
Driving
40 engage it too forcefully. In doing so, continu-
ously press the button of the handbrake lever. 
Otherwise, excessively forceful engagement of 
the handbrake can cause the rear wheels to lock 
and cause the rear of the vehicle to fishtail.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally engage the hand-
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming 
to a stop if traffic conditions permit. The brake 
lamps do not light up when the handbrake is 
applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise, 
an inadvertent shift into 3rd or 4th gear could 
harm the engine.<
Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. Press 
the gearshift lever to the left to overcome the 
resistance.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page41.
Parking vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and engage the 
handbrake before leaving the vehicle with the 
engine running.<
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started in selector lever 
positions P: Park or N: Neutral.
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
The selector lever position is indicated, and in 
the manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Changing selector lever positions
>Only move the selector lever from posi-
tion P with the engine running: interlock.
>When the vehicle is stationary, step on the 
brake before shifting out of P or N; other-
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a drive position, press 
on the brake pedal until you are ready to 
start driving.<
A lock prevents the selector lever from being 
inadvertently moved into positions R and P. To 
release the lock, press the button on the front of 
the selector lever handle, refer to arrow. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 41
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The 
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels 
from turning.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can shift into neutral, for example, in auto-
matic car washes. This allows the vehicle to roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is the lowest when the vehicle is 
driven in position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration. 
Press the accelerator pedal past the increased 
resistance point at the full-throttle position.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move the selector lever from position D toward 
the left into the M/S shifting slot.
The Sport program is activated and SD appears 
in the instrument cluster. This position is rec-
ommended for a performance-oriented driving 
style.
When you push the selector lever forward or 
pull it back, this activates the manual mode and 
Steptronic changes gear. The instrument clus-
ter displays M1 to M6.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; as a result, for example, a downshift that would cause the 
engine to overrev will not be executed by the 
system. The gear selected will appear briefly in 
the instrument cluster, followed by the current 
gear.
To use the automatic function again, move the 
selector lever to the right into position D.
Malfunction
Red warning lamp
The transmission is overheated. 
Reduce speed immediately and stop at 
a suitable location so that the transmis-
sion can cool down again. It is possible to con-
tinue driving moderately.
Have the system checked immediately.
Yellow warning lamp
A malfunction has occurred in the trans-
mission system. Avoid heavy loads.
While it will still remain possible to move 
the selector lever to any desired position, the 
transmission will revert to its default mode with 
only a limited number of forward gears. 
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Instructions on towing, tow starting and jump 
starting begin on page121.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
54 After releasing the brake, start driving immedi-
ately; otherwise, the acceleration assistant will 
no longer hold the vehicle after approx. 
2 seconds and the vehicle will start to roll back-
ward.<
Malfunction
The warning lamp for the brake system 
lights up in yellow. The acceleration 
assistant has failed. The vehicle will not 
be held after the brake is released. Have the 
system checked as soon as possible.
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor detects a pressure loss in 
a tire based on comparing the speeds of the 
individual wheels while driving.
In the event of a pressure loss, a change occurs 
in the rolling circumference and therefore the 
rotation speed of the corresponding wheel. 
This change is detected and signaled as a flat 
tire.
Functional requirement
To ensure the reliable signaling of a flat tire, the 
system must be initialized at the correct tire 
inflation pressure.
The initialization must be carried out after 
each correction of the tire inflation pres-
sure and after every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot predict sud-
den severe tire damage caused by out-
side factors and does not detect a natural, even 
pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be 
delayed or malfunction:
>When the system has not been initialized
>When driving on snow-covered or slippery 
road surfaces
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels, 
high lateral acceleration.>When driving with snow chains
*
When driving with a compact wheel, the Flat 
Tire Monitor cannot operate.
Initializing system
The initialization is completed while driv-
ing and can be interrupted at any time. 
The initialization automatically continues when 
driving resumes. 
Do not initialize the system when driving with 
snow chains
* or with a compact wheel.<
1.Start the engine just before driving, but do 
not begin to drive.
2.Press the button for at least 4 seconds, but 
not longer than 2 minutes. After the button 
is released, the indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up yellow for a few sec-
onds.
3.Begin driving.
The initialization is completed while driving, 
without requiring any further input from you.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. In addi-
tion, an acoustic signal sounds. There is 
a flat tire or extensive inflation pressure 
loss.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering 
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire.
If identification is not possible, con-
tact your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to 
Wheel changes on page115. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 55
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow. The 
Flat Tire Monitor is malfunctioning or 
out of order. Have the system checked 
as soon as possible.
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor*
The concept
TPM controls the tire inflation pressure in the 
four mounted wheels. The system notifies you 
if the tire inflation pressure has fallen signifi-
cantly in one or more tires.
Functional requirement
To ensure the reliable signaling of a flat tire, the 
system must be reset at the correct tire inflation 
pressure.
Always use wheels equipped with TPM elec-
tronics, including a metal valve; otherwise, there 
is no guarantee that the system will function 
properly.
The system must be reset after every cor-
rection of tire inflation pressure and after 
every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
TPM cannot warn you of sudden, serious 
tire damage due to external factors.<
The system does not function properly if it has 
not been reset, e.g. it may identify a tire as flat in 
spite of the fact that the tire is filled to the cor-
rect inflation pressure.
The system is deactivated and is unable to 
detect flat tires if a wheel not equipped with 
TPM electronics has been mounted, e.g. a 
compact wheel, or if TPM is experiencing tem-
porary interference from other systems or 
devices that use the same frequency.
Resetting system
The system must be reset after every cor-
rection of tire inflation pressure and after 
every tire or wheel change.<1.Start engine, but do not begin to drive.
2.Press the button until the yellow warning 
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up for a 
few seconds.
3.Begin driving.
After a few minutes of driving, the tire infla-
tion pressures in the tires are adopted as 
the desired values to be monitored. The 
resetting is completed during driving and 
can be interrupted at any time without 
requiring any input from you. The resetting 
automatically continues when driving 
resumes.
Low tire pressure message
The warning lamp lights up yellow. In 
addition, a signal sounds. You have a 
flat tire or a significant loss of tire pres-
sure in one or more tires.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering 
maneuvers.
2.Identify the damaged wheel or wheels.
If identification is not possible, con-
tact your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to 
Wheel changes on page115.
4.Check tire inflation pressure and correct as 
needed.
The compact wheel is not equipped with the 
required TPM electronics and is not monitored 
when mounted.
When driving with the compact wheel, the sys-
tem indicates a malfunction. 

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
56 Have the damaged tire replaced by your BMW 
Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop 
that is familiar with TPM and works in accor-
dance with BMW repair procedures, using 
appropriately trained personnel.
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and 
then lights up continuously. Flat tires 
cannot be detected.
Such a message is displayed in the following 
situations:
>When a malfunction is occurring:
Have the system checked
>When a wheel without TPM electronics is 
mounted, e.g. a compact wheel
>When TPM is experiencing temporary inter-
ference from other systems or devices that 
use the same frequency
NHTSA/FMVSS-required explanation 
of 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring 
System
Each tire, including the spare, should be 
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the 
inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle 
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a 
different size than the size indicated on the 
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, 
then you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires. As an added safety 
feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a 
tire pressure monitoring system, TPMS, that 
illuminates a low tire pressure warning lamp 
when one or more of your tires are significantly 
underinflated. When the low tire pressure warn-
ing lamp lights up, you should stop and check 
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them 
to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly 
underinflated tire causes the tire to overheat 
and can lead to tire failure. Underinflation also 
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and 
may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping 
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the 
driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if underinflation has not reached 
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low 
tire pressure warning lamp.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined 
with the low tire pressure warning lamp. When 
the system detects a malfunction, the warning 
lamp will flash for approximately one minute and 
then remain continuously illuminated. This 
sequence will continue upon subsequent vehi-
cle startups as long as the malfunction exists. 
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, 
the system may not be able to detect or signal 
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alternate 
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the 
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check 
the TPMS malfunction warning lamp after 
replacing one or more tires or wheels on your 
vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to con-
tinue to function properly.Brake force display
The brake lamps light up in two stages, 
depending on how heavily you apply the brakes.
>Normal braking
The brake lamps and the center brake lamp 
light up.
>Heavy braking
The rear fog lamps light up as well. 

Lamps
60
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position3, the low beams are 
switched on or off automatically, for example in 
tunnels, at dawn and dusk, and in the event of 
precipitation. The Adaptive Head Light
* is acti-
vated.
When you enter a tunnel with bright ceiling 
lighting, this can delay the switching on of your 
low beams.
The headlamps can also come on when the sun 
is low on the horizon in a blue sky.
The low beams remain switched on 
regardless of the ambient light when you 
switch on the front fog lamps
*.
When the daytime driving lamps are activated, 
refer to page59, the low beam headlamps are 
always switched on when the switch is in posi-
tion3 and the ignition is switched on.<
If so desired, the light switch can remain in 
position3. The exterior lamps are automatically 
switched off after the ignition is switched off.
Automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for the driver's judg-
ment in determining when the vehicle lamps 
should be switched on. For example, the sys-
tem cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To 
avoid safety risks, you should always switch on 
the low beams manually under these condi-
tions.<
You can have the sensitivity of the head-
lamp control adjusted.<
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables better illumination 
of the road surface. Depending on the steering 
angle and other parameters, the light from the 
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves, e.g. serpentines, or when mak-
ing turns, up to a speed of approx. 43 mph/
70 km/h, a turning lamp is switched on and illu-
minates the inside of the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition on, turn the light switch to the 
Automatic headlamp control position, refer to 
page59.
