
Notes
6
to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere 
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the 
validity of the BMW Limi
ted Warranty. See your 
BMW center for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performe d by any automotive 
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us  to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components foun d in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, co ntain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids co ntained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other 
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminal s and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash 
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in labora tory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water. <
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 abou t 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 only applies 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 sim ilar 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 invo lved in individual 
problems between you, yo ur 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
ba8_E9091_cic.book  Seite 6  Mittwoch, 29. Oktober 2008  2:59 14 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
8Instrument cluster 12
11 Ignition lock 53
12 Buttons on the steering wheel 14
Horn, the entire surface
15 Adjusting the steering wheel 48
17 Releasing the hood 211
18 Opening the tailgate/luggage compartment 
lid 30
7
Turn signals 57
High beams, headlamp flasher 92
Roadside parking lamps
*92
Computer 69
Settings and information about the 
vehicle 70
Instrument lighting 92
9 Windshield wipers 58
Rain sensor
*58
Sports Wagon:
Rear window wiper 59
10 Switching the ignition on/off and 
starting/stopping the engine
53
Telephone
*:
> Press: accepting and ending a 
call; dialing
* the selected 
phone number; redialing if no 
phone number is selected
> Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*22
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and 
lists with stored phone numbers
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode 96
13 Steering wheel heating
*48
16 Cruise control
*59
Active cruise control
*61
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Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2 Indicator lamps for turn signals
3 Indicator and warning lamps 13
4 Displays for active cruise control
*61
5 Tachometer 67
6 Engine oil temperature
*68
Energy Control
*68
7 Display for
>Clock 67
> Outside temperature 67
> Indicator and warning lamps 758
Display for
>Position of automatic transmission
*55
> Computer 69
> Date of next scheduled service, and 
remaining distance to be driven 71
> Odometer and trip odometer 67
> Checking engine oil level
*212
> Settings and information 70
>  There is a Check Control 
message 75
9 Fuel gauge 68
10 Resetting the trip odometer 67
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At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning 
and thus come on briefly when the engine is 
started or the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the top edge of the Control 
Display describe the meanings of the indicator 
and warning lamps.
You can call up more information, e.g. on the 
cause of a malfunction and on how to respond, 
via Check Control, refer to page 75.
In urgent cases, this  information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher 92
Fog lamps 92
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability 82
Parking brake applied 54
Canada: parking brake applied 54
Engine malfunction with adverse 
effect on exhaust emissions 217
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on exhaust 
emissions 217
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Opening and closing
34
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor 
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following 
situations:
>In duplex garages
> During transport on car-carrying trains, 
boats/ships or on a trailer
> When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensor
Press the   button on the remote control 
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp light s up briefly and then 
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and 
the interior motion sensor  are switched off until 
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Convenient access*
Convenient access enables you to enter your 
vehicle without needing to  hold the remote con-
trol in your hand. All you  need to do is wear the 
remote control close to your body, e.g. in your 
jacket pocket. The vehicle detects the corre-
sponding remote control within the immediate 
vicinity or in the passenger compartment.
Convenient access supports the following 
functions:
> Unlocking/locking the vehicle
> Unlocking the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate separately
> Engine starting
> Convenient closure
Functional requirement
>The vehicle or the luggage compartment 
lid/tailgate can only  be locked when the 
vehicle detects that th e remote control cur-
rently in use is ou tside of the vehicle.
> The vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked 
again until after approx. 2 seconds. >
The engine can only be started when the 
vehicle detects that th e remote control cur-
rently in use is  inside the vehicle.
Comparison to the standard remote 
control
In general, there is no difference between using 
convenient access or pressing the buttons on 
the remote control to  carry out the functions 
mentioned above. You should therefore first 
familiarize yourself with the instructions on 
opening and closing starting on page 26.
Special features regarding the use of conve-
nient access are described below. If you notice a brief delay while opening or 
closing windows or the glass roof/pan-
orama glass roof, the system is checking 
whether a remote control  is inside the vehicle. 
Please repeat the opening or closing proce-
dure, if necessary. <
Unlocking
Grasp the handle on the driver's or front pas-
senger's door completely, arrow  1. This corre-
sponds to pressing the  button.
Locking
Touch the surface, arrow  2, with your finger for 
approx. 1 second. This corresponds to pressing 
the button.
To preserve the battery, please make 
sure that the ignition  and all electrical 
consumers are switched off before locking the 
vehicle. <
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Controls
 35Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Convenient closure
For convenient closure, keep your finger on the 
surface, arrow 2.
