
Driving
58 speed; thus, for example, a downshift 
that would cause the engine to overrev 
will not be executed by the system
>When the vehicle is stationary, the 
transmission automatically downshifts 
into first gear
>Shortly before dropping below a gear-
dependent minimum speed, the trans-
mission downshifts automatically even 
without your intervention.
Malfunction 
The warning lamp lights up and a 
message appears on the Control 
Display. There is a malfunction in 
the transmission system. Avoid high loads.
While it will remain still possible to move 
the selector lever to any desired position, 
the transmission will revert to operation in 
its default mode with only a limited number 
of forward gears.
Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
Information on jump-starting and towing 
begins on page 185.
Overheating 
The warning lamp lights up and a 
message appears on the Control 
Display. In addition, an acoustic 
signal sounds. Overheating in the area of 
the transmission. If possible, stop or drive 
off quickly so that the system can cool 
down.
Automatic transmission 
with Steptronic* 
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you 
can also shift manually with Steptronic, 
refer to page 59.
Selector-lever positions 
P R N D M/S + –
Possible displays 
P R N D DS M1 to M6 
The selector lever position is indicated, and 
in the manual mode the gear currently 
engaged.
Changing selector-lever positions 
An interlock prevents inadvertent gear-
shifts into selector-lever positions R and P. 
To cancel the interlock, press the button on 
the front of the selector lever knob, refer to 
arrow.
Shiftlock 
Press the brake pedal before shifting out 
of P or N; the shift command will not be 
executed unless the brake is applied.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after 
you select a driving position, maintain pres-
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready 
to start.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select selector-lever posi-
tion P and engage the handbrake before 
leaving the vehicle with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the 
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.< 

Controls
 59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
P Parking 
Select only when the vehicle is completely 
stationary. The rear wheels are blocked.
R Reverse 
Select only when the vehicle is completely 
stationary.
N Neutral 
E.g. engage in car washes. The vehicle can 
roll.
D Drive, automatic position 
Position for normal vehicle operation. 
All forward gears are available.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel 
consumption is lowest when driving in 
position D.
Kickdown 
The kickdown mode provides maximum 
acceleration:
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the 
full-throttle resistance point.
M/S manual operation and 
Sport program 
Move the selector lever from position D to 
the left into gearshift gate M/S:
The sport program is activated and DS 
appears in the instrument cluster.
This position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style. It is engaged 
automatically when the Dynamic Driving 
Control is activated, see below.
When the selector lever is moved slightly 
towards + or –, the Steptronic shifts gear 
and manual operation is activated. The 
instrument cluster shows M1 through M6.Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combi-
nation of engine and vehicle speed; thus, 
for example, a downshift that would cause 
the engine to overrev will not be executed 
by the system. The selected gear appears 
briefly in the instrument cluster, followed by 
the current gear.
To use the automatic function again, move 
the selector lever to the right into posi-
tion D.
Malfunction 
The warning lamp lights up and a 
message appears on the Control 
Display. There is a malfunction in 
the transmission system. Avoid heavy 
loads.
While it will remain still possible to move 
the selector lever to any desired position, 
the transmission will revert to operation in 
its default mode with only a limited number 
of forward gears.
Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
Towing, refer to page, 185, jump-starting, 
refer to page 185.
Dynamic Driving Control 
The Dynamic Driving Control makes it pos-
sible for your BMW to react in an even more 
sports-oriented manner at the push of a 
button:
>The engine responds more spontane-
ously to accelerator pedal movements
>The steering conveys a feeling of even 
better contact with the road surface
>Cruise control:
The stored speed you call up is reached 
more quickly.
Additionally with SMG:
>Gearshifts are faster
>The engine speed range is used opti-
mally in the Drive mode.
With automatic transmission: 
>The Sport program is activated. 

Driving
60
Activating system
With ignition key in position 2
Press the SPORT button.
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT 
is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Deactivating system
>Press the SPORT button again or
>engage reverse gear or
>switch off the engine.
The LED in the button and SPORT in the 
instrument cluster go out.
Acceleration assistant with SMG 
The acceleration assistant enables opti-
mized vehicle acceleration at racing car 
level on road surfaces with good adhesion 
when starting off.
Do not use the acceleration assistant 
too often, as otherwise components 
will wear prematurely.<
1.Activate the Dynamic Driving Control
2.Press the DSC button, refer to page 77, 
for longer than three seconds
3.Press the accelerator pedal down fully:
kickdown. The ideal starting-off engine 
speed is set.
To maintain driving stability, drive 
with the DSC on whenever possible.<
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher 
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals 
Move the lever beyond the resistance 
point. It then returns to the center position 
when released. Press the lever as far as the 
resistance point to switch off the turn sig-
nals. 
If the indicator lamp flashes faster 
than usual, a turn signal has failed.<
Signaling briefly 
Press the lever as far as the resistance 
point and hold there if necessary. It then 
returns to the center position when 
released.
Triple turn signal activation 
Press the lever as far as the resistance 
point; the turn signals flash three times. 
You can activate or deactivate this func-
tion.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to 
page 16:
1.Open the   menu
2.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller
3.Select "Lighting" and press the control-
ler
4.Select "Triple turn signal activation" and 
press the controller. 

Driving
62 Deactivate the rain sensor when 
passing through an automatic car 
wash. Failure to do so could result in dam-
age caused by undesired wiper activa-
tion.<
Washer fluid 
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. 
Always keep it well away from sparks 
and open flames, and store it in tightly 
closed containers well out of the reach of 
children. Always observe the instructions 
for use provided on the containers.<
Washer fluid reservoir 
Capacity approx. 5.3 US quarts/5 liters
Fill with water and – if required – with a 
washer antifreeze, according to manufac-
turer's recommendations.
In order to keep to the mixture ratio, 
mix the washer fluid before filling.<
Cruise control
The concept 
The cruise control is available for use at 
speeds of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h and 
higher. The vehicle maintains and stores 
the speed that you set using the lever 
mounted on the steering column.
Do not use the cruise control when 
driving on winding roads, in heavy 
traffic or in poor road conditions – e.g. 
snow, rain, ice, loose road surface – that do 
not permit a constant speed.<
One lever for all functions 
1Maintaining and storing speed, 
accelerating 
Press the lever up to the resistance point:
The system maintains and stores the cur-
rent vehicle speed. The display 1 in the 
speedometer indicates this regulated 
speed, refer to page 63. Every time you 
briefly press the lever, the vehicle's speed 
increases by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Press the lever up to the resistance point 
and hold it: 
The vehicle accelerates without pressure 
on the accelerator pedal. The system main-
tains and stores your current speed as 
soon as you release the lever.
Press the lever beyond the resistance 
point:
Increases the speed by 5 mph/10 km/h.
The vehicle may accelerate beyond the 
regulated speed on steep downhill 
stretches where the engine's braking effect 
alone may not be sufficient to slow the 
vehicle. Speed can drop on uphill grades if 
the engine output is insufficient.
2 Maintaining and storing speed, 
decelerating 
Pull the lever:
Functions are the same as 1, only the vehi-
cle speed is reduced.
3Interrupting cruise control 
With the cruise control active, briefly press 
the lever up or down. 

Everything under control
64
Everything under control 
Odometer, outside 
temperature display, clock 
When the ignition is off you can briefly acti-
vate the time, outside temperature and 
odometer displays by pressing the knob 3 
at the lower left of the instrument cluster.
Outside temperature display, clock, 
date 1 
The outside temperature and the time are 
displayed from ignition key position 1 
onwards.
You can set the measurement unit 7 or 6 
on the Control Display, refer to Measure-
ment units on page 72.
To call up the date:
Briefly press the CHECK button on the turn 
indicator lever, refer to page 69.
Setting the time and date, refer to page 73.
Ice warning 
A signal sounds when the outside temper-
ature falls to roughly +37.57/+36; this is 
accompanied by a message.
Please bear in mind that the ice warn-
ing does nothing to alter the fact that 
black ice may be present on roads at tem-
peratures higher than +37.57/+36, e.g. 
on bridges and shaded roads.<
Odometer and trip odometer 2 
To reset the trip odometer to zero:
Press button 3 in the instrument cluster.
Tachometer 
The white-striped advance warning field, 
arrow 1, changes depending on the engine 
temperature. The segments disappear in 
sequence as the engine warms to its nor-
mal operating temperature.
Avoid allowing the engine speed to rise as 
far as the advance warning field whenever 
possible.
Engine speeds in the red warning field, 
arrow 2, must be avoided.
In this range, the fuel supply is interrupted 
to protect the engine. 

