
Controls
 37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on and a message 
appears on the Control Display: 
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 page28.
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.<
Opening, closing
>Press the switch to the resistance point.
The window continues to open as long as 
you keep the switch pressed.
>Press the switch beyond the resistance 
point. 
The window opens automatically. Press the 
switch again to stop the opening move-
ment.
You can close the windows in the same manner 
by pulling the switch.
There are separate switches in the rear seat 
armrests.
After switching off the ignition
When the remote control is removed or the igni-
tion is switched off, you can still operate the 
windows for approx. 1 minute as long as no 
door is opened.
For information on convenient operation via the 
remote control or the door lock, refer to page30 
or32. For information on closing with conve-
nient access, refer to Locking on page30.
Take the remote control with you when 
you leave the car, otherwise children 
could operate the electric windows and possi-
bly injure themselves.<
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the closing force exceeds a specific value as 
an electric window closes, the closing action is 
interrupted immediately and the window 
reopens slightly.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism 
check and clear the window's travel path 
prior to closing it, otherwise the safety system 
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc- 

Opening and closing
38 tions, such as thin objects, and the window 
would continue closing. 
Pulling the switch beyond the resistance point 
and holding it limits the response of the anti-
trapping mechanism. In this case, if the closing 
force exceeds a defined threshold, the window 
will only open a few fractions of an inch/a few 
millimeters. 
If the switch is pulled past the resistance point 
again within approx. 4 seconds, the anti-trap-
ping mechanism will be deactivated.<
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the rear 
windows from being opened or closed via the 
switches in the rear passenger area, by chil-
dren, for example. When the safety function is 
switched on, the LED comes on.
Always press the safety switch when chil-
dren ride in the rear, otherwise 
unchecked closing of the windows could lead to 
injuries.<
Accessories in a window area
If you install accessories within the power win-
dow movement range, e.g. a clip-on antenna for 
your mobile phone, the system must be initial-
ized to teach it the new conditions. BMW rec-
ommends having this work done by your BMW 
Center.
Glass sunroof*, electric
To prevent injuries, exercise care when 
closing the glass sunroof and keep it in 
your field of vision until it is shut. 
Take the remote control with you when you leave the car, otherwise children could operate 
the sunroof and possibly injure themselves.<
Raising
Press the switch.
>The closed glass sunroof is raised and the 
sliding visor is opened slightly.
>When the glass sunroof is open, it automat-
ically travels into the raised position. The 
sliding visor remains completely open.
Do not close the sliding visor forcibly with 
the roof in the raised position, otherwise 
this could damage the mechanism.<
Opening, closing
>Press the switch backwards to the resis-
tance point.
The glass sunroof and the sliding visor open 
together as long as you hold the switch in 
this position.
>Press the switch backwards past the resis-
tance point. 
The glass sunroof and the sliding visor open 
automatically. Briefly press the switch again 
to stop the opening movement.
You can close the glass sunroof in a similar 
manner by pressing the switch forwards. The 
sliding visor remains open and can be closed by 
hand.
For information on convenient operation via the 
remote control or door lock, refer to page30 
or32. 
After the ignition is switched off
When the remote control has been removed or 
the ignition switched off, you can still operate  

Adjustments
40
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seated position 
has a major influence on your safety in the event 
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we 
strongly urge you to observe the instructions 
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page49.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your 
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, 
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or 
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered 
off. 
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant. 
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the 
front passenger side as a storage area. Make 
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly, 
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the instrument 
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the 
front airbag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their 
heads against the side or head airbags, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the side air-
bags suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries 
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be 
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may 
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information 
on airbags, refer to page90.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way 
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page42.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Never allow more than one person to 
wear a single safety belt. Never allow 
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's 
lap.
Expectant mothers should also wear the safety 
belt, making sure that the strap in the pelvic 
area is well down on the hips and does not press 
against the abdominal region of the body. 
Do not route the belt across your neck, or run it 
across sharp edges. Be sure that the belt does 
not become caught or jammed. The safety belt 
should not be twisted and must be positioned 
firmly over the pelvis and shoulder, as close to 
the body as possible. It should not pass over 
hard or fragile objects, otherwise the belt in the 
pelvic area could slide over the hips in the event 
of a head-on collision and injure the lower abdo-
men. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly 
pull the belt in the upper-body area taut, other-
wise its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page45.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while 
the vehicle is moving. The seat could 
respond with unexpected movement, and the  

Transporting children safely
50
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the front passenger's 
safety belt can be prevented from being pulled 
out in order to fasten child-restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the 
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut 
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the 
way.
Child-restraint system with tether 
strap
There are three additional anchors for child-
restraint systems with tether straps, see 
arrows.
Placement of the tether strap
Fold the anchors upward before using them.
1.Push the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the tether strap through the mount-
ing for the head restraint.
3.Push the head restraint into its lowermost 
position.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
When installing a LATCH child seat, com-
ply with the system manufacturer's oper-
ating and safety instructions.<
Rear seats with through-loading 
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are located behind the 
indicated protective caps. Flip up the corre-
sponding caps. 

Controls
 51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Rear seats without through-loading 
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system can be found at the loca-
tions marked by the arrows. They are not visible 
from the outside.
On journeys
Child-safety locks for rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside 
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Press the safety switch for the power windows, 
refer to page38, if children are traveling on the 
rear seat. 

Controls
 99Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
side windows, towards the upper body area and 
into the footwell for you. The air flow rate and 
your temperature specifications will be adapted 
to outside influences as a result of seasonal 
changes, e.g. sunlight or window condensation.
The cooling is switched on automatically with 
the AUTO program.
Intensity of the AUTO program
You can set the intensity of the air supply in the 
AUTO program. This changes the duration of 
time during which the vehicle interior is heated 
or cooled.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Call up "Climate".
3.Select "Automatic programs" and press the 
controller.
4.Select the desired field.
5.Press the controller to set the desired inten-
sity.
 The selected intensity level of the auto-
matic program is switched on.
Adjusting air flow rate manually
Press the left side of the button to 
reduce airflow. Press the right side 
of the button to increase it.
You can reactivate the automatic mode for the 
air flow rate with the AUTO button.
Switching the system on/off
With the blower at its lowest setting, press the 
left side of the button to switch off the auto-
matic climate control. All indicators go out.
Press any button except REST to reactivate the 
automatic climate control.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control/Recirculated-air mode
Switch on the desired operating 
mode by pressing this button 
repeatedly:
>LEDs off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor 
detects pollutants in the outside air. If nec-
essary, the system blocks the supply of out-
side air and recirculates the inside air. As 
soon as the concentration of pollutants in 
the outside air has decreased sufficiently, 
the system automatically switches back to 
outside air supply.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode: 
the supply of outside air is permanently 
shut off. The system then recirculates the 
air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the 
inside window surfaces during operation 
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch 
it off while also increasing the air flow rate as 
required. 
The recirculated-air mode should not be used 
over an extended period of time, otherwise the 
air quality inside the car will deteriorate contin-
uously.<
Via the button* on the steering wheel
You can switch between operating modes via 
an individually programmable button
 on the 
steering wheel, refer to page11:
>When outside air is coming in, you can use 
the button on the steering wheel to switch 
between outside air and recirculated-air 
mode.
>When recirculated-air mode or AUC mode 
is switched on, you can use the button on 
the steering wheel to switch between recir-
culated-air mode and AUC mode.
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is 
used to heat the passenger com-
partment, e.g. while stopped at a 
school to pick up a child. 

