
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The quickest way to find special topics is to 
consult the index, refer to page238.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Dashboard
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
43Adjustments
52Transporting children safely
55Driving
68Controls overview
80Technology for driving comfort and 
safety
91Lamps
96Climate
101Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
112Things to remember when driving
Navigation
120Navigation system
121Destination entry
130Destination guidance
137What to do if …
Entertainment
140On/off and tone
143Radio
146Satellite radio
151CD/DVD player and CD changer
158Music collection
163External devices
Communications
170Telephone
182Contacts
184BMW Assist
Mobility
192Refueling
194Wheels and tires
202Under the hood
207Maintenance
209Care
213Replacing components
219Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
226Technical data
231Short commands for the voice activation 
system
238Everything from A to Z 

Controls
 105Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Do not connect USB hard drives.
>Do not use the USB interface to recharge 
external devices.
Center armrest
Storage compartment
The center armrest between the front seats 
contains a credit card holder and, depending on 
the equipment version, a compartment or a 
snap-in adapter
*.
Opening
Press the button, see arrow.
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 car's loudspeaker system:
>AUX-IN port, refer to page163
>USB audio interface
*/additional connection 
of the music player in the mobile phone
*, 
refer to page163
Storage compartments inside 
the vehicle
Compartments are located next to the steering 
column
*, on the doors and in the center con-
sole. 
There are nets
* on the front-seat backrests.
Coupe: clothes hooks
There are clothes hooks in the rear.
Items of clothing hung from the hooks 
must not obstruct the driver's view. Do 
not hang heavy objects from the hooks; other-
wise, they could endanger the car's occupants, 
e.g. in case of heavy braking or sudden swerv-
ing.<
Cupholders
Use lightweight and shatterproof contain-
ers and do not transport hot beverages; 
otherwise, there is an increased risk of injury in 
the event of the accident. Do not force contain-
ers that are too large into the cupholders; other-
wise, damage could result.<
There is one cupholder in the center console.
You can mount an attachable cupholder
* on the 
side of the center console. 

Navigation system
120
Navigation system
General information
With the help of satellites and vehicle sensors, 
the navigation system is able to ascertain the 
precise position of the vehicle and reliably guide 
you to any destination you enter.
Enter data only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary, and always give priority to the 
applicable traffic regulations in the event of any 
contradiction between traffic and road condi-
tions and the instructions issued by the naviga-
tion system. Failure to take to this precaution 
can place you in violation of the law and put 
vehicle occupants and other road users in dan-
ger.<
Navigation data
General information
Navigation data are stored in the vehicle and 
can be updated.
Navigation data and authorization codes are 
available from your BMW center.
Depending on the data volume, a data update 
may take several hours.
>The data are updated while you are driving.
>The update is resumed automatically when 
a trip is continued after an interruption.
>Basic navigation functions are available 
during the trip.
>The data are stored in the vehicle.
>After the update, the system restarts.
>The medium that holds the navigation data 
can be removed after the update is com-
pleted.
Updating the navigation data
Inserting navigation DVD
1.Insert the navigation DVD into the DVD 
player with the labeled side facing up.
2.Follow the instructions on the Control Dis-
play.
3.Enter the authorization code of the naviga-
tion DVD and change the DVD if needed.
Removing navigation DVD
1. Press button1.
The DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
2.Remove the DVD.
Information about navigation data
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Navigation system version":
Information on the data version is displayed.
* 

On/off and tone
140
On/off and tone
The following audio and video sources share 
the same control elements and adjustments:
>Radio
>CD/DVD player
>CD changer
*
>Video*
>External devices, e.g. MP3 player
Controls
The audio and video sources can be controlled 
using the:
>Buttons near the CD/DVD player
>iDrive
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page10
>Programmable memory keys, refer to 
page20
>Voice activation system
Buttons in the area of the CD/DVD 
player
1Sound output for entertainment on/off, vol-
ume
>Press: switch on/off
When you switch on the unit, the last set 
radio station or track is played.
>Turn: adjusting the volume
2 Eject the CD/DVD
3CD/DVD drive
*
4FM/AM: change the radio station wave-
band
5MODE: change the audio and video 
sources
6 Station scan/track search
>Change the radio station
>Select the track for the CD/DVD player, 
CD changer and certain multimedia 
devices
Switching on/off
To switch the entertainment audio output on or 
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.
For sound output, switch the unit back on.
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 page10.
Tone control
You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble 
and bass or the speed-dependent volume 
increase.
The tone settings are applied to all audio 
sources.
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use.
Treble, bass, balance, fader
>"Balance": left/right volume distribution
>"Fader": front/rear volume distribution 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 147Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
4."Manage subscription"
The phone number and an electronic serial 
number, ESN, are displayed.
5.Call Sirius to unsubscribe from the chan-
nels.
Selecting a channel
You can only listen to enabled channels.
The selected channel is stored for the remote 
control currently in use.
Via iDrive
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.Select "All channels" or the desired cate-
gory.
4.Select the desired channel.
Via the button in the area of the CD/
DVD player
 Press the button for the corresponding 
direction.
The next channel is selected.
Via direct channel entry
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3."Select channel"
4.Turn the controller until the desired channel 
is reached and press the controller.
Storing a channel
1."Radio"
2."Satellite radio"
3.Open "All channels" or the desired category 
as needed.
4.Select the desired channel.
5.Press the controller again.
6.Press the controller again to confirm 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 keys, refer to page20.
Changing the list view
The list view changes every time the first sym-
bol on the navigation bar is pressed.
Information on the channel is displayed.
SymbolFunction
Channel name
Artist
Track 

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
 151Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
CD/DVD player and CD changer
CD/DVD playback
Inserting a CD / DVD
Insert the CD/DVD into the drive with the 
labeled side facing up. The CD/DVD is drawn in 
automatically.
Playback starts automatically if the sound out-
put is on. For CDs/DVDs with compressed 
audio files, it can take several minutes to read in 
the data, depending on the 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
Starting playback
Via iDrive
Fill the CD/DVD magazine and insert it, refer to 
page155.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 a CD / DVD
 Press the button next to the CD/DVD player.
The CD/DVD emerges slightly from the drive.
Audio playback
Selecting a track using the button
 Press the button for the appropriate 
direction as often as necessary until the desired 
track is reached.
*
SymbolFunction
CD/DVD player
CD changer 

CD/DVD player and CD changer
152
Selecting a track using iDrive
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*
Depending on the data, some letters and num-
bers of the CD/DVD may not be displayed cor-
rectly.
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 a 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
>Number of tracks on the CD/DVD
>Track file name
Random play sequence
The tracks on the current CD/DVD are played 
once in random sequence.
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."CD/DVD"
3.Select the desired CD or DVD.
4.Open "Options". 

CD/DVD player and CD changer
154 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".
DVD/VCD settings
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"
4."Brightness", "Contrast" or "Color"
5.Turn the controller until the desired setting 
is displayed, and then press the controller. Stop
Next chapter/next track
Previous chapter/previous 
track
Fast forward
Reverse
SymbolFunction