
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The quickest way to find special topics is to 
consult the index, refer to page258.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
42Adjustments
52Transporting children safely
55Driving
75Controls overview
88Technology for driving comfort and 
safety
101Lamps
106Climate
111Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
126Things to remember when driving
Navigation
134Navigation system
135Destination entry
144Destination guidance
151What to do if …
Entertainment
154On/off and tone
157Radio
160Satellite radio
165CD/DVD player and CD changer
172Music collection
177External devices
Communications
184Telephone
196Contacts
198BMW Assist
Mobility
206Refueling
208Wheels and tires
222Under the hood
227Maintenance
229Care
233Replacing components
238Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
246Technical data
251Short commands for the voice activation 
system
258Everything from A to Z 

At a glance
 13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper 
functioning and light up temporarily when the 
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Text messages
Text messages at the top edge of the Control 
Display describe the meanings of the indicator 
and warning lamps.
Supplementary text messages
You can call up more information on the Control 
Display, e.g. on the cause of a malfunction and 
on how to respond, via Check Control, refer to 
page84.
In urgent cases, this information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher103
Fog lamps
*104
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability90
parking brake applied57
Canada: parking brake applied57
engine malfunction with adverse effect 
on emissions228
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on emissions228 

At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Buttons on the controller
Operating principle
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond, 
refer to page55, the following message is dis-
played on the Control Display:
To hide the message: 
Press the controller.
The main menu is displayed.
The message is automatically hidden after 
approx. 10 seconds.
Opening the main menu
Press the MENUbutton.
The main menu is displayed.All iDrive functions can be called up via the main 
menu.
Selecting a menu item
The menu items shown in white can be 
selected.
1.Turn the controller until the desired menu 
item is highlighted.
2.Press the controller.
A new menu is displayed or the function is exe-
cuted.
Menu items in the Owner's Manual
In the Owner's Manual, menu items that can 
be selected are set in quotation marks, 
e.g. "Settings".
Changing between panels
After selecting a menu item, e.g. "Radio", a new 
menu is displayed on a panel. The panels can 
overlap.
ButtonFunction
MENU Open the main menu
RADIO Open the Radio menu
CD Open the CD/Multimedia menu
NAV Open the Navigation menu
TEL Open the Telephone menu
BACK Display the previous menu
OPTION Open the Options menu 

iDrive
18 Move the controller to the left or right to change 
between the panels.
White arrows pointing to the left or right indi-
cate that additional panels can be opened.
Open the Options menu
Press the OPTIONbutton.
The "Options" menu is displayed.
Another possibility: move the controller to the 
right repeatedly until the "Options" menu 
appears.
The "Options" menu contains the following:
>Screen settings, refer to page19.
>Control options for the selected menu.
Adjusting settings
1.Select a field.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting 
is displayed.
3.Press the controller to confirm the setting.
The scroll bar on the right side indicates 
whether additional menu items or set-
tings can be selected that are currently not vis-
ible.<
Example: setting the clock
1.Press the MENUbutton.
The main menu is displayed.
2.Turn the controller until "Settings" is high-
lighted, and then press the controller.
3.Turn the controller until "Time/Date" is 
highlighted, and then press the controller. 

Voice activation system
22
Voice activation system
The concept
The voice activation system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out removing your hands from the steering 
wheel.
Most menu items on the Control Display can be 
voiced as commands. It is not necessary to use 
the controller.
The voice activation system transforms your 
oral commands into control signals for the 
selected systems and provides support in the 
form of instructions or questions.
Coupe: the voice activation system uses a spe-
cial microphone located in the area of the inte-
rior rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Convertible: the voice activation system uses a 
special microphone located in the area of the 
steering column.
Precondition
Via iDrive, select the language in which the 
voice activation system is operating, so that the 
spoken commands can be identified. Selecting 
the language for iDrive, refer to page87.
Symbols in the Owner's Manual
Saying commands
Activating voice activation system
1.Press the  button on the steering wheel.
 This symbol on the Control Display and 
an acoustic signal indicate that the voice 
activation system is ready to receive spo-
ken commands.
2.Say the command.
The command appears on the Control Dis-
play.
 This symbol appears on the Control Display 
when you can enter additional commands. 
If no further commands are possible, continue 
by operating the item of equipment via iDrive.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for 
word. 
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice acti-
vation system. 