Unlocking the luggage compartment 
lid/tailgate separately
Press the button on the  outside of the luggage 
compartment lid/tailgate. This corresponds to 
pressing the  button.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accident ally left inside the 
locked vehicle's cargo bay after the luggage 
compartment lid/tailgate or rear window is 
closed, the lid will reopen. The hazard warning 
flashers flash and an acoustic signal
* sounds. <
Switching on radio readiness
Radio readiness is switched on by pressing the 
start/stop button, refer to page 53.
Do not depress the brake or the clutch, 
otherwise the engine will start. <
Starting the engine
You can start the engine or switch on the igni-
tion when a remote control is inside the vehicle. 
It is not necessary to insert a remote control into 
the ignition switch, refer to page 53.
Switching off the engine in cars with 
automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off when the 
selector lever is in position P, refer to page 54.
To switch the engine off when the selector lever 
is in position N, the remote control must be in 
the ignition switch.
Malfunction
Convenient access may  malfunction due to 
local radio waves. If this  happens, open or close 
the vehicle via the butto ns on the remote con-
trol or using the integrated key. To start the 
engine afterward, insert  the remote control into 
the ignition switch.
Warning lamps
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when you attempt to 
start the engine: the engine cannot 
be started. The remote co ntrol is not inside the 
vehicle or is malfunctioning. Take the remote 
control with you inside the vehicle or have it 
checked. If necessary, insert another remote 
control into the ignition switch.
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up while the engine is 
running: the remote control is no 
longer inside the vehicle. After the engine is 
switched off, the engine can only be restarted 
within approx. 10 seconds.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on and a message 
appears on the Control Display: 
replace the battery in  the remote control.
Replacing the battery
The remote control for convenient access con-
tains a battery that will n eed to be replaced from 
time to time.
1. Take the integrated ke y out of the remote 
control, refer to page 26.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Insert the new battery wi th the plus side fac-
ing up.
4. Press the cover on to close.
Take the old battery to a battery collec-
tion point or to your BMW center. <
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Controls
 47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is 
not guaranteed that the  safety devices will func-
tion properly. <
Rear center safety belt
With through- loading system*:
Before using the center rear seat, release the 
latch plate from the fixt ure on the rear window 
shelf and insert it into the belt lock of the center 
safety belt. Make sure  you hear the latch plate 
engage in the belt buckle.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more con-
vex than the driver's mirror. The objects 
seen in the mirror are closer than they appear. 
Do not gauge your distan ce from traffic behind 
you on the basis of what you see in the mirror; 
otherwise there is an incr eased risk of an acci-
dent. <
1 Adjustments
2 Switching to the other mirror or automatic 
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The setting for the exterior mirrors is stored for 
the remote control currently in use
*. The stored 
position is called up  automatically when the 
vehicle is unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be  adjusted manually: 
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by 
pressing button 3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors 
that were folded in by  hand back out into their 
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are 
folded out automatically  at a speed of approx. 
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an  automatic car wash, 
fold in the exterior  mirrors manually or 
with button 3 to prevent them from being dam-
aged, depending on the width of the vehicle. <
Automatic heating*
Depending on the outside temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heated automatically when 
the engine is running or the ignition is switched 
on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function – 
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to  the position for the 
driver's-side mirror, arrow  1.
2. Shift to reverse or engage selector lever 
position R. 
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Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control into the 
ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
>Radio readiness is switched on.
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Convenient access*
If the car is equipped with convenient access, 
only insert the remote control into the ignition 
lock under special circ umstances, refer to 
page 34.
Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control out 
of the ignition lock as this may cause 
damage. <
Before removing the remote  control, push it all 
the way in to release  the locking mechanism.
> The ignition is switched off if it was on.
Automatic transmission
You cannot take out th e remote control unless 
the selector lever is in the P position: interlock.
Start/stop button
Pressing the start/stop button switches radio 
readiness or the ignition on or off. Manual transmission: the engine is 
started when you press the start/stop 
button and depress the clutch.
Automatic transmission: the engine is started 
when you press the start/stop button and 
depress the brake. <
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. 
The time and the outside temperature are dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
Radio readiness is swit ched off automatically:
> When the remote control is removed from 
the ignition lock
> In cars with convenient access
*, by touch-
ing the surface above the door lock, refer to 
Locking on page 34
Ignition on
All electrical consumers can operate. The 
odometer and trip odometer are displayed in 
the instrument cluster.
When the engine is off, please switch off 
the ignition and any unnecessary electri-
cal consumers in order to preserve the bat-
tery. <
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warnin g lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms, 
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause unconsciousness and death. 
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, 
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas. 
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the 
engine running, otherwise such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential  safety hazard. 
Before leaving the car wi th the engine running, 
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