steering BMW 6 SERIES 2009 Owner's Manual

Controls
101Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
used as a continuous viewing window for driv-
ing at night.
No system, no matter how sophisticated, can
operate without limitations. BMW Night Vision
operation is subject to physical and environ-
mental limitations that will reduce the ability of
the system to detect and display a clear thermal
image. Some of the situations in which these
limitations can occur are:
>on steep hilltops or depressions and in tight
curves
>in tunnels, as the contrast is inherently low
>when the camera lens is dirty
>in dense fog, heavy rain or snowfall
>when displaying very hot objects such as
transformers, car exhausts etc.
>when the image briefly freezes during nor-
mal system adjustment.
BMW Night Vision's potential benefits
can be limited by the driving style of the
driver, the size and relative temperature of the
detected objects, dirt or contamination on the
camera lens, adverse weather like snow, rain or
fog, and other factors not mentioned here. It will
always be the driver's responsibility to drive at a
speed and in a manner that recognizes potential
hazards and adjust accordingly.
BMW Night Vision is not a substitute or replace-
ment for the driver's responsibility to adapt to
visibility and traffic conditions. The forward view
illuminated by the headlamps must always be
the basis for making safe driving decisions, oth-
erwise a safety risk will result. 1.Turn the light switch to position2 or3, refer
to page104.
2.With low beams switched on:
>Press the button. Depending on the
vehicle's equipment, the location of the
button may differ somewhat.
>Press one of the programmable buttons
on the steering wheel, refer to page57.
The image will be displayed on the Control Dis-
play after a few seconds. Depending on the last
mode selected, either the normal or full screen
image will be displayed.
Due to the system's need to adjust periodically,
a still image is displayed at certain intervals for
fractions of a second. This is normal and not an
indication of a problem.
To prevent driving without headlamps, at a
speed of more than approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and
when dark, the thermal image on the Control
Display is only shown when the low beams are
on.
Deactivating BMW Night Vision
>Press the button.
>Press the button on the steering wheel.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
102 >Press the button.
>Via iDrive, refer to Selecting settings.
Selecting settings
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Activate BMW Night Vision.
2.Press the controller to display the menu
items.
3.Select the menu item and press the control-
ler:
>"Night Vision off":
Deactivate BMW Night Vision.
>"Zoom":
At higher speeds, the image is zoomed
in.
>"Curve mode":
Depending on the steering angle and
other parameters, the image section fol-
lows the course of the road to some
degree.
>"Full screen":
The image is shown on the entire Con-
trol Display.
>"Contrast":
The contrast of the screen can be
adjusted.
>"Brightness":
The brightness of the screen can be
adjusted.
"Curve mode" can only be activated with
the "Zoom" function switched on. With
"Full screen" activated, "Curve mode" and
"Zoom" cannot be selected. currently in use.
To exit the menu:
The image automatically disappears after
approx. 5 seconds.
Cleaning camera
The function of the camera may be affected by
heavy rain and fog, dirt, snow or ice on the lens.
When this occurs, the displayed image on the
Control Display may become gray.
To minimize icing, the camera lens is automati-
cally heated. However, it may be necessary to
clean the camera lens manually under severe
weather conditions. When doing so, cautiously
remove any debris, ice or snow. To avoid dam-
age to the lens, do not use sharp or abrasive
instruments to clean ice, snow, or dirt off the
lens.
When the windshield is cleaned with the head-
lamps on, the camera lens area is automatically
sprayed as well. Refer to page66.
Leaving lane warning*
The concept
This system warns you from a speed of approx.
40 mph/70 km/h when the vehicle is leaving the
lane you are currently in on roads with lane limit
lines. You feel this due to a slight vibration of the
steering wheel.
The system does not warn you if you signal
before leaving the lane.
It is best to use the system on well-developed
roads and freeways.

