
At a glance
 21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Letters and numbers
Entering letters and numbers
1.Turn the controller: select the letters or 
numbers.
2.Select additional letters or numbers if 
needed.
3."OK": confirm the entry.
Switching between letters and 
numbers
Depending on the menu, you can switch 
between entering letters and numbers:
Wordmatch concept during navigation
Entry of names and addresses: the selection is 
narrowed down every time a letter is entered 
and letters may be added automatically.
Destination search: the entries are continuously 
compared to the data stored in the vehicle.
>The only letters offered for entering 
addresses are those for which data are 
available.
Town/city names can be entered with the spell-
ing used in any of the languages available on the 
Control Display.
SymbolFunction
Press the controller: delete one letter 
or number
Press the controller for an extended 
period: delete all letters or numbers
Enter a blank space
SymbolFunction
Entering letters
Entering numbers 

Voice activation system
22
Voice activation system
The concept
The voice activation system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out removing your hands from the steering 
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display 
can be spoken as commands. This frees you of 
having to use the controller.
The voice activation system transforms your 
oral commands into control signals for the 
selected systems and provides support in the 
form of instructions or questions.
The voice activation system uses a special 
microphone located in the area of the interior 
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, set the language that applies for the 
voice activation system in order to enable iden-
tification of the spoken commands. To set the 
language of iDrive, refer to page82.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice activation system
1.Press the   button. This symbol on the Control Display and 
an acoustic signal tell you that the voice 
activation system can respond to com-
mands.
2.Say the command. 
The command is displayed on the Control 
Display.
 This symbol is displayed on the Control Dis-
play when you can enter additional commands. 
If no other commands are possible, then oper-
ate the equipment via iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice 
activation system
Press the   button on the steering wheel 
or
In dialogs that call for a text of your choice, the 
procedure can only be canceled using the but-
ton on the steering wheel.
Possible commands
The commands available in each case depend 
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis-
play.
To have the possible commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD/DVD" is selected, the com-
mands for operating CD/Multimedia are read 
aloud.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for 
word. 
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice acti-
vation system.
{Cancel}
{Voice commands} 

At a glance
 23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Calling up functions immediately via 
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain 
functions immediately, irrespective of which 
menu item is selected, refer to page243.
Example: selecting the track of a CD
1.Switch on entertainment sound output if 
necessary.
2.Press the   button on the steering wheel.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the 
standard dialog or a shorter variant. In the 
shorter variant of the voice dialog, the prompts 
and responses from the system are abbrevi-
ated.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"
3."Speech mode:"
4.Select a setting:
>"Default"
>"Short"
Notes
To operate the phone by voice, refer also 
to page185.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:>Do not use the voice activation system to 
initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful 
situations, the voice and vocal pitch can 
change. This can unnecessarily delay the 
establishment of a telephone connection.
>Say the commands and numbers smoothly 
and at normal volume, avoiding excessive 
emphasis and pauses. This also applies 
when spelling out and saying a full word 
during destination entry.
>When selecting a radio station, use the 
common pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone 
book, only use names in the language of the 
voice activation system and no abbrevia-
tions.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass sun-
roof
* or panorama glass sunroof* closed to 
prevent interference from ambient noise.
>Avoid making other noise in the vehicle 
while speaking. 3.Select the music track, for instance: 
{CD track 4}
System says: 
{{Track 4}} 

Controls
 27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
sonal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently 
in use without you having to do anything. When 
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding 
remote control is detected and the settings 
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW 
set to your own personal settings even if 
another person with his/her own remote control 
and settings has used the vehicle since the last 
time you drove it. The individual settings are 
stored for a maximum of four remote controls, 
for two with Comfort Access
*.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the 
specified pages.
>Behavior of the central locking system 
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page28
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page30
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page83
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure, 
refer to page76
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page79
>Date format, refer to page79
>Language on Control Display, refer to 
page82
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page63
>Welcome lamps, refer to page100
>Pathway lighting, refer to page101
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to 
page101
>High-beam Assistant
*, refer to 
page102
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page84
>Head-up Display
*: selection and brightness 
of display, refer to page96>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer 
to page98
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program 
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated air control/recirculated-
air mode, temperature, air distribution, tem-
perature in the upper body region, refer to 
text starting on page106
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for 
destination guidance, refer to page143
In addition, the following, most recently 
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Programmable memory buttons: selecting 
stored functions, refer to page20
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors, 
and steering wheel
*, refer to page45
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings, 
refer to page152
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to 
page157
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page156
>Phone: volume setting, refer to page181
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the 
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid or tailgate and 
rear window
>Fuel filler flap
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Using door lock
>With Comfort Access
* via the door handles 

