tow BMW 5 SERIES 2010 User Guide

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System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those
encountered with tow bars and trailer cou-
plings, or thin and wedge-shaped objects, etc.
Low objects already displayed, e. g. curbs, can
also disappear from the detection area of the
sensors again before or after a continuous tone
already sounds. Higher, protruding objects,
e.g., ledges, cannot be detected. For this rea-
son, drive with care; otherwise, there is a danger
of personal injury or property damage.
Loud sources of sound, inside and outside the
vehicle, could drown out the PDC signal tone.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability under extreme 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 page126.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking
during a lane change, driving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
produces maximum braking force boosting and
thus helps to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance during full braking maneuvers.
This system exploits all of the benefits provided
by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full brake application.
Adaptive brake assistant*
In conjunction with the active cruise control
with the stop-and-go function, the adaptive
brake assistant ensures that the brake
responds even more quickly during braking
with the brake assistant.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction loss in the driving wheels
when starting off and accelerating. The system
also identifies unstable driving conditions, such
as a loss of traction at the rear of the vehicle or
sliding of the vehicle in its front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
output and through braking actions in 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 restrict the additional
safety margin with a risky driving style, as other-
wise there is a risk of an accident.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button until the DSC indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up, but not longer
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When you are driving in the low speed range,
e. g. in a town or when parking, the steering
angle increases, i.e., the steering becomes very
direct. In the higher speed range, on the other
hand, the steering angle is reduced more and
more. This improves the handling capability of
your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes. This stabilizing
intervention is simultaneously deactivated
when DSC is switched off, refer to page85.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow and
a message is shown on the Control Dis-
play. Active steering is malfunctioning
or is temporarily deactivated. At low speeds,
greater steering wheel movements are
required, whereas at higher speeds, the vehicle
reacts more sensitively to steering wheel move-
ments. The stability-promoting intervention
can also be deactivated. Proceed cautiously
and drive defensively.
Deactivation
Active steering is deactivated to perform an ini-
tialization. A message indicates that the feature
is deactivated. Initialization may take several
minutes.
If the message does not go out during the cur-
rent trip, have the system checked.
Defect
A text message appears if there is a defect.
Have the system checked.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rearProtective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
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3."Welcome light"
The welcome lamps are switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Pathway lighting
If you activate the headlamp flasher after
switching off the ignition with the lamps
switched off, the low beams come on and
remain on for a certain time. You can set the
duration or deactivate the function via iDrive.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Pathway lighting:"
4.Set or deactivate the duration.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lamps*
The daytime running lamps light up in
positions0, 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."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Daytime running lamps"
The daytime running lamps are
switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Adaptive Light Control*
The concept
Adaptive Light Control 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 Light Control
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into position 3, refer to page100.
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
Light Control directs light towards the front
passenger side when the vehicle is at a stand-
still. When driving in reverse, only the turning
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Climate
Automatic climate control
1Air directed toward the windshield and side
windows
2Air for the upper body region, refer to Front
ventilation on page108
3Air to footwell
4Temperature, left side of passenger com-
partment
5Manual air distribution, driver's side
6Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation
7Manual air volume, switching off automatic
climate control, residual heat utilization8AUTO program
9Switching cooling function on and off man-
ually
10Temperature, right side of passenger com-
partment
11Manual air distribution, front passenger side
12Maximum cooling
13AUC Automatic recirculated-air control/
recirculated-air mode
14LED for residual heat utilization and parked-
car ventilation system
15Rear window defroster
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Climate
108 >at an outside temperature below 777/
256
From radio readiness the interior temperature,
the air volume and the air distribution can be
set.
Switching automatic climate control
on and off
1.Turn to the left to minimum air volume.
2.After approx. 1 second, turn to the left
again.
You switch on the system again by pressing any
button of the automatic climate control.
Front ventilation
1Thumbwheels to smoothly open and close
vent outlets
2Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the
vent outlets, otherwise these could be
catapulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool
air in your direction, for instance, if the interior
has become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Adjusting temperature in upper body
region
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Ventilation temperature"
Ventilation in rear
1Thumbwheel to smoothly open and close
vent outlets
2Thumbwheel to adjust the temperature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW
center replaces this combined filter as a stan-
dard part of your scheduled maintenance.
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Opening upper compartment
Press button and fold cover upward.
Accessing lower compartment
Press the button at the front and fold the upper
compartment or the telephone cradle upward.
Ventilating lower compartment*
Push the slide in the lower compartment
upward.
Depending on the automatic climate con-
trol setting, the temperature inside the
ventilated compartment may be higher than in
the rest of the interior. Should this be the case,
push the slide downward to close off the venti-
lation.<
Adjusting
Push the illustrated section of the center arm-
rest into the desired position.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks
over the vehicle's speaker system:
>AUX-IN port, refer to page172.
