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7Buttons on the steering wheel
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock6212Horn, entire surface
15Releasing hood232 Mobile phone
*194:
>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 com-
mand system
* 24
Changing radio station172
Selecting music track183
Scrolling in phone book and in lists 
with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable
*56 
Individually programmable
*56 
Leaving lane warning
*106
9
Windshield wipers69
Rain sensor69
Sports Wagon: rear window 
wiper70
10Starting/stopping engine and 
switching ignition on/off 62
13
Steering wheel heater*56
Steering wheel adjustment56
14
Cruise control
*70
Active cruise control71
16Opening luggage compartment lid/
tailgate36, 37
17
Head-Up Display
*102
BMW Night Vision
*104
18Parking lamp108
Daytime running lamps
*109
Low beams108
Welcome lamps108
Automatic headlamp control
*108 
Daytime running lamps
*109
Welcome lamps108 
Adaptive Head Light
*110
High-beam assistant
*110
19
Instrument lighting112
Fog lamps
*112 

At a glance
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Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in 
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by 
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine 
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the lower edge of the Control 
Display explain the meaning of the displayed 
indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e. g. on the cause and 
elimination of a malfunction, can be opened via 
the Check Control system, refer to page84.
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 signal particular 
functions:
High beams/headlamp flasher110
Fog lamps
*112
Handbrake applied64
Handbrake applied for Canadian mod-
els
Lamp flashes: 
DSC or DTC controls the drive and 
braking forces for maintaining vehicle 
stability92
DTC Dynamic Traction Control92
Exhaust-gas values238 

Driving
76 Do not apply adhesive labels etc. in the area of 
the short-range sensors.If the sensor is not aligned properly, e. g. due to 
damage, the active cruise control cannot be 
activated.
System limitations
As with conventional cruise control sys-
tems, active cruise control in no way 
diminishes or substitutes for the driver's own 
personal responsibility, alertness and aware-
ness in adjusting speed, braking or otherwise 
controlling the vehicle. The driver should 
decide when to use the system on the basis of 
road, traffic, visibility, and weather conditions. 
Active cruise control is intended for use on 
highway-type roadways where traffic is moving 
relatively smoothly. Do not use this system in 
city driving; in complex driving situations; on 
curvy, winding roads, slippery roads or roads 
with sharp curves such as highway off-ramps; 
during inclement weather such as snow, strong 
rain or fog; or when entering interchanges, ser-
vice/parking areas or toll booths. It is also 
important to regulate your vehicle's speed and 
distance setting within applicable legal limits. 
Always be ready to take action or apply the 
brakes if necessary, especially when the sys-
tem is actively following a vehicle in front of 
you.<
Always remember that the range and abil-
ity of the system do have physical limita-
tions. For example, the system may not detect 
vehicles driving ahead if they suddenly brake 
heavily in stop-and-go traffic during accelera-
tion. The system will not apply the brakes or 
slow your vehicle when a very slow-moving 
vehicle, stopped vehicle or stationary object is 
in the lane ahead of you, for example when 
approaching a traffic light or parked vehicle or 
when a vehicle is stalled in your lane. Also, the system does not react to oncoming traffic, 
pedestrians or other types of potential traffic 
s u c h  a s  a  r i d e r  o n  a  h o r s e b a c k .  I t  i s  a l s o  p o s s i b l e  
that the system may not detect smaller moving 
objects such as motorcycles or bicycles. Be 
especially alert when encountering any of these 
situations as the system will neither automati-
cally brake, nor provide a warning to you. Also, 
be aware that every decrease in the distance 
setting allows your vehicle to come closer to a 
vehicle in front of you and requires a heightened 
amount of alertness.<
The system cannot allow the vehicle to drive off 
automatically in situations that make driving off 
considerably more difficult, e.g. on steep uphill 
grades, with a heavy trailer or before raised 
areas in the road.
Near radio astronomy stations, the system 
radar is deactivated at speeds under 20 mph/
30 km/h due to legal regulations.
Be certain to interrupt the system when 
you pull into an exit lane for a highway 
offramp.<
Also, vehicles traveling in a staggered manner 
on a highway may cause a delay in the system's 
reaction to a vehicle in front of you or may cause 
the system to react to a vehicle that is actually in 
the lane next to yours. Always be ready to take 
action or apply the brakes if necessary.
In addition, the system is interrupted 
whenever the driver applies the vehicle 
brakes, shifts the transmission from drive/D to  

