BMW 550I 2006 Service Manual

Opening and closing
40 and holding it limits the response of the anti-
trapping mechanism. In this case, if the closing
force exceeds a defined threshold, the window
will only open a little.
If the switch is pulled past the resistance point
again within approx. 4 seconds, the anti-trap-
ping mechanism will be deactivated.<
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the rear
windows from being opened or closed via the
switches in the rear passenger area, by chil-
dren, for example. The LED lights up when this
safety feature is activated.
Always press the safety switch when
children ride in the rear, otherwise
unchecked closing of the windows could lead
to injuries.<
Accessories in window area
After installing any accessory – such as a
clamp-on antenna for a mobile phone – within
the window's travel range, you will need to have
the system reinitialized for use under the new
conditions. BMW recommends having this
work done by your BMW center.
Glass sunroof, electric*
The glass sunroof is ready for operation with
the ignition switched on, refer to page56.
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the glass sunroof and keep it in
your field of vision until it is closed.
Always take along the remote control when you
leave the vehicle, otherwise children could, for
example, operate the roof and injure them-
selves.<
Raising
Press switch.
>When the glass sunroof is closed, it is raised
slightly and the sliding visor opens slightly.
>When the glass sunroof is open, it automat-
ically travels into the raised position. The
sliding visor remains completely open.
Do not use force to close the headliner
insert with the glass sunroof in its raised
position, otherwise the mechanism will be dam-
aged.<
Opening, closing
>Press switch back to the resistance point.
The glass sunroof and the sliding visor open
together for as long as you hold the switch
in position.
>Press switch back past the resistance point.
The glass sunroof and the sliding visor open
automatically. Briefly press the switch again
to stop the opening movement.
In a similar manner, the glass sunroof closes
when you slide the switch forward. The sliding
visor remains open and can be closed by hand.
For information on using the convenience oper-
ation at the door lock or with the remote control,
refer to page30 or32.
For information on comfort closing with comfort
access, refer to Locking on page38.
Automatic opening and closing
Press the switch past the resistance point.
The following movements are also automatic:
>When the sunroof is open, press the switch
in the lifting direction: the sunroof is raised
all the way.

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>When the sunroof is raised, press the
switch in the opening direction: the sunroof
is opened all the way.
Pressing the switch again stops the motion.
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the glass sunroof encounters resistance when
closing from roughly the center of the roof
opening or when closing from the raised posi-
tion, the closing action is interrupted and the
glass sunroof reopens a short way.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism
inspect the sunroof's travel path prior to
closing it, as the safety system might fail to
detect certain kinds of obstructions, such as
very thin objects, and the sunroof would con-
tinue closing.
Pressing the switch beyond the resistance
point and holding it there deactivates the anti-
trapping mechanism.<
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After a power loss, the sunroof may only
respond to the lift command. The system must
be initialized. BMW recommends having this
work done by your BMW center.
Moving manually
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the glass sunroof manually:
1.Fold the cover panel down, if necessary
using a screwdriver from the onboard tool
kit, refer to page203.
2.Insert the Allen wrench supplied with the
onboard tool kit, refer to page203, into the
opening provided. Move the glass sunroof in the desired direction. The arrow below
indicates the rotation direction for closing.
Sports Wagon:
Panorama glass sunroof
The panorama glass sunroof is ready for opera-
tion with the ignition switched on, refer to
page56.
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the panorama glass sunroof and
keep it in your field of vision until it is closed.
Always take along the remote control when you
leave the vehicle, otherwise children could, for
example, operate the roof and injure them-
selves.<
Raising, opening, closing
Press the switch or slide it in the desired direc-
tion up to the resistance point.
The sliding visor is opened:
>together with the sunroof
>slightly when the sunroof is tilted
With the sunroof closed or tilted, the sliding
visor can be opened and closed independently.

