
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use 
the index, refer to page270.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
24Voice command system
Controls
30Opening and closing
47Adjusting
58Transporting children safely
62Driving
79Everything under control
90Technology for comfort, convenience 
and safety
108Lamps
114Climate
121Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
134Things to remember when driving
Navigation
142Starting navigation system
144Destination entry
156Destination guidance
165What to do if …
Entertainment
168On/off and tone
172Radio
179Satellite radio
182CD player and CD changer
188AUX-IN connection
189USB-audio interface/mobile phone audio 
interface
Communications
194Telephoning
209BMW Assist
Mobility
220Refueling
222Wheels and tires
232Under the hood
237Maintenance
239Care
243Replacing components
253Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
260Technical data
265Short commands of voice command 
system
270Everything from A to Z 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 

Controls
 39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Opening tailgate
The tailgate opens automatically when you:
>Press the button on the outside of the tail-
gate when the vehicle is unlocked.
>Press button1 or button2
*.
>Press the   button on the remote control 
for approx. 1 second.
In some country-specific versions, the 
tailgate can only be opened using the 
remote control if the vehicle was unlocked first.
During opening, the tailgate pivots back and up. 
Make sure that adequate clearance is available 
before opening.<
Automatic roll-up cover
When the tailgate or rear window are opened, 
the roll-up cover is raised, and when the tailgate 
and rear window are closed, it is lowered.
Make sure that the closing area of the roll-
up cover is clear of obstructions, other-
wise the payload or the roll-up cover may be 
damaged.<
Details on the roll-up cover are provided on 
page128.
Closing tailgate
Make sure that the closing path of the tail-
gate is clear, otherwise injuries may 
result.<
The tailgate closes automatically when the but-
ton on the inside of the tailgate is pressed.
To interrupt the opening or closing process:
>Press the button on the inside of the tail-
gate.
>Press the button on the outside of the tail-
gate.
Closing is not canceled when you put the 
vehicle into motion.<
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood or the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate or rear window are 
opened
>To movements in the vehicle: interior 
motion sensor, refer to page40
>To changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone 
attempts to steal the wheels or tow the 
vehicle
>To interruptions in battery voltage
Unauthorized operations are briefly signaled by 
the alarm system:
>with an acoustic alarm
>by switching on
 the hazard warning flashers
>by flashing the high beams 

Opening and closing
40
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with 
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm 
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
The luggage compartment lid/tailgate can also 
be opened with the system armed using the   
button on the remote control, refer to page36. 
When the luggage compartment lid/tailgate is 
closed, it is locked and monitored again.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control, 
refer to page32.
>Insert the remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after locking: 
doors, hood, luggage compartment lid/tail-
g a t e  o r  r e a r  w i n d o w
 are not properly closed. 
Even if you do not close the alerted area, the 
system begins to monitor the remaining 
areas, and the indicator lamp flashes con-
tinuously after approx. 10 seconds. How-
ever, the interior motion sensor is not acti-
vated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking: 
your vehicle has not been disturbed while 
you were away.
>The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking 
until the remote control is inserted into the 
ignition lock, however for a maximum of 
approx. 5 minutes: your vehicle has been 
disturbed while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm 
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted 
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
* 
must be completely closed.
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 two-level garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains, 
by sea 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 lights 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.
Comfort access*
Comfort access allows you to access your vehi-
cle without having to hold the remote control in 
your hand. It is sufficient to carry the remote 
control with you, e.g. in your jacket pocket. The 
vehicle automatically detects the associated 
remote control in the immediate vicinity or in 
the interior.
Comfort access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking vehicle
>Comfort closing
>Opening luggage compartment lid/tailgate 
separately 

Under the hood
232
Under the hood
Never attempt to perform any service or 
repair operations on your vehicle without 
the required professional technical training. 
If you do not know what repair procedures to 
follow, have work on your vehicle done only by 
your BMW center or a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If this work is 
not carried out properly, there is a danger of 
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Hood
Releasing
Pull lever.
Opening
Press the release handle and open the hood. Do 
not open the hood until the engine has cooled 
down.
Closing
Close the hood from a height of approx. 16 in/
4 0 c m  w i t h m o m e n t um .  I t  m u st  b e  c l e a r l y  h e a r d  
to engage.
Make sure that the closing path of the 
hood is clear, otherwise injuries may 
result. 
If you see any signs that the hood is not com-
pletely closed while driving your vehicle, you 
should stop at once and close it securely.< 

Under the hood
234
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on 
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking engine oil level
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic oil 
level check.
The condition for the most accurate indication 
of the oil level possible is measurement with the 
engine at operating temperature, i.e. following 
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6 miles/10 km. 
You can display the oil level on the Control Dis-
play while driving or when stopped on a level 
surface with the engine running.
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.Turn the controller until "Info sources" is 
selected and press the controller.
4.Turn the controller until "Service Info" is 
selected and press the controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Service requirements" is 
selected and press the controller.6.Change to the second field from the top if 
necessary. Turn the controller until "Engine 
oil level" is selected and press the control-
ler. The oil level is displayed.
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level O.K."
>"No measurement available: Updating 
engine oil level measurement...":
The engine oil level is measured. This pro-
cess can take approx. 1 minute when 
stopped on a level surface with the engine 
running and approx. 5 minutes while driv-
ing.
If the engine oil has been topped off, the 
measurement of the oil level can take up to 
30 minutes.
>"Oil level at the minimum! Refill with 1 quart 
of engine oil.": 
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/liter of 
engine oil at the next opportunity, refer also 
to Adding engine oil below. Add at least 
0.5 US quart/liter of oil; otherwise, the oil 
level check cannot reliably display the new 
oil level.
If the oil level displayed is below minimum, 
add engine oil immediately. Failure to do so 
may lead to engine damage.
>"Engine oil level too high"
*:
Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise engine damage may 
result if too much oil has been added.<
>"Please observe recalculated service inter-
val for engine oil":
Do not add engine oil. Before continuing to 
drive, note the recalculated remaining mile-
age until the next oil change service, refer to 
Service requirements on page82. Have the 
system checked as soon as possible. 

