Therefore, keep it away from possible sources
of ignition.
Only keep it in the closed original container
and inaccessible to children.
Follow the notes and instructions on the con‐
tainer.
United States: The washer fluid mixture ratio is
regulated by the U.S. EPA and many individual
states; do not exceed the allowable washer
fluid dilution ratios limits that apply. Follow the
usage instructions on the washer fluid con‐
tainer. Use BMW’s Windshield Washer Con‐
centrate or the equivalent.◀
Adding washer fluid
Only add washer fluid when the engine is
cool, and then close the cover completely to
avoid contact between the washer fluid and
hot engine parts.
Otherwise, there is a danger of fire and a risk to
personal safety if the fluid is spilled.◀
Washer fluid reservoir
All washer nozzles are supplied from one res‐
ervoir.
Fill with a mixture of windshield washer con‐
centrate and tap water and – if required – with a
washer antifreeze, according to the manufac‐
turer's recommendations.
Mix the washer fluid before adding to find the
right mixture.
Do not add windshield washer concentrate and
antifreeze undiluted and do not fill with pure
water; this could damage the wiper system.
Do not mix window washer concentrates of dif‐
ferent manufacturers because they can clog
the windshield washer nozzles.
Recommended minimum fill quantity:
0.2 US gal/1 liter.
Manual transmission
Shifting Shifting into 5th or 6th gear
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, push
the gearshift lever to the right; otherwise, inad‐
vertent shifting into 3rd or 4th gear could lead
to engine damage.◀
Reverse gear Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
To overcome the resistance push the selector
lever dynamically to the left and engage the re‐
verse gear.
Steptronic transmission Selector lever positions
D Drive
Selector lever position for normal vehicle oper‐
ation. All gears for forward travel are activated
automatically.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral:
The vehicle may roll. Use in automatic car
washes, e.g.
When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 69, selector lever position P is engaged
automatically.Seite 79DrivingControls79
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P ParkSelect only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:▷After the engine is switched off when the
vehicle is in radio-ready state, refer to
page 69, or when the ignition is switched
off, refer to page 69, and when selector
lever position R or D is set.▷With the ignition off, if selector lever posi‐
tion N is set.▷If the driver's safety belt is released, the
driver's door is opened, and the brake
pedal is not pressed while the vehicle is
stationary and selector lever position D or
R is set.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that se‐
lector lever position P is set. Otherwise, the ve‐
hicle may begin to move.
Kickdown Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Step on the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full throttle
position.
Engaging selector lever positions Press on the brake pedal until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after you
select a gear, maintain pressure on the brake
pedal until you are ready to start.◀
▷It is not possible to shift out of selector
lever position P until the engine is running
and the brake is applied.▷With the vehicle is stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if needed.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
▷Engage R.▷Shift out of P.
Engaging P
Press button P.
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Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Press the selector lever to the left out of selec‐
tor lever position D.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., S1.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Press the selector lever to the left out of
selector lever position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the currently se‐
lected gear.
Not M550d xDrive: Steptronic Sport transmission: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
The Steptronic Sport transmission does not
automatically upshift in M/S manual mode
once the maximum speed is reached, if one of
the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
With the respective transmission version, the
lowest possible gear can be selected by simul‐
taneously operating the kickdown and the left
shift paddle. However, this effect is not pro‐
duced via the shift paddles when switching
briefly from D to manual mode.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
▷Shift up: briefly pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: briefly pull left shift paddle.Seite 81DrivingControls81
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▷With the respective transmission version,
the lowest possible gear can be selected
by pulling and holding the left shift paddle.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the selector lever is still in selector lever po‐
sition D with the respective transmission ver‐
sion, it is possible to switch back into the auto‐
matic mode:
▷Pull and hold right shift paddle.
Or▷In addition to the briefly pulled right shift
paddle, briefly pull the left shift paddle.
In the manual mode, after conservative driving
for a certain amount of time or if there has
been no acceleration or shifting of the shift
paddles within a certain amount of time, the
transmission switches back to automatic
mode.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Electronic unlocking of the
transmission lock
General information
Electronically unlock the transmission lock to
maneuver vehicle from the danger area.
Unlocking is possible, if the started can spin
the engine.
Engaging selector lever position N1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button. The starter
must audibly start.3.Press and hold the selector lever into posi‐
tion N.
A corresponding Check Control message
is displayed.4.Press the selector lever again into posi‐
tion N within approx. 6 seconds.
Position N is displayed in the instrument
cluster.5.Release brake, as soon as the starter
stops.6.Maneuver the vehicle from the danger area
and secure it against moving on its own.