Opening and closing
42 For information on using the convenience oper-
ation at the door lock or with the remote control,
refer to page30 or32.
For information on comfort closing with comfort
access, refer to Locking on page38.
Ventilation setting
Press the switch:
The sunroof is raised and the sliding visor is
opened slightly.
Automatic opening and closing
Press the switch past the resistance point.
Pressing the switch again stops the motion.
Opening and closing sunroof and
sliding visor together
Press the switch beyond the resistance point
twice consecutively.
Pressing the switch again stops the motion.
Comfort position
Each time the panorama glass sunroof is com-
pletely opened and then closed, it stops in the
comfort position. If desired, continue the
motion following this with the switch.
In the comfort position the wind noises in the
interior are reduced.
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the panorama glass sunroof or sliding visor
encounter resistance when closing from
roughly one third of the sunroof opening or
when closing from the raised position, the clos-
ing action is interrupted and the panorama
glass sunroof and sliding visor reopen a little.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism
inspect the sunroof's travel path prior to
closing it, as the safety system might fail to
detect certain kinds of obstructions, such as
very thin objects, and the sunroof would con-
tinue closing.
Pressing the switch beyond the resistance
point and holding it there deactivates the anti-
trapping mechanism.<
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After a power loss, the sunroof may only
respond to the lift command. The system must
be initialized. BMW recommends having this
work done by your BMW center.
Moving manually
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the roof manually:
1.Fold back the cover, using the screwdriver
from the toolkit at the points indicated if
necessary, refer to page203.
2.Remove the Allen key from the mounting
next to the toolkit and insert it in the open-
ing provided. Move the sunroof in the
desired direction. The arrow below indi-
cates the rotation direction for closing.

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43Reference
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Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In the
interaction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seat position
plays an important role in an accident. To
ensure that the safety systems operate with
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the fol-
lowing section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page52.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, to mini-
mize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms
in the event of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags 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
and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the
front airbag is triggered.
Make sure that occupants do not rest their head
on the side or head airbag, otherwise injuries
can occur if the airbags are triggered.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries 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 page90.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is
increased danger of injury in the event of an
accident.<
Safety belts
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Air-
bags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a
substitute.
Your vehicle is provided with five seats, which
are all 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. Pregnant women should also always wear a
safety belt and make sure that the belt rests low
on the hips in the lap area, and does not press
against the abdomen. Do not route the belt
across your neck, or run it across sharp edges.
Be sure that the belt does not become caught
or jammed. Make sure that the safety belt is
securely fastened across the lap and shoulders,
as close to the body as possible without it being
twisted or tangled. Be sure not to route it over
solid or breakable objects, otherwise the belt
can slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal
impact and injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing
clothing that prevents the belt from fitting prop-
erly and pull the belt in the upper body area peri-
odically to readjust the tension, in order to avoid
a reduction in the restraint of the safety belt.
Sports Wagon: if the middle safety belt in the
rear is used, the larger seatback half must be
locked, refer to page111, otherwise the middle
safety belt has no restraining action.<
For instructions on operating safety belts, refer
to page47.

Adjustments
44
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
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 observe the information on damage to
safety belts provided on page48 and the infor-
mation on the active front
head restraints* on
page47.
Seat adjustment
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle4Backrest
Adjusting comfort seat*
In this seat, you can also adjust:
1Backrest width
2Shoulder support
3Thigh support
4Lumbar support
*, see below
Shoulder support: the adjustable upper back-
rest also supports the back in the shoulder
region. This provides a relaxed driving position
and helps relieve stress on the shoulder mus-
cles.
Adjusting lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.

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45Reference
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The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: push
switch forward or back.
>Shift curvature up or down: push switch up
or down.
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.
Press program button once:
>"Comfort" program: one LED
>"Normal" program: two LEDs
>"Sport" program: three LEDs
To switch off: press button longer.
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
*,
external 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 page56.
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.<
Convenience mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or
switch on radio readiness.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or2.
The system immediately cancels the
adjustment procedure when you briefly
press one of the seat adjustment buttons or
one of the memory buttons.

