
At a glance
This overview of buttons, switches and displays
is intended to familiarize you with your vehicle's
operating environment. The section will also
assist you in becoming acquainted with the
control concepts and options available
for operating the various systems.
At a glance 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
 11
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator and warning lamps12
3Tachometer46
Indicator and warning lamps12
4Coolant temperature gauge47
5Fuel gauge46
6Button for
>Displaying the time47
>Service Interval Display47
>Checking oil level103
7Selector lever and program displays for 
automatic transmission
*408Button for
>Resetting trip odometer46
>Setting time47
9Display for
>Trip odometer/odometer46
>Time47
>Service Interval47
>Computer48
>Checking oil level103 

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
 13
Colors
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in 
different colors and combinations.
The following section explains the significance 
of the individual colors as well as how you 
should respond when they appear.
>red:
Stop the vehicle immediately
or
An important reminder
>yellow:
Have the system inspected as soon as pos-
sible
or
For your information
>green:
For your information
>blue:
For your information
Buttons* on steering wheel
The buttons integrated into the steering wheel 
are provided so that you can operate a number 
of accessories quickly and without being dis-
tracted from traffic conditions. You may oper-
ate:
>Selected audio source functions
>Recirculated-air mode/steering wheel 
heater
>Cruise control
>Selected telephone functions
>Voice activation system
In order to operate a system, it must be 
switched on.<
Telephone*/voice activation system*/
audio sources*
>Press the button: answer and terminate call, 
begin dialing selected phone number
>Extended pressure: activate/deactivate 
voice command systemDisplay/hide phonebook. Display entries con-
secutively with buttons for fast forward/reverse
Fast forward/reverse
>Radio
Press the button: next stored station
Extended pressure: station search function
>CD
Press the button: skip track
Extended pressure: fast forward/reverse
>Phone
Browse through list of names
Volume
Cruise control*
Resume
+ accelerate and store, – decelerate and store
Activate/interrupt/deactivate 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 19
>Active PDC Park Distance Control is acous-
tically indicated by a signal tone when you 
shift into reverse or move the selector lever 
into position R, refer to page50.
>Different confirmation signals to confirm 
arming/disarming of alarm system, refer to 
page25.
>After an outside temperature warning has 
been issued, the computer display returns 
to the previous setting, refer to page48.
>Acoustic warning if the ignition key remains 
in the ignition lock after the driver's door has 
been opened, refer to page19.
Examples of Key Memory functions
>Locking the vehicle after starting to drive, 
refer to page21.
>Automatic adjustment of the driver's seat 
and exterior mirror position for each person 
when unlocking the vehicle, refer to 
page31.
>Setting units of measure for instrument 
cluster displays of time, outside tempera-
ture, distance driven, and fuel consumption, 
refer to page48.
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system locks or unlocks:
>doors
>liftgate
>fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>via the remote control
>via the driver's door lock
The interior lamps and courtesy lamps
* are 
switched on and off with the remote control. 
The alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.For additional details on the alarm system, refer 
to page25.
You can set an acoustic signal to remind 
you if the ignition key is still in the ignition 
lock after you open the driver's door.<
Operating from inside
Via the central locking system button, refer to 
page21.
When the system is locked from inside, the fuel 
filler door remains unlocked.
In the event of an accident of sufficient severity, 
the central locking system unlocks automati-
cally. In addition, the hazard warning flashers 
and interior lamps switch on.
Opening and closing: 
Using the remote control
Persons or animals left unattended in a 
parked vehicle can lock the doors from 
the inside. For this reason, bring the remote 
control with you whenever you leave the vehicle 
so that you will always be able to unlock the 
vehicle from outside.<
Unlocking
1.Press the   button.
The driver's door and fuel filler door are 
unlocked.
2.Press the   button again.
All remaining doors and the liftgate are 
unlocked.
Convenience opening mode
Press and hold the   button. 
The windows and panorama glass sunroof
* are 
opened, the exterior mirrors are folded open
*.
If you wish, you can have this special fea-
ture activated/deactivated.<
Engaging locks
Press the  button.
Hazard warning flashers flash once. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 25
Moving manually*
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can 
move the sunroof manually.
1.Pull the cover firmly downward to remove.
2.Take the Allen wrench
* from the compart-
ment under cargo area floor, refer to 
page117, and insert it into the opening pro-
vided. Move the sunroof into the desired 
position. The arrow in the illustration indi-
cates the rotation direction for closing the 
sunroof.
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the liftgate is 
opened.
>To movements inside the vehicle: interior 
motion sensor, refer to description below.
>When the car's inclination changes, for 
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up 
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to 
towing away.
>To interruptions in battery voltage.The alarm system signals unauthorized manip-
ulations for a short time by:
>Sounding an acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
>Flashing the high beams
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.
If the alarm system has been properly armed, 
the hazard warning flashers light up once.
You can have different confirmation sig-
nals set to confirm arming and disarm-
ing.<
You can open the liftgate even when the system 
is armed by using the  button of the remote 
control, refer to page20. When the liftgate is 
closed, it is locked again and monitored.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control, 
refer to page19.
>Turn the ignition key to position 1.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after the vehicle 
is locked: doors, hood, or liftgate 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 continuously after approx. 10 sec- 

