Controls
65Reference
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What you will need
1Screwdriver handle
2Emergency-release tool
30.4 in/10 mm open-end wrench
You will find the required tools in the
onboard tool kit mounted on the inside of
the luggage compartment lid, refer to
page 200.
Insert the emergency-release tool in the
screwdriver handle as shown in the illustra-
tion.
Releasing
1.Remove the floor mat and the cover on
the spare tire
2.Guide the emergency-release tool with
the screwdriver handle into the open-
ing, arrow 1
3.Apply the open-end wrench to the
hexagon on the emergency-release
tool.
Press against the resistance from the
spring to guide the emergency-release
tool all the way in, then hold it in place.
Turn the emergency-release tool in the
direction indicated by arrow 2, continu-
ing until you hear the mechanism snap
into place and feel resistance; maintain pressure on the tool after the mecha-
nism engages
4.Use the open-end wrench to turn the
emergency-release tool against the
drive unit's mechanical resistance, con-
tinuing to rotate it in arrow direction 2
until you feel a substantial increase in
turning effort
To prevent possible damage to the
rear brakes, always make sure that
the parking brake is completely released
before driving the vehicle.<
5.Return the tools to their places
6.Return the spare tire cover and the floor
mat to their original locations.
Have any defects repaired at the
nearest BMW center. The technicians
can also return the parking brake to normal
operational status after it has been
released manually in response to malfunc-
tion.<
Following manual release, the actual
status of the parking brake may vary
from that displayed by the indicator lamp.<
Operation after interruptions in
power supply
The parking brake may only be used
again, if it was released manually after
an interruption in power supply, i.e. as a
result of a discharged or disconnected bat-
tery. If this is not done, the parking brake
may fail to operate correctly. Even with the
parking brake engaged, there would be a
danger of the vehicle rolling on steep
hills.<
Once the electrical power supply has been
restored you can again use the parking
brake:
With the ignition on and the
vehicle stationary, briefly press
the button three times at inter-
vals of approx. 5 seconds. This
initializes the system as follows:
>Initializing the disengaged setting
>Engaging: the system registers the new
status and the brake setting is initial-
Driving
66 ized. The indicator lamp in the
Info Display lights up red
>Releasing: the parking brake is ready
for operation. The indicator
lamp in the Info Display goes out.
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic
While you can drive as with any conven-
tional automatic transmission, you also
enjoy the option of shifting manually at the
steering wheel, refer to page 67.
Transmission range selection
P R N D
Program display
S or M1 Ð M6
Buttons on the steering wheel
Press briefly to proceed through a selec-
tion sequence consisting of the automatic
program, the sport program, and the man-
ual mode.Steptronic:
Upshifting and downshifting, refer to Sport
program and manual operation.
Selecting transmission range
The selector lever is at the center
position. To select transmission
ranges D, R or N, always start by pulling
toward the steering wheel, arrow 1, then
press up or down. Note the information
provided in the Info Display.<
>Range D or R:
Press the selector lever up or down,
continuing to apply pressure to move it
past the resistance point
>Neutral N:
Press the selector lever as far as the
resistance point
>Park P:
Press button P, arrow 2.
The selector lever immediately returns to
the center position when released.
With the vehicle stationary, press the
brake pedal before shifting out of P
or N; the shift command will not be exe-
cuted unless the brake is applied: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a range, maintain pressure on
Controls
67Reference
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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.
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
74 In addition to holding a steady cruising
speed, if you do encounter slower vehicles
ahead, active cruise control will Ð within the
scope of given possibilities Ð adjust your
vehicle's speed automatically so that one
can flow with the traffic without frequent
intervention by the driver. If, for example,
while cruising at the selected speed, you
begin to approach a slower vehicle ahead
of you in the same lane, the system will
reduce your vehicle's speed to the same as
that of the vehicle ahead to maintain your
selected distance setting between your
vehicle and the vehicle ahead. There are
four settings for distance, which is addi-
tionally speed-dependent. Based on your
selected distance setting, the system auto-
matically decreases the throttle setting and
lightly applies the brakes if necessary.
The vehicle brake lamps will automatically
illuminate to signal a following driver to
take action. In addition, it may be neces-
sary for the vehicle to downshift to maintain
the distance setting selected. If the vehicle
ahead speeds up or when the lane ahead
becomes clear, your vehicle will accelerate
to the speed you have selected by increas-
ing the throttle setting and shifting gears as
needed.
Active cruise control is not and must
not be used as a collision avoidance/
warning system.<
Since this active cruise control sys-
tem is a new technology and operates
differently from conventional cruise control
systems which you may be accustomed to,
you are strongly urged to read all of the
pages relating to this system before use.
Pay special attention to the information
contained in the Things to know about
active cruise control section in this manual
beginning on page 77.<
Info Display screen contents
1Stored desired speed display
2Detected vehicle display. Lights up
when vehicle driving ahead is detected
3Selected distance to vehicle driving
ahead
4Digital speed display.
Appears briefly when you select your
desired speed, refer to page 75.
The system is activated.
The display appears as soon as
you activate the system and no
vehicle is detected driving
ahead.
Vehicle detected.
The display lights up when a
vehicle is detected driving
ahead.
The system requests you to
intervene by braking or with an
evasive maneuver. The display
flashes and a chime sounds.
The active cruise control can-
not automatically restore the distance to
the vehicle driving ahead. You will find
more detailed information on page 78.
Automatic intervention by ABS
or DSC, or you actuate the
parking brake while driving. The
active cruise control now only
intervenes by braking.
Controls
75Reference
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Mobility
Operating the active cruise control
1Activate system,
store and increase desired speed
2Activate system,
store and decrease desired speed
3Deactivate system
4With system deactivated:
Briefly press the button to recall the
stored speed and distance
4With system activated:
Increase desired speed by 1 mph/
1 km/h with each press of the button
5Select distance to vehicle driving
ahead. You can choose from four avail-
able distance settings. You will find
more detailed information on page 76
Adjust your desired speed to the traf-
fic conditions and remain ready to
brake at all times. Great differences in
speed to the vehicles driving ahead, e.g.
when quickly approaching a truck or when
another vehicle swerves into your lane,
cannot be compensated for by the sys-
tem.<
Activating the system
From approx. 20 mph/30 km/h you can
activate the system by pressing the lever forward or pulling it back:
The current driving speed is stored as a
desired speed and briefly displayed in the
speedometer, refer to arrow.
If the display ACC --- mph/km/h
appears briefly in the speedometer,
it might be that conditions necessary for
operation are not currently being met.
To call up Check Control messages, refer
to page 83.<
1 Storing and increasing desired
speed
Press the lever forward:
The system applies and stores your current
speed as a desired speed. The speedome-
ter indicates this speed.
Subsequently pressing forward increases
the desired speed to the next 5-mile place/
10 km/h.
Each time the lever is pressed forward
again, the desired speed is increased by
another 5 mph/10 km/h until a maximum of
110 mph/180 km/h is reached. The speed
then displayed is stored and reached on a
clear road.
2 Storing and decreasing desired
speed
Pull back the lever:
The current driving speed is rounded off to
the next 5-mile place/10 km/h, displayed
and stored.
Each time the lever is pulled back again,
the desired speed is decreased by another
5 mph/10 km/h until the minimum speed of
20 mph/30 km/h is reached. The speed
then displayed is stored and reached on a
clear road.
3 Deactivating the system
Press the lever up or down while the sys-
tem is active. The displays in the speedom-
eter disappear. You can use the system
again as required.
In addition, the system is deactivated auto-
matically:
>When you apply pressure to the brake
pedal
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.<