service BMW 550I 2006 User Guide

Everything under control
78 To hide these Check Control messages:
Press the CHECK button on turn signal lever.
Displaying stored Check Control
messages
1.Hold the button down:
The first stored message is displayed.
2.Press the button:
When the button is pressed again, a differ-
ent message is displayed.
Displaying additional information later
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Service" and press the controller.4.Select "Check Control messages" and
press the controller.
5.Select a text message and press the con-
troller.
To exit the display:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Indication of malfunction urgency
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
stored Check Control messages are also dis-
played with the following symbols:
No malfunctions are present in the moni-
tored systems.
Malfunctions are present in the moni-
tored systems. Depending on the mal-
function, supplementary information is
shown on the Control Display.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective 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
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents, certain roll-over conditions, or rear-end
collisions.
Stickers on the rear door frame indicate
the status of the rear side airbags. If the
status cannot be clearly recognized, or if you
want to have the airbags activated/deactivated,
please contact your BMW center.<
For details on the correct seat position, refer to
page43.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way. Do not attempt to
remove the airbag retention system from the
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the doors and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner. Do not
attempt to remove or dismantle the steering
wheel. Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns. In the
event of malfunctions, deactivation, or trigger-
ing of the airbag restraint system, have the test-
ing, repair, removal, and disposal of airbag gen-
erators executed only by a BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The front and
side airbag on the front passenger side are acti-
vated or deactivated accordingly by the system.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<

Things to remember when driving
116
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to
each other. To ensure that your vehicle contin-
ues to provide optimized economy of operation
throughout an extended service life, we request
that you devote careful attention to the follow-
ing section.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at changing engine and driving speeds,
however do not exceed 4,500 rpm or 100 mph/
160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kick-down mode during these
initial miles.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
SMG Sequential Manual Gearbox
Do not use the acceleration assistant during the
break-in period, refer to page61.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in
period. Therefore, drive reservedly during the
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and rotors. Drive in a reserved manner during
this break-in period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch is only at its opti-
mized level after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
Observe the break-in instructions again if com-
ponents mentioned above must be replaced
after subsequent driving operation.
General driving notes
Closing luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid/tailgate is com-
pletely closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes could
enter the interior of the vehicle.<
If special circumstances should make it abso-
lutely necessary to operate the vehicle with the
luggage compartment lid/tailgate open:
1.Close all windows and the glass sunroof or
panorama glass sunroof.
2.Increase the air volume of the automatic
climate control to a high level, refer to
page100.
Hot exhaust system
As in all vehicles, extremely high temper-
atures are generated on exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed adja-
cent to it, and never apply undercoating to
them. When driving, standing at idle and while
parking take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, and with it
the risk of serious property damage as well as
personal injury.<

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
151Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Changing a memory position
1.Select "Presets" and press the controller.
2.Select the desired station.
"Set" is selected.
3.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
4.Select "Store" and press the controller.
5.Turn the controller until the desired mem-
ory position is selected.
The number of the memory position
appears beside the name or frequency of
the station.
6.Press the controller.
The station is stored.
RDS Radio Data System
RDS transmits additional information in the
FM frequency range. If the reception conditions
are good, the station names are shown on the
Control Display. If the reception is weak or dis-
rupted, it can take some time before the station
names are displayed.
Switching RDS on/off*
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
"Set" is selected.
2.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.3.Select "RDS" and press the controller.
RDS is activated.
Automatically sorting
stations*
For the "All stations" selection criterion, you
can set whether the most frequently used sta-
tions are displayed at the beginning.
1.Select "All stations" and press the control-
ler.
"Set" is selected.
2.Select "Favorites" and press the controller.
The most frequently used stations are
shown at the beginning.
Weather news flashes*
Weather Radio is a service of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
of the US Department of Trade. Weather news
flashes are repeated every for to six minutes
and are routinely updated at intervals of one to
three hours, and more often when necessary.
Most stations operate 24 hours a day. In case of
a storm, the National Weather Service inter-

Radio
152 rupts the routine weather news and transmits
special warning messages instead. If you have a
question about NOAA Weather Radio, please
contact the nearest office of the National
Weather Service. Details are also provided on
the Internet at www.nws.noaa.gov.
Calling up weather news flashes
1.Select "WB" and press the controller.
2.Select a station.
The station for weather news flashes may be
unavailable in some regions.
High Definition Radio*
Many stations transmit both analog and digital
signals. You can receive these stations digitally
and in improved sound quality.
Activating/deactivating digital radio
reception
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Entertainment settings" and press
the controller.4.Select "HD radio" and press the controller.
5.Select "Off" and press the controller.
The reception of digital stations is acti-
vated.
This symbol is displayed when a sender is
being received digitally.
With some stations the digital signals are not
transmitted simultaneously with the analog sig-
nals. If you are in an area in which the selected
station is not continuously received digitally,
playback switches between analog and digital
reception. This can result in repetitions or inter-
ruptions. In this case it may be advisable to
deactivate digital radio reception.
Updating stations offering digital
reception
If you are on a longer journey and leave the
transmission range of the stations originally set,
you can update the list of stations with the best
reception.

