
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 page296.
Using this Owner's Manual
4 Notes
7 Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16 iDrive
23 Voice activation system
Controls
28Opening and closing
48 Adjusting
61 Transporting children safely
65 Driving
78 Everything under control
91 Technology for comfort, convenience 
and safety
110 Lamps
114 Climate
123 Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
138Things to remember when driving
Navigation
148Starting navigation system
150 Destination entry
162 Destination guidance
170 What to do if …
Entertainment
174On/Off and settings
178 Radio
184 Satellite radio
187 CD player and CD changer
193 DVD changer
200 AUX-In connection
201 USB audio interface
204 DVD system in rear
Communications
220Telephoning
235 BMW Assist
Mobility
244Refueling
249 Wheels and tires
258 Under the hood
263 Maintenance
265 Care
269 Replacing components
279 Giving and rece iving assistance
Reference
286Technical data
291 Short commands of voice activation 
system
296 Everything from A to Z 

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
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or BMW TeleServices*
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for displaying 
the average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
> CD player and CD changer
*
>External audio device
Climate
>Vent settings
> Seat heater distribution
*
>Automatic programs
> Parked-car ventilation
*
 menu
>Switching off Control Display
> Tone and display settings
> Settings for traffic information
*
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central 
locking system
> Display of maintenance intervals and dead-
lines for legally mandated inspections
> Settings for telephone
*
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page 65, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
The message is automatically hidden after 
approx. 10 seconds.
Start menu
You can call up all the fu nctions of iDrive using 
five menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the  button.
To open the start menu from the  menu:
Press the  button twice. 

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. 

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. < 

Controls
 59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Steering wheel heating*
Press the button.
When the steering wheel heater is switched on, 
the LED in the button lights up.
Programmable buttons on steering 
wheel
You can program the buttons individually.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
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 "Steering wheel buttons" and press 
the controller.
A list of different functions appears:
>"Navigation voice instructions"
Voice instructions for the navigation 
system
*
>"Air recirculation on / off"
Permanently shutting off outside air, 
refer to AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control
* on page 117
> "Mute on / off" 
Mutes the audio sources
> "Monitor on / off" 
Switches the Control Display on/off
> "Telephone list"
*
Display/hide phone book or last list of 
stored phone numbers
> "Next entertainment source"
Changes audio source
5. Select the desired function and press the 
controller.
6. Select the button if ne cessary and press the 
controller.
You can operate the selected function using the 
corresponding button. 

Controls
 127Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Center armrest front
A storage compartment is located under the 
armrest between the front seats and, depend-
ing on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for 
the mobile phone bracket or the snap-in 
adapter. Also refer to page 220.
Opening cover
Push cover down slightly and press the button. 
The cover folds upward.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such 
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks 
over the vehicle's speaker system:
>AUX-In connection, refer to page 200
> USB audio interface, refer to page 201
Storage compartments
Compartments are located in the doors, in the 
center console in the front and rear
* as well as 
in the rear console in the X6.
Storage nets
* are located on the backrests of 
the front seats.
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects 
in the storage nets; otherwise there is an 
increased risk of injury  in the event of an acci-
dent. <
Clothes hooks
When hanging clothing on the hooks, 
ensure that it will not obstruct the driver's 
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks.  If you do so, they could cause personal injury to 
occupants during brak
ing or evasive maneu-
vers. <
BMW X5
Clothes hooks are located near the grab han-
dles in the rear.
BMW X6
To fold out, press against upper edge.
Cup holders
Use lightweight, unbreakable containers 
and do not transport hot beverages; oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident. Do not force unsuitable 
containers into the cup holders, as otherwise 
damage can result. <
Front
Slide the cover back. 

Destination guidance
166
Setting volume of voice instructions
The volume can only be adjusted while a voice 
instruction is being output.
1.Repeat the last voice  instruction, if neces-
sary.
2. Turn the knob during the voice instruction 
to select the desired volume.
This volume is independen t of the volume of the 
audio sources.
The setting is stored fo r the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Changing route
During destination guidan ce, you can revise the 
navigation system's route recommendations to 
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the 
number of miles/kilomete rs that you want to 
travel before returning  to the original route.
1. Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2. Change into the third field from the top. 
Turn the controller until "New route" is 
selected and press the controller.
3. Turn the controller to enter the desired 
number and press the controller. The route is recalculated.
To exit from the menu without changing the 
route:
 Select the arrow and press the controller.
Traffic information*
In many congested areas, you can receive traf-
fic information transmitted by radio stations. 
The traffic conditions ar e monitored by traffic 
management centers and the traffic information 
is periodically updated. 
During destination guid ance, the traffic infor-
mation relevant to your  planned route is auto-
matically displayed and,  if you wish, taken into 
account in the route planning. Whether destina-
tion guidance is active  or not, you can have the 
traffic information displayed in the map view or 
in the traffic info list.
Switching reception of traffic 
information on/off
iDrive, for operating pr inciple 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 "Settings" is 
selected and press the controller.
4. Turn the controller until "Traffic Info set-
tings" is selected and press the controller.