
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Reference
Everything under control
47Odometer
47Tachometer 
47Fuel gauge 
47Coolant temperature gauge 
48Service interval display
48Outside temperature
48Clock
49Computer*
Technology for safety and driving 
convenience
51Dynamic Stability Control DSC
52Brake Force Display
53Antilock Brake System ABS
53Flat Tire Monitor
Controlling the climate for pleasant 
driving
55Air conditioning
57Automatic climate control*
Interior conveniences
60Glove compartment
60Storage compartments
61Beverage holder
61Preparations for the cellular phone*
61Ashtray*
Special operating instructions
64Break-in procedures
65Driving notes
65Brake system
66Cargo loading
67Hardtop preparation*
Refueling
70Fuel filler door
70Fuel specifications
Wheels and tires
71Tire inflation pressure
73Tire condition
73Tire replacement
74Wheel and tire combinations
75Run Flat tires
76Winter tires
76Snow chains*
In the engine compartment
77Hood
78Engine compartment
79Washer fluids for washer systems
79Engine oil
80Coolant
81Brake fluid
Maintenance
82The BMW Maintenance System
82Care
Laws and regulations
83California Proposition 65 warning
83OBD interface socket
Replacement procedures
84Onboard tool kit
84Windshield wiper blades
84Lamps and bulbs
87Changing a wheel
87Battery
Giving and receiving assistance
89Warning triangle*
89First-aid kit*
89Jump-starting
90Towing and tow-starting the vehicle
Technical data
94Engine data 
94Weights 
95Dimensions
96Capacities
Everything from A - Z
97Index 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Reference
 21
To unlock and open
>Either unlock the doors together with 
the button for the central locking sys-
tem and then pull each of the release 
handles above the armrests 
or
>pull the release handle for each door 
twice: the initial pull unlocks the door, 
and the second one opens it.
To lock
>Either use the central locking button to 
lock all doors at once 
or
>press the individual door lock buttons 
down. 
To prevent the driver from being 
inadvertently locked out of the 
vehicle, the driver's door lock button 
will not engage as long as the door is 
open.<
Since persons or animals in the vehi-
cle could lock the doors from the 
inside, always take the vehicle keys with 
you so that the vehicle can be opened 
again from the outside at any time.<
Luggage compartment lid
To open from the outside
Turn the master key to the left as far as it 
will go. The luggage compartment lid will 
open slightly. 
If the alarm system is armed, opening the 
luggage compartment with the key will trig-
ger an alarm; refer also to page 27.
To open from the inside
If the luggage compartment lid has not 
been locked separately, you can open it 
with this button in the footwell on the 
driver's side when the vehicle is stationary.
To close
The handle recess in the interior trim panel 
of the luggage compartment lid makes it 
easier to pull the lid down.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the 
travel path of the luggage compart-
ment 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, 
since exhaust fumes could penetrate into 
the interior of the vehicle. Should it be 
absolutely necessary to operate the vehicle 
with the luggage compartment lid open and 
with the convertible top closed:
>Close all windows
>Increase the air supply from the air con-
ditioner or automatic climate control to 
a high level. Refer to page 55 or 57.< 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Reference
 55
Controlling the climate for pleasant 
driving
Air conditioning
1Air onto the windshield and the side 
windows
2Air for the upper body area56
3Air for the footwell
4Air distribution56
5Air conditioning566Outside-air/recirculated-air mode56
7Temperature adjustment56
8Air supply/blower56
9Rear window defroster56 

Controlling the climate for pleasant driving
56
Air distribution
You can direct airflow onto the 
windows  , toward the upper 
body   and into the footwell  . 
All intermediate settings are pos-
sible. 
Air supply/blower
You can set the blower to 8 differ-
ent levels. Both heating and ven-
tilation become more effective as 
the air supply rate is increased.
Temperature
In order to increase the tempera-
ture of the passenger compart-
ment, turn to the right – red zone.
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehumidi-
fied and – depending on the tem-
perature setting – rewarmed.
Depending on the weather, the 
windshield may fog over briefly when the 
engine is started. 
Condensation forms during operation 
of the air conditioning system, which 
then exits under the vehicle. Traces of con-
densed water on the ground underneath 
the vehicle are thus normal.<
Outside-air/recirculated-air mode
If there are unpleasant odors in 
the outside air, you can tempo-
rarily block the supply of incom-
ing air. The system then recircu-
lates the air currently within the vehicle.
