mirror BMW 6 SERIES 2009 Owners Manual

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Convertible: opening and closing rear
window41
2Convertible: opening and closing windows
together41
3Convertible: opening and closing rear
windows41
4Opening and closing front windows40
5Exterior mirrors, folding in and out55
6Adjusting exterior mirrors55
Automatic curb monitor567
Turn signals65
High beams,
headlamp flasher106
High-beam assistant
*106
Roadside parking lamps106
Check Control81
Computer77

Voice command system
24
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out taking your hands off the steering wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. This frees you of
having to use the controller.
The voice command system transforms your
oral commands into control signals for the
selected systems and provides support in the
form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system includes a special
microphone.
The microphone is located:
>Near the interior rearview mirror in the
Coupe, refer to page14
>On the steering column in the Convertible
Precondition
Via iDrive, set the language that applies for the
voice command system in order to enable iden-
tification of the spoken commands. To set the
language of iDrive, refer to page86.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic signal tell you that the voice
command system can respond to com-
mands.
2.Say the command.
The command is displayed on the Control
Display.
This symbol is shown on the Control Display
when you can input additional commands.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice
command system.

Controls
31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding
remote control is detected and the settings
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW
set to your own personal settings even if
another person with his/her own remote control
and settings has used the vehicle since the last
time you drove it. The individual settings are
stored for a maximum of four remote controls,
for two with comfort access
*.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the
specified pages.
>Behavior of the central locking system
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page32
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to
page34
>Programming buttons on steering wheel,
refer to page57
>Displays on Control Display:
>12h/24h clock mode, refer to page85
>Date format, refer to page85
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page85
>Units of measure for consumption,
route/distances, temperature and pres-
sure, refer to page86
>Language on the Control Display, refer
to page86
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page66
>Welcome lamps, refer to page104
>Pathway lighting, refer to page105
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to
page105
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page106
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page87
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page98>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer
to page102
>Automatic climate control: for AUTO pro-
gram and intensity, cooling function, and
automatic recirculated air control/recircu-
lated air mode, temperature, air distribution,
temperature in the upper body region, refer
to page111
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for
destination guidance, refer to page151
In addition, the following, most recently
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Programmable memory buttons: selecting
stored functions, refer to page22
>Driver's seat, exterior-mirror and steering-
wheel position, refer to page51
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page161
>Radio: display of stored stations, refer to
page164
>Phone: adjusting volume, refer to page192
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Compartment in the front center console
>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Using door lock
>With comfort access
* via the door handles
These actions operate the anti-theft system
* at
the same time. It prevents the doors from being
unlocked using the lock buttons or door han-
dles. The interior lamps and the courtesy
lamps
* are also switched on and off with the

Opening and closing
38
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking: the
doors, hood or luggage compartment lid are
not properly closed. Even if you do not close
the alerted area, the system begins to mon-
itor the remaining areas, and the indicator
lamp flashes continuously after approx.
10 seconds. However, the interior motion
sensor is not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the remote control is inserted into the
ignition lock, however for a maximum of
approx. 5 minutes: your vehicle has been
disturbed while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
Coupe:
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
*
must be completely closed.
Convertible:
Monitors the interior up to the height of the seat
cushions. This means that the alarm system,
including the interior motion sensor, is armed
even if the convertible top is open. Falling objects, e.g. leaves, can trigger false alarms,
refer to Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In two-level garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains,
by sea or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort access*
Comfort access allows you to access your vehi-
cle without having to hold the remote control in
your hand. It is sufficient to carry the remote
control with you, e.g. in your jacket pocket. The
vehicle automatically detects the associated
remote control in the immediate vicinity or in
the interior.
Comfort access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking vehicle
>Comfort closing with Coupe
>Opening luggage compartment lid sepa-
rately
>Starting engine
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment lid
can only be locked if the vehicle detects that
the remote control you are carrying is out-
side the vehicle.

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory
You can store and select three different adjust-
ment settings for the driver's seat, exterior mir-
rors 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 page60.
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 button 1, 2 or3:
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, refer to page60.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1,
2 or3.
The system cancels the adjustment procedure
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.
The adjusting procedure for the steering wheel
is interrupted if you briefly press the switch for the steering wheel adjustment in any direction,
refer to page56.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch ignition
on or off, refer to page60.
2.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3
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, external
rearview mirrors, and steering wheel are stored
for the remote key currently in use.
You can select
* when the position is requested.
>Request when unlocking vehicle
>Request when opening driver's door. In the
Convertible, only this function is used.
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.<
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.

Controls
55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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.<
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level. 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 the button longer.
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 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 page51.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror
glass.
Folding exterior 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-
rors that have been manually 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.

Adjusting
56
Tilting down passenger-side 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 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 the steering-wheel position, refer to
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory,
page51.
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.

Driving
66
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever to the resistance point; the turn
signal flashes three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
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.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Lighting" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Triple turn signal" and press the
controller.
Triple turn signaling is activated.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating rain sensor4Cleaning windshield, headlamps and
BMW Night Vision camera
*
5Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Switching on wipers
Pull the lever upward, arrow1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system reverts to operation in the intermit-
tent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system reverts to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Rain sensor
The wiper operation is controlled automatically
as a function of the rain intensity. The rain sen-
sor is located on the windshield, directly in front
of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating rain sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Turn the knurled wheel5.
Deactivating rain sensor
Press the button again, arrow3. The LED goes
out.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page49.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head. The knee air-
bag protects the legs from colliding with the
cockpit.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way. Do not attempt to
remove the airbag restraint system from the
vehicle. Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in the air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the side trim panels on the
doors and on the Coupe, the roof pillars along
with the sides of the headliner. Do not attempt
to remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Otherwise unprofessional attempts to
service the system could lead to failure in an
emergency or undesired airbag triggering,
either of which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The system
correspondingly activates or deactivates the
front, knee and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child in the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page58.
The front, knee and side airbags on the front
passenger side can be deactivated for teenag-
ers and adults in certain sitting positions; the
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up when this occurs. In these cases,
change the sitting position so that the front pas-
senger airbags are activated and the indicator
lamp goes out. If the desired status cannot be
produced by changing the sitting position,
transport the corresponding person in the rear
seat.
Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion padding,
ball mats or other items onto the front passen-
ger seat unless they are specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not lay objects under the
seat which could press against the seat from
below. Otherwise a correct evaluation of the
occupied seat surface cannot be ensured.<

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
100 >Certain seating positions
>Objects on the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play
>Wet road surface and unfavorable lighting
conditions
If the image is distorted, please have the base
setting checked at a BMW center.
Special windshield
The windshield is part of the system. The shape
of the windshield complies with the require-
ments of the Head-Up Display to enable a pre-
cise display. A film in the windshield prevents
double images from being displayed.
Windshield replacement should be carried out
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.
Care instructions
You can find valuable information on this topic
under Care, starting on page227.
Only clean the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play with a soft, nonabrasive cloth or with
a display cleaning cloth; otherwise, you may
damage it.<
BMW Night Vision*
The concept
BMW Night Vision is a driver assistance system
that is designed to provide enhanced vision for
certain objects at night. This can be especially
helpful for detecting people and larger animals.
When objects are detected, the driver may be
able to take appropriate action sooner. For example, the driver may identify and detect the
presence of persons or animals in the road
ahead or off to the sides and can be more alert,
slow down or stop, blow the horn etc. The driver
can decide which actions are appropriate and
then react accordingly.
A certain area in front of the vehicle is viewed by
an infrared camera and a generated image is
shown on the Control Display. The resulting
thermal image shows the relative heat radiation
of the objects present in the camera's field of
view. Warmer objects appear brighter and
cooler objects appear darker. Contrast is
dependent on the temperature difference
between the objects and the background and
on the amount of heat radiation of the object
itself. As a result, it is quite possible that a per-
son is not continually recognizable as a person
in shape, since the thermal radiation can be
affected by different clothing which blocks heat
loss. Objects with little temperature difference
to the surrounding area, or little heat radiation
are less noticeable, for example in cold weather.
Any improvement in detection depends on
many factors such as the object size and tem-
perature compared to the surroundings, or
other nearby objects, the visual recognition
skills of the driver, weather conditions, and
other factors.
Driving hints
With the system active, periodically but briefly,
glance at the thermal image on the Control Dis-
play to notice objects that could be people or
larger animals. The glance should be similar to
glancing at the rear view mirror. Do not stare at
the image for long periods while driving, as this
will remove attention from the road. If you notice
an ob je c t o f intere st ahea d, be pre pare d to slow
down or stop, blow the horn, or take other
appropriate action.
System limits
The system is designed to supplement but not
replace forward vision through the windshield.
The driver is responsible for safe driving at
night. BMW Night Vision is not designed to be