
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. 

Things to remember when driving
122
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to 
each other. Please follow the instructions below 
in order to achieve the optimal service life and 
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at varying engine and road speeds but do 
not exceed:
>Gasoline engine
4,500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h
>Diesel engine
3,500 rpm or 93 mph/150 km/h
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kickdown mode.
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually 
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their 
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in 
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the 
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of 
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized 
contact and wear patterns between brake pads 
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in 
period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal 
level only after a distance driven of approx. 
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period, 
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
The same break-in procedures should be 
observed if any of the components mentioned 
above have to be renewed in the course of the 
vehicle's operating life.
Saving fuel
The fuel consumption of your vehicle depends 
on several factors. You can lower fuel consump-
tion and the environmental impact by taking 
certain measures, adjusting your driving style 
and having the vehicle serviced regularly.
Remove any unneeded cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove any mounted parts after you 
have finished using them
Remove unneeded additional mirrors, the roof 
rack and the rear luggage rack after use. 
Mounted parts affect the vehicle's aerodynam-
ics and increase fuel consumption.
Close the windows and glass roof
An open glass roof or window causes higher air 
resistance and thus increases fuel consump-
tion.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Check the tire inflation pressure at least twice a 
month and before embarking on a long journey, 
and correct it if necessary.
Low tire inflation pressure causes higher rolling 
resistance and thus increases fuel consumption 
and tire wear.
Set off immediately
Do not let the engine warm up while the car is 
still standing, but set off immediately at moder-
ate engine speed. This is the fastest way for the 
cold engine to reach its operating temperature. 

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.< 

Music collection
172
Music collection
Backing up the music collection
The entire music collection can be stored on a 
USB medium. Make sure there is enough free 
memory capacity on the USB device.
Depending on the number of tracks, backing up 
the music collection may take several hours. 
Therefore, it is best to perform the backup dur-
ing a long trip.
1.Start the engine.
2.Connect the USB medium to the USB inter-
face in the glove compartment, refer to 
page111.
3."CD/Multimedia"
4."Music collection"
5.Open "Options".
6."Music data import/export"
7."Backup music on USB"
Restoring the music collection in the 
vehicle
When storing from the USB device, the 
music collection existing in the vehicle is 
replaced.<
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."Music collection"
3.Open "Options".
4."Music data import/export"
5."Restore music from USB"
Deleting the music collection
1."CD/Multimedia"
2."Music collection"
3.Open "Options".
4."Delete music collection" 

Telephone
180
Telephone
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full preparation 
package mobile phone. After pairing a suitable 
mobile phone with the vehicle once, you can 
operate the mobile phone via the iDrive, the 
buttons on the steering wheel or using voice 
commands
*.
Once a mobile phone has been paired with your 
vehicle, it is automatically recognized as soon 
as it is inside the vehicle while the engine is run-
ning or the ignition is switched on. You can 
store the pairing data for up to four mobile 
phones simultaneously. If several mobile 
phones are detected at the same time, the 
mobile phone last paired can be operated via 
the vehicle.
Using the telephone inside 
the vehicle
Using the snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a holder for 
mobile phones, allows you to charge the mobile 
phone's battery and connect the mobile phone 
to your vehicle's outside antenna. This ensures 
better network reception and consistent repro-
duction quality. Please contact your 
BMW center to find out for which mobile 
phones there are snap-in adapters available.
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in 
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-
gency. While you should consult your mobile 
phone's separate operating instructions for a 
detailed description of safety precautions and 
information, we request that you direct your 
particular attention to the following:
Only make entries when the traffic situa-
tion allows you to do so. Do not hold the 
mobile phone in your hand while you are driving; 
use the hands-free system instead. If you do 
not observe this precaution, your being dis-
tracted can endanger vehicle occupants and 
other road users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Please ask your BMW center which mobile 
phones with Bluetooth interface are supported 
by the mobile phone preparation package and 
which mobile phones are compatible with the 
snap-in adapter. By virtue of their particular 
software versions, these mobile phones sup-
port the functions described in this Owner's 
Manual. Malfunctions may occur with other 
mobile phones.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone using:
>Buttons on the steering wheel, refer to 
page10
>iDrive, refer to page16
>Voice commands
*, refer to page189
>Programmable memory keys, refer to 
page20
Avoid operating a mobile phone recognized 
by the vehicle via the mobile phone's keypad; 
otherwise, malfunctions may result.
* 

Telephone
182
Pairing
Depending on your mobile phone, you will see 
messages, first on the mobile phone display or 
on the iDrive, requesting you to enter the same 
Bluetooth passkey previously determined by 
you.
8.Enter the Bluetooth passkey.
Depending on the mobile phone, you will 
have approx. 30 seconds to enter your 
Bluetooth passkey on the mobile phone 
and the Control Display.
If the pairing was successful, the mobile phone 
appears at the top of the list of mobile phones.
Following the initial pairing
>The mobile phone is detected/connected in 
the vehicle within a short time if the engine 
is running or the ignition is switched on.
>As soon as a mobile phone is detected by 
the vehicle, the phone book entries stored 
on the SIM card or on your mobile phone are 
transmitted to the vehicle. This transmis-
sion is dependent on your mobile phone, 
refer to the operating instructions of the 
mobile phone if necessary, and can take 
several minutes.
>Four mobile phones can be paired.
>Specific settings may be necessary in some 
mobile phones, e.g. authorization or a 
secure connection, refer to the mobile 
phone operating instructions.
If not all phone book entries are displayed:
>Transfer all phone book entries from the 
SIM card to the mobile phone, if necessary.
>Phone book entries with special characters 
may not be displayed.
Checks to perform if pairing is 
unsuccessful
>Is the mobile phone supported by the 
mobile phone preparation package? You 
can obtain information on the Internet at: 
www.bmw.com/bluetooth
>Do the Bluetooth passkeys on the mobile 
phone and vehicle match? The same Blue-
tooth passkey must be entered on the 
mobile phone's display and via iDrive.
>Did it take you more than 30 seconds to 
enter the Bluetooth passkey? Then repeat 
the pairing procedure.
>Are too many Bluetooth devices connected 
to the mobile phone? If so, delete the con-
nections with other devices on the mobile 
phone.
>Is the mobile phone no longer responding? 
Switch the mobile phone off and on or 
briefly disconnect the power supply.
>Repeat the pairing procedure.
>If all items on the list have been checked 
and the mobile phone still cannot be paired, 
please contact Customer Relations.
Connecting a particular mobile phone
If more than one mobile phone is detected by 
the vehicle, the mobile phone at the top of the 
list is connected. A different mobile phone can 
be connected by selecting it.
1."Telephone"
2."Bluetooth (telephone)"
3.Select the desired mobile phone. 

Telephone
184
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 oper-
ational.
>The engine is running or the ignition is 
switched on.
>The mobile phone is recognized by the 
vehicle.
Receiving calls
If you have the phone number of the caller 
stored in the phone book and the phone num-
ber has been transmitted, the name of the entry 
is displayed.
Accepting a call
Press the  button on the steering wheel
or
"Accept"
Rejecting a call
"Reject"
The caller is diverted to your mailbox if the mail-
box was activated.
Ending a call
Press the  button on the steering wheel
or
1."Telephone"
2."Active calls"
3.Select an active call.