Proximity Sensor setting

[cdog2964]

My proximity sensor isnt working when i have the car in drive and I wanted to find out if im missing a setting somewhere, or if its just broken. Example, when i pull into the garage, it doesnt go off when i get close the wall, other cars, etc. However, when i put in reverse, it works great. I looked in the manual and couldnt find any reference to a setting. Any ideas?

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by cdog2964

My proximity sensor isnt working when i have the car in drive and I wanted to find out if im missing a setting somewhere, or if its just broken. Example, when i pull into the garage, it doesnt go off when i get close the wall, other cars, etc. However, when i put in reverse, it works great. I looked in the manual and couldnt find any reference to a setting. Any ideas?

That's normal. It does not work when you are in drive unless you first shift into reverse or press the button on the the center console to turn it on. The reason is because if it was operational all the time it would beep every time somebody pulled up behind you at a stop light or you got too close to the car ahead of you.

[iamvanja]

Originally Posted by Opie55

The reason is because if it was operational all the time it would beep every time somebody pulled up behind you at a stop light or you got too close to the car ahead of you.

Porsche (and possibly others) triggers proximity sensors automagically as you approach obstacles while in D.
There's probably some threshold (speed under N mph?) under which this works but it can be done.

[cdog2964]

Originally Posted by iamvanja

Porsche (and possibly others) triggers proximity sensors automagically as you approach obstacles while in D.
There's probably some threshold (speed under N mph?) under which this works but it can be done.

Porsche and pretty much every car with proximity sensors in the last 5ish years. My nissan, Lexus and Ferd all tell me how close im getting to an object when im slowly pulling into the garage. Guess my 2014 is a bit too old...

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by cdog2964

My proximity sensor isnt working when i have the car in drive and I wanted to find out if im missing a setting somewhere, or if its just broken. Example, when i pull into the garage, it doesnt go off when i get close the wall, other cars, etc. However, when i put in reverse, it works great. I looked in the manual and couldnt find any reference to a setting. Any ideas?

You don't give a model year...but as the others already mentioned...PDC works automatically when in REVERSE. If you want to use the PDC sensors to help with parking when in a forward gear...then you can manually turn PDC on by pressing the button on your center console.

Again, not knowing your model year...some BMWs with the NBT have an auto PDC option that they can select in iDrive. This will automatically turn on the PDC sensors when moving in a forward gear (along with other criteria like low speed etc). My 2013 650ix GC doesn't have the auto PDC feature...but my 2014 X5 does.

[cdog2964]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

You don't give a model year...but as the others already mentioned...PDC works automatically when in REVERSE. If you want to use the PDC sensors to help with parking when in a forward gear...then you can manually turn PDC on by pressing the button on your center console.

Again, not knowing your model year...some BMWs with the NBT have an auto PDC option that they can select in iDrive. This will automatically turn on the PDC sensors when moving in a forward gear (along with other criteria like low speed etc). My 2013 650ix GC doesn't have the auto PDC feature...but my 2014 X5 does.

Thank you so much and Duh, didnt even realize that button was there. Problem solved. I can manage to push a button when i pull in...
Sorry everyone still getting familiar with this car. 2014 650i Xdrive BTW.
Thanks again

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by cdog2964

Thank you so much and Duh, didnt even realize that button was there. Problem solved. I can manage to push a button when i pull in...
Sorry everyone still getting familiar with this car. 2014 650i Xdrive BTW.
Thanks again

No problem...but also check iDrive...my memory is foggy on the exact way to do it...but try going into SETTINGS...then scroll down to PARKING...and then look for a box to check off if you have AUTO PDC....that way you may not have to press the PDC button when pulling into a parking space or your garage.

I say "may" because auto PDC may not come on if you are moving too fast...or if a curb is too low when pulling in forward.

I also will manually press the PDC button is if I'm in a parking lot and they have raised islands at the ends of the row or at the entrance/exit that I can't see. To help prevent curbing my wheels...I will press the PDC button to get the birds-eye view/surround view...and I can see exactly where the curbs are to prevent running over or into them.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

No problem...but also check iDrive...my memory is foggy on the exact way to do it...but try going into SETTINGS...then scroll down to PARKING...and then look for a box to check off if you have AUTO PDC....that way you may not have to press the PDC button when pulling into a parking space or your garage.

I say "may" because auto PDC may not come on if you are moving too fast...or if a curb is too low when pulling in forward.

I also will manually press the PDC button is if I'm in a parking lot and they have raised islands at the ends of the row or at the entrance/exit that I can't see. To help prevent curbing my wheels...I will press the PDC button to get the birds-eye view/surround view...and I can see exactly where the curbs are to prevent running over or into them.

My 2015 does not have the auto setting option, so I doubt his 2014 does.

[Wanwansuii]

Yeah, there are a lot of....interesting quirks about our 6 series platform. It is surprising that a vehicle of this caliber does not have auto pdc, an electronic trunk, interior passenger handle bars (on the ceiling), a glove box that locks, weird seat design, etc.

Don't get me wrong, it is still a technologically advanced vehicle all-around, and I feel my car is still more advanced than most cars on the road its age (and some current models), but for the price brand new, there are some things that have been forgotten about during the vehicle's design phase.

Anyways....I wonder if there is a way to engage auto pdc through bimmercode?

[hugo_nz]

Automatic PDC activation relies on extra sensors and a PMA module. It cannot be activated through software alone. I tried, and while you can get the option to show up in iDrive the missing hardware makes it impossible.

[tpb857]

Mine is a 2018 650 that I bought about a month ago. It does not have auto pdc, which surprised me. No big deal, I press the console button. What does bug me a bit is that it doesn't have a front camera or side cameras.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by tpb857

Mine is a 2018 650 that I bought about a month ago. It does not have auto pdc, which surprised me. No big deal, I press the console button. What does bug me a bit is that it doesn't have a front camera or side cameras.

The great majority of 650s have side view cameras, you just bought one where the original owner did not buy them.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Opie55

My 2015 does not have the auto setting option, so I doubt his 2014 does.

Ahhh...thanks for chiming in (as well as the other forum members that had 2014-up model years). Since my '13 model year has the CIC...I wasn't sure if the f06/f12/f13 got auto-PDC with the upgrade to NBT/ID4/ID5/ID6. As I mentioned above, my '14 f15 X5 does have auto-PDC....but it also has NBT/ID4.

[hugo_nz]

On older models like the F15 it’s often found in conjunction with the auto park assist option since the additional sensors are required to actively scan for parking spaces when driving below the activation speed threshold. While even the earliest Fxx 6er sales literature mentions park assist being available as an option I personally have never seen this on a 6-series. To add to this the park assist option (5DP) was only offered on non-xdrive 6ers which would make it a very rare option in the USA market.

[Qsilver7]

...I guess something else to add to the "peculiarity" list for this model:

• no auto PDC
• no "real" front camera (just the optional side cams & other surround view cams)
• no auto trunk/boot lid
• no soft close trunk/boot (since there was no auto trunk lid)
• no "OH JESUS" handles in the headliner to help with egress/ingress

...but I still love her anyway.