steering wheel BMW 7 SERIES 2012 User Guide

Illuminated vanity mirror* in
the rear
Folding down
Press the button.
The vanity mirror folds down.
The angle can be adjusted by hand.
Folding up
Press the mirror up.
Steering wheel
General information
Do not adjust while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving; otherwise, an unexpected movement
could result in an accident.◀ Adjusting
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four di‐
rections.
Storing the position
Seat, mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer
to page
57.
Assistance getting in and out
The steering wheel temporarily moves into the
highest position to make it easier to enter and
exit the vehicle.
Steering wheel heating
*
Switching on/off Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out. Seite 60
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Adjusting

Before leaving the car with the engine running,
set
the parking brake and place the transmission
in position P or neutral to prevent the car from
moving.◀
Frequent starting in quick succession
Avoid repeated futile attempts at starting
the car and avoid starting the car frequently in
quick succession. Otherwise, the fuel is not
burned or is inadequately burned, and there is
the danger of overheating and damaging the
catalytic converter.◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at mod‐
erate engine speeds.
Starting the engine
Press on the brake pedal and
press the Start/Stop button.
The engine is cranked until it
starts.
Engine stop
General information Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for example,
cannot operate the windows and injure them‐
selves.◀
Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the vehi‐
cle, for example, by turning the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb. ◀
Before driving into a car wash
In order for the vehicle to be able to roll into a car
wash, heed the information regarding Washing
in automatic car washes, refer to page 271. Switching off the engine
1.
Engage transmission position P with the ve‐
hicle stopped.
2. Press the Start/Stop button.
The engine is switched off.
The radio ready state is switched on.
3. Set the parking brake.
Parking brake
The concept
The

parking brake is used to prevent the vehicle
from rolling when it is parked.
▷ Engine switched off: the parking brake acts
on the rear wheels.
▷ Engine running: the parking brake acts on
the disc brakes of the front and rear wheels
via the hydraulic brake system.
The parking brake can be set manually or auto‐
matically:
▷ Manual: by pulling and pushing the switch.
▷ Automatic: by activating Automatic Hold. Setting
Pull the switch.
The LED lights up.
The indicator lamp lights up in red. The
parking brake is set.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models Seite 66
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Driving

Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and
downward inclines, further secure the vehi‐
cle, for example, by turning the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb. ◀
While driving
Use while driving:
Pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the button is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up in red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lamps light up.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models
If the vehicle is braked to a speed of approx.
2 mph/3 km/h, the parking brake remains set.
Releasing Press the switch while the brake pedal is
pressed or transmission position P is en‐
gaged.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released.
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for example,
cannot release the parking brake.◀
Manual release
The parking brake can be released manually in
the event of a power failure or electrical fault.
Before releasing, secure the vehicle
against rolling
Before releasing the parking brake manually,
and whenever you park the vehicle with the
parking brake released, ensure that position P of
the automatic transmission is engaged. Secure the vehicle in a manner appropriate to
the inclination of the road, e.g., with a wheel
chock; otherwise, there is the danger of the ve‐
hicle rolling.◀
Unlocking
1.
Remove the release tool from the tool kit. 2.
Raise the floor panel in the cargo area. 3.
Take out the floor trim in the cargo area, re‐
moving

the screws with the release tool, ar‐
rows. Seite 67
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Controls At a glance

Switching off and brief wipe
Press the wiper levers down.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷
Brief wipe: press down once.
▷ To switch off normal wipe: press down once.
▷ To switch off fast wipe: press down twice.
Rain sensor
The concept
The time between wipes is controlled automat‐
ically
and depends on the intensity of the rainfall.
The sensor is located on the windshield, directly
in front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating/deactivating the rain sensor Press the button on the wiper lever.
When

activated, the wipers move over the wind‐
shield once.
The LED in the steering column stalk lights up. Deactivate the rain sensor in car washes
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through

an automatic car wash; otherwise, dam‐
age could be caused by undesired wiper activa‐
tion.◀
Rain sensor sensitivity Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield,

headlamps* Pull the lever.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In

addition, the headlamps are cleaned at regular
intervals when the vehicle lights are switched
on.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if there is any danger
that the fluid will freeze on the windshield; oth‐
erwise, your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use antifreeze.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; otherwise, you could damage the
pump.◀ Seite 71
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Controls At a glance

