
Technology for driving comfort and safety
84 Before transporting a child on the front 
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page52.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indicator lamp for the front 
passenger airbags comes on. In such cases, the 
passenger should change his or her sitting 
position so that the front passenger airbags are 
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the 
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by 
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach 
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or 
other items to the front passenger seat unless 
they are specifically recommended by BMW. 
Do not place any items under the seat which 
could press against the seat from below. Other-
wise, a correct analysis of the seat cushion is 
not ensured.<
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front 
passenger front and side airbags in accordance 
with whether and how the front passenger seat 
is occupied. The indicator lamp shows whether 
the front passenger airbags are activated or 
deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in 
a specially designated child restraint sys-
tem is detected, as intended, on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the 
system, especially child seats 
required by the NHTSA at the time of vehi-cle production. After mounting a child seat, 
ensure that the indicator lamp for the front 
passenger airbag is lit. It indicates that the 
child seat has been detected and that the 
front passenger airbags are deactivated.<
>The indicator lamp does not come on when, 
for example, a person of sufficient size and 
in a correct sitting position is detected on 
the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the 
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of radio readiness, refer to page55, the 
warning lamp comes on briefly to indicate that 
the entire airbag system and the belt tensioners 
are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up at radio 
readiness or beyond.
>Warning lamp remains permanently on.
In the event of a fault in the airbag system, 
have it checked without delay; otherwise, 
there is the risk that the system will not function 
as intended even if a sufficiently severe acci-
dent occurs.<
Convertible: rollover 
protection system
The rollover protection system is activated 
automatically in the event of an accident, a crit- 

Controls
 93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
automatic climate control is optimized for driv-
ing with the convertible top down. In addition, 
the air volume is increased as vehicle speed 
increases.
The effectiveness of the Convertible pro-
gram can be enhanced considerably by 
installing the wind deflector.<
Adjusting air volume manually
To be able to manually adjust the air volume, 
switch off the AUTO program first.
Press the left side of the button to 
reduce the air volume. Press the 
right side of the button to increase 
it.
The air volume may be reduced or the blower 
may be switched off entirely to save on battery 
power. The display remains the same.
Automatic recirculated-air control 
AUC/Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant odors or pollut-
ants in the immediate environment by tempo-
rarily suspending the supply of outside air. The 
system then recirculates the air currently within 
the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to 
select an operating mode:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor 
detects pollutants in the outside air and 
controls the shut-off automatically.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode: 
the supply of outside air is permanently 
shut off. If the windows fog over, switch off 
recirculated-air mode and increase the air 
volume, if necessary. Make sure that air can 
flow onto the windshield.
The recirculated-air mode should not be 
used continuously for lengthy periods; 
otherwise, the quality of the air inside the car 
will gradually deteriorate.<
Via the button on the steering wheel
You can switch quickly between the recircu-
lated-air mode and the previous mode using a 
button
 on the steering wheel, refer to page11.
ALL program
Press the button.
The current temperature setting 
on the driver's side is transferred to 
the front passenger side.
If the temperature setting on the driver's side is 
changed, the temperature on the front passen-
ger side is changed as well.
The program is switched off when the setting is 
adjusted on the front passenger side or the but-
ton is pressed again.
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
Press the button.
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and 
front side windows.
For this purpose, also switch on the cooling 
function.
Switching cooling function on/off
The passenger compartment can only be 
cooled while the engine is running.
Press the button.
The air is cooled and dehumidified 
and – depending on the tempera-
ture setting – warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may 
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically 
switches on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
Press the  button.
The defroster is switched off auto-
matically after a certain time. 
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
upper wires serve as an antenna and are not 
part of the rear window defroster. 

