
Controls
 69Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. For 
this reason, keep it away from ignition 
sources and store only in the closed original 
container out of reach of children. Otherwise, 
there is the danger of bodily injury. Always 
observe the instructions for use provided on the 
containers.<
Filler neck for washer fluid
Only add washer fluid with the engine 
cooled down to exclude contact with hot 
engine components. Otherwise there is a dan-
ger of fire and to personal safety if the fluid is 
spilled.<
All washer nozzles are supplied from one reser-
voir.
Fill with water and – if required – with a washer 
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
In order to maintain the mixture ratio, mix 
the washer fluid before filling.<
Capacity
Approx. 6.3 US quarts/6 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
The cruise control with a braking function is 
available for use at speeds of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h and higher. The vehicle stores and 
maintains the speed that you set using the lever 
mounted on the steering column. To keep the 
specified speed constant, the system brakes if the engine braking effect is not sufficient on a 
downhill grade.
Do not use the cruise control under driv-
ing conditions that do not permit a con-
stant speed, e.g. when driving on winding 
roads, in heavy traffic or in poor road conditions 
such as snow, rain, ice, and loose road surface. 
Otherwise you could lose control of the vehicle 
and cause an accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Storing speed and maintaining or increas-
ing
2Storing speed and maintaining or decreas-
ing
3Deactivating cruise control
4Resuming stored speed
Maintaining current speed
Briefly press, arrow1, or briefly pull, arrow2 
lever.
The speed currently being driven is stored and 
maintained. It is indicated on the speedometer 
and briefly in the instrument panel.
The controlled speed can drop on uphill grades 
if the engine output is insufficient. If the engine 
braking effect is not sufficient on a downhill 
grade, the system lightly brakes the vehicle.
Increasing speed
Repeatedly press the lever up to or beyond the 
resistance point, arrow1, until the desired 
speed is set.
>Each time the lever is pressed to the resis-
tance point, the speed is increased by 
approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
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Everything under control
72
Tachometer
Do not operate the engine with the needle in the 
red overspeed zone of the gauge, refer to arrow. 
At high revs in this range, the flow of fuel is 
interrupted to protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
Should the coolant, and with it the engine 
become too hot, a warning lamp lights up. In 
addition, a message appears on the Control 
Display.
Checking coolant level, refer to page243.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at operating temperature, 
the engine oil temperature is between approx. 
1707/806 and approx. 2507/1206.
When the engine oil temperature is too high, a 
warning lamp lights up in the instrument panel.
Energy control*
Displays the current fuel consumption. This 
allows you to see whether your current driving 
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
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Controls
 73Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 22.5 US gal/
85 liters. You will find information on refueling 
on page224.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period, 
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for 
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
After the reserve quantity has been reached, a 
message briefly appears on the Control Display; 
the remaining range is shown in the computer. 
Below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the 
message remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not 
ensured and damage can occur.<
Computer
Displays in instrument panel
To display the information, press the BC button 
on the turn signal lever.The following information is displayed:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
>BMW X6: Dynamic Performance Control, 
refer to page90
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available 
with the remaining fuel. The range is projected 
based on the driving style over the last 20 miles/
30 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not 
ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine 
stopped are not included in the calculations of 
average speed.
To reset average speed: press the BC button on 
the turn signal lever for approx. 2 seconds.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for 
the time during which the engine is running.
To reset average fuel consumption: 
Press the BC button on the turn signal lever for 
approx. 2 seconds.
For different routes
You can display the average speed and average 
consumption for two different routes on the 
Control Display, refer to the following and to 
Trip computer
*.
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Controls
 75Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1.With the ignition switched on, press the 
knob in the instrument panel, refer to 
page71, for approx. 5 seconds until the 
service requirements are displayed.
2.Press the knob repeatedly to display the 
individual service requirement items.
Displaying service requirements
1Knob for selecting display
2Service requirements
3Engine oil
4Legally mandated inspections
*
5Front brake pads
6Rear brake pads
7Brake fluidThe sequence of the displayed maintenance 
items can vary. First the data for the next main-
tenance are displayed.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
Technology for comfort, convenience and 
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
In addition to the PDC Park Distance Control, 
the rear view camera
*, refer to page86, can 
also be switched on.
PDC assists you during parking. A slow 
approach to an object in front of or behind your 
vehicle is announced by:
>Signal tones
>Optical displays
Measurement
Ultrasonic sensors in the bumpers carry out the 
measurement.
Their range is approx. 7 ft/2 m.
The acoustic warning begins:
>at approx. 24 in/60 cm for the front
* sen-
sors and the two rear corner sensors.
>at approx. 5 ft/1.50 m for the middle sen-
sors in the rear.
System limitations
PDC cannot replace the personal assess-
ment of the traffic situation. Also make a 
direct visual check of the traffic situation around 
the vehicle. Otherwise, there could be a risk of 
accident, for example due to other road users or 
objects outside the detection range of PDC.
Loud sources of sound, inside and outside the 
vehicle, could drown out the PDC signal tone.<
Avoid approaching an object too quickly. 
Avoid starting off quickly while PDC is not 
yet activated.
Otherwise, physical circumstances could cause 
the system to issue a warning late.<
Limitations of ultrasonic measurement
The detection of objects can come up against 
the limitations of physical ultrasonic measure-
ment, for example:
>when using tow bars and towing hitches
>in the presence of thin or wedge-shaped 
objects
>in the presence of low objects
>in the presence of objects with corners and 
sharp edges
Low objects that have already been displayed, 
e.g. curbs, can disappear again from the detec-
tion area of the sensors before or after a contin-
uous tone sounds.
Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges, cannot 
be detected.
False warnings
Under the following conditions, PDC may dis-
play a warning even though no obstacle is 
present in the detection range:
>in heavy rain
>when the sensors are heavily soiled or iced-
over
>when the sensors are covered with snow
>on rough road surfaces
>in large, rectangular buildings with smooth 
walls, e.g. underground garages
>in the presence of heavy exhaust
>due to the presence of other ultrasonic 
sources such as street sweepers, steam 
cleaners, or neon lamps.
Automatic activation
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, shift the selector lever into position R.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
84 The image of the rear view camera is displayed. 
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Malfunction
A Check Control message appears in the 
instrument panel, refer to page77.
The areas in front of and behind the vehicle 
appear in shaded form on the Control Display. 
PDC is malfunctioning. Have the system 
checked.
In order to assure full functionality:
>Keep sensors clean and free of ice.
>Do not spray the sensors with high-pres-
sure cleaners for long periods and keep the 
spray nozzle at least 12 in/30 cm away from 
them.
Top View*
The concept
Top View assists you when parking and maneu-
vering. To accomplish this, the door region and 
road surface region are shown on the Control 
Display.
Detection
Detection is carried out by two cameras inte-
grated into the exterior mirror and the rear view 
camera.
The range is:
>approx. 7 ft/2 m to the side
>approx. 7 ft/2 m to the rear
Obstacles up to the height of the exterior mir-
rors are thus detected in a timely fashion.
System limitations
In the following situations, the function of 
Top View is limited:
>when a door is open
>when the liftgate is open
>when the exterior mirrors are folded in
>under poor lighting conditions
The arrows next to the vehicle are displayed in a 
shaded form on the Control Display and a sym-
bol appears at the corresponding location on 
the vehicle.
Also make a direct visual check of the 
traffic situation around the vehicle. Other-
wise, there could be a risk of accident, for exam-
ple due to other road users or objects outside 
the image range of the camera.<
Automatic activation
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, shift the selector lever into position R.
The images from Top View and PDC are dis-
played when the system has been switched on 
using iDrive.
Automatic deactivation
The system switches off and the LED goes out:
>after approx. 165 ft/50 m when driving for-
ward
>at speeds over approx. 25 mph/35 km/h 
when driving forward
Switch the system back on as needed.
Switching on/off manually
Press the button.
>On: LED lights up.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86
Rear view camera*
The concept
The rear view camera assists you when parking 
and maneuvering in reverse. To accomplish 
this, the region behind your vehicle is shown on 
the Control Display.
System limitations
Also make a direct visual check of the 
traffic situation around the vehicle. Other-
wise, there could be a risk of accident, for exam-
ple due to other road users or objects outside 
the image range of the rear view camera.<
The rear view camera is not able to detect 
objects at greater heights or protruding 
objects such as projections from walls.<
Automatic activation
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, shift the selector lever into position R.
The image of the rear view camera is displayed 
when the system has been switched on using 
iDrive.
Automatic deactivation
The system switches off and the LED goes out:
>after approx. 33 ft/10 m when driving for-
ward
>at speeds over approx. 9 mph/15 km/h 
when driving forward
Switch the system back on as needed.
Switching on/off manually
Press the button.
>On: LED lights up.>Off: LED goes out.
If PDC is displayed, switch on the rear view 
camera using iDrive, refer to page83.
Assistance functions
Function requirements
>Rear view camera is switched on.
>Liftgate is completely closed.
Pathway lines
>Can be displayed in the image of the rear 
view camera when the transmission is in 
reverse.
>Help estimate the required amount of space 
when parking and maneuvering on a flat 
road surface.
>Depend on the current steering angle and 
are continuously adapted to movements of 
the steering wheel.
To display parking aid lines using iDrive, refer to 
page87.
Turning lines
>Can be displayed in the image of the rear 
view camera.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
88
Contrast
With the rear view camera switched on:
1.Select the  symbol.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting 
is displayed and then press the controller.
Camera
The lens of the rear view camera is under the 
grasping lip of the liftgate.
The presence of dirt can impair image quality. 
Clean the lens with a moist, nonabrasive cloth.
Driving stability control 
systems
Your BMW is equipped with an extended array 
of systems designed to enhance and maintain 
vehicle stability under extreme conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during 
braking. Safe steering response is maintained 
even during full braking. Active safety is thus 
increased.
ABS is operational every time you start the 
engine. Braking safely, refer to page132.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking 
during a lane change, driving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the 
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system 
automatically produces the maximum braking 
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal 
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction loss in the driving wheels 
when starting off and accelerating. The system 
also identifies unstable driving conditions, such 
as a loss of traction at the rear of the vehicle or 
sliding of the vehicle in its front wheels. In these 
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe 
course within physical limits by reducing engine 
output and through braking actions in the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed, 
even with DSC. An appropriate driving 
style remains the responsibility of the driver. 
Therefore, do not restrict the additional safety 
margin with a risky driving style, as otherwise 
there is a risk of an accident.<
Deactivating DSC
Press and hold the button until the indicator 
lamp for DSC lights up and DSC OFF appears in 
the instrument panel, but do not press the but-
ton for longer than approx. 10 seconds. DTC 
Dynamic Traction Control and DSC are deacti-
vated together. Stabilizing interventions are 
now not carried out.
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