Parking Brake; Manual Release - BMW 2011 550i xDrive Owner's Manual

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
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. ◀
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Driving
While driving
Use while driving serves as an emergency brak‐
ing function:
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.◀
Controls
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