Page 177 of 286

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
175Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
With some stations the digital signals are not
transmitted simultaneously with the analog sig-
nals. If you are in an area in which the selected
station is not continuously received digitally,
playback changes between analog and digital
reception. This can result in repetitions or inter-
ruptions. In this case it may be advisable to
deactivate digital radio reception.
Selecting programs of a digital station*
Some stations transmit several programs. To
select one of these programs:
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Select "Manual" and press the controller.
3.Select a station that is received digitally.
This symbol is displayed when a station
is being received digitally.
4. Switch to the next program of the dig-
ital station with the buttons on the radio or
the steering wheel.
Updating stations offering digital
reception
If you are on a longer journey and leave the
transmission range of the stations originally set,
you can update the list of stations with the best
reception.1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the second field from the top.
3.Select "Autostore" and press the controller.
4.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
5.Select "Autostore " and press the con-
troller.
The display of the stations offering digital
reception is updated. This can take up to 2 min-
utes.
Page 178 of 286

Radio
176
Displaying additional information
With the digital stations, additional information
on the current track is displayed, e.g. the name
of the artist.
1.Select a station and press the controller.
2.Select "Details" and press the controller.
The information is displayed.
If a digital station is received again when the
station is changed, the additional information
will be displayed again following a brief interrup-
tion.
Satellite radio*
You can receive over 100 different channels
with high sound quality.
The channels are offered to you in predefined
packages. To receive the channels of your
choice, you must have this package enabled.
With this new technology the signal may
fail, causing interruptions in reception.<
Enabling or disabling channels
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
3.Select "SAT".
4.Press the controller.
The channels are displayed.
These channels are enabled.
Enabling
1.Select a channel that has not yet been
enabled and press the controller.
A telephone number and the electronic
serial number, ESN, are displayed.
The electronic serial number is
required for enabling or disabling.<
2.To enable the channels:
Dial the phone number.
Page 179 of 286
Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
177Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Disabling
1.Select an enabled channel and press the
controller.
2.Select "ESN" and press the controller.
The electronic serial number, ESN, is dis-
played.
The electronic serial number is
required for disabling.<
3.To disable the channels:
Dial the phone number.
Selecting and storing channel
1.Select "SAT" and press the controller.
Channels are shown on the Control Display
sorted on the basis of selection criteria.
2.Select a menu item:
>"Presets":
Up to twelve channels you have stored
previously.
>"All channels":
All channels are displayed.
>"Categories":
All channels, sorted by categories, e. g.
news, jazz.3.Press the controller.
4.If "Categories" has been selected:
Select the desired category and press the
controller.
The channels of this category are displayed.
5. Select a channel marked with this sym-
bol.
6.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
Page 180 of 286

Radio
178 7.Select "Play" and press the controller.
Additional information
The name of the channel and additional infor-
mation on the current track are displayed, e. g.
the name of the artist.
1Artist
2Track
Storing channel
1.Select desired channel.
2.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
3.Select "Store" and press the controller.
"Presets" is displayed.4.Turn the controller to select a memory loca-
tion and press the controller.
The channel is stored. The channels of the last
selection criterion are displayed once again
after a short time.
Changing channel with buttons next to
CD player
Press the button for the corresponding
direction.
The system changes to the next enabled chan-
nel.
Notes
If no signal can be received for more than 4 sec-
onds, a message is displayed on the Control
Display.
Reception may not be possible for certain
reasons, e.g. environmental influences or
topographical conditions. The satellite radio
has no influence on this.
The signal may not be available in tunnels or
underground garages, next to tall buildings,
near trees, mountains or other sources of radio
interference.
Reception is usually possible again as soon as
the signal is available again.<
Page 182 of 286

