
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Convertible: opening and closing rear 
window39
2Convertible: opening and closing windows 
together39
3Convertible: opening and closing rear 
windows39
4Opening and closing front windows38
5Exterior mirrors, folding in and out53
6Adjusting exterior mirrors53
Automatic curb monitor547
Turn signals63
High beams, 
headlamp flasher104
High-beam assistant
*104
Roadside parking lamps104
Check Control79
Computer75 

At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or TeleService*
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard info, e.g. for displaying of the aver-
age fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
Climate
>Vent settings
>Automatic programs
>Parked car operation
 menu
>Switching off the Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central 
locking system
>Display of maintenance intervals and dead-
lines for legally mandated inspections
>Settings for the telephone
Basic operation
From radio readiness, refer to page58, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
The message is automatically hidden after 
approx. 10 seconds.
Start menu
You can call up all the functions of iDrive using 
five menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the   button.
To open the start menu from the   menu:
Press the   button twice. 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW 
individually according to your preferences. 
Personal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently 
in use without you having to do anything. When 
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding 
remote control is detected and the settings 
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW 
set to your own personal settings even if 
another person with his/her own remote control 
and settings has used the vehicle since the last 
time you drove it. The individual settings are 
stored for a maximum of four remote controls.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the 
specified pages.
>Behavior of the central locking system 
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page30
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page33
>Programming buttons on steering wheel, 
refer to page55
>Displays on Control Display:
>12h/24h clock mode, refer to page83
>Date format, refer to page83
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page83
>Units of measure for consumption, 
route/distances, temperature and pres-
sure, refer to page84
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page84>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page64
>Welcome lamps, refer to page102
>Pathway lighting, refer to page103
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to 
page103
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page104
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page86
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page97
>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer 
to page100
>Automatic climate control: for AUTO pro-
gram and intensity, cooling function, and 
automatic recirculated air control/recircu-
lated air mode, temperature, air distribution, 
temperature in the upper body region, refer 
to page109
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for 
destination guidance, refer to page132
The most recent settings for the following are 
also called up during unlocking:
>Programmable memory/direct selection 
buttons: selecting stored functions, refer to 
page44
>Driver's seat, exterior-mirror and steering-
wheel position, refer to page49
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings, 
refer to page159
>Radio: display of stored stations, refer to 
page162
>Phone: adjusting volume, refer to page190 

Controls
 85Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Technology for comfort, convenience and 
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking. 
Acoustic signals and an optical display
* alert 
you to the approach of an object from behind 
your vehicle. To measure the distance, there 
are four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper. 
The range of these sensors is approx. 7 ft/2 m. 
However, an acoustic warning first sounds for 
the sensors at the front and at the two rear cor-
ners at approx. 24 in/60 cm, and for the center 
rear sensors at approx. 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate the 
presence of objects when they are being 
approached slowly, as is usually the case when 
parking. Avoid approaching an object at high 
speed; otherwise, the physical circumstances 
could cause the system warning to be activated 
too late.<
Switching on automatically
The system starts to operate approx. one sec-
ond after you shift into reverse or move the 
selector lever into position R with the engine 
running or the ignition switched on.
Wait this short time before driving off.
Switching on manually
Press the button; the LED lights up.
Switching off manually
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Automatic deactivation
After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over 
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system is 
switched off and the LED goes out. You can 
reactivate the system manually as needed.
Signal tones
An intermittent signal indicates the distance of 
the vehicle from an object being approached. 
Thus, an object detected to the left rear of the 
vehicle will be indicated by a signal tone from 
the left rear speaker, etc.  As the distance 
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 continuous tone 
sounds.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx. 
3seconds:
>if you remain in front of an object that was 
only detected by one of the corner sensors
>if you drive parallel to a wall
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a message 
appears on the Control Display. PDC is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.
As a preventive measure, keep the sensors 
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure 
that they will continue to operate effectively. Do 
not spray the sensors with high-pressure clean-
ers for long periods and maintain a distance of 
at least 4 in/10 cm to them. 

Lamps
102
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control, daytime run-
ning lamps
*, welcome lamps, Adaptive 
Head Light
* and high-beam assistant*
If you open the driver's door with the ignition 
switched off, the exterior lighting is automati-
cally switched off when the light switch is in 
position2 or 3.
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 roadside parking lamps on one 
side, refer to page104.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control
In switch position3, the system activates the 
low beams and switches them on or off in 
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk 
and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head 
Light
* is active. The LED next to the symbol is 
illuminated when the low beams are on.
You can activate the daytime running lamps, 
refer to page103. In the situations named 
above, the system then automatically switches 
over to the low beams.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can 
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams remain on independent of 
the ambient lighting conditions when you 
switch on the 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 of hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low beams manually under these conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position2 or 3 
when parking the vehicle, then when you unlock 
the vehicle, the parking lamps and interior light-
ing remain illuminated for a brief time.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
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. 

