
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to 
page254.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
41Adjustments
50Transporting children safely
54Driving
69Controls overview
81Technology for driving comfort and 
safety
92Lamps
97Climate
102Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
116Things to remember when driving
Navigation
124Navigation system
125Destination entry
134Destination guidance
140What to do if …
Entertainment
144On/off and tone
147Radio
150Satellite radio
155CD/DVD player and CD changer
162Music collection
167External devices
Communications
174Telephone
186Contacts
188BMW Assist
Mobility
196Refueling
201Wheels and tires
218Under the hood
223Maintenance
225Care
229Replacing components
237Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
244Technical data
249Short commands for the voice activation 
system
254Everything from A - Z 

Controls
 63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
maintained when driving on open roadways, but 
also varied to maintain a selected distance set-
ting as slower traffic is encountered.
Active cruise control is a technological advance 
over the familiar cruise control and is a welcome 
relief from the constant adjustment of speed 
that can accompany driving in traffic on high-
ways or other high-speed thoroughfares. Espe-
cially on longer trips, the system can reduce 
fatigue and tension, while increasing your 
enjoyment of driving. Please use it safely and 
responsibly.
Within the limits of its capability, the system 
automatically adapts the car's speed to that of a 
slower vehicle in front of you. You can specify 
the distance to be maintained from the vehicle 
in front in four stages. For safety reasons, the 
distance is speed-dependent. Based on your 
selected distance setting, the system automat-
ically decreases the throttle setting and lightly 
applies the brakes if necessary. The vehicle 
brake lamps will automatically illuminate to sig-
nal a following driver to take action. In addition, 
it may be necessary for the vehicle or the driver 
to downshift, depending on the kind of trans-
mission your vehicle is equipped with, to main-
tain the distance setting selected. If the vehicle 
ahead speeds up or when the lane ahead 
becomes clear, your vehicle will accelerate to 
the speed you have selected by increasing the 
throttle setting and shifting gears automatically 
or by the driver as needed. Your selected speed 
will be held when driving downhill, too.
Since this active cruise control system is a new 
technology and operates differently from con-
ventional cruise control systems which you may 
be accustomed to, you are strongly urged to 
read all of the pages relating to this system 
before use. Pay special attention to the System 
limitations section beginning on page66.
Braking sensation
>If you step on the brake pedal while the sys-
tem is braking, pedal sensation will be 
slightly different from the usual.
>Possible noises during automatic braking 
are normal.
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. The system is deactivated when you 
drive at very low engine speeds for an extended 
period.
Range of applications
The minimum desired speed is 20 mph or 
30 km/h, the maximum desired speed is 
110 mph or 180 km/h.
As with conventional cruise control sys-
tems, active cruise control in no way 
diminishes or substitutes for the driver’s own 
personal responsibility, alertness and aware-
ness in adjusting speed, braking or otherwise 
controlling the vehicle. The driver should 
decide when to use the system on the basis of 
road, traffic, visibility, and weather conditions. 
Active cruise control is intended for use on 
highway-type roadways where traffic is moving 
relatively smoothly. Do not use this system in 
city driving; heavy traffic such as during rush 
hour; on curvy, winding roads, slippery roads or 
roads with sharp curves such as highway off-
ramps; during inclement weather such as snow, 
strong rain or fog; or when entering inter-
changes, service/parking areas or toll booths. 
It is also important to regulate your vehicle's 
speed and distance setting within applicable 
legal limits. Always be ready to take action or 
apply the brakes if necessary, especially when 
the system is actively following a vehicle in front 
of you. Otherwise, driving situations could 
result that pose the risk of accidents.<
One lever for all functions
1Store and increase desired speed
2Store and decrease desired speed 

Controls
 97Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Climate
1Airflow directed toward the windshield and 
side windows
2Air to the upper body area 
Draft-free ventilation100
3Air to the footwell
4Air distribution, manual
5Setting the temperature, left side
6Maximum cooling
7AUTO program
8Air volume, manual adjustment; AUTO 
intensity
9Automatic recirculated-air control AUC/
Recirculated-air mode10Setting the temperature, right side
11ALL program
12Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation
13Switching cooling function on/off manually
14Rear window defroster
15Seat heating
*, right side45
16Interior temperature sensor, please keep 
clear
17Seat heating
*, left side45 

Controls
 99Reference
At a glance
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Communications
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Entertainment
Mobility
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 over an extended period of time; 
otherwise, the air quality inside the car will dete-
riorate continuously.<
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.
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  

Driving tips
 119Reference
At a glance
Controls
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Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits 
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water 
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage 
develops inside the tires. This can ultimately 
result in a sudden blowout.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or 
leak from their containers in the cargo 
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading 
can result in damage to the vehicle and 
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY 
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. 
For example, if the YYY amount equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 
650 lbs: 
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That 
weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of 
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the 
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far for-
ward as possible, ideally directly behind the 
respective seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is 
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the 
opposite buckle. 

