
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
All around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Roller sun blind for rear window*112
2Rear window safety switch40
3Power windows40
4Exterior mirrors505Parking brake58
6Parking lamps100
Low beams100
Daytime running lamps
*100
Automatic headlamp control100
Daytime running lamps
*100
Adaptive Head Light
*100
7Instrument lighting101
8BMW Night Vision
*97 

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1Glass sunroof, electric*41
2Memory buttons for integrated universal 
remote control
*111
3Reading lamps102
4Interior lamps101
5Passenger airbag status lamp96
6Initiating an emergency call
*219
7Control Display16
8Temperature, left side of passenger com-
partment: turn, 
maximum cooling: press106
9Air volume, left side of passenger compart-
ment: turn106 
Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation: press106
10Hazard warning flashers
11Air volume, right side of passenger 
compartment106
12Temperature, right side of passenger com-
partment: turn,
residual heat: press106
13Rear window defroster
14Air conditioner mode107
15Opening the glove compartment113
16Automatic air distribution and airflow 
as well as intensity of the AUTO program, 
right side of passenger compartment104
17Starting scan
>for stations152
>for tracks152
18Central locking system34
19Selecting AM or FM waveband
20Selecting radio, CD player, and CD changer
21Controller16
22 button and programmable 
button16
23Snap-in adapter18124Seat adjustment43
25Glasses compartment115
26Storage compartments115
27Switching audio sources on/off and 
adjusting volume153
28Retracting telephone keypad179
29Automatic air distribution and airflow 
as well as intensity of the AUTO program, 
left side of passenger compartment104
30Outside air/AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control/recirculated air105
31Switching off automatic climate 
control105
Heated seats*49
Active seat ventilation
*50
Active seat for driver
*50
Seat, mirror and steering wheel 
memory46 

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Manual operation
In the case of an electrical malfunction, you can 
unlock the luggage compartment lid with the 
key, refer to page35, and slowly open and close 
it without sudden movements.
Emergency release
Pull the lever inside the luggage compartment. 
This unlocks the luggage compartment lid.
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds to:
>opening of a door, the hood or the luggage 
compartment lid
>movement in the vehicle interior: interior 
motion sensor, refer to page38
>changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone 
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the 
vehicle
>interruptions in battery voltage
The alarm system briefly indicates unautho-
rized tampering:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
 the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with 
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm 
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
When the alarm system is armed, you can also 
open the luggage compartment lid with the button on the remote control, refer to 
page33. When the luggage compartment lid is 
closed, it is relocked and monitored again.
Unlocking via the door lock will trigger the 
alarm on some national-market versions.
Pressing the 'Panic mode' button for a longer 
period also triggers the alarm, refer to 
page33.<
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control, 
refer to page32.
>Insert the remote control into the ignition 
lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after the vehicle 
is locked: the doors or luggage compart-
ment lid are not properly closed. Even if you 
do not close the door involved, the system 
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and 
the indicator lamp flashes continuously 
after 10 seconds. However, the interior 
motion sensor is not activated.
>After the vehicle is unlocked, the indicator 
lamp goes out: no manipulation or 
attempted intrusions have been detected in 
the period since the system was armed.
>After the vehicle is unlocked, the indicator 
lamp flashes until the remote control is 
inserted into the ignition lock, but for no 
more than roughly 5 minutes: an attempted 
entry has been detected in the period since 
the system was armed. 

