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>Park P: 
Press button P, arrow2.
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 
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 page65.<
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 page83. 
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and engage 
the parking brake before leaving the vehicle 
with the engine running. Note the informa-
tion 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 only when the vehicle is stationary. 
The transmission lockout prevents the rear 
wheels from turning. The lockout disen-
gages 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 page63.< 
R Reverse 
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. 
N Neutral 
Select 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 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 messages. 
Switching off engine refer to page63.< 
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. 
Kick-down 
The kick-down mode provides maximum 
acceleration. 
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the 
full-throttle resistance point.  

Driving
70
Sport program and manual operation 
Press the S/M/D button on the steering 
wheel:
The sport program is activated, and S 
appears in the program indicator of the Info 
Display. This program is recommended for 
a performance-oriented driving style. 
Pressing the S/M/D button again switches 
into the manual mode.
When the buttons on the back of the steer-
ing wheel are touched, the transmission 
upshifts. When the buttons on the front of 
the steering wheel are touched, the trans-
mission downshifts. 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.
Pressing the S/M/D button again switches 
into the Automatic program again, and D 
appears in the program indicator of the Info 
Display.
Malfunction 
A message appears in the Check Control 
and in the Control Display. The directional 
arrows also start to flash in the Info Display. 
A malfunction has occurred in the transmis-
sion system. Avoid heavy loads. 
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. 
Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
Jump-starting and towing, refer to 
pages209 and210. 
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 page66 
2.Then proceed to manually release the 
transmission lockout.< 
Jump-starting and towing, refer to 
pages209 and210.  

Driving
74
One lever for all functions 
1 Maintaining and storing speed, 
accelerating 
Press the lever up to 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: 
Functions similar to1, only the vehicle 
speed is decreased.
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 control is operative. 
4 Recalling stored speed 
Briefly press button4: 
The vehicle accelerates 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 Info Display 
5Display of speed ready for recall. 
>cruise control activated 
>cruise control deactivated 
6Display of stored desired speed in the 
multilevel function 
5 and 6 are displayed when the sys-
tem is activated.< 
Storing desired speeds 
With vehicle stationary 
Switch on the ignition. 
Press1 or pull2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point: the selectable speed level is 
displayed with5. 
>To increase desired speed: 
Press the lever forward 
>To decrease desired speed: 
Pull back the lever 
>To store desired speed: 
Press button4 for approx. 3 seconds. 
The stored desired speed appears in 6. 
If 6 speeds have already been stored, 
it will be necessary to delete one 
before entering a new preset speed.< 

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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.  

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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.  

Things to remember when driving
122
Things to remember when driving
Break-in procedures 
To ensure that your vehicle continues to 
furnish optimized economy of operation 
throughout an extended service life, we 
request that you devote careful attention 
to the following information.
Engine and differential 
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km: 
During this initial period you should attempt 
to avoid constant, steady-state operation 
and vary both vehicle and engine speeds 
as often as possible. Until the break-in 
period has been completed you should 
also refrain from exceeding the following: 
>4,500 rpm or 105 mph/170 km/h 
Always obey all official speed limits. 
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kick-down mode during 
these initial miles. 
Once  you have driven 1,200 miles/
2,000 km, the engine or vehicle speeds can 
be gradually increased. 
Tires 
Due to technical factors associated with 
their manufacture, tires do not achieve their 
full traction potential until after an initial 
break-in period. Therefore, drive reservedly 
during the first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system 
Brakes require an initial break-in period of 
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve opti-
mized contact and wear patterns between 
brake pads and rotors.
Following component replacements
Observe the break-in instructions again if 
previously addressed components must be 
replaced again during driving later. 
General driving notes 
Hot exhaust system 
Extreme temperatures occur at the 
catalytic converter on this and every 
catalyst-equipped vehicle. Do not remove 
the heat shields installed adjacent to vari-
ous sections of the exhaust system, and 
never apply undercoating to them. When 
driving, standing at idle and while parking 
take care to avoid possible contact 
between the hot exhaust system and any 
highly flammable materials such as hay, 
leaves, grass, etc. Such contact could lead 
to a fire, accompanied by the risk of serious 
property damage as well as personal 
injury.< 
Air conditioning 
Condensation forms in the air conditioner 
system during operation, and then exits 
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed 
water under the vehicle are thus normal.
Before driving into a car wash 
1.Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to 
page53, as otherwise they could be 
damaged due to the width of the vehicle 
2.Leave the remote control in the ignition 
lock, as otherwise the P position of the 
automatic transmission will automati-
cally be selected when the remote con-
trol is removed. Refer to page63 
and69.
With Comfort Access, be sure to 
observe the instructions on page63
3.Release the parking brake, especially 
when you have activated Automatic 
Hold. Refer to page64 and65. 

