BMW 550I XDRIVE 2013 Owners Manual

Driving tips
This chapter provides you with information useful in dealing with specific driving and operating modes.Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Things to remember when drivingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Breaking-in period
General information
Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to
each other.
The following instructions will help achieve a
long vehicle life and good economy.
Engine and differential
Always obey the official speed limit.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:▷For gasoline engine, 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐
stances.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac‐
tion potential until after an initial breaking-in pe‐
riod.
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake discs
and brake pads. Drive moderately during this
break-in period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal
level only after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
The same breaking in procedures should be ob‐
served if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Closing the trunk lid Drive with the trunk lid closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, in the event of an accident or braking or
evasive maneuvers, passengers or other road
users may be injured or the vehicle may be dam‐
aged. In addition, exhaust fumes may enter the
passenger compartment.◀
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:▷Close all windows and the glass sunroof.▷Greatly increase the blower speed.▷Drive moderately.Seite 172Driving tipsThings to remember when driving172
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Hot exhaust systemHot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. When driv‐
ing, standing at idle and while parking, take care
to avoid possible contact between the hot ex‐
haust system and any highly flammable materi‐
als such as hay, leaves, grass, etc. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of serious
personal injury as well as property damage.
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise, there
is the danger of getting burned.◀
Climate control windshield
The marked area is not covered with heat re‐
flective coating.
Use this area for garage door openers, devices
for electronic toll collection, etc.
Climate control laminated tinted safety
glass
The vehicle glass provides full protection
against the harmful effects of UV radiation on the
skin.
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is advised that you do not use mobile commu‐
nication devices, e.g., mobile phones, inside the
vehicle without connecting them directly to the
external antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle elec‐
tronics and mobile communication devices can
interfere with each other. In addition, there is no
assurance that the radiation generated during
transmission will be discharged from the vehicle
interior.◀
Hydroplaning
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀
Driving through water
Drive though calm water only if it is not deeper
than 9.8 inches/25 cm and at this height, no
faster than walking speed, up to 6 mph/10 km/h.
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the elec‐
trical systems and the transmission may be
damaged.◀
Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations when this is neces‐
sary.
The vehicle maintains steering responsiveness.
You can still avoid any obstacles with a minimum
of steering effort.Seite 173Things to remember when drivingDriving tips173
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.
Objects in the area around the pedals No objects in the area around the pedals
Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other
objects out of the area of motion of the pedals;
otherwise, the function of the pedals could be
impeded while driving
Do not place additional floor mats over existing
mats or other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for
the vehicle and can be properly fixed in place.
Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened
again after they were removed for cleaning, for
example.◀
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain, briefly
exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal every
few miles.
Ensure that this action does not endanger other
road users.
The heat generated in this process helps dry the
brake discs and pads.
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the gear
in which the least braking is required. Otherwise,
the brake system may overheat, resulting in a
reduction in the brake system efficiency.
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if
necessary.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the brake
system. Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear and pos‐
sibly even brake failure.◀Do not drive in neutral
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking. In
addition, steering and brake assist is unavailable
with the engine stopped.◀
Brake disc corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and contamination
on the brake pads are furthered by:▷Low mileage.▷Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.▷Infrequent use of the brakes.
Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
Condensation under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water develops that exits underneath
the vehicle.
Traces of water under the vehicle like this are
normal.
Seite 174Driving tipsThings to remember when driving174
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

LoadingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Hints Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carrying
capacity of the tires, never overload the vehicle.
Overloading can lead to overheating and in‐
creases the rate at which damage develops in‐
side the tires. This could result in a sudden loss
of tire inflation pressure.◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be damaged. ◀
Determining the load limit1.Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:▷The combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the ve‐hicle and unstable driving situations 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 kilograms or YYY
pounds.4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs pas‐
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail‐
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs = 400 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.
Load
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported.
Seite 175LoadingDriving tips175
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Stowing cargo▷Cover sharp edges and corners on the
cargo.▷Heavy cargo: stow as far forward as possi‐
ble, directly behind and at the bottom of the
rear passenger seat backrests.▷Very heavy cargo: when the rear seat is not
occupied, secure each of the outer safety
belts in the opposite buckle.▷If necessary, fold down the rear backrests to
stow cargo.▷Do not stack cargo above the top edge of the
backrests.
Securing cargo
Lashing eyes in the cargo area
To secure the cargo there are four lashing eyes
in the cargo area.
Securing cargo
▷Smaller and lighter items: secure with re‐
taining straps or with a cargo net or draw
straps.▷Larger and heavy objects: secure with cargo
straps.
Cargo straps, cargo netting, retaining straps or
draw straps on the lashing eyes in the cargo
area.
Securing cargo
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above; otherwise, it can endanger the
car's occupants if sudden braking or swerving
becomes necessary.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car; otherwise, they could be
thrown around as a result of hard braking, sud‐
den swerves, etc., and endanger the occu‐
pants.◀
Roof-mounted luggage rack
Note
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Securing
Follow the installation instructions of the roof
rack.
Roof drip rail with flaps
The anchorage points are located in the roof drip
rail above the doors.
Fold the cover outward.
Loading
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained
for tilting and opening the glass sunroof.
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
Therefore, note the following when loading and
driving:
Seite 176Driving tipsLoading176
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

