
iDrive
16
iDrive
iDrive integrates the functions of a large num-
ber of switches. This allows these functions to 
be operated from a single central position. The 
following section provides an introduction to basic menu navigation. The control of the indi-
vidual functions is described in connection with 
the relevant equipment.
Controls
1Control Display
2Controller with buttons
You can use the buttons to open the menus 
directly. The controller can be used to 
select the menu items and create settings.
>Move in four directions, arrow3
>Turn, arrow 4
>Push, arrow 5
Operate the controller only when traffic 
and road conditions allow this, to avoid 
endangering the car's occupants and other 
road users by being distracted.<
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At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Buttons on the controller
Operating principle
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond, 
refer to page55, the following message is dis-
played on the Control Display:
To hide the message: 
Press the controller.
The main menu is displayed.
The message is automatically hidden after 
approx. 10 seconds.
Opening the main menu
Press the MENU button.
The main menu is displayed.All iDrive functions can be called up via the main 
menu.
Selecting a menu item
The menu items shown in white can be 
selected.
1.Turn the controller until the desired menu 
item is highlighted.
2.Press the controller.
A new menu is displayed or the function is exe-
cuted.
Menu items in the Owner's Manual
In the Owner's Manual, menu items that can be 
selected are set in quotation marks, e.g.
"Settings"
Changing between panels
After selecting a menu item, e.g. "Radio", a new 
menu is displayed on a panel. The panels can 
overlap.
ButtonFunction
MENU Open the main menu
RADIO Open the Radio menu
CD Open the CD/Entertainment menu
NAV Open the Navigation menu
TEL Open the Telephone menu
BACK Display the previous menu
OPTION Open the Options menu
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At a glance
 19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Turn the controller until "Time:" is high-
lighted, and then press the controller.
5.Turn the controller to set the hours and 
press the controller.
6.Turn the controller to set the minutes and 
press the controller.
Status information
1Time
2Display for:
>Reception strength of the wireless 
network, depends on the mobile phone
>Incoming, outgoing or missed call
>SMS
* received
3Display for:
>Entertainment:
Radio, CD/DVD, external devices, TV
*
>Telephone*:
Name of the mobile phone paired with 
the vehicle4Sound output is switched off or
 display for traffic bulletins
*:
>"TI": 
Traffic bulletins are switched on.
>No display: 
Traffic bulletins are switched off.
Other displays:
Status information is temporarily hidden during 
Check Control message displays or entries via 
the voice activation system
*.
Switching the Control Display 
off/on
1.Press the OPTION button.
2."Switch off display"
Press the controller to switch on.
Split screen
Additional information can be displayed on the 
right side of the split screen, e.g. information 
from the computer.
In the divided screen view, the so-called split 
screen, this information remains visible even 
when you change to another menu.
Switching the split screen on and off
1.Press the OPTION button.
2."Split screen"
 The split screen is activated.
Selecting the display for the split 
screen content
When the split screen is switched on, you can 
select the content displayed on the screen.
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At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Letters and numbers
Entering letters and numbers
1.Turn the controller: select the letters or 
numbers.
2.Select additional letters or numbers if 
needed.
3."OK": confirm the entry.
Switching between letters and 
numbers
Depending on the menu, you can switch 
between entering letters and numbers:
Wordmatch concept during navigation
Entry of names and addresses: the selection is 
narrowed down every time a letter is entered 
and letters may be added automatically.
Destination search: the entries are continuously 
compared to the data stored in the vehicle.
>The only letters offered for entering 
addresses are those for which data are 
available.
Town/city names can be entered with the spell-
ing used in any of the languages available on the 
Control Display.
SymbolFunction
Press the controller: delete one letter 
or number
Press the controller for an extended 
period: delete all letters or numbers
Enter a blank space
SymbolFunction
Entering letters
Entering numbers
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At a glance
 23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
In dialogs that call for a text of your choice, the 
procedure can only be canceled using the but-
ton on the steering wheel.
Possible commands
The commands available in each case depend 
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis-
play.
To have the available commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD/DVD" is selected, the com-
mands for operating CD/Multimedia are read 
aloud.
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a 
function, e.g.: 
Calling up functions immediately via 
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain 
functions immediately, irrespective of which 
menu item is selected, refer to page232.