Driving
38
Driving
Ignition lock
0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition switched on
3Starting engine
Steering locked
The key can be inserted or removed in this posi-
tion only.
After removing the key, turn the steering wheel 
slightly to the left or right until you hear the lock 
engage.
Interlock with automatic transmission
The key can only be turned back to position0 or 
removed if the selector lever is in position P: 
interlock.
Steering unlocked
A slight steering wheel movement often makes 
it easier to turn the key from0 to1.
Some power accessories are ready for opera-
tion.
Ignition switched on
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Starting engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed spaces; 
otherwise, inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause unconsciousness and death. 
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, 
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas. 
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with the 
engine running, since an unattended vehicle 
with a running engine is a safety hazard. 
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always shift 
into neutral or selector lever position P and 
engage the handbrake firmly before leaving the 
vehicle with the engine running.<
Do not discontinue the starting procedure pre-
maturely, but also do not prolong it for more 
than 20 seconds. Release the ignition key 
immediately as soon as the engine starts.
When starting the engine, do not press the 
accelerator pedal.
Do not allow the engine to warm up while 
parked; instead, start driving immediately at a 
moderate engine speed.
Indicator lamps
The warning lamp lights up. Exhaust 
values are deteriorating. Have the vehi-
cle checked as soon as possible.
Under certain conditions, the indicator will flash. 
This indicates a serious rate of engine misfire. 
When this occurs, you should reduce speed 
and consult the nearest BMW Sports Activity 
Vehicle Center as soon as possible. Severe 
engine misfire, even for only a short period of 
time, can seriously damage emission control 
components, especially the catalytic converter.
Display of the previously described mal-
function on Canadian models.
The warning lamp lights up. Malfunc-
tion in the engine electronics. You can 
continue to drive with reduced engine  

Driving
40 engage it too forcefully. In doing so, continu-
ously press the button of the handbrake lever. 
Otherwise, excessively forceful engagement of 
the handbrake can cause the rear wheels to lock 
and cause the rear of the vehicle to fishtail.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally engage the hand-
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming 
to a stop if traffic conditions permit. The brake 
lamps do not light up when the handbrake is 
applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise, 
an inadvertent shift into 3rd or 4th gear could 
harm the engine.<
Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. Press 
the gearshift lever to the left to overcome the 
resistance.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page41.
Parking vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and engage the 
handbrake before leaving the vehicle with the 
engine running.<
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started in selector lever 
positions P: Park or N: Neutral.
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
The selector lever position is indicated, and in 
the manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Changing selector lever positions
>Only move the selector lever from posi-
tion P with the engine running: interlock.
>When the vehicle is stationary, step on the 
brake before shifting out of P or N; other-
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a drive position, press 
on the brake pedal until you are ready to 
start driving.<
A lock prevents the selector lever from being 
inadvertently moved into positions R and P. To 
release the lock, press the button on the front of 
the selector lever handle, refer to arrow. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 41
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The 
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels 
from turning.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can shift into neutral, for example, in auto-
matic car washes. This allows the vehicle to roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is the lowest when the vehicle is 
driven in position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration. 
Press the accelerator pedal past the increased 
resistance point at the full-throttle position.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move the selector lever from position D toward 
the left into the M/S shifting slot.
The Sport program is activated and SD appears 
in the instrument cluster. This position is rec-
ommended for a performance-oriented driving 
style.
When you push the selector lever forward or 
pull it back, this activates the manual mode and 
Steptronic changes gear. The instrument clus-
ter displays M1 to M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; as a result, for example, a downshift that would cause the 
engine to overrev will not be executed by the 
system. The gear selected will appear briefly in 
the instrument cluster, followed by the current 
gear.
To use the automatic function again, move the 
selector lever to the right into position D.
Malfunction
Red warning lamp
The transmission is overheated. 
Reduce speed immediately and stop at 
a suitable location so that the transmis-
sion can cool down again. It is possible to con-
tinue driving moderately.
Have the system checked immediately.
Yellow warning lamp
A malfunction has occurred in the trans-
mission system. Avoid heavy loads.
While it will still remain possible to move 
the selector lever to any desired position, the 
transmission will revert to its default mode with 
only a limited number of forward gears. 
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Instructions on towing, tow starting and jump 
starting begin on page122.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals