Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page230.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
43Adjusting
52Transporting children safely
55Driving
65Controls Overview
75Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
89Lamps
94Climate
100Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
108Things to remember when driving
112 BMW M6 Engineering
Navigation
116Navigation system
117Destination entry
126Destination guidance
132What to do if…
Entertainment
136On/off and tone
139Radio
142Satellite radio
144CD/DVD player and CD changer
151Music collection
156External devices
Communications
162Telephone
174Contacts
176BMW Assist
Mobility
184Refueling
186Wheels and tires
192Under the hood
197Maintenance
199Care
203Replacing components
212Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
220Technical data
224Short commands of voice activation
system
230Everything from A to Z
5Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The individual vehicle
When purchasing your BMW, you have decided
in favor of a model with individualized equip-
ment and features. This Owner's Manual
describes all equipment offered for the
BMW M6.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
BMW pursues a policy of continuous, ongoing
development that is conceived to ensure that
our vehicles continue to embody the highest
quality and safety standards combined with
advanced, state-of-the-art technology. For this
r e a s o n , i t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e f e a t u r e s d e s c r i b e d
in this Owner's Manual could differ from those
on your vehicle.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repairs
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and high-performance
electronics, requires specially adapted mainte-
nance and repair methods. Therefore, have cor-
responding work on your BMW performed only
by your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con-
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country and continental region in order to
deliver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be required to adapt your vehi-
cle to meet different prevailing operating condi-
tions and homologation requirements. You
should also be aware of any applicable warranty
limitations or exclusions for such country or
region. In such case, please contact Customer
Relations for further information.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone (800) 831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your center, or BMW of
North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may call
1-800-333-0510 toll-free from anywhere in
Canada or 1-613-993-9851 from the Ottawa
region and from other countries, or contact
Transport Canada by mail at: Transport Can-
ada, ASFAD, Place de Ville, Tower C,
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca
At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
8Shift paddles59
9Buttons on steering wheel
10Instrument cluster12
13Ignition lock55
14Horn, entire surface17Releasing hood192
Mobile phone
*162:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call, starting dialing
* of
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
* 22
Changing radio station139
Selecting music track144
Scrolling in phone book and in lists
with stored phone numbers
MDrive, call up individual
settings50
Changing entertainment source
11
Windshield wipers62
Rain sensor62
12Starting/stopping engine and
switching ignition on/off 55
15
Steering wheel heater
*50
Steering wheel adjustment50
16
Cruise control63
18Opening luggage compartment
lid31
19
Head-up Display
*86
20
Parking lamps89
Low beams89
Welcome lamps89
Automatic headlamp control89
Daytime running lamps
*90
Welcome lamps89
Adaptive Light Control
*90
High-beam Assistant
*91
21
Instrument lighting93
At a glance
13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the upper edge of the Control
Display explain the meaning of the displayed
indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e. g. on the cause and
elimination of a malfunction, can be opened via
the Check Control system, refer to page70.
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 signal particular
functions:
Parking lamps/low beams89
High beams/headlamp flasher91
Parking brake applied57
Parking brake applied for Canadian
models
Lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive and braking
forces for maintaining vehicle
stability76
MDrive50
M Dynamic Mode77
Exhaust-gas values198
Exhaust-gas values for Canadian
models198
At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for tele-
phone
*
and voice activation system*22
Convertible: microphone on steering col-
umn
2Reading lamps93
3SOS: initiating
an emergency request212
4Interior lamps93
5Passenger airbag status lamp84
6Control Display16
7Hazard warning flashers
8Central locking system30
9Automatic climate control94
10CD/DVD drive136
11Programmable memory buttons20
12Switching entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume136
13Changing
>radio station139
>track13614Ejecting CD/DVD144
16Bracket for cupholder
*103
17Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
18Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
19Drivelogic of Sequential Manual
Transmission59
20EDC Electronic Damper Control for
Sequential Manual Transmission79
21DSC Dynamic Stability Control for Sequen-
tial Manual Transmission76
22M Engine Dynamic Control POWER for
Sequential Manual Transmission60
23EDC Electronic Damper Control for manual
transmission
*79
24MDM
>M Dynamic Mode for manual
transmission
*76
>Switching DSC on and off in manual
transmission
*77 Temperature setting, left/right95
Automatic air distribution and
volume95
Cooling function96
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode96
Maximum cooling96
Residual heat mode97
Switching off automatic climate
control97
Air volume96
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation96
Rear window defroster96
15
Heated seats48
PDC Park Distance Control
*75
Flat Tire Monitor79
Convertible: opening the convert-
ible top38
Convertible: closing the convertible
top38
iDrive
16
iDrive
iDrive combines the functions of a large number
of switches. This allows these functions to be
operated from a central position. The following
section provides an introduction to basic menu navigation. The control of the individual func-
tions is described in connection with the rele-
vant equipment.
Controls
1Control Display
2Controller with buttons
You can use the buttons to open the menus
directly. The controller can be used to
select the menu items and create settings.
>Call up a menu directly, arrow3
>Move in four directions, arrows4
>Turn, arrow5
>Press, arrow6To avoid posing an unnecessary hazard
due to inattention, both to your own vehi-
cle's occupants and to other road users: never
attempt to use the controls or make entries
unless traffic and road conditions allow.<
At a glance
17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Basic operation
From radio readiness, refer to page55, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
The message is hidden after approx. 10 sec-
onds.
Opens the main menu
Press the MENU button.
The main menu is displayed.All iDrive functions can be called up via the main
menu.
Selecting a menu item
The menu items shown in white can be
selected.
1.Turn the controller until the desired menu
item is highlighted.
2.Press the controller.
A new menu is displayed or the function is exe-
cuted.
Menu items in the Owner's Manual
In the Owner's Manual, menu items that can be
selected are set in quotation marks, e. g.
"Settings".
Changing between panels
After selecting a menu item, e.g. "Radio", a new
menu is displayed on a panel. The panels can
overlap.
Buttons on the controllerFunction
MENU Opens the main menu
RADIO Opens the Radio menu
CD Opens CD/Multimedia
NAV Opens the Navigation menu
TEL Opens the Telephone menu
BACK Opens the previous menu
OPTION Opens the Options menu