
Driving
64 Provided that the remote control is
inserted in the ignition lock, you can
also release the parking brake manually
after the engine has been switched off,
refer to page 62. This function is useful in
automatic car washes, etc.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.<
When leaving the vehicle, always
release the remote control from the
detent in the ignition lock; this precaution
prevents children from disengaging the
parking brake, etc.<
For your safety
Automatic Hold is automatically deacti-
vated when
>the engine is switched off
>the system detects that the driver's seat
is not occupied while the engine is run-
ning
>the hood is opened while the engine is
running
>the luggage compartment lid is opened
with the transmission in reverse while
the engine is running, and
>when the parking brake is used to bring
the vehicle to a stop.
The indicator lamp changes from
green to red, and the AUTO P letters in the
Info Display disappear.
Before starting off again, briefly press the
button to disengage the parking brake
manually, refer to page 62, or reactivate
Automatic Hold, refer to page 63.
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, always move the
automatic transmission's selector lever to
position P and ensure that the parking
brake is engaged. The vehicle could start
to roll if you fail to observe these precau-
tions.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Automatic Hold is automatically
deactivated whenever the system
detects any tendency for the wheels to spin
in response to slippery road surfaces. Note the status reports in the Check Control.
You can find additional information on the
Check Control on page 82.<
Malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs, the indicator
lamp lights up yellow in the Info Dis-
play and a status report will appear in the
Check Control. Please note any supple-
mentary information that appears on the
Control Display.
Releasing the parking brake
manually
You can respond to any interruptions in the
supply of electrical power, for instance, if
the battery is discharged or disconnected,
by releasing the parking brake manually.
Before proceeding to release the
parking brake manually, and each
time you park the vehicle without engaging
the parking brake, always ensure that the
automatic transmission's selector lever is
in position P, refer to page 66. Note the
range indicated in the Info Display.
If the wheel must be changed on a surface
with a more severe slope, take additional
precautions to secure the vehicle from roll-
ing e.g. with a chock, refer to page 203.
Otherwise there is a danger that the vehicle
could start to roll if parked on a steep
slope.<
Should it also be necessary to release the
automatic transmission's lockout manually,
for instance, if the battery is discharged,
always adhere to the following sequence:
1.If necessary, start by manually releasing
the parking brake
2.Then release the automatic transmis-
sion's lockout manually, refer to
page 68.
Jump-starting and towing, refer to
pages 207 and 208.

Controls
97Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Airbags
The following airbags are located under
the marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front
passenger
2Head airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in front and rear
*
4Knee airbags for driver and front
passenger
Protective effect
The front airbags help protect the driver
and front passenger by responding to fron-
tal impacts in which safety belts alone
cannot provide adequate restraint. When
needed, the head and side airbags help
provide protection in the event of side
impact. The side airbags help restrain the
side of the occupant's upper torso, and the
head airbags help support the head while
also helping provide protection against any
objects penetrating into the passenger
compartment. The knee airbags help pro-
tect the legs against impact against the
cockpit.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered
in every impact situation, e.g. less severe
accidents, certain roll-over conditions, or
rear-end collisions.
The rear seat side airbags may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. Labels in the rear door open-
ing should indicate the status of your rear
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of
their status, or wish to have the airbags
activated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW center.
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags, cover
them or modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag reten-
tion system from the vehicle. Never modify
or tamper with either the wiring or the indi-
vidual components in the airbag system.
This category includes the upholstery in the
center of the steering wheel, on the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels on the
front or rear doors, and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner.
Do not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns.
If you note any indication of system mal-
function, if you desire to have an airbag
deactivated, or if the airbag retention sys-
tem is triggered in response to an accident,
you should always entrust all inspection,
repair and dismantling operations to your
BMW center.
Unprofessional attempts to service the sys-
tem could lead to failure in an emergency
or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.
To ensure compliance with official safety
regulations, entrust disposal of airbag gen-
erators to a BMW center.<
Airbag warning information is also provided
on the sun visors.

