
Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Displays for active cruise control
*63
5Tachometer69
6Engine oil temperature70
7Display for
>Clock69
>Outside temperature69
>Indicator and warning lamps778Display for
>Position of automatic transmission
*57
>Computer70
>Date of next scheduled service, and 
remaining distance to be driven73
>Odometer and trip odometer69
>High-beam assistant
*95
>Checking engine oil level
*213
>Settings and information72
>There is a Check Control 
message77
9Fuel gauge70
10Resetting the trip odometer69 

Opening and closing
38 5.Insert the Allen wrench
* supplied with the 
onboard vehicle tool kit, refer to page223, 
into the opening provided. Move the glass 
roof in the desired direction.
6.Reinstall the control unit and reattach the 
lamp cover.
Convertible: retractable 
hardtop
The retractable hardtop combines reliable 
weather protection with simple and convenient 
operation.
The following tips will enhance your driving 
pleasure in your Convertible:
>It is advisable that you close the retractable 
hardtop when you park the vehicle. Not only 
does the closed hardtop protect the vehicle 
interior against unanticipated weather dam-
age, it also offers theft protection. However, 
even when the hardtop is closed, valuables 
should only be stored in the locked cargo 
area.
>Do not attach roof rack systems to the 
retractable hardtop, and in particular do not 
attach magnetic racks.
>Do not attach rack systems to the trunk lid, 
and in particular do not attach magnetic 
racks.
>When the retractable hardtop is operated, 
the trunk lid swings back and up. Before 
operating the retractable hardtop, ensure 
that there is enough clearance, e.g. when 
parked in front of a wall.
>If you open the hardtop while it is wet, e.g. 
after driving in the rain, water may drip into the cargo area. If necessary, remove items 
from the cargo area beforehand to avoid 
water stains or soiling.
Do not place any objects on the retract-
able hardtop or on the trunk lid; other-
wise, they could fall during movements of the 
retractable hardtop and cause damage or injury.
Never move the retractable hardtop when the 
rollover protection system is in the activated 
position.
Driving when the hardtop is not fully opened or 
closed may result in damage or injury.
Do not reach into the mechanism during the 
opening or closing procedure. Keep children 
away from the swiveling area of the retractable 
hardtop.<
The retractable hardtop cannot be moved 
at temperatures below + 147/–106. A 
message appears on the Control Display.<
The retractable hardtop can only be 
opened and closed when the vehicle is 
stationary. To avoid causing damage, do not 
drive off until the hardtop has stopped mov-
ing.<
Before opening and closing
>Comply with the safety precautions 
described above.
>Ensure that the cargo area partition is 
folded down and engaged on both sides, 
refer to page110; otherwise, it will not be 
possible to open the retractable hardtop.
>Do not place any objects next to or on the 
cargo area partition and close the storage 
compartment on the left side of the cargo 
area.
>Do not exceed the maximum loading height 
under the cargo area partition; refer to the 
label in the cargo area showing a line indi-
cating the maximum height.
>Ensure that the trunk lid is closed.
>The vehicle should be parked on fairly level 
ground. Excessive angle is indicated by a 
lamp. 

Controls overview
70
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and 
therefore the engine, becomes too hot. In addi-
tion, a message will appear on the Control Dis-
play.
Check coolant level, refer to page215.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between 
approx. 2107/1006 and approx. 3007/
1506.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 16.1 gallons/
61 liters.
You can find information on refueling on 
page198.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period, 
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for 
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve 
zone, a message briefly appears on the Control 
Display and the cruising range for the remaining 
amount of fuel is displayed on the computer. 
Under a cruising range of approx. 30 miles/
50 km, the message remains in the Control Dis-
play.
Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km; otherwise, engine functions are not 
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in the instrument cluster
Calling up information
Press the button in the turn indicator lever.
The following items of information are dis-
played in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
>Current fuel consumption
*
>No information
To set the corresponding units of measure, 
refer to Units of measure on page72.
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available 
with the remaining fuel. The range is calculated 
on the basis of the way the car has been driven 
over the last 18 miles/30 km and the amount of 
fuel currently in the tank. 

Controls overview
72
Resetting the Trip computer
You can reset all values:1."Vehicle Info"
2."Trip computer"
3."Reset"
Settings and information
Operating principle
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information703When the lights are on: instrument lighting 
brightness96
4Calling up Check Control77
5Checking engine oil level213
6Setting the time75
7Setting the date76
8Viewing service requirement display73
Exiting displays
The outside temperature reading and the time 
reappear when you press button2 or if you 
make no entries within approx. 15 seconds. If 
required, complete the current setting first.
Units of measure
Setting the units of measure
You can change the units for fuel consumption, 
route/distance, temperature and pressure. 

