
Controls
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Deactivating HDC
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
HDC is automatically deactivated at speeds 
greater than approx. 35 mph/60 km/h.
Using HDC
In cars with manual transmission:
Use HDC in lower gears and in reverse gear.
With automatic transmission:
You can use HDC in any drive position.
Displays in the instrument cluster*
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
Malfunction
The HDC display disappears during HDC oper-
ation, or does not appear:
HDC is temporarily unavailable due to exces-
sive brake temperature, or DSC has failed.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off 
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary 
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the 
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without 
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in 
place for approx. 2 seconds after the 
brake is released. Drive off without delay after 
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off 
assistant will no longer hold the car in place after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to 
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor detects pressure loss in a 
tire by comparing the rotating speeds of the 
individual tires while moving.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed 
of the affected wheel. This change is detected 
and is reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat 
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
The system must be reinitialized each 
time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor is unable to warn 
the driver of sudden, severe tire damage 
caused by external factors, nor can it identify 
the gradual loss of pressure that will inevitably 
occur in all four tires over a lengthy period of 
time.<
In the following situations, the system could be 
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip 
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>Snow chains are attached
Initializing the system
The initialization is completed during driv-
ing, which can be interrupted at any time. 
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. 
Do not initialize the system while snow chains 
are attached.< 

Controls
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Convertible
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
following storage spaces can be found in the 
cargo bay:
>Storage compartment on the left side of the 
cargo bay. To open turn handle by 90°.
>Net
* for securing smaller objects, to be 
attached to the fixtures on the floor panel
>Rubber strap
* for subdividing the cargo 
bay; can be hooked onto the lateral lashing 
eyes
>Storage compartment under the floor panel
Folding up the floor panel
Do not exceed the maximum permissible 
load of 55 lbs/25 kg for the storage com-
partment under the floor panel, otherwise dam-
age could result.<
Coupe
Press the floor panel up and secure it with the 
catch.
Convertible
To lift, grab hold of the floor panel at the open-
ing at the rear of the panel.
Lashing eyes
You will find lashing eyelets in the cargo bay for 
securing luggage items with nets or tensioning 
straps, refer to page120.
Coupe: ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport 
of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up to 
2snowboards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length 
of up to 6ft 10in/2.10m. When skis of 6ft 10in/
2.10 m length are loaded, the overall capacity of 
the ski bag is reduced due to its tapered design.
Loading
1.Fold down the center armrest.
2.Press the button, reach into the recess and 
fold down the cover.
3.Open the Velcro fastener, spread the ski 
bag between the front seats and insert the 
skis or snowboards. 
The zip fastener makes objects in the ski 
bag easier to reach.
4.Clip the hooks of the ski bag retaining strap 
into the eyelet.
Only place clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp 
edges to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose. 

Practical interior accessories
112 Secure the ski bag in the manner 
described, otherwise it could endanger 
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.<
To store the ski bag, perform the steps 
described for loading in reverse order.
Removing the ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for 
faste r drying or  to  allow you to use other inserts.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat 
backrest.
2.Pull the handle, arrow1.
3.Pull out the insert, arrow 2.
For more information on the various 
inserts available, contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Convertible: through-loading 
opening with integrated 
transport bag
*
The transport bag is designed for safe, clean 
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up 
to 2 snowboards.
When the rear seat backrest is folded up, you 
can remove the insert and use the transport bag 
with the regular through-loading opening. To 
transport larger objects, you can fold down the 
rear seat backrest to create an expanded 
through-loading opening.
With the transport bag you can stow skis with a 
l e ng t h  o f  up  t o  6 f t  2 i n/ 1 . 9 0 m .  W h e n  s k i s  o f  6 f t  
2 in/1.90 m length are loaded, the overall capac-
ity of the transport bag is reduced due to its 
tapered design.
Loading
1.For loading using the regular through-load-
ing opening:
Press the button down and remove the 
insert from the front.
For loading with the through-loading open-
ing expanded:
Fold down the rear seat backrest, refer to 
page110.
2.Front cover: press the two recesses 
together and fold the cover down until it 
engages.
3.In the cargo bay: press the two recesses 
together and fold down the cover.
4.Undo the Velcro fastener and spread out 
the transport bag between the front seats. 

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5.Insert the latch plate of the retaining strap 
into the belt buckle under the transport bag.
6.Load the transport bag. The zipper eases 
access to the stored items.
Only place clean skis in the transport bag. Wrap 
sharp edges to prevent damage.
You can use the snaps to shorten the transport 
bag if you do not need its full length.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the transport bag and its 
contents. Tighten the retaining strap on the 
tensioning buckle for this purpose.
Secure the transport bag in the manner 
described, otherwise it could endanger 
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.<
To store the transport bag, perform the steps 
described for loading in reverse order.
Removing the front cover
You can remove the front cover to use the full 
height of the through-loading opening. With the 
cover folded down, pull the handle, see arrow, 
and remove the cover toward the front. To 
replace, insert the cover at an angle from above 
and let it snap it into place. 

