Get Controls -> Lights Guide for BMW Z4 2 Door Second Generation (2009-2016)

Lights

Controls

Lights

Vehicle equipment

Side lights/low-beam

headlights, driving lights

control

This chapter describes all the standard equip‐

ment, national-market-specific equipment and

optional extras offered in the model series.

Consequently, you will find that it contains de‐

scriptions of items not available in a particular

vehicle on account of a combination of options,

for example, or the constraints applying to cer‐

tain national-market versions. This also applies

to safety-relevant functions and systems.

Sidelights

Switch position

: the vehicle is illumina‐

ted all around, for example when parking.

You should not leave the sidelights on for lon‐

ger periods of time, since the battery could

discharge and you might not have enough

power to start the engine.

Country-specific regulations must be observed

when using the corresponding functions and

systems.

To park, it is better to switch on the one-sided

parking light, see page 75.

Low-beam headlights

Overview

Switch position

with the ignition switched

on: low-beam headlights are illuminated.

Welcome lights

On parking the vehicle, leave the switch in po‐

sition

or

: the sidelights and interior

light illuminate briefly when unlocking the vehi‐

cle.

Headlight courtesy delay feature

0

Lights off

If the headlight flasher is activated after switch‐

ing off the ignition, with the lights switched off,

the low-beam headlights illuminate and remain

on for a certain time.

Daytime driving lights

Sidelights

1

2

3

Low-beam headlights and welcome lights

Automatic driving lights control, daytime

driving lights, welcome light, Adaptive

Headlights and high beam assistance

When you open the driver's door with the igni‐

tion switched off, the exterior lights are

switched off automatically if the light switch is

in position 0, 2 or 3.

If required, switch on the sidelights, switch po‐

sition 1.

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Controls

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example in a tunnel, at twilight and in rain or

snow. LED beside the symbol lights up.

Setting the duration

Operating principle, see page 67.

The headlights may also come on when the

sun is sitting low in a blue sky.

1. Switch on the ignition.

2. Repeatedly tap button 1 on the turn indica‐

tor lever up or down until the symbol ap‐

pears, accompanied by "SET".

The low-beam headlights always remain on

when the rear fog light is switched on.

Personal responsibility

The driving lights control function is no

substitute for your individual judgement of

when it is necessary to switch on the lights.

The sensors are unable, for instance, to recog‐

nise fog or hazy weather. In such situations,

switch on the lights manually to avoid any

safety risk.◀

Daytime driving lights

3. Press button 2.

The daytime driving lights come on in switch

4. Tap button 1 on the turn indicator lever up

and down repeatedly until the symbol ap‐

pears.

position 0 or

.

Activating/deactivating

In some countries, daytime driving lights are

mandatory so it may not be possible to deacti‐

vate them.

Operating principle, see page 67.

1. Switch on the ignition.

2. Repeatedly tap button 1 on the turn indica‐

tor lever up or down until the symbol ap‐

pears, accompanied by "SET".

5. Press button 2.

6. Select with button 1:

▷

Function deactivated.

...

Select the duration, for

example 40 seconds.

7. Press button 2.

The setting is saved for the remote control

currently in use.

3. Press button 2.

Automatic driving lights control

Switch position

: depending on ambient

light conditions, the system switches the low-

beam headlights off and on automatically, for

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Controls

4. Tap button 1 on the turn indicator lever up

or down repeatedly until the symbol ap‐

pears.

Controls

Activating

Switch position

on.

with the ignition switched

Standstill function:

To prevent glare disturbing drivers of oncom‐

ing vehicles, the Adaptive Headlights point to‐

wards the front passenger's side.

Malfunction

The warning light illuminates. Adap‐

tive headlights are faulty or have

failed. Have the system checked as

soon as possible.

5. Press button 2.

6. Select with button 1:

▷

Daytime driving lights activa‐

ted.

▷

Daytime driving lights deacti‐

vated.

Headlight beam throw

adjustment

7. Press button 2.

The setting is saved for the remote control

currently in use.

Beam throw is adjusted automatically, for ex‐

ample when the car accelerates or brakes

sharply and to allow for differences in load.

Adaptive headlights

High-beam headlights/

parking lights

Principle

Adaptive headlights are a variable headlight

control system that makes it possible to illumi‐

nate the road surface responsively.

The beams from the headlights follow the road

ahead on the basis of the steering angle and

other parameters.

Depending on the speed, the variable light dis‐

tribution ensures even better illumination of

the roadway.

The light distribution is automatically adapted

to the speed. The city light is active as of a

speed of less than 50 km/h, 30 mph. The mo‐

torway light is switched on at a speed higher

than 110 km/h, 68 mph after approximately

30 seconds or as of a speed of 140 km/h,

87 mph.

