
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
 13
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in var-
ious combinations and colors in both the indica-
tor area 1 and the display 2.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning 
and thus come on briefly when the engine is 
started or the ignition is switched on.
What to do in case of a malfunction
A list of all indicator and warning lamps, as well 
as notes on possible causes of malfunctions 
and on how to respond, can be found starting 
on page130. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 27
Do not depress the brake or the clutch, 
otherwise the engine will start immedi-
ately.<
Starting the engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion when a remote control is inside the vehicle. 
It is not necessary to insert a remote control into 
the ignition switch, refer to page42.
Switching off the engine in vehicles 
with automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off when the 
selector lever is in position P, refer to page43.
To switch the engine off when the selector lever 
is in position N, the remote control must be in 
the ignition switch.
Before driving a vehicle with automatic 
transmission into a car wash
1.Insert remote control into ignition switch.
2.Depress the brake.
3.Move the selector lever to position N.
4.Switch off the engine.
The vehicle can roll.
Malfunction
Convenient access may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this happens, open or close 
the vehicle via the buttons on the remote con-
trol or using the integrated key. To start the 
engine afterward, insert the remote control into 
the ignition switch.
Warning lamps
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when you attempt to 
start the engine: the engine cannot 
be started. The remote control is not inside the 
vehicle or is malfunctioning. Take the remote 
control with you inside the vehicle or have it 
checked. If necessary, insert another remote 
control into the ignition switch.
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up while the engine is 
running: the remote control is no longer inside the vehicle. After the engine is 
switched off, the engine can only be restarted 
within approx. 10 seconds.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on: replace the battery 
in the remote control.
Replacing the battery
The remote control for convenient access con-
tains a battery that will need to be replaced from 
time to time.
1.Take the integrated key out of the remote 
control, refer to page18.
2.Remove the cover.
3.Insert the new battery with the plus side fac-
ing up.
4.Press the cover on to close.
Take the old battery to a battery collec-
tion point or to your BMW Center.<
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when 
closing the windows and keep them in 
your field of vision until they are shut. 
Take the remote control with you when you 
leave the car, otherwise children could operate 
the electric windows and possibly injure them-
selves.< 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 57
Everything under control
Odometer, outside 
temperature display, clock
1Resetting trip odometer
2Outside temperature display and clock
3Odometer and trip odometer
Units of measure
To select the respective units of measure, miles 
or km for the odometer as well as 7 or 6 for 
the outside temperature, refer to page60.
Outside temperature display, clock
Setting the time, refer to page62.
Outside temperature warning
When the displayed temperature sinks to 
approx. +377/+36, a signal sounds and a 
warning lamp lights up. There is an increased 
risk of black ice.
Black ice can also form at temperatures 
above +377/+36. You should there-
fore drive carefully on bridges and shaded 
roads, for example, otherwise there is an 
increased risk of an accident.<
Odometer and trip odometer
Resetting trip odometer: 
With the ignition switched on, press button1 in 
the instrument cluster.
When the vehicle is parked
If you still want to view the time, outside tem-
perature and odometer reading briefly after the 
remote control has been removed from the igni-
tion lock:
Press button 1 in the instrument cluster.
Tachometer
Never force the engine speed up into the red 
warning field, see arrow. In this range, the fuel 
supply is interrupted to protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and 
therefore the engine, becomes too hot. 
Check coolant level, refer to page115. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 59
To reset average fuel consumption: press the 
button in the turn indicator stalk for approx. 
2seconds.
Settings and information
Operating principle
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information58
3When the lights are switched on: instrument 
lighting brightness76
4Calling up Check Control63
5Checking engine oil level*113
6Initializing the Flat Tire Monitor69
7Setting the time628Setting the date63
9Viewing service requirement display61
10Setting formats and units of measure, 
resetting to factory settings60
11Adjusting settings
>Confirmation signals when locking and 
unlocking the vehicle21
>Response during unlocking 
procedure20
>Automatic locking22
>Pathway lighting74
>Daytime driving lamps75
>Triple turn signal activation46
>Seat and mirror memory35 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 65
Technology for driving comfort and safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight 
parking spaces.  Acoustic signals warn you of 
the presence of an object in front of
* or behind 
your car. To measure the distance, there are 
four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper.
An acoustic warning sounds once an object is 
closer than approx. 2 ft/60 cm to the front sen-
sors
* or both rear corner sensors, or closer than 
approx. 5 ft/1.50 m to the rear center sensors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually the case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an objec t  a t  h i g h s p e e d ,  o t h -
erwise physical circumstances may lead to the 
system warning being issued too late.<
Automatic mode
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the system is activated automatically after 
approx. 1 second when you engage reverse 
gear or move the automatic transmission selec-
tor lever to position R. Wait this short period 
before driving.
