Technology for driving comfort and safety, Pdc park distance control – BMW 325xi Sports Wagon 2006 User Manual

Page 67

Technology for driving comfort and safety

PDC Park Distance Control*

The concept

The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight
parking spaces. Acoustic signals warn you of
the presence of an object in front of

or behind

your car. To measure the distance, there are
four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper.
An acoustic warning sounds once an object is
closer than approx. 2 ft/60 cm to the front sen-
sors

or both rear corner sensors, or closer than

approx. 5 ft/1.50 m to the rear 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.

Automatic mode

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 automatic transmission selec-
tor lever to position R. Wait this short period
before driving.

Switching on manually

Press the button, the LED lights up.

Switching off manually

Press the button again; the LED goes out.

The system is automatically deactivated once
the vehicle travels approx. 165 ft/50 m or
exceeds a speed of approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h;
the LED goes out. You can reactivate the sys-
tem as needed.

Signal tones

When nearing an object, its position is indicated
correspondingly by an interval tone. For exam-
ple, the tone sounds at the rear if the system
detects an object behind the car. 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.
The warning signal is canceled after approx.
3 seconds, if you are moving 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.

Manual mode

The LED above the button flashes in addition.

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 couplings,