
Driving
60
Starting 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, as such a vehicle represents a 
potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, shift into neutral or move the selector lever 
into position P and firmly apply the handbrake, 
otherwise the vehicle can begin to roll.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it 
running while the vehicle remains stationary. 
Instead, drive off at a moderate engine speed.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated starting attempts in 
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned at all or is burned inade-
quately and there is a danger of overheating and 
damage to the catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort 
access in vehicle, refer to page37.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Depress the clutch pedal and select the 
idling position.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Automatic transmission*
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort 
access in vehicle, refer to page37.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Place selector lever in position P or N.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
SMG Sequential Manual 
Transmission*
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort 
access in vehicle, refer to page37.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Move selector lever into position N and 
make sure that this position is also indi-
cated in instrument cluster.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
If the engine fails to start, depress the 
brake pedal and press the selector lever 
to the right and then back into position N. 
Watch the display in the instrument cluster 
while doing so.<
Switching engine off
When leaving the vehicle, always take the 
remote control with you.
When parking, firmly apply the handbrake, as 
otherwise the vehicle could roll.<
Manual transmission
1.Press the Start/Stop button with the vehicle 
stopped.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Firmly apply the handbrake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page59.
SMG Sequential Manual 
Transmission*
1.Firmly apply the handbrake.
2.Move selector lever into a drive position.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
If N is engaged when switching off the 
engine, this will be pointed out to you opti-
cally and acoustically.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page59. 

Controls
 61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic transmission*
1.Move selector lever into position P with 
vehicle stopped.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.
3.Firmly apply the handbrake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page59.
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to prevent 
the vehicle from rolling while parked; it brakes 
the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up, and a sig-
nal also sounds when starting off. The 
handbrake is applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and 
lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances should 
make it necessary to apply the handbrake 
while the vehicle is in motion, do not pull it too 
firmly. In doing so, continuously press the but-
ton of the handbrake lever. Otherwise, too firm 
an application of the handbrake can lock up the 
rear wheels and cause the rear of the vehicle to 
swerve.
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 hand-
brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th/6th gear, press the 
gearshift lever toward the right, otherwise 
an inadvertent shift into 3rd or 4th gear could 
lead to engine damage.<
Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. 
Press the gearshift lever to the left, overcoming 
a slight resistance.
SMG Sequential Manual 
Transmission*
The concept
The SMG Sequential Manual Transmission is 
an automated manual transmission in which an 
electrohydraulic system handles the clutching 
and gear changes.
The SMG is operated with the selector lever 
and two shift paddles on the steering wheel.
It offers the following functions:
>Choice of manual or automatic mode: 
Sequential mode or Drive mode
>Choice of two drive programs: Normal or 
Sport, refer to Dynamic Driving Control 
page64 

Driving
62 >Automatic downshifting and prevention of 
incorrect shifting even in sequential opera-
tion
>Acceleration assistant, refer to page65
Selector lever positions
>R: Reverse gear
>N: Neutral, idle
>One-touch functions for Sequential mode:
+: manual upshifting
–: manual downshifting
>D: activate/deactivate the Drive mode
The transmission automatically shifts 
into N if the driver's door is opened with 
the engine running and neither the pedals, the 
shift paddles nor the selector lever are oper-
ated.
This is signaled by an acoustic signal and the 
flashing display N in the instrument cluster; a 
message appears on the Control Display.<
Gear display
R N 1 to 6
The currently engaged gear is displayed pre-
ceded by a D in Drive mode.This display is your only way to be sure 
the desired selector lever position is actu-
ally engaged.<
Shiftlock
Press the brake pedal before shifting out of N; 
the shift command will not be executed unless 
the brake is applied.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
Sequential mode
After every engine start, as soon as the selector 
lever is pushed to the right and the brake pedal 
is pressed, the Sequential mode is activated.
You can shift up and down using the shifting 
paddles or the selector lever. You do not need 
to remove your foot from the accelerator to do 
so.
It is also possible to start off in second gear, e. g. 
in slippery conditions.
In the following situations, SMG thinks for you:
>Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combina-
tion of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for 
example, the system will not execute a 
downshift that would cause the engine to 
overrev.
>When the vehicle is stationary, the trans-
mission automatically downshifts into first 
gear.
>Shortly before dropping below a gear-
dependent minimum speed, the transmis-
sion downshifts automatically even without 
your intervention.
D Drive mode
In the Drive mode, all forward gears are shifted 
automatically.
To switch from Sequential to Drive mode: 
Briefly press the selector lever to the right 
toward D. 