Driving tips
 117Reference
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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, accelerate without hesitation 
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before 
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into 
the highest applicable gear 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 light, 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 engine 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 additional 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 page211.
General driving notes
Close the luggage compartment lid
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid is closed. Other-
wise, exhaust fumes could enter the interior of 
the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the luggage 
compartment lid open:
1.Close all windows and the glass roof.
2.Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to 
page99.
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 sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating 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 hot exhaust tail pipes. 
Otherwise there is a risk of burns.<
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 situation, known as hydroplaning, 
means that the tire can completely lose contact 
with the road surface, so that neither the car can 
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.< 

Things to remember when driving
118 The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page203.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is 
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only 
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the 
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the 
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a 
lengthy period using the clutch; use the 
parking brake instead. Otherwise greater clutch 
wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page85.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard 
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most 
effective way of braking in situations in which 
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains 
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid 
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering 
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with 
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that 
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain, 
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal 
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to 
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger 
other road users. The heat generated in this 
process helps dry the pads and rotors. Full 
braking efficiency will then be available when 
you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting 
reduced efficiency of the brake system, 
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the 
gear in which the least braking is required. Even 
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to high temperatures, brake wear and possibly 
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by 
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing 
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page58.
Never drive with the clutch held down, 
with the transmission in neutral or with 
the engine switched off; otherwise, engine 
braking action will not be present or there will be 
no power assistance to the brakes or steering. 
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area around the 
pedals, otherwise pedal function could be 
impaired.<
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 minimum 
pressure which must be exerted by the pads 
during 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 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 page213. 

Destination guidance
136 of traffic obstructions. The system does not 
point out traffic obstructions along the original 
route.
Depending on the type of road and the nature 
and length of the traffic obstruction, the route 
can also be calculated so that you travel 
through the traffic obstruction.
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Dynamic guidance"
If the "Avoid highways", "Avoid toll roads" 
or "Avoid ferries" route criteria are 
selected, route calculation may take consider-
ably longer.<
Route
General information
Depending on the equipment in your vehicle, 
different views of the route are available during 
destination guidance.
>Map display
>Arrow display
>Display of the streets and towns/cities on 
the route.
Displaying a list of the streets or towns/
cities on the route
When destination guidance is started, a list of 
the streets and towns/cities on the route is dis-
played. The driving distances and traffic bulle-
tins are displayed for each route section.
>Display a list of the streets and towns/cities 
on the route.
>Display the traffic bulletins and the driving 
distance for each route section.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3.Highlight a section.
The section is displayed in the preview map.
Bypassing a section of the route
During destination guidance, you can revise the 
navigation system's route recommendations to 
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the 
number of miles/kilometers that you want to 
travel before returning to the original route.
A section of the route up to 32 miles/50 km in 
length can be bypassed.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."New route for:"
4.Turn the controller: enter the desired num-
ber.
If the route section should no longer be 
bypassed: "Remove blocking"
Gas station recommendations
The vehicle calculates the range and recom-
mends several gas stations along the route.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."Recommended refuel"
4.Select a gas station.
5.Select the   symbol to start destination 
guidance.
Destination guidance 
through voice instructions
Switching voice instructions on/off
Voice instructions can be switched on or off 
during destination guidance. 

Reference 249
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
K
Key, refer to Integrated key/
remote control26
Keyless go, refer to 
Convenient access34
Keyless opening and closing, 
refer to Convenient 
access34
Key Memory, refer to Personal 
Profile26
Kick-down58
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic58
Knock control193
L
Lamps
– automatic headlamp 
control93
– parking lamps/low beams93
Lamps and bulbs, replacing 
bulbs218
Language, changing on 
Control Display80
Lap-and-shoulder belt, refer 
to Safety belts48
Lashing eyes, refer to 
Securing cargo120
Last destinations128
LATCH child-restraint fixing 
system53
Leather care215
LED Light-emitting 
diodes218
Length, refer to 
Dimensions233
License plate lamp, replacing 
bulb222
Light-alloy wheels215
Light-emitting diodes 
LED218
Lighter108
– connecting electrical 
appliances108Lighting
– instruments95
– lamps and bulbs218
– vehicle, refer to Lamps93
Light switch93
Limit, refer to Speed limit79
Load119
Load securing equipment, 
refer to Securing cargo120
Lock buttons, doors, refer to 
Locking31
Locking
– adjusting confirmation 
signal29
– from inside31
– from outside28
– without remote control, refer 
to Convenient access34
Locking and unlocking doors
– confirmation signals29
– from inside30
– from outside27
Low-beam headlamps93
– automatic93
Lower back support, refer to 
Lumbar support44
Luggage compartment lid31
– convenient access34
– emergency release32
– locking or unlocking 
separately31
– opening from inside31
– opening from outside
31
– remote control28
Luggage rack, refer to Roof-
mounted luggage rack121
Lumbar support44
LW, waveband147
M
M+S tires, refer to Winter 
tires205
Maintenance, refer to Service 
Booklet
Maintenance system211Malfunction
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic59
– tires86
Malfunction warnings, refer to 
Check Control77
Manual car wash214
Manual mode, automatic 
transmission with 
Steptronic58
Manual operation
– door lock30
– driver's door30
– fuel filler door192
– glass roof38
– transmission lock, automatic 
transmission59
Manual transmission57
Map display137
Map for navigation
– changing scale137
– entering destination130
Master key, refer to Remote 
control with integrated 
key26
Maximum cooling98
Maximum speed
– with winter tires205
Measurements, refer to 
Dimensions233
Memory, refer to Seat and 
mirror memory47
MENU button16
Menus, refer to iDrive16
Microfilter
– BMW Maintenance 
System211
– for automatic climate 
control100
Microfilter/activated-charcoal 
filter
– BMW Maintenance 
System211
Microphone
– telephone14
– voice commands14
Mirror dimming feature50