Adjustments
46
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2
and maintain pressure until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If the button was pressed inadvertently:
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Activating with remote control
The last positions of the driver's seat, the exter-
nal rearview mirrors, and steering wheel are
stored for the remote key currently in use.
You can choose when the position is requested:
>Request when unlocking vehicle
>Request when opening driver's door
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Door locks" and press the control-
ler.
5.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
6.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.7.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
opened".
8.Press the controller.
To cancel the request:
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
When using this feature, always make
sure that the footwell behind the driver's
seat is empty and unobstructed. Failure to do
so could cause injury to persons or damage to
objects behind the seat as a result of a rearward
movement of the seat.<
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is
increased danger of injury in the event of an
accident.<
Front seats: height adjustment
You can adjust the height of the head restraints
electrically.

Controls
47Reference
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Front seats: angle adjustment
Swivel the head restraint.
With the comfort seat, use the shoulder support
to set the distance to the back of the head.
Adjusting side extensions in comfort
seat
You can fold the side extensions on the head
restraint forward for increased lateral support in
the resting position.
Front head restraints, active*
The comfort seats are equipped with an active
head restraint.
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient
severity, the active head restraint reduces the
distance to the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers
and do not hand objects, e.g. clothes
hangers, on the head restraints or attach any
accessories to the seat or head restraint. Other-
wise the protective function of the active head
restraints will be impaired and personal safety
endangered.<
Rear seats: height adjustment
To raise: pull up.To lower: press the button, arrow1, and push
the head restraint downward.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts
are being worn at all of the occupied seats.
Airbags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a
substitute.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Safety belt memory for driver's seat
and passenger seat*
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig-
nal sounds. A message also appears on
the Control Display. Please check
whether the safety belt is correctly positioned.
The safety belt memory is operative at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be acti-

Adjustments
48 vated if objects are placed onto the passenger
seat.
Releasing
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted, refer to page44.
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated into
the rear seat are for passengers sitting on the
left and right. The belt buckle embossed with
the word CENTER is intended exclusively for
use by passengers riding in the center position.
Damage to safety belts
In case of loading due to an accident or
damage, replace the belt system includ-
ing the safety belt tensioners and have the belt
anchor points checked. Only have this work
carried out at a BMW center or at a workshop
that works according to BMW repair proce-
dures with correspondingly trained personnel.
Otherwise correct operation of this safety
equipment is not guaranteed.<
Heated seats*
Front
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. When the maximum tempera-
ture is selected, three LEDs light up.
To switch off: press the button longer.
Temperature distribution
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open
"Climate".
3.Select "Seat heater distribution" and press
the controller.
4.Move the controller to the left or right to
select "Driver" or "Passenger".
5.Turn the controller. The adjustment is
applied; the field can be changed.
Rear
Operation as for front seat heating; two temper-
ature settings.

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Active seat ventilation*
The system progresses one step through the
control sequence each time you press the but-
ton.
To switch off: press the button longer.
The highest position with three LEDs is
used for rapid cooling, e.g. when the vehi-
cle has gotten heated up. After a short time, the
system is automatically switched down one
position in order to prevent excessive cooling.<
Active seat*
The seat cushion is actively varied by alter-
nately raising and lowering the right and left half
of the seat cushion. This reduces muscular ten-
sion and fatigue to help prevent lower back
pain.
Press the button to switch on; the LED lights
up.
If you switch off the active seat, it can take up to
1 minute before the two halves of the seat
cushion have returned to their initial position.
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 what you see in the mir-
rors, otherwise there is an increased accident
risk.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic parking function, refer to Tilting down
passenger-side exterior mirror on page50
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page45.
Manual adjustment
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this
vehicle from being damaged, always fold
them in by hand before entering an automatic
car wash.<
Automatic heating
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
with the engine running or the ignition switched
on.