Driving tips
127Reference
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 page227.
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
page108.
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.<
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 page219.
187
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
Activating/deactivating the
Bluetooth link
The use of Bluetooth technology is not
permitted in all countries. Observe all
applicable local regulations. Temporarily deac-
tivate the Bluetooth link between the vehicle
and the mobile phone, if necessary.
If the Bluetooth link is deactivated, you can no
longer operate the mobile phone via the vehicle,
and other devices with a Bluetooth interface
can be used in combination with the mobile
phone, e.g. a laptop.<
To temporarily deactivate the Bluetooth link
between the vehicle and your mobile phone:
1."Telephone"
2.Open "Options".
3."Bluetooth"
Adapting volumes
Turn the knob until the desired volume is set.
Adjusting the volume for:
>Ring volume
>Call volume
These volumes are maintained for the hands-
free system, even if you set the other audio
sources to minimum volume.The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Operation via iDrive
You can operate the following functions using
iDrive:
>Accepting/rejecting calls
>dialing phone numbers
>Selecting phone numbers from the phone
book
>Selecting stored phone numbers, e.g. from
the list of received calls
>Ending a call
When the ignition is switched off or in radio
readiness, e.g. after taking the remote control
out of the ignition lock, you can continue an
ongoing call via the hands-free system for sev-
eral minutes.
Voice quality
If the person you are talking to is having difficul-
ties understanding you, this may be due to
excessive background noise. The full prepara-
tion package mobile phone can compensate for
these noises to a certain extent. To optimize
voice quality during a call, we recommend that
you:
>Reduce background noise, e.g. by closing
the windows, reducing air flow from the
automatic climate control or pointing the
open front air vents downward.
>Reduce the volume of the hands-free sys-
tem.
Requirements
>The mobile phone's pairing data are
stored by the vehicle and the mobile phone
is operational.
>The engine is running or the ignition is
switched on.
>The mobile phone is recognized by the
vehicle.
Wheels and tires
218
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
Speed code letter
Q = up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph or 190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph or 210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph or 240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph or 270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph or 300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the US Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT … 1010 means that the
tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2010.
BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test sur-
faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.<
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
not on ZR tires
Speed code letter, in
front of the R on ZR tires225/45 R1791 V
e.g.
Manufacturer's
code for tire make
Tire size and
tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 1010
Short commands for the voice activation system
256
Settings
Vehicle
Equipment
FunctionCommand
Opening the main menu{Main menu}
Opening the settings{Settings}
Opening the options{Options}
Settings on the Control Display{Control display}
Opening the time and date settings{Time and date}
Opening the language and unit settings{Language and units}
Opening the speed limit settings{Speed}
Opening the light settings{Lighting}
Opening the door lock settings{Door locks}
FunctionCommand
Opening the air conditioning settings{Climate}
Everything from A to Z
258
Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS Antilock Brake
System89
ACC, refer to Active cruise
control68
Acceleration assistant, refer to
Launch Control64
Accident, refer to Sending an
Emergency Request238
Activated-charcoal filter for
automatic climate
control109
Active Cruise Control
– indicator lamp71
– malfunction72
– selecting distance70
– sensor72
Active cruise control68
Active steering96
Adaptive brake light
– Brake Force Display97
Adaptive light control102
Additives
– coolant226
Address, entering135,141
Address for navigation
– entering135
Adjusting temperature inside
the car, refer to Automatic
climate control107
Adjusting the thigh support43
Airbags98
– indicator/warning lamp99
– sitting safely42
Air conditioning mode
– automatic climate
control107
– ventilation109
Air distribution
– automatic107
Airing, refer to Ventilation109Air pressure, refer to Tire
inflation pressure208
Air recirculation, refer to
Recirculated-air mode108
Air supply
– automatic climate
control107