Controls
 77Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"
3.Select the desired menu item.
4.Select the desired unit.
The settings are stored for the remote key cur-
rently in use.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date for 
the next maintenance are displayed briefly with 
the ignition switched on.
Your BMW Service Advisor can deter-
mine your vehicle's current service 
requirements by reading out the data stored in 
the remote control.<
Additional information
You can view more detailed information by 
using the Control Display, for operating princi-
ple refer to page16.1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Service required"
Required maintenance procedures and legally 
mandated inspections are displayed.
You can request more detailed information on 
every entry:
Select the entry and press the controller.
To exit from the menu:
Move the controller to the left.
Symbols
No service is currently required. 
The deadline for service or a legally man-
dated inspection is approaching. Please 
arrange a service appointment.
The service deadline has already passed. 
Entering deadlines for legally required 
inspections*
Make sure the date on the Control Display is set 
correctly, refer to page79, otherwise the effec-
tiveness of CBS Condition Based Service is not 
ensured.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status" 

Controls Overview
82 3."Select current speed"
4.Press the controller.
The system adopts your current speed as the 
limit.
Activating/deactivating limit
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Limit"
3."Limit warning"
4.Press the controller.
 The limit warning is switched on.
Settings on Control Display
Language on Control Display
Setting the language
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"3."Language:"
4.Select the desired language.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Setting the voice dialog
Switch between a standard dialog and a short 
dialog.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"
3."Speech mode:"
4.Select the desired dialog.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Warning signal volume
You can raise or lower the volume of the warn-
ing signals, e.g., the "Fasten safety belt" 
reminder, relative to the entertainment sound 
output. The warning signals have a fixed mini-
mum and maximum volume that cannot be 
dropped below or exceeded.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1."Settings"
2."Tone" 

Navigation
Driving tips
 139Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
addition, pressing the controller makes further 
functions available:
> Select a symbol and "Start guid-
ance", if necessary.
>"Exit interactive map"
>Map view
>"Display destination"
The map section around the destination 
is displayed.
>"Display current location"
The map section around your current 
location is displayed.
>"Find points of interest", refer to 
page136.
Entering a destination by 
voice commands*
General information
You can enter a desired destination via the 
voice activation system. When entering the 
destination, it is possible to change between 
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command function for this pur-
pose if necessary.
You can have the possible commands 
read aloud via {Voice commands}.<
Saying the entries
>Countries, towns and cities, streets and 
intersections can be said as whole words or 
spelled in the system language, refer to 
page82.Example: to enter a destination in a US state 
as a complete word, the system language 
must be English.
>The town/city, street and house number 
can be said as a single sentence.
*
>Spell the entry if the language region and 
the system language differ.
>Say the letters smoothly, and avoid exag-
gerating the pronunciation and inserting 
lengthy pauses between the letters.
Entering an address*
1.Press the   button on the steering wheel.
3.Wait for a request from the system.
4.Say the town or city, street and house num-
ber in a single sentence.
5.Continue making the entry as prompted by 
the system.
6.If necessary, individually name the separate 
components of the address, e.g., the town/
city.
Entering a town/city
The town/city can be spelled or entered as a 
complete word
*.
The methods of entry depend on the nav-
igation data in use and the country and 
language settings.<
2.Wait for the system to prompt you for the 
town/city.
3.Say the name of the town/city, or name at 
least the first three letters.
Depending on the entry, up to 20 towns/cit-
ies may be suggested.
2.{Enter address}
1.{City} or {Spell city}.
4.Select town/city:
>Select a recommended town/city: 
{Yes}
>Select other town/city: {New entry}
>Select an entry, e.g., {Entry 2}
>Spell an entry: {Spell city} 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 163Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Video menu
To open the Video menu:
1.Turn the controller during playback.
2.Press the controller when "Back" is dis-
played.
The Video menu is displayed:
In fast forward/reverse: the speed increases 
every time the controller is pressed. To stop, 
start playback.
DVD menu
1.If necessary, turn the controller to open the 
video menu.
2. "DVD menu"
The DVD menu is displayed. The display 
depends on the contents of the DVD.
>To select menu items: move and press the 
controller.
>To change to the Video menu: turn the con-
troller and select "Back".
DVD/VCD settings
For some DVDs, settings can only be made via 
the DVD menu; refer also to the information on 
your DVD.
Language*
1.Turn the controller during playback.
2.Open "Options".3."Audio/language"
4.Select the desired language.
The languages that are available depend on the 
DVD.
Subtitles*
Subtitles can be selected if they are contained 
on the DVD.
1.Turn the controller during playback.
2.Open "Options".
3."Subtitles"
4.Select the desired language or "Do not dis-
play subtitles".
Brightness, contrast, color
1.Turn the controller during playback.
2.Open "Options".
3."Display settings"
SymbolFunction
Open the DVD menu
*
Start playback
Pause
Stop
Next chapter/next track
Previous chapter/previous 
track
Fast forward
Reverse