low beam BMW 528I 2008 Owners Manual

At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
7Buttons on steering wheel
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock6112Horn, entire surface
15Releasing hood230 Mobile phone
*194:
>Press: accepting and ending
call, starting dialing
* for
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
>Press and hold: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice
command system
* 23
Changing radio station172
Selecting music track183
Scrolling in phone book and in
lists with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable
*54
Individually programmable
*54
Leaving lane warning
*106
9
Windshield wipers68
Rain sensor68
Sports Wagon: rear window
wiper69
10Starting/stopping engine and
Switching ignition on/off 61
13
Steering wheel heater*54
Steering wheel adjustment54
14
Cruise control
*69
Active cruise control70
16Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate33, 35
17
Head-Up Display
*102
BMW Night Vision
*104
18Parking lamp108
Daytime running lamps
*109
Low beams108
Welcome lamps108
Automatic headlamp control
*108
Daytime running lamps
*109
Welcome lamps108
Adaptive Head Light
*110
High-beam assistant
*110
19
Instrument lighting112
Fog lamps
*112

At a glance
13Reference
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Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the bottom edge of the
Control Display explain the meaning of the
displayed indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e.g. on the cause of a
malfunction and on the corresponding need to
take action can be displayed via the Check Con-
trol, refer to page83.In urgent cases, this information will be shown
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps signal particular
functions:
High beams/headlamp flasher110
Fog lamps
*112
Handbrake applied63
Handbrake applied for Canadian
models
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC controls the drive and
braking forces for maintaining vehicle
stability92
DTC Dynamic Traction Control93
Engine malfunction with deteriorating
emissions levels236

Controls
29Reference
At a glance
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Mobility
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW
individually according to your preferences.
Personal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently
in use without you having to do anything. When
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding
remote control is detected and the settings
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW
set to your own personal settings even if
another person with his/her own remote control
and settings has used the vehicle since the last
time you drove it. The individual settings are
stored for a maximum of four remote controls.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the
specified pages.
>Behavior of the central locking system
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page30
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to
page32
>Programming buttons
* on steering wheel,
refer to page54
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page88
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page88
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page87
>Date format, refer to page87
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page88
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page67
>Welcome lamps, refer to page108
>Pathway lighting, refer to page109
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to
page109>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page110
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page90
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page102
>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer
to page105
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated air control/recirculated
air mode, temperature, air distribution, tem-
perature in the upper body region, refer to
text starting on page115
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for
destination guidance, refer to page142
In addition, the following, most recently
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons: selecting stored functions, refer to
page21
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page47
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page169
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page172
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page175
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages200,206
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid or tailgate and
rear window
>Fuel filler door

Controls
103Reference
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4.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.
6.Change into the second field from the top.
Turn the controller until "Head-Up Display"
is selected and press the controller.
7.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
8.Press the controller.
The information appears in the Head-
Up Display.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is automatically
adapted to the ambient lighting conditions.
However, you can change the basic setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.6.Change into the second field from the top.
Turn the controller until "Brightness" is
selected and press the controller.
7.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Notes
The visibility of the displays in the Head-Up Dis-
play is influenced by:
>Sunglasses with certain polarization filters
>Certain seating positions
>Objects on the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play
>Wet road surface and unfavorable lighting
conditions
If the image is distorted, please have the basic
setting checked at a BMW center.
Special windshield
The windshield is part of the system. The shape
of the windshield complies with the require-
ments of the Head-Up Display to enable a pre-
cise display. A film in the windshield prevents
the double images from being displayed.
Windshield replacement should be carried out
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.
Care instructions
You can find everything you need to know on
this topic by consulting the separate Caring for
your vehicle brochure.

Controls
105Reference
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>in dense fog, heavy rain or snowfall
>when displaying very hot objects such as
transformers, car exhausts etc.
>when the image briefly freezes during nor-
mal system adjustment.
BMW Night Vision's potential benefits
can be limited by the driving style of the
driver, the size and relative temperature of the
detected objects, dirt or contamination on the
camera lens, adverse weather like snow, rain or
fog, and other factors not mentioned here. It will
always be the driver's responsibility to drive at a
speed and in a manner that recognizes potential
hazards and adjust accordingly.
BMW Night Vision is not a substitute or replace-
ment for the driver's responsibility to adapt to
visibility and traffic conditions. The forward view
illuminated by the headlamps must always be
the basis for making safe driving decisions, oth-
erwise a safety risk will result.<
Activating BMW Night Vision
1.Turn the light switch to position2 or3, refer
to page108.
2.With low beams switched on:
>Press the button. Depending on the
vehicle's equipment, the location of the
button may differ somewhat.
>Press one of the programmable buttons
on the steering wheel, refer to page54.
The image will be displayed on the Control Dis-
play after a few seconds. Depending on the last
mode selected, either the normal or full screen
image will be displayed.Due to the system's need to adjust periodically,
a still image is displayed at certain intervals for
fractions of a second. This is normal and not an
indication of a problem.
To prevent driving without headlamps, at a
speed of more than approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and
when dark, the thermal image on the Control
Display is only shown when the low beams are
on.
Deactivating BMW Night Vision
>Press the button.
>Press the button on the steering wheel.
>Press the button.
>Via iDrive, refer to Selecting settings.
Selecting settings
For iDrive details, refer to page16.
1.Activate BMW Night Vision.
2.Press the controller to display the menu
items.

