
Dashboard
10
Dashboard
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Convertible: opening and closing 
windows jointly36 
2Convertible: opening and closing 
rear windows35 
3Opening and closing front 
windows35
4Folding exterior mirrors in and out
*49
5Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb 
monitor
*49
6
Parking lamps91
Low beams92
Automatic 
headlamp control
*91
Adaptive light control
*92
High-beam assistant
*93 

At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
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Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper 
functioning and light up temporarily when the 
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Text messages
Text messages at the upper edge of the Control 
Display explain the meaning of the displayed 
indicator and warning lamps.
Supplementary text messages
You can call up more information on the Control 
Display, e.g. on the cause of a malfunction and 
on how to respond, via Check Control, refer to 
page76.In urgent cases, this information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher93
Fog lamps
*94
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability82
Canada: parking brake applied57
Parking brake applied57
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on emissions208
Engine malfunction with adverse 
effect on emissions208 

Controls
 27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Settings for the display on the Control Dis-
play and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to 
page74
>Date format, refer to page76
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page79
>Language of the Control Display, refer to 
page79
>Units of measure for fuel consumption, 
distance covered/remaining distances, 
and temperature, refer to page72
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC, refer to page80
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page91
>Pathway lighting, refer to page92
>Daytime running lights, refer to page92
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page93
>Automatic climate control: activating/deac-
tivating AUTO program, cooling function 
and automatic recirculated-air control, set-
ting temperature, air volume and distribu-
tion, refer to page97 ff
>Entertainment:
>Tone control, refer to page140
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page140
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
>Trunk lid
>Fuel filler flap
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
*
>In cars with Comfort Access*, via the han-
dles on the driver's and front passenger 
doors
In addition, if the remote control is used, the 
welcome lamps
*, interior lamps and the door's 
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The 
alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details on the alarm system
*, refer 
to page32.
Operating from inside
By means of the button for central locking, refer 
to page30.
In the event of a sufficiently severe accident, the 
central locking system unlocks automatically. In 
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior lamps come on.
Opening and closing:
Using the remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle 
could lock the doors from the inside. You 
should therefore take the remote control with 
you when you leave the vehicle so that the latter 
can be opened from outside.<
Convertible: to operate the convertible 
top with the remote control, the doors and 
trunk lid must be closed and the cargo area par-
tition must be folded down and engaged on 
both sides. Refer also to page40.<
Unlocking
Press the   button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on.
Setting unlocking characteristics
You can set whether only the driver's door or 
the entire vehicle is to be unlocked when the 
button is pressed for the first time. 

Controls
 69Reference
At a glance
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Communications
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Mobility
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and 
therefore the engine, becomes too hot.
In addition, a message will appear on the Con-
trol Display.
Check coolant level, refer to page206.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between 
approx. 2107/1006 and approx. 3007/
1506.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 14 US gallons/
53 liters.
You can find information on refueling on 
page192.
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.
Fuel display 135i: in speedometer.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve 
zone, a message briefly appears on the Control 
Display and the remaining cruising range is dis-
played on the computer. Under a cruising range 
of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the message 
appears continuously in 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 the instrument cluster
Calling up information
Press the button in the turn signal/high beam 
lever.
The following items of information are dis-
played in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Average speed
>Average fuel consumption
>Current fuel consumption
>No information 

Controls overview
70 To set the corresponding units of measure, 
refer to Setting the units of measure on 
page72.
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available 
with the remaining fuel. The range is calculated 
on the basis of the way the car has been driven 
over the last 18 miles/30 km and the amount of 
fuel currently in the tank.
It is important that you refuel as soon as 
possible once your cruising range falls 
below 30 miles/50 km; otherwise, engine func-
tions are not ensured and damage can occur.<
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine 
switched off are not included in the calculations 
of average speed.
With the trip computer, refer to page71, you 
can have the average speed for another trip dis-
played.
To reset average speed: press the button in the 
turn signal/high beam lever for approx. 
2seconds.
Average fuel consumption
The average fuel consumption is calculated for 
the time during which the engine is running.
With the trip computer, refer to page71, you 
can have the average consumption for another 
trip displayed.
To reset average fuel consumption: press the 
button in the turn signal/high beam lever for 
approx. 2 seconds.
Current fuel consumption
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.
Displays on the Control Display
The computer can also be opened via iDrive.1."Vehicle Info"
2."Onboard info" or "Trip computer"
Displays in "Onboard info":
>Cruising range
>Distance from destination
>Estimated time of arrival if:
>A distance was manually entered in the 
computer, refer to the information 
below.
>A destination was entered in the naviga-
tion system
*, refer to page121.
Displays in "Trip computer":
>Departure time
>Trip duration
>Trip distance 

