
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
All around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Roller sun blind for rear window*112
2Rear window safety switch40
3Power windows40
4Exterior mirrors505Parking brake58
6Parking lamps100
Low beams100
Daytime running lamps
*100
Automatic headlamp control100
Daytime running lamps
*100
Adaptive Head Light
*100
7Instrument lighting101
8BMW Night Vision
*97 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
9Steptronic: upshifting63
10Steptronic: downshifting63
12Buttons on steering wheel
13Info Display12
14Automatic transmission62
15Ignition lock5719Horn, the entire surface
23Fog lamps101
24Unlocking hood207 11Turn signals65
High beams, 
headlamp flasher101
Roadside parking lamps101
Computer76 
Check Control80
Computer76
Voice command system
* 
activation/deactivation23
Entertainment volume, 
increasing/decreasing152
Volume of hands-free unit, 
increasing/decreasing179
Mobile phone:
Calling, redialing, accepting call or 
ending call184
Sport program and manual 
operation of the automatic 
transmission63
Selecting radio station156
Selecting music track163, 166
Skipping chapter
*172
Programmable button52 
16Switching ignition on/off57
and Starting/stopping engine57
17Windshield wipers65
Rain sensor65
18PDC Park Distance Control
*86
20Steering wheel heater
*52
Steering wheel adjustment51
21Opening luggage compartment 
lid36
22Programmable cruise control67
Active cruise control
*69
Front fog lamps 

At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Control and warning lamps can light up in vari-
ous combinations and colors.
When the engine is started or the ignition is 
switched on, some lamps are checked for 
proper operation and light up briefly in the pro-
cess.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages on Info Display explain the 
meaning of the indicator and warning lamps 
shown.
You can view additional information, e.g. 
regarding the cause of a malfunction and the 
corresponding action to take, in the Check Con-
trol, refer to page80.In urgent cases, this information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps indicate that the 
particular functions are active:
Turn signals65
With parking brake released59
With parking brake set58
Warning lamp on Canadian models
Front fog lamps101 
DTC Dynamic Traction Control88 
High beams/headlamp flasher101 
DSC Dynamic Stability Control, 
flashes88  

Controls
 65Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Move the lever beyond the resistance point.
If you wish to manually control the shut-off of 
the turn signal, then only push the lever to the 
resistance point.
Atypically rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamps signals the failure of a turn signal 
lamp, possibly in the trailer when towing.<
Temporarily signaling
Push the lever to the resistance point and hold it 
there for as long as you wish to signal.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever to the resistance point and 
release; the turn signal flashes three times.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or for brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating rain sensor
4Cleaning windshield, headlamps and 
BMW Night Vision camera
*
5Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Switching on wipers
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system reverts to operation in the intermit-
tent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance 
point.
The system reverts to normal speed when the 
vehicle is stationary.
Rain sensor
The rain sensor controls the wiper operation as 
a function of the rain intensity. It is located on 
the windshield, directly in front of the inside 
rearview mirror. 