The bar display for the current fuel consumption
is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Energy recovery
The energy of motion of the ve‐
hicle
is converted to electrical en‐
ergy while coasting. The vehicle
battery is partially charged and
fuel consumption can be low‐
ered.
Odometer and trip odometer ▷Odometer, arrow 1.
▷ Trip odometer, arrow 2.
Display/reset miles Press the knob.
▷When the ignition is switched
off,

the time, external temper‐
ature and odometer are dis‐
played.
▷ When the ignition is switched on, the trip
odometer is reset.
Time The time is displayed at the bot‐
tom of the instrument cluster.
Setting

the time and time format,
refer to page 80.
Date The date is displayed in the in‐
strument cluster.
Setting the date and date format,
refer to page 80. Selection lists in the
instrument cluster
The concept
The following can be operated using the buttons
and the thumbwheel on the steering wheel:
▷
Current audio source.
▷ Redial on telephone*.
▷ Activation of the voice activation system*.
Activating a list and creating the
setting Press a button on the right side of the steering
wheel

or turn the thumbwheel to activate the re‐
quired list.
Create the setting using the thumbwheel.
Computer
Indication in the info display
The information from the com‐
puter is shown in the Info display
in the instrument cluster. Seite 77
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Controls At a glance

Safety
Airbags
1
Front airbag, driver
2 Front airbag, front passenger
3 Head airbag 4
Side airbag
5 Knee airbags
Front airbags
Front airbags help protect the driver and front
passenger by responding to frontal impacts in
which safety belts alone cannot provide ade‐
quate restraint.
Side airbags
In a lateral impact, the side airbag supports the
side of the body in the chest and lap area.
In a lateral impact, the side airbag supports the
side
of the body in the chest, lap, and head area.
Head airbags
In a lateral impact, the head airbag supports the
head. Knee airbag
The knee airbag supports the legs in a frontal
impact.
Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags
▷ Keep at a distance from the airbags.
▷ Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the

3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to keep
the danger of injury to your hands or arms as
low as possible if the airbag is triggered. Seite 88
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Safety

▷
There should be no people, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.
▷ Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.
▷ Keep the dashboard and window on the
front
passenger side clear, i.e., do not cover
with adhesive labels or coverings, and do not
attach holders such as for navigation instru‐
ments and mobile phones.
▷ Make sure that the front passenger is sitting
correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and legs
in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries can
occur if the front airbag is triggered.
▷ Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.
▷ Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as jack‐
ets, over the backrests.
▷ Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
can occur if the airbags are triggered.
▷ Do not remove the airbag restraint system.
▷ Do not remove the steering wheel.
▷ Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, cover them or modify
them in any way.
▷ Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents

or the wiring in the airbag system. This
also applies to steering wheel covers, the
dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars and the
sides of the headliner.◀
Even when all instructions are followed closely,
injury from contact with the airbags cannot be
ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term

and, in most cases, temporary hear‐
ing impairment in sensitive individuals.
In the case of a malfunction, deactivation
and after triggering of the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered; oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of burns. Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
your service center or a workshop that has the
necessary

authorization for handling explosives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or un‐
desired triggering of the airbag, either of which
could result in injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are
also found on the sun visors.
Functional readiness of the airbag
system When the ignition is switch on, the warn‐
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up briefly and thereby indicates the op‐
erational readiness of the entire airbag system
and the belt tensioner.
Airbag system malfunctioning
▷ In radio ready state, the warning lamp does
not come on.
▷ The warning lamp lights up continuously.
When there is a malfunction, have the air‐
bag system checked immediately
When there is a malfunction, have the airbag
system checked immediately; otherwise, there
is

a risk that the system does not function as ex‐
pected in the event of an accident despite cor‐
responding severity of the accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
The system determines whether the front pas‐
senger seat is occupied by measuring the re‐
sistance of the human body.
The front, knee, and side airbag on the front
passenger side are activated or deactivated ac‐
cordingly.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise, the front
passenger airbags may not function properly.◀ Seite 89
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Controls At a glance

For Canadian models: additional
information
The status display additionally shows the cur‐
rent tire inflation pressures and tire tempera‐
tures.
When correcting the tire inflation pressures,
note the following:
The tire pressure increases as the tire temper‐
ature increases.
Therefore, only correct the tire inflation pres‐
sure
when the tire is at the ambient temperature.
Compare the displayed tire temperature with
the external temperature in the instrument clus‐
ter.
Resetting the system
Reset the system after each correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
1. "Vehicle Info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Reset"
4. Start the engine - do not drive away.
5. Reset the tire pressure using "Reset".
6. Drive away.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After