CD player and CD changer
180
CD changer: starting CD
Fill the CD magazine and insert, refer to
page183.
Via iDrive
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
3.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "CD" is selected and press
the controller.
4.Change to the second field from the top if
necessary. Turn the controller until the
desired CD, CD 1 - 6, is selected and press
the controller.
At the end of the last track, the next CD will be
selected.
If the CD magazine has been newly filled, play-
back begins with the lowest CD, e.g. CD 1,
track 1.
The CD magazine's load status is indicated on
the Control Display.
With programmable memory/direct
selection buttons
You can store a CD compartment of the CD
changer on the programmable memory/direct
selection buttons to start the CD changer, refer
to page21.
Selecting a track
Buttons next to CD player
Press the button for the corresponding
direction repeatedly until you reach the desired
track.
The CD will start play at the start of the track.
The track is displayed on the Control Display.
You can also change the track with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
Via iDrive
Select a track by turning the controller.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the directory if necessary and press
the controller.
2.Select the track and press the controller.
Page 183 of 286

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
181Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
To change the directory:
Select the directory and press the controller.
To exit from the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
You can store a certain track on the program-
mable memory/direct selection buttons, refer to
page21.
Displaying information on track*
With compressed audio files, you can display
any information stored on the current track, e.g.
the name of the artist.
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Details" and press the controller.
The information for the current track are dis-
played.
From radio readiness, the setting is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
Sampling tracks, scan
The system automatically plays a brief sample
from each of the tracks on the current CD.
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
2.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
To end sampling:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
This cancels sampling of the tracks, and the
player remains on the current track.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the current track and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the desired menu item:
>To sample all tracks of the current direc-
tory, select "Scan directory" and press
the controller.
>To sample all tracks of the CD, select
"Scan all" and press the controller.
Page 184 of 286

CD player and CD changer
182 To end sampling:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Scan directory" or "Scan all" and
press the controller.
This cancels sampling, and the player remains
on the current track.
Repeating a track
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
2.Select "Repeat" and press the controller.
The current track on the CD is repeated.
To stop repeating:
1.Press the controller again.
2.Select "Repeat" and press the controller.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the current track and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the desired menu item:
>To repeat the selected track, select
"Repeat track" and press the controller.
>To repeat all tracks of the current direc-
tory, select "Repeat directory" and press
the controller.
To stop repeating:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Repeat track" or "Repeat directory"
and press the controller.
Random play sequence
In this mode, the tracks on the current CD are
played once in a random sequence.
1.Select "Set" and press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.
2.Select "Random" and press the controller.
To stop random function:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Random" and press the controller.
Compressed audio files*
1.Select the current track and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the desired menu item:
>To pla y all tracks of the current directory
in random order, select "Random direc-
tory" and press the controller.
Page 188 of 286

USB/audio interface
186
USB/audio interface
You can connect audio devices to the USB/
audio interface, e.g. an iPod or a USB device
(MP3 player, USB memory stick). You can then
operate these with iDrive.
The common audio files, e.g. MP3, WMA, WAV
(PCM) and AAC, as well as playback lists in the
M3U format can be played back.
Due to the large number of audio devices avail-
able on the market, operation via the vehicle
cannot be ensured for every audio device.
Ask your BMW center which audio devices are
suitable.
Connecting
1USB interface
2Connection for audio playback:
1/8 in/3.5 mm jack plug
iPod
For audio playback via the vehicle loudspeak-
ers, connect the iPod to the connections1
and2.
Use an iPod adapter cable to connect the iPod.
The menu structure of the iPod is supported by
the USB/audio interface.
USB storage medium
Use a flexible adapter cable for connec-
tion to protect the USB interface and your
USB device against mechanical damage.<
For audio playback via the vehicle loudspeak-
ers, connect the USB device to the connec-
tion 1.
After connecting for the first time, the informa-
tion of all tracks (e.g. artist, music genre) and
the playback lists of the USB device are trans-
ferred to the vehicle. This process can take
some time. The time required is dependent on
the USB device and on the number of tracks.
During the transfer you can select the tracks via
the directories and file names.
Following the transfer you can call up the tracks
via the information and playback lists.
The information of up to four USB devices can
be stored in the vehicle, for a total of approx.
20,000 tracks.
If a fifth USB device is connected, the informa-
tion of the tracks of the first USB device stored
in the vehicle is deleted.
Music tracks with integrated Digital
Rights Management (DRM) cannot be
played.<
Starting audio playback
Via iDrive
If the audio device has a device name, this will
be displayed if possible.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment".
3.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "AUX" is selected and press
the controller.
*