Navigation system
124
Navigation system
General information
With the help of satellites, the navigation sys-
tem is able to ascertain the precise position of 
the vehicle and guide you reliably to any desti-
nation you enter.
Enter data only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary, and always give priority to the 
applicable traffic regulations in the event of any 
contradiction between traffic and road condi-
tions and the instructions issued by the naviga-
tion system. Failure to take to this precaution 
can place you in violation of the law and put 
vehicle occupants and other road users in dan-
ger.<
Navigation data
General information
Navigation data are stored in the vehicle and 
can be updated.
Navigation data and authorization codes are 
available from your BMW center.
Depending on the data volume, a data update 
may take several hours.
>The data are updated while you are driving.
>The update is resumed automatically when 
a trip is continued after an interruption.
>All functions are available during the trip.
>The data are stored in the vehicle.
>After the update, the system restarts.
>The medium that holds the navigation data 
can be removed after the update is com-
pleted.
Updating the navigation data
Inserting navigation DVD
1.Insert the navigation DVD into the DVD 
player with the labeled side facing up.
2.Follow the instructions on the Control Dis-
play.3.Enter the authorization code of the naviga-
tion DVD and change the DVD if needed.
Removing navigation DVD
1. Press button 1.
The DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
2.Remove the DVD.
Displaying information on the version
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Navigation system version":
Information on the data version is displayed.
* 

Navigation
Driving tips
 137Reference
At a glance
Controls
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Entertainment
Mobility
3.Press the controller.
Changing the map section
Select the interactive map.
>To shift the map: move the controller in the 
required direction.
>To shift the map diagonally: move the con-
troller in the required direction and turn it.
Changing scale
1.Select the  symbol.
2.Turn the controller to adjust the scale.
Automatic scaling of the map
In the map view facing north, turn the controller 
in any direction until AUTO is displayed as the 
map scale.
The map shows the entire range from your loca-
tion to the destination.
Settings for the map view
The map is shown on the Control Display.
1.Open "Options".
2."Settings"
3.Set the optimized map view.
>"Day/night mode"
Select and create the necessary settings 
depending on the light conditions. When 
the traffic bulletin map is activated, this 
setting is disregarded.
>"Satellite images"
Satellite images
* are displayed depend-
ing on availability and resolution.
>"Perspective view in 3D"
Displays a spatial view. Prominent areas 
that are contained in the navigation data 
are displayed on the map in 3D.
>"Traffic Info map"
The map is optimized for displaying traf-
fic bulletins. Symbols for the special 
destinations are no longer displayed.
Map view for the split screen display
The map view for the split screen can be 
selected separately from the main screen.1.Open "Options".
2."Split screen"
The split screen is switched on.
3.Move the controller to the right repeatedly 
until the split screen content is selected.
4.Select the map view:
>"Arrow display"
>"Map facing north"
>"Map direction of travel"
>"Map view with perspective"
>"Exit ramp view"
Changing scale
1.Move the controller to the right until the 
split screen is selected.
2.Turn the controller.
Traffic bulletins*
You can display the traffic bulletins from radio 
stations that broadcast the TMC (Traffic Mes-
sage Channel) of a traffic information service. 
This information from the traffic information 
service is continuously updated on the basis of 
measurement data from traffic control centers 
and information on traffic congestion. 
During destination guidance, traffic bulletins 
that are relevant to areas along the route are 
automatically displayed and taken into account 
in the route planning. You can open all traffic 
bulletins manually via iDrive.
The traffic bulletins are shown in the map view.
Real Time Traffic Information End-User 
Provisions
Certain BMW models equipped with navigation 
have the capability to display real-time traffic 
information. If your system has this capability 
the following additional terms and conditions 
apply:
An End-User shall no longer have the right to 
use the Traffic Data in the event that the End-
User is in material breach of the terms and con-
ditions contained herein. 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 147Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Radio
Your radio is designed for reception of the fol-
lowing stations:
>FM and AM
>HD Radio
*
>Satellite radio*
Selecting a station
Press the button if the sound output is switched 
off.
1."Radio"
2."FM" or "AM"
3.Select the desired station.The selected station is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Changing stations
Turn the controller and press it
or
 press the button for the corresponding 
direction
or
press the buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page10.
Selecting a station manually
Station selection using the frequency.
1."Radio"
2."FM" or "AM"
3."Manual"
4.Select the frequency: turn the controller.
To store the station: press the controller for an 
extended period.
Storing stations
Via iDrive
1."Radio"
2."FM" or "AM"