2016 BMW 550I XDRIVE SEDAN high beam

7LightsFront fog lights  106Parking lights  103Low beams  103Automatic headlight con‐
trol   104
Daytime running lights   104
Adaptive Light Control   104
High-beam Assistant   105Instrument lighting  1068Steering column stalk, leftTurn signal  76High beams, head‐
light flasher   76High-beam Assistant   105Roadside parking lights   104On-board computer  979Shift paddles  8110Steering wheel buttons, leftStore speed  150,  143Resume speed   151,  146Cruise control on/off, interrupt‐
ing   143Cruise control on/off, interrupt‐
ing   150Reduce distance   146Increase distance   146Cruise control rocker switch   151,  14511Instrument cluster   8412Steering wheel buttons, rightEntertainment sourceVolumeVoice activation  26Telephone, see user's manual for
Navigation, Entertainment and
CommunicationThumbwheel for selection lists   9613Steering column stalk, rightWiper  77Rain sensor   77Clean the windshields and head‐
lights   7714Start/stop the engine and switch
the ignition on/off   70Auto Start/Stop function   7115Horn, total area16Steering wheel heating  64Seite 15CockpitAt a glance15
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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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After a power failure
Putting the parking brake into
operation1.Switch on the ignition.2. Press the reel while stepping on the
brake pedal or selector lever position P is
set.
It may take several seconds for the brake to be
put into operation. Any sounds associated with
this are normal.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out as soon as the parking
brake is ready for operation.
Turn signal, high beams,
headlight flasher
Turn signal
Hints Do not adjust the exterior mirrors
Do not adjust the exterior mirror while
driving and when turn signals/hazard warning
flashers are on, or else the additional turn sig‐
nal lights in the exterior mirror are out of posi‐
tion and can't be seen.◀
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp
indicates that a turn signal bulb has failed.
Triple turn signal activation Press the lever to the resistance point.
The turn signal flashes three times.
The function can be activated or deactivated.
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Triple turn signal"
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Signaling briefly
Press the lever to the resistance point and hold
it there for as long as you want the turn signal
to flash.
High beams, headlight flasher
▷High beams, arrow 1.▷Headlight flasher, arrow 2.Seite 76ControlsDriving76
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For additional information, refer to Front fog
lights, refer to page 106.
High-beam Assistant High-beam Assistant is switched on.
High beams are activated and off auto‐
matically as a function of the traffic sit‐
uation.
For additional information, refer to High-beam
Assistant, refer to page 105.
Cruise control The system is switched on. It maintains
the speed that was set using the con‐
trol elements on the steering wheel.
Automatic Hold The vehicle is automatically held in
place when it is stationary.
On inclines, the system prevents the
vehicle from rolling backward when driving off.
For more information, see Automatic Hold, re‐
fer to page 74.
Blue lights
High beams High beams are activated.
For additional information, refer to High
beams, refer to page 76.
General lamps
Check Control At least one Check Control message is
displayed or is stored. The symbol is
shown in the display of the instrument
cluster.Text messages
Text messages in combination with a symbol
in the instrument cluster explain a Check Con‐ trol message and the meaning of the indicator
and warning lights.
Supplementary text messages
Additional information, such as on the cause of
an error or the required action, can be called up
via Check Control.
With urgent messages the added text will be
automatically displayed on the Control Display.
Symbols Depending on the Check Control message, the
following functions can be selected.▷ "Owner's Manual"
Display additional information about the
Check Control message in the Integrated
Owner's Manual.▷ "Service request"
Contact your service center.▷ "Roadside Assistance"
Contact Roadside Assistance.
Hiding Check Control messages
Press the onboard computer button on the
turn signal lever.
▷Some Check Control messages are dis‐
played continuously and are not cleared
until the malfunction is eliminated. If sev‐
eral malfunctions occur at once, the mes‐
sages are displayed consecutively.Seite 91DisplaysControls91
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LightsVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Overview1Rear fog lights2Front fog lights3Depending on the equipment: automatic
headlight control, Adaptive Light Control,
High-beam Assistant, Welcome lights,
Daytime running lights4Lights off, daytime running lights5Parking lights, daytime running lights6Depending on the equipment: low beams,
welcome lights, High-beam Assistant7Instrument lightingParking lights/low beams,
headlight control
General information
Position of switch:
, ,
If the driver door is opened with the ignition
switched off, the exterior lighting is automati‐
cally switched off at these switch settings.
Parking lights
Position of switch
: the vehicle's lights
light up on all sides, e.g., for parking.
Do not use the parking lights for extended pe‐
riods; otherwise, they might drain the battery
and it would then be impossible to start the en‐
gine.
When parking, it is preferable to switch on the
one-sided roadside parking lights, refer to
page 104.
Low beams Position of switch
with the ignition
switched on: the low beams light up.
Welcome lights
When parking the vehicle, leave the switch in
position
or : the parking and interior
lights light up briefly when the vehicle is un‐
locked.
Activating/deactivating
On the Control Display:
1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Welcome lights"
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
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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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the service center if you are unfamiliar those or
if they have not been described here.
You can obtain a selection of replacement
bulbs at the service center.
Danger of burns
Only change bulbs when they are cool;
otherwise, there is a danger of getting
burned.◀
Working on the lighting system
When working on the lighting system,
you should always reel off the lights affected to
prevent short circuits.
To avoid possible injury or equipment damage
when replacing bulbs, observe any instructions
provided by the bulb manufacturer.◀
Do not perform work/bulb replacement
on xenon headlights
Have any work on the xenon lighting system,
including bulb replacement, performed only by
a service center. Due to the high voltage
present in the system, there is a danger of fatal
injuries if work is carried out improperly.◀
Do not touch the bulbs
Do not touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare hands, as even minute amounts of
contamination will burn into the bulb's surface
and reduce its service life.
Use a clean tissue, cloth or something similar,
or hold the bulb by its base.◀
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Some items of equipment use light-emitting
diodes installed behind a cover as a light
source.
These light-emitting diodes, which are related
to conventional lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-emitting diodes.Do not remove the covers
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several hours;
otherwise, irritation of the retina could result.◀
Headlight glass
Condensation can form on the inside of the ex‐
ternal lights in cool or humid weather. When
driving with the light switched on, the conden‐
sation evaporates after a short time. The head‐
light glass does not need to be changed.
If the headlights do not dim despite driving
with the light switched on, increasing humidity
forms, e. g. water droplets in the light, have the service center check this.
Headlight setting The headlight adjustments can be affected by
changing lights and bulbs. Have the head‐
lights' settings checked and corrected by serv‐
ice after a replacement.
Front lights, bulb replacement
Xenon headlights
At a glance1Corner-illuminating lights2Parking lamp, daytime running lights3Low beams/high beams4Turn signalSeite 239Replacing componentsMobility239
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