Lamps
104
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables better illumination 
of the road surface. Depending on the steering 
angle and other parameters, the light from the 
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light 
switch into position 3, refer to page102.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive 
Head Light is not active when driving in reverse 
and points toward the passenger side when the 
vehicle is stopped.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one 
side of your vehicle when parking:
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or 
down beyond the resistance point, arrow 3.
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.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction 
up to the resistance point, arrow3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high 
beams on and off. A sensor on the front side of 
the inside rearview mirror controls the process. 
The assistant makes sure that the high beams 
are switched on whenever traffic conditions 
permit. This relieves you of the burden of con-
stantly switching back and forth and simulta-
neously provides you with the best possible vis-
ibility. Naturally, you can intervene at any time to 
switch the high beams on and off as usual.
Activating system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to 
page102.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly 
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam 
direction.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when the high-beam 
assistant is activated. The system 
automatically switches between high beams 
and low beams, reacting to oncoming traffic, 
vehicles ahead of you, and sufficiently lit areas, 
e.g. in built-up zones. 

Lamps
106 3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Lighting" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.Select "High-beam assistant" and press 
the controller.
 High-beam assistant is switched off.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Fog lamps
First switch on the parking lamps or the low 
beams. The green indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the fog lamps are 
switched on.
The fog lamps are switched off whenever the 
high beams are switched 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 control the lighting intensity by using 
the knurled wheel.
Interior lamps
Control of the interior lamps, footwell lamps, 
door entry lighting, courtesy lamps
* and sill 
panel lighting
* is automatic.
With the courtesy lamps, LED lights are located 
in the door handles to illuminate the exterior 
area before the doors.
To protect the battery, all lamps in the 
vehicle are switched off approx. 15 min-
utes after radio readiness is switched off, refer 
to Start/Stop button on page58.<
Switching interior lamps on and off 
manually
Press button 1.
If the interior lamps, footwell lamps, door entry 
lighting, courtesy lamps and sill panel lighting 
are to remain switched off continually, press the 
button for approx. 3 seconds. 

Mobility
 229Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
There must not be any contact between 
the bodies of the two vehicles; otherwise, 
there is a danger of short circuiting.<
Connecting jumper cables
To avoid personal injury from sparks, fol-
low this sequence when connecting 
jumper cables.<
In your BMW, the so-called jump-starting termi-
nal for jump starting in the engine compartment 
serves as a positive terminal for the battery, also 
refer to engine compartment overview on 
page217. The cover cap is marked with a +.
1.Fold open the cover of the BMW jump-
starting terminal. To do so, pull the tab.
2.Attach one end of the jumper cable plus/+ 
to the positive terminal of the battery or a 
jump-starting terminal of the vehicle provid-
ing assistance.
3.Attach the second end of the cable to the 
positive terminal of the battery or to a jump-
starting terminal of the vehicle to be started.
4.Attach one end of the jumper cable minus/– 
to the negative terminal of the battery or to 
an engine or body ground of the vehicle 
providing assistance.
Your BMW has a special nut as body ground 
or negative terminal.5.Attach the second end of the cable to the 
negative terminal of the battery or to the 
engine or body ground of the vehicle to be 
started.Starting engine
1.Start the engine on the assisting vehicle 
and allow it to run at idle for several minutes 
at slightly increased speed.
2.Start the engine on the other vehicle in the 
usual way.
If the first starting attempt is not successful, 
wait a few minutes before another attempt 
in order to allow the discharged battery to 
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing 
the connection sequence.
Check the battery and recharge if necessary.
Never use spray fluids to start the 
engine.<
Tow-starting and towing
Observe applicable laws and regulations 
for tow-starting and towing.<
Do not transport any passengers other 
than the driver in a vehicle that is being 
towed.<
Using tow fitting
The threaded tow fitting is stored in the tool kit 
mounted on the inside of the luggage compart-
ment under the floor mat, refer to page223, and 
should always remain in the vehicle. It can be 
screwed in at the front or rear of the BMW.
Only use the tow fitting that comes with 
the vehicle and screw it in as far as possi-
ble. Use the tow fitting for towing only on roads. 
Avoid lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do 
not lift the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise, 
the tow fitting and vehicle can be damaged.<