▷Do not exceed the approved roof/axle loads
and the approved gross vehicle weight.▷Distribute the roof load uniformly.▷The roof load should not be too large in area.▷Always place the heaviest pieces on the bot‐
tom.▷Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie with
ratchet straps.▷Do not let objects project into the opening
path of the trunk lid.▷Drive cautiously and avoid sudden acceler‐
ation and braking maneuvers. Take corners
gently.Seite 177LoadingDriving tips177
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Saving fuelVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
General information
Your vehicle contains advanced technology for
the reduction of fuel consumption and emis‐
sions.
Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐
ferent factors.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can have an
influence on fuel consumption and on the envi‐
ronmental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts
following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use.
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.Close the windows and glass
sunroof
Driving with the glass sunroof and windows
open results in increased air resistance and
raises fuel consumption.
Tires
General information
Tires can affect consumption values in various
ways, for instance consumption can be influ‐
enced by the size of the tires.
Check the tire inflation pressure
regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct the tire inflation
pressure at least twice a month and before start‐
ing on a long trip.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and
tire wear.
Drive away without delay
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the fastest way for the cold engine to
reach its operating temperature.
Look well ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehicle
driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and looking ahead reduces
fuel consumption.Seite 178Driving tipsSaving fuel178
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

Avoid high engine speeds
Use 1st gear to get the vehicle in motion. Be‐
ginning with 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly. When
accelerating, shift up before reaching high en‐
gine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into the
highest applicable gear and drive with the en‐
gine speed as low as possible and at a constant
speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
The gear shift indicator of your vehicle indicates
the most fuel efficient gear.
Use coasting conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to a halt.
On a downhill gradient, take your foot off the ac‐
celerator and let the vehicle roll.
The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.
Switch off the engine during
longer stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.,
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic
congestion.
Auto Start/Stop function
The Auto Start/Stop function of your vehicle au‐
tomatically switches off the engine during a
stop.
If the engine is switched off and then restarted
rather than leaving the engine running con‐
stantly, fuel consumption and emissions are re‐
duced. Savings can begin within a few seconds
of switching off the engine.
Using this system can cause certain compo‐
nents of the vehicle to become worn prema‐
turely.In addition, fuel consumption is also determined
by other factors, such as driving style, road con‐
ditions, maintenance or environmental factors.
Switch off any functions that
are not currently needed
Functions such as seat heating and the rear win‐
dow defroster require a lot of energy and con‐
sume additional fuel, especially in city and stop-
and-go traffic.
Therefore, switch off these functions if they are
not actually needed.
Have maintenance carried out
Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve
optimal vehicle economy and operating life.
Have the maintenance carried out by your serv‐
ice center.
Please also note the BMW Maintenance Sys‐
tem, refer to page 210.
ECO PRO
The concept
ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves on
fuel consumption. For this purpose, the engine
control and comfort functions, e. g. the climate
control output, are adjusted.
In addition, context-sensitive instructions can
be displayed that assist in driving in a manner
that optimizes fuel consumption.
The extension of the range that is achieved as a
result can be displayed in the instrument cluster.
At a glance
The system includes the following
EfficientDynamics functions and displays:▷ECO PRO bonus range, refer to page 180Seite 179Saving fuelDriving tips179
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13

▷ECO PRO tips driving instruction, refer to
page 181▷ECO PRO climate control, refer to
page 180
Activating ECO PRO
Press button repeatedly until ECO PRO
is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Configuring ECO PRO
Via the Driving Dynamics Control
1.Activate ECO PRO.2."Configure ECO PRO"3.Configure the program.
Via the iDrive
1."Settings"2."ECO PRO mode"
Or
1."Settings"2."Driving mode"3."Configure ECO PRO"
Configure the program.
ECO PRO Tip
▷"ECO PRO limit:":
Set ECO Pro speed at which an ECO PRO
Tip is to be displayed.▷"ECO PRO speed warning":
A reminder is displayed if the set ECO PRO
speed is exceeded.ECO PRO climate control
"ECO PRO climate control"
The climate control is adjusted to be fuel-effi‐
cient.
By making a slight change to the set tempera‐
ture, or adjusting the rate of heating or cooling
of the passenger compartment fuel consump‐
tion can be economized.
The outputs of the seat heater and the exterior
mirror heating are also reduced.
The exterior mirror heating is made available
when outside temperatures are very cold.
ECO PRO potential
The percentage of potential savings that can be
achieved with the current configuration is dis‐
played.
Display in the instrument cluster
Display in the instrument display
When ECO PRO mode is activated, the display
switches to a special configuration.
Some of the displays may differ from the display
in the instrument cluster.
ECO PRO bonus range An extension of the range can be
achieved by an adjusted driving
style.
This may be displayed as the bo‐
nus range in the instrument clus‐
ter.
The bonus range is shown in the range display.
The bonus range is automatically reset every
time the vehicle is refueled.Seite 180Driving tipsSaving fuel180
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 917 522 - II/13