
Practical interior accessories
116 Before folding down the rear seat back-
rest or using the transport bag, remove all 
containers from the cup holder and close it. Do 
not place objects into the cup holder and use 
force to close it. Do not use the cup holder as a 
grab handle.<
Ashtray, front
Opening
Push the ridge on the cover.
Emptying
Lift out the insert.
Lighter
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, press in the cigarette lighter.The lighter can be pulled out as soon as it pops 
back out.
Hold or touch the hot cigarette lighter by 
the knob only. Holding or touching it in 
other areas could result in burns. 
When leaving the car, always remove the 
remote control so that children cannot operate 
the cigarette lighter and burn themselves.<
Ashtray, rear
Opening
Push the ridge on the cover.
Emptying
Lift out the insert.
Connecting electrical 
appliances
In your BMW, you can use electrical devices 
such as a flashlight, car vacuum cleaner, etc., up 
to approx. 200 watts at 12 volts, as long as one 
of the following sockets is available. Avoid dam-
aging the sockets by attempting to insert plugs 
of unsuitable shape or size.
Cigarette lighter socket*
To access the socket: take the cigarette lighter 
out of the socket.
Socket in the center armrest
External audio device, refer to page114. 

Things to remember when driving
124
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
Drive at varying engine and road speeds, but do 
not exceed an engine speed of 4500 rpm or a 
road speed of 100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kick-down mode.
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually 
increased.
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 roof.
2.Increase the air flow rate of the automatic 
climate control considerably, refer to 
page106.
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. Do not touch hot exhaust tail pipes. 
Otherwise there is a risk of burns.<
Mobile phone in the vehicle
BMW discourages the use of mobile 
communications devices, e.g. mobile 
phones, inside the vehicle without a direct con-
nection to an outside antenna. Otherwise, the 
vehicle electronics and mobile communications  

Driving tips
 125Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
device can influence one another. In addition, 
there is no assurance that the radiation which 
results from transmission will be dissipated 
from the vehicle interior.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, 
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge 
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning, 
means that the tire can completely lose contact 
with the road surface, so that neither the car can 
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page220.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is 
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only 
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the 
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the 
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle with 
the clutch; use the parking brake. Other-
wise greater clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page91.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard 
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most 
effective way of braking in situations in which 
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains 
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid 
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering 
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with 
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that 
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain, 
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal 
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to ensure that this maneuver does not endanger 
other road users. The heat generated in this 
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure 
that full braking efficiency will then be available 
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting 
reduced efficiency of the brake system, 
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the 
gear in which the least braking is required. Even 
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to 
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly 
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by 
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing 
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page62.
Never drive with the clutch held down, 
with the transmission in idle or with the 
engine switched off; otherwise, engine braking 
action will not be present or there will be no 
power assistance to the brakes or steering. 
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area around the 
pedals, otherwise pedal function could be 
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally, 
during extended periods when the vehicle is not 
used at all, and in operating conditions where 
brake applications are less frequent, there is an 
increased tendency for corrosion to form on 
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the 
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum 
pressure which must be exerted by the pads 
during brake applications to clean the rotors is 
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the 
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating 
effect that even extended application will fail to 
cure. 

Things to remember when driving
126
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits 
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water 
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
For general information about taking care of 
your BMW, refer to the Caring for your vehicle 
brochure.
With convenient access and automatic 
transmission
Insert the remote control into the ignition 
switch.
The engine can be switched off when the selec-
tor lever is in position N. Refer also to page37.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage 
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately 
result in a sudden blow-out.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading 
can result in damage to the vehicle and 
unstable driving conditions.<2.Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY 
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. 
For example, if the YYY amount equals 
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 
650 lbs: 
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That 
weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of 
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the 
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the 
respective seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners. 

Telephoning
186
Telephoning
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full mobile phone 
preparation package. After pairing a suitable 
mobile phone with the vehicle once, you can 
operate the mobile phone via iDrive, the buttons 
on the steering wheel or via voice commands.
Once a mobile phone has been paired with your 
vehicle, it is automatically recognized as soon 
as it is inside the vehicle while the engine is run-
ning or the ignition is switched on. You can 
store the pairing data for up to four mobile 
phones simultaneously. If several mobile 
phones are detected at the same time, the 
mobile phone last paired can be operated via 
the vehicle.
Using the telephone inside 
the vehicle
Using the snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a holder for 
mobile phones, allows you to charge the mobile 
phone's battery and connect the mobile phone 
to your vehicle's outside antenna. This ensures 
better network reception and consistent repro-
duction quality. Please contact your 
BMW center to find out for which mobile 
phones there are snap-in adapters available.
BMW discourages the use of mobile 
phones or other mobile communications 
devices inside the vehicle without a direct con-
nection to an outside antenna. Otherwise, inter-
ference between vehicle electronics systems 
and the mobile communications device cannot 
be ruled out. In addition, there is no assurance 
that the radiation which results from transmis-
sion will be dissipated from the vehicle inte-
rior.<
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in 
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-gency. While you should consult your mobile 
phone's separate Owner's Manual for a detailed 
description of safety precautions and informa-
tion, we request that you direct your particular 
attention to the following:
Only make entries when the traffic situa-
tion allows you to do so. Do not hold the 
mobile phone in your hand while you are driving; 
use the hands-free system instead. If you do 
not observe this precaution, your being dis-
tracted can endanger vehicle occupants and 
other road users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Please ask your BMW center which mobile 
phones with Bluetooth interface are supported 
by the mobile phone preparation package and/
or which mobile phones are compatible with the 
snap-in adapter. By virtue of their particular 
software versions, these mobile phones sup-
port the functions described in this Owner's 
Manual. Malfunctions may occur with other 
mobile phones.
Care instructions
You can find what you need to know about car-
ing for your mobile phone in the separate Caring 
for your vehicle brochure and in the mobile 
phone Owner's Manual.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone* using:
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page10
>iDrive, refer to page192
>Voice commands, refer to page197
>Programmable memory keys, refer to 
page21
* 

