
Controls
 51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
until "Door locks" is selected and press the 
controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.
8.Select "After unlocking" or "After door 
opened".
9.Press the controller.
Switching off automatic call-up
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page45 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
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.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in 
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of 
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page45.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front 
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an 
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a 
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. Check whether the safety belt 
has been fastened correctly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as 
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also 
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph 
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is 
not fastened, if objects are placed on the front 
passenger seat, or if driver or front passenger 
unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or 
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child-
restraint systems, replaced and the belt 
anchors checked. Have this work done only by 
your BMW center or at a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor- 

Adjustments
54 Do not use force to swing the lever 
back up, otherwise the mechanism 
will be damaged.<
Programmable buttons on the steering 
wheel
You can program the buttons to suit your per-
sonal preferences:
These settings are stored for the remote con-
trol currently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and press 
the controller.A list showing various functions is dis-
played:
>"Navigation voice instructions" 
Voice messages from the navigation 
system
*
>"Air recirculation on / off" 
Permanent shut-off of outside air, refer 
to AUC Automatic recirculated-air con-
trol on page106
>"Mute on / off" 
To mute the audio sources
>"Monitor on / off" 
To switch the Control Display on/off
>"Telephone list"
*
To show/hide the phone book or last dis-
played list of stored phone numbers
>"Next entertainment source"
To change the audio source
5.Select the desired function and press the 
controller.
6.Select a button, if appropriate, and press 
the controller.
You can operate the selected function using the 
corresponding button.
Operating a function
Briefly press the appropriate button on the 
steering wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice 
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press the button for a longer period.
>To repeat the last voice instruction:
Press the button briefly. 

Transporting children safely
56
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the 
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger 
themselves and/or other persons by opening 
the doors, for example.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest 
place for children is on the rear seat.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller 
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only 
in the rear in suitable child-restraint systems 
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no 
longer is any child-restraint system that is 
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger 
seat, the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger must be deactivated. Otherwise, a child 
traveling on that seat will face a significant risk 
of injury if the airbags are triggered off, even 
with a child-restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation 
of the front passenger airbags refer to page98.
Installing child-restraint 
systems
Observe the child-restraint system man-
ufacturer's instructions when selecting, 
installing and using child-restraint systems. 
Otherwise the protective effect may be dimin-
ished.<
Standard child-restraint systems are designed 
to be secured with a lap belt or with the lap-belt 
section of a lap-and-shoulder belt. Incorrectly or improperly installed child-restraint systems 
can increase the risk of injury to children. 
Always follow the installation instructions for 
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child-restraint system on 
the front passenger seat, make sure that 
the front and side airbags for the front passen-
ger are deactivated, otherwise there is an 
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Backrest width*
The backrest width of the front passen-
ger's seat must be at its widest possible 
setting. Do not change the setting after install-
ing the child seat. Otherwise the child seat's 
stability on the front passenger's seat is lim-
ited.<
1.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page47.
2.Install the child seat.
Child seat security
The 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. 

Controls
 59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control into the 
ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
>Radio readiness is switched on.
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Convenient access*
If the car is equipped with convenient access, 
only insert the remote control into the ignition 
lock under special circumstances, refer to 
page36.
Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control out 
of the ignition lock as this may cause 
damage.<
Before removing the remote control, push it all 
the way in to release the locking mechanism.
>The ignition is switched off if it was on.
Automatic transmission
You cannot take out the remote control unless 
the selector lever is in the P position: interlock.
Start/stop button
Pressing the start/stop button switches radio 
readiness or the ignition on or off.
The engine is started when you press the 
start/stop button and depress the clutch if 
the car has manual transmission, or the brake if 
the car has automatic transmission.<
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. 
The time and the outside temperature are dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the remote control is removed from 
the ignition lock
>In cars with convenient access
*, by touch-
ing the surface above the door lock, refer to 
Locking on page37
Ignition on
All electrical consumers can operate. The 
odometer and trip odometer are displayed in 
the instrument cluster.
When the engine is off, please switch off 
the ignition and any unnecessary electri-
cal consumers in order to preserve the bat-
tery.<
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out. 

Driving
60
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms, 
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause unconsciousness and death. 
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, 
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas. 
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the 
engine running, otherwise such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard. 
Before leaving the car with the engine running, 
place the transmission in idle or move the 
selector lever to position P and forcefully apply 
the parking brake to prevent the car from mov-
ing.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the 
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right 
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
The engine is started when you press the 
start/stop button and depress the clutch if 
the car has manual transmission, or the brake if 
the car has automatic transmission. Do not 
depress either the clutch or the brake until you 
are ready to start the engine.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in 
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and 
there is a danger of overheating and damaging 
the catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page36.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to idle position.
3.Press the start/stop button.The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page36.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you 
when you leave the vehicle. 
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully, otherwise the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page59.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page59.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it 
brakes the rear wheels. 

Controls
 61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you 
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in 
addition. The parking brake is still 
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and 
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake 
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do 
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake 
lever. 
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking 
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the 
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking 
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming 
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise 
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a 
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page62.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and apply the 
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with 
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock, you must first move the selector 
lever to position P and switch off the engine: 
interlock. Removing the remote control from 
the ignition lock, refer to page59.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + – 

Controls
 63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
a downshift that would cause the engine to 
overrev will not be executed by the system. The 
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in 
use.
Shifting gears via shift paddles* on the 
steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears 
quickly since both hands can remain on the 
steering wheel.
>When you use the shift paddles on the 
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic 
mode, the transmission switches to manual 
mode.
>If you do not accelerate or shift gears using 
the shift paddles for a certain amount of 
time, the transmission switches back to 
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear 
plane, manual mode remains active.<
>To shift up: pull one of the shift paddles.
>To shift down: press one of the shift pad-
dles.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
a downshift that would cause the engine to 
overrev will not be executed by the system. The 
gear selected is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the gear actually in 
use.
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of 
position P although the button on the selector 
lever is pressed, the selector lever lock can be 
overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever 
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard 
tool kit, refer to page230, press the red 
lever while moving the selector lever to the 
desired position.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the 
resistance point. 

Driving
64 Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamp indicates that a turn signal indicator 
has failed.<
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for 
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Lighting" is selected and press the 
controller.
6.Select "Triple turn signal" and press the 
controller.
 Triple turn signaling is activated.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or 
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
5Setting speed for intermittent wipe, or sen-
sitivity of the rain sensor
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to operation in the inter-
mittent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance 
point. 
The system switches to normal speed when the 
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the 
intermittent-wipe time is a preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time 
between wipes is controlled automatically and 
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The 
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in 
front of the interior rearview mirror.