Driving tips
115Reference
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Mobility
Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance to the forward vehicle. A defensive and
smooth driving style keeps fuel consumption
down.
Avoid high engine speeds
Only use first gear when setting off. In second
and higher gears, accele rate without hesitation
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into
the highest applicable ge ar and drive with the
engine speed as low as possible and at a con-
stant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red lig ht, take your foot off
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engi ne during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx.
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at
the moment
Functions such as the air conditioner and the
seat or rear window heating draw large amounts
of power and consume a dditional fuel. Espe-
cially in city traffic and in stop and go driving
they have a considerable impact. Therefore,
switch these functions off when they are not
really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page 216.
General driving notes
Close the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid/tailgate and rear
window are closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could enter the interior of the vehicle. <
If the vehicle must be driven with the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate open:
1. Close all windows and the glass roof.
2. Greatly increase the ai r volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page 95.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sect ions of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply un dercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while 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, with the
risk of serious personal injuries and property
damage. Do not touch ho t exhaust tail pipes.
Otherwise there is a risk of burns. <
Diesel particulate filter*
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti-
cles and burns them periodically at high tem-
peratures. This cleaning process takes several
minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that
the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and
that a somewhat higher engine speed is neces-
sary to achieve the accustomed performance.
Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount
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Driving tips
117Reference
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Mobility
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
General information on caring for your BMW
can be found on page218.
Sports Wagon: re ar window wiper
Driving through an automatic car wash can
result in damage to the rear window wiper. If
necessary, ask the operator of the car wash
about protective measures you should take.
With convenient access and automatic
transmission
Insert the remote control into the ignition
switch.
The engine can be switched off when the selec-
tor lever is in position N. Refer also to page 218.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overlo ading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately
result in a sudden blow-out. <
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or
leak from their containers in the cargo
bay, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle. <
Determining loading limit
1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading
can result in damage to the vehicle and
unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your tra iler will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the availa ble cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
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Driving tips
119Reference
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Mobility
Only attach the cargo straps using the lashing
eyes shown in the illustration. Do not secure
cargo with the anchors for tether straps, refer to
page 50, otherwise these could be damaged. <
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Comply with the directions given
in the installation instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are located in the roof/
along the roof rails
*.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
You should therefore always remember not to
exceed the approved roof load capacity, the
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle loads
when loading the rack.
You can find the applicab le data under Weights
on page 241.
The roof load must be distributed uniformly and
should not be too large in area. Heavy items
should always be placed at the bottom. Be sure
that adequate clearance is maintained for rais-
ing the glass roof, and that objects do not
project into the opening path of the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate.
Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Ta ke corners gently.
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Navigation
This chapter describes how you can
enter destinations and specify your route
so that your navigation system guides you
reliably to your destination.
Navigation
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Navigation system
122
Navigation system
General information
With the help of satellites, the navigation sys-
tem is able to ascertain the precise position of
the vehicle and guide you reliably to any desti-
nation you enter.
The navigation data is st ored in the vehicle and
can be updated using navigation DVDs.
Make all entries while the vehicle is sta-
tionary
Enter data only when th e vehicle is stationary,
and always give priority to the applicable traffic
regulations in the event of any contradiction
between traffic and road conditions and the
instructions issued by the navigation system.
Failure to take to this precaution can place you
in violation of the law and put vehicle occupants
and other road users in danger. <
Updating the navigation data
The navigation data is stored in the vehicle and
can be updated using a na vigation DVD. Please
contact the BMW center if you have any ques-
tions.
Inserting navigation DVD
1. Insert the navigation DVD into the DVD
player with the labe led side facing up.
2. Follow the instructio ns on the display.
3. Enter the authorization code of the naviga-
tion DVD and change the DVD if needed.
Displaying information on the version
1. "Navigation"
2. Open "Options".
3. "Navigation system version". Information
on the data vers ion is displayed.
Removing navigation DVD
1. Press button 1.
The DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
2. Remove the DVD.
If the DVD is not ejected, the drive may be
blocked. In this case, a message will appear on
the Control Display.
*
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Navigation
Driving tips
123Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Destination entry
In entering your destination you can select from
the following options:
>Entering a destination manually, see below
> Selecting destination from the address
book, refer to page 125
> Last destinations, refer to Last destinations,
page 126
> Special destinations, refer to page 126
> Entering a destination on the map, refer to
page 128
> Selecting a home a ddress, refer to
page 126
> Entering a destination by voice com-
mands*, refer to page 129
You can also store a navigation destination on
the programmable memo ry keys, refer to
page 20.
