Controls
67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
the brake pedal until you are ready to start.
You can activate the Automatic Hold fea-
ture to suppress the vehicle's tendency to
creep, refer to page 63.<
Shift commands are transmitted electroni-
cally. To help avoid malfunctions, each
command undergoes a plausibility check
prior to execution.
Remember to observe the Check Control
for status messages.
You can find additional information on the
Check Control on page 82.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage
the parking brake before leaving the vehi-
cle with the engine running. Note the infor-
mation provided in the Info Display.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
P Park
Select P only when the vehicle is station-
ary. The transmission lockout prevents the
rear wheels from turning. The lockout dis-
engages when you press the selector lever
toward D, N or R while the engine is run-
ning.
P is engaged automatically as soon as
you switch off the engine unless N is
engaged and the remote control is inserted
in the ignition lock, refer to page 61.<
R Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is station-
ary.
N Neutral
Select N only if your journey is interrupted
for a long period.
>From D press the selector lever up
>From R press the selector lever down.
Note the arrows indicating direction in the
range display.
N remains engaged whenever the
remote control unit remains in the
ignition lock after the ignition is switched
off. This function is useful in automatic car washes, etc.
After approx. 30 minutes the system auto-
matically engages P. Remember to
observe the Check Control for status mes-
sages.
Switching off the engine, refer to
page 61.<
D Drive, automatic driving position
This is the range recommended 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.
Sport program and manual operation
When you press the S/M/D button on the
steering wheel once, the system responds
by activating the transmission's Sport pro-
gram, as indicated by the letter S in the
program display of the Info Display, refer to
Driving
68 page 66. We recommend this program for
performance-oriented driving.
When you press the S/M/D button a sec-
ond time the transmission switches to its
manual mode; press again to return to the
automatic program.
You can also return to the standard auto-
matic program by reselecting D.
In the manual mode the transmission
upshifts when you briefly press the buttons
on the rear of the steering wheel. You
downshift by briefly pressing the buttons
on the front of the steering wheel. The Info
Display shows the manual ranges 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 Info Display, followed by the
current gear.
To obtain maximum acceleration, for
passing maneuvers, etc., during
operation in the manual mode, use the
kickdown or downshift manually.<
Malfunctions
A status report will appear in the Check
Control to alert you to any malfunctions in
the transmission-control system. Please
note any supplementary information that
appears on the Control Display. The direc-
tional arrows also start to flash in the Info
Display.
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.
Some types of malfunction will make it
impossible to engage all gears.
The engine may respond with reduced out-
put when accelerating from a standing
start. If this happens, avoid extreme engine loads
and consult the nearest BMW center.
If no status messages appear in the
Info Display you should accelerate
carefully to confirm that you are driving in
the desired direction.
Never work in the engine compartment
with any of the forward or reverse gears
engaged, as the vehicle could start to
move. Engaging the parking brake, refer to
page 62.<
Manual release of transmission
lockout
You can respond to any interruptions in the
supply of electrical power, for instance, if
the battery is discharged or disconnected,
by releasing the transmission lockout man-
ually.
To prevent the drive wheels from
locking up and sliding, the transmis-
sion lockout must always be released man-
ually before the vehicle is towed.<
Press the brake pedal before releas-
ing the transmission lockout manu-
ally. If the brakes are not applied, the vehi-
cle could start to roll if parked on a steep
slope.
The transmission lockout should only be
released for towing. Remember to engage
the transmission lockout when you repark
the vehicle after moving it.
Should it also be necessary to release
the parking brake manually, owing to a dis-
charged battery, etc., always adhere to the
following sequence:
1.Start by manually releasing the parking
brake, refer to page 64
2.Then proceed to manually release the
transmission lockout.<
Jump-starting and towing, refer to
pages 207 and 208.
Controls
71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Deactivating the rain sensor
Briefly press the button again. The indica-
tor lamp goes out.
The rain sensor is automatically deac-
tivated when you switch off the igni-
tion.<
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.<
Selecting wiper fold-out position
Important for changing wiper blades, when
folding away from windshield to prevent
blades from sticking when ice forms, etc.
1.Switch off the engine and remove the
remote control from the ignition lock
2.Press the wiper lever up and maintain
pressure for about 3 seconds until the
wipers are roughly vertical: fold-out
position.
After folding the wipers back against the
windshield you will need to reactivate the
wiper system:
1.Switch on the radio mode
2.Apply brief upward pressure to the
wiper lever. The wipers return to their
retracted position and are ready for nor-
mal operation.
To prevent damage to the wipers,
always fold them back against the
windshield before switching on either the
radio mode or the ignition.<
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.< We recommend that you mix the
washer fluid before adding it to the
reservoir.<
Windshield and headlamp washer
system
Capacity: 6.3 US quarts/6 liters.
