
Controls
 29Reference
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Mobility
>Settings for the display on the Control Dis-
play and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to 
page82
>Date format, refer to page83
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page86
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page86
>Units of measure for fuel consumption, 
distance covered/remaining distances, 
and temperature, refer to page78
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page88
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page100
>Pathway lighting, refer to page101
>Daytime running lamps, refer to 
page101
>Automatic climate control: activating/deac-
tivating AUTO program, cooling function 
and automatic recirculated-air control, set-
ting temperature, air flow rate and distribu-
tion, refer to page105 ff
>Entertainment:
>Audio volume, refer to page161
>Tone control, refer to page161
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page161
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
> Convertible: center armrest and glove com-
partment
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
>In cars with convenient access
*, via the 
handles on the driver's and front passen-
ger's doors
The anti-theft system is also operated at the 
same time. It prevents the doors from being 
unlocked using the lock buttons or door han-
dles. In addition, if the remote control is used, 
the welcome lamps, interior lamps and the 
door's courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. 
The alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
 refer to 
page35.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer 
to page32.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the 
central locking system unlocks automatically. In 
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using the remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle 
could lock the doors from the inside. You 
should therefore take the remote control with 
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter 
can be opened from outside.<
Convertible: to operate the retractable 
hardtop with the remote control, the 
doors and luggage compartment lid must be 
closed and the cargo bay partition must be 
folded down and engaged on both sides. Refer 
also to page41.<
Unlocking
Press the   button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on. 

Controls
 37Reference
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remote control is inside the vehicle. Please 
repeat the opening or closing procedure, if nec-
essary.<
Unlocking
Grasp the handle on the driver's or front pas-
senger's door completely, arrow 1. This corre-
sponds to pressing the  button.
Locking
Touch the surface, arrow 2, with your finger for 
approx. 1 second. This corresponds to pressing 
the button.
To preserve the battery, please make 
sure that the ignition and all electrical 
consumers are switched off before locking the 
vehicle.<
Coupe: convenient closure
For convenient closure, keep your finger on the 
surface, arrow 2.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid separately
Press the button on the outside of the luggage 
compartment lid. This corresponds to pressing 
the button.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accidentally left inside the 
locked vehicle's cargo bay after the luggage 
compartment lid is closed, the lid will reopen. 
The hazard warning flashers flash and an 
acoustic signal
* sounds.<
Switching on radio readiness
Radio readiness is switched on by pressing the 
start/stop button, refer to page59.Do not depress the brake or the clutch, 
otherwise the engine will start.<
Starting the engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion when a remote control is inside the vehicle. 
It is not necessary to insert a remote control into 
the ignition switch, refer to page59.
Switching off the engine in cars with 
automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off when the 
selector lever is in position P, refer to page60.
T o  s w i t c h  t h e  e n g i n e  o f f  w h e n  t h e  s e l e c t o r  l e v e r  
is in position N, the remote control must be in 
the ignition switch.
Before driving a vehicle with automatic 
transmission into a car wash
1.Insert remote control into ignition switch.
2.Depress the brake.
3.Move the selector lever to position N.
4.Switch off the engine.
The vehicle can roll.
Malfunction
Convenient access may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this happens, open or close 
the vehicle via the buttons on the remote con-
trol or using the integrated key. To start the 
engine afterward, insert the remote control into 
the ignition switch.
Warning lamps
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when you attempt to 
start the engine: the engine cannot 
be started. The remote control is not inside the 
vehicle or is malfunctioning. Take the remote 
control with you inside the vehicle or have it 
checked. If necessary, insert another remote 
control into the ignition switch.
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up while the engine is 
running: the remote control is no 
longer inside the vehicle. After the engine is  

Opening and closing
42
Opening and closing
When the vehicle is stationary and at radio 
readiness or beyond, refer to page59:
If possible, conserve the battery by only 
operating the retractable hardtop when 
the engine is running.
Before closing the retractable hardtop, remove 
all foreign objects from the windshield frame as 
these could prevent the hardtop from closing 
properly.<
1Pull button: open the retractable hardtop.
Push button: close the retractable hardtop.
2LEDs
The side windows move down slightly 
when the switch for hardtop operation is 
pulled or pushed.<
If you push or pull the switch for a longer period 
after the LED2 goes out, the windows move up 
again.<
LEDs
In the following situations, a message appears 
on the Control Display or an acoustic signal 
sounds in addition to the LED lighting up:
>While the hardtop is being operated, the left 
LED lights up green. It goes out as soon as 
the top is fully opened or closed.
>If the right-hand LED flashes red when you 
release the switch, the opening or closing 
action has not yet finished.
>If the right LED lights up red when the 
switch is pressed, the cargo bay partition is 
folded up, the luggage compartment lid is 
not closed, the vehicle is standing on a 
strong incline or there is a malfunction. The 
retractable hardtop cannot be moved.
Interruption
The automatic sequence of movements is 
interrupted if the switch for hardtop operation is 
released. The sequence can be continued in 
the desired direction by pushing or pulling the 
switch.
A hardtop that is not fully opened or 
closed is a safety hazard.
Do not interrupt and resume the closing proce-
dure several times in close succession as this 
could damage the mechanism.<
If the hardtop is not fully opened or 
closed, the luggage compartment lid can-
not be opened and the windows cannot be 
moved.<
Convenient operation with remote 
control or via door lock
Refer to pages30 and32.
Wind deflector*
The wind deflector keeps air movements in the 
passenger compartment to a minimum when 
the hardtop is open and provides an even more 
comfortable ride, particularly at high speeds.
Installation
The wind deflector is stored in a protective 
cover in the cargo bay. Brief instructions for 
operation can be found on the protective cover.
1.Remove the wind deflector from the protec-
tive cover and unfold it, arrows 1. 

