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 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 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 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 18 of 312
iDrive
16
iDrive
iDrive combines the functions of a large number 
of switches. This allows these functions to be 
operated from a central position. The following 
section provides an introduction to basic menu navigation. The control of the individual func-
tions is described in connection with the rele-
vant equipment.
Controls
1Control Display
2Controller with buttons
You can use the buttons to open the menus 
directly. The controller can be used to 
select the menu items and create settings.
>Move in four directions, arrow 3
>Turn, arrow 4
>Push, arrow 5
To avoid posing an unnecessary hazard 
due to inattention, both to your own vehi-
cle's occupants and to other road users: never 
attempt to use the controls or make entries 
unless traffic and road conditions allow.< 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 19 of 312
At a glance
 17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Buttons on the controller
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page58, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
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  button.
The main menu is displayed.All iDrive functions can be accessed 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.
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 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 20 of 312

iDrive
18
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. "Set-
tings".
Changing between panels
After selecting a menu item, e.g. "Radio", a new 
menu is displayed on a panel. The panels can 
overlap.
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 windows can be opened.
Opening 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. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 21 of 312

At a glance
 19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Turn the controller until "Time:" is high-
lighted, and then press the controller.
5.Turn the controller to set the hours and 
press the controller.
6.Turn the controller to set the minutes and 
press the controller.
Status information
1Time
2Display for:
>Reception strength of the wireless 
network, depends on the mobile phone
>Incoming, outgoing or missed call
>SMS
* received
3Display for:
>Entertainment:
Radio, CD/DVD, external devices, TV
*
>Telephone*:
Name of the mobile phone paired with 
the vehicle4Sound output is switched off or
 display for traffic bulletins
*:
>"TI": 
Traffic bulletins are switched on.
>No display: 
Traffic bulletins are switched off.
Other displays:
The status information is temporarily hidden 
when there are Check Control instructions or 
during inputs using the voice activation sys-
tem
*.
Switching Control Display 
off/on
1.Press the OPTIONbutton.
2."Switch off control display"
To switch on, press the controller.
Split screen view, Split screen*
Additional information, e.g. from the computer, 
can be displayed on the right side of the split 
screen.
On the split screen, this information remains 
visible even when you change to another menu.
Switching split screen view on and off*
1.Press the OPTIONbutton.
2."Split screen"
 The split screen is activated.
Selecting display for split screen 
content*
When the split screen is switched on, you can 
select the content displayed on the screen. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 22 of 312

iDrive
20 1.Move the controller to the right repeatedly 
until the split screen content is selected.
2.Select the display.
Programmable memory 
buttons
Certain iDrive functions can be stored on the 
programmable memory buttons and called up 
directly, e.g. radio stations, navigation destina-
tions, phone numbers and entry points into the 
menu.
Storing functions
1.Highlight the function via the iDrive.
2. ...   Press the desired button for 
longer than two seconds.
Sample use of programmable memory 
buttons
Switch the voice instructions for the navigation 
on/off.
1."Navigation"
2."Map"
3.Select the   symbol using the controller.
4. ...   Press the desired button for 
longer than two seconds.
Running function
 ...   Press button.
The function is run immediately. This means, 
for example, that the number is dialed when a 
phone number is selected.
Displaying button assignment
Touch the button with a finger. Do not wear 
gloves or use objects.
Displaying short info
 ...   Touch button.
The button assignment is displayed at the top 
edge of the screen.
Displaying detailed information
 ...   Touch button for an extended 
period.