
Climate
98 automatic climate control is optimized for driv-
ing with the convertible top down. In addition, 
the air volume is increased as vehicle speed 
increases.
The effectiveness of the Convertible pro-
gram can be enhanced considerably by 
installing the wind deflector.<
Adjusting air volume manually
To be able to manually adjust the air volume, 
switch off the AUTO program first.
Press the left side of the button to 
reduce air volume. Press the right 
side of the button to increase it.
The air volume may be reduced or the blower 
may be switched off entirely to save on battery 
power. The display remains the same.
Automatic recirculated-air control 
AUC/Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant odors or pollut-
ants in the immediate environment by tempo-
rarily suspending the supply of outside air. The 
system then recirculates the air currently within 
the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to 
select an operating mode:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left-hand LED on, AUC mode: a sensor 
detects pollutants in the outside air and 
controls the shut-off automatically.
>Right-hand LED on, recirculated-air mode: 
the supply of outside air is permanently 
shut off. If the windows fog over, switch off 
recirculated-air mode and increase the air 
volume, if necessary. Make sure that air can 
flow onto the windshield.
The recirculated-air mode should not be 
used continuously for lengthy periods; 
otherwise, the quality of the air inside the car 
will gradually deteriorate.<
Via the button on the steering wheel
You can switch quickly between the recircu-
lated-air mode and the previous mode using a 
button
 on the steering wheel, refer to page11.
ALL program
Press the button.
The current temperature setting 
on the driver's side is transferred to 
the front passenger side.
If the temperature setting on the driver's side is 
changed, the temperature on the front passen-
ger side is changed as well.
The program is switched off when the setting is 
adjusted on the front passenger side or the but-
ton is pressed again.
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
Press the button.
Quickly removes ice and conden-
sation from the windshield and 
front side windows.
For this purpose, also switch on the cooling 
function.
Switching cooling function on/off
The passenger compartment can only be 
cooled while the engine is running.
Press the button.
The air is cooled and dehumidified 
and – depending on the tempera-
ture setting – warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may 
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
Pressing the AUTO button automatically 
switches on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
Press the button.
The defroster is switched off auto-
matically after a certain time. 
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
upper wires serve as an antenna and are not 
part of the rear window defroster. 

Controls
 107Reference
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Closing
Return the rear seat backrest to the upright 
seating position and engage it.
When returning the backrest into the 
seating position, make sure that the 
seat's locking mechanism is properly engaged. 
Otherwise, cargo could be thrown around and 
endanger the occupants in the event of sharp 
braking or swerving.<
The lashing eyes in the cargo area provide you 
with a way to attach cargo area nets
* or draw 
straps for securing suitcases and luggage, refer 
to page114.
Convertible: cargo loading
Enlarging the cargo area
When the convertible top is closed you can 
enlarge the cargo area:
To do so, fold the cargo area partition upward.
Before opening the convertible top, pull the 
cargo area partition down until it engages.
Ensure that pointed objects do not press 
against the cargo area partition from below.The convertible top can only be opened 
when the cargo area partition is folded 
down.<
Storage compartments inside 
the cargo area
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
following storage spaces can be found in the 
cargo area:
>Rubber strap
* on the left trim panel for 
securing small objects such as a folding 
umbrella
>Net
* for small objects on the right trim 
panel of the cargo area
 
>Retaining straps* on cargo area floor: for 
securing smaller objects or as an anti-slip 
surface when you place objects on the 
straps
The lashing eyes in the cargo area provide you 
with a way to attach cargo area nets
* or draw 
straps
* for securing suitcases and luggage, 
refer to page116.
Coupe: ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport 
of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up to 
2snowboards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length 
of up to 6.6ft/2.0m. When skis of 6.6ft/2.0m 
length are loaded, the overall capacity of the ski 
bag is reduced due to its tapered design.
Loading
Ensure that the skis are clean when they are 
loaded into the ski bag. Wrap sharp edges to 
prevent damage.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat 
backrest.
2.Press the button, reach into the recess and 
fold down the cover. To stabilize the cover  

Practical interior accessories
108 in the folded-down position, place the cen-
ter panel underneath it.
3.Open the Velcro fastener, spread the ski 
bag between the front seats and insert the 
skis or snowboards. 
The zip fastener makes objects in the ski 
bag easier to reach.
4.Attach the hook of the ski bag retaining 
strap to the eyelet on the side of the ski bag 
opening.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose.
Secure the ski bag in the manner 
described; otherwise, it could endanger 
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.
Removing the ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for 
fa ster drying or to allow you to use other inserts.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat 
backrest.
2.Pull the handle, arrow1.
3.Pull out the insert, arrow 2.
For more information on the various 
inserts available, contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Convertible: through-loading 
opening with integrated 
transport bag*
The transport bag is designed for safe, clean 
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up 
to 2 snowboards.
With the transport bag you can stow skis up to a 
length of 6.6 ft /2.0 m. When skis of 6.6 ft/2.0 m 
length are loaded, the overall capacity of the ski 
bag is reduced due to its tapered design.
When using the transport bag, it is not 
permissible to transport passengers in 
the rear seats.< 