Fill with water and Ð if required Ð with a
washer antifreeze, according to manufac-
turer's recommendations.
Programmable cruise
control
The concept
The programmable cruise control is avail-
able 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.
You can also use the multilevel preset
mode to store 6 desired speeds for later
selection with the same lever, refer to
page 73.
This feature assists you in quickly adapting
the vehicle speed to specific road condi-
tions, e.g. changes in speeds limits.
Do not use the programmable cruise
control when driving on winding
roads, in heavy traffic or in poor road con-
ditions, e.g. snow, rain, ice, loose road sur-
face, that do not permit a constant speed.<
Driving
72
One lever for all functions
1 Maintaining and storing speed,
accelerating
Press the lever as far as the resistance
point:
The system maintains and stores the cur-
rent vehicle speed. Every time you briefly
press the lever, the vehicle's speed
increases by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Press the lever longer:
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.
The vehicle may accelerate beyond
the preset 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 lever back to resistance point:
The system maintains and stores the cur-
rent vehicle speed. Every time you briefly
press the lever the vehicle's speed
decreases by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Pull the lever longer:
The throttle aperture is automatically
reduced, slowing the vehicle. The system
maintains and stores your current speed as
soon as you release the lever.
3 Interrupting cruise control
With the cruise control active, briefly press
the lever up or down. In addition, cruise control is interrupted
automatically
>when you apply pressure to the brake
pedal
>when you select neutral position of the
automatic transmission
>when the DSC Dynamic Stability Con-
trol is in active operation.
4 Recalling stored speed
Briefly press button 4: the vehicle acceler-
ates to and maintains the last speed stored.
Deactivating system
When the ignition is switched off, the sys-
tem is deactivated and the stored speed is
deleted.
Displays in the Info Display
5Display of speed ready for recall
> Ð cruise control activated
> Ð cruise control deactivated
6Display of stored desired speed in the
multilevel function
5 and 6 are displayed when the sys-
tem is activated.<
Activating multilevel preset mode
Push 1 or pull 2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point.
The current driving speed is maintained,
stored and displayed as the available
speed 5.
If no desired speeds are stored, you
can increase or reduce the speed by
5 mph/10 km/h with the multilevel preset
Driving
76 >When you select the automatic trans-
mission's neutral range N
>When you deactivate the DSC Dynamic
Stability Control
>When you actuate the parking brake
during driving
>When the system reduces the speed to
below 20 mph/30 km/h due to a traffic
situation.
The system deactivates automatically
when the speed is set to below
20 mph/30 km/h. A gong sounds and a
message appears in the Check Control.
The active intervention of the driver is
required, otherwise there is an accident
danger.<
Background lighting
You can switch off the background lighting
of the speedometer and tachometer
>when you have deactivated the system
>when the prewarning field in the
tachometer has gone out, refer to
page 80
>when the destination guidance system
of the navigation system is deactivated.
Press the lever up or down for approx.
1 second.
4 Resuming stored desired speed
and distance setting
Press button 4:
The displays appear in the speedometer.
The system is reactivated and uses the last
stored desired speed and distance setting.
4 Fine adjustment of desired speed
In the activated state, the desired speed
increases by 1 mph/1 km/h each time
button 4 is pressed briefly.
5 Selecting distance
You can choose from four distance steps.
>Rotary switch upward:
Increase distance
>Rotary switch downward:
Decrease distance.
The selected distance is displayed in the
speedometer.
Distance 1
Distance 2
Distance 3
Distance 4
This distance is always set
when the system is used for the
first time after starting the
engine.
Use good judgment to select the
appropriate following distance given
road conditions, traffic, applicable laws
and driving recommendations for safe fol-
lowing distance.<
Driving
78 vehicle brakes, which means the driver
must intervene and resume manual brak-
ing. You should then reactivate the system
only when you are fully aware of the prior
speed and distance settings.<
Active cruise control may brake when you
reduce the stored desired speed; however,
the driver must constantly monitor traffic
and intervene if necessary.
When you switch off the engine or ignition,
active cruise control is fully switched off,
too, and any settings you have selected are
canceled.
Behavior in curves
Because of the limited range of the system,
it is possible that in curves or on the peaks
and valleys of hilly roads, a vehicle ahead
may be recognized late, or not at all. There-
fore, it is up to the driver to select a speed
that is prudent in view of the curves and
terrain of the roadway.
In approaching a curve, it is possible that
active cruise control would react briefly to a
vehicle in the adjacent lane. In addition, the
system can sense if your vehicle is in a
curve and may not accelerate. If your vehi-
cle decelerates in either case, you can choose to overcome the deceleration by
briefly pressing the accelerator pedal.
