Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page292.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
42Adjusting
54Transporting children safely
58Driving
76Controls Overview
88Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
111Lamps
116Climate
124Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
138Things to remember when driving
Navigation
148Navigation system
149Destination entry
158Destination guidance
165What to do if …
Entertainment
168On/off and tone
171Radio
174Satellite radio
179CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
187Music collection
192External devices
196DVD system in rear
Communications
212Telephone
224Contacts
226BMW Assist
Mobility
234Refueling
239Wheels and tires
251Under the hood
256Maintenance
258Care
262Replacing components
273Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
280Technical data
285Short commands of voice activation
system
292Everything from A - Z
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
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
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
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
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
Controls
27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page86
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page86
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page86
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page85
>Date format, refer to page85
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page65
>Welcome lamps, refer to page111
>Pathway lighting, refer to page112
>Daytime driving lamps
*, refer to
page112
>High-beam Assistant
*, refer to
page113
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page89
>Top View
*: optical warning, refer to
page91
>Side View
*, refer to page92
>Rear view camera
*:
>Selecting functions, refer to page93
>Type of display, refer to page95
>Lane departure warning
*: last status, on/
off, refer to page104
>Head-up Display
*: selection, brightness
and position of display, refer to page109
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated-air control/recirculated-
air mode, temperature, air distribution, ven-
tilation temperature, starting on page117
>Programmable memory buttons: selecting
stored functions, refer to page20
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page44
>Adaptive Drive
*: selected chassis and sus-
pension tuning, refer to page98>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page168
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page173
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page172
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages215,220
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Liftgate
>Fuel filler flap
Operating from outside
>Using the remote control
>Using the door lock
>With Comfort Access
* using the door han-
dles
The interior lamps and the courtesy lamps
* are
also switched on and off with the remote con-
trol. The alarm system
is armed/disarmed at the
same time.
You can find more detailed information on the
alarm system
on page34.
Operating from inside
Using the button for central locking, refer to
page30. The fuel filler flap is not locked.
In an accident of sufficient severity, the central
locking system automatically unlocks the vehi-
cle. In addition, the hazard warning flashers and
interior lamps come on.
Opening and closing
28
Opening and closing:
Using remote control
Persons or animals in a parked vehicle
could lock the doors from the inside.
Always take along the remote control when
leaving the vehicle so that the vehicle can then
be opened from the outside.<
Unlocking
Press the button.
This unlocks the vehicle.
Setting unlocking behavior
You can set whether the first press of the button
unlocks only the driver's door or the entire vehi-
cle.
1."Settings"
2."Door locks"
3."Unlock button"
4.Select a menu item:
>"All doors"
Press the button once to unlock the
entire vehicle.
>"Driver's door only"
Press the button once to unlock only
the driver's door and the fuel filler flap.
Press the button twice to unlock the
entire vehicle.
5.Press the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Comfort opening
Press and hold the button. The windows and
the glass sunroof
*/panoramic glass sunroof*
are opened.
Locking
Press the button.
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
persons are inside because unlocking
from the inside is not possible without special
knowledge.<
Switching on interior lamps
With vehicle locked:
Press the button.
You can also use this function to locate your
vehicle in parking garages etc.
Panic mode*
You can also trigger the alarm system in case of
danger:
Press the button for at least 3 seconds.
Switch off alarm: press any button.
Unlocking liftgate
Press the button for approx. 1 second.
The liftgate will open slightly, regardless of
whether it was previously locked or unlocked.
During opening, the liftgate pivots back
and up. Ensure that adequate clearance is
available before opening.
To prevent accidentally locking yourself out,
never lay the remote control in the cargo area. A
previously locked liftgate is also locked again
after closing.<
If pointed or sharp-edged objects could
strike the rear window while driving, be
sure to provide protection around all edges.
Failure to do so could result in damage to the
heating conductors of the rear window.<
Confirmation signals
You can activate or deactivate the confirmation
signals.