Driving tips
 113Reference
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Mobility
Drive defensively
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking 
maneuvers. To do so, keep an adequate dis-
tance between you and the vehicle in front of 
you. A defensive and smooth driving style 
keeps fuel consumption down.
Avoid high engine speeds
Only use first gear when setting off. In second 
and higher gears, accelerate without hesitation 
or pauses. When accelerating, shift up before 
reaching high engine speeds.
When you reach the desired speed, shift into 
the highest applicable gear and drive with the 
engine speed as low as possible and at a con-
stant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers 
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot off 
the accelerator and coast to a stop in the high-
est applicable gear.
O n  a  d o w n h il l s lo p e ,  t a k e  y o u r  f o o t  o f f  t h e  a c c el -
erator and coast in a suitable gear.
The fuel supply is interrupted when coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy 
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy 
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings 
or in traffic congestions. You achieve fuel sav-
ings even if standing time is as short as approx. 
4 seconds.
Switch off functions you do not need at 
the moment
Functions such as the air conditioner, seat 
heating or rear window defroster draw large 
amounts of power and consume additional fuel. 
Especially in city traffic and in stop-and-go driv-
ing they have a considerable impact. Therefore, 
switch these functions off when they are not 
really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have the vehicle serviced regularly to achieve 
good economy and a long vehicle life. BMW 
recommends having the vehicle serviced at a 
BMW center. Also note the BMW service sys-
tem, refer to page207.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk 
lid is closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes 
could enter the interior of the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid 
open:
1.Close all windows and the glass roof.
2.Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to 
page98.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed in 
its vicinity, and never apply undercoating to 
them. When driving, standing at idle and while 
parking, take care to avoid possible contact 
between the hot exhaust system and any highly 
flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass, 
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, with the 
risk of serious personal injuries and property 
damage. Do not touch hot exhaust tail pipes. 
Otherwise, there is a risk of burns.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, 
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge 
of water can form between tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning, 
means that the tire can completely lose contact 
with the road surface, so that neither the car can 
be steered nor the brake be properly applied.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declin-
ing tread depth on the tires, refer also to Mini-
mum tread depth on page199. 

Things to remember when driving
114
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is 
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only 
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the 
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the 
transmission may be damaged.<
Use the parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle for a 
lengthy period using the clutch; use the 
parking brake instead. Otherwise, greater 
clutch wear will result.<
For more information about the drive-off assis-
tant, refer to page82.
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard 
feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most 
effective way of braking in situations in which 
this is necessary. Since the vehicle maintains 
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid 
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering 
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with 
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that 
ABS is in its active mode.
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain, 
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal 
every few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to 
ensure that this maneuver does not endanger 
other road users. The heat generated in this 
process helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure 
that full braking efficiency will then be available 
when you need it.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting 
reduced efficiency of the brake system, 
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the 
gear in which the least braking is required. Even 
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to 
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly 
even brake failure.<
You can increase the engine's braking effect by 
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing 
excessive loads on the brake system. Down-
shifting in manual mode of the automatic trans-
mission, refer to page59.
Sports automatic transmission with dou-
ble clutch Never drive with the transmis-
sion in neutral or the engine switched off; other-
wise, there is no engine braking action or power 
assist to the brakes and steering.
Manual transmission: never drive with the 
clutch depressed, the transmission in neutral, 
or the engine switched off; otherwise, there is 
no engine braking action or power assist to the 
brakes and steering. 
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other 
objects to protrude into the area around the 
pedals, otherwise, pedal function could be 
impaired.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally, 
during extended periods when the vehicle is not 
used at all, and in operating conditions where 
brake applications are less frequent, there is an 
increased tendency for corrosion to form on 
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the 
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum 
pressure which must be exerted by the pads 
during brake applications to clean the rotors is 
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the 
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating 
effect that even extended application will fail to 
cure.
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic cli-
mate control is in operation, and then exits 
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed water 
under the vehicle are therefore normal.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage  