– ventilation109
Air vents106
Air volume108
AKI, refer to Fuel
specifications207
Alarm system32
– avoiding unintentional
alarms33
– interior motion sensor33
– switching off an alarm32
– tilt alarm sensor33
Albums of music
collection174
ALL program108
All-season tires, refer to
Winter tires221
All-wheel drive, refer to
xDrive90
AM, waveband157
Ambient air, refer to
Recirculated-air mode108
Antenna for mobile phone184
Antifreeze
– coolant226
– washer fluid66
Antilock Brake System
ABS89
Anti-theft alarm system, refer
to Alarm system32
Anti-theft system27
Approved axle loads, refer to
Weights249
Approved gross vehicle
weight, refer to Weights249
Armrest, refer to Center
armrest115Arrival time, refer to
Computer77
Ashtray117
Assist systems, refer to
Driving stability control89
AUC Automatic recirculated-
air control108
Audible instructions, refer to
Spoken instructions146
Audio154
– controls154
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
Audio device, external115
Automatic
– air distribution107
– air volume107
– cruise control66,68
– headlamp control101
Automatic car washes229
Automatic climate control106
Automatic curb monitor50
Automatic high beams and
low beams, refer to High-
beam assistant103
Automatic recirculated-air
control AUC108
Automatic Service
Request202
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– interlock58
– overriding selector lever
lock59
– shiftlock, refer to Changing
selector lever position58
– sport program59
– towing
241
– tow-starting241
AUTO program for automatic
climate control107
Everything from A to Z
260 Care229
– automatic car washes229
– care products229
– carpets232
– CD/DVD drives232
– chrome parts231
– displays232
– exterior229
– fine wood parts232
– headlamps230
– high-pressure washer230
– interior231
– leather231
– light-alloy wheels231
– paintwork230
– plastic parts232
– retractable hardtop230
– rubber seals231
– safety belts232
– sensors and cameras232
– upholstery and cloth
trim231
– washing the car
manually230
– windows230
Cargo, securing130
Cargo area
– capacity249
– Comfort Access34
– folding up the floor
panel120
– lamp, refer to Interior
lamps105
– opening from inside31
– opening from outside31
Cargo loading129
– securing cargo130
– stowing cargo130
– vehicle129
Car jack
– jacking points236
Car key, refer to Integrated
key/remote control26
Car phone
– installation location, refer to
Center armrest115
– refer to separate Owner's
ManualCar phone, refer to
Telephone184
Car radio, refer to Radio157
Car shampoo232
Catalytic converter, refer to
Hot exhaust system127
CD, audio playback165
CD changer165,169
– controls154
– fast forward/reverse167
– filling or emptying the
magazine170
– random play sequence166
– selecting a track165
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
CD player165
– controls154
– fast forward/reverse167
– random play sequence166
– selecting a track165
– switching on/off154
– tone control154
– volume154
Center armrest115
Center brake lamp
– replacing bulb235
Center console, refer to
Around the center
console14
Central locking
– from inside30
– from outside27
Central locking system27
– Comfort Access33
– hotel function31
– setting unlocking
characteristics28
Changes, technical, refer to
For your own safety5
Changing bulbs, refer to
Lamps and bulbs233
Changing gears62
Changing the language on the
Control Display87
Changing the measurement
units on the Control
Display80Changing wheels236
Chassis number, refer to
Engine compartment223
Check Control84
Child restraint fixing system
LATCH53
Child restraint systems52
Child seats, refer to
Transporting children
safely52
Chrome parts232
Chrome polish232
Cigarette lighter, refer to
Lighter117
Cleaning headlamps66
– washer fluid66
Cleaning your BMW, refer to
Care229
Climate control
– automatic air
distribution
107
Clock75
– 12h/24h mode83
– setting the time and date83
– setting time83
Closing
– from inside30
– from outside27
Clothes hooks116
Cockpit10
Cold start, refer to Starting the
engine56
Comfort Access33
– replacing the battery35
Comfort access, refer to
Comfort Access33
Comfort area, refer to Around
the center console14
Compartment for remote
control, refer to Ignition
lock55
Compass113
Computer76
– displays on Control
Display77
Computer, refer to iDrive16
Concierge service199
Condensation, refer to When
the vehicle is parked128
Reference 263
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Engine speed, refer to Engine
data246
Engine starting, refer to
Starting the engine56
Entering special destinations
by name140
Entering the postal code for
navigation136
Entry lamps, refer to Interior
lamps105
Entry map for destination140
Equalizer, tone setting155
Error messages, refer to
Check Control84
ESP Electronic Stability
Program, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control DSC89
Exhaust system, refer to Hot
exhaust system127
Extended connectivity of the
music player in the mobile
