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Indicator and warning 
lamps 
Technology that monitors itself 
The indicator and warning lamps identified 
by the 
+ symbol are subjected to an oper-
ation check each time you switch on the 
ignition or start the engine. They each light 
up once for different periods of time. 
When a malfunction occurs in a monitored 
system, the corresponding lamp will either 
fail to go out when the engine is started, or 
it will come on again during normal driving. 
Detailed information is provided on the 
specified pages. 
Fixed indicator and warning lamps
Colors
The indicator and warning lamps can light 
up in different colors and combinations. 
>Red:
Stop the vehicle immediately 
or 
an important reminder
>Red and yellow:
Continue to drive; drive cautiously
>Yellow:
Have the system inspected at the earli-
est opportunity
or
for your information
>Green:
For your information
>Blue:
For your information.
Variable indicator and warning lamps 
In the display 8 of the Info Display, addi-
tional indicator and warning lamps appear 
when necessary. Observe the instructions 
for action of the accompanying Check Con-
trol messages, also refer to page83. Please fasten safety belts 
+51
DSC Dynamic Stability 
Control
+93 
DTC Dynamic Traction Control93 
ABS Antilock Brake System 
+92 
Brake system
+
With other warning lamps94,197
Warning lamp on Canadian models
With parking brake released66
With parking brake set64 
Warning lamp on Canadian models
Automatic parking brake, 
Automatic Hold 
+65,66 
Service Engine Soon +200
Indicator lamp on Canadian 
models
Airbags 
+98 
Turn signals71
High beams/
headlamp flasher101 
Front fog lamps101  

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You can also adjust the height of the head 
restraint electrically.
To prevent possible personal injury 
and property damage, always ensure 
that the area above the head restraints is 
clear and unobstructed before extending 
them upward.< 
Side extensions adjustment
You can fold the side extensions on the 
head restraint forward to increase lateral 
support. 
Safety belts 
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage 
in the belt buckle. The warning lamp lights up after 
driving a short distance until after 
the driver and front passenger have 
fastened their safety belts. 
At the same time, an acoustic signal 
sounds. The warning lamp also lights up 
and a signal sounds if the driver or front 
passenger removes the safety belt during 
driving.
The warning lamp can light up and a 
signal can sound if objects are laid on 
the front passenger's seat.<
Releasing
1.Press the red button in the belt buckle
2.Hold the belt firmly
3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will 
be in the correct position for seat occu-
pants of every build if the seat is correctly 
adjusted, refer to page47. 
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated 
in the rear seat are for passengers sitting 
on the left and right. The belt buckle 
embossed with the word CENTER is 
intended exclusively for use by passengers 
riding in the center position. 
Damage to safety belts
In the event of loads caused by acci-
dents or other damage: have the belt 
system including the belt tensioner and any 
child restraint systems replaced and the 
anchorage points checked. Only have cor-
responding work carried out by a BMW 
center or a workshop that uses personnel 
trained in accordance with BMW require-
ments.<
Rear seats
When the rear center position is not 
occupied, the latch on the safety belt 
can be inserted in the slot between the 
seat's upholstery and the backrest.< 

Driving
76 The vehicle brake lamps will automatically 
illuminate to signal a following driver to take 
action. In addition, it may be necessary for 
the vehicle to downshift to maintain the dis-
tance 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, 
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 page78.<
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 77 
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 cannot 
automatically restore the distance to the 
vehicle driving ahead. You will find more 
detailed information on page 80. 
Automatic intervention by ABS 
or DSC, or you actuate the 
parking brake while driving. The 
active cruise control now only 
intervenes by braking. 
Operating 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 78  

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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.< 
Activate 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 page84.< 
1 Desired speed store and increase 
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 Desired speed store and decrease 
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 Deactivate 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 
>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 
page81 
>when the destination guidance system 
of the navigation system is deactivated.  

