
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is 
to use the index, refer to page 197.
Using this Owner's Manual 
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit 
16Control Center 
20Voice command system
Controls
26Opening and closing
42Adjustments
51Transporting children safely 
54Driving
64Everything under control 
75Technology for comfort, convenience 
and safety
85Lamps 
88A congenial climate 
94Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
102Things to remember when driving 
Navigation
108Starting navigation system 
110Destination entry 
118Destination guidance 
122What to do if …
Entertainment
126On/off and tone 
130Radio 
137CD player and CD changer 
Communications
144Telephoning 
155TeleService, BMW Assist 
Mobility
162Refueling 
164Wheels and tires 
170Under the hood
174Maintenance
176Rules and regulations
178Replacing components
183Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
190Technical data 
194Short commands of the 
voice command system 
197Everything from A to Z 

Notes
6
For your own safety 
Fuels
Use unleaded gasoline only. 
Fuels containing up to and including 
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with 
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight – that is, 
15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an equiv-
alent amount of co-solvent – will not void 
the applicable warranties with respect to 
defects in materials or workmanship. Field 
experience has indicated significant differ-
ences in fuel quality – volatility, composi-
tion, additives, etc. – among gasolines 
offered for sale in the United States and 
Canada. The use of poor-quality fuels may 
result in drivability, starting and stalling 
problems, especially under certain environ-
mental conditions such as high ambient 
temperature and high altitude. 
Should you encounter drivability problems 
which you suspect could be related to the 
fuel you are using, we recommend that you 
respond by switching to a recognized high-
quality brand. 
Failure to comply with these recommenda-
tions may result in unscheduled mainte-
nance. 
Follow the relevant safety rules when you 
are handling gasoline.< 
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e. g. the use of 
modern materials and high-perfor-
mance electronics, requires specially 
adapted maintenance and repair methods. 
Therefore, only have corresponding work 
on your BMW carried out by a BMW center 
or a workshop that works according to 
BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel. If work is carried 
out improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety 
risks.< 
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine 
parts and accessories approved by 
BMW. 
When you purchase accessories tested 
and approved by BMW and Genuine BMW 
Parts, you simultaneously acquire the 
assurance that they have been thoroughly 
tested by BMW to ensure optimum perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle. 
BMW warrants these parts to be free from 
defects in material and workmanship. 
BMW will not accept any liability for dam-
age resulting from installation of parts and 
accessories not approved by BMW. 
BMW cannot test every product made by 
other manufacturers to verify if it can be 
used on a BMW safely and without risk to 
either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-
pants. 
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories 
and other products approved by BMW, 
together with professional advice on using 
these items, are available from all BMW 
centers. 
Installation and operation of non-BMW 
approved accessories such as alarms, 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, 
suspension components, brake dust 
shields, telephones – including operation of 
any portable phone from within the vehicle 
without using an externally mounted 
antenna – or transceiver equipment, for 
instance, CBs, walkie-talkie, ham radio or 
similar accessories, may cause extensive 
damage to the vehicle, compromise its 
safety, interfere with the vehicle's electrical 
system or affect the validity of the BMW 
Limited Warranty. Refer to your BMW cen-
ter for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair 
of the emission control devices and 
systems may be performed by any automo-
tive repair establishment or individual using 
any certified automotive part.<  

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
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 

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}}. 

Opening and closing
32 If special circumstances should make it 
absolutely necessary to operate the vehicle 
with the lid open:
1.Coupe: close both windows as well as 
the glass roof
Convertible: with closed top, close all 
windows
2.Adjust the automatic climate control to 
supply a high air volume, refer to 
page 89.
Luggage compartment
There are four lashing eyes on the inner 
corners of the luggage compartment for 
securing luggage nets or securing straps to 
fix luggage in position.
Also refer to Cargo loading, page 104.
Convertible: increasing luggage 
compartment capacity 
With the convertible top closed, you can 
enlarge the luggage compartment capac-
ity:
To do so, unfold the handle and press it 
downwards in the direction of travel, refer 
to arrow. This folds the convertible top 
compartment floor upwards.
Before opening the convertible top, run this 
procedure in reverse order.
The convertible top cannot be 
opened if the convertible top com-
partment floor is folded up.<
Alarm system 
The concept 
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the luggage 
compartment lid is opened
>To movement in the vehicle interior: 
interior motion sensor
>To changing of the vehicle's tilt if some-
one attempts to steal the wheels or tow 
the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized vehi-
cle entry and attempted theft by simulta-
neously activating:
>An acoustic alarm, which lasts for a 
period of approx. 30 seconds 
>The hazard warning flashers for approx. 
5 minutes
>The high beams, which flash on and off 
in the same rhythm.
Arming and disarming alarm system 
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either 
with the remote control or at the door lock, 
the alarm system is armed or disarmed at 
the same time.
The system indicates that it has been cor-
rectly armed by switching on the hazard 
warning flashers for a single cycle and by 
emitting an acoustic signal.
You can also open the luggage compart-
ment lid with the system armed using but-
ton   on the remote control, refer to 
page 28. When you close the lid, it is 
secured again.
Switching off alarm 
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote 
control, refer to page 27
>or turn the ignition key to position 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.<