Mobility
 235Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Adding engine oil
Do not add 1 US quart/liter of oil until a corre-
sponding message is shown on the Control Dis-
play.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km, 
otherwise the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Continuous exposure to used oil has 
caused cancer in laboratory testing. 
For this reason, any skin areas that come into 
contact with oil should be thoroughly washed 
with soap and water.
K e e p  o i l ,  g r e a s e  e t c .  o u t  o f  r e a c h  o f  c h i l d r e n  a n d  
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or 
at a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with correspondingly trained 
personnel.
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical 
significance for the operation and service life of 
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use 
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Do not use oil additives, as these may 
result in engine damage.<
Only use approved BMW High Performance 
Synthetic Oil.
If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is 
unavailable, you can add small quantities of 
other synthetic oils between oil changes. Only 
use oils of the specification API SM or higher.Your BMW center will be happy to answer 
detailed questions on BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic 
oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at 
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at 
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and 
is specified in SAE grades.
The choice of the right SAE grade is based on 
the climatic conditions in the region in which 
you normally drive your BMW.
Approved oils belong to the 0W-40, 0W-
30, 5W-40 and 5W-30 SAE grades.<
These oils can be used for driving at all outside 
temperatures.
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system 
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant 
can cause burns.<
Coolant is composed of equal parts water and a 
coolant additive. Not all commercially available 
additives are suitable for your BMW. Ask your 
BMW center for suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, otherwise 
engine damage may result. The additives 
present a health hazard; observe the instruc-
tions on the containers.<
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Checking coolant level
1.Do not open the hood until the engine has 
cooled down.
2.Turn the cap of the expansion tank counter-
clockwise to allow any accumulated pres-
sure to escape, then continue turning to 
open. 

Reference 283
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Recirculated-air mode117
– air recirculation117
– AUC Automatic 
recirculated-air control117
Reclining seat, refer to 
Seats48
Recording times, refer to 
Stopwatch86
Redialing with mobile 
phone207
"Redial" in mobile phone 
mode202
Reflectors, refer to Tail 
lamps246
Refueling220
Releasing
– hood232
Releasing the locks, refer to 
Unlocking41
"Relock door if not 
opened"35
Remaining distance, refer to 
Cruising range80
Remaining distance to 
destination, refer to 
Computer81
Remote control30
– comfort access40
– garage door opener121
– luggage compartment lid33
– malfunction34,42
– replacing battery42
– tailgate33
Removing condensation on 
the windows116
"Repeat directory" in audio 
mode185
"Repeat" in audio mode185
"Repeat track" in audio 
mode185
Replacement fuses251
Replacement of tires, refer to 
Changing wheels248
Replacement remote control, 
refer to New remote 
controls30
Replacing bulbs, refer to 
Lamps and bulbs243
Replacing tires230Replacing wheels/tires, refer 
to New wheels and tires229
Reporting safety defects7
Reserve
– warning, refer to Fuel 
gauge80
"Reset"96,98
Reset, refer to Resetting tone 
settings171
"Reset" the stopwatch87
"resetting FTM …"96
"Reset" tone settings
171
Residual heat117
Restraint systems
– for children58
– refer to Safety belts52
Retaining straps, refer to 
Storage area package, 
Sports Wagon129
Retreaded tires230
Reverse, fast
– CD changer186
– CD player186
Reverse gear
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic65
– manual transmission64
Road map158
"Roadside 
Assistance"204,210
Roadside Assistance254
Roadside assistance210
Roadside parking lamps110
– replacing bulbs245
Roller blind
– refer to Roller sun blind122
Roller cover
– refer to Roll-up cover, Sports 
Wagon128
Roll-up cover, Sports 
Wagon128
Roof load capacity263
Roof-mounted luggage 
rack139
Rope, refer to Tow-starting 
and towing255
Rotary/pushbutton, refer to 
iDrive16Route154
– bypassing sections160
– changing160
– changing criteria154
– displaying157
– displaying arrow display157
– displaying map view158
– displaying streets or towns/
cities159
– selecting154
Route information, refer to 
Destination guidance with 
voice instructions159
Route map, refer to Displaying 
map view158
"Route preference", 
changing154
Route selection154
RSC Runflat System 
Component, refer to Run-
flat tires229
Run-flat tires229
– continuing driving with a 
damaged tire96,98
– flat tire96,98
– Flat Tire Monitor95
– new wheels and tires229
– tire inflation 
pressure96,98,222
– Tire Pressure Monitor97
– tire replacement229,230
– winter tires230
S
Safety5
Safety belts52
– damage53
– sitting safely47
– warning lamp52
Safety belt tensioners
– refer to Airbags100
– refer to Safety belts52