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 page279.
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
55Transporting children safely
59Driving
71Everything under control
82Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
102Lamps
107Climate
115Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
130Things to remember when driving
Navigation
140Navigation system
141Destination entry
150Destination guidance
157What to do if …
Entertainment
160On/off and tone
163Radio
166Satellite radio
171CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
178Music collection
183External devices
187DVD system in rear
Communications
202Telephone
213Contacts
215BMW Assist
Mobility
224Refueling
229Wheels and tires
239Under the hood
244Maintenance
246Care
250Replacing components
261Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
268Technical data
273Short commands of voice activation
system
279Everything from A to Z
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Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Rear window safety switch38
2Opening and closing windows37
3Folding exterior mirrors in and out
*52
4Adjusting exterior mirrors52
Automatic curb monitor
*53
5
Instrument lighting105
Fog lamps105
*
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At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
9BMW X6: upshifting or downshifting
with automatic transmission65
10Instrument panel12
13Ignition lock5914Buttons on steering wheel
15Horn, entire surface
18Releasing hood239 6
Parking lamps102
Low beams102
Automatic headlamp control
*102
Adaptive Head Light
*103
High-beam assistant
*104
7
Head-Up Display
*100
8
Turn signals67
High beams, headlamp flasher67
High-beam assistant
*104
Roadside parking lamps
*104
Time, date, outside temperature,
Check Control71, 78
Computer73
11
Windshield wipers67
Rain sensor68
BMW X5: rear window wiper68
12Starting/stopping engine and
switching ignition on/off 59
Telephone*:
Accepting and ending calls, start
dialing
* selected phone number,
redialing if no phone number is
selected
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
* 22
Changing the radio station
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode, 110
Steering wheel heating
*54
16
Steering wheel adjustment53
17
Cruise control
*69
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At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for
telephone
* and for voice activation
system
*22
2Initiating
an emergency request261
3Reading lamps106
4Glass sunroof38, 40
5Interior lamps106
6Passenger airbag status lamp98
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system27
10Opening glove compartment118
11Automatic climate control with 2-zone
control108
Automatic climate control with 4-zone
control
*112
12Changing
>radio station160
>track160
13Selecting radio, CD and CD/DVD changer
*
14Selecting AM or FM waveband
16Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
17Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
18Automatic Hold61
19Parking brake61
20Adaptive Drive
*91
21Programmable memory buttons20
22Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume160
23Ejecting audio CD Manual air distribution110
Automatic air distribution and
volume108
Cooling function110
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control110
Maximum cooling110
Air volume109
Residual heat utilization110
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation109
Rear window defroster109
Seat heating
*50
Active seat ventilation
*51
15
Opening liftgate30, 33
Active seat
*52
PDC Park Distance Control
*82
Top View
*84
rear view camera
*86
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control88
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control89
HDC Hill Descent Control90
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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 ever 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
Using iDrive, set the language that applies for
the voice activation system in order to enable
identification of the spoken commands. To set
the language of iDrive, refer to page81.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
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 appears on the Control Display
when you can enter additional commands.
If no other commands are possible, then oper-
ate the equipment via iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice
command 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 available commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD/DVD" is selected, the com-
mands for operating CD/Multimedia are read
aloud.
Running functions directly with short
commands
With short commands you can carry out certain
functions directly, regardless of which menu
item is selected, refer to page273.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice acti-
vation system.
{Cancel}
{Voice commands}
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Controls
27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page80
>Date format, refer to page80
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page67
>Welcome lamps, refer to page102
>Pathway lighting, refer to page103
>Daytime driving lamps
*, refer to
page103
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page104
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page83
>Top View
*: optical warning, refer to
page85
>Rear view camera
*:
>Selecting functions, refer to page86
>Type of display, refer to page87
>Head-Up Display
*: selection, brightness
and position of display, refer to page100
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated-air control/recirculated-
air mode, temperature, air distribution, ven-
tilation temperature, starting on page108
>Programmable memory buttons: selecting
stored functions, refer to page20
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page45
>Adaptive Drive
*: selected chassis and sus-
pension tuning, refer to page91
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page160
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page165
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page164
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages205,210
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
>liftgate
>Fuel filler door
Operating from outside
>using the remote control
>using the door lock
>with comfort access
* using the door han-
dles
The interior lamps and the courtesy lamps
* are
also switched on and off with the remote con-
trol. The alarm system
is armed/disarmed at the
same time.
You can find more detailed information on the
alarm system
on page34.
Operating from inside
Using the button for central locking, refer to
page30. The fuel filler door is not locked.
In an accident of sufficient severity, the central
locking system automatically unlocks the vehi-
cle. In addition, the hazard warning flashers and
interior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle
could lock the doors from the inside.
Always take along the remote control when
leaving the vehicle so that the vehicle can then
be opened from the outside.<
Unlocking
Press the button.
This unlocks the vehicle.
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Opening and closing
28
Setting unlocking behavior
You can set whether the first press of the button
unlocks only the driver's door or the entire vehi-
cle.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Unlock button"
4.Select a menu item:
>"All doors"
Press the button once to unlock the
entire vehicle.
>"Driver's door only"
Press the button once to unlock only
the driver's door and the fuel filler door.
Press the button twice to unlock the
entire vehicle.
5.Press the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Comfort opening
Press and hold the button. The windows and
the glass sunroof
*/panorama glass sunroof*
are opened.
Locking
Press the button.
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
persons are inside because unlocking
from the inside is not possible without special
knowledge.<
Switching on interior lamps
With vehicle locked:
Press the button.You can also use this function to locate your
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Panic mode*
You can also trigger the alarm system in case of
danger:
Press the button for at least 3 seconds.
Switch off alarm: press any button.
Unlocking liftgate
Press the button for approx. 1 second.
The liftgate will open slightly, regardless of
whether it was previously locked or unlocked.
During opening, the liftgate pivots back
and up. Ensure that adequate clearance is
available before opening.
To prevent accidentally locking yourself out,
never lay the remote control in the cargo bay. A
previously locked liftgate is also locked again
after closing.<
If pointed or sharp-edged objects could
strike the rear window while driving, be
sure to provide protection around all edges.
Failure to do so could result in damage to the
heating conductors of the rear window.<
Confirmation signals
You can activate or deactivate the confirmation
signals.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Flash when lock/unlock"
4.Press the controller.
Flashing when locking/unlocking the vehi-
cle is switched on.
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Controls
31Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Opening from inside
Press the button: the liftgate opens somewhat
unless it has been locked.
Opening from outside
Press the button on the liftgate or the button
on the remote control for approx. 1 second:
The liftgate opens somewhat. It can be swung
upward.
Opening manually
In case of an electrical malfunction:
1.From the cargo bay, press out the handle in
the liftgate, refer to arrow, with a screw-
driver and pull. The liftgate is unlocked.
2.Open the liftgate and press in the handle.
The liftgate is locked again as soon as it is
closed.
Closing
Make sure that the closing path of the lift-
gate is clear, otherwise injuries may
result.<
The handle recesses on the interior trim of the
liftgate make it easier to pull down.
If pointed or sharp-edged objects could
strike the rear window while driving, be
sure to provide protection around all edges.
Failure to do so could result in damage to the
heating conductors of the rear window.<
Automatic liftgate operation*
Adjusting opening height
You can adjust how far the liftgate is to open.
When adjusting the opening height, make
sure that at least approx. 4 in/10 cm of
clearance is available above the liftgate. Other-
wise, the ceiling height could be insufficient for
the opened liftgate if, for example, the loading
state changes.<
1."Settings"
2."Tailgate"
3.Turn the controller until the desired open-
ing height is selected.
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