If the windows fog over in the recircu-
lated air mode, switch this mode off 
and increase the air supply as required.<
Rear window defroster
The indicator lamp lights up when 
the rear window defroster is 
active. The rear window defroster 
switches off automatically.
Ventilation
You can adjust the blower controls for the 
upper body area to obtain the optimum air-
flow rates and directions for your personal 
requirements:
1Rotary dials for opening and closing the 
vents at any setting desired
2Lever for adjusting airflow direction
Particle filter
The built-in particle filter removes dust and 
pollen from the incoming air and in the 
recirculated air mode. Your BMW center 
will replace this filter during the regularly 
scheduled maintenance. A substantial 
reduction in airflow indicates that the filter 
needs to be replaced earlier.
To defrost windows and remove 
condensation
1Turn the rotary control to 
2Turn the rotary blower control for the air 
supply completely to the right
3Turn the rotary temperature control 
completely to the right
4To defrost the rear window, switch on 
the rear window defroster 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Reference
 57
Automatic climate control*
1Air onto the windshield and the side 
windows
2Air for the upper body area59
3Air for the footwell
4Individual air distribution58
5Defrost windows and remove 
condensation58
6Automatic air distribution and air 
supply587Air supply/blower58
8Air conditioning56
9Maximum cooling58
10Temperature58
11Outside air/Automatic recirculated air 
control AUC/recirculated air mode58
12Rear window defroster59 

Controlling the climate for pleasant driving
58
Tips for pleasant driving
Use the automatic system – switch on with 
AUTO button 6. Select the desired interior 
temperature.
Detailed setting options are described for 
you below.
Automatic air distribution and
supply
The AUTO program assumes the 
adjustment of the air distribution 
and air supply for you and in addi-
tion adapts the temperature to 
external influences – summer, winter – to 
meet preferences you can specify.
Individual air distribution
You can also direct air flow onto 
the windows  , toward the 
upper body   and into the foot-
well   as you require. The arrow 
lights up. The automatic air supply remains 
unchanged. All intermediate settings are 
possible. By pressing the AUTO button, 
you can reactivate the air distribution.
Temperature 
The interior temperature that 
appears on the display panel is a 
general figure intended for refer-
ence purposes. When you start 
the vehicle, the system ensures that the 
selected temperature is reached as quickly 
as possible. It then maintains this tempera-
ture, regardless of the season.
Air supply/blower
You can set the blower through 
an infinitely variable range of 
speeds. This shuts off the auto-
matic air supply. The arrow lights 
up. The automatic air distribution remains 
unchanged. You can reactivate the auto-
matic air supply by pressing the AUTO but-
ton.
When you turn the rotary control toward 
zero: the blower, heating and air condi-
tioner are switched off, and the air supply is stopped. You can reactivate the system by 
turning the control toward the right again.
To defrost windows and remove 
condensation 
This program quickly removes ice 
and condensation from the wind-
shield and the side windows.
Maximum cooling
This program gives you maximum 
cooling within a short period of 
time.
The temperature is set to the lowest possi-
ble value. The system switches into the 
recirculated air mode and air flows at max-
imum blower speed from the air outlets 
only. Therefore, the air outlets must always 
be open when you select this program.
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehumidi-
fied and – depending on the tem-
perature setting – rewarmed.
Depending on the weather, the 
windshield may fog over briefly when the 
engine is started.
The air conditioning system is automati-
cally switched on when you use the AUTO 
program.
Condensation forms during operation 
of the air conditioning system, which 
then exits under the vehicle. Traces of con-
densed water on the ground underneath 
the vehicle are thus normal.<
Outside air/Automatic recirculated 
air control AUC/recirculated air 
mode
You can respond to unpleasant 
external odors or pollutants by 
temporarily stopping the flow of 
outside air. The system then 
recirculates the air currently within the 
vehicle. 
By repeatedly pressing the button, you can 
select one of three different operating 
modes. 

Wheels and tires
74 one and one-half (1 γ) times as well on the 
government course as a tire graded 100. 
The relative performance of tires depends 
upon the actual conditions of their use, 
however, and may depart significantly from 
the norm due to variations in driving habits, 
service practices and differences in road 
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, 
are AA, A, B and C. 
Those grades represent the tire's ability to 
stop on wet pavement as measured under 
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. 
A tire marked C may have poor traction 
performance.
