
Notes
6 to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere 
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the 
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your 
BMW Center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive 
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other 
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash 
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned 
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect 
which could cause a crash or could cause injury 
or death, you should immediately inform the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North 
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New 
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may 
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety 
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order 
a recall and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual 
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of 
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-327-4236 
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to 
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain 
other information about motor vehicle safety 
from http://www.safercar.gov 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Take the adapter out of the bracket on the 
inside of the glove compartment and slide the 
spare key into the adapter before using it.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to 
suit your personal needs and preferences. 
Without any action on your part, Personal Pro-
file ensures that most of these settings are 
stored for the remote control currently in use. 
When you unlock the car, the remote control 
used for the purpose is recognized and the set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings are 
active when you return to your BMW, even if the 
car was used in the meantime by someone else 
with a remote control of their own and the set-
tings were changed accordingly.
You can configure a maximum of three remote 
controls for three different people. The prereq-
uisite for this is that each person has his or her 
own remote control.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer 
to the specified pages.
>Response of the central locking system 
when the car is unlocked, refer to page30
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page32
>Automatic call-up
* of the driver's-seat and 
exterior-mirror positions after unlocking, 
refer to page44>Functions assigned to the programmable 
buttons
* on the steering wheel, refer to 
page47
>12h/24h mode of the clock, refer to page78
>Date format, refer to page79
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer to 
page82
>Language on the Control Display, refer to 
page82
>Units of measure for fuel consumption, dis-
tance covered/remaining distances, and 
temperature, refer to page73
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page83
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program, 
activating/deactivating cooling function and 
automatic recirculated-air control, setting 
temperature, air flow rate and distribution, 
refer to page98 ff
>Audio volume, refer to page145
>Tone control, refer to page145
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer to 
page145
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
>In cars with convenient access
*, via the 
handles on the driver's and front passen-
ger's doors 

Controls
 31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
You can also use this function to locate your 
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Panic mode*
You can also trigger the alarm system if you find 
yourself in a dangerous situation:
Press the   button for at least three seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid
Press the   button for a longer period.
The luggage compartment lid opens a short 
distance, regardless of whether it was locked or 
unlocked.
In order to avoid damage, make sure there 
is sufficient clearance in all directions 
before opening the luggage compartment lid. 
A previously locked luggage compartment lid is 
locked again after closing.
Before and after each trip, check that the lug-
gage compartment lid has not been inadvert-
ently unlocked.<
Setting confirmation signals
You can program the vehicle to confirm when it 
has been locked or unlocked.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the 
controller.
4.Select "Door locks" and press the control-
ler.
5.Select "Confirmation" and press the con-
troller.6.Select the desired signal.
7.Press the controller.
 The signal is activated.
Malfunctions
The remote control may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this occurs, unlock and lock 
the car at the door lock with the integrated key.
If the car can no longer be locked with a remote 
control, the battery in the remote control is dis-
charged. Use this remote control during an 
extended drive; this will recharge the battery, 
refer to page28.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply with 
part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communications 
Commission regulations. Operation is gov-
erned by the following:
FCC ID:
LX8766S 
LX8766E 
LX8CAS
Compliance statement: 
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC 
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two 
conditions:
>This device must not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
>This device must accept any interference 
received, including interference that may 
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or 
changes to these devices could void the 
user's authority to operate this equipment.< 

Driving
56
Sequential mode
After every engine start, sequential mode is 
activated when you press the selector lever 
towards the right while the brake is depressed.
You can shift up or down using the shift paddles 
or the selector lever. You do not need to lift your 
foot from the accelerator pedal while doing so.
It is also possible to start off in second gear, e.g. 
on slippery surfaces.
SMG assists you in the following situations:
>Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combina-
tion of engine and vehicle speed; for exam-
ple, a downshift that would cause the 
engine to overrev cannot be executed by 
the system.
>The system shifts down into first gear auto-
matically when the vehicle comes to a stop.
>The system shifts down automatically just 
before the engine speed falls below the 
minimum speed required for a certain gear; 
the driver does not need to intervene.
Shifting gears via selector lever
>Pull the selector lever backwards to shift up.
>Push it forward to shift down.
Shifting gears via the shift paddles on 
the steering wheel
>Pull one of the shift paddles to shift up.
>Press it to shift down.
D Drive mode
In Drive mode, all forward gears are shifted 
automatically.To switch from sequential mode to Drive mode: 
press the selector lever towards the right in the 
direction of D.
Kick-down: to accelerate rapidly, e.g. when 
passing another vehicle, depress the accelera-
tor pedal all the way. You will achieve maximum 
acceleration.
To switch back to sequential mode: press the 
selector lever again towards the right in the 
direction of D or shift gears via the shift paddles 
or the selector lever.
On uphill slopes, drive off without delay. 
Do not hold the vehicle in place by 
depressing the accelerator pedal; engage the 
handbrake instead. Otherwise, the transmis-
sion could overheat.<
Dynamic Driving Control
Dynamic Driving Control enables you to drive 
your BMW in an even more performance-ori-
ented manner at the touch of a button:
>Gears are shifted more quickly.
>In Drive mode, the engine speed range is 
utilized optimally.
Activating the system
Press the SPORT button while the ignition is 
switched on. The LED in the button lights up.
Deactivating the system
>Press the SPORT button again or
>engage reverse gear or
>switch off the engine.
The LED in the button goes out. 

