver's personal judg‐
ment of when to use the high beams. There‐
fore, manually reel off the high beams in situa‐
tions where required to avoid a safety risk.◀
Activating1.Depending on the equipment, turn the light
switch into position
or .
2.Press button on the turn signal lever, ar‐
row.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
When the low beams are on, the lights are au‐
tomatically brightened or dimmed.
The system responds to light from oncoming
traffic and traffic driving ahead of you, and to
adequate illumination, e.g., in towns and cities.
The blue indicator lamp in the instru‐
ment cluster lights up when the system
switches on the high beams. Depend‐
ing on the version of the system in the vehicle, the high beams may not switch off for oncom‐
ing vehicles, but may only be dimmed in the
areas that blind oncoming traffic. In this case,
the blue indicator light will stay on.
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Switching the high beams on and off
manually▷High beams on, arrow 1.▷High beams off/headlight flasher, arrow 2.
The High-beam Assistant can be switched off
when manually adjusting the light. To reacti‐
vate the High-beam Assistant, press the but‐
ton on the turn signal lever.
System limits
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.▷When 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 depres‐
sions, in cross traffic or half-obscured on‐
coming traffic on freeways.▷In poorly-lit towns and cities and in the
presence of highly reflective signs.▷At low speeds.▷When the windshield behind the interior
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov‐
ered with stickers, etc.Fog lights
Front fog lights
The parking lights or low beams must be
switched on.
Press button. The green indicator
lamp lights up.
If the automatic headlight control, refer to
page 104, is activated, the low beams will
come on automatically when you switch on the
front fog lights.
When the high beams or headlight flasher are
activated, the front fog lights are not switched
on.
Instrument lighting Adjusting The parking lights or low beams
must be switched on to adjust
the brightness.
Adjust the brightness with the
thumbwheel.
Interior lights
General information The interior lights, footwell lights, access lights
and courtesy lights are controlled automati‐
cally.
Thumb wheel for the instrument lighting con‐
trols brightness of some of these features.Seite 106ControlsLights106
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In case of a malfunction have airbag sys‐
tem checked immediately.
In case of a malfunction have airbag system
checked immediately; otherwise, there is a risk
that the system does not function as expected
in case of a severe accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front-
seat passenger airbags
The system reads if the front passenger seat is
occupied by measuring the human body's re‐
sistance.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front pas‐
senger's side are either activated or deacti‐
vated.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger
keeps his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise,
proper functioning of the front passenger air‐
bag might not be assured.◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front pas‐
senger seat, refer to the safety notes and in‐
structions for children on the front passenger
seat, see Children.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front-seat passenger airbags may be deac‐
tivated in certain sitting positions. In this case,
the indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front-seat 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 enable correct recognition of the occupied
seat cushion▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats
or other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by your vehicle's manufacturer.▷Do not place any electronic devices on the
passenger seat if a child restraint system is
to be installed on it.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.▷No moisture in or on the seat.
Indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front-seat passen‐
ger airbags indicates the operating state of the
front-seat passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ei‐
ther activated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system or when the seat
is empty. The airbags on the
front passenger side are not
activated.▷The indicator lamp does not light up when,
e.g., a correctly seated person of sufficient
size is detected on the seat. The airbags
on the front passenger side are activated.
Detected child seats
The system generally detects children seated
in a child seat, particularly in child seats re‐
quired by NHTSA when the vehicle was manu‐
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factured. After installing a child seat, make
sure that the indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags lights up. This indicates
that the child seat has been detected and the
front-seat passenger airbags are not activated.
Strength of the driver's and front-seat
passenger airbag
The explosive power that activates driver's/
front passenger's airbags very much depends
on the positions of the driver's/front passeng‐
er's seat.
With a respective message appearing on Con‐
trol Display calibrate the front seats to keep
the accuracy of this function over the long-
term.
Calibrating the front seats A corresponding message appears on the
Control Display.1.Press the reel and move the respective
seat all the way forward.2.Press the reel forward again. The seat still
moves forward slightly.3.Readjust the seat to the desired position.