The traction grade assigned to this 
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not include 
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or 
peak traction characteristics.< 
Temperature
The temperature grades are A – the 
highest – B, and C, representing the tire's 
resistance to the generation of heat and its 
ability to dissipate heat when tested under 
controlled conditions on a specified indoor 
laboratory test wheel. 
Sustained high temperature can cause the 
material of the tire to degenerate and 
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature 
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C 
corresponds to a level of performance 
which all passenger car tires must meet 
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A repre-
sent higher levels of performance on the 
laboratory test wheel than the minimum 
required by law. 
The temperature grade for this tire is 
established for a tire that is properly 
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive 
speed, under-inflation, or excessive load-
ing, either separately or in combination, 
can cause heat buildup and possible tire 
failure.< 
Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread 
shoulder and maximum section width. For 
example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA 
Temperature A
Wheel and tire combina-
tions
The right choice
Use wheels and tires approved by 
BMW for your particular vehicle. Vari-
ations in factors such as manufacturing tol-
erances mean that even wheels and tires 
with identical official size ratings could 
actually have dimensions different from the 
approved units. These differences could 
lead to body contact, and with it the risk of 
severe accidents. If non-approved wheels 
and tires are used, BMW cannot evaluate 
their suitability, and therefore cannot be 
held liable for driving safety.<
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire 
size, classifies them as road-safe and 
approves them. Consult your BMW center 
for more information. Observe any country-
specific regulations, e.g. on making a cor-
responding entry in the vehicle documents.
The correct wheel and tire combina-
tion affects different systems such as 
ABS, DSC, DTC and DBC. The function of 
these systems is impaired if improper 
wheel and tire combinations are used.
For this reason, use tires of the same brand 
and tread configuration. In the event of a 
flat tire, for example, remount the approved 
wheel and tire combination as soon as pos-
sible.< 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Reference
 97
A
ABS Antilock Brake 
System 53
– indicator lamp 14
Accessories 7
Activated-charcoal filter 59
Air conditioning 55, 56
– air distribution 56
– air supply 56
– automatic climate 
control 58
– defrosting windows 
and removing 
condensation 56
– outside-air mode 56
– rear window defroster 56
– recirculated-air mode 56
– temperature 56
Air distribution
– air conditioning 56
– automatic climate 
control 58
Air outlets 56, 59
Air pressure 71
– checking 71
Air supply
– air conditioning 56
– automatic climate 
control 58
Airbags 33
– activation/deactivation 34
– indicator lamp 14, 33
– passenger airbags 
lamp 35
Alarm system 27
– arming/disarming 27
– indicator lamp 27
– tilt alarm sensor 28
– triggering 19
All-season tires, refer to 
Winter tires 76
Antifreeze
– coolant 81
– washer fluid 79Antilock Brake System ABS
– indicator lamp 14
Anti-theft alarm system, 
refer to Alarm system 27
Approved axle load 94
Approved gross vehicle 
weight 94
Ashtray 61
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated air control 58
Automatic
– air distribution 58
– air supply 58
– cruise control 44
– lamp control 45
Automatic car wash, refer 
to the Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Automatic climate 
control 57, 58
– air conditioning 58
– air distribution 58
– air supply 58
– Automatic recirculated air 
control AUC 58
– defrosting windows 
and removing 
condensation 58
– maximum cooling 58
– outside air 58
– rear window defroster 59
– recirculated air mode 58
– temperature 58
Automatic transmission 
with Steptronic 40
– display 41
– electronic transmission 
control 41
– indicator lamp 14
– manual mode 41
– selector lever position 40
– sport program 41
Automatic windshield 
washer 44Average fuel 
consumption 50
Average speed 50
Axle load, approved 94
B
Backrest, refer to Seats 30
Backup lamps 40
– bulb replacement 86
Bandages 89
Battery 87
Battery charge current
– indicator lamp 14, 88
Belt tensioner, refer to 
Safety belts 31
Belts 31
Beverage holder 61
Blinker, refer to Turn signal 
indicators 42
Blower
– air conditioning 56
– automatic climate 
control 58
BMW High Performance 
synthetic oils 80
BMW Maintenance 
System 82
Bore 94
Brake fluid 81
– indicator lamp 14, 81
– refilling 81
Brake Force Display 52
Brake hydraulic system 65
Brake hydraulics
– indicator lamp 14
Brake lamps
– bulb replacement 86
– indicator lamp, defective 
bulb 14
Brake pads 66
– indicator lamp 14
Everything from A - Z
Index