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
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. <
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.