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>in dense fog, heavy rain or snowfall
>when displaying very hot objects such as 
transformers, car exhausts etc.
>when the image briefly freezes during nor-
mal system adjustment.
BMW Night Vision's potential benefits 
can be limited by the driving style of the 
driver, the size and relative temperature of the 
detected objects, dirt or contamination on the 
camera lens, adverse weather like snow, rain or 
fog, and other factors not mentioned here. It will 
always be the driver's responsibility to drive at a 
speed and in a manner that recognizes potential 
hazards and adjust accordingly. 
BMW Night Vision is not a substitute or replace-
ment for the driver's responsibility to adapt to 
visibility and traffic conditions. The forward view 
illuminated by the headlamps must always be 
the basis for making safe driving decisions, oth-
erwise a safety risk will result.<
Activating BMW Night Vision
1.Turn the light switch to position2 or3, refer 
to page108.
2.With low beams switched on:
>Press the   button. Depending on the 
vehicle's equipment, the location of the 
button may differ somewhat.
>Press one of the programmable buttons 
on the steering wheel, refer to page56.
The image will be displayed on the Control Dis-
play after a few seconds. Depending on the last 
mode selected, either the normal or full screen 
image will be displayed.Due to the system's need to adjust periodically, 
a still image is displayed at certain intervals for 
fractions of a second. This is normal and not an 
indication of a problem.
To prevent driving without headlamps, at a 
speed of more than approx. 3 mph/5 km/h and 
when dark, the thermal image on the Control 
Display is only shown when the low beams are 
on.
Deactivating BMW Night Vision
>Press the   button.
>Press the button on the steering wheel.
>Press the   button.
>Via iDrive, refer to Selecting settings.
Selecting settings
For iDrive details, refer to page16.
1.Activate BMW Night Vision.
2.Press the controller to display the menu 
items. 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
106 3.Select the menu item and press the control-
ler:
>"Night Vision off":
Deactivate BMW Night Vision.
>"Zoom": 
At higher speeds, the image is zoomed 
in.
>"Curve mode": 
Depending on the steering angle and 
other parameters, the image section fol-
lows the course of the road to some 
degree.
>"Full screen": 
The image is shown on the entire Con-
trol Display.
>"Contrast": 
The contrast of the screen can be 
adjusted.
>"Brightness": 
The brightness of the screen can be 
adjusted.
"Curve mode" can only be activated with 
the "Zoom" function switched on. With 
"Full screen" activated, "Curve mode" and 
"Zoom" cannot be selected.<
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
To exit the menu: 
The image automatically disappears after 
approx. 5 seconds.
Cleaning camera
The function of the camera may be affected by 
heavy rain and fog, dirt, snow or ice on the lens. 
When this occurs, the displayed image on the 
Control Display may become gray.To minimize icing, the camera lens is automati-
cally heated. However, it may be necessary to 
clean the camera lens manually under severe 
weather conditions. When doing so, cautiously 
remove any debris, ice or snow. To avoid dam-
age to the lens, do not use sharp or abrasive 
instruments to clean ice, snow, or dirt off the 
lens.
When the windshield is cleaned with the head-
lamps on, the camera lens area is automatically 
sprayed as well. Refer to page69.
Leaving lane warning*
The concept
This system warns you from a speed of approx. 
40 mph/70 km/h when the vehicle is leaving the 
lane you are currently in on roads with lane limit 
lines. You feel this due to a slight vibration of the 
steering wheel. 
The system does not warn you if you signal 
before leaving the lane. 
It is best to use the system on well-developed 
roads and freeways.
Switching on/off
Press the button on the steering wheel.
>The two lines1 indicate that the system is 
activated.
>The two arrows2 mean that the system has 
detected one or two lane limit lines from a 
speed of approx. 40 mph/70 km/h and 
warns accordingly.
If you activate the system below a speed of 
approx. 40 mph/70 km/h, a message will appear  

