
iDriveVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
The concept
The iDrive combines the functions of many
switches. Thus, these functions can be oper‐
ated from a central location.
Using the iDrive during a trip
To avoid becoming distracted and pos‐
ing an unnecessary hazard to your vehicle's
occupants and to other traffic, never attempt
to use the controls or enter information unless
traffic and road conditions allow it.◀
Control elements at a glance Control elements1Control Display2Controller with buttons and, depending on
the equipment version, with touchpadControl Display
Hints▷To clean the Control Display, follow the
care instructions.▷Do not place objects close to the Control
Display; otherwise, the Control Display can
be damaged.▷In the case of very high temperatures on
the Control Display, e.g. due to intense so‐
lar radiation, the brightness may be re‐
duced down to complete deactivation.
Once the temperature is reduced, e.g.
through shadow or climate control system,
the normal functions are re-established.
Switching on
1.Turn on operations.2.Press the controller.
Switch off
1. Press button.2."Turn off control display"
Controller
The buttons can be used to open the menus
directly. The controller can be used to select
menu items and enter the settings.
Some iDrive functions can be operated using
the touchpad on the controller.
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Transporting children safelyVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are notnecessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
The right place for children
Note
Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors.◀
Children should always be in the rear Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Only transport children younger than
13 years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in
the rear in child restraint systems provided in
accordance with the age, weight and size of
the child; otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size.◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child re‐
straint system in the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front, knee and side airbags
on the front passenger side are deactivated.
Automatic deactivation of front-seat passen‐
ger airbags, refer to page 95.Note
Deactivating the front-seat passenger
airbags
If a child restraint system is used in the front
passenger seat, deactivate the front-seat pas‐
senger airbags; otherwise, there is an in‐
creased risk of injury to the child when the air‐
bags are activated, even with a child restraint
system.◀
Installing child restraint
systems
Hints Manufacturer's information for child re‐straint systems
To select, mount and use child restraint sys‐
tems, observe the information provided by the
system manufacturer; otherwise, the protec‐
tive effect can be lost.◀
Ensuring the stability of the child seat
When installing child restraint systems,
make sure that the child seat is securely fas‐
tened to the backrest of the seat. Angle and
headrest of the backrest might need to be ad‐
justed or possibly be removed. Make sure that
all backrests are securely locked. Otherwise
the stability of the child seat can be affected,
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Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags▷Keep at a distance from the airbags.▷Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
keep the risk of injury to your hands or
arms as low as possible when the airbag is
triggered.▷There should be no person, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.▷Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.▷Dashboard and windshield on the front
passenger side must stay clear - do not at‐
tach adhesive labels or coverings and do
not attach brackets or cables, e. g., for GPS
devices or' mobile phones.▷Make sure that the front passenger is sit‐
ting correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and
legs in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries
might occur when front airbag is activated.▷Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.▷Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as
jackets, over the backrests.▷Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
might occur when airbag is activated.▷Do not remove the airbag system.▷Do not remove the steering wheel.▷Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, do not cover them or
modify them in any way.▷Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents or the wiring in the airbag system.
This also applies to steering wheel covers,
the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars
and the sides of the roofliner.◀
Even when you follow all instructions very
closely, injury from contact with the airbags
cannot be ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term and, in most cases, temporary
hearing impairment in sensitive individuals.
Malfunction, deactivation and after de‐
ploying the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered;
otherwise, you may risk burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
the service center or an authorized repair shop
for handling explosives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or
unintentional activation of the airbag - both
may lead to injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are also found on the sun visors.
Functional readiness of the airbag
system
With operating readiness turned on
warning light in the instrument cluster
lights up briefly indicating airbag sys‐
tem and belt tension are functional.
Airbag system malfunctioning
▷Warning lamp does not come on when op‐
erating readiness is turned on.▷The warning lamp lights up continuously.
In case of a malfunction have airbag sys‐
tem checked immediately.
