Controls
49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Selecting automatic call-up
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "Door locks" is selected and press the
controller.
6.Select "Central locking" and press the con-
troller.
7.Select "Last seat pos." and press the con-
troller.
8.Select "After unlocking" or "After door
opened".
9.Press the controller.
Switching off automatic call-up
Select "Deactivated" and press the controller.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on
page45 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
O n t h e r e a r s e a t s , t h e c e n t e r b e l t b u c k l e m a r k e d
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page45.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a
message will appear on the Control
Display. Check whether the safety
belt has been fastened correctly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is
Adjustments
50 not fastened, if heavy objects are placed on the
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners or child-
restraint systems, replaced and the belt
anchors checked. Have this work done only by
your BMW center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, it is
not guaranteed that the safety devices will func-
tion properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more convex
than the driver's mirror. The objects seen in the
mirror are closer than they appear. Do not
gauge your distance from traffic behind you on
the basis of what you see in the mirror; other-
wise there is an increased risk of an accident.<
1Adjustments
2Switching to the other mirror or automatic
curb monitor
*
3Folding mirrors in and out*
The settings for the exterior mirrors are stored
for the remote control currently in use
*, refer to
Personal Profile, page28. The stored positions
are called up automatically when the vehicle is
unlocked.
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
At driving speeds up to approx. 12 mph/
20 km/h, you can fold the mirrors in and out by
pressing button3. This can be beneficial in nar-
row streets, for example, or for moving mirrors
that were folded in by hand back out into their
correct positions. Mirrors that were folded in are
folded out automatically at a speed of approx.
25 mph/40 km/h.
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with
button3, to prevent them from being damaged
due to the width of the vehicle.<
Automatic heating*
At outside temperatures below a certain limit,
both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
while the engine is running or the ignition
switched on.
Passenger-side mirror tilt function –
automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Push the switch to the position for the
driver's-side mirror, arrow 1.
2.Engage reverse gear or move the selector
lever to position R.
The glass of the mirror on the passenger
side tilts slightly down. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle, e.g. a curb, when backing into
a parking space.
Controls
59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in
addition. The parking brake is still
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, too violent an application of the
parking brake can lock up the rear wheels and
cause the rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page60.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and apply the
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the
ignition lock, you must first move the selector
lever to position P and switch off the engine:
interlock.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Driving
62 Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal indicator
has failed.<
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
The turn signals flash three times.
You can activate or deactivate this function.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.If necessary, move the highlight marker to
the uppermost field. Turn the controller
until "Lighting" is selected and press the
controller.
6.Select "Triple turn signal" and press the
controller.
Triple turn signaling is activated.
Wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
5Setting speed for intermittent wipe, or sen-
sitivity of the rain sensor
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to operation in the inter-
mittent mode when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance
point.
The system switches to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the
intermittent-wipe time is a preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time
between wipes is controlled automatically and
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Controls
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Activating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button, arrow3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Setting speed for intermittent wipe or
sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn knurled wheel5 up or down.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow3.
The LED goes out.
Deactivate the rain sensor before enter-
ing an automatic car wash. Failure to do
so could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated for a short time.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on the
windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. Antifreeze should therefore be
added to the fluid, refer to Washer fluid.
Do not use the washers when the washer fluid
reservoir is empty, otherwise you will damage
the washer pump.<
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are heated
automatically while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on
*.
Sports Wagon: rear window wiper
1Intermittent operation. When reverse gear
is engaged, the system switches to contin-
uous operation.
2Cleaning the rear window
The rear window wiper does not move if the
lever is in position 1 before the ignition is
switched on.
To switch on the rear window wiper:
1.Move the lever to its home position.
2.Reselect the desired position.
Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is empty, otherwise you will
damage the washer pump.<
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Always keep it well away from sparks and
open flames, and store it in the tightly closed
original container, well out of the reach of chil-
dren. Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer.<
Driving
64
Washer fluid reservoir
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
All washer nozzles are supplied with washer
fluid by the same reservoir.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 6.3USquarts/6liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
Cruise control is available for use at speeds of
approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then stores
and maintains the speed that you specify using
the lever on the steering column. In order to
maintain the specified speed, the system
brakes the vehicle when the engine braking
effect is insufficient on downhill gradients.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g., snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise you could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. An indicator lamp notifies you that you
should shift gears when you drive for an extended period at very high or very low engine
speeds, or the system is deactivated.
One lever for all functions
1Storing and maintaining speed or accelerat-
ing
2Storing and maintaining speed or deceler-
ating
3Deactivating cruise control
4Resuming a speed stored beforehand
Maintaining current speed
Tap the lever, arrow 1, or pull it briefly, arrow 2.
The car's current speed is stored and main-
tained. It is displayed in the speedometer and
briefly in the instrument cluster.
On uphill gradients, it may prove impossible to
maintain the set speed if current engine power
output is insufficient. If the engine braking
effect is insufficient on downhill slopes, the sys-
tem will brake the vehicle slightly.
Increasing desired speed
Repeatedly press the lever to the resistance
point or beyond, arrow1, until the desired
speed is reached.