A congenial climate
106 This function allows you to make minor
adjustments for maximum comfort while
also letting you vary temperatures within
the storage compartment.
Switching off automatic climate
control*
The air supply, the heater and
the air conditioner are all
switched off. You can restart
the automatic climate control
by pressing any of its buttons
except the REST button.
Settings using the Control Center
With the ignition on, select "Climate". You
can use the Control Center to set the fol-
lowing:
>"Left
C Right":
Separate settings for driver and front
passenger
>Adjusting and adapting air-distribution
patterns, refer to page 107
>Adjusting temperature for the upper
body, refer to page 107
>Storing and calling up an individual set-
ting for interior ventilation outlets, air
distribution and temperature, refer to
page 107.
Select the second page of the "Climate"
menu. >"Indep. ventil.":
For information on activating and deac-
tivating the independent ventilation and
setting the timer, refer to page 109
>"Seat temp.":
Adjusting temperature distribution
while the seat heating is on, refer to
page 50
>"Extra":
Switching the rear air conditioner or
rear cooler on and off, refer to
pages 108 and 113.
Select the first page of the "Climate"
menu.
Automatic air distribution and supply
"AUTO":
The AUTO program adjusts the airflow
and distribution patterns for you while also
using your preselected temperature setting
as the basis for adjusting the interior cli-
mate to adapt to external influences: sum-
mer, winter.
"Bi-Level":
This program operates in the same way
as the AUTO program, but with airflow
directed toward upper body and into the
footwells.

Controls
113Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3Rear window blind
4Switching to the other side
The side window blind cannot be
extended unless the side window is
closed. If the window is open, the blind will
rise slightly prior to immediately retracting
to its original position.<
Briefly press the safety switch in the
driver's door, refer to page 42. The
indicator lamp must light up. This precau-
tion prevents children from operating the
sun blinds using the rear switches, etc.
Before using always ensure that the sun
blind's travel path is clear and unob-
structed.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the remote control from the ignition lock
and close the doors; this precaution pre-
vents children from using the sun blinds
and injuring themselves, etc.<
Automatically extending and
retracting the sun blinds
You can extend and retract the sun blinds
together by pressing and holding button 3
or the button in the driver's door.
Rear cooler*
The rear cooler is located behind the rear
seats' center armrest.
Switching on/off
As of radio position, press the button,
arrow 1; the indicator lamp in the button
comes on. Vehicles with rear air conditioner:
Once switched on, the rear cooler
operates whenever the engine is running.
High temperatures in the luggage compart-
ment can affect the temperature in the rear
cooler.
Vehicles without rear air conditioner:
After the ignition has been switched off, the
rear cooler is switched off automatically
after a short period.
When a low voltage is reached, it is auto-
matically switched off to protect the vehicle
battery. The indicator lamp in the button
flashes.
In the event of a malfunction, please con-
tact your BMW center.<
Press the button, arrow 1, once again to
switch off the rear cooler.
Opening
Press button and open cooler, arrow 2.
Switching on/off using the Control
Center*
When the rear air conditioner unit is
switched on, the rear cooler operates
whenever the engine is running.<
1.With the ignition on, select "Climate"
2. Select the second page of the "Cli-
mate" menu
3.Select "Extra" and confirm
4.Select "Rear refr. box" and confirm.
Select "Rear refr. box" a second time and
confirm to switch the unit off.

Practical interior accessories
114
Glove compartment
Opening
Press button. The glove compartment
opens automatically and the lamps come
on.
Closing
Fold the cover up.
To prevent injury in the event of an
accident, close the glove compart-
ment immediately after use.<
Rechargeable flashlight
The flashlight is located on the left side of
the glove compartment.
It features integral overload protection, so
it can be left in its holder continuously.
Be sure that the flashlight is switched
off when it is inserted into its holder.
Failure to comply with this precaution
could lead to overcharging and damage.<
Front center armrest
A storage compartment is located in the
armrest between the front seats. 1Open the right cover
2Open the left cover
A removable coin holder is provided in the
front of the compartment. Briefly press to
open.
The mat within the compartment can be
removed for cleaning.
Depending upon your model specification,
any of the following may be located in the
storage compartment:
>Removable CD holder
*
>Fold-out and removable storage com-
partment
*, e.g. for glasses or portable
phone
>Fold-out and removable litter con-
tainer
*.
Locking storage compartment in
the front armrest
You can use the key to lock the storage
compartment in the armrest.
You can lock the luggage compart-
ment lid and the armrest storage
compartment separately, refer to page 37,
and then retain the key in your possession
while handing over only the remote control
when leaving the vehicle for valet parking
etc., refer to page 32; this prevents unau-
thorized access to the luggage and front
storage compartments.<
Ventilating storage compartment in
the front armrest
You can use the serrated dial in the storage
compartment to open and close the vent.
Depending on the automatic climate
control setting, the temperature

