ESP BMW 550I XDRIVE GT 2011 F07 Owner's Guide

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.
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.◀ Seite 147
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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 in the manual mode of the auto‐
matic transmission, refer to page 73.
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.
Therefore, traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are normal.
Loading
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 limit 1.
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
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Things to remember when driving

Attachment
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.
Mounting
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained
for raising and opening the

glass sunroof*.
Magnetic roof-mounted luggage rack
Because of the aluminum roof, magnetic roof-
mounted luggage racks cannot be mounted.
Loading
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:
▷ 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 load 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 tailgate. ▷
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration
and braking maneuvers. Take corners gen‐
tly.
Saving fuel
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.
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.
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Things to remember when driving

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.
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.
Fuel savings are achieved after the vehicle is
switched off for only approx. 4 seconds.
The Automatic Engine Start/Stop Function* of
your vehicle automatically switches off the en‐
gine during a stop.
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.
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B. Total Traffic Network traffic data is infor‐
mational only. User assumes all risk of use.
Total Traffic Network, BMW NA, and their
suppliers make no representations about
content, traffic and road conditions, route
usability, or speed.
C. The licensed material is provided to li‐
censee
“as is,” and “where is”. Total Traffic
Network, including, but not limited to, any
and all third party providers of any of the li‐
censed material, expressly disclaims, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, all warranties
or representations with respect to the li‐
censed material (including, without limita‐
tion, that the licensed material will be error-
free, will operate without interruption or that
the traffic data will be accurate), express, im‐
plied or statutory, including, without limita‐
tion, the implied warranties of merchanta‐
bility, non-infringement fitness for a
particular purpose, or those arising from a
course of dealing or usage of trade.
D. Neither Total Traffic Network, Inrix, Inc. or
BMW NA will be liable to you for any indirect,
special, consequential, exemplary, or inci‐
dental damages (including, without limita‐
tion, lost revenues, anticipated revenues, or
profits relating to the same) arising from any
claim relating directly or indirectly to use of
the traffic data, and even if Total Traffic Net‐
work, Inrix, Inc., or BMW NA are aware of the
possibility of such damages. These limita‐
tions apply to all claims, including, without
limitation, claims in contract and tort (such
as negligence, product liability and strict li‐
ability). Some states do not allow the exclu‐
sion or limitation of incidental or consequen‐
tial damages, so those particular limitations
may not apply to you.
▷ The traffic bulletins are indicated on the map
by symbols.
▷ The traffic bulletins for the surrounding area
are stored in a list. The symbol in the function bar of the map
view turns red if there are traffic bulletins
that affect the calculated route. Switching the reception on/off
1.
"Navigation"
2. Open "Options".
3. "Receive Traffic Info"
Open the traffic bulletins
1. "Navigation"
2. "Map"
3. "Traffic Info"
First the traffic bulletins for the calculated
route are displayed.
The traffic bulletins are sorted by their dis‐
tance from the current position of the vehi‐
cle.
4. Select a traffic bulletin. "More information": display additional
information.
5. Scroll to the next or previous traffic bulletin
if required.
Traffic bulletins on the map
"Traffic conditions/gray map"
Active: indication
on the control display is switched to shades of
gray. This enables a better view of the traffic
bulletins. The day/night mode is disregarded in
this setting. Symbols and special destinations
are not displayed.
1. "Navigation"
2. "Map"
3. Open "Options".
4. "Settings"
5. "Traffic conditions/gray map"
Symbols in the map view
Depending on the scale of the map and the lo‐
cation of the traffic obstruction along the route,
the symbols for the traffic obstructions are dis‐
played.
Additional information in the map view
Depending on the map scale, a traffic obstruc‐
tion's

length, direction, and impact are displayed
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Navigation

When surround is activated, multi-channel play‐
back is simulated when a stereo audio track is
played.
Volume
▷
"Speed volume": speed-dependent volume
control.
▷ "PDC": volume of the PDC signal* com‐
pared to the entertainment sound output.
▷ "Gong": volume of the signal, such as the
safety belt reminder, compared to the en‐
tertainment sound output.
▷ "Microphone": volume of the microphone*
during a phone call.
▷ "Loudspeak.":
volume of the loudspeakers*
during a phone call.
The following volumes are only stored for the
respective paired telephone:
"Microphone",
"Loudspeak.".
Adjusting the volume
1. "CD/Multimedia", "Radio" or "Settings"
2. "Tone"
3. "Volume settings"
4. Select the desired volume setting. 5.
To adjust: turn the controller.
6. To store: press the controller.
Resetting the tone settings
1. "CD/Multimedia", "Radio" or "Settings"
2. "Tone"
3. "Reset" Opening the tone settings in
the Options menu

*
1. "CD/Multimedia" or "Radio"
2. If necessary, select additional entries, for ex‐
ample, "FM" or

"CD/DVD".
3. Open "Options".
4. "Tone"
5. Set the desired tone.
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3.
"Storing..." 4.
"Cancel storing"
The storage process is interrupted and can be
continued at any time.
Continuing the storage process
1. "CD/Multimedia"
2. "CD/DVD"
3. Select the symbol for the CD/DVD player.
4. "Continue storing"
Storage of the CD/DVD continues at the begin‐
ning of the track at which storage was inter‐
rupted.
Album information
During
storage, information such as the name of
the artist is stored with the track, if this informa‐
tion is available in the vehicle database or on the
CD.
To update the database, contact your service
center.
Storing from a USB device
To store music, a suitable device must be con‐
nected to the USB interface in the glove com‐
partment.
▷ Suitable devices: USB mass storage devi‐
ces,

such as USB flash drives or MP3 players
with a USB interface.
▷ Unsuitable devices: USB hard drives, USB
hubs, USB memory card readers with mul‐
tiple

