
At a glance
 15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Coupe: microphone for voice command 
system
* and for telephone in hands-free 
mode
*
Convertible: microphone on steering col-
umn
2SOS: initiating an Emergency Request 
call
*236
3Reading lamps103
4Coupe: glass roof, electric
*39
5Interior lamps103
6Passenger airbag status lamp
*98
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9DTC Dynamic Traction Control90
10Central locking system32
11Automatic climate control
12Ejecting audio CD16013Changing
>Radio station164
>Track174
14Selecting radio, CD and CD changer
15Selecting AM or FM waveband
16Ejecting navigation DVD132
18Controller16 
Can be turned, pressed, or moved horizon-
tally in four directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display17
21Drive for navigation DVD132
22Programmable memory keys21
23Switching audio sources on/off and adjust-
ing volume160
24Drive for audio CD160 Air distribution to the 
windshield105
Air distribution to the upper body 
area105
Air distribution to the footwell105
Automatic air distribution and flow 
rate106
Cooling function107
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control106
Recirculated-air mode106
Maximum cooling106
Residual heat mode107
Air flow rate106
Defrosting windows107
Rear window defroster107
17
Heated seats*49
PDC Park Distance Control
*88
Coupe: 
Roller sun blind
*113
Coupe: 
HDC Hill Descent Control
*90
20Convertible:
Opening and closing retractable 
hardtop41 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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. 

Opening and closing
30 You can set how the vehicle is to be unlocked. 
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 
until "Door locks" is selected and press the 
controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Unlock button" and press the con-
troller.
8.Select a menu item:
>"All doors"
Press the   button once to unlock the 
entire vehicle.
>"Driver's door only"
Press the   button once to unlock only 
the driver's door and the fuel filler door. Press the button twice to unlock the 
entire vehicle.
9.Press the controller.
Coupe: convenient opening
Hold the   button down.
The windows
 and the glass roof* are opened.
Convertible: convenient opening*
Within a range of approx. 13 ft/4 m from the 
vehicle you can open the retractable hardtop 
using the remote control.
Hold the   button down.
The windows
 and the retractable hardtop are 
opened if the doors are closed.
If you continue pressing the   button, the win-
dows move up.
Watch during the opening process to 
ensure that no one is injured. Releasing 
the button interrupts the opening process.<
Locking
Press the   button.
Convertible: convenient closing*
Within a range of approx. 13 ft/4 m from the 
vehicle you can close the retractable hardtop 
and the windows using the remote control.
Hold the   button down.
The retractable hardtop and the windows are 
closed.
Watch during the closing process to 
ensure that no one is injured. Releasing 
the button interrupts the closing process.< 

Controls
 31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching on interior lamps
While the car is locked: 
Press the   button. 
You can also use this function to locate your 
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid
Press the   button for approx. 1 second.
The luggage compartment lid opens a short 
distance, regardless of whether it was locked or 
unlocked.
The luggage compartment lid swings 
back and up when opened. Ensure that 
there is sufficient clearance. To avoid locking 
yourself out by accident, do not place the 
remote control in the cargo bay. A previously 
locked luggage compartment lid is locked again 
after closing.
Before and after each trip, check that the lug-
gage compartment lid has not been inadvert-
ently unlocked.<
Convertible: convenient loading*
Within a range of approx. 13ft/4m from the vehi-
cle you can use the remote control to half close 
the retractable hardtop when it is open to ease 
loading of the cargo bay.
1.Briefly press the   button and, within one 
second, press again and hold until the 
retractable hardtop stops in an intermediate 
position. The luggage compartment lid 
opens slightly.
2.Open the luggage compartment lid, press 
the cargo bay partition upward and stow the 
cargo in the cargo bay.
3.Press down the cargo bay partition until it 
engages on both sides and close the lug-
gage compartment lid.
4.Press the   button for a longer period to 
fold the retractable hardtop back in.
Confirmation signals
You can activate or deactivate the confirmation 
signals.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.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to 
the uppermost field. Turn the controller 
until "Door locks" is selected and press the 
controller.
6.Select "Confirmation" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select the desired signal.
8.Press the controller.
 The signal is activated.
Malfunctions
The remote control may malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this occurs, unlock and lock 
the car at the door lock with the integrated key.
 Convertible: if hardtop movement via the 
remote control is interrupted briefly, the move-
ment will be completed more quickly if you keep 
the corresponding button pressed continu-
ously.
If the car can no longer be locked with a remote 
control, the battery in the remote control is dis-
charged. Use the remote control on an 
extended trip to recharge the battery, refer to 
page28. The remote control for convenient 
access
* contains a battery that may have to be 
changed, refer to page38.
For US owners only
The transmitter and receiver units comply with 
part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communications  

