Page 49 of 259

CONTROLSDriving
48
Driving
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. Equipment is also described
that is not available because of, for example,
selected options or coun try version. This also
applies to safety relate d functions and systems.
Ignition lock
Inserting the key into the ignition lock
Insert the key all the way into the ignition lock.
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Removing the key from the ignition lock
Press in the key briefly. It is ejected slightly.
At the same time:
>The ignition is switched off if it was on
beforehand.
Automatic transmission
The key can only be removed if the selector lever
is in position P: interlock.
Start/Stop button
Press the Start/Stop button to switch radio readi-
ness or the ignition on and off. Do not depress
the brake or clutch while doing so.
If the Start/Stop button is pressed while
the clutch is depressed in the manual
transmission or the brake pedal is depressed in
the automatic transmission, the engine starts. <
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. The
time and external temperature are displayed in
the tachometer.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the key is removed from the ignition
lock
> When using Comfort Access
by pressing the
button on the door handle or the
button on the remote control, refer to
Locking on page 33
> After a certain has elapsed
Ignition on
Most indicator and warn ing lamps in indicator
area 1, page 13, light up for varying lengths of
time.
When the engine is off, switch off the
ignition and any unnecessary electrical
consumers in order to preserve the battery. <
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 50 of 259

DrivingCONTROLS
49
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the displays
go out.
The ignition switches off automatically if the
driver's door is opened. Pressing the Start/Stop
button again switches the ignition back on.
The ignition is not switched off in situations such
as the following:
>The clutch or brake is depressed
> The low beams are switched on
Starting the engine
Do not allow the engine to run in enclosed
areas; otherwise, inhalation of the noxious
exhaust gases can lead to loss of consciousness
and death. Exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running; otherwise, such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car while the engine is run-
ning, place the transmission in neutral or move
the selector lever to position P and forcefully
apply the parking brake to prevent the car from
moving. <
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
not burned or inadequately burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the
catalytic converter. <
Do not let the engine warm up with the vehicle
at a standstill. Move of f immediately at a moder-
ate engine speed.
When starting the engine, do not depress the
accelerator pedal.
Manual transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with
Comfort Access, refer to page 32.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
Automatic transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with
Comfort Access, refer to page 32.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Shift the selector lever into position P or N.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
The starter operates auto matically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Switching off the engine
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll.
Secure the vehicle on steep upward and down-
ward slopes, for example, turn the steering
wheel towards the curb. <
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the Start/
Stop button.
2. Shift into first gear or reverse.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 51 of 259

CONTROLSDriving
50
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a stop, move the selector
lever to position P.
2. Press the Start/Stop button.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Before driving into a car wash
By following these steps, the vehicle is able to
roll:
1.Place the remote control, even with Comfort
Access, in the ignition lock.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Move the selector lever to position N.
4. Switch off the engine.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
In addition, follow the instructions on page 49
under Switching off the engine.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull upward slightly, pr ess the button, arrow,
and guide the lever down.
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, excessive force could lead to over-
braking and loss of traction
, i.e. fishtailing, at the
rear axle. <
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5t h 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 ha s to be overcome.
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you can
shift gears manually using Steptronic, page 52.
Parking the vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always
select position P and apply the parking
brake before leaving the vehicle with the engine
running. <
Removing the key
To remove the key from the ignition lock, first
move the selector lever into position P and then
switch off the engine: in terlock. Remove the key
from the ignition lock, refer to page 48.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 52 of 259

DrivingCONTROLS
51
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the tachometer
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed, or the
current gear in the manual mode.
Changing selector lever positions
>The selector lever can only be moved out of
position P when the ignition is switched on
or the engine is running.
> Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise, the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start. <
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
Overriding the selector lever lock
Press the button on the front of the selector
lever, arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The front wheels are blocked.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
Select this when you are in a car wash, for exam-
ple. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehi cle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, the fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in position
D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 53 of 259

