
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
At a glance
Driving tips
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Navigation
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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.

Controls
69Reference
At a glance
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Mobility
Releasing
1.Use the vehicle key to release the cover
panel beneath the instrument panel by
turning the lock counterclockwise, then
fold down the cover
2.Pull out the release lever with the loop 1
until it locks into place: the transmission
lockout is unlocked.
Re-engage the transmission lockout
after parking the vehicle at its destina-
tion. Otherwise there is a danger that the
vehicle could start to roll if parked on a
steep slope.<
Locking again
1.Disengage the release lever by pressing
it together with the red detent lever,
arrow
2.Guide the release lever all the way back
into its original position Ð the transmis-
sion lockout is again engaged
3.Fold up and lock the cover panel again.
Now Ð and not before Ð the key may be
removed.
Once the transmission lockout has
been re-engaged, the warning in the
Check Control should disappear, and the
symbol in the Info Display should change
from N to P. Should this fail to happen,
there is a danger that the vehicle could
start to roll.<
Information on jump-starting and towing
begins on page 207.
Turn signal indicators/
headlamp flasher
1High beams: blue indicator lamp
2Headlamp flasher: blue indicator lamp
3Turn signal indicators: green indicator
lamps, accompanied by a periodic tick-
ing from the turn signal indicator relay
Using turn signal indicators
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 signal
indicators.

Controls
71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
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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.<

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.

Everything under control
84 The display disappears when the sym-
bol is confirmed.
Displays after completion of trip
Selected fault reports generated during the
trip are shown consecutively when you
switch off the ignition.
If indicated, the following message may
also appear:
"Parking lamps on!"
This message appears when you open the
driver's door after parking. A supplemen-
tary gong is also heard.
Even with the ignition and Info Display off,
you can reactivate the screen and display
the messages.
Press the CHECK button for approx.
8 seconds, refer to page 83. The stored
status reports appear again in the display.
If several messages are present, you can
continue to briefly press the CHECK button
to view them in succession.
The Check Control function
>cancels itself automatically after a brief
period
>can be canceled by again pressing the
CHECK button for approx. 8 seconds.
You can select the language in which
Check Control status reports and
messages from the computer will appear,
refer to page 88.<
Computer
To select functions:
You can use the buttons in the turn signal
indicator lever to request a display from the computer on the Info Display, starting at
the radio mode in the ignition lock.
1Info Display on left
2Info Display on right
A new function appears each time you
briefly press the button.
Displays in the Info Display
The display sequence:
>Fuel gauge85
>Range and remaining distance85.
The display sequence:
>Odometer80
>Energy Control/
Current fuel consumption85
>Average fuel consumption85
>Average speed85
>Time of arrival85.
Maintain pressure on button 1 to can-
cel the display from the computer.
Briefly press the button again to return to
the last display.
It will not be possible to cancel the display
if the fuel level has fallen into the reserve
range or if a Check Control status report is
currently on the screen.

Everything under control
88
Applying display
1.Select the desired function and confirm
Ð here computer "BC"
2.Select and confirm. The func-
tion appears in the assistance window.
The symbol is highlighted
if the function displayed in the
assistance window is selected on the
Control Display.<
You can also choose to view brief help
texts explaining selected menu items, refer
to page 22, or the travel route on vehicles
equipped with a GPS navigation system,
refer to page 131.
Changing settings
Units of measure and display format
You can select the units of measure used
in the displays of fuel consumption, dis-
tances, temperatures and pressures as
well as the display format for the time and
date.
1.Select and confirm
2.Select the menu item that you wish to
adjust. Press repeatedly to view a list-
ing of your selection options.
Language
You can select a different language for the
text displays.
1.Select and confirm
2.Select and activate the desired lan-
guage.
Time and date
Select "Clock" and confirm.
Setting the time
Select "Time" and confirm. The first setting
sector is highlighted.
>Turn to reset
>Press to store your entry and proceed
to the next setting.
The clock applies the last saved entry.
Switching on the memo mode
You will hear four tones just before each
full hour.
>Select "Memo" and confirm. "Memo" is
highlighted when this function is acti-
vated.