driving for a few minutes, the set tire infla‐
tion pressures are applied as set values. The re‐
setting process is completed automatically dur‐
ing driving. The tires are shown in green and
"TPM active" is shown on the Control Display.
The trip can be interrupted at any time. If you
drive away again, the process resumes auto‐
matically.
If a flat tire is detected during a reset, all tires are
displayed in yellow.
Low tire pressure message
The yellow warning lamp lights up. A
Check Control message is displayed.
▷There is a flat tire or a major loss in
tire inflation pressure. ▷
The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus warns based on the infla‐
tion pressures initialized last.
1. Reduce your speed and stop cautiously.
Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2. Check whether the vehicle is fitted with reg‐
ular tires* or run-flat tires*.
Run-flat

tires, refer to page 251, are labeled
with a circular symbol containing the letters
RSC marked on the tire sidewall.
When a low inflation pressure is indicated, DSC
Dynamic
Stability Control is switched on if nec‐
essary.
Actions in the event of a flat tire
Normal tires*
1. Identify the damaged tire.
Do this by checking the air pressure in all
four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
If an identification is not possible, please
contact the service center.
2. Rectify the flat tire.
Use

of tire sealant, e.g., the Mobility System,
may damage the TPM wheel electronics. In
this case, have the electronics checked at
the next opportunity and have them re‐
placed if necessary.
Run-flat tires*
You
can continue driving with a damaged tire at
speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
Do not continue driving if the vehicle is not
equipped with run-flat tires; continued driving
may result in serious accidents.◀ Seite 92
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Safety

Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive with a damaged tire:
1.
Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2. Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
3. Check the air pressure in all four tires at the
next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
The possible driving distance after a loss of tire
inflation pressure depends on the cargo load
and the driving style and conditions.
For a vehicle containing an average load, the
possible driving distance is approx. 50 miles/
80 km.
When the vehicle is driven with a damaged tire,
its handling characteristics change, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance, and altered self-steering
properties. Adjust your driving style accord‐
ingly. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers or driv‐
ing over obstacles, e.g., curbs, potholes, etc.
Because
the possible driving distance depends
on how the vehicle is used during the trip, the
actual distance may be smaller or greater de‐
pending on the driving speed, road conditions,
external temperature, cargo load, etc.
Continued driving with a flat tire
Drive moderately and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
A loss of tire inflation pressure results in a
change in the handling characteristics, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance and altered self-steering prop‐
erties.◀
Final tire failure
Vibrations or loud noises while driving can
indicate the final failure of the tire. Reduce speed
and stop; otherwise, pieces of the tire could come loose and cause an accident. Do not con‐
tinue

driving, and contact your service center.◀
Message when the system was not
reset
A Check Control message is displayed.
The system detected a wheel change but was
not reset.
Warnings regarding the current tire inflation
pressure are not reliable.
Check the tire inflation pressure and reset the
system.
Malfunction The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. A Check
Control message is displayed. No flat
tire can be detected.
Display in the following situations:
▷ A wheel without TPM electronics is fitted:
have

the service center check it if necessary.
▷ Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.
▷ TPM could not be fully reset. Reset the sys‐
tem again.
▷ Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same

radio frequency: after leaving the area
of the disturbance, the system automatically
becomes active again.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated

to the inflation pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la‐
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla‐
tion pressure for those tires.) As an added safety
feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that il‐
luminates a low tire pressure telltale when one Seite 93
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Controls At a glance

or more of your tires is significantly under-in‐
flated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them
to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and
may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a sub‐
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale. Your vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not operating prop‐
erly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is com‐
bined with the low tire pressure telltale. When
the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then re‐
main continuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups
as long as the malfunction exists. When the mal‐
function indicator is illuminated, the system may
not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for
a variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re‐
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Lane departure warning*
The concept
This system issues a warning at speeds above
approx. 40 mph/65 km/h if the vehicle is about
to leave the lane on roads with lane markings.
The steering wheel begins vibrating gently.
The system does not provide a warning if the
turn signal is set before leaving the lane. Switching on/off
Press the button.
▷ On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out.
The system can issue warnings at speeds above
approx. 40 mph/65 km/h.
The state is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Display ▷
Lines, arrow 1: the system is activated.
▷ Arrows, arrow 2: at least one lane marking
was detected and warnings can be issued.
Issued warning
If you leave the lane and if a lane marking has
been detected, the steering wheel begins vi‐
brating.
If

the turn signal is set before changing the lane,
a warning is not issued.
End of warning
The warning ends:
▷ Automatically after approx. 3 seconds.
▷ When returning to your own lane. Seite 94
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Safety