Controls
103Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching on/off
Press the button on the steering wheel.
>The two lines1 indicate that the system is
activated.
>The two arrows2 mean that the system has
detected one or two lane limit lines from a
speed of approx. 40 mph/70 km/h and
warns accordingly.
If you activate the system below a speed of
approx. 40 mph/70 km/h, a message will appear
stating that the system is not active until this
speed is reached.
A warning will be canceled:
>after approx. 3 seconds
>if you return to your lane
>if you brake heavily
>if you signal
System limits
The leaving lane warning cannot serve as
a substitute for your personal judgment in
determining the course of the road.
If the system issues a warning, do not move the
steering wheel with unnecessary severity, as
otherwise you could loose control of the vehi-
cle.<
The function of the system may be limited in the
following example situations:
>in heavy fog, rain or snowfall
>with worn-away, poorly visible limit lines, or
lines that run together or apart or are
unclear, e.g. in road construction areas
>when limit lines are covered by snow, ice,
dirt or a great deal of water
>in tight curves or on narrow roads>when limit lines are not white
>when limit lines are covered by objects
>when driving up close behind a vehicle driv-
ing ahead
>with bright counter light
>when the windshield is fogged up, dirty or
covered with stickers, vignettes etc. in the
area of the inside rearview mirror

Lamps
106
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into position 3, refer to page104.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light is not active when driving in reverse
and points toward the passenger side when the
vehicle is stopped.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
up to the resistance point, arrow3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off. A sensor on the front side of
the inside rearview mirror controls the process.
The assistant makes sure that the high beams
are switched on whenever traffic conditions
permit. This relieves you of the burden of con-
stantly switching back and forth and simulta-
neously provides you with the best possible vis-
ibility. Naturally, you can intervene at any time to
switch the high beams on and off as usual.
Activating system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to
page104.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam
direction.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the high-beam
assistant is activated. The system
automatically switches between high beams
and low beams, reacting to oncoming traffic,
vehicles ahead of you, and sufficiently lit areas,
e.g. in built-up zones.
Manually switching between high
beams and low beams
If you wish or the situation requires, you can
intervene at any time.

Things to remember when driving
128 the road surface, ultimately undermining your
ability to steer and brake the vehicle.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tread
depth of the tires decreases, refer also to Mini-
mum tire tread on page217.
Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the road if it
is deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only at
walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Using handbrake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle in
place for a long time by riding the clutch;
use the handbrake. Otherwise greater clutch
wear will result.<
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. In situations that require it, it is best to
brake with full force. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
brake pedal. Even light but consistent
pedal pressure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake failure.<
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure
that full braking efficiency will then be available
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and thus reduced
efficiency of the brake system, downshift to a gear in which only minimal brake applica-
tions are needed when descending long or
steep downhill stretches. Even light but consis-
tent pressure on the brake can lead to high tem-
peratures, brake wear and possibly even brake
failure.<
The braking effect of the engine can be further
increased by downshifting, if necessary all the
way down into first gear. This strategy helps
you avoid placing excessive loads on the brake
system. For information on downshifting in the
manual mode of the sport automatic transmis-
sion, refer to page63.
Do not drive with the clutch depressed, in
idle or with the engine switched off, other-
wise there will be no engine braking action or
support of the braking force and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area of movement
of the pedals and impair their operation.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
When vehicle is parked
Condensation forms in the air conditioner sys-
tem during operation, and then exits under the
vehicle. Traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this vehicle
from being damaged, always fold them in by
hand before entering an automatic car wash.

Navigation
Driving tips
139Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
2.Turn the controller to the right until the
request for the entry of a street in the coun-
try appears and press the controller.
3.Change to the second field from the top and
enter the street.
Entering house number
All house numbers stored for the street on the
navigation DVD can be entered.
1.Select "House number" and press the con-
troller.
2.Enter the house number:
Select the desired digits and press the con-
troller.
3.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until the house number
is selected and press the controller.
Starting destination guidance with
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If the destination guidance does not need to
be started immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press
the controller.The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page143.
Entering destination via
voice*
You can enter a desired destination via the
voice command system. When entering the
destination, it is possible to change between
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command function for this pur-
pose if necessary.
With {Options} you can have the possible
commands read aloud.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of
destination.
Say the name of the country of destination in
the language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an
entire word.
Spelling destination
To enter the destination, spell it using the
orthography of the country of destination.
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal
2.{Enter address}
2.Say the name of the country of destina-
tion.

