
Cockpit
10
Cockpit 
All around the steering wheel: controls and displays 
1Convertible: opening and closing rear 
window35
2Convertible: opening and closing 
windows together34
3Convertible: opening and closing back 
windows34
4Opening and closing front windows33
5Adjusting exterior mirrors48 6
Turn signals60
High beams, 
headlamp flasher86
Roadside parking lamps86
Check Control66
Computer69 

At a glance
 11Reference
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7Buttons on the steering wheel
Portable phone:
>Press briefly:
Accept call or terminate call
as well as dial if an entry has been 
selected from "A - Z", "Top  8", "Redial", 
"Received calls" or "Missed calls"
>Press longer: redial
Volume 
Voice command system
Fast forward/reverse
>Radio 
Press briefly: change radio station 
Press longer: manual tuning or auto-
matic station-search function scan
>CD 
Press briefly: select track
Press longer: fast forward/reverse
>Portable phone
Press briefly: select entry in "A - Z", 
"Top 8", "Redial", "Received calls" or 
"Missed calls"
Individually programmable49
Individually programmable498Instrument cluster12
10Ignition lock54
11Horn: the entire surface
14Releasing the engine hood170
15Opening the luggage compartment 
lid30
16Head-Up Display83 
9
Windshield wipers61
Rain sensor61
12
Steering wheel heater49
Steering wheel adjustment48
13
Cruise control63
17
Parking lamps85
Low beams85
Automatic headlamp 
control85
Adaptive Head Light86
18
Instrument lighting87
Front fog lamps86 

At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
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Mobility
Indicator and warning 
lamps 
Technology that monitors itself 
The indicator and warning lamps identified 
by the 
+ symbol are subjected to an oper-
ation check each time you switch on the 
ignition or start the engine. They each light 
up once for different periods of time.
When a malfunction occurs in a monitored 
system, the corresponding lamp will either 
fail to go out when the engine is started, or 
it will come on again during normal driving, 
usually accompanied by a Check Control 
message. You will find more details on the 
specified pages.
Fixed indicator and warning lampsColors The indicator and warning lamps can light 
up in different colors and combinations.
>Red:
Stop immediately 
or 
important reminder
>Red and yellow:
Continue to drive; drive cautiously
>Yellow:
Have the system checked at the earliest 
opportunity
or
for your information
>Green or blue:
For your information.
Variable indicator and warning lamps 
On the display 5 of the instrument cluster, 
other indicator and warning lamps appear 
as necessary. Pay attention to the instruc-
tions of the accompanying Check Control 
messages, also refer to page 66. Turn signals60
Active steering 
+80
Brake system 
+
With handbrake engaged55
With handbrake released78, 173
With other warning lamps78
Brake system for Canadian models
Airbags 
+81
Service Engine Soon 
+176
If the indicator lamp comes on 
either continuously or intermit-
tently, this indicates a malfunction 
the emissions-related electronic 
systems.
Although the vehicle remains oper-
ational, you should have the sys-
tems checked by your BMW center 
at the earliest possible opportunity
Service Engine Soon indicator 
lamp for Canadian models
Front fog lamps86
ABS Antilock Brake System +78
DTC Dynamic Traction Control78
High beams/headlamp flasher86
Please fasten safety belt 
+47
DSC Dynamic Stability 
Control 
+78
Check Gas Cap162
Lamp for US models 

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. 

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Mobility
 Triple turn signal activation is acti-
vated.
Wiper system 
1Standard wiper speed: briefly press 
once. 
The system automatically reverts to 
operation in the intermittent mode 
whenever the vehicle is stationary. 
Fast wipe: briefly press twice or press 
beyond the resistance point. 
The system automatically reverts to 
operation in the standard wipe mode 
whenever the vehicle is stationary 
2Switching off wipers or for brief wipe 
3Activating/deactivating rain sensor 
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps 
5Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level 
The lever automatically returns to its initial 
position when released. 
Cleaning windshield and headlamps 
The system sprays washer fluid against the 
windshield and activates the wipers for a 
brief period. 
When the vehicle lighting system is 
switched on, the headlamps are also cleaned at regular and appropriate inter-
vals. 
Do not use the washers if there is  any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on the 
windshield. If you do so, your vision could 
be obscured. To avoid freezing, use a 
washer fluid antifreeze, refer to Washer 
fluid. 
Avoid activating the washer when the res-
ervoir is empty, as damage to the pump 
could result.<
Windshield washer nozzles 
The windshield washer nozzles are auto-
matically heated in ignition key position 2. 
Rain sensor 
The rain sensor controls windshield wipe 
operation depending on the amount of rain. 
The rain sensor is located on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rear-
view mirror. 
Activating rain sensor 
As of ignition key position 1, briefly press 
the button. The indicator lamp in the button 
lights up. The wipers will always respond 
by completing at least one sweep of the 
windshield. 
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level 
Turn the serrated dial 5. 
Deactivating rain sensor 
Press the button again. The indicator lamp 
goes out. 
The rain sensor is automatically deacti-
vated when you switch off the ignition.  