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stating that the system is not active until this 
speed is reached.
A warning will be canceled:
>after approx. 3 seconds
>if you return to your lane
>if you brake heavily
>if you signal
System limits
The leaving lane warning cannot serve as 
a substitute for your personal judgment in 
determining the course of the road. 
If the system issues a warning, do not move the 
steering wheel with unnecessary severity, as 
otherwise you could loose control of the vehi-
cle.<
The function of the system may be limited in the 
following example situations:
>in heavy fog, rain or snowfall
>with worn-away, poorly visible limit lines, or 
lines that run together or apart or are 
unclear, e.g. in road construction areas
>when limit lines are covered by snow, ice, 
dirt or a great deal of water
>in tight curves or on narrow roads
>when limit lines are not white
>when limit lines are covered by objects
>when driving up close behind a vehicle driv-
ing ahead
>with bright counter light
>when the windshield is fogged up, dirty or 
covered with stickers, vignettes etc. in the 
area of the inside rearview mirror 

Lamps
108
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off and daytime running lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime running lamps*
2Low beams and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lamps
*, welcome lamps, Adaptive 
Head Light
* and high-beam assistant*
If you open the driver's door with the ignition 
switched off, the exterior lighting is switched off 
when the light switch is in position2 or 3. The 
daytime running lamps have already been 
switched off at the same time as the ignition.
For this reason, switch on the side marker 
lamps as needed, switch position1; otherwise, 
the vehicle is not lit.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do 
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It is preferable to 
switch on the roadside parking lamps on one 
side, refer to page110.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position3, the system activates the 
low beams and switches them on or off in 
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk 
and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head 
Light
* is active. The LED next to the symbol 
lights up when the low beams are on. You can 
also activate the daytime running lamps, refer to 
page109. In the situations described above, 
the lamps then switch to low beams.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can 
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors 
cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low beams manually under these conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position2 or 3 
when parking the vehicle, then when you unlock 
the vehicle, the parking lamps and interior light-
ing remain illuminated for a brief time.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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. 

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and low beams, reacting to oncoming traffic, 
vehicles ahead of you, and sufficiently lit areas, 
e.g. in built-up zones.
Manually switching between high 
beams and low beams
If you wish or the situation requires, you can 
intervene at any time.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on 
the high beams, but you wish to use the low 
beams, just switch on the low beams with 
the turn signal lever. This deactivates the 
high-beam assistant. 
In order to reactivate the system, briefly 
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam 
direction.
>If the high-beam assistant has switched on 
the low beams, but you wish to use the high 
beams, simply switch on the high beams as 
usual. This deactivates the system and it is 
up to you to switch back to low beams.
In order to reactivate the system, briefly 
press the turn signal lever in the high-beam 
direction.
>When the low beams are on, use the head-
lamp flasher as usual.
System limits
The high-beam assistant is designed to 
maximize the amount of time that high 
beams can be safely used and to quickly switch 
back to low beams when traffic approaches. 
The system cannot completely replace driver 
intervention when unusual conditions are 
encountered. For this reason, switch to low 
beams when circumstances so dictate. Failure 
to do so can pose a safety risk.<
Below are a few examples of situations in which 
the system may not react or may only function 
to a limited degree, requiring personal interven-
tion:
>in extremely unfavorable weather condi-
tions such as fog or heavy precipitation
>in sensing road users with poor inherent 
illumination such as pedestrians, cyclists, 
equestrians, horse-drawn vehicles, railroad or shipping traffic close to the road, and at 
deer crossings
>in tight curves, on steep crests or dips, with 
cross-traffic, or with partially hidden 
oncoming traffic on divided highways
>in poorly illuminated areas and in the pres-
ence of highly reflective signs
>in the low speed range
>when the windshield is fogged up, dirty or 
covered with stickers, decals etc. in the area 
of the inside rearview mirror
>when the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor 
on the front side of the inside rearview mir-
ror with a cloth slightly moistened with glass 
cleaner
Moreover, no system can operate without limi-
tations. High-beam assistant operation is sub-
ject to conditions that may reduce the system's 
ability to recognize the difference between 
actual vehicle head lamps or tail lamps and, for 
example, highly reflective signs, markers, and 
streetlights. To be on the safe side, the system 
may periodically interpret these situations as 
conditions that require low beams. Below are 
some of the situations in which premature 
switching to low beams can occur:
>approaching large and/or highly reflective 
signs
>approaching certain lights, such as drive-
way lighting and porch lights
>approaching certain traffic signals
>approaching large reflective markers
In these situations, the system may interpret 
the above conditions as a vehicle ahead requir-
ing a switch to low beams. When the conditions 
return to normal, the system will reactivate the 
high beams.
The high-beam assistant cannot replace the 
driver's responsibility for complying with state 
laws on high-beam switching or for adapting to 
visibility and traffic conditions.
Switching off via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.