Opening and closing
32 Commission regulations. Operation is gov-
erned by the following:
FCC ID:
LX8766S 
LX8766E 
LX8CAS
Compliance statement: 
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC 
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two 
conditions:
>This device must not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
>This device must accept any interference 
received, including interference that may 
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications or 
changes to these devices could void the 
user's authority to operate this equipment.<
Opening and closing:
Using the door lock
You can set the way in which the car is 
unlocked, refer to page29.
Convenient operation
You can use the door lock to operate the win-
dows and the coupe's glass roof
* or the con-
vertible's retractable hardtop.
Hold the key in the position for unlocking or 
locking.
During each closing procedure, and when 
opening the retractable hardtop, watch 
the process and ensure that no one becomes 
trapped. Releasing the key stops the opera-
tion.<
Manual operation
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can 
lock and unlock the driver's door by turning the 
integrated key to the corresponding limit posi-
tions in the door lock.
Opening and closing:
From inside
This button serves to unlock or lock doors and 
the luggage compartment lid, but does not acti-
vate the anti-theft system. The fuel filler door 
remains unlocked.
Automatic locking
You can also set the situations in which the car 
locks:
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 
until "Door locks" is selected and press the 
controller. 

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
 41Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
opening provided. Move the glass roof in 
the desired direction.
6.Reinstall the control unit and reattach the 
lamp cover.
Convertible: retractable 
hardtop
The retractable hardtop combines reliable 
weather protection with simple and convenient 
operation.
The following tips will enhance your driving 
pleasure in your convertible:
>It is advisable that you close the retractable 
hardtop when you park the vehicle. Not only 
does the closed hardtop protect the vehicle 
interior against unanticipated weather dam-
age, it also offers theft protection. However, 
even when the hardtop is closed, valuables 
should only be stored in the locked cargo 
bay.
>Do not attach roof rack systems to the 
retractable hardtop, and in particular do not 
attach magnetic racks.
>Do not attach rack systems to the luggage 
compartment lid, and in particular do not 
attach magnetic racks.
>When the retractable hardtop is operated, 
the luggage compartment lid swings back 
and up. Before operating the retractable 
hardtop, ensure that there is enough clear-
ance, e.g. when parked in front of a wall.
>If you open the hardtop while it is wet, e.g. 
after driving in the rain, water may drip into 
the cargo bay. If necessary, remove items from the cargo bay beforehand to avoid 
water stains or soiling.
Do not place any objects on the retract-
able hardtop or on the luggage compart-
ment lid, otherwise they could fall during move-
ments of the retractable hardtop and cause 
damage or injury.
Never move the retractable hardtop when the 
rollover protection system is in the activated 
position.
Driving when the hardtop is not fully opened or 
closed may result in damage or injury.
Do not reach into the mechanism while the 
hardtop is opening or closing. Keep children 
away from the swiveling area of the retractable 
hardtop.<
The retractable hardtop cannot be moved 
at temperatures below + 147/–106. A 
message appears on the Control Display.<
The retractable hardtop can only be 
opened and closed when the vehicle is 
stationary. To avoid causing damage, do not 
drive off until the hardtop has stopped mov-
ing.<
Before opening and closing
>Comply with the safety precautions 
described above.
>Ensure that the cargo bay partition is folded 
down and engaged on both sides, refer to 
page117, otherwise it will not be possible 
to open the retractable hardtop.
>Do not place any objects next to or on the 
cargo bay partition and close the storage 
compartment on the left side of the cargo 
bay.
>Do not exceed the maximum loading height 
under the cargo bay partition; refer to the 
label in the cargo bay showing a line indicat-
ing the maximum height.
>Ensure that the luggage compartment lid is 
closed.
>The vehicle should be parked on fairly level 
ground. Excessive angle is indicated by a 
lamp. 

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.