
Controls
 97Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
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Entertainment
Mobility
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lamps off, 
daytime running lights
1Parking lamps and daytime running lights
2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps
3Automatic headlamp control
*, daytime run-
ning lights, welcome lamps, high-beam 
assistant
* and 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.
When the ignition is switched off and the switch 
is in position 1, only the outside sections of the 
rear lamps are illuminated, refer to page241.
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 page99.<
Low beams
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 page98. 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 
regardless 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. 

Lamps
100
System limitations
The high-beam assistant cannot serve as 
a substitute for the driver's personal judg-
ment of when to use the high beams. Therefore, 
manually switch off the high beams in situations 
where this is required to avoid a safety risk.<
The system is not fully functional in situations 
such as the following, and driver intervention 
may be necessary:
>In very unfavorable weather conditions, 
such as fog or heavy precipitation
>In detecting poorly-lit road users, such as 
pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and 
wagons; when driving close to train or ship 
traffic; and at animal crossings
>In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions, 
in cross traffic or half-obscured oncoming 
traffic on highways
>In poorly lit towns and cities and in the pres-
ence of highly reflective signs
>At low speeds
>When the windshield in front of the interior 
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov-
ered with stickers, etc.
>If the sensor is dirty. Clean the sensor on 
the front of the interior rearview mirror using 
a cloth moistened with a small amount of 
glass cleaner.
Activating via iDrive
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."High beam assistant"
 The high-beam assistant is activated and is 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Fog lamps
The parking lamps or low beams must 
be switched on for the fog lamps to 
operate. The green indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster lights up whenever the 
fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps are switched off while you acti-
vate the headlamp flasher or switch on the high 
beams.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.< 

Replacing components
238
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. They should, therefore, 
be handled carefully. BMW recommends hav-
ing your BMW center perform any work that you 
do not feel competent to perform yourself or 
that is not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with 
your bare fingers, as even minute 
amounts of contamination will burn into the 
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a 
clean tissue, cloth or something similar, or hold 
the bulb by its base.<
You can obtain a selection of replacement bulbs 
at your BMW center.
Only change bulbs while they are cool to 
the touch; otherwise, you could suffer 
burns.<
When working on electrical systems, 
always begin by switching off the con-
sumer in question; otherwise, short-circuits 
could result. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, observe 
any instructions provided by the bulb manufac-
turer.<
For care of the headlamps, please follow the 
instructions in the chapter entitled 'Care'.
If the routine for changing a particular 
bulb is not described here, please contact 
your BMW center or a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.<
Light-emitting diodes LED
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
cent lenses serve as the light source for many of 
the controls, displays, and equipment in your 
vehicle. These light-emitting diodes, which 
operate using a concept similar to that applied 
in conventional lasers, are officially designated 
as Class 1 light-emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers or expose the 
eyes directly to the unfiltered light source 
for several hours; otherwise, this could cause 
irritation of the retina.<
Headlight lenses
In cool or humid weather, condensation may 
form on the interior of outside lamps. When the 
light is switched on, the condensation will dis-
appear after a short time. The headlight lenses 
do not need to be replaced.
At high humidities, e.g. water droplets may form 
in the lights; have these checked by your BMW 
center.,
Xenon lamps*
These bulbs have a very long service life and are 
highly unlikely to fail. If a xenon lamp fails never-
theless, switch on the fog lamps and continue 
the journey with great care, provided that local 
legislation does not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp system, 
including bulb replacements, performed 
only by a BMW center or a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, if 
such work is carried out improperly, the high 
voltage in the system presents the danger of 
fatal injuries.<
Replacing parking lamps, roadside 
parking lamps, and daytime running 
lights
H8 bulb, 35 watts
1.Switch off the lamps and take the remote 
control out of the ignition lock.
2.Turn the cover to the left, see arrow, 
and remove it.