Controls
 63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Kick-down: for rapid acceleration, e.g. passing, 
press the accelerator pedal as far down as it will 
go. You achieve maximum acceleration.
To switch back to the Sequential mode: press 
the selector lever to the right again toward D or 
shift using the shift paddles or the selector 
lever.
Start off quickly on slopes. Do not hold 
the vehicle on a hill by applying the throt-
tle, but engage the handbrake instead. Other-
wise, overheating can occur in the region of the 
transmission.<
Gear changes
Using selector lever
>To upshift, pull the selector lever back.
>To downshift, push the selector lever for-
ward.
Using shift paddles on steering wheel
>To upshift, pull one of the shift paddles.
>To downshift, press.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you can 
also shift manually with Steptronic, refer to 
page64.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in instrument cluster
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is indicated, and in 
manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Changing selector lever positions
>Only move the selector lever from 
position P with the engine running: inter-
lock.
>With the vehicle stopped, press the brake 
before shifting out of P or N; otherwise, the 
selector lever is blocked: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
maintain pressure on the brake pedal until 
you are ready to start.<
An interlock prevents inadvertent gearshifts 
into selector lever positions R and P. To cancel 
the interlock, press the button on the front of 
the selector lever knob, refer to arrow.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. 
The rear wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. 

Driving
64
N Neutral
You can select N in car washes, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. 
All forward gears are available.
Under normal operating conditions, the fuel 
consumption is lowest when driving in posi-
tion D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration:
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the 
left into shifting slot M/S:
The sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played in the instrument cluster. This position is 
recommended for a performance-oriented driv-
ing style. It is engaged automatically when the 
Dynamic Driving Control is activated, refer to 
Dynamic Driving Control.
When the selector lever is briefly moved for-
ward or back, the manual mode is activated and 
the Steptronic shifts gear. The instrument clus-
ter shows M1 through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
the system will not execute a downshift that 
would cause the engine to overrev.  The 
selected gear is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment cluster, followed by the current gear.To use the automatic function again, move the 
selector lever to the right into position D.
Deactivating selector lever interlock
If the selector lever is blocked in position P even 
though the button on the selector lever is 
pressed, the selector lever interlock can be 
deactivated:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever.
3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard 
toolkit, refer to page212, press the lever at 
the point marked in red and move the selec-
tor lever into the desired position.
Dynamic Driving Control
The Dynamic Driving Control makes it possible 
for your BMW to react in an even more perfor-
mance-oriented manner at the push of a button:
>The engine responds more spontaneously 
to accelerator pedal movements.
>Cruise control:
The stored speed is reached more quickly 
when requested.
Additionally with SMG:
>Gearshifts are faster.
>The engine speed range is used optimally in 
the Drive mode.
With automatic transmission:
>The Sport program is activated. 

Controls
 65Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Activating system
With the ignition switched on, press the SPORT 
button.
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT is 
displayed in the instrument cluster.
Deactivating system
>Press the SPORT button again or
>shift into reverse or
>switch off the engine.
The LED in the button and SPORT in the instru-
ment cluster go out.
Acceleration assistant with SMG
The acceleration assistant enables optimized 
vehicle acceleration at race car level on road 
surfaces with good adhesion when starting off.
Do not use the acceleration assistant too 
often; otherwise, components will wear 
prematurely.<
1.Activate the Dynamic Driving Control.
2.Deactivate DSC, refer to page88.
3.Press the accelerator pedal down fully:
kick-down. The ideal starting-off engine 
speed is set.
To maintain vehicle stability, reactivate 
DSC afterward.<
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Move the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, only press the lever to 
the resistance point.
Atypically rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamp indicates the failure of a turn signal 
lamp.<
Signaling briefly
Press the lever to the resistance point and hold 
it there as long as you wish to signal.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever to the resistance point; the turn 
signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for explanation of 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. 

