Steering wheel BMW M6 COUPE 2006 E63 Owner's Guide

Controls
71Reference
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Mobility
are already shown there before a signal tone
sounds. The setting is stored for the remote
control currently in use.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "PDC" is selected and press
the controller.
5.Select "PDC display on" and press the con-
troller.
The PDC screen is activated.
The display appears on the Control Display as
soon as PDC is activated.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstacles always remains with
the driver. Even when sensors are involved,
there is a blind spot in which objects cannot be
detected. This applies especially in those cases
where the system approaches the physical con-
straints of ultrasonic measurement, as occurs
with tow bars and trailer couplings, and in the
vicinity of thin or wedge-shaped objects. Low
objects already displayed, e.g. a curb, can dis-
appear from the detection area of the sensors
again before a continuous tone sounds. Higher,
protruding objects, e.g. ledges, cannot be
detected. Loud noises from outside and inside
the vehicle may prevent you from hearing the
PDC signal tone.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability under extreme conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents the wheels from locking during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during hard braking. This increases active
driving safety.
ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. For information on safe braking, refer to
page99.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
This system provides further enhancements to
vehicle stability and steering response when
braking while cornering or when braking during
a lane change.
Electronic brake-force distribution
This system controls the brake system's appli-
cation pressure at the rear wheels to ensure
stable deceleration.
DBC Dynamic Brake Control
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC optimizes the vehicle stability and traction.
It also detects unstable driving states such as
understeering and oversteering, and helps
keep the vehicle on course within the physical
limits by reducing the engine output and by
braking at the wheels.
The DSC is operational every time you start the
engine.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
72 The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Do not reduce the additional safety mar-
gin of the system by taking risks.<
DSC indicator lamp
The indicator lamp goes out shortly
after the engine is started.
The indicator lamp flashes: DSC is con-
trolling the drive forces and brake forces.
The indicator lamp stays lit: DSC is deactivated.
M Dynamic Mode MDM
The M Dynamic Mode is a mode of the DSC
Dynamic Stability Control. It enables driving
with greater longitudinal and lateral accelera-
tion on dry road surfaces, however with limited
vehicle stability. The system does not provide
stabilizing intervention by reducing the engine
output and braking at the wheels until the abso-
lute driving limit is reached. Steering correc-
tions by the driver may also be required in this
driving state.
The M Dynamic Mode is deactivated each time
the engine is started.
With the M Dynamic Mode activated, sta-
bilizing interventions are only carried out
to a reduced degree.<
To maintain vehicle stability, drive with
DSC activated and the M Dynamic Mode
deactivated whenever possible.<
MDM indicator lamp
The indicator lamp goes out shortly
after the engine is started. The indica-
tor lamp stays lit: M Dynamic Mode is
activated.
The indicator lamp lights up continuously and
the DSC indicator lamp flashes: the M Dynamic
Mode is active and controls the drive and brak-
ing forces.
Activating MDM
You activate the M Dynamic Mode with the
button on the steering wheel, refer to MDrive on
page46.With the ignition switched on you can change
the settings of MDrive on the Control Display.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "MDrive" and press the controller.
5.Select "DSC" and press the controller.
6.Select "M Dynamic Mode" and press the
controller.
Deactivating MDM again
Press the button on the steering wheel
again; the MDM indicator lamp goes out.
Switching off DSC
Press the DSC button; the DSC indicator lamp
lights up continuously. DSC and MDM are
deactivated.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
When rocking free and starting off from deep
snow or on loose road surfaces, it may be prac-
tical to briefly deactivate DSC.

Controls
73Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
To maintain vehicle stability, always drive
with the system switched on when possi-
ble.<
Reactivating DSC
Press the DSC button; the indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
You can also activate and deactivate DSC with
the button on the steering wheel, refer to
MDrive on page46.
EDC Electronic Damping
Control
The concept
If the influencing variables such as road surface
quality or operating conditions such as steer-
ing, braking etc. change, the damping automat-
ically adjusts to the new conditions within a
fraction of a second.
You can choose from three programs.
"Comfort" program
Select the "Comfort" program if you want com-
fort-oriented coordination of shock absorbers
and steering.
"Normal" program
The "Normal" program offers a balanced mix-
ture of the comfort and the sport program.
"Sport" program
Select the "Sport" program if you want a con-
sistently sporty coordination of shock absorb-
ers and steering.
Selecting program
Press the EDC button repeatedly:
>"Comfort": no LED lights up in the button.
>"Normal": one LED lights up in the button.
>"Sport": both LEDs light up in the button.
The last selected program is active each time
the engine is started.
You can also activate your preferred program
with the button on the steering wheel, refer
to MDrive on page46.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the infla-
tion pressures in the tires as you drive. The sys-
tem provides an alert whenever the inflation
pressure drops significantly in relation to the
pressure in another tire.
In the event of a pressure loss, the rolling radius
and therefore the rotation speed of the wheels
change. This change is detected and signaled
as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
To ensure the reliable signaling of a flat tire, the
system must be initialized at the correct tire
inflation pressure.
The initialization must be repeated after
every correction of the tire inflation pres-
sure and after every tire or wheel change.<

Controls
75Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire. To do this, check the
tire inflation pressure using the M Mobility
System, refer to Producing tire inflation
pressure on page187.
3.Repair flat tire with M Mobility System, refer
to page185, or replace the damaged wheel,
refer to Changing wheels on page187.Brake force display
>Left-hand picture: normal braking.
>Right-hand picture: heavy braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags3Side airbags
4Knee airbag
5Knee airbag
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please follow the adjustment instructions on
page39.<
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 a side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head airbag supports the head. The knee airbag
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 retention 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 doors and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner. Do not

