
6
Notes
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive 
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part. <
California Proposition 65 warning
California law requires us  to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components foun d in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other 
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminal s and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash 
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in labora tory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water. <
Service and warranty
We recommend that you  read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
> New Vehicle Limited Warranty
> Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
> Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
> Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
> California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information abou t these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been sp ecifically adapted and 
designed to meet the particular operating con-
ditions and registration requirements in your 
country and continental region in order to 
deliver the full driving pl easure while the vehicle 
is operated under those conditions. If you wish 
to operate your vehicle in another country or 
region, you may be requir ed to adapt your vehi-
cle to meet different prevailing operating condi-
tions and registration re quirements. You should 
also be aware of any a pplicable warranty limita-
tions or exclusions for such country or region. In 
such case, please contact Customer Relations 
for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle re gularly to sustain the 
road safety, operationa l reliability and the New 
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for requ ired maintenance mea-
sures:
> BMW Maintenance system
> Service and Warranty Information Booklet 
for US models
> Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for 
Canadian models
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30
ControlsOpening and closing
Opening and closing
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may 
not be available in a vehi cle, for example due to 
the special options or  national-market version 
selected. This also app lies to safety related 
functions and systems.
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 replace-
able battery, refer to page 40.
The settings called up and implemented when 
the car is unlocked de pend on which remote 
control is used to unlock the car, refer to Per-
sonal Profile, next column.
In addition, informatio n about service require-
ments is stored in the remote control, refer to 
Service data in the  remote control, page 264.
Integrated key
Press button1 to release the key.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
> Glove compartment, refer to page 126
> Driver's door, refer to page 34
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 yo ur part, Personal Pro-
file 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 set-
tings stored for it are called up and imple-
mented.
This means that your pe rsonal 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 cont rols. They are stored 
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37
Opening and closing
Controls
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>
When a door, the hood or the trunk lid is 
opened
> To movements inside the vehicle: Interior 
motion sensor, refer to page 38
> When the car's inclination changes, for 
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up 
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to 
towing away
> When there has been an interruption of 
power supply from the battery
The alarm system signals unauthorized entry 
attempts for a short time by means of:
> An acoustic alarm
> Switching on the hazard warning flashers
> Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming
General information
When you lock or unlock  the vehicle, either with 
the remote control or at  the door lock, the alarm 
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
Door lock with armed alarm system
In some national-market versions, unlocking via 
the door lock tr iggers the alarm.
To switch off this alarm, unlock the vehicle with 
the remote control or sw itch on the ignition.
Trunk lid with the alarm system armed
The trunk lid can be opened via the remote con-
trol even when the alarm system is armed.
Press the  button on th e remote control for 
approx. 1 second.
The trunk lid is locked and monitored again as 
soon as it is closed.
Panic mode
You can trigger the alarm system if you find 
yourself in a dangerous situation:
Press the  button for at  least three seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Switching off an alarm
> Unlock the car with the  remote control, refer 
to page 32.
> Insert the remote contro l all the way into the 
ignition lock.
Indicator lamp on inside mirror
> The indicator lamp fl ashes continuously:
The system is armed.
> The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
The doors, hood, or trunk lid are not prop-
erly closed, the remaining components are 
secured.
Then the indicator lamp flashes continu-
ously after approx. 10 seconds. The interior 
motion sensor and tilt  sensor are not active.
> The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
The vehicle has not been tampered with.
> If the indicator lamp flashes after unlocking 
until the remote contro l is inserted in the 
ignition, but for no longer than approx. 
5minutes: 
The vehicle has been tampered with.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm 
system reacts, e.g. to attempts to steal a wheel 
or tow the vehicle.
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65
Driving
Controls
R Reverse
Select this only when th
e vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Press the accelerator  pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move selector lever from position D toward the 
left into the M/S shifting slot; the Sport program 
is activated. This positi on is recommended for a 
performance-oriented driving style.
DS is displayed in the instrument cluster.
To deactivate the spor t program or manual 
mode M/S, move the sele ctor lever to the right 
into position D.
Shifting gears via the selector lever
Move selector lever from position D toward the 
left into the M/S shifting slot: When you press the selector lever forwards or 
backwards, the manual 
mode is activated and 
Steptronic changes gear.
The engaged gear, e.g. M1 is displayed in the 
instrument cluster.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in  a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
a downshift that would  cause the engine to 
overrev will not be executed by the system.