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Hydroplaning 
When driving on wet or slushy roads, 
reduce road speed. If you do not, a 
wedge of water can form between tires and 
road surface. This phenomenon is referred 
to as hydroplaning, and is characterized by 
a partial or complete loss of contact 
between tires and road surface, ultimately 
undermining your ability to steer and brake 
the vehicle.< 
Driving through water 
Only drive through water with a maxi-
mum depth of 1 ft/30 cm, and then 
only at walking speed at the most. Other-
wise, the vehicle's engine, the electrical 
systems and the transmission may be dam-
aged.< 
Safe braking 
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as stan-
dard equipment. The best way to brake is 
to apply maximum pressure to the brake 
pedal during emergency: full brake applica-
tion. Since the vehicle maintains steering 
responsiveness, you can nevertheless 
avoid possible obstacles with a minimum 
of steering effort. 
Pulsation at the brake pedal combines with 
sounds from the hydraulic circuits to indi-
cate to the driver that ABS is in its active 
mode. 
Driving in wet conditions 
While driving in wet conditions and in heavy 
rain, it is a good idea to apply light pressure 
to the brake pedal every few miles. Monitor 
traffic conditions to ensure that this maneu-
ver does not endanger other road users. 
The heat generated in this process helps 
dry the pads and rotors to ensure that full 
braking efficiency will then be available 
when you need it. 
Hills 
To prevent overheating and reduced 
efficiency of the brake system, drive 
long or steep downhill gradients in the gear 
in which the least braking is required. Otherwise, even light but consistent pedal 
pressure can lead to high temperatures, 
brake wear and possibly even brake fail-
ure.<
You can further enhance the engine's brak-
ing effect by selecting a lower gear in the 
automatic transmission's manual mode, 
downshifting as far as first gear on 
extremely steep stretches, refer to 
page70. This strategy helps you avoid 
placing excessive loads on the brake sys-
tem. 
Never allow the vehicle to coast with 
the transmission in Neutral – or with 
the engine switched off – as there is no 
engine braking when the transmission is in 
Neutral, and no power-assist for brakes 
and steering when the engine is not run-
ning. 
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area around the 
accelerator and brake pedals and obstruct 
their movement.< 
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasion-
ally, during extended periods when the 
vehicle is not used at all, and in operating 
conditions where brake applications are 
less frequent, there is an increased ten-
dency for corrosion to form on rotors, while 
contaminants accumulate on the brake 
pads. This occurs because the minimal 
pressure which must be exerted by the 
pads during brake applications to clean the 
rotors is not reached. 
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, 
the brakes will tend to respond with a pul-
sating effect that even extended applica-
tion will fail to cure.
Mobile communications devices in 
vehicle
BMW does not recommend using 
mobile communications devices, e.g. 
portable phones, in the interior of the vehi-
cle without a direct connection to an out-
side antenna. Otherwise the vehicle elec-
tronics and mobile communications device 
can affect each other. In addition, it is not  

 177
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Hands-free system 
The hands-free microphone is located on 
the left-hand side on the headliner. 
The hands-free system is activated when-
ever you establish or receive a call using 
the following:
>Buttons on the steering wheel, page16
>Voice command system, page26, 
except for incoming calls
>Control Center, page175
>Telephone keypad, folding, page176.
Volume adjustment 
You can adjust the volume for the hands-
free unit:
Turn this button during a call to select the 
desired volume.
The hands-free unit will remain at this vol-
ume level, even if the other audio sources 
are set to minimum volume.
The system automatically selects your 
individual volume setting each time 
you unlock the vehicle using your personal 
remote control.< 
Starting an emergency call 
1.To open the protective cover:
Briefly press the protective cover
2.Press the emergency call button for at 
least 2 seconds.
The indicator lamp in the button lights 
up. As soon as the voice connection to 
the BMW Assist response center has 
been established, the indicator lamp 
flashes.
Conditions for an emergency call:
>Ignition key from radio position
>The wireless communications network 
is available
>The emergency call system is operable.
If the current position of your vehicle can be 
determined with vehicles with an activated 
BMW Assist, it will be transmitted to the 
BMW Assist response center. 
A navigation CD/DVD must be 
inserted, as otherwise the current 
vehicle position cannot be determined. 
If the navigation system is inoperative, the 
current position of the vehicle is not trans-
mitted.< 
Following transmission of the data a confir-
mation report will appear on the Control 
Display. The response center can initiate 
immediate action for emergency assis-
tance.
If it is repeatedly not possible to transfer 
the data, a voice connection to the BMW 
Assist response center will be established.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehi-
cle until the connection has been 
established. You will then be able to pro-