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Digital compass*
1Adjustment button
2Display
The display shows you the main or secondary 
compass direction in which you are driving.
Operating principle
You can call up various functions by pressing 
the adjustment button with a pointed object such as a ballpoint pen or similar item. The fol-
lowing adjustment options are displayed one 
after the other, depending on how long you 
keep the adjustment button pressed:
>Press briefly: switch display on/off
>3 to 6 seconds: set compass zone
>6 to 9 seconds: calibrate compass
>9 to 12 seconds: set left-hand/right-hand 
steering
>12 to 15 seconds: set the language
Setting compass zones
Set the compass zone corresponding to your 
vehicle's geographic location so that the com-
pass can function correctly; refer to the world 
map with compass zones.
To set the compass zone, press the adjustment 
button for approx. 3-4 seconds. The number of 
the compass zone set is shown in the display.
To change the zone setting, briefly press the 
adjustment button repeatedly until the display 
shows the number of the compass zone corre-
sponding to your current location.The compass is operational again after 
approx. 10 seconds. 

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USB interface for data transmission
Port for importing and exporting data on USB 
devices, e.g. music collections, refer to 
page176.
Observe the following when connecting:
>Do not use force when plugging the con-
nector into the USB audio interface.
>Do not connect devices such as fans or 
lamps to the USB audio interface.
>Do not connect USB hard drives.
>Do not use the USB interface to recharge 
external devices.
Center armrest
Storage compartment
The center armrest between the front seats 
contains either a compartment or the cover for 
the snap-in adapter
*, depending on the equip-
ment version.
Opening
Press the button, see arrow.
Settings*
Slide the center armrest on the driver's side into 
the desired position.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such 
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks 
over the car's loudspeaker system:
>AUX-IN port, refer to page177
>USB audio interface
*/additional connection 
of the music player in the mobile phone
*, 
refer to page178 

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Convertible: rear
There are two additional cupholders in the rear 
console.
Press the button to open.
Before folding down the rear seat back-
rest or using the transport bag, remove all 
containers from the cupholder and close it. Do 
not place objects into the cupholder and use 
force to close it. Do not use the cupholder as a 
grab handle.<
Ashtray*
Opening
Push the ridge on the cover.
Emptying
Lift out the insert.
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.< 

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Convertible:
Cargo loading
Enlarging the cargo area
When the hardtop is closed you can enlarge the 
cargo area:
To do so, push the cargo area partition upward.
Before opening the hardtop, push the cargo 
area partition down until it engages on both 
sides.
Before moving the hardtop, ensure that 
there are no objects on or next to the 
cargo area partition; otherwise, parts of the 
hardtop may be damaged. Do not exceed the 
maximum loading height; refer to the sticker in 
the cargo area showing a line indicating the 
maximum height. Do not use force to push 
down the cargo area partition.<
The retractable hardtop can only be 
opened if the cargo area partition is in its 
lowermost position and engaged on both 
sides.<
Folding down the rear seat backrest
Opening
You can fold down the rear seat backrest to 
transport light objects in the rear without dam-aging the seats. Depending on the vehicle 
equipment, the mounting points for the cargo 
area net
* are found on the back of the seat 
backrest. To unlock the rear seat backrest: 
press the button on the driver's or the opposite 
side.
Closing
Return the rear seat backrest to the upright 
seating position and engage it.
When returning the backrest to its seating 
position, make sure that the seat's lock-
ing mechanism engages properly. Otherwise, 
cargo could be thrown around in the event of 
sharp braking or swerving and endanger the 
occupants.<
Bag holder*
W h e n  t h e  r e a r  s e a t  b a c k r e s t  i s  f o l d e d  d o w n ,  y o u  
will find two bag holders on the cargo area wall:
1.Fold open the holder by pressing the but-
ton.
2.Press the handles of the bag onto the 
holder from above.
Only hang light shopping bags or other 
suitable objects from the holders; other-
wise, braking maneuvers and swerving, for 
example, may lead to a safety hazard due to 
objects flying about the passenger compart-
ment. Only transport heavy luggage in the 
cargo area if it has been appropriately 
secured.<
For more information on loading the vehicle, 
refer to page129. 

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Loading
1.Fold down the center armrest.
2.Press the button, reach into the recess and 
fold down the cover.
3.Open the Velcro fastener, spread the ski 
bag between the front seats and insert the 
skis or snowboards. 
The zip fastener makes objects in the ski 
bag easier to reach.
4.Clip the hooks of the ski bag retaining strap 
into the eyelet.
Only place clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp 
edges to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose.Secure the ski bag in the manner 
described; otherwise, it could endanger 
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.<
To store the ski bag, perform the steps 
described for loading in reverse order.
Removing the ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for 
faster drying or to allow you to use other inserts.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat 
backrest.
2.Pull the handle, arrow1.
3.Pull out the insert, arrow 2.
For more information on the various 
inserts available, contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Convertible: through-loading 
opening with integrated 
transport bag*
The transport bag is designed for safe, clean 
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up 
to 2 snowboards.
When the rear seat backrest is folded up, you 
can remove the insert and use the transport bag 
with the regular through-loading opening. To 
transport larger objects, you can fold down the 
rear seat backrest to create an expanded 
through-loading opening.
With the transport bag you can stow skis with a 
length of up to 6.2 ft/1.90 m. When skis of 6.2 ft/
1.90 m length are loaded, the overall capacity of 
the transport bag is reduced due to its tapered 
design. 

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Removing the front cover
You can remove the front cover to use the full 
height of the through-loading opening. With the 
cover folded down, pull the handle, see arrow, 
and remove the cover toward the front. To 
replace, insert the cover at an angle from above 
and let it snap it into place. 

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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. 

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Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage 
develops inside the tires. In some situations, 
this can result in sudden loss of tire pressure.<
Make sure that no liquids are spilled or 
leak from their containers in the cargo 
area, as this could result in damage to the vehi-
cle.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, overloading 
can result in damage to the vehicle and 
unstable driving conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY 
pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. 
For example, if the YYY amount equals 
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 
650 lbs: 
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of 
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the 
weight of the occupants, the less cargo/lug-
gage can be transported.