CONTROLSDriving
52
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The Sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played. This position is recommended for a
performance-oriented driving style.
To deactivate the Sport program or manual
mode M/S, move the selector lever to the right
into position D.
Shifting with the selector lever
Push the selector lever forward or pull it back to
activate manual operation. Steptronic shifts the
gear.
> Pull the selector lever in the + direction.
Transmission shifts up.
> Push the selector leve r in the – direction.
Transmission shifts down.
The selected gear is displayed in the tacho-
meter, e.g. M1.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
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 over-
rev will not be executed by the system. The
selected gear is displayed briefly, followed by
the current gear.
Shifting on the steering wheel
With the selector lever in position D, automatic
drive, you can shift gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel. The transmission auto-
matically switches to manual mode. If you do not shift gears with the shift paddles or
accelerate for a certai
n amount of time, the
transmission automatically returns to D, auto-
matic drive.
> Pull one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts up.
> Push one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts down.
M1 through M6 are displayed in the tachometer.
Manually releasing the 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 pressed, the selector lever lock
can be overridden:
1. Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2. Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is insi de out. Disconnect the
cable connector if necessary.
3. Insert extractor hook 1 into the loop on the
passenger's side.
The extractor hook is in the onboard
document holder or in the pouch for
the tire-changing set, page 222.<
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 54 of 259

DrivingCONTROLS
53
4.Pull the loop up.
5. Move the selector le ver into the desired
position by pressing the button on the front
of the selector lever.
Before manually unlocking the selector
lever lock, firmly set the parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling away. <
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1Turn signal
2 Headlamp flasher
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, pre ss the lever to the resis-
tance point.
Unusually rapid flashi ng of the indicator
lamp indicates that an indicator bulb has
failed. <
Signaling a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to signal a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
You can set whether the turn signal flashes once
or three times.
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "Triple turn signal" The setting is stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Wiper system
Do not turn on the wipers when they are
frozen; otherwise, the wiper blades and
the windshield wiper motor may be damaged. <
Do not use the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry; otherwise the wiper
blades may wear out faster or be damaged. <
1 Switching on wipers
2 Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3 Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
4 Cleaning windshield and headlamps
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 intermittent operation
when the vehicle is stationary.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 55 of 259

CONTROLSDriving
54
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 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 rain
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press button, arrow 3.
This symbol is displayed in the tachom-
eter.
Deactivate the rain se nsor before entering
an automatic car wash . Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation. <
Adjusting the sensitivity of the rain
sensor
1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page 48.
2. Press the button in the turn signal indicator
as often as necessary until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
3. Press and hold the button until the display
changes. 4.
Press the button as often as necessary until
the symbol and "SET" are displayed.
5. Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
6. Press the button to se lect the desired sensi-
tivity.
7. Wait, or press and hold the button until the
display changes.
The settings are stored.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow 3.
Brief wipe
Press the lever downward once, arrow 2.
Cleaning windshield and headlamps
Pull the lever, arrow 4 .
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated briefly.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched on,
the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG
Page 56 of 259

DrivingCONTROLS
55
In cars equipped with an alarm system, the
headlamps cannot be cleaned when the hood is
open.Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is empt y; otherwise, you will
damage the washer pump.
Only use the washers if the hood has been com-
pletely closed; otherwise, the headlamp washer
system
may be damaged. Do not use the wash-
ers if there is any danger that the fluid will freeze
on the windshield. If you do, your vision could be
obscured. For this reason, use antifreeze. <
Window washer nozzles
The window washer nozzles are heated auto-
matically while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on.
Rear window wiper
0Rear wipers parked
1 To switch on intermittent wipe :
Turn the cap to level 1.
Operation is continuous in reverse gear.
The rear wiper does not move if the cap is in
interval stage 1 before the ignition is switched
on.
Cleaning the rear window
2 To clean the rear window during intermit-
tent wipe :
Turn the cap further to level 2 and hold it
there.
3 To clean the rear window when wipers are
parked :
Turn the cap to level 3 and hold it there. Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is empty; otherwise, you will
damage the washer pump. <
Washer fluid
Washer fluid is flammable. Keep it away
from ignition sources, only store it in the
closed, original container, and keep out of reach
of children; otherwise, there is a danger of
injury. Comply with th e instructions on the
container. <
Washer fluid reservoir
Only refill washer fl uid that contains anti-
freeze when the engine is cool, to avoid
contact with hot engine parts. Otherwise, fluid
spills constitute a fire hazard and a risk to per-
sonal safety. <
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations. Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained. <
Capacity
Approx. 4.2 US quarts/4 liters.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG