light BMW 525I 2005 Owner's Guide

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Malfunction in vehicle stability-control
systems
The brake system warning lamp lights
up in red, appearing together with the
indicator lamps for ABS and DSC. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. The driving stability control sys-
tems are deactivated. Conventional
braking efficiency remains available
without limitations. While you may con-
tinue, you should remember to proceed cau-
tiously and drive defensively while avoiding full
brake applications. Have the system checked
as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
The indicator lamp for DSC lights up; a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. DSC and DTC are deactivated.
The stability maintenance functions are no
longer available. The vehicle remains in running
order. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
The warning lamp for the brake system
lights up in yellow; a message appears
on the Control Display. DBC has failed.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
Active roll stabilization*
The concept
Active roll stabilization minimizes body roll and
optimizes vehicle stability during cornering and
evasive maneuvers.
Dynamic stabilizers at the front and rear axles
form the basis for active roll stabilization. Sus-
pension compliance adapts to suit driving con-
ditions, varying from performance-oriented during cornering to smooth and comfort-ori-
ented when the vehicle is proceeding in a
straight line. During vehicle operation, the sys-
tem continuously runs through closed-loop
control cycles lasting only fractions of a second.
The system assumes operational status each
time you start the engine.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up and a mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
There is a malfunction in the system.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
If there is a malfunction in the system,
please remember to adapt your speed
accordingly, especially in curves. The suspen-
s i o n w il l b e n o t i c ea b ly s o f t e r a n d t h e v e h i cl e w il l
display a greater tendency to tilt during corner-
ing and in crosswinds. If a message stating that
you should stop appears on the Control Display,
stop and switch off the engine as soon as pos-
sible. In this case the oil level in the reservoir
may have dropped below the minimum, possi-
bly owing to a leak in the hydraulic system. Do
not continue driving. Contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Flat Tire Monitor
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the infla-
tion pressures in the four mounted tires as you
drive. The system provides an alert whenever
the inflation pressure drops significantly in rela-
tion to the pressure in another tire.
In the event of a pressure loss, the rolling radius
and therefore the rotation speed of the wheels
change. This change is detected and is
reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
Perform the initialization immediately
after correcting the inflation pressure,

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
80 after changing a tire or after changing a wheel or
all of the wheels.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natural,
even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
When you are driving with the compact wheel,
the Flat Tire Monitor is unable to function.
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. When driving with snow
chains or with the compact wheel, do not initial-
ize the system.<
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page16.
1.Open the menu.
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
3.Select "FTM" and press the controller.
4.Start engine, but do not start driving.5.Select "Set tire pressure" and press the
controller.
6.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
7.Start to drive.
The message "Initializing" is displayed.
The initialization finishes during driving. Then
the message "Status: Active" appears on the
Control Display again.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up in red and a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire.
If identification is not possible, con-
tact a BMW center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a wheel on page185.
Vehicles with run-flat tires
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires, refer to page174, do not
continue driving. Continuing to drive with a
flat tire could cause severe accidents.<

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2.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor
has not been initialized. The system must
then be initialized.<
3.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, or obvious tire damage, you can
estimate the possible distance for contin-
ued driving on the basis of the following
guide values:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or
4 persons without luggage:
approx. 94 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the event of
pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations occur while the vehicle is
being driven, this can indicate final failure of the
damaged tire. Reduce speed and stop as soon
as possible. Do not continue driving. Contact
your BMW center.<
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow and
a message appears on the Control Dis-
play. The Flat Tire Monitor has a mal-
function or has failed. Have the system checked
as soon as possible.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering is a system that actively var-
ies the steering angle of the front wheels in rela-
tion to the steering wheel movements.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e. g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing 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 page78.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up. The active
steering is no longer operational. At low
speeds, greater steering wheel move-
ments are required, whereas at higher speeds,
the vehicle reacts more sensitively to steering
wheel movements. Have the system checked.
If the warning lamp lights up during the first
engine starting following a power supply inter-
ruption, the system must be activated by being
initialized.
Initializing system
1.Start the engine.
2.With the vehicle stationary, turn the steer-
ing wheel from the straight-ahead position
t o t h e le f t a s f a r a s i t w i ll g o a n d t h e n b a c k t o
the straight-ahead position.
3.Switch off the engine.
When you start the engine again, all the func-
tions of the active steering are available once
again.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
Brake Force Display
The Brake Force Display lights up in two stages
depending on how strongly you brake.
>Normal braking: the brake lamps and the
center brake lamps light up.
>Forceful braking or braking with ABS: the
illuminated area of the rear brake lamps also
increases.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
84 >When an adult is traveling in the front seat,
the front and side airbags remain active on
the passenger side.
Although not desired, it can occur in the
case of heavier children that the front
passenger airbags remain active or in the case
of very light adults or young persons that the
front passenger airbags are deactivated. In
these cases, have the person ride in the rear
seat, refer to Passenger airbag status lamp
below. Do not load the passenger seat with any
items in addition to the person to be trans-
ported. Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion pad-
ding, ball mats or other items onto the front pas-
senger seat unless they are specifically
r e c o m m e n d e d b y B M W . D o n o t p l a c e a n y i t e m s
under the seat. Otherwise, the function of the
seat occupation detection could be impaired.<
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of ignition key position of 1, the warning
lamp lights up briefly, thus indicating the opera-
tional readiness of the entire airbag system and
the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>The warning lamp does not light up as of
ignition key position 1.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
A malfunction could prevent the airbag
system from responding in the expected
manner to an impact occurring within its normal
response range.<
Passenger airbag status lamp
The indicator lamp located above the rear view
mirror indicates whether the front passenger
airbag system is active or not active/OFF.
The indicator lamp is used only for the
front passenger airbag system. The indi-
cator lamp illuminates to show that the front
passenger airbag system is OFF/not active.<
>The lamp illuminates briefly during startup,
but then goes out if the seat is empty, or an
adult or child of sufficient size is detected.
>The lamp remains illuminated when a child
in a rear facing child-restraint system is
detected and indicates that the passenger
airbag system is off.
If the lamp is illuminated when the seat is
occupied by a very light adult or teenager,
it is recommended that the person sit in the
rear.<
Find more information about passenger airbag
system and seat occupancy detection in the
section Automatic deactivation of front passen-
ger airbags above.
Head-Up Display*
The concept
With the Head-Up Display important informa-
tion is projected into the driver's field of view,
e.g. navigation instructions. This enables you to
take in this information without looking away
from the road.

