
Practical interior accessories
110
Calibrating the digital compass
The digital compass must be calibrated in the
following situations:
>An incorrect compass direction is shown.
>The compass direction shown does not
change although the direction of travel
does.
>Not all compass directions are shown.
Procedure
1.Make sure that no large metal objects or
overhead power lines are in the vicinity of
your vehicle and that you have enough
space to drive in a circle.
2.Set the currently valid compass zone.
3.Press the adjustment button for approx. 6-7
seconds to call up C. Then drive in at least
one full circle at a speed of no more than
4mph or 7km/h.
If calibration is successful, the display
changes from C to a compass direction.
Setting right-hand/left-hand steering
Your digital compass is factory-set to right-
hand or left-hand steering, in accordance with
your vehicle.
Set the language
You can set the language of the display:
Press the adjustment button for approx. 12-13
seconds. Briefly press the adjustment button
again to switch between English, "E", and Ger-
man, "O".
The setting is automatically saved after approx.
10 seconds.
Roller sun blinds*
Rear window blind
Tap the button in the center console to raise or
lower the roller sun blind.
Roller sun blinds for rear side windows
Pull loop of roller sun blind and hook onto
bracket.
Do not open the window when the roller
sun blind has been pulled up; otherwise,
there is a risk of damage at high speeds that
may result in personal injury.<
Glove compartment
Opening
Pull the handle.
The light in the glove compartment comes on.
To prevent injury in the event of an acci-
dent while the vehicle is being driven,
close the glove compartment immediately after
use.<
Closing
Fold the cover up.

Controls
113Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Lighter
With the engine running or the ignition switched
on, press in the cigarette lighter.
The lighter can be pulled out as soon as it pops
back out.
Hold or touch the hot cigarette lighter by
the knob only. Holding or touching it in
other areas could result in burns.
When leaving the car, always remove the
remote control so that children cannot operate
the cigarette lighter and burn themselves.<
Connecting electrical
appliances
In your BMW, when the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on, you can use electrical
devices such as a hand lamp, car vacuum
cleaner, etc., up to approx. 200 watts at
12 volts, as long as one of the following sockets
is available. Avoid damaging the sockets by
attempting to insert plugs of unsuitable shape
or size.
Cigarette lighter socket*
To access the socket: take the cigarette lighter
out of the socket.
Socket* in the front passenger footwell
A socket is located under the glove compart-
ment on the left.
Socket in the center armrest
External audio device, refer to page111.
Sockets in the rear center console*
Remove corresponding cover.
Socket in the cargo area*
Sedan
Sports Wagon
Open the cap.

Driving tips
123Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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.
On a downhill slope, take your foot off the accel-
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 page231.
General driving notes
Close the trunk lid/tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the trunk
lid/tailgate and rear window are closed.
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter the inte-
rior of the vehicle.<
If the vehicle must be driven with the trunk lid/
tailgate open:
1.Close all windows and the glass roof.
2.Greatly increase the air volume of the auto-
matic climate control system, refer to
page104.
Hot exhaust system
In all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated in the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, 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.<

Things to remember when driving
124
Diesel particulate filter*
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti-
cles and burns them periodically at high tem-
peratures. This cleaning process takes several
minutes. During cleaning, you may notice that
the engine temporarily runs less smoothly and
that a somewhat higher engine speed is neces-
sary to achieve the accustomed performance.
Also, noises may be heard and a slight amount
of smoke may emerge from the exhaust, even
for a short period after the engine is switched
off.
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 page222.
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
assistant, refer to page87.
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.
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in neutral or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, engine
braking action will not be present or there will be
no power assistance to the brakes or steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired.<

Navigation
Driving tips
141Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
5.Select additional route criteria, if desired.
Where possible, the selected criteria will be
avoided on the route.
>Avoid highways where possible:
"Avoid highways"
>Avoid toll roads where possible:
"Avoid toll roads"
>Avoid ferries where possible:
"Avoid ferries"
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 "Avoid highways", "Avoid toll roads"
or "Avoid ferries" route criteria are
selected, route calculation may take consider-
ably 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 page142
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"