Enter data only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary, and always give priority to the
applicable traffic regulations in the event of any
contradiction between traffic and road condi-
tions and the instructions issued by the naviga-
tion system. Otherwise, vehicle occupants and
other road users may be endangered. <
Entering a destination
manually
The system's word-matching principle makes it
easier for you to enter the names of towns or
streets. This allows you to enter different spell-
ings and completes your entry automatically so
that stored names can be called up quickly. 1.
"Navigation"
2. "Enter address"
The system also supports you with the follow-
ing features:
> If you do not enter a street, the system will
guide you to the downtown a r e a o f a t o w n o r
city.
> You can skip the entry of state/province and
locality if the current entries should be
retained for your new destination.
Entering a state/province
1."Navigation"
2. "Enter address"
3. Select "State/Province" or the displayed
state/province.
Entering a town/city
1.Select "Town/City/Zip Code" or the dis-
played town/city, or select letters.
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Destination entry
124
Delete letters,
if necessary:
> To delete individual letters:
Turn the controller to select , and
then press the controller.
> To delete all letters:
Turn the controller to select , and
then press the controller for an extended
period.
> To enter spaces:
Select the symbol.
The list gradually grow s smaller each time
you enter a new letter.
2. Move the controller to the right.
3. Select the name of th e town/city from the
list. The three destinations stored last are
displayed.
If there are several towns/cities with the same
name:
1. Change to the list of town/city names.
2. Highlight the town/city: a preview map is
displayed.
3. Select the town/city.
Entering the postal code
1.Select "Town/City/Zip Code" or the dis-
played town/city.
2. Select the symbol.
3. Select the digits.
4. Change to the list of postal codes and
towns/cities.
5. Highlight the postal code. A preview map is
displayed in the assistance window.
6. Select the postal code.
Entering street and intersection
1.Select "Street" or the displayed street.
2. Enter a street and intersection as you would
the town/city.
After the street you can also enter the intersec-
tion or the house number.
If there are several streets with the same name: 1.
Change to the list of street names.
2. Highlight the street: a preview map is dis-
played.
3. Select the street.
Entering a street without a destination
town/city
You can also enter a street without specifying a
town/city. In this case, all streets of the same
name in the designated state/province are
offered. The correspond ing town/city is dis-
played after the street name.
If a town/city has already been entered, you can
negate this entry. This could be helpful in
instances where the desired street does not
exist in the entered town/city because it
belongs to another suburb, for example.
1. "Navigation"
2. "Enter address"
3. Select "Street" or the displayed street.
4. Change to the list of street names.
5. "Find streets in" the state/province cur-
rently displayed.
6. Select the letters.
7. Change to the list of street names.
8. Highlight the street. A preview map is dis-
played in the assistance window.
9. Select the street.
Entering a house number
You can enter any house number stored in the
navigation data for the street.
1."House number"
2. Select the digits.
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Navigation
Driving tips
125Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
3.Change to the list of house numbers.
4. Select a house number or range of house
numbers.
Selection after destination entry
>"Start guidance".
Destination guidance is started immedi-
ately.
> "Route preference"
refer to page 133.
> "Points of Interest at dest."
refer to page 126.
If a new town/city is sele cted during destination
guidance, the current de stination guidance is
terminated.
Address book
To create contac ts, refer to page179.
Selecting a destination from the
address book
1."Navigation"
2. "Address book"
Contacts with addresses are displayed.
3. Select a contact from the list or, if neces-
sary, using "A-Z search".
4. Select "Business address" or "Home
address".
5. "Start guidance"
Storing a destination in the address
book
Store the destination in the address book after
entering the destination. 1.
Open "Options".
2. "Store as new contact" or "Add to existing
contact"
3. Select an existing contact, if available.
4. Select "Business address" or "Home
address".
5. Enter "Last name" and, if necessary, "First
name".
6. "Store in "My Contacts""
Storing the position
Your current position can be stored in the
address book.
1."Navigation"
2. Open "Options".
3. "Store position as cont act" or "Add position
to contact"
4. Depending on the select ion, select an exist-
ing contact from the list or the type of
address and enter the last and first name.
5. "Store in "My Contacts""
Editing or deleting an address
1."Navigation"
2. "Address book"
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