Controls
 65Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Engine oil thermometer 
The engine oil temperature is between 
approx. 1607/706 and approx. 3407/
1706 during normal operation.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a 
message appears on the Control Display.
Fuel gauge 
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 18.5 US gal-
lons/70 liters, including the reserve capac-
ity of approx. 2.1 gallons/8 liters. You can 
find information on refueling on page 162.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer 
period, when you are driving in mountain-
ous areas, for example, the indicator may 
fluctuate slightly.
After the reserve quantity has been 
reached, a message appears for a short 
time on the Control Display; the remaining 
range is shown in the computer. Below a 
range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the mes-
sage remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, as otherwise engine functions are 
not ensured and damage can occur.<
Service requirement display 
In instrument cluster
The remaining distance to be driven, the 
date for the next maintenance as well as 
the date entered for the state emission or 
vehicle inspection are displayed briefly as 
of ignition key position 2, if the date is 
imminent.
Your BMW Service Advisor will deter-
mine your vehicle's current service 
requirements by reading out the data 
stored in the vehicle key.<
On Control Display
You can view additional information on ser-
vice and maintenance procedures on the 
Control Display.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to 
page 16:
1.Open the   menu
2.Select "Service" and press the control-
ler
3.Select "Service requirements" and 
press the controller
4.Select "Status" and press the control-
ler.
The display shows a list of selected service 
and maintenance procedures, as well as 
legally mandated official inspections. 

Controls
 69Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Computer 
Mode selection
As of ignition key position 1, you can use 
the BC button in the turn signal lever to call 
up computer information in the instrument 
cluster.
A new function appears each time you 
briefly press the BC button. 
Displays in instrument cluster 
The display sequence:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption.
Cruising range 
Displays the estimated cruising range 
available with the remaining fuel. The sys-
tem calculates the cruising range based on 
operating conditions over the last 20 miles/
30 km and the amount of fuel remaining in 
the tank.
Always refuel as soon as possible 
once your cruising range falls to 
below 30  miles/50  km, as otherwise engine 
functions are not ensured and damage can 
occur.<
Average fuel consumption 
The average fuel consumption is calculated 
for the time during which the engine is run-
ning.
You can use the Control Display to view 
your fuel consumption rate over two differ-
ent distances, refer to Computer or Trip 
computer.
To reset the average fuel consumption: 
press the BC  button in the turn signal lever 
for approx. 2 seconds.
Average speed 
Periods with the vehicle parked and the 
engine off are not included in the calcula-
tions of average speed.
To reset the average speed: press the 
BC button in the turn signal lever for 
approx. 2 seconds.
Displays on Control Display 
You can also call up the computer via the 
Control Center, for principle details, refer to 
page 16:
1.Press button.
The start menu is opened
2.Move the controller to the right to open 
"Navigation".
On vehicles without navigation system: 
open "Car Data"
3.Select "Car Data" and press the con-
troller.
You can choose between two display 
options:
>Computer 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
76 indicate the presence of objects in green 
before they are close enough to generate a 
signal tone.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to 
page 16:
1.Press button.
The start menu is opened
2.Press the controller to open the   menu
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller
4.Select "PDC" and press the controller
5.Select "Monitor display on" and press 
the controller.
 The PDC screen is activated. 
The display appears on the Control Display 
as soon as PDC is activated.
Depending on which key you have used to 
open the vehicle, the last adjustment is 
applied.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for 
estimating the distance between the 
vehicle and any obstructions always 
remains with the driver. Even when sensors 
are involved, there is a blind spot in which objects cannot be detected. The system is 
also subject to the physical limits that apply 
to all forms of ultrasonic measurement, 
such as those encountered with thin and 
wedge-shaped objects, etc.  Low objects 
already displayed, e.g. a curb, can also dis-
appear from the detection area of the sen-
sors again before a continuous tone 
sounds.
Loud noises from outside and inside your 
vehicle may prevent you from hearing the 
PDC signal tone.<
Do not apply high pressure spray to 
the sensors for a prolonged period of 
time. Keep the spray at least 4 in/10 cm 
away from the sensors.<
Driving stability control 
systems 
Your BMW is equipped with an extended 
array of systems designed to enhance and 
maintain vehicle stability under extreme 
conditions. The following section describes 
these functions based on ABS and DSC.
ABS Antilock Brake System 
ABS enhances active safety by preventing 
the wheels from locking under braking.
ABS is operational every time you start the 
engine. ABS includes the functions CBC 
Cornering Brake Control and EBV Elec-
tronic brake-force distribution.
CBC Cornering Brake Control 
It provides further enhancements in vehicle 
stability and steering response during lane 
changes and cornering at high rates of lat-
eral acceleration.
EBV Electronic brake-force 
distribution 
EBV controls the brake system's applica-
tion pressure at the rear wheels to ensure 
stable deceleration.