
Control Center
16
Control Center 
The Control Center groups the functions of 
a large number of switches. This means 
that these functions can be operated from 
a central position. The following section 
provides an introduction to the principle of 
the menu guidance. How you control the 
individual functions is described in the con-
text of the relevant equipment.
Controls 
1Controller: you navigate through the 
menus of the Control Center and make 
adjustments by turning, pressing and 
moving it to the left, right, forwards or 
backwards
2The start menu can be opened from any 
menu with this button
3Control Display
When you turn the controller, you feel a 
clicking. This helps you to select the 
desired menu item.To avoid posing an unnecessary haz-
ard due to inattention, both to your 
own vehicle's occupants and to other road 
users: never attempt to use the controls or 
make entries unless traffic and road condi-
tions allow.<
Menu overview 
You can call up all the functions in the 
Control Center using five menu items.
Communication
>Portable phone
>BMW Assist or TeleService.
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system
>Onboard information, e.g. for display of 
the average fuel consumption.
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer.
Climate
>Air distribution
>Independent ventilation.
 menu
>Switching off the Control Display
>Traffic information
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for central 
locking or settings for entertainment or 
your portable phone
>Display of the maintenance requirement 
and dates for statutory emission and 
vehicle inspections. 

At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu guidance 
As of ignition key position 1, the following 
message appears on the Control Display:
Confirm the message by pressing the con-
troller; the start menu is opened.
Start menu 
Via the start menu, you can open four 
menus by moving the controller to the left, 
right, forwards or backwards. Pressing the 
controller opens the   menu.
Opening start menu
Press button.
To open the start menu from the   menu:
Press the button twice.
Displays in menu 
1In menus, you can change fields to 
select the menu items they contain or to 
make adjustments. The active field is 
brighter than the others
2Menu items are usually grouped in hor-
izontal or vertical lists
3Arrows indicate that other menu items 
can be selected in lists, but these are 
not visible at the moment
4Adjustments are displayed in diagrams 
or as numbers
5A symbol indicates the last selected 
menu item of the start menu: 
Communication
Navigation or 
onboard information
Entertainment
Climate
 menu 

Control Center
18
Selecting menu items and making adjustments 
1To select individual menu items: turn 
the controller. The marking moves. 
Menu items shown in white can be 
selected
2To activate menu items selected with 
the marking: press the controller. In the 
current field, new menu items are dis-
played or a function is executed
3To change the current field: move the 
controller to the left, right, forwards or 
backwards and let go.
To change the current menu:  move the 
controller to the left, right, forwards or 
backwards and hold for longer than 
approx.  2  seconds. The menu in the rel-
evant direction is opened4To select menu items, cf. 1: turn the 
controller. The marking moves
5To make adjustments: turn the control-
ler. A graphical display, numerical val-
ues or text displays change. The adjust-
ment is applied if you change to another 
field or into another menu 

At a glance
 19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Status information 
1Manual or automatic air distribution for 
driver and passenger side
2Display for Entertainment:
Radio or CD,
 sound output for Entertainment off.
Display for telephone:
"Car Phone", "Portable" or no network
3 new entries present in "Missed calls",
 text message/SMS received,
 roaming active
4 Telephoning and emergency call 
possible
5Current time
Other displays:
If information is issued by the Check Con-
trol or inputs are made using the voice 
command system, a text message appears 
here on the Control Display.
Assistance window* 
Additional information can be displayed in 
the assistance window:
>The computer or the travel computer
>The travel route in vehicles with naviga-
tion system
>The current location.To select the display in the assistance win-
dow:
1.Move the controller to the right to 
change to the assistance window and 
press the controller
2.Select a menu item
3.Press the controller.
Switching Control Display on/off
To switch off the Control Display:
1.Open the start menu
2.Press the controller to open the   menu
3.Select "Display off" and press the con-
troller.
The status information continues to be 
displayed.
To switch on the Control Display:
Press the controller. 

Voice command system
20
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to 
control operation of various vehicle sys-
tems without ever removing your hands 
from the steering wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Dis-
play can be spoken as commands. Opera-
tion via the controller is not required.
The voice command system transforms 
your oral commands into control signals for 
the selected systems and provides support 
in the form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system includes a 
special microphone.
The microphone is located:
>On the Coupe near the interior rearview 
mirror, refer to page 14
>On the Convertible near the interior 
rearview mirror, refer to page 14, or on 
the steering column.
Precondition
The set language of the Control Center and 
of the voice command system should 
match so that the commands to be spoken 
can be identified more easily. Setting the 
language of the Control Center, refer to 
page 73.
Symbols used
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
Briefly press the   button on the steering 
wheel or in the center console.
 This symbol on the Control Display and 
an acoustic message indicate that you can 
enter voice commands.
*
Indicates voice commands in this 
Owner's Manual which are to be spo-
ken word for word. 