Lamps
108
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lamps
*, welcome lamps, Adaptive
Head Light
* and high-beam assistant*
If you open the driver's door with the ignition
switched off, the exterior lighting is automati-
cally switched off when the light switch is in
position0, 2 or 3.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It is preferable to
switch on the roadside parking lamps on one
side, refer to page110.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position3, the system activates the
low beams and switches them on or off in
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk
and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head
Light
* is active. The LED next to the symbol
lights up when the low beams are on. You can
activate the daytime running lamps, refer to
page109. In the situations named above, the
system then automatically switches over to the
low beams.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.<
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
cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
low beams manually under these conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position2 or 3
when parking the vehicle, then when you unlock
the vehicle, the parking lamps and interior light-
ing remain illuminated for a brief time.
Activating/deactivating welcome
lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.

Controls
109Reference
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5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Welcome light" and press the con-
troller.
The welcome lamps are switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Pathway lighting
When you activate the headlamp flasher after
parking the vehicle and switching off the lamps,
the low beams will come on for a brief period.
You can set the duration or deactivate the func-
tion via iDrive.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.6.Select "Pathway lighting" and press the
controller.
7.Turn the controller to select the desired
duration.
8.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lamps*
The daytime running lamps light up in
position0, 1 and 3. If the light switch remains in
position1, the parking lamps light up after the
ignition is switched off.
Activating/deactivating daytime
running lamps*
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Daytime running lamps" and press
the controller.
The daytime running lamps are
switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.

Lamps
110
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves at speeds up to approx. 45 mph/
70 km/h, e.g. on mountainous roads or when
negotiating curves, turning lamps are switched
on that light up the inside area of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into position 3, refer to page108.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light directs light towards the front pas-
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, only the turning lamps
are active and illuminate the outer area of
curves.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking:
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
up to the resistance point, arrow3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off. A sensor on the front side of
the inside rearview mirror controls the process.
The assistant makes sure that the high beams
are switched on whenever traffic conditions
permit. This relieves you of the burden of con-
stantly switching back and forth and simulta-
neously provides you with the best possible vis-
ibility. Naturally, you can intervene at any time to
switch the high beams on and off as usual.
Activating system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to
page108.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.

Controls
111Reference
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The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the high-beam
assistant is activated. The system
automatically switches between high beams
and low beams, reacting to oncoming traffic,
vehicles ahead of you, and sufficiently lit areas,
e.g. in built-up zones.
Manually switching between high
beams and low beams
If you wish or the situation requires, you can
intervene at any time.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on
the high beams, but you wish to use the low
beams, just switch on the low beams with
the turn signal lever. This deactivates the
high-beam assistant.
In order to reactivate the system, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on
the low beams, but you wish to use the high
beams, simply switch on the high beams as
usual. This deactivates the system and it is
up to you to switch back to low beams.
In order to reactivate the system, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.
>When the low beams are on, use the head-
lamp flasher as usual.
System limits
The high-beam assistant is designed to
maximize the amount of time that high
beams can be safely used and to quickly switch
back to low beams when traffic approaches.
The system cannot completely replace driver
intervention when unusual conditions are
encountered. For this reason, switch to low
beams when circumstances so dictate. Failure
to do so can pose a safety risk.<
Below are a few examples of situations in which
the system may not react or may only function
to a limited degree, requiring personal interven-
tion:
>in extremely unfavorable weather condi-
tions such as fog or heavy precipitation>in sensing road users with poor inherent
illumination such as pedestrians, cyclists,
equestrians, horsedrawn vehicles, railroad
or shipping traffic close to the road, and at
deer crossings
>in tight curves, on steep crests or dips, with
cross-traffic, or with partially hidden
oncoming traffic on divided highways
>in poorly illuminated areas and in the pres-
ence of highly reflective signs
>in the low speed range
>when the windshield is fogged up, dirty or
covered with stickers, decals etc. in the area
of the inside rearview mirror
>when the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor
on the front side of the inside rearview mir-
ror with a cloth slightly moistened with glass
cleaner
Moreover, no system can operate without limi-
tations. High-beam assistant operation is sub-
ject to conditions that may reduce the system's
ability to recognize the difference between
actual vehicle head lamps or tail lamps and, for
example, highly reflective signs, markers, and
streetlights. To be on the safe side, the system
may periodically interpret these situations as
conditions that require low beams. Below are
some of the situations in which premature
switching to low beams can occur:
>approaching large and/or highly reflective
signs
>approaching certain lights, such as drive-
way lighting and porch lights
>approaching certain traffic signals
>approaching large reflective markers
In these situations, the system may interpret
the above conditions as a vehicle ahead requir-
ing a switch to low beams. When the conditions
return to normal, the system will reactivate the
high beams.
The high-beam assistant cannot replace the
driver's responsibility for complying with state
laws on high-beam switching or for adapting to
visibility and traffic conditions.

Lamps
112
Switching off via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "High-beam assistant" and press
the controller.
High-beam assistant is switched off.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on for the fog lamps to operate. The
green indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up whenever the fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off whenever the
high beams are switched on.If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can control the lighting intensity by using
the knurled wheel.
Interior lamps
Control of the interior lamps, footwell lamps,
door entry lighting, courtesy lamps
* and the
cargo bay lamps
* is automatic.
With the courtesy lamps, LED lights are located
in the door handles to illuminate the exterior
area before the doors.
To protect the battery, all lamps in the
vehicle are switched off approx. 15 min-
utes after radio readiness is switched off, refer
to Start/Stop button on page61.<
Switching interior lamps on and off
manually
Press the button.
If the interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry
lighting and courtesy lamps are to remain