The gear selected is br iefly displayed in the 
instrument cluster, follo wed again by the gear 
actually in use.
Changing gears using shifting paddles 
on steering wheel
The shift paddles allow you to shift gears 
quickly since both hand s can remain on the 
steering wheel.
> When you use the shift paddles on the 
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic 
mode, the transmission switches to manual 
mode.
> If you do not accelerate  or shift gears using 
the shift paddles for  a certain amount of 
time, the transmission switches back to 
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear 
plane, manual mode remains active. <
> To upshift, briefly pull the right shift 
paddle +.
> To downshift, briefly  pull the left shift pad-
dle –.
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66
ControlsDriving
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combination 
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, 
a downshift that would cause the engine to 
overrev will not be exec uted by the system.
The gear selected is briefly displayed in the 
instrument cluster, followed again by the gear 
actually in use.
Overriding selector lever lock
Should the selector lever  refuse to move out of 
position P even though the ignition is switched 
on, the brake is depressed and the button on 
the selector lever is pre ssed, the selector lever 
lock can be overridden:
1. Switch off ignition.
2. Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
3. Pull the sleeve up over  the selector lever 
until the sleeve is inside out.
4. Using the screwdriver from the onboard 
vehicle tool kit, refer to page 270, press the 
red lever and with the button pressed, 
simultaneously move th e selector lever to 
the desired position.
7-gear Spor t automatic 
transmission with double 
clutch
The concept
The 7-gear Sport automa tic transmission with 
double clutch is an automated manual trans-
mission with two clutches and secondary gear  sets in which the clutch
ing and shifting is han-
dled by an electrohydraulic system.
With the 7-gear Sport automatic transmission 
with double clutch, the gears are shifted without 
an interruption in driving power.
You operate the 7-gear Sport automatic trans-
mission with double clutch using the selector 
lever and two shift paddles on the steering 
wheel.
It offers you the following functions:
> Either manual or au tomatic mode: sequen-
tial mode or drive mode
> Automatic downshifting and protection 
against incorrect gear selection, even in 
sequential mode
> Acceleration assistan t, Launch Control, 
refer to page 70
> Automatic intermediate  throttle application
System limitations
The 7-gear Sport automatic transmission with 
double clutch has an overheating protection 
that protects the clutch from extreme loads.
The indicator lamp lights up in yellow if 
the transmission becomes too warm. 
Avoid high engine loads and frequent 
accelerations from zero. If the transmission is 
overheated, the indicator lamp lights up in red 
and the power flow to the  motor is interrupted. It 
is only possible to continue driving once the 
transmission has cooled down.
Avoid frequent powerful accelerations from 
zero and do not hold the  vehicle on inclines by 
pressing lightly on the  accelerator while letting 
the clutch slip, as this may cause the transmis-
sion to overheat.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
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68
ControlsDriving
D Drive mode
In Drive mode, all forward gears are shifted 
automatically.
Kickdown
For sudden acceleration maneuvers such as 
passing, depress the accelerator past the resis-
tance point. This prov ides maximum accelera-
tion.
Sport program and 
manual mode M/S
Push selector lever towa rd the left from the 
selector lever position D, the Sport program is 
activated. This position is recommended for a 
performance-oriented driving style.
The engaged gear, e.g. S1, is displayed in the 
instrument cluster.
When you press the selector lever forwards or 
backwards, the manual mode is activated and 
Steptronic changes gear. 
The engaged gear, e.g. M1 is displayed in the 
instrument cluster.
In the following situat ions, the 7-gear Sport 
automatic transmission with double clutch 
does the thinking for you:
> Upshifts and downshifts are executed only 
when they will result in a plausible combina-
tion of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for 
example, a downshift that could cause the 
engine to overrev will not be executed by 
the system. >
At a stop, the transmission is automatically 
shifted down to the first gear.
> Shortly before the spee d falls below a gear-
dependent minimum speed, the transmis-
sion automatically down shifts without your 
intervention.
Quick downshifting: even in sequential mode, 
you can skip over several gears in order to 
achieve an optimum acceleration. To do so, 
depress the accelerator past the resistance 
point.
To return to automatic  mode, push the selector 
lever to the right.
Gear shifting
Upshift or downshift usin g the selector lever or 
the shift paddles. You do  not need to lift your 
foot off the accelerator when doing so.
