width BMW M5 2010 Owners Manual
Page 17 of 266
At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for tele-
phone
*
and for voice command system*24
2Reading lamps97
3SOS: initiating
an emergency request231
4Glass sunroof
*, electric40
5Interior lamps97
6Passenger airbag status lamp89
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system34
10Automatic climate control98
11Changing
>radio station154
>track150
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*124
>audio CD164
13Drive for navigation system DVD with Pro-
fessional
* navigation system124
14Programmable memory buttons22
15Drive for audio CDs16416Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume150
18Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display18
20Drivelogic of Sequential Manual
Transmission62
21EDC Electronic Damper Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission83
22DSC OFF Dynamic Stability Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission82
23POWER M Engine Dynamic Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission59
24EDC Electronic Damper Control for manual
transmission
*83
25MDM
>M Dynamic Mode for manual
transmission81
>Switching DSC on and off in manual
transmission82
26Selecting AM or FM waveband
27Selecting radio, CD and CD changer Temperature setting, left/right99
Automatic air distribution and
volume99
Cooling function101
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode101
Maximum cooling101
Air volume100
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation100
Rear window defroster100
17
Heated seats48
Active seat ventilation
*49
Adjusting active backrest
width
*44
Flat Tire Monitor
*84
PDC Park Distance Control
*79
Opening luggage compartment
lid
*35
Page 46 of 266
Adjusting
44 ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
Also on the passenger side, do not incline the
backrest too far to the rear while the vehicle is
being driven, otherwise there is a danger in the
event of an accident of sliding under the safety
belt, eliminating the protection normally pro-
vided by the belt.<
Please follow the instructions on damage to
safety belts provided on page48 and the infor-
mation on the active front head restraints
on
page46.
Adjusting seat
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest width
5Backrest
6Head restraint height
7Shoulder support
*
8Thigh support9Lumbar support
*
Shoulder support*
This also supports the back in the shoulder
area, This provides a relaxed driving position
and helps relieve stress on the shoulder mus-
cles.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press front
or rear section of switch.
>Shift curvature up or down: press upper or
lowers section of switch.
Adjusting active backrest width*
First set a comfortable backrest width, see
above. Based on the backrest width set, the lat-
eral support is automatically adapted to the cur-
rent driving situation.
The adaptation of the backrest width and the
speed of the adjustment vary depending on the
program. You can select from among three pro-
grams from comfort to sport. The "Sport" pro-
gram provides increased lateral support on both
sides when driving through a quick succession
of curves.
Page 47 of 266
Controls
45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Press the button repeatedly until the desired
program is shown on the Control Display. The
LED in the button lights up.
To deactivate: Press button longer.
You can also activate your preferred program
for the active backrest width adjustment of the
driver's seat with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page52.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the backrest width
temporarily opens all the way.
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory
You can store and request two different posi-
tions for the driver's seat and passenger seat
*,
exterior rearview mirrors, and steering wheel.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or ignition, refer
to page57.
2.Set the desired seat, exterior mirror and
steering wheel positions.
3.Press the button:
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button1 or2:
The LED goes out.
Requesting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving. There is a
risk of accident from unexpected movement of
the seat or steering wheel.<
Comfort mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or
switch on radio readiness.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or2.
The system cancels the adjustment procedure
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.
Page 52 of 266
Adjusting
50 Press the respective button once per ventila-
tion level. The ventilation level appears on the
Control Display. The maximum level is supplied
when three LEDs are lit.
The air quantity is reduced and if need be, the
ventilation is switched off in order to reduce the
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: Press button longer.
The highest level is used for rapid cooling,
e.g. when the vehicle has become heated
up.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is
more curved than the driver's mirror.
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of
following traffic based on what you see in the
mirrors, otherwise there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<
1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page45.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Pressing button3 allows you to fold mirrors
in and out up to a speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h. This is advantageous, for example, in
car washes, narrow streets or for bringing mir-
r o r s t ha t h a v e b e e n m a n u ally folded in back into
the correct position. Mirrors that were folded in
are folded out automatically at a speed of
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both
exterior mirrors are heated whenever the
engine is running or the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic curb monitor
Activating
1.Slide switch into the driver's side mirror
position, arrow 1.
2.Shift into reverse or move selector lever into
position R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat
on the passenger's side. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror
position, arrow 2.
Page 55 of 266
Controls
53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3.Select "MDrive" and press the controller.
The functions contained in MDrive are dis-
played:
>"SMG Drivelogic"
Sequential Manual Transmission with
Drivelogic: shifting modes and Drivel-
ogic driving programs, refer to page62
>"EDC"
Programs of the Electronic Damping
Control, refer to page83
>"DSC"
Dynamic Stability Control and
M Dynamic Mode, refer to page81
>"POWER"
Programs of the M Engine Dynamics
Control, refer to page59
>"Backrest"
*
Programs of the active backrest width
adjustment, refer to page44
>"Head-Up Display"
*
Views of the Head-Up Display, refer to
page90
You can reset all settings for MDrive to the
default values:
>"Reset to default"
4.Select the desired function.5.Press the controller.
6.Turn the controller to select the desired set-
ting.
"Unchanged" retains the current setting
made outside of MDrive.
7.Press the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Activating settings
Press the button on the steering wheel.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. The settings made on
the Control Display for the functions
contained in MDrive are active.
Pressing the button again deactivates MDrive.
If the indicator lamp flashes after the but-
ton was pressed, MDrive was unable to
respond because the ABS Antilock Brake Sys-
tem or DSC Dynamic Stability Control are cur-
rently regulating driving stability. Press the
button again when the indicator lamp no
longer flashes.<
Even with MDrive activated, you can change
individual settings outside MDrive, e.g. with the
buttons in the center console. To reactivate all
settings made for MDrive on the Control Dis-
play: press the button twice.