Destination guidance
142
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 gas stations is displayed.
4.Select a gas station.
5.Select the symbol.
6."Start guidance" or "Add as another dest.".
Destination guidance
through voice instructions
Switching voice instructions on/off
Voice instructions can be switched on or off
during destination guidance.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3. Select the symbol.
For rapid access, the feature can be stored on a
programmable memory key, refer to page20.
Repeating a voice instruction
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3. Highlight the symbol.
4.Press the controller twice.
Adjusting the volume of voice
instructions*
The volume can be adjusted only while a voice
instruction is being issued.1.Have the last voice instruction repeated,
if necessary.
2.Turn the button during the voice instruction
to select the desired volume.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Map view
Displaying the map view
You can have your current position displayed on
a map. After starting the destination guidance,
the planned route is shown on the map.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
The following functions are directly available in
the map view:
SymbolMeaning
Voice instructions are
switched on
Voice instructions are
switched off
SymbolFunction
Starting/stopping destina-
tion guidance
Switching voice instructions
on/off
Changing route criteria or
selecting route alternatives
Special destinations
Displaying traffic bulletins
Interactive map
Map view settings
Changing scale

Navigation
Driving tips
143Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Information in the map view
>Time, entertainment source, sound output,
map orientation
>Distance from destination/intermediate
destination, estimated time of arrival, if des-
tination guidance is active.
>Any traffic obstructions are highlighted in
color.
To show/hide information on the map:
Press the controller.
Viewing the map
1.Select the symbol.
2.Select a setting:
>"View facing north"
>"View in dir. of travel"
>"Perspective view"
>"Arrow display"
3.Press the controller.
Changing the map section
Select "Interactive map".
>To shift the map: move the controller in the
required direction.
>To shift the map diagonally: move the con-
troller in the required direction and turn it.
Changing scale
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller to adjust the scale.
Automatic scaling of the map
In the map view facing north, turn the controller
in any direction until AUTO is displayed as the
map scale.
The map shows the entire range from your loca-
tion to the destination.
Settings for the map view
The map is shown on the Control Display.
1.Open "Options".
2."Settings"3.Set the optimized map view.
>"Day/night mode"
Select and create the necessary settings
depending on the light conditions. If the
"Traffic conditions/gray map" is acti-
vated, this setting is not taken into
account.
>"Satellite images"
Depending on the availability and resolu-
tion, satellite images
* are displayed in
scales of approx. 1 mile to 600 miles/
2 km to 1,000 km .
>"Perspective view in 3D"
Displays a spatial view. Prominent areas
that are contained in the navigation data
are displayed on the map in 3D.
>"Traffic conditions/gray map"
The map is optimized for displaying traf-
fic bulletins. Symbols for the special
destinations are no longer displayed.
Map view for the split screen display
The map view for the split screen can be
selected separately from the main screen.
1.Open "Options".
2."Split screen"
The split screen is switched on.
3.Move the controller to the right repeatedly
until the split screen content is selected.
4.Select the map view:
>"Arrow display"
>"Map facing north"
>"Map direction of travel"
>"Map view with perspective"
>"Exit ramp view"
Changing scale
1.Move the controller to the right until the
split screen is selected.
2.turn the controller.

Refueling
202
Refueling
Always switch off the engine before refu-
eling; otherwise, fuel cannot be added to
the tank and a message will be displayed.<
Take all precautionary measures and
observe all applicable regulations when
handling fuel. Do not carry any spare fuel con-
tainers in your vehicle. They can develop a leak
and cause an explosion or cause a fire in the
event of an accident.<
Fuel filler flap
Opening
1.Open the fuel filler flap. To do so, lightly
press the rear edge.
2.Turn the gas cap counterclockwise.
3.Place the gas cap in the bracket attached to
the fuel filler flap.
Closing
Fit the cap and turn it clockwise until you clearly
hear a click.
Do not pinch the band attached to the
cap; otherwise, the cap cannot be closed
properly and fuel vapors can escape. A mes-
sage will be displayed if the gas cap is loose or
missing.<
Manually releasing the fuel filler flap
In the event of a malfunction, you can release
the fuel filler flap manually:
Sedan
1.Remove the cover from the right-hand side-
wall of the cargo area.
2.Pull the knob with the fuel pump symbol.
The fuel filler flap is released.
Sports Wagon
1.Fold up the cargo area floor panel.
2.Remove the cover from the right-hand side-
wall of the cargo area. To do so, turn the
screws, arrows 1, 90° and take out the
cover, arrow 2.
3.Pull the knob with the fuel pump symbol.
The fuel filler flap is released.