
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 availablefor operating the various systems.
At a glance 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
9BMW X6: upshifting or downshifting 
with automatic transmission 71
10 Instrument panel 12
13 Ignition lock 65
14 Buttons on steering wheel 15
Horn, entire surface
18 Releasing hood 258
8
Turn signals 73
High beams, headlamp flasher 73
Roadside parking lamps
*112
Time, date, outside temperature, 
Check Control 78, 86
Computer 80
11 Windshield wipers 74
Rain sensor 74
BMW X5: rear window wiper 75
12 Starting/stopping engine and 
switching ignition on/off 
65
Telephone
*:
> Press: accepting and ending 
call, starting dialing
* for 
selected phone number and 
redialing if no phone number is 
selected
> Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice 
activation system
* 23
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling in phone book and in lists 
with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable 59 
Individually programmable 59 
Steering wheel heating
*59
16 Steering wheel adjustment 58
17 Cruise control
*75 

At a glance
 15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for 
telephone
* and for voice activation 
system
*23
2 Initiating
 an emergency request 279
3 Reading lamps 113
4 Glass sunroof 42, 45
5 Interior lamps 113
6 Passenger airbag status lamp 105
7 Control Display 16 
Displays for menu navigation
8 Hazard warning flashers
9 Central locking system 29
10 Opening glove compartment 126
11 Automatic climate control with 2-zone 
control 115
Automatic climate control with 4-zone 
control
*119
12 Ejecting audio CD
13 Changing
>radio station 174
> track 174 14
Selecting radio, CD and CD changer
15 Selecting AM or FM waveband
16 Ejecting navigation DVD with navigation 
system
*148
18 Controller 16
Turn, press or move horizontally in 
four directions
19 Opening start menu on Control Display 17
20 Automatic Hold 67
21 Parking brake 67
22 Adaptive Drive
*99
23 Programmable memory buttons 21
24 Switching Entertainment sound output 
on/off and adjusting volume 174
Manual air distribution
116
Automatic air distribution and 
volume 115
Cooling function 117
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control 117 
Maximum cooling 117 
Air volume 116
Residual heat utilization 118
Defrosting windows and 
removing condensation 116
Rear window defroster 116
Seat heating
*55,  56
Active seat ventilation
*56
17 Opening liftgate 33, 35
Active seat
*57
PDC Park Distance Control
*91
Rear view camera
*93
DTC Dynamic Traction Control 97
HDC Hill Descent Control 98 

At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching assistance window off/on
1.Move the controller to th e right to change to 
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2. Select "Assist. window off" and press the 
controller.
To switch on, change to the assistance window 
and press the controller.
Switching Control Display 
off/on
1. Press the  button.
This opens the start menu.
2. Press the controller to open the  menu.
3. Select "Display off" and press the control-
ler.
To switch on, press the controller.
Programmable memory 
buttons
You can save and run certain functions of iDrive 
on the programmable memory buttons:
> Destinations of navigation
> Telephone, phone numbers
*
>Entertainment:
>Radio station
> CD
> CD compartment of CD changer
*
>AUX
The assignment of the programmable buttons 
is stored for the remote control currently in use.
Saving function
Destinations of navigation
1. Select destination, e.g. in the destination 
list or the address book.
2. Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
Special features:
> With the destination  guidance system and 
the map view started, the current destina-
tion is stored.
> During destination entry via a map, the 
coordinates at the cursor are stored, not the 
current destination.
Telephone, phone numbers
1.Enter the phone number or select it in a 
list of the stored phone numbers, e.g. of the 
"A - Z" list.
2. Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
If a name is assigned to the phone number, the 
name will also be stored.
Entertainment
In the Entertainment menu, the sound source 
currently heard, e.g. a radio station, is stored, 
regardless of the selection on the Control Dis-
play. 

iDrive
22
1.
Select the desired function, e.g. radio sta-
tion or CD.
2. Press the   ...   button longer 
than 2 seconds.
If the vehicle is equipped with two drives, 
the current track is stored for CDs with 
compressed audio files. <
Running function
Press the   ...   button.
The function is run imme diately. This means, 
for example, that when a phone number is 
selected, the connection is  also established, or 
when a navigation destin ation is called up, des-
tination guidance is started.
Displaying button assignment
You can display the assi gnment of the buttons 
by touching them with your finger. Please do 
not wear gloves when doing so. Touching with 
an object, e.g. a pen, does not function.
Displaying short info
Touch the   ...   button.
The assignment of the buttons is displayed.
 Destination of navigation system
 Entertainment source
 Telephone, phone number
 Not assigned
Displaying detailed information
Touch and hold the   ...   button.
Deleting button assignments
1. Press the  button.
This opens the start menu.
2. Press the controller to open the  menu.
3. Select "Settings" an d press the controller.
4. Select "Vehicle / Tire s" and press the con-
troller.
5. Select "Programmable Memory Keys" and 
press the controller.
6. Select "Delete assignment of all memory 
keys" and press the controller.
7. Select "Yes" and press the controller. 

Opening and closing
28
Opening and closing
Keys/remote control
Each remote control contains a battery which is 
automatically charged in the ignition lock while 
driving. Drive a longer distance with each 
remote control at least tw ice a year to keep the 
battery charged. For comfort access
*, the 
remote control contains a replaceable battery, 
refer to page 41.
Depending on which remote  control is detected 
by the vehicle during unlocking, different set-
tings are called up and carr ied out in the vehicle, 
refer to Personal Profile, page 28.
Information on the requir ed maintenance is also 
stored in the remote co ntrol, refer to Service 
data in remote control, page 263.
Integrated key
Press button 1 to unlock the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
> Driver's door, refer to page 32
> Floor panel flap in cargo bay, refer to 
page 132
New remote controls
To obtain additional or  replace lost keys, new 
remote controls with  an integrated key are 
available at your BMW Sp orts Activity Vehicle 
Center.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW 
individually according to  your preferences. Per-
sonal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently 
in use without you having to do anything. When 
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding 
remote control is dete cted and the settings 
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will  always find your BMW 
set to your own personal settings even if 
another person with his/ her own remote control 
and settings has used the vehicle since the last 
time you drove it. The individual settings are 
stored for a maximum of four remote controls, 
for two with comfort access
*.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the 
specified pages.
> Behavior of the central locking system 
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page 30
> Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page 32
> Programming buttons
 on steering wheel, 
refer to page 59
> Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page 89
> Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure, 
refer to page 89 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Language on Control Display, refer to 
page 90
> 12h/24h clock format, refer to page 89
> Date format, refer to page 89
> Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page 73
> Welcome lamps, refer to page 110
> Pathway lighting, refer to page 111
> Daytime driving lamps
*, refer to 
page 111
> PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page 92
> Rear view camera
*:
> Selecting functions, refer to page 93
> Type of display, refer to page 95
> Head-Up Display
*: selection, brightness 
and position of display, refer to page 107
> Automatic climate control: AUTO program 
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated air control/recirculated 
air mode, temperature, air distribution, tem-
perature in the upper  body region, refer to 
text starting on page 115
> Programmable memory buttons: selecting 
stored functions, refer to page 21
> Positions of driver's  seat, outside mirrors, 
and steering wheel
*, refer to page 50
> Adaptive Drive
*: selected chassis and sus-
pension tuning, refer to page 99
> Audio sources: volume and tone settings, 
refer to page 175
> Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to 
page 178
> Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page 181
> Phone: volume setting, refer to 
pages 226,232
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
> Liftgate
> Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>via the remote control
> via the door lock
> with comfort access
* via the door handles
The interior lamps and the courtesy lamps
* are 
also switched on and off with the remote con-
trol. The alarm system
 is armed/disarmed at the 
same time.
You can find more detailed information on the 
alarm system
 on page 38.
Operating from inside
Via the button for centra l locking, refer to 
page 32. The fuel filler door is not locked.
In an accident of sufficient severity, the central 
locking system automati cally unlocks the vehi-
cle. In addition, the hazard warning flashers and 
interior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using remote control
Persons or animals left unattended in a 
parked vehicle can lock the doors from 
the inside. Always take  along the remote control 
when leaving the vehicle so that the vehicle can 
then be opened  from the outside. < 

Opening and closing
40
>
The engine can only be started if the vehicle 
detects that the remote  control is located in 
the vehicle.
Comparison with ordinary remote 
control
You can control the functions mentioned previ-
ously with the comfort access or by pressing 
the buttons on the remote control. Therefore, 
please familiarize yourself with the information 
on opening and closing beginning on page 28 
beforehand.
The special features when using comfort 
access are described in the following.
Should a short delay occur when opening 
or closing the windows or the glass sun-
roof
*/panorama glass sunroof*, the system 
checks whether a remote  control is located in 
the vehicle. Please repeat opening or closing if 
necessary. <
Releasing
Completely grasp a door handle, arrow 1. 
This corresponds to pressing the   button.
Locking
Touch the area highlighted in the picture, 
arrow 2, with your finger for approx. 1 second.
This corresponds to pressing the   but-
ton.
Please make sure that all electronic sys-
tems/consumers are sw itched off before 
locking to save the battery. <
Comfort closing
Hold a finger or the back of a hand on the sur-
face, arrow2.
The windows and the glass sunroof
*/panorama 
glass sunroof
* are closed.
Watch during the closing process to be 
sure that no one is injured. Removing the 
hand from the door handle immediately stops 
the closing process. <
Opening liftgate
Press the button on the liftgate. 
This corresponds to pr essing the   button.
If a remote control acci dentally left in the 
cargo bay is detected in the locked vehi-
cle after the liftgate is closed, then the liftgate 
opens again. The hazard warning flashers flash 
and a signal
* sounds. <
Switching on radio readiness
By briefly pressing the  Start/Stop button, you 
switch on the radio readiness, refer to page 65.
When doing so, do not depress the brake 
pedal, otherwise the engine will start.<
Starting engine
You can start the engine  or switch on the igni-
tion if a remote control is located in the interior 
of the vehicle. It need not be inserted in the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 65.
As long as no remote co ntrol is detected in the 
vehicle, it is only possible to restart the engine 
within approx. 10 seconds after it is switched off 
if no door has been opened.
Switching off engine
> Remote control not in ignition lock:
After switching off the  engine, the transmis-
sion is automatically switched into trans-
mission position P.
> Remote control in ignition lock:
If transmission position N is engaged, the 
transmission remains in this position after 
the engine is switched off.