Climate
94
Switching the system on/off
Switching off
With the blower at its lowest set-
ting, press the left side of the but-
ton to switch off the automatic cli-
mate control.
All displays are cleared except for the rear win-
dow defroster if it is switched on.
The outside air supply is blocked when 
the automatic climate control is switched 
off. If the air quality deteriorates or the window 
fogs over, switch the system back on and 
increase the air volume.<
Switching on
Press any button except the ALL or the rear 
window defroster button to reactivate the auto-
matic climate control.
Ventilation
1Use the thumbwheels to smoothly open 
and close the air vents
2Use the lever to change the direction of the 
airflow
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool 
air in your direction, for instance if it has become 
too hot in the car.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past 
you and not straight at you.
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter traps dust and pollen in the 
incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter pro-
vides additional protection by filtering gaseous 
pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW cen-
ter replaces this combined filter during routine 
maintenance.
Parked car ventilation*
The concept
The parked car ventilation provides ventilation 
to the passenger compartment and lowers its 
temperature, if necessary.
The parked car ventilation system is operated 
via iDrive, refer to page16. Two different 
switch-on times can be preselected.
The parked car ventilation remains switched on 
for approx. 30 minutes. The system can also be 
switched on and off directly. Due to its high 
power consumption, it should not be switched 
on twice in a row without driving in between to 
allow the battery to recharge.
The parked car ventilation system comes on if 
the outside temperature is above 597/156 
when the switch-on time was preselected, but 
is ready for use at any temperature when the 
system is switched on directly.
The air emerges from the air vents for the upper 
body area in the instrument panel. The air vents 
must therefore be open.
Switching on and off directly
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Activate parked-car vent." 

Destination entry
118 To delete letters:
>To delete individual letters:
Turn the controller to select  , and 
then press the controller.
>To delete all letters:
Turn the controller to select  , and 
then press the controller for an extended 
period.
To enter spaces:
>Select the   symbol.
The list gradually grows smaller each time 
you enter a new letter.
3.Move the controller to the right.
4.Select the name of the town/city from the 
list.
If there are several towns/cities with the same 
name:
1.Change to the list of town/city names.
2.Highlight the town/city: a preview map is 
displayed.
3.Select the town/city.
Entering the postal code
1.Select "Town/City/Postal Code" or the dis-
played town/city.
2.Select the  symbol.
3.Select the digits.
4.Change to the list of postal codes and 
towns/cities.
5.Highlight the postal code: a preview map is 
displayed.
6.Select the postal code.
Entering street and intersection
1.Select "Street" or the displayed street.
2.Enter a street and intersection as you would 
the town/city.
After the street you can also enter the intersec-
tion or the house number.
If there are several streets with the same name:1.Change to the list of street names.
2.Highlight the street: a preview map is dis-
played.
3.Select the street.
Entering a street without a destination 
town/city
You can also enter a street without specifying a 
town/city. In this case, all streets of the same 
name in the designated state/province are 
offered. The corresponding town/city is dis-
played after the street name.
If a town/city has already been entered, you can 
negate this entry. This could be helpful in 
instances where the desired street does not 
exist in the entered town/city because it 
belongs to another suburb, for example.
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select "Street" or the displayed street.
4.Change to the list of street names.
5.Select "In" with the state/province currently 
displayed.
6.Select the letters.
7.Change to the list of street names.
8.Highlight the street: a preview map is dis-
played.
9.Select the street.
Entering a house number
You can enter any house number stored in the 
navigation data for the street.
1."House number"
2.Select the digits. 

Destination guidance
126
Destination guidance
Starting destination 
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Enter address"
3.Select the destination.
4."Accept destination"
5."Start guidance"
The route is displayed on the Control Display 
after it is calculated.
Terminating destination 
guidance
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the   symbol.
4."Stop guidance"
Continuing destination 
guidance
If the destination was not reached during the 
last trip, destination guidance can be resumed.
"Resume guidance"
Route criteria
General information
You can influence the calculated route by 
choosing certain route criteria. You can change 
the route criteria as often as you like during des-
tination entry or during destination guidance.
The route is planned according to fixed rules. 
The type of road is taken into account, e.g. 
whether it is a highway or a winding road. As a 
result, the routes recommended by the naviga-
tion system may not always be the same ones that you would choose based on personal expe-
rience.
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
Changing route criteria
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3."Route preference"
4.Selecting a criterion:
>"Fast route": time-optimized route, 
which is a combination of the shortest 
possible route and the fastest roads
>"Efficient route": optimized combination 
of the fastest and shortest roads
>"Short route": short distance, irrespec-
tive of how fast or slow progress will be
>"Alternative routes": other suggested 
alternative routes while destination 
guidance is active
5.Select additional route criteria, if desired. 
Where possible, the selected criteria will be 
avoided on the route.
>Avoid highways where possible:
"Avoid highways"
>Avoid toll roads where possible:
"Avoid toll roads"
>Avoid ferries where possible: 
"Avoid ferries"
The setting applies to the current route and to 
the planning of future routes. 

