Technology for driving comfort and safety, Park distance control pdc, Driving stability control systems – BMW M3 Sedan 2008 User Manual

Page 64: Te chnology for driving comfort and safe ty

chnology for

driving comfort

and

safe

Technology for driving comfort and safety

Park Distance Control PDC*

The concept

The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight
parking spaces. Acoustic signals warn you of
the presence of an object behind your vehicle.
To measure the distance, there are four ultra-
sonic sensors in the bumpers.
An acoustic warning does not sound until an
object is closer than approx. 24 in/60 cm to the
corner sensors, or closer than approx. 5 ft/
1.50 m to the center sensors.

PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached

slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an object at high speed, oth-
erwise physical circumstances may lead to the
system warning being issued too late.

Switching on automatically

With the engine running or the ignition switched
on, the system is activated after approx. 1 sec-
ond when you engage reverse gear. Wait this
short period before driving.

Switching off automatically

After approx. 165 ft/50 m of driving or over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system switches
off and the LED goes out.

Signal tones

When nearing an object, its position is indicated
correspondingly by an interval tone. As the dis-
tance between vehicle and object decreases,
the intervals between the tones become
shorter. If the distance to the nearest object
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
An interval tone is interrupted after approx.
3 seconds

if you stop in front of an object that has been
detected by only one of the corner sensors

if you are driving parallel to a wall.

Malfunction

The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. Have the system checked.

To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that
they will continue to operate effectively. When
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the
sensors for extended periods of time and only
from a distance of at least 4 in/10 cm.

System limitations

Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the

vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those
encountered with trailer towbars and hitches,
thin or wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low objects
that have already been displayed, e.g. curbs,
can disappear again from the detection area of
the sensors before or after a continuous tone
sounds. Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges,
cannot be detected. Therefore, always drive
cautiously, otherwise there is a risk of personal
injury or property damage. Loud sound sources
outside or inside the car can drown out the PDC
signal. Therefore, always drive cautiously, oth-
erwise there is a risk of personal injury or prop-
erty damage.

Driving stability control

systems

Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.