The calibration procedure is completed when
the message on the Control Display disap‐
pears.
If the message continues to be displayed, re‐
peat the calibration.
If the message does not disappear after a re‐
peat 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 system monitors tire inflation pressure in
the four mounted tires. The system warns you
if there is a significant loss of pressure in one
or more tires. For this purpose, sensors in the
tire valves measure the tire inflation pressure
and tire temperature.
Hints Tire damage due to external factors
Sudden tire damage caused by external
circumstances cannot be recognized in ad‐
vance.◀
With use of the system observe further infor‐
mation found under Tire inflation pressure, re‐
fer to page 211.
Functional requirements
The system must have been reset with the
correct tire inflation pressure; otherwise, relia‐
ble signaling of tire inflation pressure loss is
not assured.
Reset the system after each adjustment of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics to
ensure that the system will operate properly.
Status display The current status of the Tire Pressure Moni‐
tor TPM can be displayed on the Control Dis‐
play, e.g., whether or not the TPM is active.
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)"
The status is displayed.
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▷The tire inflation pressure has fallen below
the level of the last confirmation.
In this case:
▷Check the tire pressure and correct as
needed.▷Carry out a reset of the system after a tire
change.
System limits
The system does not function properly if a re‐
set has not been carried out, e.g., a flat tire is
reported though tire inflation pressures are
correct.
The tire inflation pressure depends on the
tire's temperature. Driving or exposure to the
sun will increase the tire's temperature, thus
increasing the tire inflation pressure. The tire
inflation pressure is reduced when the tire
temperature falls again. These circumstances
may cause a warning when temperatures fall
very sharply.
Malfunction The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. A Check
Control message is displayed. No flat
tire or loss of tire inflation pressure can be de‐
tected.
Display in the following situations:
▷A wheel without TPM electronics is fitted:
have the service center check it if needed.▷Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.▷TPM was unable to complete the reset.
Reset the system again.▷Interference through systems or devices
with the same radio frequency: after leav‐
ing the area of the interference, the system
automatically becomes active again.Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres‐
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres‐
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel ef‐
ficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale. Your vehicle has also
been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi‐
cator to indicate when the system is not oper‐
ating properly. The TPMS malfunction indica‐
tor is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunc‐
tion, the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illumi‐
nated. This sequence will continue upon sub‐
sequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal‐
function exists. When the malfunction indicator
is illuminated, the system may not be able to
detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of replace‐
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Therefore, do not reduce the additional safety
margin by driving in a risky manner.◀
Do not deactivate DSC when driving withroof load
Do not deactivate Dynamic Stability Control
DSC when driving with roof load, e.g. roof-
mounted luggage rack.
Otherwise, driving safety is not given in driv‐
ing-critical situation due to the elevated center
of gravity.◀
Overview
Button in the vehicle
DSC OFF button
Indicator/warning lights The indicator lamp flashes: DSC con‐
trols the drive and braking forces.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC has
failed.
Deactivating DSC: DSC OFF
When DSC is deactivated, driving stability is
reduced during acceleration and when driving
in curves.
Stabilizing interventions by the Integral Active
Steering system are only performed by the
rear axle steering.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
Deactivating DSC
Press and hold this button but not lon‐
ger than approx. 10 seconds, until the
indicator lamp for DSC OFF lights up in the in‐
strument cluster and displays DSC OFF.
The DSC system is switched off.
The steering and, depending on the equip‐
ment, suspension are tuned for sporty driving.
Activating DSC Press button.
DSC OFF and the DSC OFF indicator
lamp go out.
Indicator/warning lights
When DSC is deactivated, DSC OFF is dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC is
deactivated.
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control
The concept The DTC system is a version of the DSC where
forward momentum is optimized.
The system ensures maximum headway on
special road conditions or loose road surfaces,
e.g., unplowed snowy roads, but with some‐
what limited driving stability.
Activating the Dynamic Traction Control DTC
provides maximum traction. Driving stability is
limited during acceleration and when driving in
curves.
Therefore drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:▷When driving in slush or on uncleared,
snow-covered roads.Seite 136ControlsDriving stability control systems136
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