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in city driving; heavy traffic such as during 
rush hour; on curvy, winding roads, slip-
pery roads or roads with sharp curves such 
as highway off-ramps; during inclement 
weather such as snow, strong rain or fog; 
or when entering interchanges, service/
parking areas or toll booths. It is also 
important to regulate your vehicle's speed 
and distance setting within applicable legal 
limits. Always be ready to take action or 
apply the brakes if necessary, especially 
when the system is actively following a 
vehicle in front of you.< 
Always remember that the range and 
ability of the system does have physi-
cal limitations. It will not apply the brakes or 
decelerate your vehicle when there is a 
slow-moving vehicle, stopped vehicle or 
stationary object ahead of you, as for 
example, at a traffic light or a parked vehi-
cle. Also, the system does not react to 
oncoming traffic, pedestrians or other type 
of potential traffic such as a rider on horse-
back. It is also possible that the system 
may not detect smaller moving objects 
such as motorcycles or bicycles. Be espe-
cially alert when encountering any of these 
situations as the system will neither auto-
matically brake, nor provide a warning to 
you. Also, be aware that every decrease in 
the distance setting allows your vehicle to 
come closer to a vehicle in front of you and 
requires a heightened amount of alert-
ness.< 
If while your vehicle is actively following a 
vehicle in front of you and the vehicle 
ahead speeds up or the lane ahead 
becomes clear, then your vehicle will 
accelerate to the speed you have selected. 
Be aware that changing to a clear, unob-
st r uc ted  lan e  w il l als o r esu lt  in  y ou r  v eh icle  
accelerating. 
Be certain to deactivate the system 
when you pull into an exit lane for a 
highway off-ramp.< 
Also, vehicles traveling in a staggered man-
ner on a highway may cause a delay in the 
system's reaction to a vehicle in front of you 
or may cause the system to react to a vehi-
cle actually in the lane next to you. Always be ready to take action or apply the brakes 
if necessary. 
Active cruise control can only decelerate 
the vehicle to approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. If 
the system reduces vehicle speed below 
20 mph/30 km/h or if DSC/ABS is engaged 
while driving, the system will automatically 
deactivate. 
Remember, the system cannot stop 
your vehicle. In addition, the system is 
deactivated whenever the driver applies 
the vehicle brakes, shifts the transmission 
from drive/D to neutral/N, or deactivates 
DSC. After any deactivation, the system will 
no longer automatically activate the vehicle 
brakes, which means the driver must inter-
vene and resume manual braking. 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.  

Everything under control
88 You are only warned of reaching this speed 
a second time if you again drive at least 
3 mph/5 km/h slower.
Adjusting, changing 
1.Select "Limit" and confirm your selec-
tion 
2.Select "SET" and confirm your selection 
3.Turn the controller to the left or right to 
select the preset speed 
4.Press the controller to confirm your 
entry. The speed limit function is now 
active. 
Switching on or off 
1.Select "Limit" and confirm your selec-
tion 
2.Select "ON / OFF" and confirm your 
selection. "ON / OFF" is highlighted 
when the speed limit function is acti-
vated. 
Applying your current speed as limit 
1.Select "Limit" and confirm your selec-
tion 
2.Select and confirm your selec-
tion. The system applies your current 
speed as the limit. 
Limit on Info Display 
If, for instance, the warning sector in the 
tachometer is visible, refer to page81, the 
speed limit will be indicated by a warning 
sector in the speedometer, refer to arrow.
Stopwatch 
Starting and stopping 
1.Select and confirm your selection
2.Select and confirm your selection. 
The stopwatch is reset to 0 and starts 
3.Select and confirm your selection. 
This stops the timer. 
Confirm again to reset the stopwatch to 
zero. 
Taking an intermediate time reading 
Select "INTERM. TIME" and confirm your 
selection. This intermediate time appears 
below the ongoing primary stopwatch 
count. 
All of the remaining functions remain 
available at all times while the stop-
watch is running. The stopwatch continues 
operation in the background.<  