Controls
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folded out automatically at a speed of approx. 
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash, 
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with 
button3, to prevent them from being damaged 
due to the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating
Both exterior mirrors are heated automatically 
while the engine is running or the ignition is 
switched on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function – 
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to the position for the 
driver's-side mirror, arrow 1.
2.Engage reverse gear or move the selector 
lever to position R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger 
side tilts slightly down. This allows the 
driver to see the area immediately adjacent 
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into 
a parking space.
Deactivating
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger-side mirror, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic 
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior 
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo 
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo 
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is 
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions 
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not 
cover the area between the interior rearview 
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive 
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield 
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position 
while the car is in motion, otherwise there 
i s  a  ri s k  o f  a c c id e n t  du e  t o  a n  un e x p e ct e d  m o v e -
ment.< 

Controls
 61Reference
At a glance
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Mobility
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you 
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in 
addition. The parking brake is still 
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and 
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake 
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do 
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake 
lever. 
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking 
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the 
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking 
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 park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise 
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a 
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page62.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and apply the 
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with 
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock, you must first move the selector 
lever to position P and switch off the engine: 
interlock. Removing the remote control from 
the ignition lock, refer to page59.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + – 

Controls
 65Reference
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Activating intermittent wipe or rain 
sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Setting speed for intermittent wipe or 
sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn knurled wheel5 up or down.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain 
sensor
Press the button again, arrow3. 
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do 
so could result in damage caused by undesired 
wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and 
the wipers are operated for a short time.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched 
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and 
appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on the 
windshield. If you do, your vision could be 
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be 
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid. 
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid 
reservoir is empty, otherwise you will damage 
the washer pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are heated 
automatically while the engine is running or the 
ignition is switched on.
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. 
Therefore, keep it away from ignition 
sources and only store it in the closed original 
container that is kept out of reach of children, 
otherwise there is a risk of personal injury. 
Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer.<
Washer fluid filler neck
Only refill washer fluid when the engine is 
cool to avoid contact with hot engine 
parts. Otherwise, fluid spills constitute a fire 
hazard and a risk to personal safety.<
All washer nozzles are supplied with washer 
fluid by the same reservoir.
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer 
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling 
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure 
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 6.3 US quarts/6 liters. 

Everything under control
76 Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not 
ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine 
switched off are not included in the calculations 
of average speed.
With the trip computer, refer to page77, you 
can have the average speed for another trip dis-
played.
To reset average speed: press the button in the 
turn indicator lever for approx. 2 seconds.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for 
the time during which the engine is running.
With the trip computer, refer to page77, you 
can have the average consumption for another 
trip displayed.
To reset average fuel consumption: press the 
button in the turn indicator lever for approx. 
2seconds.
Current fuel consumption
Displays the current fuel consumption. This 
allows you to see whether your current driving 
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
Displays on the Control Display
You can also call up the computer via iDrive; for 
operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the right to call up 
"Navigation".
3.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller until "Car Data" is selected and press the 
controller.
4.Select "Onboard info" and press the con-
troller.
>Estimated time of arrival at destination:
>Manually enter a distance in the com-
puter, refer to information further below
>Enter a destination in the navigation sys-
tem, refer to page134
>Cruising range
>Distance to destination:
>Manually enter a distance in the com-
puter, refer to information further below
>Enter a destination in the navigation sys-
tem, refer to page134
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
Resetting values
You can reset the values for average speed and 
average consumption:
1.Select the respective menu item and press 
the controller.
2.Press the controller again to confirm your 
selection. 

Everything under control
86
Applying your current speed as limit
Select "Select current speed" and press the 
controller. The system adopts your current 
speed as the limit.
Activating the limit
Select "On" and press the controller.
 Limit is activated.
Stopwatch
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Call up "Navigation".
3.Select "Car Data" and press the controller.
4.Select "Stopwatch" and press the control-
ler.
Starting, stopping or resetting
>Select "Start" and press the controller. 
The stopwatch starts at the displayed time.
>Select "Reset" and press the controller. 
The stopwatch is reset and restarts if it was 
running beforehand.
>Select "Stop" and press the controller. 
This stops the timer.
Taking an interim time reading
Select "Interim time" and press the controller. 
The interim time appears below the ongoing 
primary stopwatch count.
All of the remaining functions remain 
available at all times while the stopwatch 
is running. The stopwatch continues operation 
in the background.<
Altering settings
Language on the Control Display
The language of the Control Display can be set. 
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is 
selected and press the controller.
4.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Language" is selected and press the 
controller.
5.Select "Text language" and press the con-
troller. You can switch to another language 
for the display texts and navigation mes-
sages.
6.Select and activate the desired language by 
pressing the controller.
Brightness of the Control Display
The brightness is automatically adapted to the 
ambient lighting conditions. Note, however, 
that you can change the basic setting while the 
low beams are switched on. The setting is 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is 
selected and press the controller.
4.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller