BMW 523I Automobile User Manual


 
Technical features for driving comfort and safety
82
Technical features for driving comfort and
safety
Park Distance Control PDC*
Principle
PDC assists you when manoeuvring into
a parking space. Audible signals and a visual
display
*
indicate that you are approaching an
object in front of or behind your car. Four ultra-
sonic sensors in each bumper measure the dis-
tance from it. The sensors cover a range of
approx. 2 m or 7 ft. An acoustic warning does
not sound, however, until an object is approx.
60 cm or 2 ft or closer to the front sensors or
rear corner sensors, and approx. 1.5 m or 5 ft or
closer to the rear centre sensors.
PDC is a parking aid which is capable of
registering objects approached at low
speed, as is usually the case when the car is
being parked. Avoid approaching an object rap-
idly, otherwise the system may be unable to
alert you in sufficient time in view of the physical
principles involved.<
If the car is towing a trailer, the rear sensors will
be unable to supply meaningful signals. They
therefore do not come on.
Automatic activation
With the engine running or the ignition switched
on, the system is activated automatically after
approx. 1 second when you engage reverse
gear or move the selector lever to position R.
Wait briefly before starting to drive, to allow the
system to become active.
Switching on manually
Press the button, the LED comes on.
Switching off manually
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Once you have driven approx. 50 m, approx.
165 ft, or travelled at a speed of more than
approx. 30 km/h, approx. 20 mph, the system is
deactivated and the LED goes out. Switch the
system on again manually as necessary.
Audible warning signals
The fact that you are approaching an object is
indicated by an intermittent warning signal for
the part of the car in question. For instance, if an
object is identified to the rear left of the car, the
warning signal sounds at the rear left loud-
speaker. The closer the car approaches the
obstruction, the more rapid the sequence of
signals. When the distance from a detected
object is less than approx. 30 cm, approx. 1 ft,
the signal becomes continuous.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3 seconds:
> If you remain in front of an object that was
detected by only one of the corner sensors
> If you are driving parallel to a wall
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