Navigation
Driving tips
 127Reference
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Entertainment
Mobility
addition, pressing the controller makes further 
functions available:
>Select the  symbol and "Start guid-
ance" if necessary.
>"Exit interactive map"
>Map view
>"Display destination"
The map section around the destination 
is displayed.
>"Display current location"
The map section around your current 
location is displayed.
>"Find points of interest", refer to 
page124.
Entering a destination by 
voice commands*
General information
You can enter a desired destination via the 
voice activation system. During the destination 
input, you can switch between voice entry and 
entry via iDrive at any time. To do so, reactivate 
the voice activation system if necessary.
You can have the possible commands 
read aloud via {Voice commands}.<
Saying the entries
>Countries, towns and cities, streets and 
intersections can be said as whole words or 
spelled in the system language, refer to 
page79.
Example: to enter a destination in a US state 
as a complete word, the system language 
must be English.>The town/city, street and house number 
can be said as a single sentence.
*
>Spell the entry if the language region and 
the system language differ.
>Say the letters smoothly, and avoid exag-
gerating the pronunciation and inserting 
lengthy pauses between the letters.
Entering an address*
1.Press the   button on the steering wheel.
3.Wait for a request from the system.
4.Say the town or city, street and house num-
ber in a single sentence.
5.Continue making the entry as prompted by 
the system.
6.If necessary, individually name the separate 
components of the address, e.g. the town/
city.
Entering a town/city
The town/city can be spelled or entered as a 
complete word
*.
The methods of entry depend on the nav-
igation data in use and the country and 
language settings.<
2.Wait for the system to prompt you for the 
town/city.
3.Say the name of the town/city, or name at 
least the first three letters.
Depending on the entry, up to 20 towns/cit-
ies may be suggested.
Identical-sounding towns/cities that can-
not be distinguished by the system are 
compiled in a separate list and shown as a town/
city followed by three dots. 
2.{Enter address}
1.{City} or {Spell city}
4.Select a location:
>To select a recommended town/city: 
{Yes}
>To select other town/city: {New 
entry}
>To select an entry: e. g. {Entry 2}
>To spell an entry: {Spell city} 

Navigation
Driving tips
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Entertainment
Mobility
The setting applies to the current route and to 
the planning of future routes.
Dynamic destination guidance
"Dynamic guidance" is switched on:
The route is automatically changed in the event 
of traffic obstructions. The system does not 
point out traffic obstructions along the original 
route.
Depending on the type of road and the nature 
and length of the traffic obstruction, the route 
can also be calculated so that you travel 
through the traffic obstruction.
Activating Dynamic destination 
guidance
1."Navigation"
2.Open "Options".
3."Dynamic guidance"
If the route criteria "Avoid highways", 
"Avoid toll roads", or "Avoid ferries" are 
selected, route calculation may take longer.<
Route
General information
Depending on the equipment in your vehicle, 
various views of the route are available during 
destination guidance.
>List of streets and towns/cities
>Map view, refer to page132
Displaying a list of the streets or towns/
cities on the route
When destination guidance is started, a list of 
the streets and towns/cities on the route is dis-
played. The driving distances and traffic bulle-
tins are displayed for each route section.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3.Highlight a section.
The section is displayed in the preview map.
Bypassing a section of the route
During destination guidance, you can revise the 
navigation system's route recommendations to 
avoid particular stretches of road. Enter the 
number of miles/kilometers that you want to 
travel before returning to the original route.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."New route for:"
4.Turn the controller: enter the desired num-
ber of miles.
5.Press the controller.
Resuming the original route
If the route section should no longer be 
bypassed:
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."Remove blocking"
Gas station recommendations
The remaining range is calculated and gas sta-
tions along the route are recommended.
1."Navigation"
2."Route information"
3."Recommended refuel"
A list of filling stations is displayed.
4.Select a gas station.
5.Select the  symbol.
6."Start guidance" or "Add as another dest.". 

Navigation
Driving tips
 135Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Traffic bulletins in the map
When the traffic bulletin map is activated, the 
Control Display changes to a grayscale display. 
This enables a better view of the traffic bulle-
tins. The day/night mode is disregarded in this 
setting. The symbols for the special destina-
tions are no longer displayed.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Settings"
5."Traffic conditions/gray map"
Symbols in the map view
Depending on the scale of the map and the 
location of the traffic obstruction along the 
route, the symbols for the traffic obstructions 
are displayed.
Additional information in the map view
Depending on the map scale, a traffic obstruc-
tion's length, direction and impact are displayed 
on the map using triangles or gray bars along 
the calculated route. The colors displayed 
depend on the information transmitted by the 
traffic information service.
>Red: traffic jam
>Orange: stop-and-go traffic
>Yellow: heavy traffic
>Green: traffic flowing freely
>Gray: general traffic information, e.g. con-
struction zone
Filtering of traffic bulletins
You can filter which traffic bulletins are to be 
displayed by the system:
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Open "Options".
4."Traffic Info categories"5.Select the desired categories.
Traffic bulletins of the selected categories are 
displayed.
>Traffic bulletins on incidents along the route 
are always displayed.
>For your own safety, traffic bulletins that 
notify you of potentially dangerous situa-
tions, such as wrong-way drivers, cannot be 
hidden.
Traffic bulletins during destination 
guidance
System response will vary depending on 
whether or not "Dynamic guidance" is selected, 
refer to page131.
During destination guidance, traffic obstruc-
tions on the route are taken into consideration.
Information on sources of great danger, such as 
wrong-way drivers, is displayed regardless of 
the setting.
Displaying traffic obstructions
When the navigation system receives a traffic 
obstruction message and "Dynamic guidance" 
is not selected, you will be shown certain infor-
mation, such as the length of the traffic jam, 
when you are approx. 30 miles/50 km away 
from the traffic obstruction.
The last possible detour exit is indicated just 
before you reach it.
This information is displayed even if you have 
called up another application on the Control 
Display.