1

2

3

High-beam headlights

Headlight flasher

Parking lights

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Controls

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adequate illumination, for example in built-up

areas.

Parking lights, left or right

There is an additional option of switching on

the lights on the side of the car facing the road

when parked.

Raising and dipping manually

Switching on

After parking the car, press the lever up or

down beyond the resistance point for a longer

period, arrow 3.

The parking lights will discharge the battery.

Therefore, you should not leave them on for

longer periods of time, as otherwise the bat‐

tery might not have enough power to start the

engine.

▷

High-beam headlights on, arrow 1.

High-beam headlights off / headlight

flasher, arrow 2.

Switching off

Press the lever in the opposite direction as far

as the resistance point, arrow 3.

To reactivate high beam assistance, tap the in‐

dicator stalk in the direction for the high beam

headlights.

High beam assistance

System limits

Principle

Personal responsibility

When the lights are on, this system switches

the high-beam headlights on and off automati‐

cally. This process is controlled by a sensor on

the front of the interior mirror. The assistant

ensures that the high-beam is switched on

whenever the traffic situation allows. You can

also control the lights yourself at any time and

switch them on and off as usual.

The high beam assistance cannot re‐

place the personal decision to use the high

beam. In such situations you should dip the

headlights manually in order not to create a

safety hazard.◀

In the following situations, the system will not

operate or its operation will be impaired and

your intervention may be required:

▷

During extremely unfavourable weather

conditions such as fog or heavy precipita‐

tion.

Activating high beam assistance

1. Turn the light switch to position.

2. While the low-beam headlights are

switched on, briefly press the turn indicator

lever in the direction for high-beam head‐

lights.

▷

When detecting poorly-lit road users such

as pedestrians, cyclists or horseback riders

or carts, and when trains or ships are close

to the road, or when game are passing

across the road.

The indicator light in the instrument

cluster is illuminated.

▷

On narrow bends, steep uphill or downhill

gradients, at traffic junctions or if your view

of oncoming vehicles on a motorway is ob‐

structed.

When the lights are on, the beam is

dipped and returned to full beam automatically.

The system responds to light from oncoming

traffic and traffic driving ahead of you, and to

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Lights

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▷

In poorly-lit towns and where there are very

reflective signs.

Once the light benders have been affixed the

headlights will not dazzle oncoming vehicles

when you drive on the normal side of the road,

so they can be affixed before you enter the

country in which the opposite rule of the road

applies.

▷

At low road speeds.

When the windscreen in front of the inte‐

rior mirror is covered with condensation,

dirt, stickers, labels, etc.

Remove the headlight converters before com‐

ing back to ensure an optimum beam pattern.

Field of view of the sensor

The field of view of the sensor is located on the

front of the interior mirror.

Instrument lighting

You can adjust the brightness of the instru‐

ment lighting only when the sidelights or the

low-beam headlights are switched on.

Do not cover this area with labels, stickers etc.

Cleaning the field of view, see page 183.

Rear fog lights

1. Repeatedly press button 1 on the turn indi‐

cator lever up or down until the appropriate

symbol appears on the display, accompa‐

nied by the brightness level and "SET".

Press button to activate/deactivate.

The low-beam headlights must be switched

on. The yellow indicator light in the instrument

cluster comes on when the rear fog lights are

in use.

2. Press button 2.

Left-hand/right-hand traffic

Your Service Centre can provide adhesive

light-bender converters to prevent the head‐

lights dazzling oncoming traffic when you drive

in a country in which the opposite rule of the

road applies.

3. Press button 1 up or down to select the

desired brightness.

Proceed in accordance with the enclosed in‐

structions when affixing the light benders to

the headlights.

4. Press button 2.

The display again shows the outside tem‐

perature and the time.

BMW recommends that the work be per‐

formed by your Service centre if you are not fa‐

miliar with the procedure.

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Controls

Lights

Interior lighting

The interior lights, the footwell lights, the door

entry lights, the boot lights and the ground

lights are controlled automatically.

The LEDs for the ground lights are set in the

door handles and illuminate the ground in front

of the doors.

In order to protect the battery, all lights inside

the car are switched off approximately 8 mi‐

nutes after the ignition is switched off, Start/

Stop button, see page 47.

Switching the interior lighting on/off

manually

Interior light:

To switch on and off, press the button.

If you want to keep the interior lights, footwell

lights, door entry lights and grounds lights per‐

manently off, press the button of the front inte‐

rior light for approximately 3 seconds.

Reading lights

There are reading lights beside the interior

light. To switch on and off, press the button.

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Controls -> Lights for Your BMW Z4 2 Door Second Generation (2009-2016)

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