Controls
 63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
becomes clear, your vehicle will accelerate to 
the speed you have selected by increasing the 
throttle setting and shifting gears automatically 
or by the driver as needed. Your selected speed 
will be held when driving downhill, too.
Since this active cruise control system is a new 
technology and operates differently from con-
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 page66.
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/SMG
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.
In Drive mode, the SMG acts similarly to an 
automatic transmission in position D.
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 page65
4Resume stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page65
5Select distance to vehicle driving ahead, 
refer to page64
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. 

Controls
 83Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Technology for driving comfort and safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight 
parking spaces.  Acoustic signals and a visual 
indicator
 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.
These sensors have a range of approx. 6.5 ft/
2 m. However, an acoustic warning does not 
sound until an object is approx. 2 ft/60 cm from 
the front sensors
* or both rear corner sensors, 
or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m from the rear center sen-
sors.
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, oth-
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. A message appears on the 
Control Display. 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.
PDC with optical warning
You can also have the system show distances 
to objects on the Control Display. The contours 
of distant objects are shown on the Control Dis-
play even before the acoustic signal sounds.
iDrive concept, refer to page16. 

Controls
 87Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Malfunction in driving stability control 
systems
The warning lamps come on. DSC 
including DTC and DBC is malfunc-
tioning. 
The vehicle remains operational. 
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Drive cautiously and think well ahead, 
otherwise unstable driving conditions 
could result.<
323i*, 325i, 330i
The warning lamps for the brake sys-
tem come on in red, together with the 
yellow indicator lamps for driving sta-
bility control systems and FTM:
The driving stability control systems 
and the Flat Tire Monitor have failed.
All warning lamps come on in yellow:
The driving stability control systems and the 
Flat Tire Monitor have failed. The electronic 
brake-force distribution is still active.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Drive cautiously, think well ahead and 
avoid full brake applications, otherwise 
accidents could result.<
Display
* of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
Display
* of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
With xDrive 325xi, 330xi
If one of the malfunctions described 
below occurs, drive cautiously and think 
well ahead. Also avoid situations that require full 
braking, otherwise accidents could result. 
Avoid driving on rough tracks and pressing the 
accelerator pedal down to full throttle or kick-
down position, otherwise the drive system 
could be damaged.
yellow indicator lamps for driving sta-
bility control systems and FTM:
The driving stability control systems 
and the Flat Tire Monitor have failed.
All warning lamps come on in yellow:
The driving stability control systems and the 
Flat Tire Monitor have failed. The electronic 
brake-force distribution is still active.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Display
* of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
Display
* of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
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.< 

Things to remember when driving
116
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to 
each other. Please follow the instructions below 
in order to achieve the optimal service life and 
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Attempt to vary both engine and vehicle 
speeds, but refrain from exceeding an engine 
speed of 4,500 rpm or a driving speed of 
100mphor 160km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kick-down mode.
After 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually 
increased.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
Do not use the acceleration assistant during the 
break-in period, page57.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their 
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in 
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the 
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of 
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized 
contact and wear patterns between brake pads 
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in 
period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal 
level only after a distance driven of approx. 300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period, 
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
The same break-in procedures should be 
observed if any of the components mentioned 
above have to be renewed in the course of the 
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Close the luggage compartment lid
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid is closed. Other-
wise, exhaust fumes could enter the interior of 
the vehicle.<
If special circumstances make it absolutely nec-
essary to drive with the luggage compartment 
lid open:
1.Close all windows and the glass sunroof.
2.Increase the air flow rate of the automatic 
climate control considerably, refer to 
page99.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed 
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating to them. 
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, 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, with the 
risk of serious personal injuries and property 
damage.<
Mobile phone in the vehicle
BMW discourages the use of mobile 
communications devices, e.g. mobile 
phones, inside the vehicle without a direct con-