
Driving
62
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also shift manually using the buttons on the 
steering wheel, refer to page63.
Transmission range selection
P R N D
Displays on Info Display
P R N D S or M1 to M6
The transmission range is indicated, and in the 
manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Selecting transmission range
>Only engage transmission positions D, R, 
or N when the engine is running: interlock.
>With the vehicle stationary, depress the 
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N; 
otherwise, the shift command will not be 
executed: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
maintain pressure on the brake pedal until 
you are ready to start off. Activate Auto-
matic Hold to suppress the tendency to 
creep, refer to page59.
Selecting D, R or N
Lightly pull selector lever and engage desired 
position:
>N Neutral: 
To resistance point, arrowsN.
>D Drive: 
Downward past resistance point, arrowD.
>R Reverse: 
Upward past resistance point, arrowR.
The selector lever immediately returns to the 
center position when released.
Selecting P
Press button P.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The 
rear wheels are locked.
Transmission automatically shifts into P 
as soon as you switch off the engine 
unless N is selected and the remote control is in 
the ignition lock, refer to page58.< 

Controls
 63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this position, for example, in car 
washes. The vehicle can roll.
Transmission remains in N even after the 
ignition is switched off whenever you 
leave the remote control in the ignition lock. 
This function is useful in automatic car washes, 
etc. 
After approx. 30 minutes the system automati-
cally shifts into position P. Pay attention to the 
messages on the Info Display. 
Switching off engine, refer to page58.<
D Drive, automatic position
This is the mode recommended for normal 
vehicle operation. All forward gears are avail-
able.
Under normal operating conditions, the fuel 
consumption is lowest when driving in 
position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides you with maxi-
mum acceleration.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
Press button1 on the steering wheel.
The sport program is activated and S appears 
on the Info Display. This program is recom-
mended for a performance-oriented driving 
style.
Press button1 again to switch into the manual 
mode and then into the automatic program 
again.
In the manual mode, the Steptronic changes 
gears when one of the buttons2 on the front or 
back of the steering wheel is briefly pressed. 
The Info Display shows the manual ranges M1 
through M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
the system will not execute a downshift that 
would cause the engine to overrev. In this case, 
the requested gear appears briefly on the Info 
Display, followed by the current gear.
Press button1 again to switch back into the 
automatic program. 

Driving
64
Manually unlocking and locking the 
transmission lock
In the event of a power supply interruption, e.g. 
when the battery is dead or disconnected or 
when there is an electrical malfunction, the 
transmission lock must be released manually; 
otherwise, the rear wheels are locked and the 
vehicle cannot be towed.
Step on the brake when manually unlock-
ing the transmission lock; otherwise, 
there is a danger of the vehicle rolling.<
The transmission lock should only be released 
for towing. Reengage the transmission lock 
after parking the vehicle at its destination.
If it also becomes necessary to manually 
release the parking brake, follow this sequence:
1.Start by manually releasing the parking 
brake, refer to page60.
2.Then proceed to manually releasing the 
transmission lock.
Releasing
1.Use the vehicle key to release the cover 
panel beneath the instrument panel by turn-
ing the lock counterclockwise, then fold 
down the cover.2.Pull out the release lever with the loop1 
until it locks into place: the transmission 
lock is unlocked.
Reengage the transmission lock after 
parking the vehicle at its destination. Oth-
erwise, there is a danger of the vehicle rolling.<
Engaging locks
1.Disengage the release lever by pressing it 
together with the red locking lever, refer to 
arrow.
2.Guide the release lever all the way back into 
its original position – the transmission lock 
is engaged once more.
3.Fold up and lock the cover panel again. Now 
– and not before – the key may be removed.
Jump starting and tow starting information, 
refer to section starting on page220. 

