Driving tips
115Reference
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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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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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Things to remember when driving
118
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the
respective seat backrests.
> Cover sharp edges and corners.
> For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the
opposite buckle.
Sedan
Sports Wagon
> Use the partition net to protect passengers,
refer to page 107. Make sure that objects
cannot penetrate the partition net.
> Do not stack cargo hi gher than the upper
edge of the backrests.
> Place protective material around any
objects which could bump against the rear
window while the vehicle is in motion.
Securing cargo
>Secure smaller and lighter items using
retaining straps, a cargo bay net
* or draw
straps
*.
> Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing
larger and heavier objects are available at
your BMW center. Four lashing eyes are
provided for attaching the cargo straps.
Two are located on the cargo bay
sidewalls 1, two more are on the rear cargo
bay panel 2.
Please comply with the information sup-
plied with the cargo straps.
Always position and secure the cargo as
described above, so that it cannot endan-
ger the car's occupants, for example if sudden
braking or swerving is necessary.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle
weight or either of the a pproved axle loads, refer
to page 241, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may al so place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown
around, for example as a result of heavy braking,
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants.
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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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171
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4. "Bluetooth"
Adjusting volume
Turn the knob during a call to select the desired
volume.
This volume for the hands-free system is main-
tained, even if the other audio sources are set to
minimum volume.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Operation via iDrive
You can operate the following functions using
iDrive:
> Accepting/rejecting calls
> Dialing phone numbers
> Selecting phone numbers from the phone
book
> Selecting stored phone numbers, e.g. from
the list of received calls
> Ending calls
When the ignition is switched off or in radio
readiness, e.g. after ta king the remote control
out of the ignition swit ch, you can continue an
ongoing call via the hand s-free system for sev-
eral minutes.
Voice quality
If the person you are talk ing to is having difficul-
ties understanding you, this may be due to
excessive background noise. The full mobile
phone preparation pack age can compensate
for these noises to a cert ain extent. To optimize
voice quality during a call, we recommend that
you:
> Reduce background noise, e.g. by closing
the windows, reducing air flow from the
automatic climate cont rol or pointing the
open front air vents downward
> Reduce the volume of the hands-free sys-
tem
Requirements
>The mobile phone's pair ing data are stored
by the vehicle and the mobile phone is oper-
ational.
> The engine is running or the ignition is
switched on.
> The mobile phone is recognized by the
vehicle.
Receiving calls
If you have the phone number of the caller
stored in the phone b ook and the phone num-
ber has been transmitted, the name of the entry
is displayed.
Accepting a call
Press the button on the steering wheel.
or
"Accept"
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Selecting an entry
The connection to the phone number of the
selected entry is established.
Redialing
To redial the phone number dialed last:
Notes
Important for voice commands
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
> Pronounce the commands smoothly and at
normal volume, avoiding excessive empha-
ses and pauses.
> Keep the doors, windows and glass roof
closed to prevent interference from outside
noise.
> Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while
speaking.
Inserting/removing the snap-
in adapter
1.Press button 1 and remove the cover. 2.
Insert the snap-in adapter at the front and
press it downward until it engages.
To remove the snap-in adapter:
Press button 1 .
Inserting mobile phone
1.If applicable, remove the protective cap
from the mobile phone's antenna connector
so that the mobile phone can engage in the
snap-in adapter.
2. With its buttons facing upward, slide the
mobile phone up towards the electrical con-
tact points and press it downward until it
engages.
The mobile phone's battery is charged as soon
as the vehicle is in radi o readiness or the steer-
ing is unlocked.
1.
{Dial name }.
The dialog for dialing an entry is
opened.
2. Say the name when prompted.
3. Confirm the query with {Yes }.
{ Redial }
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Mobility
193Reference
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Having diesel exhaust fluid refilled
Diesel exhaust fluid is refilled by your BMW
center during regular service. If the service in-
tervals are adhered to, it generally does not
need to be refilled between service appoint-
ments.
Under certain conditions , e.g. especially fre-
quent accelerations or operation of the vehicle
at high altitudes, it may become necessary to
refill the fluid between service appointments.
When this reserve display appears in the instru-
ment cluster, have diesel exhaust fluid refilled to
avoid not being able to start the engine.
You can have the fluid refilled by a BMW center.
Diesel exhaust fluid at low
temperatures
Because of its physical properties, it may
be necessary to refill diesel exhaust fluid
between regular service appointments at tem-
peratures below +23 7/-5 6.
The need to add fluid is indicated by the reserve
display in the instrume nt cluster, refer to
page 192.<
Refilling diesel exhaust fluid in
exceptional cases
To be able to reach the next BMW center, you
can refill diesel exhaust fluid yourself while ad-
hering to the following warnings.
Do not come into cont act with diesel ex-
haust fluid as it can lead to skin or eye irri-
tations. Wear goggles an d gloves, if necessary.
Follow the safety instructions on the bottle.
Vapors with a sharp odor can escape from the
bottle or container when it is opened. Before re-
filling, completely close the windows and doors
of the vehicle to prevent the vapors from intrud-
ing into the interior. If handling diesel exhaust
fluid in an enclosed area, ensure that the room
is well ventilated.
After handling diesel exhaust fluid, wash your
hands thoroughly; othe rwise, inadvertently
touching your eyes, for example, may lead to
eye irritations.
If eye irritations occur, rinse the eyes thoroughly
with water and consult a physician if necessary. If diesel exhaust fluid comes into contact with
the surface of your vehicle, rinse the affected
areas with water to pr
event surface damage.
Keep diesel exhaust fluid away from children. <
Suitable diesel exhaust fluid
>Preferred: BMW Diesel Exhaust Fluid.
Diesel exhaust fluid can be refilled conve-
niently with this bottle and its special
adapter.
> Alternatively: NOx reduction agent AUS 32
You can obtain diesel exhaust fluid from your
BMW center.
Refilling quantity
Refilling quantity when th e reserve display first
appears:
Approx. 1 US gallon/3.7 liters
Opening the diesel exhaust fluid
reservoir
1. Remove the cover in the bumper by press-
ing on it, see arrow.
2. Place the handle of the screwdriver from the
onboard tool kit, page 222, onto the bottom
cap and open the cap, arrow.
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Under the hood
212
Important parts of the engine compartment
1Gasoline engine: expansion tank for cool-
ant, refer to page 215
Diesel engine: the expansion tank is located
on the other side of the vehicle
2 Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system, re-
fer to page 59 3
Jump-starting connection, refer to
page 231
4 Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding en-
gine oil
5 Diesel engine: dipstick for engine oil, refer
to Checking oil level
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Diesel engine: checking engine oil level
1.Park the vehicle on a level surface with the
engine at operating temperature, i.e. after
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6.5 miles/
10 km.
2. Switch off the engine.
3. After approx. 5 minutes, pull out the
dipstick 5 and wipe it off with a lint-free
cloth, paper towel or similar material.
4. Carefully push the dips tick all the way back
into the measuring tube and pull it out
again. The oil level must be between the two
markings on the dipstick.
The oil quantity betwee n the two markings on
the dipstick is equivale nt to approx. 1 US quart/
1 liter.
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