 189
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
13.Move the highlight marker to the third field 
from the top, select "Confirm passkey" and 
press the controller.
14.Wait several seconds until the "Communi-
cation" menu is displayed.
The next time you use the mobile phone inside 
the vehicle, it will be recognized within no more 
than 2 minutes as long as the engine is running 
or the ignition is switched on.
With some mobile phones it may be nec-
essary to make certain settings for a per-
manent Bluetooth link, e. g. using the authoriza-
tion or secure connection menu item, refer to 
your mobile phone's operating instructions.<
As soon as a mobile phone is detected by the 
vehicle, the phone book entries stored on the 
SIM card or on your mobile phone are transmit-
ted to the vehicle. This data transfer depends 
on your mobile phone and can take several min-
utes; please refer to your mobile phone's oper-
ating instructions, if necessary.
If not all phone book entries are displayed:
>Transfer all phone book entries from the 
SIM card to the mobile phone, if necessary.
>Phone book entries with special characters 
may not be displayed.
Up to four mobile phones can be paired, one 
after the other. If a fifth mobile phone is paired,
the pairing data for the mobile phone whose 
pairing data was first stored on the vehicle is 
deleted.
Checks to perform if pairing is 
unsuccessful
>Is the mobile phone supported by the 
mobile phone preparation package? You 
can obtain information on the Internet at: 
www.bmw.com.
>Do the Bluetooth passkeys on the mobile 
phone and vehicle match? The same Blue-
tooth passkey must be entered on the 
mobile phone's display and via iDrive.
>Did it take you more than 30 seconds to 
enter the Bluetooth passkey?>Only a limited number of devices can be 
connected with the mobile phone. If neces-
sary, delete connections with other devices.
>Is the mobile phone no longer responding? 
Switch the mobile phone off and on or 
briefly disconnect the power supply.
To repeat pairing:
1.Select "Restart pairing" and press the con-
troller.
2.Repeat steps 9 to 14.
If pairing fails again, contact BMW Customer 
Relations.
To call BMW Customer Relations:
Select "Help" and press the controller.
The phone number for BMW Customer Rela-
tions and information necessary for pairing 
appear on the display. In mobile phones that are 
already connected, you can select the BMW  

Telephoning
192 The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Operation via iDrive
You can operate the following functions using 
iDrive:
>Accepting/rejecting calls
>Dialing phone numbers
>Selecting phone numbers from the phone 
book
>Selecting stored phone numbers, e.g. from 
the list of accepted calls
>Ending a call
When the ignition and radio readiness are 
switched off, e.g. after taking the remote control 
out of the ignition switch, you can continue an 
ongoing call via the hands-free system for no 
more than 25 minutes.
Voice quality
If the person you are talking to is having difficul-
ties understanding you, this may be due to 
excessive background noise. The full mobile 
phone preparation package can compensate 
for these noises to a certain extent. To optimize 
voice quality during a call, we recommend that 
you:
>Reduce background noise, e.g. by closing 
the windows, reducing air flow from the 
automatic climate control or by pointing the 
open front air vents downward
>Reduce the volume of the hands-free sys-
tem
Requirements
>The mobile phone's pairing data are stored 
by the vehicle and the mobile phone is oper-
ational.
>The engine is running or the ignition is 
switched on.
>The mobile phone is recognized by the 
vehicle.
Calling up "Communication"
Many of the functions described below are con-
trolled using the "Communication" menu.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button to call up the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller forwards to call up 
"Communication".
Receiving calls
If you have the phone number of the caller 
stored in the phone book and the phone num-
ber has been transmitted, the name of the entry 
is displayed.
Accepting a call
Press the   button on the steering wheel.
Alternatively:
"Accept" is selected.
Press the controller.
Rejecting a call
Select "Reject" and press the controller.
The caller is diverted to your mailbox if it has 
been activated. 

Telephoning
196 3.Select "BMW Contact" and press the con-
troller.
4.Select "BMW Contact Numbers" and press 
the controller.
5.Select one of the following menu items and 
press the controller:
>"Roadside Assistance"
>"Customer Relations"
>"Service Request"
6.Select "Call" and press the controller.
Contact will be established.
Dialing phone numbers via touch tones
Touch-tone dialing is required for access to 
network services or for controlling devices, e.g. 
for remote querying on an answering machine.
This function is available whenever there is a 
connection.1.Establish connection.
2.Move the controller backwards until the 
bottom field is selected.
3.Select the desired touch-tone character
 
and press the controller.
Each selection is transmitted immediately 
and is confirmed by a tone, depending on 
the type of mobile phone you are using.
Switching between mobile 
phone and hands-free system
From mobile phone to hands-free 
system
You can continue ongoing calls outside of the 
vehicle's Bluetooth range via the hands-free 
system as long as the engine is running or the 
ignition is switched on. Depending on your 
mobile phone, the system automatically 
switches to hands-free mode.
With mobile phones that do not automatically 
switch to hands-free mode:
>Depending on the type of mobile phone you 
are using, it may be possible to continue the 
conversation via the hands-free system. 
Refer to the display on your mobile phone