Controls
 67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Cleaning windshield, headlamps and 
BMW Night Vision camera*
Pull the lever, arrow4:
The system sprays washer fluid against the 
windshield and activates the wipers for a brief 
period.
With the vehicle lighting switched on, the head-
lamps and the BMW Night Vision camera are 
also cleaned simultaneously at suitable inter-
vals.
Do not use the washers if there is any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on the 
windshield. If you do so, your vision could be 
obscured. To avoid freezing, use a washer fluid 
antifreeze, refer to Washer fluid. Do not use 
washers when the washer fluid reservoir is 
empty, as this will damage the washer pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
Both windshield washer nozzles are automati-
cally heated with the engine running or the igni-
tion switched on.
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. 
Always keep it well away from sparks and 
open flames, and store it in tightly closed con-
tainers well out of the reach of children. Always 
follow the instructions for use provided on the 
containers.<
Filler neck for washer fluid
All washer nozzles are supplied from one reser-
voir.Fill with water and – if required – with a washer 
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
In order to maintain the mixture ratio, mix 
the washer fluid before filling.<
Capacity
Capacity approx. 5.3 US quarts/5 liters.
Cruise control
The concept
The cruise control is available for use at speeds 
of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h and higher. The 
vehicle stores and maintains the speed that you 
set using the lever mounted on the steering col-
umn.
Do not use the cruise control under driv-
ing conditions that do not permit a con-
stant speed, e.g. when driving on winding 
roads, in heavy traffic or in poor road conditions 
such as snow, rain, ice, and loose road surface. 
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehicle 
and cause an accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Maintaining speed, storing speed, and 
accelerating
2Maintaining speed, storing speed, and 
decelerating
3Interrupting cruise control
4Resuming stored speed 

Driving
68
Maintaining speed, storing speed, and 
accelerating
Press lever to resistance point, arrow 1:
The system maintains and stores the current 
vehicle speed. The display1 in the speedome-
ter, see below, indicates this regulated speed. 
Every time you press the lever, the vehicle's 
speed increases by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Press the lever to the resistance point and 
hold it: 
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on 
the accelerator pedal. The system maintains 
and stores your current speed as soon as you 
release the lever.
Press the lever beyond the resistance point: 
Increase speed each time to the next fives place 
on the mph speedometer or to the next tens 
place on the km/h speedometer.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine's braking 
effect is not sufficient, the controlled speed can 
be exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill grades if 
the engine output is insufficient.
Maintaining speed, storing speed, and 
decelerating
Pull the lever, arrow2:
Functions are the same as1, only the vehicle 
speed is reduced.
Interrupting cruise control
Press the lever up or down, arrow3.
Cruise control is also interrupted automatically:
>When you apply pressure to the brake pedal
>When you depress the clutch pedal or shift 
the automatic transmission/SMG into posi-
tion N
>When DSC controls
Resuming stored speed
Press button4: 
The vehicle accelerates to and maintains the 
stored speed.
Deactivating system
When the ignition is switched off, the system is 
deactivated and the stored speed is deleted.
Displays in instrument cluster
1Stored speed
2Selected speed is displayed briefly
Active cruise control*
The concept
With active cruise control, you can select a 
desired speed which is not only automatically 
maintained when driving on open roadways, but 
also varied to maintain a selected distance set-
ting as slower traffic is encountered.
Active cruise control is a technological advance 
over the familiar cruise control and is a welcome 
relief from the constant adjustment of speed 
that can accompany driving in traffic on free-
ways or other high-speed thoroughfares. Espe-
cially on longer trips, the system can reduce 
fatigue and tension, while increasing your 
enjoyment of driving. Please use it safely and 
responsibly.
In addition to holding a steady cruising speed, if 
you do encounter slower vehicles ahead, active 
cruise control will, within the scope of given 
possibilities, adjust your vehicle's speed auto-
matically so that one can flow with the traffic 
without frequent intervention by the driver. If, 
for example, while cruising at the selected 
speed, you begin to approach a slower vehicle 
ahead of you in the same lane, the system will 
reduce your vehicle's speed to the same as that 
of the vehicle ahead to maintain your selected