
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out*50
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb 
monitor
*50
1Convertible: opening and closing 
windows jointly35 
2Convertible: opening and closing 
rear windows35 
3Opening and closing front 
windows35 6
Parking lamps93
Low beams93
Automatic headlamp control
*93
Adaptive light control
*94
High-beam assistant
*95
7
Fog lamps96 

At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper 
functioning and light up temporarily when the 
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Text messages
Text messages at the top edge of the Control 
Display describe the meanings of the indicator 
and warning lamps.
Supplementary text messages
You can call up more information on the Control 
Display, e.g. on the cause of a malfunction and 
on how to respond, via Check Control, refer to 
page77.In urgent cases, this information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher95
Fog lamps96
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability83
Parking brake applied56
Canada: parking brake applied56
Engine malfunction with adverse 
effect on emissions218
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on emissions218 

Controls
 93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off, 
daytime running lights
1Parking lamps and daytime running lights
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lights, welcome lamps, high-beam 
assistant
* and adaptive light control*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in 
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary, 
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps will discharge the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time; otherwise, the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps, 
refer to page95.<
Low beams
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams 
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel, 
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The adap-
tive light control
* is active. The LED next to the 
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are 
on. You can also activate the daytime running 
lights, refer to page94. In the situations 
described above, the lamps then automatically 
switch from daytime running lights to low 
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the 
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The low beams remain switched on 
regardless of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the system 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low-beam headlamps manually under these 
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3 
when you park the car, the parking lamps and 
the interior lamps light up briefly when you 
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
1."Settings"
2."Lighting" 

Lamps
96 turn indicator lever toward the high beams 
again.
>Use the headlamp flasher as usual with the 
low beams switched on.
System limitations
The high-beam assistant cannot serve as 
a substitute for the driver's personal judg-
ment of when to use the high beams. Therefore, 
manually switch off the high beams in situations 
where this is required to avoid a safety risk.<
The system is not fully functional in situations 
such as the following, and driver intervention 
may be necessary:
>In very unfavorable weather conditions, 
such as fog or heavy precipitation
>In detecting poorly-lit road users, such as 
pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and 
wagons; when driving close to train or ship 
traffic; and at animal crossings
>In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions, 
in cross traffic or half-obscured oncoming 
traffic on highways
>In poorly lit towns and cities and in the pres-
ence of highly reflective signs
>At low speeds
>When the windshield in front of the interior 
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov-
ered with stickers, etc.
>If the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor on 
the front of the interior rearview mirror using 
a cloth moistened with a small amount of 
glass cleaner.
Switching off via iDrive
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"3."High beam assistant"
 The high-beam assistant is activated and is 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Fog lamps
The parking lamps or low beams must 
be switched on for the fog lamps to 
operate. The green indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the 
fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off while you acti-
vate the headlamp flasher or switch on the high 
beams.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<
Instrument lighting
You can adjust the brightness of the instrument 
lighting only when the parking lamps or the low 
beams are switched on. 

Replacing components
224 Do not remove the covers or expose the 
eyes directly to the unfiltered light source 
for several hours; otherwise, this could cause 
irritation of the retina.<
Xenon lamps
These bulbs have a very long service life and are 
highly unlikely to fail. If a xenon lamp fails never-
theless, switch on the fog lamps and continue 
the journey with great care, provided that local 
legislation does not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp system, 
including bulb replacements, performed 
o n ly  b y  a  BM W  c e n t e r o r a  w o r k s h o p  t h a t  w o r k s  
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, if 
such work is carried out improperly, the high 
voltage in the system presents the danger of 
fatal injuries.<
Access to the lamps
1.Switch off the lamps and take the remote 
control out of the ignition lock.
2.Remove the upper cover from the head-
lamp. To do so, use a screwdriver to press 
the catches towards the rear, see arrows, 
and pull the cover forward and out.
Follow the same steps in reverse order to reat-
tach the cover.
Be careful when installing the cover; oth-
erwise, leaks could occur and cause dam-
age to the headlamp system.<
Access through the wheel well
For turn signals only:1.Turn the wheel inwards.
2.Partially release the cover in the wheel well. 
To do so, remove the corresponding 
screws, see arrows.
3.Pull the cover back.
Parking lamps and roadside parking 
lamps, daytime running lights
H8 bulb, 35 watts
1.Remove the cover, refer to Access to the 
lamps.
2.Turn the bulb approx. 90°, see arrow, and 
take it out.
3.Disconnect the plug, change the bulb and 
reconnect the plug.
4.Insert the bulb and turn it until it stops.
5.Reattach the cover.
Corner-illuminating lamp*
H3 bulb, 55 watts
1.Switch off the lamps and take the remote 
control out of the ignition lock.
2.Remove the cover, refer to Access to the 
lamps.