At a glance
 23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Terminating or canceling voice 
activation system
Press the  button on the steering wheel
or
In dialogs that call for a text of your choice, the 
procedure can only be canceled using the but-
ton on the steering wheel.
Possible commands
The commands available in each case depend 
on the menu item selected on the Control Dis-
play.
To have the available commands read aloud:
For example, if "CD" is selected, the commands 
for operating CD/Multimedia are read aloud.
Calling up functions immediately via 
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain 
functions immediately, irrespective of which 
menu item is selected, refer to page251.
Example: selecting the track of a CD
1.If necessary, switch on entertainment audio 
output.
2.Press the  button on the steering wheel.
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the 
standard dialog or a shorter variant. In the 
shorter variant of the voice dialog, the prompts 
and responses from the system are abbrevi-
ated.
1."Settings"
2."Language/Units"3."Speech mode:"
4.To select the setting:
>"Default"
>"Short"
Notes
To operate the phone by voice, refer to 
page192.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the follow-
ing:
>Do not use the voice activation system to 
initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful 
situations, the voice and vocal pitch can 
change. This can unnecessarily delay the 
establishment of a telephone connection.
>Pronounce the commands and digits 
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding 
excessive emphases and pauses. This also 
applies when spelling out and saying a full 
word during destination entry.
>When selecting a radio station, use the 
standard pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone 
book, only use names in the language 
of the voice activation system and no 
abbreviations.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass roof 
closed to prevent interference from outside 
noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while 
speaking. {Cancel}
{Voice commands} or {Help}
3.Select the music track, e.g.: 
{C D track 4}
System says: 
{{Track 4}} 

Opening and closing
26
Opening and closing
Remote control
Each remote control contains a rechargeable 
battery that is automatically recharged when it 
is in the ignition lock while the car is being 
driven. Use each remote control at least twice a 
year for longer road trips in order to maintain the 
batteries' charge status. In cars with Comfort 
Access
*, the remote control contains a 
replaceable battery, refer to page35.
The settings called up and implemented when 
the car is unlocked depend on which remote 
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile, next column.
In addition, information about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to 
Service data in the remote control, page227.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
>Glove compartment, refer to page114
>Driver's door, refer to page29
New remote controls
Your BMW center can supply new remote con-
trols with integrated keys as additional units or 
as replacements in the event of loss.
Personal Profile
The concept
You can set many of your BMW's functions to 
suit your personal needs and preferences. 
Without any action on your part, Personal 
Profile ensures that most of these settings are 
stored for the remote control currently in use. 
When you unlock the car, the remote control 
used for the purpose is recognized and the 
settings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your personal settings will be 
activated for you, even if in the meantime your 
car was used by someone else with another 
remote control and the corresponding settings. 
The individual settings are stored for a maxi-
mum of four remote controls. They are stored 
for two remote controls if Comfort Access
* is 
in use.
Personal Profile settings
For more information on specific settings, refer 
to the specified pages.
>Assignment of programmable memory 
keys, refer to page20
>Response of the central locking system 
when the car is unlocked, refer to page27
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page30
>Automatic call-up
* of the driver's seat 
position, refer to page48
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page65 

Controls
 27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Settings for the display on the Control 
Display and in the instrument cluster:
>12h/24h format of the clock, refer to 
page83
>Date format, refer to page84
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page87
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page87
>Units of measure, refer to page80
>Show visual warning for Park Distance 
Control PDC
*, refer to page89
>Light settings:
>Welcome lamps, refer to page101
>Pathway lighting, refer to page102
>Daytime running lights, refer to 
page102
>High-beam assistant, refer to page103
>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 page107 ff
>Entertainment:
>Tone control, refer to page154
>Speed-dependent volume control, refer 
to page155
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
>Fuel filler flap
>Convertible: glove compartment
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 
welcome lamps, interior lamps and the door's 
courtesy lamps
* are switched on or off. The 
alarm system
* is also armed or disarmed.
For further details of the alarm system,
 refer to 
page32.
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 automatically. In 
addition, the hazard warning flashers and inte-
rior 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.<
Convertible: to operate the retractable 
hardtop with the remote control, the 
doors and trunk lid must be closed and the 
cargo area partition must be folded down and 
engaged on both sides. Refer also to page39.<
Unlocking
Press the  button.
The interior lamps, the courtesy lamps
* and the 
welcome lamps come on.