phone178
Exterior mirrors50
– adjusting50
– automatic dimming
feature51
– automatic heating50
– folding in and out50
External audio device115
External devices
– random sequence180
Eyes
– for tow-starting and towing
away241
– for tying down loads130
F
Failure messages, refer to
Check Control84
Failure of an electrical
consumer237
False alarm
– avoiding unintentional
alarm33
– switching off an alarm32Fastening safety belts, refer to
Safety belts49
Fastest route for
navigation144
Fast forward
– CD changer167
– CD player167
Filter
– refer to Microfilter/activated-
charcoal filter for automatic
climate control109
First aid pouch239
Fixture for remote control,
refer to Ignition lock55
Flash when locking/
unlocking29
Flat tire
– run-flat tires220
– Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM94
Flat Tire Monitor FTM92
– indicating a flat tire93
– indicator/warning lamp93
– initializing the system93
– snow chains92,221
– system limits92
Flat tires, refer to Tire
condition219
Fluid reservoir, refer to
Washer fluid reservoir66
FM, waveband157
Fog lamps104
– indicator lamp13,104
Folding up the floor panel120
Footbrake, refer to Braking
safely128
Footwell lamps, refer to
Interior lamps105
For your own safety5
Four-wheel drive, refer to
xDrive90
Free memory capacity, music
collection175
Front airbags98
FTM, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor92Fuel207
– average consumption77
– gauge76
– high-quality brands207
– quality207
– specifications
207
– tank contents, refer to
Capacities250
Fuel clock, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Fuel consumption indicator
– average fuel
consumption77
Fuel display, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Fuel filler flap206
– releasing in the event of
electrical malfunction206
Fuses237
G
Garage door opener, refer to
Integrated universal remote
control111
Gasoline
– refer to Average
consumption77
Gasoline, refer to Required
fuel207
Gasoline display, refer to Fuel
gauge76
Gas station
recommendations146
Gear indicator, automatic
transmission with
Steptronic58
Gear indicator, refer to
Displays in the instrument
cluster60
Gearshift lever60
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– manual transmission57
Gearshifts
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic58
– manual transmission57
General driving notes127
Everything from A to Z
264 Glass roof, electric37
– closing after electrical
malfunction38
– convenient operation28,30
– initializing38
– opening, closing37
– operation with Comfort
Access34
– pinch protection system37
– power failure38
– raising37
– remote control28
Glove compartment114
GPS navigation, refer to
Navigation system134
Grills106
Gross vehicle weight, refer to
Weights249
H
Handbrake, refer to Parking
brake57
Hands-free system14
Hazard warning flashers14
HDC Hill Descent Control91
HD Radio158
Head airbags98
Headlamp control,
automatic101
Headlamp flasher64
– indicator lamp11,13
Head restraints45
– rear, removing46
– sitting safely42
Heated
– mirrors50
– rear window108
– seats47
– steering wheel51
Heating
– mirrors50
– rear window108
– seats47
– steering wheel51
Heating and ventilation, refer
to Climate106Heavy loads, refer to Stowing
cargo130
Height, refer to
Dimensions247
Height adjustment
– seats43
– steering wheel51
High-beam assistant103
High beams103
– headlamp flasher103
– indicator lamp13
High beams and low beams,
automatic, refer to High-
beam assistant103
High-pressure
washer229,230
High water, refer to Driving
through water128
Highways, refer to Route
criteria144
Hill Descent Control HDC91
Hills128
Holders for cups116
Homepage BMW4
Hood222
Hooks for shopping bags120
Horn10,11
Hotel function, refer to
Locking or unlocking
separately
31
Hot exhaust system127
Hydraulic brake assist, refer to
Dynamic Brake Control89
Hydroplaning127
I
IBOC, refer to HD Radio158
Ice warning, refer to Outside
temperature warning75
Identification marks
– run-flat tires220
– tire coding218iDrive16
– adjusting brightness87
– changing date and time83
– changing language87
– changing settings87
– changing units of measure
and display format80
– controls16
– menu guidance17
– operating principle16
– overview16
– start menu17
– status information19
iDrive operating principle16
Ignition55
– switched off56
– switched on55
Ignition key, refer to Remote
control with integrated
key26
Ignition key position 1, refer to
Radio readiness55
Ignition key position 2, refer to
Ignition on55
Ignition lock55
Imprint2
Indicator and warning
lamps13
– Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM95
Inflation pressure, refer to Tire
inflation pressure208
Inflation pressure monitoring,
refer to Tire Pressure
Monitor TPM94
Initializing
– after power failure237
– compass, refer to
Calibrating114
– Flat Tire Monitor FTM93
– glass roof38
– radio, refer to Station,
storing157
– refer to Setting the time and
date83
Installation location
– telephone115