
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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Controls
 119Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Do not connect USB hard disks.
>Do not use the USB interface to recharge 
external devices.
Center armrest front
A storage compartment is located under the 
armrest between the front seats and, depend-
ing on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for 
the mobile phone bracket or the snap-in 
adapter. Also refer to page202.
Opening cover
Push cover down slightly and press the button. 
The cover folds upward.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such 
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks 
over the vehicle's speaker system:
>AUX-IN connection, refer to page183
>USB audio interface, refer to page183
Storage compartments
Compartments are located in the doors, in the 
center console in the front and rear
* as well as 
in the rear console in the X6.
Storage nets
* are located on the backrests of 
the front seats.
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects 
in the storage nets; otherwise there is an 
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent.<
Clothes hooks
When hanging clothing on the hooks, 
ensure that it will not obstruct the driver's 
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks. 
If you do so, they could cause personal injury to 
occupants during braking or evasive maneu-
vers.<
BMW X5
Clothes hooks are located near the grab han-
dles in the rear.
BMW X6
To fold out, press against upper edge.
Cup holders
Use lightweight, unbreakable containers 
and do not transport hot beverages; oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident. Do not force unsuitable 
containers into the cup holders, as otherwise 
damage can result.<
Front
Slide the cover back.
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Navigation system
140
Navigation system
General information
With the help of satellites, the navigation sys-
tem is able to ascertain the precise position of 
the vehicle and guide you reliably to any desti-
nation you enter.
Navigation data are stored in the vehicle and 
can be updated.
Enter data only with the vehicle station-
ary, and always give priority to the appli-
cable traffic regulations in the event of any con-
tradiction between traffic and road conditions 
and the instructions issued by the navigation 
system. Failure to take to this precaution can 
place you in violation of the law and put vehicle 
occupants and other road users in danger.<
Updating the navigation data
General information
Navigation data and an activation code can be 
obtained from your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Center.
Updating the data can take several hours, 
depending on the volume of data.
>The data are updated as you drive.
>The updating process continues automati-
cally when you resume driving.
>All functions remain available as you drive.
>Data are stored on the hard drive or in the 
internal memory.
>After the updating process is complete, the 
system restarts.
>The medium with the navigation data can 
be removed after the update.
Updating the navigation data
Inserting navigation DVD
1.Insert navigation DVDs into the DVD player 
with the printed side up.
2.Follow the instructions on the Control Dis-
play.
3.Enter the activation code of the navigation 
DVDs and switch DVDs if necessary.
Removing navigation DVD
1.Press the   button1.
The DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
2.Remove the DVD.
If the DVD is not ejected from the drive, it is pos-
sible that it is blocked. In this case a message is 
also shown on the Control Display.
Displaying information on the version
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Navigation system version":
Information on the data version is displayed.
*
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On/off and tone
160
On/off and tone
The following audio and video sources share 
the same control elements and adjustments:
>Radio
>CD/DVD player
>CD/DVD changer
*
>Video
>External devices, e.g. MP3 player
Controls
The audio and video sources can be controlled 
using:
>Buttons near the CD/DVD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page11
>Programmable memory buttons, refer to 
page20
>Voice activation system
Buttons near the CD/DVD player
1Sound output for entertainment on/off, 
volume
>Press: switch on/off
When you switch on the unit, the last set 
radio station or track is played.
>Turn: adjust volume
2 Ejecting CD/DVD
3CD/DVD drive4 Station scan/track search
>Change the radio station
>Select track for CD/DVD player and CD/
DVD changer and certain multimedia 
devices
5MODE: change the audio and video 
sources
6FM/AM: change the radio station wave-
band
Switching on/off
To switch the Entertainment sound output on 
and off:
Press button1 next to the CD/DVD player.
 This symbol on the Control Display indicates 
that sound output is switched off.
The sound output is available for approx. 
20 minutes after the ignition was switched off.
Switch on the sound output again for this pur-
pose.
Adjusting volume
Turn button1 next to the CD/DVD player until 
the desired volume is obtained.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on 
the steering wheel, refer to page11.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble 
and bass or the speed-dependent volume 
increase.
The tone settings are set for all audio sources at 
once.
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
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Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 167Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
The telephone number and electronic serial 
number, ESN, are displayed.
5.Call Sirius to deactivate the channels.
Selecting channels
You can only listen to activated channels.
The selected channel is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Using iDrive
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.Select "All Channels" or the desired cate-
gory.
4.Select desired channel.
Using the button near the CD/DVD 
player
Press the  button for the corresponding 
direction.
The next channel is selected.
Using direct channel entry
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"3."Select channel"
4.Turn the controller until the desired channel 
is displayed and press the controller.
Storing channel
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.Select "All Channels" or the desired cate-
gory.
4.Select desired channel.
5.Press the controller again.
6.Press the controller again in order to con-
firm selection of the highlighted channel.
7.Select the desired memory location.
The channels are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
You can also store the channels on the pro-
grammable memory buttons, refer to page.20.
Change list view
The list view changes each time the first symbol 
on the navigation bar is pressed.
Information about the channel is displayed.
SymbolFunction
Channel name
Artist
Track
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Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 171Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
CD/DVD playback
Inserting CD/DVD
Push the CD/DVD into the drive with the labeled 
side facing upward. The CD/DVD is automati-
cally pulled in.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. CDs/DVDs with compressed audio 
files can take a few minutes to read, depending 
on their directory structure.
Playable formats
CD/DVD player
>DVD: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-
RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD 
audio (video part only), DVD video
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, 
VCD, SVCD
>Compressed audio files: MP3, WMA, AAC
CD changer
*
>CD: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA
DVD changer
*
>DVD: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-
RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD 
audio (video part only), DVD video, CD: CD-
ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, VCD, SVCD
Starting playback
Using iDrive
Fill and insert CD/DVD magazine, refer to 
page175.
To start playback if a CD is already located in 
the player or changer:
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD:
Ejecting CD/DVD
Press the  button next to the CD/DVD player.
The CD/DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
*
SymbolFunction
CD/DVD player
CD/DVD changer
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CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
172
Audio playback
Selecting a track
Press the  button for the corresponding 
direction repeatedly until you reach the desired 
track.
Audio CDs
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD.
4.Select the desired track to begin playback.
CDs / DVDs with compressed audio 
files*
It is possible that not all of the characters on the 
CD/DVD will be correctly displayed, depending 
on the data.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD.
4.Select the directory, if necessary.
To change to a higher level directory: move 
the controller to the left.5.Select the track and press the controller.
Displaying information about the 
track*
If information about a track has been stored, it is 
displayed automatically:
>Artist
>Album title
>Track number on the CD/DVD
>Track file name
Random play sequence
The tracks of the current CD/DVD are played 
once in a random sequence.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD.
4.Open "Options".
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CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
174
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".
Settings for DVD/VCD
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
*
Starting playback
Pause
Stop
Next chapter/next track
Previous chapter/previous track
Fast forward
Reverse
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