steering BMW 135I 2010 E81 Owner's Manual

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Convertible: opening and closing
windows jointly35
2Convertible: opening and closing
rear windows35
3Opening and closing front
windows35
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out
*49
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb
monitor
*49
6
Parking lamps86
Low beams87
Automatic headlamp control
*86
Adaptive light control
*87
High-beam assistant
*88

At a glance
11Reference
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Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
7
Fog lamps*89
8
Turn signals59
High beams, headlamp flasher88
High-beam assistant
*88
Roadside parking lamps
*88
Computer64
Settings and information about the
vehicle66
9Instrument cluster12
10
Windshield wipers60
Rain sensor
*60
11Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine55
12Ignition lock55
13Buttons on the steering wheel
Telephone
*:
Accepting and ending a call; dial-
ing
* the selected phone number;
redialing if no phone number is
selected
Volume
Activating/deactivating the voice
activation system
*
Changing the radio station
Interrupting a traffic bulletin
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode93
14
Steering wheel heating
*51
15Horn, entire surface
16Adjusting the steering wheel51
17
Cruise control
*61
18Releasing the hood198
19Opening the trunk lid31

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Coupe: microphone for voice activation
system
* and for telephone in hands-free
mode
*
Convertible: microphone on steering col-
umn
2SOS: initiating an Emergency Request
call
*215
3Reading lamps
*90
4Coupe: glass roof, electric
*36
5Interior lamps90
6Passenger airbag status lamp84
7Control Display16
8Dynamic Traction Control DTC76
9Hazard warning flashers
10Central locking system30
11Automatic climate control
12CD/DVD drive
*136
13Selecting AM or FM waveband14Changing the audio and entertainment
sources
15Changing
>Radio station139
>Track147
17Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
18Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
19Programmable memory keys20
20Switching entertainment audio sources on/
off and adjusting volume136
21Ejecting a CD/DVD
*147 Air distribution to the
windshield92
Air distribution to the upper body
area92
Air distribution to the footwell92
Automatic air distribution and flow
rate92
Cooling function93
Automatic recirculated-air control
AUC and recirculated-air mode93
Maximum cooling92
ALL program93
Air volume93
Defrosting windows93
Rear window defroster93
Heated seats
*48
16Convertible: opening the convert-
ible top38
Convertible: closing the convertible
top38

Voice activation system
22
Voice activation system
The concept
The voice activation system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out removing your hands from the steering
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. It is not neces-
sary to use the controller.
The voice activation system transforms your
oral commands into control signals for the
selected systems and provides support in the
form of instructions or questions.
The voice activation system uses a special
microphone located in the area of the interior
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, select the language in which the
voice activation system is operating, so that the
spoken commands can be identified. Selecting
the language for iDrive, refer to page73.
Symbols in the Owner's Manual
Saying commands
Activating voice activation system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic signal indicate that the voice
activation system is ready to receive spo-
ken commands.
2.Say the command.
The command appears on the Control Dis-
play.
This symbol appears on the Control Display
when you can enter additional commands.
If no further commands are possible, continue
by operating the item of equipment via iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice
activation system
Press the button on the steering wheel
or
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice acti-
vation system.
{Cancel}

At a glance
23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
In dialogs that call for a text of your choice, the
procedure can only be canceled using the but-
ton on the steering wheel.
Possible commands
The commands available in each case depend
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis-
play.
To have the available commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD/DVD" is selected, the com-
mands for operating CD/Multimedia are read
aloud.
Calling up functions immediately via
short commands
With short commands you can run certain func-
tions directly, regardless of which menu item is
selected, refer to page227.
Example: selecting the track of a CD
1.If necessary, switch on entertainment audio
output.
2.Press the button on the steering wheel.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the
standard dialog or a shorter variant. In the
shorter variant of the voice dialog, the prompts
and responses from the system are abbrevi-
ated.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"3."Speech mode:"
4.Select a setting:
>"Default"
>"Short"
Notes
To operate the telephone by voice, refer
to page173.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
>Do not use the voice activation system to
initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful
situations, the voice and vocal pitch can
change. This can unnecessarily delay the
establishment of a telephone connection.
>Pronounce the commands and digits
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding
excessive emphases and pauses. This also
applies when spelling out and saying a full
word during destination entry.
>When selecting a radio station, use the
standard pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone
book, only use names in the language of the
voice activation system and no abbrevia-
tions.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass sun-
roof
* or panorama glass sunroof* closed to
prevent interference from ambient noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while
speaking. {Voice commands}
3.Select the music track, e.g.:
{C D track 4}
System says:
{{Track 4}}

