
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use 
the index, refer to page238.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
23Voice command system
Controls
28Opening and closing
41Adjusting
53Transporting children safely
56Driving
66Everything under control
78Technology for comfort, convenience 
and safety
92Lamps
97Climate
104Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
114Things to remember when driving
119BMW M5 Engineering
Navigation
122Starting navigation system
124Destination entry
136Destination guidance
145What to do if …
Entertainment
148On/off and tone
152Radio
159Satellite radio
162CD player and CD changer
168AUX-In connection
169USB/audio interface
Communications
174Telephoning
189BMW Assist
Mobility
198Refueling
200Wheels and tires
206Under the hood
212Maintenance
214Replacing components
223Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
230Technical data
233Short commands of voice command 
system
238Everything from A to Z 

 7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned 
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect 
which could cause a crash or could cause injury 
or death, you should immediately inform the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North 
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New 
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may 
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety 
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order 
a recall and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual 
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of 
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to 
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain 
other information about motor vehicle safety 
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a 
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, 
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may call 
1-800-333-0510 toll-free from anywhere in 
Canada or 1-613-993-9851 from the Ottawa 
region and from other countries, or contact 
Transport Canada by mail at: Transport 
Canada, ASFAD, Place de Ville, Tower C, 
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5.
You can also obtain other information about 
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
7Shift paddles61
8Buttons on steering wheel
9Instrument cluster12
12Ignition lock56
13Horn, entire surface16Releasing hood206
Mobile phone
*174:
>Press: accepting and ending 
call, starting dialing
* for 
selected phone number and 
redialing if no phone number is 
selected
>Press and hold: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice 
command system
* 23
Changing radio station152
Selecting music track163
Scrolling in phone book and in 
lists with stored phone numbers
MDrive, call up individual 
settings50
Individually programmable50 
10
Windshield wipers63
Rain sensor63
11Starting/stopping engine and 
Switching ignition on/off 56
14
Steering wheel heater
*49
Steering wheel adjustment49
15
Cruise control65
17Opening luggage compartment 
lid33
18
Head-Up Display
*89
19
Parking lamps92
Low beams92
Daytime running lamps
*93
Automatic headlamp control92
 
Daytime running lamps*93
Adaptive Head Light
*94
High-beam assistant
*94
20
Instrument lighting96 

At a glance
 15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for 
telephone
*
and for voice command system*23
2Reading lamps96
3SOS: initiating
 an emergency request223
4Glass sunroof
*, electric38
5Interior lamps96
6Passenger airbag status lamp88
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system32
10Automatic climate control97
11Changing
>radio station148
>track148
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*148
>audio CD148
13Drive for navigation system DVD with 
Professional
* navigation system122
14Programmable memory/direct selection 
buttons21
15Drive for audio CDs14816Switching Entertainment sound output 
on/off and adjusting volume148
18Controller16
Turn, press or move horizontally in four 
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display17
20Drivelogic of Sequential Manual 
Transmission61
21EDC Electronic Damper Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission82
22DSC OFF Dynamic Stability Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission81
23POWER M Engine Dynamic Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission59
24EDC Electronic Damper Control for manual 
transmission
*82
25MDM
>M Dynamic Mode for manual 
transmission80
>Switching DSC on and off in manual 
transmission81 Temperature setting, left/right98 
Automatic air distribution and 
volume98 
Cooling function100
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control/recirculated-air mode100
Maximum cooling100 
Air volume99 
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation99 
Rear window defroster97 
17
Heated seats46
Active seat ventilation
*47
Adjusting active backrest 
width
*43
Flat Tire Monitor
*83
PDC Park Distance Control
*78
Opening luggage compartment 
lid
*33 

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 information, e.g. for displaying 
the average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
>AUX-In connection
>USB/audio interface
*
Climate
>Vent settings
>Automatic programs
>Seat heater distribution
*
>Parked car operation
 menu
>Switching off Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for MDrive, or 
for the central locking system
>Display of maintenance intervals and dead-
lines for legally mandated inspections
>Settings for telephone
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page56, 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. 

iDrive
20
Status information
1Display for:
>Entertainment: 
Radio, CD
>Telephone
* in "Communication": 
Name of linked mobile phone, network 
search or no network
>"BMW Assist"
*:
Existing voice connection with a service 
from BMW Assist
2Entertainment sound output off
3Station that transmits traffic information is 
received
*:
"TI": 
Reception of traffic information for the nav-
igation system
 is possible and activated
4Display for:
> New entries present in "Missed calls"
*
> Roaming active
5 Telephoning
* is possible if the mobile 
phone is paired in the vehicle
 Reception strength of mobile phone 
network, dependent on mobile phone
6Time
Other displays:
The status information is temporarily hidden 
when there are Check Control instructions or 
inputs via the voice command system
*.
Assistance window*
Additional information appears in the assis-
tance window:
>The computer or the trip computer
>The arrow or map view with a navigation 
system
*
>The current position
Selecting display
1.Move the controller to the right to change to 
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select a menu item.
3.Press the controller. 

At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching assistance window off/on
1.Move the controller to the right to change to 
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select "Assist. window off" and press the 
controller.
To switch on, change to the assistance window 
and press the controller.
Switching Control Display 
off/on
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Display off" and press the control-
ler.
To switch on, press the controller.
Programmable memory/
direct selection buttons
You can save and run certain functions of iDrive 
on the programmable memory/direct selection 
buttons:
>Destinations of navigation
>Telephone, phone numbers
>Entertainment:
>radio station
>CD
>CD compartment of CD changer
*
>AUX
The assignment of the programmable memory/
direct selection buttons is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Saving function
Destinations of navigation
1.Select navigation destination, e.g. in the 
destination list or the address book.
2.Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
Special features:
>With the destination guidance system and 
the map view started, the current destina-
tion is stored.
>During destination entry via a map, the 
coordinates at the cursor are stored, not the 
current destination.
Telephone, phone numbers
1.Enter the phone number or select it in a list 
of the stored phone numbers, e.g. of the 
A-Z list.
2.Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
If a name is assigned to the phone number, the 
name will also be stored. 

iDrive
22
Entertainment
In the Entertainment menu, the sound source 
currently heard, e.g. a radio station, is stored, 
regardless of the selection on the Control Dis-
play.
1.Select the desired function, e.g. radio sta-
tion or CD.
2.Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
If the vehicle is equipped with two drives, 
the current track is stored for CDs with 
compressed audio files.<
Run function
Press the   ...   button.
When selecting a phone number, the connec-
tion is also established, or the destination guid-
ance is started when a navigation destination is 
selected.
Displaying button assignment
You can display the assignment of the buttons 
by touching them with your finger. Please do 
not wear gloves when doing so. Touching with 
an object, e.g. a pen, does not function.
Displaying short info
Touch the   ...   button.
The assignment of the buttons is displayed.
 Destination of navigation system
 Entertainment source
 Telephone, phone number
 Not assigned
Displaying detailed information
Touch the   ...   button longer.
Deleting button assignments
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.Select "Programmable Memory Keys" and 
press the controller.
6.Select "Delete assignment of all memory 
keys" and press the controller.
7.Acknowledge with "Yes".