>USB audio interface
*, refer to page172.
Storage compartments
Storage compartments are located on the
doors, in the front center console and in the
rear.
Storage nets are located on the backrests of the
front seats, and a net
* is provided in the front
passenger footwell.
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects
in the storage nets or the net, otherwise
there is an increased risk of injury in an acci-
dent.<
Clothes hooks
Clothes hooks are located near the grab han-
dles in the rear.
When hanging clothing on the hooks,
ensure that it will not obstruct the driver's
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks.
If you do so, they could cause personal injury to
occupants during braking or evasive maneu-
vers.<
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ing braking or evasive maneuvers and endanger
the vehicle occupants.<
2.Release the latch plate from the bracket on
the rear window shelf and insert it into the
buckle of the center safety belt. Make sure
the latch plate audibly engages.
The lashing eyes in the cargo bay provide you
with a way to attach cargo-bay nets
* or luggage
straps for securing suitcases and luggage, refer
to page128.
Sports Wagon: cargo bay
Luggage compartment roller cover
Pull out the luggage compartment roller cover
and hook it into the brackets.
Do not place heavy or hard objects on the
luggage compartment roller cover. If you
do so, they may pose a danger to vehicle occu-
pants during braking or evasive maneuvers.
Do not allow the luggage compartment roller
cover to snap back, otherwise it can be dam-
aged.<
Manual luggage compartment roller
cover
When opening the tailgate or rear window, the
luggage compartment roller cover is raised.
Before closing the tailgate and rear window,
press down the luggage compartment roller
cover until it engages.
Automatic luggage compartment roller
cover*
When the tailgate or rear window are opened,
the luggage compartment roller cover is raised, and when the tailgate and rear window are
closed, it is lowered.
Make sure that the closing area of the lug-
gage compartment roller cover is clear of
obstructions, otherwise the payload or the lug-
gage compartment roller cover may be dam-
aged.<
Expanding cargo bay
The rear backrest is divided. You can fold down
both sides separately in order to expand the
cargo bay.
Reach into the recess and pull toward the front.
When you fold back the backrest, be sure
that the catch engages securely. The red
warning indicator disappears in the recess
when the catch is engaged. If it is not properly
engaged, transported cargo could enter the
passenger compartment during braking or eva-
sive maneuvers and endanger the vehicle occu-
pants.<
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the safety belt information on
page43.<
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The partitions in the compartment can be rear-
ranged.
Folding up spare tire cover
1.Swing up the cover.
2.Detach the hook from the bracket and hook
into the floor panel flap.
Before swinging down, return the hook to its
original position.
Storage area loading options*
Retaining straps
You can unhook the right-hand retaining strap,
e.g., to open the side panel. To unhook at the
rear end, pull downward; to hook in, press it into
the opening. In addition, it can also be secured
in the center. This makes it possible to secure
objects of different sizes.
Hooks
Two hooks can be used to secure smaller
objects.
Press at bottom and fold out until they lock.
Compartments in floor
Front compartment:
To open the flap, pull upward on the handle.
To close the flap, press downward until it locks.
Rear compartment:
To open, reach into the recess and swing up the
handle.
The rear flap can be locked.
Dividing up rear compartment
Fold out the partitions and press down.
Use the partition net, refer to page118.
Otherwise objects could be thrown
around and endanger occupants, e.g., during
braking or evasive maneuvers.<
Ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport
of up to 4 pa irs of s tandard s kis or up to 2 snow-
boards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length
o f u p t o 6 . 9 f t / 2 . 1 0 m . W h e n s k i s o f 6 . 9 f t / 2 . 1 0 m
in length are loaded, the ski bag will tend to con-
tract, reducing its overall capacity.
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Practical interior accessories
120
Loading
1.Fold down the center armrest, press the
button and open the cover.
2.Press the button again; the cover in the
cargo bay opens. If you press the button
firmly the first time, this also opens the
cover in the cargo bay.
3.Extend the ski bag between the front seats
and fill it. The zipper facilitates access to the
stowed items and drying of the ski bag.
4.Insert the latch plate of the ski bag retaining
strap into the center safety belt buckle that
is marked CENTER.
Only stow clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp
edges to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose.
Secure the ski bag in this way. If you fail to
do so, it could endanger vehicle occu-
pants during braking or evasive maneuvers.<
To store the ski bag, perform the above steps in
reverse order.
Removing ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g.,
for faster drying or to allow you to put it to other
uses.
1.Pull the handle forward and pull the ski bag
up and out.
2.Close the cover in the cargo bay.
Your BMW center will be glad to provide
you with more detailed information on the
various items of equipment.<
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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.
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as low
as possible, placing it directly behind the
rear backrest.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
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