Driving
66
Activating rain sensor
Briefly press the button, arrow, the wipers move 
once across the windshield. The LED lights up.
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Turn the knurled wheel 5.
Deactivating rain sensor
Briefly press the button again, arrow. The LED 
goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing 
through an automatic car wash. Failure to 
do so could result in damage caused by undes-
ired wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield, headlamps and 
BMW Night Vision camera*
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.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is 
empty. Otherwise, you could damage the 
pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles and the wind-
shield itself in the area around the wipers are heated automatically when the ignition is 
switched on.
Pivoting wipers into folded-out 
position
This position is important for changing wiper 
blades or when folding wiper arms away from 
windshield to prevent blades from sticking in 
the event of frost.
1.Switch off the engine and remove the 
remote control from the ignition lock.
2.Press the wiper lever upward past the resis-
tance point and maintain pressure for about 
3 seconds until the wipers stop in a roughly 
vertical position: pivot into the folded-out 
position.
After folding the wipers back against the wind-
shield you will need to reactivate the wiper sys-
tem:
1.Switch on radio ready state.
2.Briefly press wiper lever downward. The 
wipers return to their retracted position and 
are ready for normal operation.
To prevent damage to the wipers, always 
fold them back against the windshield 
before switching on either the radio ready state 
or the ignition.<
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.<
Wiper fluid filler neck
Only refill wiper fluid when the engine is 
cool in order to prevent contact with hot 
engine components. Otherwise, there is a risk 
of burns and personal injury if the fluid spills.< 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
98 BMW Night Vision is not a substitute or replace-
ment for driver responsibility or for adapting to 
the visibility conditions and the traffic situation. 
The forward view illuminated by the headlamps 
must always be the basis for making safe driv-
ing decisions; otherwise, a safety risk will 
result.<
Activating BMW Night Vision
1.Turn the light switch to position2 or3, refer 
to page100.
2.When the low beams are switched on:
>Press the  button.
>Press the  button.
Programming button on the steering 
wheel, refer to page52.
The image will be displayed on the Control Dis-
play after a few seconds. Depending on the last 
mode selected, either the normal or full screen 
image will be displayed.
Due to the system's need to adjust periodically, 
a still image is displayed at certain intervals for 
fractions of a second. This is normal and not an 
indication of a problem.
To prevent driving without headlamps, at a 
speed of more than approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and 
when dark, the thermal image on the Control Display is only shown when the low beams are 
on.
BMW Night Vision is not available on the 
rear screen. When the system is active, 
neither the navigation system nor BMW Assist 
can be started from the rear screen.<
Deactivating BMW Night Vision
>Press the  button.
>Press the  button.
>Press the  button.
>Make a selection with the controller, i. e.: 
change the radio station or make a phone 
call. For iDrive details, refer to page16.
Selecting settings
1.Activate BMW Night Vision.
2.Press the controller to display the menu 
items.
3.Select the menu item and press the control-
ler:
>"Zoom": 
At higher speeds, the image is zoomed 
in.
>"Curve mode": 
Depending on the steering angle and 
other parameters, the image section fol-
lows the course of the road to some 
degree.
>"Full screen": 
The image is shown on the entire Con-
trol Display.
>"Contrast": 
The contrast of the screen can be 
adjusted, refer to page172. 

Lamps
100
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams
3Automatic headlamp control, daytime run-
ning lamps
* and Adaptive Head Light*
If you open the driver's door when the ignition is 
switched off, then the exterior lighting is 
switched off if the light switch is in position0, 2 
or3.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do 
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time; otherwise, it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It is preferable to 
switch on the left-hand or right-hand roadside 
parking lamps, refer to page101.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control
In the switch position3, the system activates 
the low beams and switches them on or off in 
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for example in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk, 
and in case of precipitation. The LED next to the symbol is illuminated when the low beams are 
on.
The low beams may be switched on when the 
sun is low on the horizon in a clear sky.
The low beams remain switched on 
regardless of the ambient light when you 
switch on the front fog lamps.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
lamps manually under these conditions.<
Pathway lighting
After parking the vehicle and switching off the 
headlamps, you can use the headlamp flasher 
control to activate the low beams for a period of 
roughly 40 seconds. 
Pressing the  button on the remote control, 
refer to page32, also switches on the low 
beams for approx. 40 seconds. In addition, the 
door handle and interior lamps are switched on 
for approx. 10 seconds.
Daytime running lamps*
The daytime running lamps light up in posi-
tion0, 1 or3. The light output is lower than with 
the low-beam headlamps.
If the light switch remains in position1, then the 
parking lamps are lit after the ignition is 
switched off.
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables dynamic illumina-
tion of the road surface. Depending on the 
steering angle and other parameters, the light  

Controls
 101Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
from the headlamp follows the course of the 
road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In switch position3, the Adaptive Head Light is 
activated and Automatic headlamp control is 
switched on.
In order not to blind oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light is not active when driving in 
reverse and only points toward the passenger 
side when the vehicle is stationary.
Malfunction
The LED above 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 and right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one 
side of your vehicle when parking:
After parking the vehicle, press the lever in the 
desired direction3, past the resistance point.
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.<
Front fog lamps
Briefly press the button to switch on/off.
The parking lamps or low beams must be 
switched on for the fog lamps to operate. The 
green indicator lamp on the Info Display lights 
up whenever the fog lamps are on.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the lighting intensity with the 
knurled wheel.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry 
lighting, the perimeter lighting, and the luggage 
compartment lamps are controlled automati-
cally.