Controls
109Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves at speeds up to approx. 45 mph/
70 km/h, e.g. on mountainous roads or when
turning, turning lamps are switched on that light
up the inside area of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch into the automatic headlamp control
position, refer to page107.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light directs light towards the front pas-
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, only the turning lamps
are active and illuminate the outer area of
curves.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking:
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
up to the resistance point, arrow3.
Driving tips
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vehicle electronics and mobile communication
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 phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and is characterized by a partial or
complete loss of contact between the tires and
the road surface, ultimately undermining your
ability to steer and brake the vehicle.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tread
depth of the tires decreases, refer also to Mini-
mum tire tread on page225.
Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the road if it
is deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only at
walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged.<
Using handbrake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle with
the clutch; use the handbrake. Otherwise
greater clutch wear will result.<
Starting assistant
The starting assistant enables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The handbrake is not
required for this purpose.
1.Hold the vehicle with the footbrake.
2.Release the footbrake and drive off quickly.
The starting assistant holds the vehicle
for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the
footbrake. Depending on the load, the vehicle
may also roll back slightly during this time.
After releasing the footbrake, drive off quickly,
otherwise the starting assistant no longer holds
the vehicle after approx. 2 seconds and it
begins to roll back.<
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. In situations that require it, it is best to
brake with full force. 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.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
brake pedal. Even light but consistent
pedal pressure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake failure.<
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 pressure on the brake pedal
can lead to high temperatures, brake wear and
possibly even brake failure.<
The braking effect of the engine can be further
increased by downshifting, if necessary all the
way down into first gear. This strategy helps
you avoid placing excessive loads on the brake
system. For information on downshifting in the
manual mode of the automatic transmission,
refer to page63.
Do not drive with the clutch depressed, in
idle or with the engine switched off, other-
wise there will be no engine braking action or
support of the braking force and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area of movement
of the pedals and impair their operation.<
Things to remember when driving
136
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Please comply with the precau-
tions included with the installation instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are located in the door
openings or on the roof rails
*.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
its handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the specified weights under
Weights on page255.
The load on the roof must be evenly distributed
and must not extend outward beyond the limits
of the loading surface. Always stow the heaviest
pieces on the bottom. Be sure that adequate
clearance is maintained for raising the glass
sunroof, and that objects do not project into the
opening path of the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate.
Secure roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.
Navigation
Driving tips
145Reference
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Starting destination guidance with
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If the destination guidance does not need to
be started immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page149.
Entering destination via
voice*
You can enter a desired destination via the
voice command system. When entering the
destination, it is possible to change between
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command function for this pur-
pose if necessary.
With {Options} you can have the possible
commands read aloud.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel
or in the center console.
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of
destination.
Say the name of the country of destination in
the language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an
entire word.
Spelling destination
To enter the destination, spell it using the
orthography of the country of destination.
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal
volume, avoiding excessive emphasis and
pauses.
The system can suggest up to 20 desti-
nations that match your entries. Up to
6 entries are displayed at once on the Con-
trol Display.
2.{Enter address}
2.Say the name of the country of destina-
tion.
1.Spell town/city name:
Say at least the first three letters of the
destination. The more letters you say,
the more exactly the system recognizes
the town/city.
A destination is suggested by the system.
2.Select town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>To show other entries in the list:
{Next page}
>To respell the town/city: {Repeat}
Destination guidance
158
Repeating and canceling voice
instructions
With the programmable buttons on the steering
wheel you can also make the following settings,
refer to page54:
>Repeat the voice instruction:
Press button.
>Switch voice instructions on/off:
Press button longer.
Setting volume of voice instructions
The volume can only be adjusted while a voice
instruction is being output.
1.Repeat the last voice instruction, if neces-
sary.
2.Turn the knob during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.
This volume is independent of the volume of the
audio sources.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Bypassing route sections
During destination guidance, you can revise the
navigation system's route recommendations to
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the
number of miles/kilometers that you want to
travel before returning to the original route.1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until "New route" is
selected and press the controller.
3.Turn the controller to enter the desired
number and press the controller.