The turning lamp is switched on automatically 
depending on the steering angle or the turn sig-
nal position.
In order not to blind oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light points toward the passenger 
side when the vehicle is stopped. When driving 
in reverse, only the turning lamp is active and 
lights up the region on the outside of the curve.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is 
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system 
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also have the option of lighting up just one 
side of your vehicle when parking. When doing 
so, be sure to comply with national regulations.
After switching off the engine, press the lever 
up or down past the resistance point, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. For this reason, avoid using them for 
extended periods; otherwise, it may no longer 
be possible to start the engine.< 

Air conditioner
64
Air volume
You can vary the air volume in 
steps 1 through 4. The heating or 
cooling output is more effective 
with a higher air volume.
Switching system on/off
Turn air volume rotary switch to 0. This com-
pletely shuts off the blower and air conditioning 
system and stops the flow of air.
To switch on the air conditioning system, set an 
arbitrary air volume.
Temperature
To increase the temperature, turn 
to the right, toward red.
For a lower temperature, turn the 
rotary switch counterclockwise 
toward blue.
Air distribution
You can direct air to flow onto the 
windows  , toward the upper 
body   and into the footwell  . 
Intermediate settings are possible.
Rear window defroster
The rear window heating switches 
off automatically after a certain 
amount of time. Depending on 
your equipment package, the upper wires are 
used as an antenna and are not part of the rear 
window defroster.
Switching cooling function on/off
When the cooling function is on, 
the air is cooled, dehumidified, and 
then reheated depending on the 
temperature setting. This function is only avail-
able with the engine running.
The cooling function helps to prevent conden-
sation from forming on the windows or to 
remove it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may 
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant 
odors outside the vehicle by tem-
porarily suspending the supply of 
outside air. The system then recirculates the air 
currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the 
inside window surfaces during operation 
in recirculated-air mode, you should switch it off 
and increase the air supply as needed. 
The recirculated-air mode should not be used 
over a sustained period of time; otherwise, the 
air quality inside the vehicle will steadily deteri-
orate.<
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
1.Air volume 1 at level 4.
2.Temperature 2 toward right, red.
3.Air distribution 3 in position  .
4.Deactivate recirculated-air mode 5.
5.Switch on the rear window heating 4 to 
defrost the rear window.
6.Switch on cooling function. 

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
 83
Saving fuel
The fuel consumption of your vehicle is depen-
dent on various factors. You can improve your 
vehicle's fuel consumption and reduce the 
strain on the environment with several mea-
sures, your driving style and regular mainte-
nance.
Removing unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Removing attached parts following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage 
racks which are no longer required following 
use. Attached parts on the vehicle impair the 
aerodynamics and increase the fuel consump-
tion.
Closing windows and panorama glass 
sunroof
An open panorama glass sunroof or an open 
window also increases the aerodynamic drag, 
and with it the fuel consumption.
Checking tire inflation pressures 
regularly
Check the tire inflation pressures at least twice 
a month and before starting off on a longer trip 
and correct them if necessary.
An insufficient tire inflation pressure increases 
the rolling resistance, therefore increasing fuel 
consumption and tire wear.
Driving off immediately
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it 
running while the vehicle remains stationary. 
Instead, drive off immediately at a moderate 
engine speed. This enables a cold engine to 
reach its operating temperature most rapidly.
Looking well ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking by 
maintaining a corresponding distance to the 
vehicle driving ahead. Driving smoothly and 
looking ahead reduces fuel consumption.
Avoiding high engine speeds
Only use 1st gear when starting off. Accelerate 
briskly from 2nd gear while avoiding high 
engine speeds and shifting up prematurely.
When the desired speed is reached, shift into 
the highest possible gear and drive at constant 
speed at the lowest possible engine speed.
Always remember: driving at low engine speeds 
decreases fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Using overrun conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot off 
the accelerator and allow the vehicle to coast in 
the highest possible gear.
On a downhill stretch of road, take your foot off 
the accelerator and allow the vehicle to coast in 
the suitable gear.
The flow of fuel is interrupted in overrun.
Switching off engine during longer 
stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g. 
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic 
jams. You already save fuel from approx. 4 sec-
onds with the engine switched off.
Switching off functions currently not 
required
Functions like the air conditioner, seat heating 
or the rear-window defroster require a lot of 
energy and consume additional fuel. This plays 
a major role especially when driving in urban 
and in stop-and-go traffic. Therefore, switch off 
these functions when they are not really 
required.
Having maintenance carried out
Have regular maintenance performed on the 
vehicle to achieve optimum the economy and 
service life of your vehicle. BMW recommends 
having maintenance carried out by a BMW 
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. Also observe 
the BMW maintenance system, refer to 
page106.