
Driving
60 engage the parking brake the moment the vehi-
cle comes to a stop.<
Parking
The parking brake engages automatically when 
you stop the vehicle and switch off the engine. 
The indicator lamp  changes from green to 
red.
You can also release the parking brake 
manually after the engine is switched off, 
as long as the remote control is in the ignition 
lock, refer to page59. You can use this function, 
for example, in a car wash. 
Automatic Hold is deactivated.<
When leaving the vehicle, release the 
remote control from the detent in the igni-
tion lock; this precaution prevents children from 
disengaging the parking brake etc.<
For your safety
Automatic Hold is automatically deactivated 
when:
>the engine is switched off
>the system detects that the driver's seat is 
not occupied while the engine is running
>the hood is opened while the engine is run-
ning
>the luggage compartment is opened while 
the engine is running and the transmission 
is in reverse
>and when the parking brake is used to brake 
the vehicle to a stop during driving
The indicator lamp   changes from green to 
red, and the indication AUTO P on the Info Dis-
play disappears.
Before starting off again, briefly press the but-
ton to disengage the parking brake manually, 
refer to page59, or reactivate Automatic Hold, 
refer to page59.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine 
running, always move the automatic 
transmission's selector lever to position P and 
make sure that the parking brake is engaged. 
The vehicle could start to roll if you fail to take 
these precautions.
tendency for the wheels to spin in response to 
slippery road surfaces. 
Pay attention to the messages on the Info Dis-
play. For additional information, refer to Check 
Control on page80.<
Releasing parking brake manually
In the event of an electrical power loss or elec-
trical malfunction, you can release the parking 
brake manually.
Before manually releasing the parking 
brake and each time you park the vehicle 
without engaging the parking brake, make sure 
that the automatic transmission is in position P, 
refer to page62. Be sure to pay attention to the 
information on the Info Display. 
If circumstances should force you to park on a 
steeply inclined road surface, it is essential to 
take additional precautions against inadvertent 
rolling, e.g. by using the chock, refer to 
page216. Otherwise, there is the danger of the 
vehicle rolling, depending on the incline.<
If it becomes necessary to also unlock the 
transmission lock of the automatic transmis-
sion, follow this sequence:
1.If necessary, start by releasing the parking 
brake manually.
2.Then release the automatic transmission's 
transmission lock manually, refer to 
page64.
Jump starting and tow starting information, 
refer to section starting on page220. 

Controls
 61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
What you will need
1Screwdriver handle
2Unlocking tool
310 mm open-end wrench
You will find the required tools in the onboard 
tool kit mounted on the inside of the luggage 
compartment lid, refer to page213.
Insert the release tool into the screwdriver han-
dle as shown in the illustration.
Releasing
1.Remove the floor mat and the cover above 
the spare tire.
2.With the attached screwdriver handle, 
insert the release tool into the opening, 
arrow1.
3.Fit the open-end wrench onto the hexago-
nal section of the release tool. 
Insert the release tool counter to the spring 
force until the stop is reached, press and 
rotate in the arrow direction2 until it notice-
ably engages and meets a perceptible 
resistance.
4.Without releasing, continue to turn counter 
to the mechanical resistance of the drive 
unit in the arrow direction 2 until you can feel a significant increase in the force of the 
resistance.
To prevent possible damage to the 
rear brakes, always make sure that 
the parking brake is completely released 
before driving the vehicle.<
5.Return the tools to their places.
6.Return the spare tire cover and the floor mat 
to their original locations.
Have a malfunction corrected only by a 
BMW center or a repair shop that works in 
accordance with BMW guidelines and uses 
appropriately trained personnel. Only techni-
cians can return the parking brake to normal 
operational status after it has been released 
manually in response to a malfunction.<
Following manual release, the actual sta-
tus of the parking brake may deviate from 
that displayed by the indicator lamp.<
Reinitializing after a power supply 
interruption
The parking brake can only be used again 
if it was manually released due to an inter-
ruption in the supply of electrical power. Other-
wise, the function of the parking brake is not 
guaranteed and there is a danger of the vehicle 
rolling despite the parking brake being 
engaged.<
Once the electrical power supply has been 
restored, you can again use the parking brake:
With the ignition on and the vehicle 
stationary, briefly press the button 
three times at intervals of approx. 
5 seconds. This executes the fol-
lowing initialization sequence:
>Initializing the disengaged setting.
>Engaging: the system registers the new 
status and the brake setting is initialized. 
The indicator lamp  on Info Display lights 
up green.
>Releasing: the parking brake is ready for 
operation. 
The indicator lamp  on the Info Display 
goes out. 