Using the selector lever
> To upshift, pull the sele ctor lever toward the 
rear.
> To downshift, push it toward the front.
Using the shift paddl es on the steering 
wheel
You can also shift manua lly using two shift pad-
dles on the steering wheel. The shift paddles 
allow you to shift gear s quickly since both 
hands can remain on the steering wheel.
> When you use the shift paddles on the 
steering wheel to shift gears in automatic 
mode, the transmission switches to manual 
mode.
> If you do not accelerate or shift gears using 
the shift paddles for a certain amount of 
time, the transmission switches back to 
automatic mode if the  selector lever is in 
position D.
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96
ControlsTechnology for driving comfort and safety
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may 
not be available in a vehi cle, for example due to 
the special options or  national-market version 
selected. This also app lies to safety related 
functions and systems.
Park Distance Control PDC
The concept
The PDC assists you with maneuvering in tight 
parking spaces. Acoustic signals and a visual 
indicator warn you of the presence of an object 
in front of or behind your vehicle. To measure 
the distance, there are four ultrasonic sensors 
in either bumper.
These sensors have a range of approx. 6.5 ft/
2 m. However, an acoustic warning does not 
sound until an object  is approx. 24 in/60 cm 
from the front sensors and rear corner sensors, 
or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m from the rear center sen-
sors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached 
slowly, as is usually th e case when parking. 
Avoid approaching an object at high speed; oth-
erwise, physical circumstances may lead to the 
system warning being issued too late. <
Switching on automatically
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the system is activated after approx. one 
second when you shift into reverse or move the 
automatic transmission selector lever to 
position R. Wait this short period before driving.
Switching off automatically
After approx. 55 yd/50 m of driving or above 
approx. 20 mph/approx. 30 km/h, the system 
switches off and the LED goes out.
Switching on manually
When parking in the forward direction, the sen-
sors must be switched  on manually to enable 
them to signal an approach to an object in front 
of or behind the vehicle.
Press the button; the LED lights up.
Switching off manually
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, its position is indicated 
correspondingly by an interval tone. For exam-
ple, if an object is dete cted behind the vehicle, 
the signal tone sounds from the rear. As the dis-
tance between vehicle an d object decreases, 
the intervals betwee n the tones become 
shorter. If the distance  to the nearest object 
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a contin-
uous tone sounds.
An interval tone is interrupted after approx. 
3seconds
> If you remain in front of an object that has 
been detected by only one of the corner 
sensors
> If you are driving parallel to a wall.
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122
ControlsPractical interior accessories
Practical interior accessories
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all pr oduction, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. For this reason, descrip-
tions will be given of some equipment that may 
not be available in a vehi cle, for example due to 
the special options or  national-market version 
selected. This also app lies to safety related 
functions and systems.
Integrated universal remote 
control
The concept
The Integrated universal remote control can be 
used to operate up to 3 functions of remote-
controlled devices such as garage door open-
ers or lighting systems.  The Integrated univer-
sal remote control thus replaces as many as 
three different hand-held  transmitters. To oper-
ate them, the buttons on  the interior rearview 
mirror must be programmed with the desired 
functions. Programming requires the hand-held 
transmitter for the respective device.
To prevent possible damage or injury, 
before programming  or using the inte-
grated universal remote control to operate a 
device, always inspect the immediate area to 
make certain that no people, animals or objects 
are within the pivoting or travel range of the 
device being operated.
Also follow the safety in structions supplied with 
the hand-held transmitter. <
For security reasons, ma ke sure to delete the 
stored functions before  selling the vehicle, refer 
to page 124.
Compatibility
If this symbol appears on the package 
or in the instructions supplied with the 
device to be operated, you can gener-
ally assume that the devi ce is compatible with 
the Integrated univer sal remote control.
For additional questions, please consult:
> Your BMW center.
> www.homelink.com on the Internet.
HomeLink is a registered trademark of Johnson 
Controls, Inc.
Controls on the interior rearview mirror
1 LED
2 Buttons
3 Hand-held transmitter, required for pro-
gramming.
Programming
General information
1.Switch on the ignition.
2. Initial operation:
Simultaneously hold down the right and left 
buttons on the inside mirror for approx. 
20 seconds until the LED on the inside mir-
ror flashes.
All programs of the bu ttons on the rearview 
mirror are deleted.
Online  Edition  for Part  no. 01 40 2 609  333 - \251  08/11  BMW AG