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Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by 
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror 
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 15 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by 
pressing button3. This is an advantage, e.g. in 
car washes and narrow streets, or for moving 
mirrors that were manually folded in back into 
the correct position.
Before entering an automatic car wash, 
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with 
button3, to prevent them from being damaged 
due to the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated 
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior 
mirror – automatic curb monitor
Activating
1.Push the mirror selector switch into the 
driver's mirror position, arrow1.
2.Engage transmission position R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat 
on the passenger's side. This allows the 
driver to see the area immediately adjacent 
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Push the mirror selector switch into the passen-
ger's mirror position, arrow2.
Interior and exterior mirrors, 
automatic dimming feature*
Two photocells in the interior rearview mirror 
control this function. One is integrated into the 
mirror's lens, the other is located offset from 
this on the rear of the mirror housing.
For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells 
clean and do not cover the area between the 
interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do 
not attach any kind of stickers to the windshield 
in front of the mirror either.
Illuminated vanity mirror in rear
1.Press button1. The vanity mirror folds 
down.
2.Pull the mirror downward slightly before 
pivoting it.
3.Before folding mirror in, straighten it out and 
then press upward.
Steering wheel adjustment
In order to prevent the risk of accident 
due to an unexpected movement, do not 
adjust the steering wheel while the vehicle is 
moving.< 

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Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Move the lever beyond the resistance point.
If you wish to manually control the shut-off of 
the turn signal, then only push the lever to the 
resistance point.
Atypically rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamps signals the failure of a turn signal 
lamp, possibly in the trailer when towing.<
Temporarily signaling
Push the lever to the resistance point and hold it 
there for as long as you wish to signal.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever to the resistance point and 
release; the turn signal flashes three times.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or for brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating rain sensor
4Cleaning windshield, headlamps and 
BMW Night Vision camera
*
5Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity level
Switching on wipers
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system reverts to operation in the intermit-
tent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance 
point.
The system reverts to normal speed when the 
vehicle is stationary.
Rain sensor
The rain sensor controls the wiper operation as 
a function of the rain intensity. It is located on 
the windshield, directly in front of the inside 
rearview mirror. 

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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
*
4Knee airbags
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
please follow the adjustment instructions on 
page43.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and 
front passenger by responding to frontal 
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the 
head and side airbags help provide protection in 
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The 
head air bag supports the head. The knee air-
bags help protect the legs against impact 
against the cockpit.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in 
every impact situation, e.g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the 
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or 
modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag retention 
system from the vehicle. Never modify or 
tamper with either the wiring or the individual 
components in the airbag system. This cate-
gory includes the upholstery in the center of the 
steering wheel, on the instrument panel, the 
doors and the roof pillars along with the sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel. 
Do not touch the individual components 
directly after the system has been triggered, 
because there is a danger of burns. In the event 
of malfunctions, deactivation, or triggering of 
the airbag restraint system, have the testing, 
repair, removal, and disposal of airbag genera-
tors executed only by a BMW center or a work-
shop that works according to BMW repair 
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel and has the required explosives 
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service 
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of 
which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information about the airbags is 
also provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front 
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The system 
appropriately activates or deactivates the front, 
knee, and side airbag on the front passenger 
side.
The current status of the front passenger 
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is 
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior 
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front 
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child on the front 
passenger seat, pay attention to the 
safety information and follow the handling 
instructions under Transporting children safely,  