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Switching on/off
With the ignition key in position 2:
Press the button to activate or deactivate Head-
Up Display.
1Navigation instructions
2Display
>Cruise control
>Active cruise control
3Speed
Selecting displays
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page16.
1.Press button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Head-Up Display selection" and
press the controller.
5.Select desired information of Head-Up
Display.
6.Press the controller.
The information is shown on 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 base setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the serrated dial of the
instrument lighting.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86 Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page16.
1.Open the menu.
2.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
3.Select "Brightness" and press the control-
ler.
4.Move the controller to the left to select
"Head-Up Display Offset".
5.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.
The setting for the remote control currently in
use is stored.
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
Display
>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.
Only clean the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play with a soft, lint-free cloth or with a
display cleaning cloth, as otherwise damage
may result.<

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Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off
1Parking lamps
2Low beams/daytime driving lamps
*
3Automatic headlamp control*/
Adaptive Head Light
*
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the
parking lamps for parking. For lighting on one
side for parking as an additional feature, refer to
page88.
Low beams
The low beams are activated in switch
position2 only when the engine is running, oth-
erwise only the parking lamps are switched on.
Pathway lighting
If the vehicle is parked and the headlamps are
switched off, operating the headlamp flasher
activates the low beams. You can set the dura-
tion on the Control Display or deactivate the
function.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page16.
1.Open the menu.
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.3.Select "Light" and press the controller.
4.Select "Pathway lighting" and press the
controller.
5.Turn the controller to select the corre-
sponding duration.
6.Press the controller to apply the setting.
Lights on warning
If you turn the ignition key to position 0, an
acoustic signal sounds when you open the
driver's door for a few seconds to remind you
that the light has not yet been switched off.
At the same time a message appears on the
Control Display.
Daytime driving lamps*
If so desired, you can leave the light switch in
the low beam position2.
Always observe all applicable laws governing
the use of daytime driving lamps.
You can switch on the parking lamps when
needed using the standard procedure
described under Parking lamps.
Automatic headlamp control*
In the switch position3, the system activates
and switches on and off the low beams in
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and
d u s k , a n d in r a i n o r s n o w . A d a p t iv e H e a d L ig h t
*
is active. The LED next to the symbol is illumi-
nated when the low beams are on.

Lamps
88 The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps.
With the daytime driving lamps
* activated, the
low beams are always switched on when the
ignition key is in position 2.<
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 system
cannot detect fog. To avoid safety risks, you
should always switch on the lamps manually
under these conditions.<
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 assumptions, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In the switch position3, the Adaptive Head
Light is active and the automatic headlamp con-
trol
* is switched on.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light
>is not active when driving in reverse
>is only active toward passenger side when
stationary
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
faulty or has failed. Have the system checked as
soon as possible.
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. When using
this function, comply with national regulations:
With the ignition off, press the lever in the
desired direction3, past the resistance point.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not switch them on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine.<
Front 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.

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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 serrated dial.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry
lighting and courtesy lamps
* are controlled
automatically.
Switching interior lamps on and off
manually
Press the button.
If you want the interior lamps to remain off con-
tinuously, maintain pressure on the button for
approx. 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
Reading lamps are provided in the front and rear
adjacent to the interior lamps. Press the button
to activate or deactivate this system.
To avoid draining the battery, all of the
vehicle's interior lamps are automatically
switched off approx. 15 minutes after the igni-
tion is switched off.<