
Technology for driving comfort and safety
86 The warning lamps come on. xDrive 
has failed.
Have the system checked as soon as 
possible.
The warning lamps come on. xDrive 
and DSC have failed.
Have the system checked as soon as 
possible.
Hill Descent Control HDC 325xi, 330xi
HDC is a downhill driving assistant that reduces 
your speed on steep downhill gradients and 
makes it even easier to control your BMW's 
handling under these conditions. The vehicle 
then moves slightly faster than double walking 
speed without the driver needing to intervene.
HDC can be activated as long as you are driving 
under approx. 20 mph or 35 km/h. When driving 
downhill at a speed of under approx. 20 mph or 
35 km/h, the vehicle's speed is automatically 
reduced to slightly more than double walking 
speed and maintained.
Increasing or decreasing speed
By accelerating or braking you can change the 
speed within a range from approx. 3 to 15 mph, 
approx. 5 to 25 km/h.
You can specify a target speed within the same 
range using the cruise control stalk.
1To increase speed
2To decrease speed
Activating HDC
Press the button; the indicator lamp lights up.
The indicator lamp flashes when the vehicle is 
being braked automatically.
Deactivating HDC
Press the button again; the indicator lamp goes 
out.
HDC is deactivated instantly above a speed of 
approx. 35 mph or 60 km/h, or approx. 
10 seconds after the ignition is switched off.
Using HDC
In cars with manual transmission:
Use HDC in lower gears and in reverse gear.
With automatic transmission:
You can use HDC in any drive position.
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
Malfunction
The HDC display disappears during HDC oper-
ation, or does not appear:
HDC is temporarily unavailable due to exces-
sive brake temperature, or DSC has failed. 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
90 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 
page40 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  

Controls
 93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off and daytime driving lamps
1Parking lamps and daytime driving lamps
2Low beams
3Automatic headlamp control
* and Adaptive 
Head Light
*
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking. For the additional 
option of roadside parking lamps on one side of 
the car only, refer to page95.
The parking lamps will discharge 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.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
If desired, the light switch can remain in the low-
beam headlamp position. The exterior lamps 
are automatically switched off after the vehicle 
is parked.
If necessary, switch on the parking lamps as 
described in the section about parking lamps.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams 
are switched on and off automatically depend-ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel, 
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The LED 
next to the symbol is illuminated when the low 
beams are on.
When driving into tunnels with bright overhead 
lights, there may be a delay before the head-
lamps come on.
The headlamps may also come on when the 
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.
When the daytime driving lamps are activated, 
refer to page94, the low-beam headlamps are 
always switched on when the switch is in posi-
tion 3 and the ignition is on.<
If desired, the light switch can remain in position 
3. The exterior lamps are automatically 
switched off after the vehicle is parked.
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the system 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
lamps manually under these conditions.<
Adjusting sensitivity
You can program how sensitively the system 
reacts to ambient light.
iDrive concept, refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller. 

Lamps
94 4.Select "Lighting" and press the controller.
5.Select "Auto. headlamps" and press the 
controller.
6.Select a menu item:
>"Sensitive"
>"Normal"
>"Slower"
7.Press the controller.
Pathway lighting
If you activate the headlamp flasher after park-
ing the car, with the lights switched off, the low 
beams come on and remain on for a certain 
time.
You can adjust the operating period or deacti-
vate the function.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller.4.Select "Lighting" and press the controller.
5.Select "Pathway lighting" and press the 
controller.
6.Turn the controller to select the corre-
sponding duration.
7.Press the controller to apply the setting.
Daytime driving lamps
If desired, the light switch can remain in the 
Lamps off position or the Parking lamps posi-
tion. 
In the Lamps off position, the exterior lamps are 
automatically switched off after the vehicle is 
parked. In the Parking lamps position, the park-
ing lamps come on after the ignition is switched 
off.
If necessary, switch on the parking lamps as 
described in the section about parking lamps.
Activating/deactivating daytime 
driving lamps*
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller.
4.Select "Lighting" and press the controller. 

Controls
 95Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
5.Select "Daytime running light" and press 
the controller.
 The daytime driving lamps are switched 
on.
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables better illumination 
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 
page93.
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. 

Climate
102 6.Select the time and press the controller. 
The first time setting is selected.
7.Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
8.Press the controller to apply the setting. 
The next setting is highlighted.
9.Make the remaining adjustments. After the 
last adjustment, the time is stored.
Activating switch-on times
Move the controller to the left or right to select 
"Timer 1" or "Timer 2" and then press the con-
troller.
 The switch-on time is activated.
 The symbol on the automatic climate control 
display lights up.
 The symbol on the automatic climate control 
display flashes when the system has switched 
on.
The respective system only switches on 
within the next 24 hours. After these have 
elapsed, it must be reactivated.< 

Mobility
 211Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency calling*
Conditions for an emergency call:
>Full preparation package mobile phone
>BMW Assist is enabled. Enabling BMW 
Assist, refer to page178.
>Radio readiness is on.
>The car phone is logged on to a mobile tele-
phone network.
>The emergency call system is operable.
If your subscription contract with BMW Assist 
expires, the car phone can be deactivated by a 
BMW Center without having to schedule an 
appointment at a workshop. Once the car 
phone has been deactivated, emergency calls 
are not possible. The car phone can be reacti-
vated by a BMW Center after signing a new 
contract.
Initiating an emergency call
1.Briefly press the cover flap to open.
2.Press the button for at least 2 seconds.
The LED in the button lights up. As soon as the 
voice connection to the BMW Assist response 
center has been established, the LED flashes.
If the circumstances allow this, remain in the 
vehicle until the connection has been estab-
lished. You will then be able to provide a 
detailed description of the situation.
If the current location of your vehicle can be 
determined, it will be transmitted to the BMW 
Assist response center.If the LED is flashing but the emergency 
response center cannot be heard over the 
hands-free system, it is possible that the 
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The 
emergency response center may still be able to 
hear you, however.
Under certain conditions, an emergency call is 
automatically initiated immediately after a 
severe accident. The automatic emergency call 
is not affected by the button being pressed.
For technical reasons, the emergency call 
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable 
conditions.<
Roadside Assistance
The BMW Group's Roadside Assistance ser-
vice is there to assist you around the clock in 
the event of a breakdown, including on week-
ends and public holidays.
The phone numbers of the Roadside Assis-
tance in your home country can be found in the 
Contact brochure.
In vehicles equipped with BMW Assist or 
TeleService, you can establish contact with the 
BMW Group's Roadside Assistance for break-
down assistance directly via iDrive, refer to 
page180. 

Refueling
So that you always have access to the data you 
need when refueling, you are recommended to 
enter the relevant figures for your car in the 
table provided below. Consult the index for indi-
vidual specifications.Fuel
Engine oil
Do not add engine oil until the corresponding 
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up, 
refer to page201.
Tire inflation pressures
Designation
Please enter your preferred fuel here. 
Quality
Summer tires
FrontRearWinter tires
FrontRear
Up to 4 persons
5 persons or 4 plus luggage