Controls
115Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
within the storage compartment may be
higher than in the rest of the interior.
Close the vent as required.<
Storage compartments
Glasses compartment
To open the compartment:
Briefly press the button.
You can remove the insert tray for cleaning.
Storage compartment in the center
console
To open the compartment:
Briefly press the button.
Clothes hooks
When suspending clothing from the
hooks ensure that it will not obstruct
the driver's vision. Do not hang heavy
objects on the hooks. If you do so, they
could cause personal injury during braking
or evasive maneuvers.<
Beverage holders
Front
Below the sliding covers.
Rear
In the front of the rear seat cushion's cen-
ter.
Briefly press to open; slide back to close.
Ashtray, front
Opening
Slide back the cover by the recess.
To extinguish a cigarette, tap off the ash
and gently press the tip into the funnel.

Controls
117Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Rear center armrest
Before folding down the armrest,
adjust the head restraint to its lowest
position, refer to page 48.<
To open the storage compartment:
Press the button in the handle recess and
fold up the cover.
Comfort seat in rear
Before folding down the armrest,
adjust the head restraint to its lowest
position, refer to page 48.<
To open the storage compartment:
Press the button and fold up the cover.
Ski bag*
Designed for safe, convenient transport
of up to four pairs of standard skis or up to
two snowboards.
The ski bag itself plus the additional capac-
ity provided by the luggage compartment
make it possible to transport skis with a
length of up to 6.9 ft/2.10 m. When skis of
6.9 ft/2.10 m in length are loaded the ski
bag will tend to contract, reducing its over-
all capacity.
Loading
1.Lower the center armrest, open the
cover and place it on the armrest
2.Remove the cover panel
* and place it
on the controller in the rear
3.Open the hatch in the luggage compart-
ment:
Press the handle and slide it to the right
4.Extend the ski bag between the front
seats. The zipper allows more conven-
ient access to stored objects and can
also be left open to allow the ski bag to
dry.
Please ensure that the skis are clean before
loading them into the bag. Take care to
avoid damage from sharp edges.

Driving tips
125Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and
as low as possible, placing it directly
behind the bulkhead behind the rear
seats
>Cover sharp edges and corners
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat
is not occupied, secure each safety belt
in the opposite buckle.
Securing cargo
>Use the luggage net* or securing straps
to hold down small and lightweight lug-
gage and cargo, refer to page 39
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available
at your BMW center. Anchorages for
attaching these heavy-duty straps have
been provided in your vehicle's luggage
compartment, refer to the illustration
>Please observe the special instructions
supplied with the anchorage fittings.
Always position and secure the load
correctly. If you do not, it can even
endanger the passengers during braking or
evasive maneuvers.
Never exceed either the approved gross
vehicle weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer to page 214, as excessive
loads can pose a safety hazard, and may
also place you in violation of freeway safety
laws.
You should never transport heavy or hard
objects unsecured in the passenger com-
partment, as they could fly around and
pose a safety hazard to the vehicle's occu-
pants during abrupt braking or evasive
maneuvers .<
Roof-mounted luggage
rack*
Anchorage points
The anchorage points are located within
the door openings.
A special rack system is available as an
option for your BMW. Please comply with
the precautions included with the installa-
tion instructions.
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's cen-
ter of gravity when loaded, they have a
major effect on its handling and steering
response.
You should therefore always remember not
to exceed the approved roof weight, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle
loads when loading the rack.
You can find the specified weights in the
Technical data section on page 214.
Make sure that the load is not too heavy,
and that it does not extend outward to
beyond the limits of the loading surface.
Always load the heaviest pieces first Ð on
the bottom. Be sure that adequate clear-
ance is maintained for raising the glass
roof, and that objects do not project into