
 7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a 
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, 
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele-
phone the toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510, 
or contact Transport Canada by mail at: Trans-
port Canada, ASFAD, Place de Ville Tower C, 
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0N5. 

iDrive
18 5Help
>Brief help text displays20
>Menu name for menu change19
6Entertainment
>Radio155
>CD player
*162
>CD changer
*164
>DVD changer
*168
It is only possible to play a DVD on the 
rear seat screen, refer to Rear seat 
screen
* on page21.<
7Settings
>Parking brake58
>PDC Park Distance Control86
>EDC Electronic Damping Control89
>Programmable buttons52
>FTM Flat Tire Monitor
*90
>TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
*91
>Time and date84
>Language84
>Units of measure and display format84
>Brightness85
>Rear seat screen
*21
8Climate
>Intensity of AUTO program104
>Air volume106
>Heated seats
*49
>Parked car ventilation109
>Extra, e.g. rear air conditioner108
Basic operation
Once the radio ready position is reached, the 
following message appears on the Control Dis-
play:
To clear the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
The message automatically disappears after 
approx. 25 seconds.
Start menu
You can access all functions of iDrive via eight 
menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the   button.
Opening the start menu from a menu:
>Move the controller toward the currently 
active menu.
>Move the controller twice in one direction. 

At a glance
 19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Selecting menu
From the start menu, eight menus can be 
accessed by moving the controller in the appro-
priate directions.
In a menu, you can change directly into a 
new menu by moving in the correspond-
ing direction, without having to open the start 
menu first. 
Moving in the direction that corresponds to the 
last menu used brings you back to the last item 
used in this menu.<
Selecting menu items
To edit a function, you must select the corre-
sponding menu item. Menu items shown in 
white can be selected.
Turn the controller
The highlight moves.
To change between the menu 
items on the left and right side of 
the Control Display, continue to turn the con-
troller at the beginning or end of a list. The high-
light moves to the other side of the Control Dis-
play.
Activating menu item
Press the controller.
Changing settings
1.Turn the controller to change the setting.
2.Press the controller to adopt the setting.
Displaying and hiding menu name
You can program the system to display the 
menu name each time you proceed to a new 
menu.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Help".
3.Select "Menu name" and press the control-
ler.
The  symbol indicates the menu that is cur-
rently activated. The menu name is displayed. 

iDrive
20
Symbols
Some functions and information are displayed 
in the form of symbols:
The function is switched on
Back.
The function is switched on
"Split": to show the current display in 
the assistance window.
Assistance window
Additional information can be displayed in the 
assistance window:
>Short help and supplementary information 
texts about selected menu items.
>A function selected from the "Car Data" 
menu, refer to page83.
>The route with a navigation system, refer to 
page130.
Showing/hiding help texts
You can display help texts and supplementary 
information on selected menu items in the 
assistance window.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Help".3.Select "Help text" and press the controller.
The  symbol indicates the menu that is cur-
rently activated. The help texts are displayed in 
the assistance window.
Top and bottom status lines
1Hands-free mode active
2Display field for missed calls
3Reception strength of mobile phone 
network
4Display field
>name of mobile phone logged on
>of the entered/dialed phone number 

At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
5Telephone status
>Green, yellow and red flashing: 
Linking of a mobile phone.
>Green: 
Incoming or outgoing call.
>Red: 
No network available.
>Yellow: 
The network of another provider is being 
used, partner network.
>Flashing yellow: 
The network of another provider is being 
used, external network.
Roaming in a partner or external net-
work incurs higher call charges than 
in your home network.<
6Display of Check Control81
>You can use the "Car Data" menu to dis-
play the message on the Control Dis-
play.
Status service requirement display78
>Red: 
At least one service interval has been 
exceeded.
7Display of temperature selection and inten-
sity of the AUTO program, right side of pas-
senger compartment
8Air volume, right side of passenger com-
partment
9Entertainment 
Display for radio, CD, and DVD
With compressed audio files, the informa-
tion about the track is displayed166
10Air volume, left side of passenger compart-
ment
11Display of temperature selection and inten-
sity of the AUTO program, left side of pas-
senger compartment
Assistance window*
The status lines in the assistance window show 
the following:
>Outside temperature
>Navigation system destination>Time
>Date
Rear seat screen*
Some of the functions of iDrive can also be 
operated via the rear seat screen. Certain func-
tions are only available via iDrive. These func-
tions can only be operated to a limited degree 
on the rear screen, e.g. the speed limit can only 
be displayed. The settings are made via iDrive.
Deploying rear seat screen
1.Swing pivoting arm upward until it engages.
2.Fold rear seat screen upward.
The rear seat screen is ready for operation.
Stowing rear seat screen
1.Align rear seat screen so that it is straight.
2.Fold rear seat screen downward until pivot-
ing arm unlocks. 
Pivoting arm swings downward.
The rear seat screen is switched off.
Pivot the rear seat screen completely 
downward when the ski bag is being 
used; otherwise, it could be damaged.
Do not pivot the rear seat screen up or down 
with the cup holders open; otherwise, it could 
be damaged.<
Switching off rear seat screen
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Press the controller. 

