
At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning 
and thus come on briefly when the engine is 
started or the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the lower edge of the Control 
Display explain the meaning of the displayed 
indicator and warning lamps.
You can call up more information, e.g. on the 
cause of a malfunction and on how to respond, 
via Check Control, refer to page83.
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 notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher102
Fog lamps
*102
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability90
Parking brake applied60
Canada: parking brake applied60
Engine malfunction with adverse 
effect on exhaust emissions230
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on exhaust 
emissions230 

Opening and closing
36 >The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking: 
your vehicle has not been disturbed while 
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking 
until the remote control is inserted in the 
ignition, but for no longer than approx. 
5 minutes: your vehicle has been disturbed 
while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm 
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel 
or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor
Coupe
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass roof must 
be completely closed
*.
Convertible
The interior of the car is monitored up to the 
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated together with the interior 
motion sensor even if the hardtop is open. The 
alarm can be triggered unintentionally by falling 
objects such as leaves, refer to Avoiding unin-
tentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor 
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following 
situations:
>In duplex garages
>During transport on car-carrying trains, 
boats/ships or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensor
Press the   button on the remote control 
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then 
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and the interior motion sensor are switched off until 
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Convenient access*
Convenient access enables you to enter your 
vehicle without needing to hold the remote con-
trol in your hand. All you need to do is wear the 
remote control close to your body, e.g. in your 
jacket pocket. The vehicle detects the corre-
sponding remote control within the immediate 
vicinity or in the passenger compartment.
Convenient access supports the following 
functions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the luggage compartment lid 
separately
>Engine starting
>Convenient closure
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment lid 
can only be locked when the vehicle detects 
that the remote control currently in use is 
outside of the vehicle.
>The vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked 
again until after approx. 2 seconds.
>The engine can only be started when the 
vehicle detects that the remote control cur-
rently in use is inside the vehicle.
Comparison to the standard remote 
control
In general, there is no difference between using 
convenient access or pressing the buttons on 
the remote control to carry out the functions 
mentioned above. You should therefore first 
familiarize yourself with the instructions on 
opening and closing starting on page28.
Special features regarding the use of conve-
nient access are described below.
If you notice a brief delay while opening or 
closing windows, the glass roof or retract-
able hardtop, the system is checking whether a  

Controls
 37Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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  

Controls
 75Reference
At a glance
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Mobility
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and 
therefore the engine, becomes too hot. In addi-
tion, a message will appear on the Control Dis-
play.
Check coolant level, refer to page228.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between 
approx. 2107/1006 and approx. 3007/
1506.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 15.9 US gallons/
60 liters.
You can find information on refueling on 
page210.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period, 
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for 
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve 
zone, a message briefly appears on the Control 
Display and the cruising range for the remaining 
amount of fuel is displayed on the computer. 
Under a cruising range of approx. 30 miles/
50 km, the message remains in the Control Dis-
play.
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.<
Computer
Displays in the instrument cluster
Calling up information
Press the button in the turn indicator lever.
The following items of information are dis-
played in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
>Current fuel consumption
*
>No information
To set the corresponding units of measure, 
refer to Units of measure on page78.
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available 
with the remaining fuel. The range is calculated 
on the basis of the way the car has been driven 
over the last 18 miles/30 km and the amount of 
fuel currently in the tank. 

Everything under control
78
Settings and information
Operating principle
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information753When the lights are on: instrument lighting 
brightness103
4Calling up Check Control83
5Checking engine oil level225
6Setting the time81
7Setting the date83
8Viewing service requirement display79
Exiting displays
The outside-temperature reading and the time 
reappear when you press button2 or if you 
make no entries within approx. 15 seconds. If 
required, complete the current setting first.
Units of measure
You can set units of measure.
iDrive, for operating 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 "Language / Units" and press the 
controller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Units" is selected and press the con-
troller. 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
88
Technology for driving comfort and safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight 
parking spaces. Acoustic signals and a visual 
indicator
 warn you of the presence of an object 
behind your vehicle. To measure the distance, 
there are four ultrasonic sensors in either 
bumper.
These sensors have a range of approx. 6.5 ft/
2 m. However, an acoustic warning does not 
sound until an object is approx. 24 in/60 cm 
from the corner sensors, or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m 
from the center sensors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually the case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an object at high speed, oth-
erwise physical circumstances may lead to the 
system warning being issued too late.<
Switching on automatically
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the system is activated after approx. 1 sec-
ond when you engage reverse gear or move the 
automatic transmission selector lever to 
position R. Wait this short period before driving.
Switching off automatically
After approx. 165 ft/50 m of driving or above 
approx. 20 mph/approx. 30 km/h, the system 
switches off and the LED goes out.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, its position is indicated 
correspondingly by an interval tone. As the dis-
tance between vehicle and object decreases, 
the intervals between the tones become 
shorter. If the distance to the nearest object 
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
An interval tone is interrupted after approx. 
3seconds>if you remain in front of an object that has 
been detected by only one of the corner 
sensors
>if you are driving parallel to a wall.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. A message appears on the 
Control Display. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean 
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that 
they will continue to operate effectively. When 
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the 
sensors for extended periods of time and only 
from a distance of at least 4 in/10 cm.
PDC with visual warning
You can also have the system show distances 
to objects on the Control Display. The contours 
of distant objects are shown on the Control Dis-
play even before the acoustic signal sounds. 
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens 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.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller  

Lamps
102 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 40 mph/70 km/h, 
e.g. on mountainous roads or when turning, an 
additional, corner-illuminating lamp is switched 
on that lights up the inside area of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light 
switch to position 3, refer to page100. 
The corner-illuminating lamp is switched on 
automatically, depending on the steering wheel 
angle or turn signal indicator.
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 you are reversing, only the corner-illumi-
nating lamps are active and switched on on 
both sides.
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*
There is an additional option of switching on the 
lamps on the side of the car facing the road 
when parked.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or 
down beyond the pressure point for a longer 
period, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time, otherwise the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine.<
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the 
pressure point, arrow 3.
Fog lamps
The parking lamps or low beams must 
be switched on for the fog lamps to 
operate. The green indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the 
fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off while you acti-
vate the headlamp flasher or switch on the high 
beams.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.< 

Under the hood
226
Possible displays
1Oil level OK
2Oil level is being checked.
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at 
a standstill on a level surface, or about 
5 minutes while the car is on the move.
3Oil level down to minimum:
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no 
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to 
Adding engine oil on page227.
4Oil level is too high.
Too much oil will harm the engine. 
Have the vehicle checked without 
delay.<
5The oil level sensor is defective.
Do not add engine oil. You can continue 
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer 
to page79. Have the system checked as 
soon as possible.
Display via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.3.Select "Info sources" and press the control-
ler.
4.Select "Service Info" and press the control-
ler.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Service requirements" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the second field from the top. Turn the con-
troller until "Engine oil level" is selected and 
press the controller. The oil level is dis-
played.
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level O.K."
>"No measurement available: Updating 
engine oil level measurement..."
The engine oil level is measured. This can 
take about 3 minutes if the car is at a stand-
still on a level surface and the engine is run-
ning, and about 5 minutes while the car is on 
the move.
>"Oil level at the minimum! Refill with 1 quart 
of engine oil."
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no