
Notes
6
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts 
and accessories approved by BMW. 
When you purchase accessories tested and 
approved by BMW and Genuine BMW Parts, 
you simultaneously acquire the assurance that 
they have been thorough ly tested by BMW to 
ensure optimum perfor mance when installed 
on your vehicle. 
BMW warrants these parts to be free from 
defects in material and workmanship. 
BMW will not accept any  liability for damage 
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW. 
BMW cannot test every product made by other 
manufacturers to verify if  it can be used on a 
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation or its occupants. 
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and 
other products approved  by BMW, together 
with professional advice on using these items, 
are available from all BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Centers. 
Installation and operation of non-BMW 
approved accessories such as alarms, radios, 
amplifiers, radar detector s, wheels, suspension 
components, brake dust shields, telephones, 
including operation of any mobile phone from 
within the vehicle without using an externally 
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for 
instance, CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or 
similar accessories, ma y cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, comp romise its safety, inter-
fere with the vehicle's electrical system, or 
affect the validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. 
Refer to your BMW Sports  Activity Vehicle Cen-
ter for additional information. <
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performe d by any automotive 
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California laws require us  to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components foun d in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of Ca lifornia to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids co ntained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to  the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other 
reproductive harm. 
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash 
your hands after handling. 
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in labora tory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water. < 

 7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
> Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
> Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
> Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
> California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet  for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned 
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect 
which could cause a crash or could cause injury 
or death, you should immediately inform the 
National Highway Traffic  Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North 
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New 
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may 
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety 
defect exists in a group  of vehicles, it may order 
a recall and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual 
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW of 
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to 
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain 
other information about  motor vehicle safety 
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a 
safety-related defect  to Transport Canada, 
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may call 
1-800-333-0510 toll-free from anywhere in 
Canada or 1-613-993-9851 from the Ottawa 
region and from other countries, or contact 
Transport Canada by mail at: Transport 
Canada, ASFAD, Place  de Ville, Tower C, 
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5.
You can also obtain other information about 
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca 

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
 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
20
Status information
1Display for:
>Entertainment: 
Radio, CD
> Telephone
* in "Communication": 
Name of linked mob ile phone, network 
search or no network
> "BMW Assist"
*:
Existing voice connec tion with a service 
from BMW Assist
2 Entertainment sound output off
3 Display for traffic information
*, TI:
Traffic information for the navigation sys-
tem can be received and transmission is 
switched on
4 Display for:
>  New entries present in "Missed calls"
*
>  Roaming active
5  Telephoning
* possible if the mobile 
phone is paired in the vehicle  Mobile phone network reception 
strength, display dependent on mobile 
phone
6 Time
Other displays:
The status information is temporarily hidden 
when there are Check Control instructions or 
inputs via the voice activation system
*.
Assistance window*
Additional information can be displayed in the 
assistance window:
> The computer or the trip computer
> The arrow or map view with a navigation 
system
*
>The current position
Selecting display
1.Move the controller to th e right to change to 
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2. Select a menu item.
3. Press the controller. 

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.