
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
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Dashboard
At a glance
4
Exterior mirrors folding in and out 55
5 Adjusting exterior mirrors, automatic curb 
monitor 55
9 Instrument cluster 12 12
Ignition lock 61
13 Buttons on the steering wheel
15 Horn, entire surface
16 Adjusting the steering wheel 56
18 Releasing the hood 260
19 OBD socket 265
20 Opening the trunk lid 35
1
Convertible: opening and closing 
windows jointly
40 
2 Convertible: opening and closing 
rear windows
40 
3 Opening and closing front 
windows
40 
6 Parking lamps 110
Low beams 110
Automatic head lamp control110
Adaptive Light Control 112
High-beam Assistant 113
7 Fog lamps 114
8 Turn signals 71
High beams, headlamp 
flasher 112
High-beam Assistant 113
Roadside parking lamps 112
Computer 84
Settings and information about the 
vehicle 86
10 Windshield wipers 71
Rain sensor 72
11Switching the ignition on/off and 
starting/stopping the engine
61
Telephone: accepting and ending 
a call; dialing the selected phone 
number; redialing if no phone 
number is selected
Convertible: microphone on steer-
ing column
Volume
Activating/deactivating the voice 
activation system 25
Convertible: microphone on steer-
ing column
Changing the radio station
Interrupting a traffic bulletin
Selecting a music track
Scrolling through the redial list
Next entertainment source
Recirculated air mode 118
14 Steering wheel heating 56
17 Cruise control 75
Active Cruise Control 75
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Dashboard
At a glance
6
CD/DVD drive 181
7 Changing
>Radio station 173
> Track 182
9 Controller 18 
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four 
directions
10 Buttons on the controller 18
Selecting menus directly
12 Programmable memory keys 23
13 Switching entertainment audio sources on/
off and adjusting volume 170
14 Ejecting a CD/DVD 181
Automatic recirculated air control 
AUC and recirculated air 
mode
118
Maximum cooling 117
ALL program 119
Air volume 118
Defrosting windows 119
Rear window defroster 119
Seat heating 53
8 Park Distance Control PDC 96
Coupe: 
Roller sunblinds 126
Coupe: 
Hill Descent Control HDC 99
11 Convertible:
Opening and closing retractable 
hardtop
43
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At a glanceiDrive
iDrive
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.
The concept
iDrive integrates the fu nctions of a large num-
ber of switches. This allows these functions to 
be operated from a single central position.
Make entries only when traffic and road 
conditions permit; otherSwise, you may 
endanger vehicle occupants and other road 
users by being distracted. <
Controls at a glance
Controls
1Control Display
2 Controller with buttons
You can use the buttons to open the menus 
directly. The controller can be used to 
select the menu item s and create settings. >
Move in four directions, arrows 3
> Turn, arrow  4
> Push, arrow  5
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iDrive
At a glance
Control Display
Notes
>
Follow care instructions when cleaning the 
Control Display.
> Do not store items in the region in front of 
the Control Display; doing so may damage 
the Control Display.
Switching off
1.  Press the button.
2. "Switch off control display"
Switching on
Press the controller to switch on.
Buttons on the controller
Operating principle
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond, 
refer to page 61, 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 button.
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.
SymbolFunction
MENU Open the main menu
RADIO Open the Radio menu
CD Open the CD/Multimedia menu
NAV Start navigation in map view
TEL Open the Telephone menu
BACK Show previous panel
OPTION Open the Options menu
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Opening and closing
Controls
Switching on interior lamps
While the car is locked: 
Press the  button. 
You can also use this fu
nction to locate your 
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Unlocking the trunk lid
Press the  button for about 1 second and 
then release it.
The trunk lid opens a short distance, regardless 
of whether it was locked or unlocked.
The trunk lid swings back and up when 
opened. Ensure that there is sufficient 
clearance. To avoid lo cking yourself out by 
accident, do not place th e remote control in the 
cargo area. A previously locked trunk lid is 
locked again after closing.
Before and after each tr ip, check that the trunk 
lid has not been inad vertently unlocked.<
Convertible: convenient loading
When you are close to the vehicle, the remote 
control for Comfort Access can be used to par-
tially raise the open hardtop for more conve-
nient loading of the cargo area.
1.Briefly press the  butto n and, within one 
second, press again and hold until the 
retractable hardtop stop s in an intermediate 
position. The trunk lid opens slightly.
2. Open the trunk lid, pres s the cargo area par-
tition upward and stow the cargo in the 
cargo area.
3. Press down the cargo ar ea partition until it 
engages on both sides and close the trunk 
lid.
4. Press the  button for a longer period to 
fold the retractable hardtop back in.
Confirmation signals
You can activate or deac tivate the confirmation 
signals.
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks" 3.
"Flash when lock/unlock"
4. Press the controller.
Calling up the driver's seat position
The driver's seat position last set is stored for 
the remote control currently in use.
You can select whether or not the seat is reset 
to that position  automatically.
When this Personal Profile function is 
used, first make sure  that the footwell 
behind the driver's seat  is free of obstacles. 
Failure to do so could ca use injury to persons or 
damage to objects as a result of a rearward 
movement of the seat. <
The adjusting procedure  is halted immediately 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the memory buttons.
Selecting automatic call-up
1. "Settings"
2. "Door locks"
3. "Last seat position auto."
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
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ControlsOpening and closing
Interior motion sensor
Coupe
For proper function, the windows and glass 
sunroof must be closed.
Convertible
The interior of the car  is monitored up to the 
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys-
tem is activated togeth er with the interior 
motion sensor even if the hardtop is open. The 
alarm can be triggered un intentionally by falling 
objects such as leaves, refer to Avoiding unin-
tentional alarms.
Avoiding uninten tional alarms
The tilt sensor and interior motion sensor can 
be deactivated together,  for example in the fol-
lowing situations:
> In car washes
> In stacking garages
> During transport on car-carrying trains, 
boats/ships or on a trailer
> When leaving animals in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensor
Once the vehicle is locked, press the 
button on the remote control again 
within approx. 10 seconds.
The indicator lamp light s up briefly and then 
flashes continuously. The  tilt alarm sensor and 
the interior motion sensor are switched off until 
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort Access
The concept
It is possible to access  the vehicle without actu-
ating the remote control.  It is sufficient to have 
the remote control with you, for example in your 
jacket pocket. The vehicle automatically 
detects the remote control in the vicinity or in 
the passenger compartment.
Comfort Access supports the following func-
tions:
> Unlocking/locking the vehicle
> Convenient closing
> Unlocking the trunk lid separately
> Engine starting
Functional requirement
>There are no external sources of interfer-
ence in the vicinity.
> The remote control must be outside the 
vehicle to lock it.
> The next unlocking and locking cycle is not 
possible until after approx. 2 seconds.
> It is only possible to start the engine if the 
remote control is inside the vehicle.
Comparison to the standard remote 
control
The above functions can be controlled by 
pressing the remote control buttons or by using 
Comfort Access.
If you notice a brief delay while opening or 
closing windows, the glass roof or retract-
able hardtop, the system is checking whether a 
remote control is inside  the vehicle. Please 
repeat the opening or closing procedure, if nec-
essary. <
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Opening and closing
Controls
Unlocking
Grasp the handle on the driver's or front pas-
senger door completely, arrow 1
.
This corresponds to pressing the  button.
Locking
Touch the surface on the door handle, arrow  2, 
with your finger for approx. 1 second.
This corresponds to pressing the   but-
ton.
To preserve the battery, please make 
sure that the ignition and all electrical 
consumers are switched off before locking the 
vehicle. <
Coupe: convenient closing
Keep pressing the surface, arrow 2, with your 
finger.
Convertible: window and convertible 
top operation
With the ignition at radio readiness or beyond, 
you can open and close the windows and the 
convertible top when a remote control is 
located inside the vehicle.
Unlocking the trunk lid separately
Press the button on the ou tside of the trunk lid.
This corresponds to pressing the  button.
If the vehicle detects that a remote con-
trol has been accident ally left inside the 
locked vehicle's cargo area after the trunk lid is 
closed, the lid will reopen. The hazard warning 
flashers flash and a signal sounds. <
Switching on radio readiness
Pressing the Start/Stop button switches on 
radio readiness.
Do not depress the brake or the clutch; other-
wise, the engine will start immediately.
Starting the engine
The engine can be started or the ignition can be 
switched on when a remote control is inside the 
vehicle. It is not necessary to insert a remote 
control into the ignition lock, refer to page 61.
Switching off the engine in cars with 
automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off when the 
selector lever is in po sition P, refer to page 63.
To switch the engine off when the selector lever 
is in position N, the remote control must be in 
the ignition lock.
Malfunction
Local radio waves can in terfere with the func-
tion of Comfort Access, for example when a 
mobile phone is in the immediate vicinity of the 
remote control or by when a mobile phone is 
being charged in the vehicle.
If this happens, open or close the vehicle via the 
buttons on the remote co ntrol or using the inte-
grated key. To start the  engine afterward, insert 
the remote control into  the ignition lock.
Warning lamps
The warning lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up when you attempt to 
start the engine: the engine cannot 
be started. The remote co ntrol is not inside the 
vehicle or is malfunctioning.
Take the remote contro l with you inside the 
vehicle or have it checked. If necessary, insert 
another remote control in to the ignition lock.
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