Communications
This chapter summarizes how to operate your
mobile phone using iDrive or voice control and
how to use BMW Assist or TeleService.
Communications

173
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
Dialing phone numbers stored in a list
To select an entry and establish a connection:
1.Select "Phone" and press the controller.
2.Select list and press the controller:
>"Top 8"
>"Redial"
>"Missed calls"
>"Received calls"
3.Select the desired entry and press the con-
troller.
4.Select "Call" and press the controller.
The system dials the number.
Deleting individual entries
1.Select the desired entry from the list and
press the controller.
2.Select "Delete" and press the controller.
The entry is deleted.
Deleting entire list
1.Select an entry from the list and press the
controller.
2.Select "Delete all numbers" and press the
controller.
3.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
The list is deleted.
Touch tone dialing
The touch tone code is required for access to
network services or for controlling devices, e.g.
remote checking of an answering machine.
This function is available when a connection
has been established.

179
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
TeleService , BMW Assist
TeleService
TeleService supports you when communicat-
ing with a BMW center. The built-in car phone
can be used to transmit data regarding the ser-
vice status of your vehicle or regarding legally
mandated inspections directly to your BMW
center. This is the same data that is also stored
for CBS Condition Based Service in the remove
control. Your BMW center can then contact
you, and you can make an appointment that
suits you while you are still on the road. Your
advantage here is that your BMW center can
prepare in advance for the required mainte-
nance work. The TeleService functions are
country-specific: the data regarding the service
status of your vehicle or regarding legally man-
dated inspections is transmitted on a country-
specific basis either automatically before they
fall due or during your calls to the BMW center.
Your BMW center will be glad to provide more
detailed information.
BMW Assist
BMW Assist provides you with other services in
addition to TeleService. For example, the posi-
tion data of your vehicle can be transferred to
the BMW Assist response center if an emer-
gency call
* has been initiated.
Many functions of BMW Assist depend on the
individually agreed contract. Data transmission,
e. g. of the CBS Condition Based Service, dif-
fers from country to country.
The contract of participation with BMW Assist
and the activation must be completed before
you can use BMW Assist.
When the contract expires, the car phone can
be deactivated by a BMW center without having
to visit a BMW center. Following deactivation of
the car phone, no emergency calls can be
made. The car phone can be reactivated after
signing a new contract with a BMW center.You can also use the services of BMW Assist via
the Internet. The range of services is continually
being expanded.
Requirements
You can use TeleService or BMW Assist when
the following requirements are met:
>The installed car phone is logged on to a
cellular telephone network. This network
must be capable of transmitting the ser-
vices.
>To transmit position data, the vehicle must
be able to determine the current position.
This can be displayed on the Control Dis-
play.
>For TeleService or BMW Assist to be acti-
vated and updated, the GPS signal must be
available.
>For BMW Assist: you have applied to your
BMW center or BMW Customer Support for
BMW Assist.
Enabling TeleService or BMW Assist
For you to be able to use the services of
TeleService or BMW Assist, these must be
enabled.
Requirements
>Make sure that the vehicle can determine its
current location. Reception is best when
you have an unobstructed view to the sky.
>Leave radio readiness switched on while
connecting to the system.
Enabling
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
**

TeleService, BMW Assist
180 3.Select "Communication settings" and
press the controller.
4.Select "BMW Service settings" and press
the controller.
5.Select "Service Status" and press the con-
troller.
6.Select "Enable services" and press the con-
troller.
TeleService and, if applicable, BMW Assist
are enabled; data exchange with the service
center starts.
Enabling takes a few minutes. The status is dis-
played on the Control Display. If you open
another menu, the enable process continue to
run in the background.
Services offered
The following special features apply for the ser-
vices of TeleService and BMW Assist:
>The services offered are country-specific.
>Voice contact is established or data are
transferred, depending on the equipment
and the country. In some countries, it is
possible to do both.
>The data transferred can be the vehicle
data, your current position or the data of the
CBS Condition Based Service.
Automatic service notification*
The data on the service status of your vehicle or
on legally mandated inspections is transmitted
automatically directly to your BMW center prior
to the due date. You can check when the BMW
center was notified.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Service" and press the controller.
4.Select "Service requirements" and press
the controller.
5.Select "Service notification" and press the
controller.

181
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
Breakdown assistance
You can call Roadside Assistance* of the
BMW Group should you require help in the
event of a breakdown.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller forward to select
"Communication".
3.Select "BMW Assist" and press the control-
ler.
4.Select "BMW Service" and press the con-
troller.
5.Select "Roadside Assistance" and press
the controller.
If the current position can be determined,
the current vehicle location is displayed.
6.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
Contact to Roadside Assistance will be estab-
lished.
Setting up contact to your BMW center
or BMW Customer Relations
You can contact your BMW center, e. g. to
arrange a service appointment.
For information related to your vehicle, call the
BMW Customer Relations.
This requires your mobile phone to be logged
on in the vehicle.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Service" and press the controller.
4.Select "BMW Service" and press the con-
troller.
5.Select desired BMW service:
>"Service Request"
>"Customer Relations"
6.Press the controller.
7.Select "Start service" and press the con-
troller.
Contact to the desired BMW service will be
established.