
Controls
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What you will need 
1Screwdriver handle 
2Emergency-release tool 
310 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 
page201. 
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, arrow1 
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 arrow2, 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 direction2 
until you feel a substantial increase in 
turning effortTo 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 
r esu lt  o f a dis ch ar ged  or  d isc on ne cte d 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  

Driving
68 >Engaging: the system registers the new 
status and the brake setting is initial-
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 
In addition to fully automatic operation, you 
can also manually shift with the button on 
the steering wheel, refer to page70. 
Transmission range selection 
P R N D 
The selector lever position is indicated, and 
in the manual mode the gear currently 
engaged. 
Program display
S or M1 – M6
Buttons on steering wheel 
Press briefly to proceed through a selection 
sequence consisting of the automatic pro-
gram, the Sport program, and the manual 
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, arrow1, then 
press up or down. Note the range indicated 
in the Info Display.< 
>Range D or R: 
Press the selector lever up or down, 
continuing to apply pressure to move it 
beyond the resistance point 
>Neutral N: 
Press the selector lever up to the resis-
tance point  

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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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While driving 
Press1 or pull2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point:
Press button4 for approx. 3 seconds. The 
respective driven speed is applied as the 
desired speed and displayed with6. 
If all of the graduations flash twice, 
this indicates that 6 desired speeds 
have already been stored. You must then 
delete at least one.<
Deleting desired speeds 
Select the desired speed5. 
Press button4 for approx. 3 seconds. 
Activating multilevel preset mode 
Press 1 or pull 2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point.
The current driving speed is maintained, 
stored and displayed as the available 
speed5. 
If no desired speeds are stored, you 
can increase or reduce the speed by 
5 mph/10 km/h with the multilevel preset 
mode activated each time you press or pull 
the lever beyond the resistance point.<
Selecting desired speed 
Press 1 or pull 2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point. 
The next desired speed is selected.
The available speed changes to the 
minimum speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h when you pull the lever beyond the 
resistance point 2 at the lowest desired 
speed.<
Interrupting the cruise control 
With the cruise control active, briefly press 
the lever up or down3. 
Hiding display for multilevel preset 
function 
When activated, press the lever up or 
down3 for approx. 3 seconds. 
Showing display for multilevel preset 
function again 
Press 1 or pull2 the lever beyond the resis-
tance point. 
Deactivating multilevel preset mode 
The multilevel preset function is also deac-
tivated when you switch off the ignition. 
Active cruise control* 
The concept 
With active cruise control you can select a 
desired speed which is not only automati-
cally maintained when driving on open 
roadways, but also varied to maintain a 
selected distance setting as slower traffic is 
encountered. 
Active cruise control is a technological 
advance over the familiar cruise control and 
is a welcome relief from the constant 
adjustment of speed that can accompany 
driving in traffic on freeways or other high-
speed thoroughfares. Especially on longer 
trips, the system can reduce fatigue and 
tension, while increasing your enjoyment of 
driving. Please use it safely and responsi-
bly. 
In addition to holding a steady cruising 
speed, if you do encounter slower vehicles 
ahead, active cruise control will, within the 
scope of given possibilities, adjust your 
vehicle’s speed automatically so that you 
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.  

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  

Controls
 77Reference
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Mobility
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.