Driving
68
Maintaining speed, storing, and 
decelerating
Pull the lever, arrow2: 
Functions in the same way as1, except that the 
vehicle speed is decreased.
Interrupting the cruise control
Briefly press the lever up or down, arrow3.
In addition, cruise control is interrupted auto-
matically:
>when you apply pressure to the brake pedal
>when you shift the automatic transmission 
into position N
>when the DSC control is operative
Resuming stored speed
Briefly press the button4: 
The vehicle accelerates back to and maintains 
the stored speed.
Displays in speedometer
5Pointer for stored speed
> Cruise control activated
> Cruise control deactivated
6Mark for stored desired speed in the multi-
level function
Storing desired speeds
With vehicle stationary
1.Switch on the ignition.
2.Press, arrow1, or pull, arrow2, the lever 
past the resistance point: 
Now you can move the pointer5 with the lever until you have reached your desired 
speed:
>Press or pull the lever to the resistance 
point again: the pointer slowly moves.
>Press or pull the lever past the resis-
tance point again: the pointer jumps to 
the next multiple of 5 mph or 10 km/h 
and then further, as long as the lever is 
held.
3.Press the button4 for approx. 3 seconds. 
The stored desired speed is indicated by a 
mark 6.
If six desired speeds have already been stored, 
please delete at least one of them before adding 
another.
While driving
1.Press, arrow1, or pull, arrow2, the lever 
past the resistance point.
2.Press the button4 for approx. 3 seconds. 
The current speed is applied as the desired 
speed and displayed with6.
If all of the marks 6 flash twice, this indicates 
that six desired speeds have already been 
stored. You must then delete at least one of 
them before adding another.
Deleting desired speeds
1.Select corresponding desired speed6, 
refer to section below.
2.Press button4 for approx. 3 seconds.
Activating multilevel preset mode
Press, arrow1, or pull, arrow2, the lever past 
the resistance point.
The current driving speed is maintained, stored 
and displayed by the pointer5.
Selecting desired speed
Press, arrow1, or pull, arrow2, the lever past 
the resistance point: 
The next desired speed is selected. 

Controls
 71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Distance 1
Distance 2
Distance 3 
This distance is always set when 
the system is used for the first time 
after starting the engine.
Distance 4
Use good judgment to select the appro-
priate following distance given road con-
ditions, traffic, applicable laws and driving rec-
ommendations for safe following distance; 
failure to do so can constitute an accident haz-
ard.<
Deactivating cruise control
Press the lever up or down. The displays in the 
speedometer go out.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>when the speed is reduced to below 20 mph 
or 30 km/h due to a traffic situation
>when DTC is activated or DSC is deacti-
vated
>when the system does not recognize any 
objects for an extended period of time, e.g. on infrequently traveled roads without a 
shoulder or guard rails, or if the radar sensor 
is covered with dirt, refer to page72
>when you actuate the parking brake during 
driving
>when you shift the transmission into posi-
tion N
If the system is deactivated, then it is nec-
essary for the driver to actively intervene 
by braking and possibly swerving. Otherwise, 
there is the danger of an accident.<
Background lighting
You can switch off the backlighting of the 
speedometer and tachometer when the system 
is deactivated if no other functions are being 
displayed, e.g. the advance warning field in the 
tachometer, refer to page75, or the route guid-
ance of the navigation system.
To do so, press the lever up or down for approx. 
1second.
Resuming stored desired speed and 
distance
Press button4: 
The displays appear in the speedometer.
When you switch off the ignition, the stored 
desired speed is deleted.
Info Display screen contents
1Stored desired speed display
2Lights up: vehicle detected ahead
3Selected distance to vehicle driving ahead
4The selected desired speed is displayed for 
a short time, refer to page70 