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BMW Night Vision*
The concept
BMW Night Vision is a driver assistance system 
that is designed to provide enhanced vision for 
certain objects at night. This can be especially 
helpful for detecting people and larger animals. 
When objects are detected, the driver may be 
able to take appropriate action sooner. For 
example, the driver may identify and detect the 
presence of persons or animals in the road 
ahead or off to the sides and can be more alert, 
slow down or stop, blow the horn, etc. The 
driver can decide which actions are appropriate 
and then react accordingly.
A certain area in front of the vehicle is viewed by 
an infrared camera and a generated image is 
shown on the Control Display. The resulting 
thermal image shows the relative heat radiation 
of the objects present in the camera's field of 
view. Warmer objects appear brighter and 
cooler objects appear darker. Contrast is 
dependent on the temperature difference 
between the objects and the background and 
on the amount of heat radiation of the object 
itself. As a result, it is quite possible that a per-
son is not continually recognizable as a person 
in shape, since the thermal radiation can be 
affected by different clothing which blocks heat 
loss. Objects with little temperature difference 
to the surrounding area, or little heat radiation 
are less noticeable, for example in cold weather.
Any improvement in detection depends on 
many factors such as the object size and tem-
perature compared to the surroundings, or 
other nearby objects, the visual recognition 
skills of the driver, weather conditions, and 
other factors.
Driving hints
With the system active, periodically but briefly, 
glance at the thermal image on the Control Dis-
play to notice objects that could be people or 
larger animals. The glance should be similar to 
glancing at the rear view mirror. Do not stare at 
the image for long periods while driving, as this 
will take your attention away from the road. If you notice an object of interest ahead, be pre-
pared to slow down or stop, blow the horn, or 
take other appropriate action.
System limits
The system is designed to supplement but not 
replace forward vision through the windshield. 
The driver is responsible for safe driving at 
night. BMW Night Vision is not designed to be 
used as a continuous viewing window for driv-
ing at night.
No system, no matter how sophisticated, can 
operate without limitations. BMW Night Vision 
operation is subject to physical and environ-
mental limitations that will reduce the ability of 
the system to detect and display a clear thermal 
image. Some of the situations in which these 
limitations can occur are:
>on steep hilltops or depressions and in tight 
curves
>in tunnels, as the contrast is inherently low
>when the camera lens is dirty
>in dense fog, heavy rain or snowfall
>when displaying very hot objects such as 
transformers, car exhausts etc.
>when the image briefly freezes during nor-
mal system adjustment.
BMW Night Vision's potential benefits 
can be limited by the driving style of the 
driver, the size and relative temperature of the 
detected objects, dirt or contamination on the 
camera lens, adverse weather like snow, rain, or 
fog, and other factors not mentioned here. It will 
always be the driver's responsibility to drive at a 
speed and in a manner that recognizes potential 
hazards and to adjust accordingly.  

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Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, 
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge 
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and is characterized by a partial or 
complete loss of contact between tires and 
road surface, ultimately undermining your abil-
ity to steer and brake the vehicle.<
Driving through water
Only drive through water with a maximum 
depth of 1 ft/30 cm and then, at no more 
than walking speed. Otherwise, you run the risk 
of damaging the vehicle's engine, electrical sys-
tems, and transmission.<
Safe braking
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as standard 
equipment. In situations that require it, it is best 
to apply the brakes fully. Since the vehicle 
maintains steering responsiveness, you can 
nevertheless avoid possible obstacles with a 
minimum of steering effort.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combines with 
sounds from the hydraulic circuits to indicate to 
the driver that ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When driving in wet conditions and in heavy 
rain, it is a good idea to apply light pressure to 
the brake pedal every few miles. Monitor traffic 
conditions to ensure that this maneuver does 
not endanger other road users. The heat gener-
ated helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure 
that full braking efficiency will then be available 
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and reduced effi-
ciency of the brake system, drive long or 
steep downhill grades in the gear that requires 
the least amount of braking. Otherwise, even 
light but consistent pedal pressure can lead to 
high temperatures, brake wear, and possibly 
even failure of the brake system.
transmission's manual mode, downshifting as 
far as first gear on extremely steep stretches, 
refer to page63. This strategy helps you avoid 
placing excessive loads on the brake system.
Do not drive in idle or with the engine 
switched off; otherwise, there will be no 
engine braking action or power-assist for the 
brakes and steering. 
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area of movement 
of the pedals and impair their operation.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally, 
during extended periods when the vehicle is not 
used at all, and in operating conditions where 
brake applications are less frequent, there is an 
increased tendency for corrosion to form on 
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the 
brake pads. This occurs because the minimal 
pressure that must be exerted by the pads dur-
ing brake applications to clean the rotors is not 
reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the 
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating 
effect that even extended application will fail to 
cure.
When vehicle is parked
Condensation forms in the automatic climate 
control during operation, and then exits under 
the vehicle. Traces of condensed water under 
the vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
1.Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to page50; 
otherwise, they could be damaged due to 
the width of the vehicle. 
To permit the vehicle to roll, follow the 
instructions on page58.
2.Release the parking brake, especially when 
you have activated Automatic Hold. Refer to 
page59.