In case of a malfunction have airbag system
checked immediately; otherwise, there is a risk
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that the system does not function as expected
in case of a severe accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front-
seat passenger airbags
The system reads if the front passenger seat is
occupied by measuring the human body's re‐
sistance.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front pas‐
senger's side are either activated or deacti‐
vated.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger
keeps his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise,
proper functioning of the front passenger air‐
bag might not be assured.◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front pas‐
senger seat, refer to the safety notes and in‐
structions for children on the front passenger
seat, see Children.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front-seat passenger airbags may be deac‐
tivated in certain sitting positions. In this case,
the indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front-seat passenger airbags are activated
and the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To enable correct recognition of the occupied
seat cushion▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats
or other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by your vehicle's manufacturer.▷Do not place any electronic devices on the
passenger seat if a child restraint system is
to be installed on it.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.▷No moisture in or on the seat.
Indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front-seat passen‐
ger airbags indicates the operating state of the
front-seat passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ei‐
ther activated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system or when the seat
is empty. The airbags on the
front passenger side are not
activated.▷The indicator lamp does not light up when,
e.g., a correctly seated person of sufficient
size is detected on the seat. The airbags
on the front passenger side are activated.
Detected child seats
The system generally detects children seated
in a child seat, particularly in child seats re‐
quired by NHTSA when the vehicle was manu‐ factured. After installing a child seat, make
sure that the indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags lights up. This indicates
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Switching on/off
Switching on automatically PDC switches on automatically in the following
situations:▷If selector lever position R is engaged while
the engine is running or in electric mode.
The rearview camera also switches on.▷If equipped with front PDC: when obsta‐
cles are detected behind or in front of the
vehicle by PDC and the speed is slower
than approx. 2 mph/3 km/h.
You may turn off automatic activation:
1."Settings"2."Parking"3.Select setting.
Settings are stored for the profile currently
in use.
Automatic deactivation during forward
travel
The system switches off when a certain driving
distance or speed is exceeded.
Switch the system back on if needed.
With front PDC: switching on/off
manually
Press button.
▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
The rearview camera image is displayed when
the reverse gear is engaged by pressing the
button.
Display
Signal tones When approaching an object, an intermittent
sound indicates the position of the object. E. g.
if an object is detected to the left rear of the
vehicle, a signal tone sounds from the left rear
speaker.
The shorter the distance to the object, the
shorter the intervals.
If the distance to a detected object in the front
is less than approx. 12 in/30 cm and in the rear
less than approx. 20 in/50 cm, a continuous
tone is sounded.
With front PDC: if objects are located both in
front of and behind the vehicle, an alternating
continuous signal is sounded.
The signal tone is switched off:▷When the vehicle moves away from an ob‐
ject by more than approx. 4 in/10 cm.▷When selector lever position P is engaged
on vehicles with Steptronic transmission.
Volume
The volume of the PDC signal tone can be ad‐
justed similar to the sound and volume set‐
tings of the radio.
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object can
be shown on the Control Display. Objects that
are farther away are already displayed on the
Control Display before a signal sounds.
A display appears as soon as Park Distance
Control (PDC) is activated.
The range of the sensors is represented in the
colors green, yellow and red.
When the image of the rearview camera is dis‐
played, the reel can be made to PDC:
"Rear view camera"
System limits
Limits of ultrasonic measurement
Ultrasonic measuring might not function under
the following circumstances:
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HintsCheck the traffic situation as well
Check the traffic situation around the ve‐
hicle with your own eyes. Otherwise, an acci‐
dent could result from road users or objects
that are not lidtured by the camera.◀
At a glance
Button in the vehicle
Rearview camera
Camera
The camera lens is located between the regis‐
tration plate lights. The image quality may be
impaired by dirt.
Clean the lens, refer to page 183.
Switching on/off
Switching on automatically Engage selector lever position R with the en‐
gine running or drive readiness switched on.
