2009 BMW 5 Series Owner's Manual - Page 110

Lamps Lamps Parking lamps/low beams Automatic headlamp control* In switch position 3, the system activates the low beams and switches them on or off in response to changes in ambient light conditions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head Light* is active. The LED next to the symbol lights up when the low beams are on. You can also activate the daytime running lamps, refer to page 109. In the situations described above, the lamps then switch to low beams. 0 1 2 3 Lights off and daytime running lamps* Parking lamps and daytime running lamps* Low beams and welcome lamps Automatic headlamp control*, daytime running lamps*, welcome lamps, Adaptive Head Light* and high-beam assistant* A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can cause the lights to be switched on. The low beams remain switched on independent of the ambient lighting conditions when you switch on the fog lamps*.< The automatic headlamp control cannot serve as a substitute for your personal judgment in determining when the lamps should be switched on in response to ambient lighting conditions. For example, the sensors cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you should always switch on the low beams manually under these conditions.< If you open the driver's door with the ignition switched off, the exterior lighting is switched off when the light switch is in position 2 or 3. The daytime running lamps have already been switched off at the same time as the ignition. For this reason, switch on the side marker lamps as needed, switch position 1; otherwise, the vehicle is not lit. Welcome lamps If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3 when parking the vehicle, then when you unlock the vehicle, the parking lamps and interior lighting remain illuminated for a brief time. Parking lamps In switch position 1, the front, rear and side vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the parking lamps for parking. The parking lamps drain the battery. Do not leave them switched on for long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer be possible to start the engine. It is preferable to switch on the roadside parking lamps on one side, refer to page 110.< Activating/deactivating welcome lamps iDrive, for operating principle refer to page 16. 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 controller. Low beams The low beams light up when the light switch is in position 2 and the ignition is on. 108 Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 600 721 - © 08/08 BMW AG