Page 9 of 178

 
Contents
 
9
 
Passenger safety systems:
 
Airbags61
Transporting children safely63
Rollover protection system67
Vehicle Memory, Key 
Memory69
 
Driving:
 
Ignition lock70
Starting the engine70
Switching off the engine72
Parking brake72
Manual transmission73
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*74
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp 
flasher77
Washer/wiper system/Rain 
sensor*78
Cruise control*79
 
Everything under control:
 
Odometer81
Tachometer81
Energy control81
Fuel gauge82
Engine coolant temperature 
gauge82
Service interval display83
Check Control83
Clock84
Computer85
 
Technology for safety and 
driving convenience:
 
Park Distance Control (PDC)*87
Automatic Stability Control plus 
Traction (ASC+T)*88
Dynamic Stability Control 
(DSC)*90
Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)*92
Flat Tire Monitor*93
 
Lamps:
 
Parking lamps/Low beams96
Instrument lighting97
High beams/Standing lamps97
Fog lamps*98
Interior lamps98
 
Controlling the climate for 
pleasant driving:
 
Air conditioning100
Automatic climate control*104
 
Interior conveniences:
 
Glove compartment109
BMW Universal Transmitter*110
Storage compartments112
Cellular phone*113
Ashtray, front*113
Ashtray, rear*114
 
Loading and transporting:
 
Ski bag*115
Cargo loading116
Roof-mounted luggage rack for 
the hardtop*118
 
Controls and features
 
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36
To closeThe handle recesses in the interior trim 
panel of the luggage compartment lid – 
see arrows – make it easier to pull the 
lid down.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the 
travel path of the luggage com-
partment lid is clear when it is closed, 
following the same precautions as with 
all closing procedures.<
Operate the vehicle only when the 
luggage compartment lid is 
closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes 
could penetrate the interior of the vehi-
cle. <
Should it be absolutely necessary to 
operate the vehicle with the luggage 
compartment lid open, with closed con-
vertible top:
1. Close all windows
2. Greatly increase the quantity of air 
coming from the air conditioning or 
automatic climate control system, 
see page 100 or 104.
Emergency releaseThis lever releases the luggage com-
partment lid from inside the luggage 
compartment.
Luggage compartment lid
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        Page 75 of 178

75
NNeutralSelect only when stopping for an 
extended period.DDrive – automatic shift programThis position is designed for driving 
under all normal operating conditions. 
All forward gears are available.KickdownIn the kickdown mode, you achieve 
maximum acceleration and top speed 
in position D.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the 
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S manual operation and Sport 
ProgramMove the selector lever from D to M/S 
to activate the Sport Program; SD 
appears in the display panel. The M/S 
mode is recommended for perfor-
mance-oriented driving.
Once in the M/S mode you can tap the 
selector lever to switch the automatic 
transmission from the Sport Program to 
its manual selection mode.
This mode allows you to execute 
upshifts manually by tapping the lever 
toward +, while downshifts are selected 
by tapping in the "–" direction. The dis-
plays M1 through M5 appear in the dis-
play panel to indicate your current gear 
selection.
The Adaptive Transmission Control 
(ATC) executes upshifts and downshifts 
only when the new gear will provide a 
suitable combination of engine and 
road speed, i.e., ATC will not execute 
downshifts if the engine speed is too 
high. The desired, then the actual gear, 
briefly appear in the instrument cluster.
To accelerate quickly in the man-
ual mode for maneuvers such as 
passing another vehicle, shift down 
manually or employ the kickdown 
mode.<
Shifting from M/S to the selector lever 
positions P, R and N is possible only by 
going through D.
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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        Page 83 of 178

83
Service interval displayRemaining distance to next 
serviceThe displays shown in the illustration 
appear for a few seconds when the 
ignition key is in position 1 or higher or 
after the engine is started.
The next service due appears with the 
message OIL SERVICE or 
INSPECTION, together with the dis-
tance remaining in miles – in kilometers 
in Canada – before the next scheduled 
service.
The computer bases its calculations of 
the remaining distance on the preced-
ing driving style.
A flashing message and a "–" in front of 
the number mean that the service inter-
val has already been exceeded by the 
distance shown on the display. Please 
contact your BMW center for an 
appointment.
Check ControlDisplayWhen the ignition key is in position  2 or 
higher, the following information and/or 
conditions are indicated using symbols 
until the condition has been corrected.
1Check the low and high beams as 
well as the parking lamps
2Door open
3Luggage compartment lid open
4Check tail or brake lamps
When you open the driver's door after 
parking, a signal sounds to remind you 
if the headlamps have not been 
switched off.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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        Page 91 of 178

91
Under these special circumstances 
traction is increased by deactivating the 
control systems that enhance traction 
under normal conditions.To switch DSC and ADB offHold the DSC button down for at least 
3 seconds. The indicator lamp and the 
yellow brake warning lamps light up 
and remain on continuously.
The systems for enhancing stability and 
traction are deactivated, and there is no 
active braking intervention or torque 
control.
To maintain vehicle stability, 
always drive with the DSC acti-
vated whenever possible.
lamp or the indicator lamps will go out. 
DTC is deactivated.
The laws of physics cannot be 
repealed even with DSC. An 
appropriate driving style always 
remains the responsibility of the driver. 
We therefore urge you to avoid using 
the additional safety margin of the sys-
tem as an excuse for taking risks.
Whenever the DTC is activated, the 
DSC is switched off and performs minor 
stabilizing intervention.
Do not make any modifications to the 
DSC system. Allow only authorized 
technicians to perform service proce-
dures on the DSC.<
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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        Page 100 of 178
100Controlling the climate for pleasant driving
Air conditioning
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        Page 101 of 178
101
1Air onto the windshield and the side 
windows
2Air for the upper body area103
3Air to the footwell
4Air supply/Blower102
5Temperature102
6Air distribution102
7Rear window defroster102
8Air conditioning102
9Outside air/Recirculated-air 
mode102Air conditioning
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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102
Air supply/Blower
You can select blower speeds 
from 1 to 4. The heating and 
ventilation become more and 
more effective as the air sup-
ply settings are increased. In position  0, 
the blower and the heater are switched 
off. The outside air supply is blocked in 
position 0.
Temperature
In order to increase the tem-
perature of the passenger 
compartment, turn to the right 
toward the red zone. The tem-
perature of the incoming air is kept con-
stant.
Air distribution
You can direct air to flow onto 
the windows  , toward your 
upper body   or into the 
footwell  . All intermediate 
settings are possible. In the setting  , 
there is a low flow of air onto the win-
dows to keep them free of condensa-
tion.
Rear window defroster
When the rear window defroster 
is activated, the indicator lamp 
comes on. The rear window defroster 
switches off automatically.
You can have your vehicle pro-
grammed in such a way that the 
rear window defroster switches on 
automatically. This occurs within 5 min-
utes after starting the engine when out-
side temperatures are below approx. 
397/+46.<
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehumidi-
fied and – depending on the 
temperature setting – rewarmed.
Depending on the weather, the wind-
shield may fog over briefly when the 
engine is started. Air conditioning helps 
prevent the windows from fogging up.
Condensation forms during opera-
tion of the air conditioning system, 
which then exits under the vehicle. It is 
thus not unusual for a small puddle to 
form under the car while the system is 
running.<
Outside air/Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant 
external odors by temporarily 
blocking the supply of outside air. The 
system then recirculates the air cur-
rently within the vehicle.
If the windows should fog over in 
the recirculated-air mode, switch 
this mode off and increase the air sup-
ply as required.<
Air conditioning
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