Driver interventions
Remember actions by the driver
always supersede and take priority
over the system's automatic actions. Any-
time the driver presses down on the accel-
erator pedal, any automatic braking action
by the system is interrupted until the pedal
is fully released. After doing this, release
the accelerator and the system again con-
trols your cruising speed and distance set-
ting. While driving with activated system,
resting your foot on the accelerator pedal
will cause the system not to brake even if
necessary. Be certain that floormats or
other objects on the vehicle floor do not
interfere with movement of the accelerator
pedal.<
While active cruise control is capable
of braking your vehicle automatically
when you approach a slower vehicle
ahead, it is important to be aware that the
ability of the system to apply the brakes is
also limited, if you are driving down a steep
grade or when you reduce your desired
speed sharply. The system cannot stop
your vehicle. It uses only a portion of brak-
ing system capacity and does not utilize the
full capacity of the vehicle braking system.
Therefore, the system cannot decrease
your speed for large differences in speed
between your vehicle and the vehicle
ahead. Examples: during emergency brak-
ing, when you approach a vehicle traveling
at a much lower speed than your own
speed such as approaching a toll booth or
when a much slower vehicle cuts in front of
you at close range.<
Whenever active cruise control
recognizes a situation that
requires driver braking because
the system capacity has been
reached or has been exceeded,
the system alerts the driver by flashing this
symbol in the instrument cluster and
sounding a chime.
Everything under control
80
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 at
the upper left of the Info Display.
1 Outside temperature display, clock
The outside temperature and the time dis-
plays are active starting at the radio mode
in the ignition lock.
You can change the units of measure,
7/6, in the "Settings" menu, refer to
page 88.
Setting the clock, refer to page 88.
Ice warning
A warning signal sounds when the outside
temperature falls to roughly +37.57/+36;
this is accompanied by a message in the
Check Control.
Please bear in mind that the ice warn-
ing does nothing to alter the fact that
glare ice may be present on roads at tem-
peratures higher than +37.57/+36, for
instance, on bridges and shaded sur-
faces.<
2 Odometer
The odometer panel also provides displays
for the computer and the Check Control.
Regardless of the current display mode,
you can view the odometer reading for a
short period by pressing the knob at the
upper left of the Info Display. Check Control, refer to page 82.
Computer, refer to page 84.
3 Trip odometer
The trip odometer must be present in the
display before you can reset it to zero.
Reset by pressing the knob at the upper left
of the Info Display.
Tachometer
The orange warning sector gradually
moves upward as the engine warms to its
normal operating temperature. The seg-
ments disappear in sequence as the engine
warms to its normal operating temperature.
Avoid allowing the engine speed to rise as
far as the orange warning sector whenever
possible.
Controls
85Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Briefly press the button again to view the
last display.<
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge display appears automati-
cally once the fuel level falls into the
reserve range. At the same time, the words
"Fuel reserve" appear. The tank still con-
tains approx. 2.6 gallons/10 liters of fuel.
It will not be possible to cancel the
computer display once the fuel level
drops into the reserve range. However, you
can still request a display of the travel
range. Computer, refer to page 84.<
Tank capacity: approx. 23.2 gallons/
88 liters. You can find information on refu-
eling on page 186.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies, when you are
driving in mountainous areas, for example,
the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Refuel well before the tank is empty,
as otherwise engine functions will not
be ensured and damage can occur if you
drive down to the last drop.<
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range
available with the remaining fuel. The sys-
tem calculates the cruising range based on
operating conditions and the amount of fuel
remaining in the tank. The basis for the cal-
culations is the average fuel consumption
over the preceding 20 miles/30 km.
Always refuel as soon as possible
once your range falls to below
30 miles/50 kilometers, as otherwise
engine functions are not ensured and dam-
age can occur.<
Refueling is only registered by the com-
puter for fuel amounts above approx.
1.3 gallons/5 liters.
Remaining distance
When you enter a destination in the naviga-
tion system or manually enter a distance in
the computer prior to departure, the sys-
tem can also display the distance remain-ing to your destination, refer to page 132
or 86.
The system automatically applies the dis-
tance to your destination using the route
recommended by the navigation system.
When you enter a destination in the
navigation system, any manual
entries will be overwritten no later than
once 1,640 ft/500 meters of the calculated
distance have elapsed.<
Energy Control/
Current fuel consumption
Shows the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current
driving style is conducive to fuel economy
with minimum exhaust emissions.
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.
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the
engine off are not included in the calcula-
tions of average speed.
Time of arrival
A display of your estimated time of arrival is
available whenever you enter a destination
in the navigation system, refer to page 132,
or enter the distance manually in the com-
puter, refer to page 86, prior to departure.
A requirement is that you have cor-
rectly set the time in the Control Cen-
ter, refer to page 88.<
Displays in the Control Display
You can activate the computer function at
any time by selecting it from the "Car data"
menu.
You have two possibilities to display infor-
mation of the computer: