BMW 550I TOURING 2009 E61 Workshop Manual

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Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press front
or rear section of switch.
>Shift curvature up or down: press upper or
lowers section of switch.
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.
Button with three LEDs
Press button once per program:
>"Comfort": one LED
>"Normal": two LEDs
>"Sport": three LEDsTo deactivate: Press button longer.
Button with one LED
Press the button repeatedly until the desired
program is shown on the Control Display. The
LED in the button lights up.
To deactivate: 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
*,
exterior rearview mirrors, and steering wheel.

Adjusting
50 The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or ignition, refer
to page62.
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.<
Comfort mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or
switch on radio readiness.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1
or2.
The system cancels the adjustment procedure
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.
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.
Requesting with remote control
The last positions of the driver's seat, the exte-
rior rearview mirrors, and steering wheel are
stored for the remote control currently in use.
You can choose when the position is requested:
>Request when unlocking vehicle
>Request when opening driver's doorWhen 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.<
The system cancels the adjustment procedure
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Door locks" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.
8.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
opened".
9.Press the controller.

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To cancel the request:
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
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 approximately at ear level. Otherwise
there is increased danger of injury in the event
of an accident.Only remove the head restraints
if no one will be sitting on the seat in question.
Reinstall the head restraints before transport-
ing passengers, as otherwise the head restraint
cannot provide its protective function.<
Active front head restraints
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 covers or head restraint
covers that could impede the proper
functioning of the active head restraint. Other-
wise, there is no assurance that the active head
restraint will perform its protective function and
it is not possible to take advantage of its injury-
reducing potential in the event of a rear-end
collision.
Have the active head restraints reset after they
are triggered in a rear-end collision. Only have
this work carried out by a BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Otherwise, this safety equipment will
not function properly.<
Please contact a BMW center if you wish
to have the front head restraints removed
and installed.<
Front seats: height adjustment
Front seats: adjusting distance to the
back of the head
>Forward: pull up.
>Back: push the button and slide the head-
rest cushion toward the rear.
Do not place any objects behind the
headrest cushion. Otherwise, you can
impair the proper function of the head
restraint.<
Comfort seat*
You can adjust the distance to the back of the
head with the shoulder support, refer to
page48.

Adjusting
52
Adjusting side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the head
restraint forward for increased lateral support in
the resting position.
Rear seats: height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and
push the head restraint downward.
Removing
1.Pull the head restraint upward to the stop.
2.Press the button, arrow1, and pull the head
restraint all the way out.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page47.<
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.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Safety belt reminder 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 reminder is operative at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be acti-
vated if objects are placed on 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 page48.
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated into
the rear seat are for passengers sitting on the

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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
When subjected to strain due to an acci-
dent or in the event of damage, replace
the safety belts, the belt tensioners, and any
child restraint systems 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 procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise cor-
rect operation of this safety equipment is not
guaranteed.<
Seat heating*
Front
The appearance and arrangement of the but-
tons may vary depending on the equipment.
1Seat heating, three LEDs
2Seat heating, one LED
3Seat heating with active seat ventilation
*
Press the respective button once per tempera-
ture level. The temperature level is shown on the Control Display with buttons2 and3. The
maximum temperature is supplied when three
LEDs are lit.
The temperature is reduced and if need be, the
heating is switched off in order to reduce the
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: Press button longer.
Temperature distribution without
active seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
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 to adjust the distribu-
tion.
The setting is applied.
Temperature distribution with active
seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".

Adjusting
54 3.Select "Driver's seat climate" or "Passen-
ger's seat climate" and press the controller.
Turn the controller to adjust the distribution.
The setting is applied.
Rear
Operation similar to front seat heating; two tem-
perature levels, without temperature distribu-
tion.
Active seat ventilation*
The appearance and arrangement of the but-
tons may vary depending on the equipment.
1Active seat ventilation
2Active seat ventilation with seat heatingPress the respective button once per ventila-
tion level. The ventilation level appears on the
Control Display. The maximum level is supplied
when three LEDs are lit.
The air quantity is reduced and if need be, the
ventilation is switched off in order to reduce the
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: Press button longer.
The highest level is used for rapid cooling,
e.g. when the vehicle has become heated
up. After a short time, the system is automati-
cally switched down one level in order to pre-
vent 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.
The action of the system is reduced and if need
be, switched off in order to reduce the load on
the battery. The LED remains lit.
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.

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Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of
following traffic based on what you see in the
mirrors, otherwise there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<
1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page49.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Pressing button3 allows you to fold mirrors
in and out up to a speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h. This is advantageous, for example, in
car washes, narrow streets or for bringing mir-
r o r s t h a t ha v e b e e n m a nu ally folded in back into
the correct position. Mirrors that were folded in
are folded out automatically at a speed of
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both
exterior mirrors are heated whenever the
engine is running or the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Slide switch into the driver's side mirror
position, arrow 1.
2.Shift into reverse or move selector lever into
position R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat
on the passenger's side. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror
position, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle effect of following vehi-
cles at night, turn the knob.

Adjusting
56
Interior and exterior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature*
This feature is controlled by two photocells in
the inside rearview mirror, one on the front and
one on the back.
For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells
clean and do not cover the area between the
interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do
not attach stickers of any kind to the windshield
in front of the mirror, either.
Steering wheel
Adjusting
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent as the result of unexpected movement.<
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four
directions.
Storing steering wheel positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory on page49.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the steering wheel
temporarily moves into the uppermost position.
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
When the steering wheel heater is operating,
the LED in the button lights up.
Programmable buttons* on steering
wheel
You can program the buttons individually.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.

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4.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and press
the controller.
A list of various functions appears:
>"Navigation voice instructions"
Voice instructions for the navigation
system
*
>"Air recirculation on / off"
To permanently shut off outside air, refer
to AUC Automatic recirculated-air con-
trol on page117
>"Mute on / off"
To mute the audio sources
>"Monitor on / off"
To switch the Control Display on/off
>"Telephone list"
*
To show/hide the phone book or last dis-
played list of stored phone numbers
>"HDC on / off"
To switch HDC Hill Descent Control
*
on/off
>"Next entertainment source"
To change the audio source
>"Night Vision on / off"
To switch BMW Night Vision
* on/off
5.Select the desired function and press the
controller.6.Select the button if necessary and press the
controller.
You can operate the selected function using the
corresponding button.
Operating the function
Press the corresponding button on the steering
wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press button longer.
>To repeat the last voice instruction:
Press the button.

Transporting children safely
58
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and
height of the child. Otherwise there is an
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags on the passen-
ger side must first be deactivated. Otherwise,
there is an increased risk of injury for the child if
the airbags are triggered, even with a child
restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to
page101.
Installing child restraint
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions for selection,
installation and use of the child restraint sys-
tems. Otherwise the degree of protection may
be reduced.<
Backrest width* on front passenger
seat
Open the backrest width setting of the
front passenger seat all the way. After
mounting the child's seat, deactivate the active
backrest width adjustment and do not call up
any memory position. Otherwise this limits the
stability of the child's seat on the front passen-
ger seat.<
1.After unlocking the vehicle, sit on the front
passenger seat and close the door to call up
the memory position.
2.Completely open the backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page48.
3.Deactivate active backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page49.
4.Install child's seat.
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked against pulling
out to secure child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to retract and pull
taut against the child restraint system. The
safety belt is locked.