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
76 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 carried out only by a BMW cen-
ter or a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with appropriately trained
personnel and has the required explosives
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, 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 airbag on the front passen-
ger 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 below.<
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 page48.
The front, knee and side airbag on the front pas-
senger side can be deactivated for teenagers
and adults in certain seat positions; the indica-
tor lamp for the front passenger airbags lights
up when this occurs. In these cases, change the
seat position so that the front passenger air-
bags are activated and the indicator lamp goes
out. If the desired status cannot be produced by
changing the seat position, transport the corre-
sponding person in the rear seat. Do not fit seat covers, seat cushion padding,
beaded mats or other items onto the front pas-
senger seat unless they are specifically recom-
mended by BMW. Do not place objects under
the seat which could press against the seat
from below. Otherwise a correct evaluation of
the occupied seat surface cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front,
knee and side airbag on the front passenger
side depending on whether the seat is occu-
pied. The indicator lamp shows whether the
front passenger airbags are activated or deacti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint system intended for the
purpose is properly detected on the seat.
The front, knee and side airbag on the front
passenger side are deactivated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when,
for example, a correctly seated person of
sufficient height is detected on the seat.
The front, knee and side airbag on the front
passenger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
But the front, knee and side airbag on the
front passenger side are still deactivated.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
78 5.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
6.Press the controller.
The information is shown on the Head-
Up Display.
"M View": the M view is shown in the
Head-Up Display. Information unavailable in
the M view appears on the Control Display
in gray and cannot be selected.
"M View": the default view is displayed.
The M view for the Head-Up Display can also be
selected with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page46.
The settings are stored for the remote key cur-
rently in use.
Default view
1Navigation instructions
2Stored desired speed of cruise control
3Speed
M view
1Current engine speed, highlighted
2Advance warning field of tachometer
3Red warning field of tachometer, also refer
to Tachometer on page59
4Speed
5Gear display
For information on the shift lights in the
tachometer, refer to page55.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is automatically
adapted to the ambient lighting conditions.
However, you can change the base setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "Brightness" and press the control-
ler.

Driving tips
99Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
the risk of serious property damage as well as
personal injury.<
Mobile communications devices in
vehicle
BMW advises against using mobile com-
munications devices, e.g. mobile phones,
inside the vehicle without a direct connection to
an external antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle
electronics and mobile communications device
can interfere with each other. In addition, there
is no assurance that the radiation emitted dur-
ing transmission will be conveyed out of the
vehicle interior.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and 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.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tread
depth of the tires decreases, also refer to Mini-
mum tire tread on page172.
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.<
Starting off
On slopes
The starting assistant enables starting off on
slopes virtually without rolling back.
1.Hold the vehicle with the footbrake.
2.Make sure that the handbrake is released.
3.Release the footbrake and immediately
drive off quickly.The starting assistant holds the vehicle
for approx. 1 second after releasing the
footbrake. Depending on the load, the vehicle
may also roll back slightly during this time.
After releasing the footbrake, immediately start
quickly, otherwise the starting assistant no
longer holds the vehicle after approx. 1 second
and it begins to roll back.<
Start off quickly on slopes. Do not hold
the vehicle on a hill by pressing the accel-
erator, but apply the footbrake or handbrake
instead. Otherwise overheating and heavy wear
can result in the area of the Sequential Manual
Transmission.<
To protect the clutch of the Sequential Manual
Transmission from overheating, the starting-off
behavior is changed under heavy loading, e.g. a
rapid succession of starts on slopes. This can
be noticed from shaking during starting off.
On a slippery surface
1.Select program "P 400" of M Engine
Dynamic Control, refer to page55.
2.Gently press accelerator pedal to prevent
wheels from spinning when starting off.
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.
The pulsing of he brake pedal indicates that the
ABS is controlling braking.
In certain braking situations the perforated
brake rotors can cause operating noises which,
however, have not effect on the performance
and operating safety of the brake system.
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.<

Destination entry
110 The related town/city is displayed after the
street name.
If a town/city has already been entered, you can
undo this entry. This may be practical if the
desired street does not exist in the entered des-
tination, because, for example, it belongs to
another part of the town/city.
1.Change to upper field.
The arrow is selected.
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 individual digits and press the
controller.
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 destination guidance is not to be started
immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page113.
Entering destination via
voice*
In conjunction with the Professional navigation
system, you can enter the desired destination
via the voice input system. When entering the
destination, it is possible to change between
speech input and iDrive at any time. Reactivate
the speech input function for this purpose if
necessary.
With {Options} you can have the system
read aloud the possible commands.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console.
2.{Enter address}

Navigation
Driving tips
121Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
Destination guidance
through voice instructions
Switching voice instructions on/off
Voice instructions can be switched on or off
during the destination guidance in the arrow or
map view:
Select the symbol and press the controller.
To switch the voice instructions on/off at any
time:
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Display settings"
is selected and press the controller.
4.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Languages" is selected and
press the controller.5.Select "Navigation voice instructions on"
and press the controller.
The voice instructions are switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use*.
Repeating and canceling voice
instructions
With the programmable button on the steering
wheel you can also make the following settings,
refer to page45:
>Repeat the voice instruction:
Press the button.
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Maintain pressure on the button for several
seconds.
Setting volume of voice instructions
The volume can only be adjusted during a voice
instruction.
1.Repeat the last voice instruction, if required.
2.Turn the knob during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.

On/off and tone
126
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 near CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
Buttons near CD player
The layout of the buttons can vary depending
on your vehicle's equipment.
Single drive:
Two drives:1Entertainment sound output on/off, volume
>Press: switch on/off.
When you switch on, the last set 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
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to call up
"Entertainment".
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"WB": Weather Band station
>"SAT": satellite radio
>"CD": CD player or CD changer
>"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.