Controls
 85Reference
At a glance
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Communications
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Mobility
Lamps 
Parking lamps/low beams 
Parking lamps 
With the switch in this position, the 
front, rear and side vehicle lighting 
is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking. For lighting on 
one side for parking as an additional fea-
ture, refer to page 86.
Low beams 
When you switch off the ignition 
with the headlamps on, the head-
lamps go out, and only the parking 
lamps remain on.
Pathway lighting 
After parking the vehicle and switching off 
the headlamps, operating the headlamp 
flasher activates the low beams. You can 
set the duration on the Control Display or 
deactivate the function.
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 "Pathway lighting" and press the 
controller5.Turn the controller to select the corre-
sponding duration
6.Press the controller to apply the setting.
Lights on warning 
If you turn the ignition key to position 0, an 
acoustic signal sounds when you open the 
driver's door for a few seconds to remind 
you that the lamps have not yet been 
switched off. At the same time a message 
appears on the Control Display.
Daytime driving lamps* 
If you wish, you can leave the light switch in 
the low-beam position.
Always observe all applicable laws govern-
ing the use of daytime driving lamps.
You can switch on the parking lamps when 
needed using the standard procedure 
described under Parking lamps.
Automatic headlamp control 
When you set the switch to this 
position, the system activates and 
switches on and off the low beams 
in response to changes in ambient light 
conditions, for instance, in a tunnel, at 
dawn and dusk, and in rain and snow. 
The LED next to the symbol is illuminated 
when the low beams are on.
The low beams remain on indepen-
dent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps.
With the daytime driving lamps activated, 
the low beams are always switched on in  

Lamps
86 this switch position with the ignition key in 
position 2.<
The automatic headlamp control can-
not serve as a substitute for your per-
sonal judgment in determining when the 
lamps should be switched on in response 
to ambient lighting conditions. For exam-
ple, the system cannot detect fog. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on 
the lamps manually under these condi-
tions.<
Adaptive Head Light* 
The concept 
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables better illumina-
tion of the road surface. Depending on the 
steering angle and other assumptions, the 
light from the headlamp follows the course 
of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light 
In ignition key position 2, turn the 
light switch to the position 'Auto-
matic headlamp control', refer to 
page 85.
So that oncoming traffic is not dazzled, 
Adaptive Head Light is
>not active when the vehicle is reversing
>only active toward passenger's side 
when stopped.
Malfunction 
The LED beside the symbol for automatic 
headlamp control flashes. The Adaptive 
Head Light has a malfunction or has failed. 
Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
High beams/roadside 
parking lamps 
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right* 
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just 
one side of your vehicle when parking. 
When using this function, comply with 
national regulations:
With the ignition switched off, press the 
lever in the desired direction 3, past the 
resistance point.
Fog lamps 
The parking lamps or low beams 
must be switched on for the fog 
lamps to operate. The green indica-
tor lamp lights up whenever the fog lamps 
are on.
The fog lamps are switched off whenever 
the high beams are switched on. 

Controls
 87Reference
At a glance
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Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
If the automatic headlamp control is 
activated, the low beams will come on 
automatically when you switch on the fog 
lamps.<
Instrument lighting 
Turn the serrated dial to adjust the illumina-
tion intensity.
Interior lamps 
Control of the interior lamps, footwell 
lamps, door entry lighting, courtesy lamps
* 
and sill panel lighting
* is automatic.
Switching interior lamps on and off 
manually 
Briefly press button 1.
If you want the interior lamps to remain off 
continuously, maintain pressure on the but-
ton for approx. 3 seconds.
To revert to normal operation, briefly press 
the button.
Reading lamps 
The reading lamps are beside the interior 
lamp.
You can turn them on and off using the 
buttons 2 located next to the lamps.
To avoid discharging the battery, all of 
the vehicle's interior lamps are auto-
matically extinguished approx. 15 minutes 
after the ignition is switched off.<