Destination guidance
152
Repeating and canceling voice
instructions
With the programmable buttons on the steering
wheel, you can also make the following set-
tings, refer to page57:
>Repeat the voice instruction:
Press button.
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press button longer.
Setting volume of voice instructions
The volume can only be adjusted while a voice
instruction is being output.
1.Repeat the last voice instruction, if neces-
sary.
2.Turn the knob during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.
This volume is independent of the volume of the
audio sources.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Bypassing route sections
During destination guidance, you can revise the
navigation system's route recommendations to
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the
number of miles/kilometers that you want to
travel before returning to the original route.1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until "New route" is
selected and press the controller.
3.Turn the controller to enter the desired
number and press the controller.
The route is recalculated.
To exit from the menu without changing the
route:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Traffic information*
In many congested areas, you can receive traf-
fic information transmitted by radio stations.
The traffic conditions are monitored by traffic
management centers and the traffic information
is periodically updated.
During destination guidance, the traffic infor-
mation relevant to your planned route is auto-
matically displayed. Whether destination guid-
ance is active or not, you can have the traffic
information displayed in the map view or in the
traffic info list.
Switching reception of traffic
information on/off
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.

On/off and tone
160
On/off and tone
The following audio sources have shared con-
trols and setting options:
>Professional
* radio or
Business radio
>CD player
>CD changer
*
Controls
The audio sources can be operated using:
>Buttons in the area of the CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
>Programmable memory buttons, refer to
page22
Buttons near CD player
The layout of the buttons can vary depending
on your vehicle's equipment.
One drive:
Two drives:1Entertainment sound output on/off, volume
>Press: switch on/off.
When the system is switched on, the
most recently selected radio station or
CD track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume.
2Drive for audio CDs
3 Eject CD
4 Station scan/track search
>Change radio station.
>Select track for CD player and
CD changer.
5Drive for navigation DVDs
Operation via iDrive
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"WB": weatherband station
>"SAT": satellite radio
>"CD": CD player or CD changer
*
>"AUX": AUX-IN connection
>USB-audio interface
*
>"Set": depending on the audio source,
other adjustments can be made, e.g. with
the radio: update station with strongest
reception, store station, tone control, sam-
ple stations.

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
161Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
From another menu, you can change
directly to the screen last displayed,
refer to Comfort opening of menu items,
page19.<
From radio readiness, the selected audio
source is stored for the remote control currently
in use.
Switching on/off
To switch the Entertainment sound output on
and off:
Press knob1 next to the CD player.
This symbol on the Control Display indi-
cates that sound output is switched off.
For a single drive, the sound output is available
for approx. 20 minutes with the ignition
switched off.
Switch on the sound output again for this pur-
pose.
Adjusting volume
Turn knob1 next to the CD player until the
desired volume is set.
You can also adjust the volume with the buttons
on the steering wheel, refer to page11.
From radio readiness, the setting is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e. g. treble
and bass, or the speed-dependent volume
increase.
The tone settings are set for all audio sources at
once.
From radio readiness, the settings are stored
for the remote control currently in use.
Changing tone settings
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is
selected and press the controller.
4. "Audio" and press the controller.
The tone settings can also be selected if you
have called up "Entertainment" in the start
menu:
Select "Set" and then "Tone", pressing the
controller after each selection.
Treble and bass
1.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Treble / Bass" is selected
and press the controller.
2.Move the controller to the left or right to
select "Treble" or "Bass".
3.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
165Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
>"Manual":
To set stations that can be received in addi-
tion to those displayed, refer to Selecting
frequency manually on page165.
Changing selection criteria
In addition to the stations currently displayed,
you can have stations with another selection
criterion displayed.
You can choose from the following selection
criteria:
>"All stations":
Stations that can currently be received in
the "FM" waveband.
>"Autostore":
Stations with the best reception on the
"AM" waveband.
>"Presets":
Stations you have previously stored, refer to
page166.
>"Manual":
To set stations that can be received in addi-
tion to those displayed, refer to Selecting
frequency manually on page165.
1.Change into the second field from the top.
2.Turn the controller until the desired selec-
tion criterion is selected and press the con-
troller.
Buttons next to CD player
Press the button for the corresponding
direction.
The system changes to the next displayed sta-
tion.
You can also change stations with the buttons
on the steering wheel, refer to page11.
Sampling stations, scan
The system plays a brief sample from each of
the stations on the current waveband.
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
"Set" is selected.
2.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
3.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
The stations are sampled.
To end sampling:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
This cancels sampling of the stations, and the
radio remains on the current station.
Buttons next to CD player
To sample the stations, press and hold the
button for the corresponding direction.
To stop scanning, press the button again.
Selecting frequency manually
With "Manual" you can select stations that are
received in addition to those displayed.
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the second field from the top.