Automatic deactivation during forward
travel
The system switches off when a certain driving
distance or speed is exceeded.
Switch the system back on if needed.
Switching on/off manually Press button.▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
The PDC is shown on the Control Display.
The rearview camera image is displayed when
the reverse gear is engaged by pressing the
button.
Switching the view via iDrive With PDC activated or Top View switched on:
"Rear view camera"
The rearview camera image is displayed.
Display on the Control Display
Functional requirement
▷The rearview camera is switched on.▷The trunk lid is fully closed.
Activating assistance functions
More than one assistance function can be ac‐
tive at the same time.
▷Parking aid lines
"Parking aid lines"
Lanes and turning radius are indicated.
▷Obstacle marking
"Obstacle marking"
Spatially-shaped markings are displayed.
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Cameras
Front camera
The lenses of the Top View cameras are lo‐
cated at the bottom of the exterior mirror hous‐
ings. The image quality may be impaired by
dirt.
Clean the lens, refer to page 183.
Functional requirements
Top View can be used only to a limited extent
in the following situations:
▷With a door open.▷With the trunk lid open.▷With an exterior mirror folded in.▷In poor light.
The unavailable camera range is depicted by
shading.
Switching on/off
Switching on automatically With the engine running, engage lever in posi‐
tion P R.
The rearview camera image is displayed. To
switch to the Top View:
"Rear view camera"
Automatic deactivation during forward
travel
The system switches off when a certain driving
distance or speed is exceeded.
Switch the system back on if needed.
Switching on/off manually Press button.
▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
Top View is displayed.
The rearview camera image is displayed when
the reverse gear is engaged by pressing the
button.
Display
Display on the Control Display The area surrounding the vehicle can be dis‐
played on the Control Display.
The display appears as soon as Top View is
activated.
When the image of the rearview camera is dis‐
played, it is possible to reel to top view:
"Rear view camera"
Brightness
With Top View switched on:
1. Select the symbol.2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is reached, and press the controller.
Contrast
With Top View switched on:
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Screw thread for tow fitting
Press on the mark on the edge of the cover to
push it out.
Tow-starting
Steptronic transmission
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
Tow-starting the engine is not possible due to
the Steptronic transmission.
Have the cause of the starting problems fixed.
Safety of the high-voltage
system
Working on the vehicle Maintenance and repairs
Have maintenance and repair work per‐
formed only by a service center or a workshop
that works according to BMW specifications
with appropriately trained personnel. Other‐
wise, there is the risk of fatal injury from elec‐
trocution due to the high-voltage system's
high voltage.◀
Body work and working on the high-volt‐
age system
Do not perform any modifications or work on
the vehicle, especially maintenance and repair
work on the high-voltage system and the car‐
bon body and avoid retrofitting accessories.
If work is not carried out properly, there is the
risk of fire and fatal injury from electrocution
due to the high-voltage system's high voltage.
Modifications and work on the vehicle may
only be carried out by an authorized BMW i
service center or one that operates according
to BMW i specifications with personnel trained
accordingly.◀
Your vehicle's high-voltage system is a self-
contained system. Safety is ensured as long as
no work is performed on technical components
or on the chassis.
High-voltage system: contact with
water
The high-voltage system is typically safe even
in the following example situations:▷Water in the footwell, for instance after a
rainstorm when sunroof was kept open.▷Vehicle is in water but only up to the al‐
lowed height.▷Liquid eslides in the cargo area.
In these cases there is no risk of injury from
electrocution. Other damage to the vehicle is
possible.
High-voltage system: automatic
deactivation
If an accident occurs, the high-voltage system
is switched off automatically to prevent risk of
danger to occupants and other traffic.
Read the information on What to do after an
accident, refer to page 178.
What to do after an accident Hints After an accident
After an accident, do not touch any high-
voltage components such as orange colored
high-voltage cables or parts that are in contact
with exposed high-voltage cables. Otherwise,
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