Switching on manually
Press the button, the LED lights up.
Switching off manually
Press the button again; the LED goes out.The system is automatically deactivated once 
the vehicle travels approx. 165 ft/50 m or 
exceeds a speed of approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h; 
the LED goes out. You can reactivate the sys-
tem as needed.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, its position is indicated 
correspondingly by an interval tone. For exam-
ple, the tone sounds at the rear if the system 
detects an object behind the car. As the dis-
tance between vehicle and object decreases, 
the intervals between the tones become 
shorter. If the distance to the nearest object 
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
The warning signal is canceled after approx. 
3 seconds, if you are moving parallel to a wall.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean 
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that 
they will continue to operate effectively. When 
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the 
sensors for extended periods of time and only 
from a distance of at least 4 in/10 cm.
Manual mode
The LED above the button flashes in addition.
System limitations
Even with PDC, final responsibility for 
estimating the distance between the 
vehicle and any obstructions always remains 
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind spot in which objects can 
no longer be detected. The system is also sub-
ject to the physical limits that apply to all forms 
of ultrasonic measurement, such as those 
encountered with trailer towbars and couplings,  

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 69
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off 
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary 
to use the handbrake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the 
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without 
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in 
place for approx. 2 seconds after the 
brake is released. Depending on vehicle load, 
the car may roll backwards a little during this 
time span. Drive off without delay after releas-
ing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off assistant 
will no longer hold the car in place after approx. 
2 seconds and the car will start to roll back-
wards.<
Malfunction
The warning lamps for the brake sys-
tem light up in yellow. The drive-off 
assistant has failed. The car will not 
be held in place after the brake is 
released. Have the system checked as soon as 
possible.
Canadian models display these warn-
ing lamps.
Flat Tire Monitor FTM
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor monitors tire pressures 
while the car is being driven. The system 
reports any significant loss of pressure in one 
tire in relation to another.
If a tire loses pressure, its rolling radius 
changes, and this in turn alters the speed of 
rotation. This change is detected and is 
reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat 
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.The system must be reinitialized each 
time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn 
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage 
caused by external factors, nor can it identify 
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably 
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of 
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be 
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip 
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>If snow chains are attached
Initializing the system
The initialization is completed during driv-
ing, which can be interrupted at any time. 
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. 
Do not initialize the system while snow chains 
are attached.<
Operating principle, refer to page59.
1.Start the engine immediately before pulling 
away, but do not drive off yet.
2.Lightly push button 1 in the turn indicator 
stalk up or down repeatedly until the appro-
priate symbol appears in the display, 
accompanied by the word "INIT".
3.Press button 2 t o  c o n f i r m  y o u r  c h o i c e  o f  t h e  
Flat Tire Monitor. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 71
intervention is simultaneously deactivated 
when DSC is switched off, refer to page66.
Malfunction
The warning lamps come on. Active 
steering is no longer operational. At 
low speeds, greater steering wheel 
movements are required, whereas at 
higher speeds the vehicle reacts more sensi-
tively to steering wheel movements. Drive cau-
tiously and think well ahead. Have the system 
checked.
If the warning lamp lights up during the first 
engine starting following a power supply inter-
ruption, the system must be activated by being 
initialized.
Brake Force Display*
The brake lamps light up in two stages, 
depending on how sharply you apply the 
brakes.
>Normal braking: 
The brake lamps and the center brake lamp 
light up.
>Sharp braking: 
The illuminated surface of the brake lamps 
is enlarged, as long as the rear fog light is 
not switched on.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page31 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and 
front passenger by responding to frontal impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the 
head and side airbags help provide protection in 
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The 
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags will purposely not be activated by 
every collision, e.g. not by more minor acci-
dents, certain roll-over situations and rear-end 
collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the 
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or 
modify them in any other way. Do not attach  

Lamps
76 of the road surface. Depending on the steering 
angle and other parameters, the light from the 
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition on, turn the light switch to the 
automatic headlamp control position, refer to 
page74.
To avoid dazzling the drivers of oncoming vehi-
cles, Adaptive Head Light is not active when the 
car is driven in reverse, and directs the light to 
the front passenger's side when the vehicle is at 
a standstill.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is 
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system 
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/roadside parking 
lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
There is an additional option of switching on the 
lamps on the side of the car facing the road 
when parked, if permitted in the country of use.
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or 
down beyond the pressure point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine.<
Fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams must 
be switched on for the fog lamps to 
operate. The green indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the 
fog lamps are on.
Depending on your vehicle's equipment ver-
sion, the fog lamps are switched off when you 
activate the headlamp flasher or switch on the 
high beams
*.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument 
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low 
beams are switched on.
1.Lightly push button 1 up or down repeat-
edly until the appropriate symbol appears in