Mobility
 211Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Recommended tire brands
Certain makes of tire are recommended by 
BMW for each tire size. They are marked with a 
clearly visible BMW designation on the sidewall 
of the tire.
When properly used, these tires meet the high-
est standards in terms of safety and handling 
characteristics.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for winter roads 
or at temperatures below +45°F/+76. 
Although all-season M+S tires provide better 
winter traction than summer tires, they gener-
ally fail to provide the same levels of cold-
weather performance as winter tires.
Pay attention to speed
Always comply with the speed limit for the 
winter tires mounted on your car; failure 
to do so could result in tire damage and acci-
dents.<
If the car is capable of speeds higher than that 
permitted for the winter tires, a label stating the 
maximum permitted speed for the mounted 
tires must be displayed in your field of view. 
Specialist tire dealers and your BMW center 
can supply these labels.
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry 
place with as little exposure to light as possible. 
Always protect tires against all contact with oil, 
grease and fuels.  Do not exceed the maximum 
tire inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall 
of the tire.
Swapping wheels between axles
BMW advises against swapping wheels 
between the front and rear axles, even if all tires 
have the same size, as this could impair driving 
characteristics. If the tires are of mixed sizes, 
swapping wheels between the axles is not per-
missible.
Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains have been 
tested by BMW, classified as safe for use and 
recommended. Consult your BMW center for 
more information. 
Snow chains must be mounted in pairs and on 
the rear wheels only. Observe the manufac-
turer's instructions when mounting snow 
chains. Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph or 
50 km/h.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor if 
snow chains are mounted; otherwise, the 
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When driving with snow chains, you may find it 
helpful to activate DTC temporarily, refer to 
page82.< 

Mobility
 213Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Important parts of the engine compartment
1Expansion tank for coolant, refer to 
page215
2Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system, 
refer to page613Jump-starting connection, refer to 
page231
4Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding 
engine oil
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on 
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking oil level
Your car is equipped with an electronic oil-level 
monitor.
For a precise measurement and display of the 
oil level, it is necessary that the engine be at 
operating temperature, i.e. after uninterrupted 
driving for at least approx. 6.5 miles/10 km. You 
can have the oil level displayed while you are 
driving, or while the vehicle is at a standstill on a 
level surface and the engine is running.
Display in the instrument cluster
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up 
or down repeatedly until the appropriate 
symbol is shown in the display, accompa-
nied by the word "OIL".
2.Press button 2 in the turn indicator lever. 
The oil level is checked and the reading dis-
played. 

Under the hood
214
Possible displays
1Oil level OK
2Oil level is being checked.
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at 
a standstill on a level surface, or about 
5 minutes while the car is on the move.
3Oil level down to minimum:
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no 
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to 
Adding engine oil on page215.
4Oil level is too high.
Too much oil will harm the engine. 
Have the vehicle checked without 
delay.<
5The oil level sensor is defective.
Do not add engine oil. You can continue 
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer 
to page73. Have the system checked as 
soon as possible.
Display via iDrive
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Engine oil level"
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level OK"
>"Measurement not possible at this time."
>"Measuring engine oil level...":
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at 
a standstill on a level surface and the engine 
is running, and about 5 minutes while the 
car is moving.
If engine oil was added, it may take up to 
30 minutes to obtain an oil level reading.
>"Engine oil level below minimum. Add 1 
quart!"
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no 
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to 
Adding engine oil below.
If the oil level is below the minimum value, 
add engine oil immediately to avoid engine 
damage.
>"Engine oil level too high! Have this 
checked." 

Mobility
 215Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Too much oil will harm the engine. 
Have the vehicle checked without 
delay.<
>"Measurement inactive. Have this 
checked."
Do not add engine oil. You can continue 
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer 
to page73. Have the system checked as 
soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Add up to 1 US quart/1 liter of engine oil only 
after a corresponding message is shown on the 
Control Display.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km; 
otherwise, the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Keep oils, greases, etc. out of the reach of 
children and comply with the relevant 
warnings on the containers. Otherwise, health 
hazards may result.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or at 
a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with correspondingly trained 
personnel.
Oil types
Do not use oil additives as this could 
result in engine damage.<
Specified engine oils
Your service center can advise you on which 
engine oils have been approved by the manu-
facturer of your vehicle.The engine oil quality is critical for the life of the 
engine.
Only use approved High Performance oil.
Approved oils belong to the following viscosity 
classes: SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40 
and SAE 5W-30.
Alternative oil types
If the approved engine oils are not available, up 
to 1 US quart/1 liter of another oil with the fol-
lowing specification may be used:
API SM or higher
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system 
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant 
can cause burns.<
Coolant consists of half water and half additive. 
Not all commercially available additives are suit-
able for your BMW. Ask your BMW center for 
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives; otherwise, 
engine damage may result. Because 
additives are harmful to your health, it is impor-
tant to follow the instructions on the contain-
ers.<
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Checking coolant level
1.Do not open the engine hood before the 
engine has cooled down.
2.Turn the cap of the expansion tank a little 
counterclockwise to allow any accumulated 
pressure to escape, then continue turning 
to open.
3.The coolant level is correct if it is between 
the maximum and minimum marks in the