iDrive
22 Press the controller again to switch the screen 
back on.
Controller/buttons
The controller and buttons are located on the 
center armrest.
Rear lock
The available functions are operated with the 
respective controller.
Via iDrive you can limit the operation in the rear 
or switch off the rear seat screen.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Settings".
3.Select "Rear" and press the controller.
4.Select "Unlock" and press the controller 
repeatedly until the desired enabling of the 
rear iDrive is set.
>"menu"
You can switch the offered menus on or off 
by turning and pressing the controller. 
The  symbol indicates the menus that 
are currently activated.
>"None"
Switches the rear screen off.
>"Full"
Releases all function locks.
>"Limited"
You disable the functions that are used on 
the front Control Display.
Headphones
1Headphone jack
2Adjusting volume
3Station scan/track search
>Station scan
>Search track for CD, search chapter for 
DVD changer
With headphones connected, the sound 
output for the Control Display and the rear 
seat screen are played back separately. For 
example, a radio station can be listened to while 
a DVD is being played in the rear.<
Headphones are only intended for passengers 
in the rear seats. Please check with local regu-
lations regarding use of headphones. 

At a glance
 25Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Volume adjustment
You can adjust the volume for the instructions 
from the voice command system:
Turn the knob during an instruction/announce-
ment to select the desired volume.
Instructions/announcements from the voice 
command system will continue at this volume 
level, even if the other audio sources are set to 
minimum volume.
The volume setting is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Notes
Do not use the voice command system to 
make emergency calls. Your voice and 
habitual tone could be affected by stressful sit-
uations, as a result of which the process of 
establishing the telephone connection could be 
unnecessarily delayed. Instead, use the emer-
gency call button near the interior rearview mir-
ror, refer to page178.<
Environmental conditions
The voice command system uses a special 
hands-free microphone located in the front of 
your vehicle's headliner. Although the system is 
designed to filter out ambient noise, you can 
help ensure that your commands will be under-
stood by observing the following instructions:
>Speak smoothly and clearly, at a normal vol-
ume. Avoid excessive emphasis and 
pauses.
>Do not speak while the voice command sys-
tem is itself speaking.>Keep the doors, windows and glass sunroof 
closed to prevent interference from ambi-
ent noise.
>Avoid other sources of noise in the vehicle 
while speaking, and ask other vehicle occu-
pants to refrain from talking while you are 
using the system.
>The hands-free microphone is aimed 
toward the driver. This means that the sys-
tem might not be able to register the voices 
of other vehicle occupants properly.
The notepad
Recording a note
You can store roughly ten minutes of spoken 
text, either as a single entry or as multiple 
entries of any desired length.
To stop recording:
Maintain pressure on the   button for several 
seconds.
When recording a note, the voice com-
mand system does not hear the com-
mand {Cancel} or {Exit}. The text checking 
function for command words is deactivated in 
this case so that you can speak any desired text 
for your notes. This feature saves you from hav-
ing to concentrate on avoiding any command 
words.<
Listening to a notepad entry
To listen to recorded notepad entries:
{Record note}.
1.{Read out}. 
Approximately the first 3 seconds of 
the first note are read aloud.
2.After the request {{Record note, read 
out note, delete note.}} select the 
desired function.
>To listen to the entire note:
{Read out}.
>To listen to the next note: {Next}.
>To listen to the note again:
{Back} or {Repeat}. 

Controls
 37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Manual operation
In the case of an electrical malfunction, you can 
unlock the luggage compartment lid with the 
key, refer to page35, and slowly open and close 
it without sudden movements.
Emergency release
Pull lever in luggage compartment. This 
unlocks the luggage compartment lid.
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds to:
>opening of a door, the hood or the luggage 
compartment lid
>movement in the vehicle interior: interior 
motion sensor, refer to page38
>changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone 
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the 
vehicle
>interruptions in battery voltage
The alarm system briefly indicates unautho-
rized tampering:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
 the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with 
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm 
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
When the alarm system is armed, you can also 
open the luggage compartment lid with the button on the remote control, refer to 
page33. When the luggage compartment lid is 
closed, it is relocked and monitored again.
Unlocking via the door lock will trigger the 
alarm on some national-market versions.
Pressing the 'Panic mode' button for a longer 
period also triggers the alarm, refer to 
page33.<
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control, 
refer to page32.
>Insert the remote control into the ignition 
lock
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after the vehicle 
is locked: the doors or luggage compart-
ment lid are not properly closed. Even if you 
do not close the door involved, the system 
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and 
the indicator lamp flashes continuously 
after 10 seconds. However, the interior 
motion sensor is not activated.
>After the vehicle is unlocked, the indicator 
lamp goes out: no manipulation or 
attempted intrusions have been detected in 
the period since the system was armed.
>After the vehicle is unlocked, the indicator 
lamp flashes until the remote control is 
inserted into the ignition lock, but for no 
more than roughly 5 minutes: an attempted 
entry has been detected in the period since 
the system was armed.