
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
3Folding exterior mirrors in and out*48
4Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb 
monitor
*48
1Safety switch for electric rear 
windows37 
2
Opening and closing windows36 5
Parking lamps97
Low beams97
Automatic headlamp control
*97
Adaptive light control
*98
High-beam assistant
*99
6
Fog lamps100 

At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
8Instrument cluster12
11Ignition lock5512Buttons on the steering wheel
14Horn, entire surface
15Adjusting the steering wheel50
17Releasing the hood225
18Opening the tailgate/trunk lid31 7
Turn signals60
High beams, headlamp flasher99
High-beam assistant
*99
Roadside parking lamps
*99
Computer73
Settings and information about the 
vehicle75
9
Windshield wipers61
Rain sensor
*61
Sports Wagon:
Rear window wiper62
10Switching the ignition on/off and 
starting/stopping the engine55
Telephone*:
Accepting and ending a call; dial-
ing
* the selected phone number; 
redialing if no phone number is 
selected
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*22
Changing the radio station
Interrupting a traffic bulletin
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode104
13
Steering wheel heating
*50
16
Cruise control
*62
Active cruise control
*64 

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 
page79
>Date format, refer to page80
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page83
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page83
>Units of measure, refer to page76
>Show visual warning for Park Distance Con-
trol PDC
*, refer to page84
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page97
>Pathway lighting, refer to page98
>Daytime running lights, refer to page98
>High-beam assistant, refer to page99
>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 page103 ff
>Entertainment:
>Tone control, refer to page150
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page152
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/tailgate
>Fuel filler flap
Operating from outside
>Via the remote control
>Via the door lock
*
>In cars with Comfort Access*, via the 
handles on the driver's and front passenger 
doors
In addition, if the remote control is used, the 
interior lamps and the door's courtesy lamps
* 
are also switched on or off. The alarm system* 
is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
 refer to 
page33.
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 automati-
cally. In addition, the hazard warning flashers 
and interior 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.<
Unlocking
Press the  button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on. 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
84
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Park Distance Control PDC*
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight 
parking spaces. Acoustic signals and a visual 
indicator
 warn you of the presence of an object 
behind your vehicle. To measure the distance, 
there are four ultrasonic sensors in either 
bumper.
These sensors have a range of approx. 6.5 ft/
2 m. However, an acoustic warning does not 
sound until an object is approx. 2 ft/60 cm from 
the corner sensors, or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m from 
the center sensors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually the case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an object at high speed; oth-
erwise, physical circumstances may lead to the 
system warning being issued too late.<
Switching on automatically
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the system is activated after approx. 1 sec-
ond when you engage reverse gear or move the 
automatic transmission selector lever to 
position R. Wait this short period before driving.
Switching off automatically
After approx. 55 yd/50 m of driving or above 
approx. 20 mph/approx. 30 km/h, the system 
switches off and the LED goes out.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, its position is indicated 
correspondingly by an interval tone. As the dis-
tance between vehicle and object decreases, 
the intervals between the tones become 
shorter. If the distance to the nearest object 
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
An interval tone is interrupted after approx. 
3seconds
>If you remain in front of an object that has 
been detected by only one of the corner 
sensors
>If you are driving parallel to a wall.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster comes on. PDC is malfunc-
tioning. A message appears on the 
Control Display. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors clean 
and free of ice or snow in order to ensure that 
they will continue to operate effectively. When 
using a high-pressure cleaner, do not spray the 
sensors for extended periods of time and only 
from a distance of at least 1 ft/30 cm.
PDC with visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object is 
shown on the Control Display. Objects that are 
farther away are displayed on the Control Dis-
play before a signal tone sounds. The display 
appears on the Control Display as soon as PDC 
is activated. 

Controls
 87Reference
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Mobility
Hill Descent Control HDC*
HDC is a downhill driving assistant that controls 
your speed on steep downhill gradients and 
makes it even easier to control your BMW's 
handling under these conditions. The vehicle 
then moves slightly faster than double walking 
speed without the driver needing to intervene.
HDC can be activated as long as you are driving 
under approx. 20 mph or 35 km/h. When driving 
downhill at a speed of under approx. 20 mph or 
35 km/h, the vehicle's speed is automatically 
reduced to slightly more than double walking 
speed and maintained.
Increasing or decreasing speed
By accelerating or braking you can change this 
speed within a range from approx. 3 to 15 mph, 
approx. 5 to 25 km/h.
You can specify a target speed within the same 
range using the cruise control
* lever on the 
steering column.
1To increase speed
2To decrease speed
Activating HDC
Press the button; the LED lights up.
When the vehicle is being braked automatically, 
the LED flashes.
Deactivating HDC
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
HDC is automatically deactivated at speeds 
greater than approx. 35 mph/60 km/h.
Using HDC
In cars with manual transmission:
Use HDC in lower gears and in reverse gear.
With automatic transmission:
You can use HDC in any drive position.
Displays in the instrument cluster*
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
Malfunction
The HDC display disappears during HDC oper-
ation, or does not appear:
HDC is temporarily unavailable due to exces-
sive brake temperature, or DSC has failed.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off 
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary 
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the 
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without 
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in 
place for approx. 2 seconds after the 
brake is released. Drive off without delay after 
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off 
assistant will no longer hold the car in place 
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to 
roll backwards.< 

Controls
 97Reference
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-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. 

Controls
 99Reference
At a glance
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Navigation
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Mobility
High beams/roadside parking 
lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
*
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
There is an additional option of switching on the 
lamps on the side of the car facing the road 
when parked.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or 
down beyond the pressure point for a longer 
period, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain 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.<
Switching off
Press the lever in the opposite direction to the 
pressure point, arrow 3.
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high 
beams on and off. The procedure is controlled 
by a sensor on the front of the interior rearview 
mirror. The assistant ensures that the high 
beams are switched on whenever the traffic sit-
uation allows. It handles this task for you and 
gives you the benefit of the best possible view. You can intervene at any time and switch the 
high beams on and off as usual.
Activating the system
1.Turn the light switch to position3, refer to 
page97.
2.With the low beams switched on, briefly 
push the turn indicator lever in the direction 
of the high beam.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when the high beams 
are activated. The system automati-
cally switches from high beams to low beams 
and vice versa in response to oncoming traffic, 
traffic ahead of you, and adequate ambient 
lighting, e.g. on city streets.
Switching the high beams on and off 
manually
Whenever you wish, or when the situation 
requires, you can intervene:
>If the high-beam assistant switches on the 
high beams, but you would like to drive with 
the low beams, simply switch off the high 
beams using the turn indicator lever. This 
deactivates the high-beam assistant. 
To reactivate the system, briefly push the 
turn indicator lever toward the high beams 
again.
>If the high-beam assistant switches on the 
low beams, but you would like to drive with 
the high beams, switch on the high beams 
as usual. This deactivates the system and 
the high beams need to be switched off 
manually, if necessary.
To reactivate the system, briefly push the 
turn indicator lever toward the high beams 
again.
>Use the headlamp flasher as usual with the 
low beams switched on. 

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.<