On/off and tone
136
On/off and tone
The following audio and video sources share 
the same control elements and adjustments:
>Radio
>CD/DVD player
>CD changer
*
>Video*
>External devices, e.g. MP3 player
Controls
The audio and video sources can be controlled 
using the:
>Buttons near the CD/DVD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page10
>Programmable memory keys, refer to 
page20
>Voice activation system
Buttons in the area of the CD/DVD 
player
1Sound output for entertainment on/off, vol-
ume
>Press: switch on/off
When you switch on the unit, the last set 
radio station or track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume
2 Eject the CD/DVD
3CD/DVD drive
*
4FM/AM: change the radio station wave-
band
5MODE: change the audio and video 
sources
6 Station scan/track search
>Change the radio station
>Select the track for the CD/DVD player, 
CD changer and certain multimedia 
devices
Switching on/off
To switch the entertainment audio output on or 
off:
Press button1 next to the CD / DVD player.
 This symbol on the Control Display indicates 
that sound output is switched off.
The sound output is available for approx. 
20 minutes after the ignition was switched off.
For sound output, switch the unit back on.
Adjusting volume
Turn button1 next to the CD / DVD player until 
the desired volume is obtained.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on 
the steering wheel, refer to page10.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble 
and bass or the speed-dependent volume 
increase.
The tone settings are applied to all audio 
sources.
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
Treble, bass, balance, fader
>"Balance": left/right volume distribution 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 143Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
4."Manage subscription"
The phone number and an electronic serial 
number, ESN, are displayed.
5.Call Sirius to unsubscribe from the chan-
nels.
Selecting a channel
You can only listen to enabled channels.
The selected channel is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Via iDrive
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.Select "All Channels" or the desired cate-
gory.
4.Select the desired channel.
Via the button in the area of the CD/
DVD player
 Press the button for the corresponding 
direction.
The next channel is selected.
Via direct channel entry
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3."Select channel"
4.Turn the controller until the desired channel 
is reached and press the controller.
Storing a channel
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.If necessary, open "All Channels" or the 
desired category.
4.Select the desired channel.
5.Press the controller again.
6.Press the controller again to confirm the 
highlighted channel.
7.Select the desired memory location.
The channels are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
You can also store the channels on the pro-
grammable memory keys, refer to page20.
Changing the list view
The list view changes every time the first sym-
bol on the navigation bar is pressed.
Information on the channel is displayed.
SymbolFunction
Channel name
Artist
Track 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 147Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
CD/DVD player and CD changer
CD/DVD playback
Inserting a CD / DVD
Insert the CD/DVD into the drive with the 
labeled side facing up. The CD/DVD is drawn in 
automatically.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. For CDs/DVDs with compressed 
audio files, it can take several minutes to read in 
the data, depending on the directory structure.
Playable formats
CD/DVD player
>DVD: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-
RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD 
audio (video part only), DVD video
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, 
VCD, SVCD
>Compressed audio files: MP3, WMA, AAC
CD changer
*
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA
Starting playback
Via iDrive
Fill the CD/DVD magazine and insert it, refer to 
page151.To start playback if a CD is already located in 
the player or changer:
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD:
Ejecting a CD / DVD
 Press the button next to the CD/DVD player.
The CD/DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
Audio playback
Selecting a track using the button
 Press the button for the appropriate 
direction as often as necessary until the desired 
track is reached.
*
SymbolFunction
CD/DVD player
CD changer