2008 BMW 5 Series Owner's Manual - Page 78

Driving Active cruise control may brake when you reduce the stored desired speed; however, the driver must constantly monitor traffic and intervene if necessary. When you switch off the engine or ignition, active cruise control is fully switched off, too, and any settings you have selected are canceled. Take action yourself, otherwise there is a risk of an accident.< Behavior in curves Unexpected lane change If the selected desired speed for a curve is too high, the system reduces the speed within a curve. However, it cannot detect curves in advance. Therefore, select a suitable speed at the start of a curve. If a vehicle in front of you is behind a stopped vehicle and unexpectedly changes lanes, you must react yourself, as the system does not react to stopped vehicles. Because of the limited range of the system, it is possible that in curves or on the peaks and valleys of hilly roads, a vehicle ahead may be recognized late, or not at all. Therefore, it is up to the driver to select a speed that is prudent in view of the curves and terrain of the roadway. Swerving vehicles When a vehicle swerves out of adjacent lanes into your lane, the system does not detect the vehicle until it is completely in your lane. When a vehicle ahead suddenly swerves into your lane, the system may not be able to restore the selected distance automatically. This also applies to great differences in speed between your vehicle and vehicles ahead, e.g. when quickly approaching a truck. Once the system has established that a vehicle is indeed in front of you, it will indicate that you must brake and/or maneuver the vehicle yourself. 76 In approaching a curve, it is possible that active cruise control might react briefly to a vehicle in the adjacent lane. In addition, the system can sense if your vehicle is in a curve and may not accelerate. If your vehicle decelerates in either case, you can choose to overcome the deceleration by briefly pressing the accelerator pedal. Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 0 014 240 - © 08/07 BMW AG