Example: selecting the track of a CD
1.If necessary, switch on entertainment audio 
output.
2.Press the   button on the steering wheel.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the 
standard dialog or a shorter variant. In the 
shorter variant of the voice dialog, the prompts 
and responses from the system are abbrevi-
ated.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"3."Speech mode:"
4.To select the setting:
>"Default"
>"Short"
Notes
For information on voice control of the 
telephone, refer also to the separate 
Owner's Manual.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
>Do not use the voice activation system to 
initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful 
situations, the voice and vocal pitch can 
change. This can unnecessarily delay the 
establishment of a telephone connection.
>Pronounce the commands and digits 
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding 
excessive emphases and pauses. This also 
applies when spelling out and saying a full 
word during destination entry.
>When selecting a radio station, use the 
standard pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone 
book, only use names in the language of the 
voice activation system and no abbrevia-
tions.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass roof 
closed to prevent interference from outside 
noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while 
speaking. {Voice commands}
{Radio on} or {Radio} 
3.Select the music track, e.g.: 
{CD track 4}
System says: 
{{Track 4}}
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Controls
This chapter is intended to provide you with
information for complete control of your vehicle.
All features and accessories that are useful for
driving and your safety, comfort and
convenience, are described here.
Controls
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Opening and closing
26
Opening and closing
Remote control
Each remote control contains a rechargeable 
battery that is automatically recharged when it 
is in the ignition lock while the car is being 
driven. Use each remote control at least twice a 
year for longer road trips in order to maintain the 
batteries' charge status. In cars with convenient 
access
*, the remote control contains a replace-
able battery, refer to page35.
The settings called up and implemented when 
the car is unlocked depend on which remote 
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile below.
In addition, information about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to 
Service data in the remote control, page207.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
>Glove compartment, refer to page104
>Driver's door, refer to page30
New remote controls
Your BMW center can supply new remote con-
trols with integrated keys as additional units or 
as replacements in the event of loss.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to 
suit your personal needs and preferences. 
Without any action on your part, Personal Pro-
file ensures that most of these settings are 
stored for the remote control currently in use. 
When you unlock the car, the remote control 
used for the purpose is recognized and the set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings will be 
activated for you, even if in the meantime your 
car was used by someone else with another 
remote control and the corresponding settings. 
The individual settings are stored for a maxi-
mum of four remote controls. They are stored 
for two remote controls if convenient access
* is 
in use.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer 
to the specified pages.
>Assignment of programmable memory 
keys, refer to page20
>Response of the central locking system 
when the car is unlocked, refer to page27
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page30
>Automatic call-up of the driver's seat posi-
tion after unlocking, refer to page46
>Programming buttons on the steering 
wheel, refer to page50
>MDrive
*, refer to page50
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Controls
 27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Calling up the preferred program of the M 
Engine Dynamics Control POWER and 
Electronic Damper Control EDC
* when 
starting the vehicle, refer to Configuring 
settings on page50
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page64
>Settings for the displays on the Control Dis-
play and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to 
page75
>Date format, refer to page76
>Brightness of Control Display, refer to 
page79
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page79
>Units of measure, refer to page71
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page81
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page92
>Pathway lighting, refer to page93
>Daytime running lamps, refer to page93
>Automatic climate control: activating/deac-
tivating AUTO program, cooling function 
and automatic recirculated-air control, set-
ting temperature, air flow rate and distribu-
tion, refer to page97 ff
>Entertainment:
>Audio volume, refer to page146
>Tone control, refer to page146
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page147
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the 
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors>Luggage compartment lid
>Fuel filler door
>Convertible: glove compartment
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
*
>In cars with convenient access*, via the 
handles on the driver's and front passen-
ger's doors
In addition, if the remote control is used, the 
welcome lamps, interior lamps and the door's 
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The 
alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
 refer to 
page32.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer 
to page30.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the 
central locking system unlocks automatically. In 
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using the remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle 
could lock the doors from the inside. You 
should therefore take the remote control with 
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter 
can be opened from outside.<
Convertible: to operate the retractable 
hardtop with the remote control, the 
doors and luggage compartment lid must be 
closed and the cargo bay partition must be 
folded down and engaged on both sides. Refer 
also to page39.<
Unlocking
Press the   button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on.
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