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Technology for comfort, convenience 
and safety
PDC Park Distance Control* 
The concept 
The PDC assists you when you are parking. 
Signal tones indicate the current distance 
to an object behind or in front of your vehi-
cle. Four ultrasonic sensors in both the 
bumpers monitor the distance to the near-
est object. The sensors at the front and at 
the two rear corners have a range of 
approx. 2 ft/60 cm; the rear middle sensors 
have approx. 5 ft/1.50 m. 
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually the case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an object at high speed, 
as otherwise the physical circumstances 
would mean that the system warning was 
too late.< 
Automatic function 
Whenever the ignition is on the system 
automatically assumes operational status 
after a few seconds each time you engage 
the transmission position R. 
Wait this short period before revers-
ing.< 
Switching on manually
Press the button, the indicator lamp lights 
up. 
Manual deactivation 
Press the button again; the indicator lamp 
goes out. 
Automatic deactivation 
The system is automatically deactivated 
once the vehicle travels approx. 165 ft/
50 m or exceeds a speed of roughly 
20 mph/30 km/h; the indicator lamp goes 
out. You can reactivate the system manu-
ally as needed. 
Signal tones 
The signal indicating the distance to the 
nearest obstacle is directional. Thus, an 
object detected to the left rear of the vehi-
cle will be indicated by a signal tone from 
the left rear speaker, etc.  As the distance 
between vehicle and object decreases, the 
intervals between the tones become 
shorter. The signal tone becomes continu-
ous once the distance to the nearest object 
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm. 
The warning signal is canceled after 
approx. 3 seconds if you are moving paral-
lel to a wall. 
Malfunction 
The indicator lamp within the button flashes 
and a status message appears in the Check 
Control. PDC has failed. Switch off PDC. 
Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors 
clean and free of ice or snow in order to 
ensure that they will continue to operate 
effectively.  

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
92
PDC with visual warning 
You also enjoy the option of having the sys-
tem show distances to objects on the Con-
trol Display. The Control Display will also 
indicate the presence of objects in green 
before they are close enough to generate a 
signal tone. 
Select "PDC pic." from the "Settings" menu 
and confirm your selection. This activates 
the PDC display. 
The display then appears on the Control 
Display whenever the PDC is automatically 
or manually activated. 
The previous display automatically reap-
pears after the system is deactivated. 
confirm to return to the previous dis-
play.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for 
estimating the distance between the 
vehicle and any obstructions always 
remains with the driver. Even when sensors 
are involved, there is a blind spot in which 
objects cannot be detected. The system is 
also subject to the physical limits that apply 
to all forms of ultrasonic measurement, 
such as those encountered with tow bars 
and trailer couplings, as well as thin and wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low objects 
already displayed, e.g. a curb, can also dis-
appear from the detection area of the sen-
sors again before a continuous tone 
sounds. 
Loud noises from outside and inside the 
vehicle may prevent you from hearing the 
PDC's signal tone.< 
Keep the sensors clean and free of ice 
or snow in order to ensure that they 
will continue to operate effectively. 
Do not apply high pressure spray to the 
sensors for a prolonged period of time. 
Keep the spray at least 4 in/10 cm away 
from the sensors.< 
Driving stability control 
systems 
Your BMW is equipped with an extended 
array of systems designed to enhance and 
maintain vehicle stability under extreme 
conditions. The following section describes 
these functions based on DSC and ABS.
ABS Antilock Brake System 
ABS enhances active safety by preventing 
the wheels from locking under braking. 
ABS incorporates CBC and EBV. 
Malfunction 
The warning lamp lights up yellow 
and ABS is switched off. Conven-
tional braking efficiency remains 
available without limitations. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible. 
CBC Cornering Brake Control 
CBC is a supplement to ABS. It provides 
further enhancements in vehicle stability 
and steering response during lane changes 
and cornering at high rates of lateral accel-
eration.