Controls
 73Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
of you, for example when approaching a traffic 
light or a parked vehicle. Also, the system does 
not react to oncoming traffic, pedestrians or 
other types of potential traffic such as a rider on 
horseback. It is also possible that the system 
may not detect smaller moving objects such as 
motorcycles or bicycles. Be especially alert 
when encountering any of these situations as 
the system will neither automatically brake, nor 
provide a warning to you. Also, be aware that 
every decrease in the distance setting allows 
your vehicle to come closer to a vehicle in front 
of you and requires a heightened amount of 
alertness.<
When your vehicle is actively following a vehicle 
in front of you, if the vehicle ahead speeds up or 
the lane ahead becomes clear, then your vehi-
cle will accelerate to the speed you have 
selected. Be aware that changing to a clear, 
unobstructed lane may also result in accelera-
tion of your vehicle.
Be certain to deactivate the system when 
you pull into an exit lane for a highway off-
ramp.<
Also, vehicles traveling in a staggered manner 
on a highway may cause a delay in the system's 
reaction to a vehicle in front of you or may cause 
the system to react to a vehicle actually in the 
lane next to you. Always be ready to take action 
or apply the brakes if necessary.
Active cruise control can only decelerate the 
vehicle to approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. If the sys-
tem reduces vehicle speed below 20 mph/
30 km/h or if DSC/ABS is engaged while driving, 
the system will automatically deactivate.
Remember, the system cannot stop your 
vehicle. In addition, the system is deacti-
vated whenever the driver applies the vehicle 
brakes, shifts the transmission from drive/D to 
neutral/N, or deactivates DSC. After any deacti-
vation, the system will no longer automatically 
activate the vehicle brakes, which means the 
driver must intervene and resume manual brak-
ing. You should then reactivate the system only 
when you are fully aware of the prior speed and 
distance settings.
driver must constantly monitor traffic and inter-
vene if necessary.
When you switch off the engine or ignition, 
active cruise control is fully switched off, too, 
and any settings you have selected are can-
celed.
Swerving vehicles
When a vehicle moves from an adjacent lane 
into your lane, active cruise control will not 
detect this vehicle until it is fully in your lane 
ahead of your vehicle.
Behavior in curves
Because of the limited range of the system, it is 
possible that in curves or on the peaks and val-
leys of hilly roads, a vehicle ahead may be rec-
ognized late, or not at all. Therefore, it is up to 
the driver to select a speed that is prudent in 
view of the curves and terrain of the roadway. 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86
Technology for comfort, convenience and 
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking. 
Audible signals and an optical display indicate 
that you are approaching an object in front of or 
behind your vehicle. To measure the distance, 
four ultrasonic sensors are provided in each 
bumper. The range of these sensors is approx. 
6 ft/2 m. However, an acoustic warning begins 
to sound for the sensors at the front and at the 
two rear corners 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 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually the case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an object at high speed; oth-
erwise, the system may sound the warning of 
physical obstacles too late.<
Automatically activating
The system is activated approx. 1 second after 
you engage the transmission position R with 
the engine running or the ignition switched on.
Wait this short period before proceeding.
Manual activation
Press the button, the LED lights up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the LED goes out.After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over 
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system switches 
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. 
The signal tone becomes continuous once the 
distance to the nearest object falls below 
roughly 1 ft/30 cm.
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 Info Display. PDC has failed. 
Have the system checked.
To prevent 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 high-pressure washers, do not 
spray sensors for long periods and keep the 
sprayer at least 4 in/10 cm away from the sen-
sors.
PDC with visual warning
You can also have the system show distances 
to objects on the Control Display. Objects that 
are farther away are displayed there before a 
signal tone begins to sound.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16. 

Things to remember when driving
122
Things to remember when driving
Breaking-in
Moving parts need time to adjust to one 
another. To ensure that your vehicle continues 
to furnish optimized economy of operation 
throughout an extended service life, we request 
that you devote careful attention to the follow-
ing information.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive with changing engine and vehicle speeds, 
but do not exceed:
4500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kick-down mode during these 
initial miles.
After 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be 
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their 
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in 
period. Therefore, drive reservedly during the 
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of 
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized 
contact and wear patterns between brake pads 
and rotors.
Following component replacements
Follow the break-in sequence again if compo-
nents addressed above must be replaced again 
during subsequent driving.
General driving notes
Closing luggage compartment lid
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid is completely 
closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes could pene-
trate into the passenger compartment.<
If special circumstances should make it abso-
lutely necessary to operate the vehicle with the 
luggage compartment lid open:
1.Close all windows and the glass sunroof.
2.Adjust the automatic climate control's 
blower to supply a high rate of airflow, refer 
to page106.
Hot exhaust system
As in all vehicles, extremely high temper-
atures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed 
adjacent to it, and never apply undercoating to 
them. When driving, standing at idle, and park-
ing, take care to avoid possible contact 
between the hot exhaust system and any highly 
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass, 
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, accompa-
nied by the risk of serious property damage and 
personal injury.<
Mobile communications devices in 
vehicle
BMW does not recommend using mobile 
communications devices, e.g. mobile 
phones, inside the vehicle without a direct con-
nection to an outside antenna. Otherwise, the 
vehicle electronics and mobile communications 
device can interfere with each other. In addition, 
there is no assurance that the radiation which 
results during transmission will be discharged 
from the vehicle interior.<