Controls
43Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seated position
has a major influence on your safety in the event
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instructions
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page52.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions,
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered
off.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly,
i.e. not resting feet or legs on the dashboard;
otherwise, leg injuries can occur if the front air-
bag deploys.
Make sure that passengers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag; otherwise,
serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page83.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page45.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats, each of which is
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's
lap. Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits
low across the hips and does not press against
the abdomen.
The safety belt must not rest against the throat,
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the
lap and shoulder without being twisted. Other-
wise, the belt could slide over your hips and
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal
collision. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and reg-
ularly pull the belt in the upper-body area taut;
otherwise, its restraining effect could be
impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page49.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion; otherwise, there
is a risk of an accident due to unexpected move-
ment.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.Do not use force to swing the lever
back up; otherwise, the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
The LED in the button lights up when the steer-
ing wheel heating is switched on.

Controls
59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Steptronic changes gear. M1 through M6 are
displayed on the instrument cluster.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Shifting gears via shift paddles* on the
steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears
quickly since both hands can remain on the
steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to manual
mode.
>If you do not accelerate or shift gears using
the shift paddles for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear
plane, manual mode remains active.<
>To shift up: pull one of the shift paddles.
>To shift down: press one of the shift pad-
dles.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in
use.
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of
position P even though the ignition is switched
on, the brake is depressed and the button on
the selector lever is pressed, the selector lever
lock can be overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard
vehicle tool kit, refer to page209, press the
red lever, see arrow, while moving the
selector lever to the desired position.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.

Controls
61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow3.
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated for a short time.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid.
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid
reservoir is empty; otherwise, you will damage
the washer pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are heated
automatically
* while the engine is running or
the ignition is switched on.
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Therefore, keep it away from ignition
sources and only store it in the closed original
container that is kept out of reach of children;
otherwise, there is a risk of personal injury.
Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer.<
Washer fluid filler neck
Only refill washer fluid when the engine is
cool to avoid contact with hot engine
parts. Otherwise, fluid spills constitute a fire
hazard and a risk to personal safety. fluid by the same reservoir.
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 6.3 US quarts/6 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
You can use the cruise control feature begin-
ning at approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. The car then
stores and maintains the speed that you specify
using the lever on the steering column.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g. snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise, you could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<

Technology for driving comfort and safety
76
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page110.
Electronic brake-force distribution
EBV
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Dynamic Brake Control DBC
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full braking application.
Dynamic Stability Control DSC
DSC prevents the driving wheels from losing
traction when you pull away from rest or accel-
erate. The system also recognizes unstable
driving conditions, for example if the rear of the
car is about to swerve or if momentum is acting
at an angle past the front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
output and through braking actions at the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin again by taking risks, as this could
result in an accident.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button for at least 3 seconds; the indi-
cator lamps for DSC in the instrument cluster
light up. Dynamic Traction Control DTC and
DSC have been simultaneously deactivated.
Stabilizing and drive-output promoting actions
are no longer executed.
In the same way as with a differential interlock
*,
even if DSC is deactivated, brake actions are
still performed on the rear axle to enhance drive
output if the drive wheels experience a signifi-
cant loss of traction.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button again; the indicator lamps for
DSC in the instrument cluster go out.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is regulating the drive and braking
forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DSC is deactivated.
Dynamic Traction Control DTC
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances: