
Controls
 41Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fati gue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safe ty belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seated position 
has a major influence on your safety in the event 
of an accident. To ensu re that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we 
strongly urge you to observe the instructions 
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page 48.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your 
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, 
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or 
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered 
off. No one and nothing  is to come between the 
airbags and the seat occupant. 
Do not use the cover of  the front airbag on the 
passenger side as a st orage area. Make sure 
that the passenger is sitting correctly, e.g. 
keeping his or her feet or legs in the footwell 
and not on the dashboard; otherwise, leg inju-
ries can occur if the front airbag deploys.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their 
heads against the side airbag; otherwise, seri-
ous injuries could result  if the airbag suddenly 
deployed. <
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries 
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be 
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may 
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This e ffect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information 
on airbags, refer to page 85.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has two seats, each of which is 
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to 
wear a single safety belt. Never allow 
infants or small children to  ride in a passenger's 
lap. Make sure that the be lt in the lap area sits 
low across the hips and does not press against 
the abdomen. 
The safety belt must not  rest against the throat, 
run across sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched.  Fasten the safety belt 
so that it sits as snugly as possible against the 
lap and shoulder withou t being twisted. Other-
wise the belt could slide over your hips and 
injure your abdomen in the event of a frontal 
collision. 
Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly pull 
the belt in the upper-bo dy area taut, otherwise 
its restraining effect could be impaired. <
Safety belts, refer to page 44.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while 
the vehicle is moving. The seat could 
respond with unexpected movement, and the 
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an 
accident.
On the passenger seat as  well, do not incline 
the backrest too far to th e rear while the vehicle 
is being driven, otherwise there is a danger in 
the event of an accident of sliding under the 
safety belt, eliminating  the protection normally 
provided by the belt. <
Note the information on safety belt damage on 
page  45. 

Adjustments
44
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or the ignition, 
refer to page 50.
2. Adjust the seat and exterior mirrors to the 
desired positions.
3. Press the   button.
The LED in the button lights up.
4. Press the desired memory button  1 or 2 : the 
LED goes out.
The driver's seat and exterior mirror posi-
tions are stored for th e remote control cur-
rently in use.
Call-up
Do not call up memory while you are driv-
ing, otherwise unexpected seat move-
ment could result in an accident. <
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch 
on radio readiness, refer to page 50.
2. Briefly press the desired memory 
button 1or  2.
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
Safety feature
1. Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page 50.
2. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2 
and keep it pressed until the adjustment 
process has been completed.
If the   button was pressed accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position  last stored is stored 
for the remote control currently in use.
You can select whether the seat should be reset 
to that position.
When this Personal  Profile function is 
used, first make sure that the footwell 
behind the driver's seat  is free of obstacles. 
Failure to do so could re sult in damage to the 
objects if the seat were to move rearward. <
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks"
3. "Last seat position automatic"
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 41 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection. <
Before every drive, make  sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but 
they do not repres ent a substitute. 

Adjustments
46
Automatic heating
Depending on the outside temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heat ed automatically when 
the engine is running  or the ignition is 
switched on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function – 
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1. Push the switch to the position for the 
driver's-side mirror, arrow  1.
2. Engage reverse gear or  move the selector 
lever to position R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger 
side tilts slightly do wn. This allows the 
driver to see the area immediately adjacent 
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into 
a parking space.
Deactivating
Push the switch to the position for the passen-
ger-side mirror, arrow  2.
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving
 at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic 
dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior 
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo 
cells in the interior rearview mirror. One photo 
cell is in the mirror frame, see arrow; the other is 
on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that  the system functions 
correctly, keep the photo cells clean, do not 
cover the area between  the interior rearview 
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive 
labels or stickers of an y kind to the windshield 
directly in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position 
while the car is in mo tion, otherwise there 
is a risk of accident due to an unexpected 
movement. <
1. Fold the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the preferred 
height and angle to suit your seated 
position.
3. Swing the lever back up. 

Driving
50
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control into the 
ignition lock
Inserting the remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
>Radio readiness is switched on.
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Convenient access*
If the car is equipped wi th convenient access, 
only insert the remote control into the ignition 
lock under special circ umstances, refer to 
page 35.
Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control out 
of the ignition lock as this may cause 
damage. <
Before removing the remote  control, push it all 
the way in to release  the locking mechanism.
> The ignition is switched off if it was on.
Automatic transmission
You can only take out the remote control if 
transmission position P is engaged: Interlock
Start/stop button
Pressing the start/stop button switches radio 
readiness or the ignition on or off.
The engine is started when you press the 
start/stop button and depress the clutch if 
the car has manual transmission, or the brake if 
the car has automatic transmission. <
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. 
The time and the outside temperature are dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
> When the remote cont rol is removed from 
the ignition lock
> In cars with convenient access
*, by touch-
ing the surface above th e door lock, refer to 
Locking on page 35
Ignition on
All electrical consumers can operate. The 
odometer and trip odometer are displayed in 
the instrument cluster.
When the engine is off, please switch off 
the ignition and any unnecessary electri-
cal consumers in order to preserve the 
battery. <
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warnin g lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out. 

Controls
 51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms, 
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause unconsciousness and death. 
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, 
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas. 
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the 
engine running, otherwis e such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential  safety hazard. 
Before leaving the car wi th the engine running, 
place the transmission in neutral or move the 
selector lever to position P and set the parking 
brake to prevent the car from moving. <
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeat ed start attempts in 
which the engine does no t start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned or  incompletely burned and 
there is a danger of overheating and damaging 
the catalytic converter. <
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the 
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right 
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page 35.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch and shift to neutral 
position.
3. Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page 35.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Move the selector lever to position P.
3. Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
7-gear sport automatic transmission 
with dual clutch
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with con-
venient access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page 35.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Press the start/stop button.
The engine starts, regardless of the current 
selector lever position. 

Driving
52
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you 
when you leave the vehicle. 
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth-
erwise, the vehicle could roll. <
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2. Shift into first gear or reverse.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 50.
Automatic transmission
1. With the car at a stan dstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2. Press the start/stop button.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 50.
7-gear sport automatic transmission 
with dual clutch
1. With the car at a stan dstill, engage trans-
mission position P.
2. Press the start/stop button.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page 50.
Parking brake
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with an electromechan-
ical parking brake that can be set and released 
by using a button.
 The parking brake is primarily used to prevent 
the vehicle from rolling when it is parked.
When the vehicle is stationary, the parking 
brake acts on the rear wheels via an electrome-
chanical mechanism. When  the vehicle is rolling 
or being driven, the parking brake acts on the  disc brakes of the front and rear wheels via the 
hydraulic brake system.
Setting the brake
Pull the button. The parking brake is set.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster and the LED on the button light 
up red. The parking brake is set.
Indicator lamp in Canadian models.
To set the parking brake, the remote control 
does not need to be in the ignition lock.
While driving
In the rare case that the parking brake needs to 
be used while driving, pull the button for a 
lengthy period:
The vehicle brakes hard while the button is 
being pulled. The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up red, a sound is issued 
and the brake lamps light up.
Indicator lamp in Canadian models.
As soon as you brake the vehicle almost to a 
standstill, approx. 2 mph/3 km/h, the parking 
brake remains set.
Releasing
Take the remote cont rol with you when 
leaving the vehicle so  that children, for 
example, cannot release the parking brake. < 

Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The parking brake can only be released while 
the ignition is switched on or the engine is 
running.
With manual transmission
Press the button of the parking brake. Depress 
the brake and clutch pedals while doing so.
With automatic transmission or 7-gear 
sport automatic transmission with dual 
clutch
Press the parking brake  button while the brake 
is depressed or transmission position P is 
engaged.
Indicator lamps
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster goes out.
Indicator lamp in Canadian models.
Malfunction
In the event of a failure or malfunction of the 
parking brake, secure the vehicle against rolling 
using a wheel chock, for  example, if you leave 
the vehicle.
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise 
the engine could be da maged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear. <
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a 
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page 54.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and set the park-
ing brake before leavin g the vehicle with the 
engine running. <
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock, you must  first move the selector 
lever to position P and switch off the engine: 
interlock. Removing th e remote control from 
the ignition lock, refer to page 50.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + – 

Driving
54
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed, or the 
current gear in the manual mode.
Changing selector  lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine 
running, the selector  lever can be moved 
out of position P
> Before moving the lever away from P or N 
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the 
brake; otherwise the selector lever will 
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
depress the brake until you are ready to 
start. <
A lock prevents you from inadvertently engag-
ing selector lever positions R and P. To cancel 
the lock, press the butto n on the front of the 
selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select this only when th e vehicle is stationary. 
The rear wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when th e vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Press the accelerator  pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual 
operation M/S
Move selector lever from  position D toward the 
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played in the instrument cl uster. This position is 
recommended for a performance-oriented driv-
ing style.
To deactivate the spor t program or manual 
mode M/S, move the sele ctor lever to the right 
into position D.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
When you press the select or lever forwards or 
backwards, the manual mode is activated and 
Steptronic changes gear. M1 through M6 are 
displayed in the instrument cluster.