>Each time the lever is pressed to the resis-
tance point, the desired speed is increased
by approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pressed beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed is
increased by up to 5 mph or 10 km/h.
The system stores and maintains the speed.
Accelerating using the lever
Accelerating slightly:
Driving
66
Active cruise control*
The concept
With active cruise control, you can select a
desired speed which is not only automatically
maintained when driving on open roadways, but
also varied to maintain a selected distance set-
ting as slower traffic is encountered.
Active cruise control is a technological advance
over the familiar cruise control and is a welcome
relief from the constant adjustment of speed
that can accompany driving in traffic on high-
ways or other high-speed thoroughfares. Espe-
cially on longer trips, the system can reduce
fatigue and tension, while increasing your
enjoyment of driving. Please use it safely and
responsibly.
Within the limits of its capability, the system
automatically adapts the car's speed to that of a
slower vehicle in front of you. You can specify
the distance to be maintained from the vehicle
in front in four stages. For safety reasons, the
distance is speed-dependent. Based on your
selected distance setting, the system automat-
ically decreases the throttle setting and lightly
applies the brakes if necessary. The vehicle
brake lamps will automatically illuminate to sig-
nal a following driver to take action. In addition,
it may be necessary for the vehicle or the driver
to downshift, depending on the kind of trans-
mission your vehicle is equipped with, to main-
tain the distance setting selected. If the vehicle
ahead speeds up or when the lane ahead
becomes clear, your vehicle will accelerate to
the speed you have selected by increasing the
throttle setting and shifting gears automatically
or by the driver as needed. Your selected speed
will be held when driving downhill, too.
Since this active cruise control system is a new
technology and operates differently from con-
ventional cruise control systems which you may
be accustomed to, you are strongly urged to
read all of the pages relating to this system
before use. Pay special attention to the System
limitations section beginning on page69.
Braking sensation
>If you step on the brake pedal while the sys-
tem is braking, pedal sensation will be
slightly different from the usual.
>Possible noises during automatic braking
are normal.
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. An indicator lamp notifies you that you
should shift gears when you drive for an
extended period at very high or very low engine
speeds, or the system is deactivated.
Range of applications
The minimum desired speed is 20 mph or
30 km/h, the maximum desired speed is
110mph or 180km/h.
As with conventional cruise control sys-
tems, active cruise control in no way
diminishes or substitutes for the driver’s own
personal responsibility, alertness and aware-
ness in adjusting speed, braking or otherwise
controlling the vehicle. The driver should
decide when to use the system on the basis of
road, traffic, visibility, and weather conditions.
Active cruise control is intended for use on
highway-type roadways where traffic is moving
relatively smoothly. Do not use this system in
city driving; heavy traffic such as during rush
hour; on curvy, winding roads, slippery roads or
roads with sharp curves such as highway off-
ramps; during inclement weather such as snow,
strong rain or fog; or when entering inter-
changes, service/parking areas or toll booths.
It is also important to regulate your vehicle's
speed and distance setting within applicable
legal limits. Always be ready to take action or
apply the brakes if necessary, especially when
the system is actively following a vehicle in front
of you. Otherwise driving situations could result
that pose the risk of accidents.<
Driving
68 Use good judgment to select the appro-
priate following distance given road con-
ditions, traffic, applicable laws and driving rec-
ommendations for safe following distance.
Otherwise, an accident risk could result.<
Deactivating cruise control
Press the lever upward or downward, arrow3.
The displays in the speedometer disappear.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>When you brake the vehicle
>When the speed is reduced to below
20 mph or 30 km/h due to a traffic situation
>When you switch gears very slowly or shift
to idle in cars with manual transmission
>When you select the automatic transmis-
sion's neutral position N
>When you activate the Dynamic Traction
Control DTC
>When you deactivate the Dynamic Stability
Control DSC
>When DSC or ABS is intervening
>When the system does not recognize any
objects for a longer period of time, e.g. on
infrequently traveled roads without a shoul-
der or guard rails, or if the radar sensor is
covered with dirt, refer to page69
>When you apply the parking brake
When the system is deactivated, you
must brake the vehicle yourself and/or
maneuver as necessary, otherwise there is a
risk of accident.<
Warning lamp
The warning lamp comes on when
active cruise control has been auto-
matically deactivated due to a driving
speed below 20 mph or 30 km/h, an application
of the parking brake or a DSC intervention. A
message appears on the Control Display.
Resuming stored desired speed and
distance
Briefly press the button, arrow 4.
The stored speed and distance are regained
and maintained.
In the following instances, the stored speed is
deleted and can no longer be resumed:
>When driving stability control systems are
intervening
>In cars with ma nua l trans mis sio n: when you
shift gears very slowly or shift to idle posi-
tion
>In cars with automatic transmission: when
you engage selector lever position N
>When the ignition is switched off
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Stored desired speed
2Shows yellow: vehicle detected ahead
Flashes in red: system cannot maintain dis-
tance; driver must brake the vehicle
Flashes in yellow: driving stability control
systems are intervening; cruise control is
deactivated
3Selected distance to vehicle ahead
The indicator lights up as soon as the sys-
tem is activated.