inserts, Apple iPod/iPhone. Music from
the Apple iPod/iPhone can be played via the
USB audio interface in the center armrest. 1.
Connect the USB device to the USB inter‐
face in the glove compartment, refer to
page 139.
2. "CD/Multimedia"
3. "Music collection"
4. Open "Options".
5. "Music data import/export"
6. "Import music (USB)" Playing music
Music search
All tracks for which additional information has
been stored can be accessed by the music
search. Tracks without additional information
can be called up via the corresponding album,
refer to page
190.
1. "CD/Multimedia"
2. "Music collection"
3. "Music search" Seite 189
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Rear entertainment*
Controls
1
Screen, left
2 Screen, right
3 Center armrest, remote control
4 CD/DVD player
Rear CD/DVD player 1
CD/DVD slot
2 Eject CD/DVD
3 On/off, right
4 Headphone connection, right
5 RCA sockets
6 Headphone connection, left
7 On/off, left
Switching the system on/off Press the left or right side of the button
on the CD/DVD player in the rear for the
respective page. Rear entertainment and screens are switched
on/off.
After

switching off the ignition, the system must
be switched on again.
Screens
Adjusting
Danger of burns when screen is folded out
Do not reach behind the screen; other‐
wise, there is the danger of getting burned. The
back of the screen can become very hot.◀ ▷
To fold out: pull at the bottom edge.
▷ To fold in: press against the bottom edge.
Notes
▷ Do not cover lower screen edge, since this
is where the sensors and the infrared inter‐
face are installed.
▷ When loading the rear seats and adjusting
the backrest of the front seat, fold in the
screens.
▷ When using the through-loading system,
fold the screens down.
▷ When cleaning the screen, follow the care
instructions, refer to page 271. Seite 201
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Reading the appointment out loud*
Read the appointment out loud, refer to
page
228.
Tasks
Displaying the task list
Display tasks that are due within the next
90 days.
1. "Office"
2. "Tasks"
Sorting the task list
1. Select the header in the task list. 2.
Select the sorting criterion:
▷"Priority (!)"*
▷ "Subject"
▷ "Due date"
Displaying the task
1. Select the desired task.
2. Scroll in the task if necessary:
▷Turn the controller.
▷ Select the symbol.
Using contact data
Contact data from appointments, e-mails and
notes can be saved or selected*, refer to
page 228.
Reading the task out loud
*
Read the task out loud, refer to page 228.Notes
Displaying notes
1.
"Office"
2. "Notes"
All notes are displayed.
Displaying the note
1. Select the desired note. 2.
Scroll in the note if necessary:
▷Turn the controller.
▷ Select the symbol.
Using contact data
Contact data from appointments, e-mails and
notes can be saved or selected*, refer to
page 228.
Reading the note out loud

*
Read the note out loud, refer to page 228.
Reminders
Displaying reminders
Reminders of pending appointments and tasks
are displayed. After an appointment or after a
task is due, the reminder is no longer displayed.
1. "Office"
2. "Reminders"
3. Select the desired reminder.
The corresponding appointment or the task are
displayed.
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BMW ConnectedDrive
BMW Assist*
General information
BMW
Assist provides you with certain services,
e.g., transmission of the position data of your
vehicle to the BMW Assist Response Center if
an Emergency Request* has been initiated.
Many BMW Assist services depend on the indi‐
vidually agreed upon contract.
After your contract has expired, the BMW Assist
system will be deactivated by the BMW Assist
Response Center without your having to visit a
service center. After the BMW Assist system
has been deactivated, no BMW Assist services
will be available. The BMW Assist system can be
reactivated by a service center after you sign a
new contract.
Requirements
▷ The installed BMW Assist system is logged
in to a wireless communications network.
This network must be capable of transmit‐
ting the services.
▷ To transmit position data, the vehicle must
be able to determine the current position.
▷ The BMW Assist service contract was
signed with your service center or with the
BMW Assist Response Center. Enabling
must have been completed.
▷ BMW Assist is activated.
Services offered
▷ Emergency Request: when you press the
SOS button, a connection to the BMW As‐
sist Response Center is established. The
BMW Assist Response Center then speaks
with

you and takes further steps to help you.
▷ Automatic Collision Notification: under cer‐
tain conditions, a connection is established
to

the BMW Assist Response Center after a
serious accident. If possible, the BMW As‐ sist Response Center then speaks with you
and takes further steps to help you.
▷ Enhanced Roadside Assistance: BMW
Roadside Assistance* can be contacted if
assistance

is needed in the event of a break‐
down. If possible, the vehicle and position
data are transmitted in the process.
▷ Customer Relations: connection with Cus‐
tomer Relations for information on all as‐
pects of your vehicle.
▷ TeleService: data on your vehicle's service
status or required inspections are transmit‐
ted to your service center, either automati‐
cally before a service due date or when you
request a BMW service appointment.
▷ Remote Door Unlock: the BMW Assist Re‐
sponse

Center provides assistance if, for ex‐
ample, the remote control is not available
and the vehicle needs to be opened.
▷ Stolen Vehicle Recovery: after you report
that

your vehicle was stolen to the police, the
BMW Assist Response Center can deter‐
mine its position.
▷ In addition to these services, the optional
Convenience Plan offers Concierge service
and information for route planning, traffic,
and weather. A limited number of calls can
be made via the BMW Assist Response
Center with Critical Calling if, for example,
the mobile phone is not available or dis‐
charged.
Press the SOS button to contact the BMW
Assist Response Center.
BMW TeleService*
General information
TeleService

supports communication with your
service center.
▷ Data on the vehicle's service requirements
can

be sent directly to the service center. In
this way, the service center can plan its work
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BMW ConnectedDrive