Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
51
ventional cruise control systems which you may
be accustomed to, you are strongly urged to
read all of the pages relating to this system
before use. Pay special attention to the System
limitations section beginning on page54.
Braking sensation
The system's automatic brake operation results
in a braking sensation that is slightly different
from what you feel when you brake the vehicle
yourself in a similar situation. Possible noises
during automatic deceleration are normal.
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. An indicator lamp notifies you that you
should shift gears when you drive for an
extended period at very high or very low engine
speeds, or the system is deactivated.
Range of applications
The minimum desired speed is 20 mph or
30 km/h, and the maximum desired speed is
110 mph or 180 km/h.
As with conventional cruise control sys-
tems, active cruise control in no way
diminishes or substitutes for the driver’s own
personal responsibility, alertness and aware-
ness in adjusting speed, braking or otherwise
controlling the vehicle. The driver should
decide when to use the system on the basis of
road, traffic, visibility, and weather conditions.
Active cruise control is intended for use on
highway-type roadways where traffic is moving
relatively smoothly. Do not use this system in
city driving; heavy traffic such as during rush
hour; on curvy, winding roads, slippery roads or
roads with sharp curves such as highway off-
ramps; during inclement weather such as snow,
strong rain or fog; or when entering inter-
changes, 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. Otherwise, driving conditions could result which violate the law or pose a risk of
accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Store and increase desired speed
2Store and decrease desired speed
3Deactivate system, refer to page53
4Resume stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page53
5Select distance to vehicle driving ahead,
refer to page52
Maintaining current speed
Briefly press the lever, arrow 1, or briefly pull it,
arrow 2, at a driving speed of more than approx.
20 mph or 30 km/h.
The car's current speed is stored and main-
tained. It is displayed in the speedometer and
briefly in the instrument cluster.
On uphill gradients, it may prove impossible to
maintain the set speed if current engine power
output is insufficient. If the engine braking
effect is insufficient on downhill slopes, the sys-
tem will brake the vehicle slightly.
Reference
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Controls
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Mobility
53
Deactivating cruise control
Press the lever upward or downward, arrow3.
The displays in the speedometer disappear.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>When you brake the vehicle
>When the speed is reduced to below
20 mph or 30 km/h due to a traffic situation
>When you switch gears very slowly or shift
to idle in cars with manual transmission
>When you select the automatic transmis-
sion's neutral position N
>When you activate the Dynamic Traction
Control DTC
>When you deactivate the Dynamic Stability
Control DSC
>When DSC or ABS is intervening
>When the system does not recognize any
objects for a longer period of time, e.g. on
infrequently traveled roads without a shoul-
der or guard rails, or if the radar sensor is
covered with dirt, refer to page54
>When you apply the handbrake
When the system is deactivated, you
must brake the vehicle yourself and/or
maneuver as necessary, otherwise there is a
risk of accident.<
Warning lamp
The warning lamp comes on when
active cruise control has been auto-
matically deactivated due to a driving
speed below 20 mph or 30 km/h, an application
of the handbrake or a DSC intervention.
Resuming stored desired speed and
distance
Briefly press the button, arrow 4.
The stored speed and distance are regained
and maintained.
In the following instances, the stored speed is
deleted and can no longer be resumed:
>When driving stability control systems are
intervening
>In cars with manual transmission: when you
shift gears very slowly or shift to idle posi-
tion
>In cars with automatic transmission: when
you engage selector lever position N
>When the ignition is switched off
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Stored desired speed
2Shows yellow: vehicle detected ahead
Flashes in red: system cannot maintain dis-
tance; driver must brake the vehicle
Flashes in yellow: driving stability control
systems are intervening; cruise control is
deactivated
3Selected distance to vehicle ahead
The indicator lights up as soon as the sys-
tem is activated.
4Selected desired speed is temporarily dis-
played
If --- mph or --- km/h temporarily appears
in the instrument cluster display, it is pos-
sible that the system prerequisites for operation
Reference
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Controls
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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.
Everything under control
58
Energy Control
Displays the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current driving
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 15.9 US gallons/
60 liters. You can find information on refueling
on page104.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters, the indi-
cator lamp and cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel are displayed briefly. The indica-
tor lamp remains permanently on if the remain-
ing range is less than approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in the instrument cluster
To call up the information, press the button in
the turn indicator stalk.
The following items of information are dis-
played in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
To set the corresponding units of measure,
refer to Formats and units of measure on
page60.
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available
with the remaining fuel. The range is calculated
on the basis of the way the car has been driven
over the last 18 miles/30 km and the amount of
fuel currently in the tank.
B e s u r e t o r e f u e l a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e o n c e
your cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine
switched off are not included in the calculations
of average speed.
To reset average speed: press the button in the
turn indicator stalk for approx. 2 seconds.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for
the time during which the engine is running.
Reference
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Mobility
61
4.Press button 2 until is displayed.
The settings are reset.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date of
the next scheduled service are displayed briefly
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The extent of service work required can
be read out from the remote control by
your BMW Service Advisor.<
For certain maintenance operations, you can
view the respective distance remaining or due
date individually in the instrument cluster.
1.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 words "SERVICE-
INFO".
2.Press button 2.
3.Use button 1 to scroll through the individual
service items.
Reference
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63
Date
Setting the date
To set the dd/mm or mm/dd date format, refer
to Formats and units of measure on page60.
1.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 date and the word
"SET".
2.Press button 2.
3.Use button 1 to set the day of the month.
4.Press button 2.
5.Set the month and the yea r i n t h e s a m e w a y .
6.Press button 2.
The system displays the new date.
7.Use button 2 to save the new date.
Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors vehicle functions
and alerts you to any malfunctions in the sys-
tems monitored. Such a Check Control mes-
sage includes indicator or warning lamps in the
instrument cluster and, in some circumstances,
an acoustic signal.Indicator and warning lamps can light up in both
the indicator area 1 and the display 2 in various
combinations and colors.
What to do in case of a malfunction
The meaning of each lamp in the event of a mal-
function and tips on how to respond are listed
starting on page130.
Hiding Check Control messages
Press the button in the turn indicator stalk.
Some Check Control messages remain visible
until the malfunction in question has been recti-
fied. They cannot be hidden. If several malfunc-
tions occur at the same time, the Check Control
messages are displayed in succession.
Other Check Control messages are automati-
cally hidden after approx. 20 seconds, but
remain stored.
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,
Technology for driving comfort and safety
66 thin and wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low
objects already indicated, such as a curb, may
enter the sensors' dead areas before a continu-
ous audible signal is given. Higher, protruding
objects, such as ledges, may not be detectable.
Loud sound sources outside or inside the car
can drown out the PDC signal.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW has a number of systems that help
to maintain the vehicle's stability even in
adverse driving conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
The ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page97.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
DBC Dynamic Brake Control
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the brake application. If the brake is
released, DBC will be switched off.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents the driving wheels from losing
traction when you pull away from rest or accel-
erate. DSC also recognizes unstable driving
conditions, for example if the rear of the car is
about to swerve or if momentum is acting at an
angle past the front wheels. In these cases,
DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe course within physical limits by reducing engine output
and through braking actions at the individual
wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Therefore, do not reduce the additional
safety margin again by taking risks.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button for at least 3 seconds; the indi-
cator lamps for DSC in the instrument cluster
light up. Dynamic Traction Control DTC and
DSC have been simultaneously deactivated.
Stabilizing and drive-output promoting actions
are no longer executed.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button again; the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
To control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
DSC has been completely deacti-
vated.
DTC Dynamic Traction Control
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with