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
66
Activating rain sensor
Briefly press the button, arrow, the wipers move 
once across the windshield. The LED lights up.
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Turn the knurled wheel 5.
Deactivating rain sensor
Briefly press the button again, arrow. The LED 
goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing 
through an automatic car wash. Failure to 
do so could result in damage caused by undes-
ired wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield, headlamps and 
BMW Night Vision camera*
The system sprays washer fluid against the 
windshield and activates the wipers for a brief 
period.
With the vehicle lighting switched on, the head-
lamps and the BMW Night Vision camera are 
also cleaned simultaneously at suitable inter-
vals.
Do not use the washers if there is any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on the 
windshield. If you do so, your vision could be 
obscured. To avoid freezing, use a washer fluid 
antifreeze, refer to Washer fluid.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is 
empty. Otherwise, you could damage the 
pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles and the wind-
shield itself in the area around the wipers are heated automatically when the ignition is 
switched on.
Pivoting wipers into folded-out 
position
This position is important for changing wiper 
blades or when folding wiper arms away from 
windshield to prevent blades from sticking in 
the event of frost.
1.Switch off the engine and remove the 
remote control from the ignition lock.
2.Press the wiper lever upward past the resis-
tance point and maintain pressure for about 
3 seconds until the wipers stop in a roughly 
vertical position: pivot into the folded-out 
position.
After folding the wipers back against the wind-
shield you will need to reactivate the wiper sys-
tem:
1.Switch on radio ready state.
2.Briefly press wiper lever downward. The 
wipers return to their retracted position and 
are ready for normal operation.
To prevent damage to the wipers, always 
fold them back against the windshield 
before switching on either the radio ready state 
or the ignition.<
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. 
Always keep it well away from sparks and 
open flames, and store it in tightly closed con-
tainers well out of the reach of children. Always 
follow the instructions for use provided on the 
containers.<
Wiper fluid filler neck
Only refill wiper fluid when the engine is 
cool in order to prevent contact with hot 
engine components. Otherwise, there is a risk 
of burns and personal injury if the fluid spills.< 

Controls
 75Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Everything under control
Odometer, outside temperature display, clock
1Outside temperature display, clock
2Odometer
3Trip odometer
4Press button:
>with ignition switched on to reset trip 
odometer
>with ignition switched off to briefly dis-
play odometer, outside temperature, 
and time
Outside temperature display, clock, 
date
The outside temperature and the time displays 
are active with the ignition lock in radio ready 
state or higher.
You can change the units of measure, 7/6, 
in the "Settings" menu, refer to page84.
Setting the clock, refer to page84.
The date is displayed in the assistance win-
dow
*, refer to page21.
Setting date, refer to page84.
Outside temperature warning
If the display drops to +377/+36, a signal 
sounds and a message appears on the Info Dis-
play. There is an increased danger of ice.
Even at temperatures above +377/
+36, ice can form. Therefore, drive care-
fully, e.g. on bridges and shaded roadways; oth-
erwise, there is an increased accident risk.<
Odometer and trip odometer
The display area is also used for the computer 
and the Check Control.
Regardless of the current display, you can 
briefly display the odometer for a short time by 
briefly pressing button4.
Pressing the button again resets the trip odom-
eter to zero.
Check Control, refer to page80. 
Computer, refer to page76.
Tachometer
The orange advance warning field, arrow, is dis-
played as a function of the engine temperature. 
The segments disappear in sequence as the 
engine temperature increases.
Avoid allowing the engine speed to rise as far as 
the orange advance warning field whenever 
possible. 

Everything under control
84
Settings on Control Display
Setting units of measure and display 
format
You can change the units of measure used in 
the displays of fuel consumption, distances and 
temperatures as well as the display format for 
the time and date.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Settings".
3.Select "Units" and press the controller.
4.Select the menu item that you wish to 
adjust. Press repeatedly to view a listing of 
your selection options.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Setting language
You can select a different language for the text 
displays.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Settings".3.Select "Language" and press the controller.
4.Select and activate the desired language.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Time and date
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Move the controller toward "Settings".
3.Select "Clock" and press the controller.
Setting time
1.Select "Time" and press the controller. 
The first time setting is activated.
2.Turn to adjust the setting.
3.Press the controller to adopt the setting. 
The next setting is selected.
4.Adjust the remaining settings. After the last 
adjustment, the time is stored.
Setting date
1.Select "Date" and press the controller. 
The first date display setting is activated.
2.Turn to adjust the setting.