Page 56 of 266
Transporting children safely
54
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and
height of the child. Otherwise there is an
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags on the passen-
ger side must first be deactivated. Otherwise,
there is an increased risk of injury for the child if
the airbags are triggered, even with a child
restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page89.
Installing child restraint
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions for selection,
installation and use of the child restraint sys-
tems. Otherwise the degree of protection may
be reduced.<
Backrest width on front passenger seat
Open the backrest width setting of the
front passenger seat all the way. After
mounting the child's seat, deactivate the active
backrest width adjustment and do not call up
any memory position. Otherwise this limits the
stability of the child's seat on the front passen-
ger seat.<
1.After unlocking the vehicle, sit on the front
passenger seat and close the door to call up
the memory position.
2.Completely open the backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page44.
3.Deactivate active backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page44.
4.Install child's seat.
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked against pulling
out to secure child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to retract and pull
taut against the child restraint system. The
safety belt is locked.
Page 120 of 266
Things to remember when driving
118 vehicle. Traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to page50,
otherwise they could be damaged due to the
width of the vehicle.
You can find valuable information on this topic
under Care, starting on page218.
Ground clearance
Make sure that sufficient ground clear-
ance is available. To drive down curbs,
select the "Sport" program of the EDC Elec-
tronic Damping Control, refer to page83, to
keep the ground clearance as uniform as possi-
ble. Otherwise the vehicle may be damaged.<
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. The ultimate result
can assume the form of a sudden blow-out.<
Make sure that no fluids leak in the cargo
bay; otherwise the vehicle could be dam-
aged.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX lbs. or YYY kg, as otherwise the vehicle may be damaged and unstable driving con-
ditions may result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of occupants, the less cargo/luggage
can be transported.
Page 207 of 266
Mobility
205Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits, otherwise violations of the law could
occur.
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire sizeSpeed letter
Q = up to 100 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Z = over 150 mph/240 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT ... 1008 indicates that the
tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2008.
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds up
to max. of 100 mph/
160 km/hTraveling speeds including those exceed-
ing 100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications
in the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
245/45 R 18 100 V XL M+S 35/240 38/260 35/240 38/260 41/280 46/320
255/40 ZR 19 36/250 - 36/250 - 41/280 -
285/35 ZR 19 - 36/250 - 36/250 - 46/320
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page239.
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
(not on ZR tires)
Speed code letter (in
front of the R on ZR tires)
245/45 R18100 V
285/35 ZR19
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 1008
Page 208 of 266
Wheels and tires
206 BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years. This also concerns the tire of the
spare wheel.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C.
These grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement, as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.<
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to
a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either sep-
arately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.<
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
XL
Indicates specially reinforced tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not drop below 0.12 in/
3mm, although, for example, European legisla-
tion only specifies a minimum tread depth of
0.063 in/1.6 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/
3 mm there is an increased risk of high-speed
hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.
When winter tires wear down past a tread depth
of 0.16 in/4 mm, they become perceptibly less
Page 220 of 266
Care
218
Care
Car-care products
Regular cleaning and care make a significant
contribution to retaining your BMW's value.
For the cleaning and care of your vehicle, BMW
recommends using only products that BMW
has approved for this purpose.
Your BMW center will be glad to advise you
about products and services for the cleaning
and care of your BMW.
Genuine BMW Care Products are materi-
als tested, laboratory tested, and tested in
actual use. They offer optimum care and pro-
tection for your vehicle.<
Do not use cleaners that contain alcohol
or solvents; they can damage your vehi-
cle.<
Cleaning agents can contain substances
that are dangerous or pose health risks.
You should therefore heed the warnings and
hazard indications on the packaging. Open the
doors or windows on your vehicle whenever
cleaning the interior. Make sure there is suffi-
cient ventilation in enclosed spaces. Use only
products that are formulated for vehicle clean-
ing.<
Exterior care
Washing your vehicle
In the winter months, it is especially
important to ensure that the vehicle is
washed on a regular basis. Otherwise, signifi-
cant soiling and road salt can cause damage to
the vehicle.<
After washing the vehicle, apply the
brakes briefly to dry them. Failure to do so
may lead to a reduction in braking efficiency and
also to corrosion of the brake rotors.<
Car washes
Give preference to cloth car washes.Before driving into the car wash, make sure that
it is suitable for your BMW. Pay attention to the
following points:
>Dimensions of your vehicle, refer to
page238.
>If necessary, fold in the outside rearview
mirrors, refer to page50.
>Maximum permissible tire width.
Preparations for driving into the car wash:
>Deactivate rain sensor to prevent unwanted
wiper activation.
>Deactivate Remove additional add-on
parts, e.g. spoilers or phone antennas, if
they could be damaged.
Sequential Manual Transmission
Before driving into the car wash, make sure the
vehicle is able to roll by making sure to:
1.Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock, even with comfort access.
2.Shift into transmission position N.
3.Release the parking brake.
4.Switch off the engine.
5.Leave the remote control in the ignition lock
so that the vehicle can roll.
Steam cleaners/high-pressure
cleaning jets
When using steam jets or high-pressure
washers, ensure that you maintain suffi-
cient clearance to the vehicle and do not exceed
a temperature of 1407/606.
Insufficient distance or excessive pressure or
temperature can damage parts of the vehicle or
can result in water penetration. Follow the oper-
ating instructions for the high-pressure clean-
ing jets.<
When using high-pressure cleaning jets,
do not remain in one place for a long time
and be sure to maintain a distance of at least