
Controls
 47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
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Mobility
Call-up with the remote control
The driver's seat position last set is stored for 
the remote control currently in use.
You can select whether or not the seat is reset 
to that position automatically.
When this Personal Profile function is 
used, first make sure that the footwell 
behind the driver's seat is free of obstacles. 
Failure to do so could cause injury to persons or 
damage to objects as a result of a rearward 
movement of the seat.<
The adjusting procedure is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
Selecting automatic call-up
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Last seat position auto."
 The function for automatically calling up 
the last seat position is switched on and is 
stored for the remote control currently in use.
Switching off automatic call-up
Deactivate "Last seat position automatic".
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page43 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.On the rear seats, the center belt buckle marked 
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for 
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in 
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of 
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page43.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
"Fasten safety belts" reminder for 
driver's and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and an 
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a 
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. Check whether the safety belt 
has been fastened correctly.
The "Fasten safety belts" reminder is issued as 
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The "Fasten safety belts" reminder is 
also activated at road speeds above approx. 
5 mph or 8 km/h if the front passenger safety 
belt is not fastened, if objects are placed on the 
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts. 

Adjustments
48
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or 
stressed in an accident: have the belt 
system, including any belt tensioners or child 
restraint systems, replaced and the belt 
anchors checked. Have this work done only by 
your BMW center or at a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is 
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly.<
Rear center safety belt
With through-loading system*:
Before using the center rear seat, release the 
latch plate from the fixture on the rear window 
shelf and insert it into the belt lock of the center 
safety belt. Make sure you hear the latch plate 
engage.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more con-
vex than the driver's mirror. The objects 
seen in the mirror are closer than they appear. 
Do not gauge your distance from traffic behind 
you on the basis of what you see in the mirror; 
otherwise, there is an increased risk of an acci-
dent.<1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic 
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The setting for the exterior mirrors is stored for 
the remote control currently in use
*. The stored 
position is called up automatically when the 
vehicle is unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually: 
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/20 km/
h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by press-
ing button3. This can be beneficial in narrow 
streets, for example, or for moving mirrors that 
were folded in by hand back out into their cor-
rect positions. Mirrors that were folded in are 
folded out automatically at a speed of approx. 
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash, 
fold in the exterior mirrors manually or 
with button3 to prevent them from being dam-
aged, depending on the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating*
Depending on the outside temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heated automatically when 
the engine is running or the ignition is switched 
on. 

Controls
 55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the remote control into the 
ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into the 
ignition lock.
>Radio readiness is switched on.
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Comfort Access*
If the car is equipped with Comfort Access, only 
insert the remote control into the ignition lock 
under special circumstances, refer to page34.
Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control out 
of the ignition lock as this may cause 
damage.<
Before removing the remote control, push it all 
the way in to release the locking mechanism.
>The ignition is switched off if it was on.
Automatic transmission
You cannot take out the remote control unless 
the selector lever is in the P position: interlock.
Start/stop button
Pressing the start/stop button switches radio 
readiness or the ignition on or off.
Manual transmission: when you press the 
start/stop button and depress the clutch, 
the engine starts.
Automatic transmission: If you press the start/
stop button and depress the brake pedal, the 
engine starts.<
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. 
The time and the outside temperature are dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the remote control is removed from 
the ignition lock
>In cars with Comfort Access
*, by touching 
the surface above the door lock, refer to 
Locking on page35
Ignition on
All electrical consumers can operate. The 
odometer and trip odometer are displayed in 
the instrument cluster.
When the engine is off, please switch 
off the ignition and any unnecessary 
electrical consumers in order to preserve the 
battery.< 

Driving
56
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed areas; 
otherwise, the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause loss of consciousness and 
death. The exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly 
toxic gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle 
with the engine running; otherwise, such a vehi-
cle represents a potential safety hazard. 
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, always shift into neutral or selector 
position P and apply the parking brake force-
fully to prevent the vehicle from rolling.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in 
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and 
there is a danger of overheating and damaging 
the catalytic converter.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the 
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right 
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with 
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page34.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to neutral posi-
tion.
3.Press the start/stop button.The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with 
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page34.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Diesel engine
When the engine is cold and temperatures are 
below approx. 327/06, the starting process 
may take a little more time due to automatic 
preheating. The preheating indicator lamp in 
the instrument cluster comes on; at the same 
time a message appears on the Control Display.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you 
when you leave the vehicle. 
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page55. 

Controls
 57Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selec-
tor lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page55.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it 
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you 
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in 
addition. The parking brake is still 
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and 
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake 
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do 
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake 
lever. 
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking 
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the 
rear of the car to swerve.
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming 
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise, 
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, 
a slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page59.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and apply the 
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with 
the engine running.< 

Driving
58
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock, you must first move the selector 
lever to position P and switch off the engine: 
interlock. Removing the remote control from 
the ignition lock, refer to page55.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
The selector lever position is displayed and, in 
manual mode, the engaged gear, e.g. M4.
Changing selector lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine 
running, the selector lever can be moved 
out of position P.
>Before moving the lever away from P or N 
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the 
brake; otherwise, the selector lever will 
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
depress the brake until you are ready to 
start.
ing selector lever positions R and P. To cancel 
the lock, press the button on the front of the 
selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
The rear wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in 
position D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point. 

Driving
60
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of 
position P even though the ignition is switched 
on, the brake is depressed and the button on 
the selector lever is pressed, the selector lever 
lock can be overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever 
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the screwdriver from the onboard 
vehicle tool kit, refer to page237, press the 
red lever while moving the selector lever to 
the desired position.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the 
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamp indicates that a turn signal indicator 
has failed.<
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for 
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
1."Settings"
2."Lighting"
3."Triple turn signal"
 Triple turn signal activation is activated and 
is stored for the remote control currently in use. 

Controls
 71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Controls overview
Odometer, outside 
temperature display, clock
1Knob in the instrument cluster
2Outside temperature display and clock
3Odometer and trip odometer
Knob in the instrument cluster
>To reset the trip odometer while the ignition 
is switched on
>To display the time, outside temperature 
and odometer briefly while the ignition is 
switched off
Units of measure
To select the respective units of measure, miles 
or km for the odometer as well as 7 or 6 for 
the outside temperature, refer to page76.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Time, outside temperature display
Setting the time, refer to page79.
Outside temperature warning
When the displayed temperature sinks to 
approx. +377/+36, a signal sounds and a 
warning lamp lights up. There is an increased 
risk of black ice.Black ice can also form at temperatures 
above +377/+36. You should there-
fore drive carefully on bridges and shaded 
roads, for example; otherwise, there is an 
increased risk of an accident.<
Odometer and trip odometer
Resetting the trip odometer: 
With the ignition switched on, press button1 in 
the instrument cluster.
When the vehicle is parked
If you still want to view the time, outside tem-
perature and odometer reading briefly after the 
remote control has been taken out of the igni-
tion lock:
Press button 1 in the instrument cluster.
Tachometer
Never force the engine speed up into the red 
warning field, see arrow. In this range, the fuel 
supply is interrupted to protect the engine.