Controls
 75Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1.Push button 1 in the turn signal/high beam 
lever up or down repeatedly until the appro-
priate symbol appears in the display, 
accompanied by the time and the word 
"SET".
2.Press button2.
3.Use button 1 to set the hours.
4.Press button2 to confirm the entry.
5.Use button 1 to set the minutes.
6.Press button2 to confirm the entry.
7.Press button2.
The system accepts the new time.
Via iDrive
1.Press the MENU button.
The main menu is displayed.
2."Settings"
Setting the time
1."Settings"
2."Time/Date"
3."Time:"
4.Turn the controller until the desired hours 
are displayed, and then press the controller.
5.Turn the controller until the desired minutes 
are displayed, and then press the controller.
The time is stored.
Setting the time format
1."Settings"
2."Time/Date"
3."Format:"
4.Select the desired format and press the 
controller.
The time format is stored.
Date
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use, refer also to Personal Profile on 
page26.
Setting the date
In the instrument cluster
To set the dd/mm or mm/dd date format, refer 
to Setting the date format below. 

Controls
 91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off, 
daytime running lights
1Parking lamps and daytime running lights
2Low beams, 
welcome lamps
*
3Automatic headlamp control*, daytime run-
ning lights, welcome lamps
*, high-beam 
assistant
*, adaptive light control*
When you open the driver's door with the igni-
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto-
matically switched off if the light switch is in 
position 0, 2 or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary, 
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switched on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps will discharge the bat-
tery. Therefore, do not leave them on for 
unduly long periods of time; otherwise, the bat-
tery might not have enough power to start the 
engine. It is preferable to switch on the left-
hand or right-hand roadside parking lamps, 
refer to page93.<
Low-beam headlamps
The low beams light up when the light switch is 
in position 2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
When the switch is in position3, the low beams 
are switched on and off automatically depend-
ing on ambient light conditions, e.g. in a tunnel, 
in twilight, or if there is precipitation. The adap-
tive light control
* is active. The LED next to the 
symbol is illuminated when the low beams are 
on. You can also activate the daytime running 
lights, refer to page92. In the situations 
described above, the lamps then automatically 
switch from daytime running lights to low 
beams.
The headlamps may also come on when the 
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determining when the lamps 
should be switched on in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the system 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low-beam headlamps manually under these 
conditions.<
Welcome lamps
If you leave the light switch in position 2 or 3 
when you park the car, the parking lamps and 
the interior lamps light up briefly when you 
unlock the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
1."Settings"
2."Lighting" 

Lamps
92 3."Welcome light"
 Welcome lamps are activated and are 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Pathway lighting
If you activate the headlamp flasher after 
switching off the ignition with the lamps 
switched off, the low beams come on and 
remain on for a certain time.
Setting the duration or deactivating
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Pathway light.:"
4.Set a time of duration, or 0 s to deactivate 
the function.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Daytime running lights
The daytime running lights light up in switch 
position0, 1 and 3. They are less powerful than 
the low beams.
Activating/deactivating daytime 
running lights
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Daytime running lamps"
 Daytime running lights are activated and 
are stored for the remote control currently in 
use.
Adaptive light control*
The concept
Adaptive light control is a variable headlamp 
control system that enables better illumination 
of the road surface. Depending on the steering 
angle and other parameters, the light from the 
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves at speeds up to 40 mph/70 km/h, 
e.g. on mountainous roads or when turning, an 
additional, corner-illuminating lamp is switched 
on that lights up the inside area of the curve.
Activating adaptive light control
With the ignition switched on, turn the light 
switch to position 3, refer to page91.
The corner-illuminating lamp is switched on 
automatically, depending on the steering wheel 
angle or turn signal indicator.
Standstill function
*: to avoid blinding oncoming 
traffic, the adaptive light control directs light 
towards the front passenger side when the 
vehicle is at a standstill.
When you are reversing, only the corner-illumi-
nating lamps are switched on and active on 
both sides.