The route is recalculated.
To exit from the menu without changing the
route:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Traffic information*
In population centers you can display traffic
information from radio stations that transmit
information of the Traffic Info traffic warning
service. This information of the traffic warning
services is constantly updated using measuring
data from traffic routing centers and information
from traffic congestion indicators.
During destination guidance the traffic informa-
tion located near you on the route is automati-
cally displayed. Regardless of whether the des-
tination guidance is active, you can display the
traffic information in the map view or in a list.
Switching reception of traffic
information on/off
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
On/off and tone
166
On/off and tone
The following audio sources have shared con-
trols and setting options:
>Professional
* radio or
Business radio
>CD player
>CD changer
*
Controls
The audio sources can be operated using:
>Buttons in the area of the CD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on steering wheel, refer to page11
>Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons, refer to page21
Buttons in area of CD player
The layout of the buttons can vary depending
on your vehicle's equipment.
One drive:
Two drives:1Entertainment sound output on/off, volume
>Press: switch on/off.
When you switch on, the last set radio
station or CD track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume.
2Drive for audio CDs
3 Eject CD
4 Station scan/track search
>Change radio station.
>Select track for CD player and
CD changer.
5Drive for navigation DVDs
Operation via iDrive
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".
You have the following choices:
>"FM" and "AM": radio reception
>"WB": Weather Band station
>"SAT": satellite radio
>"CD": CD player or CD changer
>"AUX": AUX-In connection
>USB/audio interface
*
>"Set": depending on the audio source,
other adjustments can be made, e.g. with
the radio: update station with strongest
Navigation
Entertainment
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167Reference
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reception, store station, tone control, sam-
ple stations.
From another menu, you can change
directly to the screen last displayed,
refer to Comfort opening of menu items,
page18.<
From radio readiness, the selected audio
source is stored for the remote control currently
in use.
Switching on/off
To switch the Entertainment sound output on
and off:
Press knob1 next to the CD player.
This symbol on the Control Display indi-
cates that sound output is switched off.
For a single drive, the sound output is available
for approx. 20 minutes with the ignition
switched off.
Switch on the sound output again for this pur-
pose.
Adjusting volume
Turn knob1 next to the CD player until the
desired volume is set.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
From radio readiness, the setting is stored for
the remote control currently in use.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e. g. treble
and bass, or the speed-dependent volume
increase.
The tone settings are set for all audio sources at
once.
From radio readiness, the settings are stored
for the remote control currently in use.
Changing tone settings
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is
selected and press the controller.
4.Select "Audio" and press the controller.
The tone settings can also be selected when
you have opened "Entertainment" in the start
menu:
Select "Set" and then "Tone", and press the
controller.
Treble and bass
1.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Treble / Bass" is selected
and press the controller.
Navigation
Entertainment
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171Reference
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You can choose from the following selection
criteria:
>"All stations":
Stations that can currently be received in
the "FM" waveband.
>"Autostore":
The stations with the strongest received
signals in the "AM" waveband.
>"Presets":
Stations you have previously stored, refer to
page172.
>"Manual":
Set stations that are received in addition to
those displayed.
1.Change into the second field from the top.
2.Turn the controller until the desired selec-
tion criterion is selected and press the con-
troller.
Buttons next to CD player
Press the button for the corresponding
direction.
The system changes to the next displayed sta-
tion.
You can also change stations with buttons on
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
Sampling stations, scan
The system automatically plays a brief sample
from each of the stations on the current wave-
band.
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
"Set" is selected.
2.Press the controller.
Other menu items are displayed.3.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
The stations are sampled.
To end sampling:
1.Press the controller.
2.Select "Scan" and press the controller.
This cancels sampling of the stations, and the
radio remains on the current station.
Buttons next to CD player
To sample the stations, press and hold the
button for the corresponding direction.
To stop scanning, press the button again.
Selecting frequency manually
With "Manual" you can select stations that are
received in addition to those displayed.
1.Select "FM" or "AM" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the second field from the top.
3.Select "Manual" and press the controller.
4.Turn the controller to set a certain fre-
quency.