At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The text or numbers that the voice com-
mand system has registered will appear on 
the Control Display.
 This symbol appears on the Control Dis-
play when you can enter additional voice 
commands. 
If there are no other voice commands, 
operate the equipment using the Control 
Center.
Terminating or canceling voice 
command system
Press the   button on the steering wheel or 
in the center console
or 
Voice commands
To open the start menu: 
You can have a list of the respectively pos-
sible voice commands read off; this list is 
dependent on the menu item selected on 
the Control Display.
For example, if you have selected "CD", the 
possible voice commands for operating the 
CD player and the CD changer will be read 
off:
There are often a number of commands to 
run a function, e.g.: 
With short commands you can carry out 
certain functions directly, regardless of 
which menu item is selected, refer to 
page 194. 
An example: selecting a track 
1.If necessary, switch on sound output for 
Entertainment
2.Press the   button in the steering wheel 
or in the center console.
{Cancel}.
{Main menu}.
{Options} or {Help}.
{Radio on} or {Switch on radio}. 
3.{Entertainment}.
The system issues: 
{{Entertainment}}
4.{CD}.
The system issues: 
{{CD}}
5.Select a track, e.g.:
{Track 1}.
The system issues: 
{{Track 1}}. 

Controls
 33Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator lamp displays 
>The indicator lamp below the interior 
rearview mirror flashes continuously: 
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes on locking: 
door(s) or luggage compartment lid are 
not completely closed. Even if you do 
not close the alerted area, the system 
begins to monitor the remaining areas, 
and the indicator lamp flashes continu-
ously after approx.10 seconds. How-
ever, the interior motion sensor is not 
activated
>The indicator lamp goes out on unlock-
ing: no manipulation or attempted intru-
sions have been detected in the period 
since the system was armed
>The indicator lamp flashes on unlocking 
before the remote control is inserted in 
the ignition lock, but for no more than 
roughly 5 minutes: an attempted entry 
has been detected in the period since 
the system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the indica-
tor lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor and interior motion 
sensor 
Tilt alarm sensor
Monitors the inclination of the vehicle. The 
alarm system reacts, for example, if some-
one attempts to steal the wheels or tow the 
vehicle.
Interior motion sensor 
Coupe:
In order for the interior motion sensor to 
function properly, the windows and glass 
roof must be completely closed.
Convertible:
Monitors the interior up to the height of the 
seat cushions. This means that the alarm 
system, including the interior motion sen-
sor, is armed even if the convertible top is 
open. Falling objects, e.g. leaves, can trig-
ger false alarms, refer to Avoiding uninten-
tional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms 
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion 
sensor may be switched off at the same 
time. This is how you prevent unintentional 
alarms, e.g. in the following situations:
>In garages with elevator ramps
>During transport on automobile trans-
port trains
>If animals are to remain in the vehicle.
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensor 
Press the   button on the remote con-
trol once again directly after locking.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and 
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm 
sensor and the interior motion sensor are 
switched off until the vehicle is unlocked 
and locked again.
Windows 
To prevent injuries, exercise care 
when closing the windows and keep 
them in your field of vision until they are 
shut.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove 
the ignition key and close the doors to pre-
vent children from operating the windows 
and injuring themselves etc.< 

Opening and closing
38 Partial vacuums that occur at higher 
speeds in the passenger compart-
ment can make the convertible top flap. 
Use the ventilation controls to increase the 
air supply so that no partial vacuum occurs 
in the vehicle.<
To close the electrically activated side 
windows while the vehicle is being 
driven, always close the rear windows or 
all four windows simultaneously first, as 
otherwise the windows cannot close tightly 
at higher speeds.<
Prior to opening and closing
>Read carefully and comply with the 
safety precautions that appear above
>Ensure that the convertible top com-
partment floor in the luggage compart-
ment is folded down, refer to page 32, 
as otherwise the convertible top cannot 
be opened
>Ensure that the luggage compartment 
lid is closed.
Opening and closing 
As of ignition key position 1, with the vehi-
cle stationary:
So as not to place an excessive load 
on the battery, only operate the con-
vertible top with the engine running, if pos-
sible.
Before closing the convertible top, remove 
foreign bodies from the windshield frame, 
as these might inhibit closing of the con-
vertible top.<
1Closing
2Indicator lamp
3OpeningIf the opening or closing action is not 
completed, the luggage compartment 
lid cannot be opened.
When the button for top operation is 
pressed, the side windows move down-
wards slightly; the rear window is lowered 
completely.
If you hold the button pressed for longer 
than 2 seconds after completion of the 
opening or closing action and the LED has 
gone out, the side windows and rear win-
dow move once again.<
Indicator lamp
In the following situations, a message is 
displayed on the Control Display and an 
acoustic signal sounds in addition to the 
indicator lamp:
>During convertible top operation, the 
LED lights up green. It goes out as soon 
as the opening or closing action is com-
pleted
>If the indicator lamp flashes red when 
you release the button, the opening or 
closing action is not completed
>If the indicator lamp lights up red with 
the button pressed, the convertible top 
compartment floor is folded up or a fault 
has occurred. The convertible top can-
not be moved.
Interruption
The automatic sequence of movements is 
interrupted immediately if the button for top 
operation is released. The sequence can 
be continued in the desired direction using 
the button.
If the opening or closing action is 
interrupted for a longer period by 
releasing the button, the convertible top 
remains in that position for approx. 15 min-
utes before it slowly moves to a stable 
position. The sequence can be continued 
using the buttons.
Do not interrupt and continue the closing 
action several times in succession, as oth-
erwise the fully automatic top mechanism 
can be damaged.