Mobility
 201Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Too much oil will harm the engine. 
Have the vehicle checked without 
delay.<
>"Please observe recalculated service inter-
val for engine oil"
Do not add engine oil. You can continue 
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer 
to page74. Have the system checked as 
soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Do not add the maximum amount of 1 US quart/
1 liter of engine oil until a corresponding mes-
sage is shown on the Control Display.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km, 
otherwise the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Keep oils, greases, etc. out of the reach of 
children and comply with the warnings on 
the containers. Otherwise, health hazards may 
result.<
Oil change
H a v e  o i l  c h a n g e d  o n l y  a t  y o u r  B M W  C e n t e r  o r  a t  
a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with correspondingly trained 
personnel.
Specified engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical 
significance for the operation and service life of 
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use 
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Only use approved BMW High Performance 
Synthetic Oil.If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is not 
available, you can add small quantities of other 
synthetic oils in between oil changes. Only use 
oils with the API SH specification or higher.
Your BMW Center will be glad to answer 
any questions regarding BMW High Per-
formance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic 
oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at 
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website 
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Viscosity ratings
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and 
is categorized in SAE classes.
Selecting the appropriate SAE class depends 
on the regional climatic conditions in which you 
normally drive your BMW.
Approved oils belong to the 5W-40 and 
5W-30 classes.<
These oils can be used for driving at all outside 
temperatures.
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system 
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant 
can cause burns.<
Coolant is a mixture of water and an additive. 
Not all commercially available additives are suit-
able for your BMW. Ask your BMW Center for 
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, otherwise 
engine damage may result. The additives 
are hazardous to your health.<
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Checking coolant level
1.The engine must be at ambient tempera-
ture.
2.Turn the cap of the expansion tank a little 
counterclockwise to allow any accumulated  

Everything from A - Z
228 "Brightness"on the control 
display82
Bulb changing, refer to Lamps 
and bulbs205
Burned fuel
– refer to Average 
consumption71
Button for starting engine52
Buttons on steering wheel11
C
California Proposition 65 
warning6
"Call"172
Call
– accepting170
– displaying accepted172
– ending171
– in absence172
– starting171
Calling
– from phone book171
– from Top 8 list172
– redialing172
Can holders, refer to Cup 
holders107
Capacities221
Capacity of luggage 
compartment220
Car battery, refer to Vehicle 
battery209
Car care, refer to Caring for 
your vehicle brochure
Car-care products, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
"Car Data"71
Care, refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Cargo, securing119
Cargo loading
– stowing cargo119
– vehicle118
Caring for artificial leather, 
refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochureCaring for leather, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for light-alloy wheels, 
refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Caring for plastic, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for the carpet, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Caring for the vehicle finish, 
refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Car jack
– jacking points209
Car key, refer to Integrated 
key/remote control28
Car phone166
– installation location, refer to 
Center armrest106
– refer to Mobile phone166
– refer to separate Owner's 
Manual
Car radio, refer to Radio148
Car wash118
– also refer to Caring for your 
vehicle brochure
Catalytic converter, refer to 
Hot exhaust system116
"Categories"154
CBS Condition Based 
Service203
"CD"144,156
CD changer156
– controls144
– fast forward/reverse
160
– installation location160
– playing a track158
– random order159
– repeating a track159
– selecting a CD156
– selecting a track157
– switching on/off144
– tone control145
– volume145CD player156
– controls144
– fast forward/reverse160
– playing a track158
– random order159
– repeating a track159
– selecting a track157
– switching on/off144
– tone control145
– volume145
Center armrest106
Center brake lamp
– replacing bulbs208
Center console, refer to 
Around the center 
console14
"Central locking"30
Central locking
– from inside32
– from outside29
Central locking system29
– convenient access35
Changing bulbs205
Changing the language on the 
Control Display82
Changing the measurement 
units on the Control 
Display73
Changing wheels209
Chassis number, refer to 
Engine compartment199
Check Control79
"Check Control 
messages"80
Check Gas Cap186
Checking the air pressure, 
refer to Tire inflation 
pressure188
Child-restraint fixing system 
LATCH50
Child-restraint systems49
Child-safety lock51
Child seats49
Chrome parts, care, refer to 
Caring for your vehicle 
brochure
Cigarette lighter108
– socket108