Page 6 of 312

Notes
4
Notes
About this Owner's Manual
We have made every effort to ensure that you
are able to find what you need in this Owner's
Manual as quickly as possible. The fastest way
to find specific topics is to refer to the detailed
index at the back of the manual. If you wish to
gain an initial overview of your vehicle, you will
find this in the first chapter.
Should you sell your BMW some day, please
remember to hand over the Owner's Manual
as well; it is an important component of your
vehicle.
Additional sources of information
If you have additional questions, your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center is always happy
to advise you.
You can find information on BMW, e.g. on tech-
nology, on the Internet at www.bmwusa.com.
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be fol-
lowed precisely in order to avoid the pos-
sibility of personal injury and serious damage to
the vehicle.<
Indicates information that will assist you
in gaining the optimum benefit from your
vehicle and enable you to care more effectively
for your vehicle.<
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment.<
tion.
*Indicates special equipment, country-spe-
cific equipment and optional accessories, as
well as equipment and functions not yet avail-
able at the time of printing.
"..." Identifies Control Display texts used to
select individual functions.
{...} Verbal instructions to use with the voice
activation system.
{{...}} Identifies the answers generated by the
voice activation system.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the rel-
evant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.
Page 11 of 312
At a glance
This overview of buttons, switches and displays
is intended to familiarize you with your vehicle's
operating environment. The section will also
assist you in becoming acquainted with the
control concepts and options available
for operating the various systems.
At a glance
Page 12 of 312
Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: controls and displays
1Rear window safety switch38
2Opening and closing windows37
3Folding exterior mirrors in and out
*51
4Adjusting exterior mirrors51
Automatic curb monitor
*52
5
Instrument lighting115
Fog lamps
*114
Page 13 of 312

At a glance
11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
9BMW X6: upshifting or downshifting with
automatic transmission64
10Instrument panel12
13Ignition lock5814Buttons on steering wheel
15Horn, entire surface
18Releasing hood251 6
Parking lamps111
Low beams111
Automatic headlamp control
*111
Adaptive Light Control
*112
High-beam Assistant
*113
7
Head-up Display
*109
8
Turn signals65
High beams, headlamp flasher65
High-beam Assistant
*113
Roadside parking lamps
*113
Time, date, outside temperature,
Check Control76, 84
Computer78
11
Windshield wipers65
Rain sensor66
BMW X5: rear window wiper66
12Starting/stopping engine and
switching ignition on/off58
Telephone*:
Accepting and ending calls, start
dialing
* selected phone number,
redialing if no phone number is
selected
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*22
Changing the radio station
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated-air mode, 119
Steering wheel heating
*53
Lane departure warning
*104
16
Steering wheel adjustment52
17
Cruise control
*67
Active cruise control
*68
Page 14 of 312
Cockpit
12
Instrument panel
1Indicator lamps for turn signals
2Speedometer
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Active cruise control
*68
5Tachometer77
6BMW X5: energy control77
BMW X6: engine oil temperature77 or
energy control77
7Display for
>Clock/date76
>Outside temperature76
>Indicator and warning lamps83
>Speed of cruise control
*67
>Speed of active cruise control
*71
>BMW X5: reserve display for diesel
exhaust fluid2368Display for
>Odometer and trip odometer76
>Computer78
>Date and remaining travel distance
for service requirements79
>Automatic transmission positions63
>HDC Hill Descent Control97
>High-beam Assistant
*113
> There is a Check Control
message82
>Adaptive Drive
*: sport chassis and sus-
pension tuning98
9Fuel gauge78
10Resetting trip odometer76
Displaying service requirement76
Page 15 of 312

At a glance
13Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
Some lamps are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the upper edge of the Control
Display explain the meaning of the displayed
indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e.g. on the cause of a
malfunction and on the corresponding need to
take action can be displayed via the Check Con-
trol, refer to page82.In the case of corresponding urgency, this infor-
mation is displayed immediately when the
related lamp lights up.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps indicate that cer-
tain functions are activated:
With parking brake set60
With parking brake set for Canadian
models
Fog lamps
*114
High beams/headlamp flasher113
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC controls the drive and
braking forces for maintaining vehicle
stability96
Engine malfunction with adverse
effect on emissions257
Page 16 of 312
Cockpit
14
Around the center console: controls and displays
Page 17 of 312

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for tele-
phone
* and for voice activation
system
*22
2Initiating
an emergency request273
3Reading lamps115
4Glass sunroof38, 40
5Interior lamps115
6Passenger airbag status lamp107
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system27
10Opening glove compartment127
11Automatic climate control with 2-zone
control117
Automatic climate control with 4-zone
control
*121
12Changing
>Radio station168
>Track168
13Selecting radio, CD and CD/DVD changer
*
14Selecting AM or FM waveband
16Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
17Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
18Automatic Hold61
19Parking brake60
20Adaptive Drive
*98
21Programmable memory buttons20
22Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume168
23Ejecting audio CD Manual air distribution118
Automatic air distribution and
volume117
Cooling function119
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control119
Maximum cooling119
Air volume118
Residual heat utilization119
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation118
Rear window defroster118
Seat heating
*49, 50
Active seat ventilation
*50
15
Opening liftgate30, 33
Active seat
*51
PDC Park Distance Control
*88
Top View
*90
Rear view camera
*93
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control95
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control96
HDC Hill Descent Control97
Side View
*92