Steptronic Sport transmission:
Launch Control
The concept Launch Control enables optimum accelerationon surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Do not use Launch Control during the break-in,
refer to page 188, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
An experienced driver may be able to achieve
better acceleration values in DSC OFF mode.
Requirements Launch Control is available when the engine is
warmed up, that is, after uninterrupted driving
of at least 6 miles/10 km.
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To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch controlWhile the engine is running:1. Press button or select Sport+ with
the Driving Dynamics Control.
TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engage selector lever position S.3.With the left foot, forcefully press down on
the brake.4.Press and hold down the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full
throttle position.
A flag symbol is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster.5.The starting engine speed adjusts. Within
3 seconds, release the brake.
Before using Launch Control, allow the trans‐
mission to cool down for approx. 5 minutes.
Launch Control adjusts to the surrounding
conditions, e.g., wet pavement, when used
again.
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▷When freeing vehicle from deep snow or
driving off from loose grounds.▷When driving with snow chains.
Deactivating/activating DTC Dynamic
Traction Control
Activating DTC Press button.
TRACTION is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC
OFF lights up.
Deactivating DTC Press button again.
TRACTION and the DSC OFF indica‐
tor lamp go out.
Indicator/warning lights
If DTC is activated, TRACTION is displayed in
the instrument cluster.
The indicator lamp lights up: DTC Dy‐
namic Traction Control is activated.
xDrive xDrive is the all-wheel-drive system of your ve‐
hicle. Concerted action by the xDrive and DSC
further optimize traction and driving dynamics.
The xDrive all-wheel-drive system variably dis‐
tributes the drive forces to the front and rear
axles as demanded by the driving situation and
road surface.
HDC Hill Descent Control
The concept HDC is a downhill driving assistant that auto‐
matically controls vehicle speed on steep
downhill gradients. Without applying the
brakes, the vehicle moves at slightly more than
walking speed.
Hill Descent Control can be activated at
speeds below approx. 22 mph/35 km/h. When
driving downhill, the vehicle reduces its speed
to approx. walking speed and then keeps its
speed constant.
As long as there is active braking, the system
is on standby. The system does not brake the
vehicle during this time.
Only use HDC in low gears or in selector lever
position D or R.
Increasing or decreasing vehicle
speed
Specify desired speed in the range from ap‐
prox. 4 mph/6 km/h to approx. 15 mph/25 km/h
using the rocker switch of the cruise control on
the steering wheel. Vehicle speed can be
changed by lightly accelerating.▷Press the rocker switch up to the point of
resistance: the speed increases gradually.▷Press up the rocker switch past the point
of resistance: the speed increases while
the rocker switch is pressed.▷Press the rocker switch down to the point
of resistance: the speed decreases gradu‐
ally.▷Press the rocker switch down past the
point of resistance: when driving forward,
the speed decreases to approx.
6 mph/10 km/h; when reversing, the speed
decreases to approx. 4 mph/6 km/h.Seite 137Driving stability control systemsControls137
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The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
light up and the mark in the speedometer is set
to the current speed.
Cruise control can be used.
Switch off Deactivated or interrupted system
With deactivated or interrupted system
use your brakes, steering and moves as usual
to avoid the chance of an accident.◀
To switch off the system while standing, step
on brake pedal at the same time.
Press button on the steering wheel.▷If active: press twice.▷If interrupted: press once.
The displays go out. The stored desired speed
is deleted.
Interrupting Press button on the steering wheel.
If interrupting the system while stationary,
press on the brake pedal at the same time.
The system is automatically interrupted in the
following situations:
▷When the brakes are applied.▷When the clutch pedal is depressed.▷When selector lever position D is disen‐
gaged.▷When DTC Dynamic Traction Control is
activated or DSC is deactivated.▷When DSC is actively controlling stability.▷When SPORT+ is activated with Driving
Dynamics Control.▷If the safety belt and the driver's door are
opened while the vehicle is standing still.▷If the system has not detected objects for
an extended period, e.g., on a road withvery little traffic without curb or shoulder
markings.▷If the detection range of the radar is dis‐
rupted, e.g., by dirt or heavy fog.
Maintaining, storing, and changing the
speed
Hints Adjusting the desired speedModify desired speed to road conditions
and be ready to brake at all times; otherwise,
there is the risk of an accident.◀
Differences in speed
Large differences in speed relative to
other vehicles cannot be compensated by the
system such as in the following situations:
▷When fast approaching a slowly moving
vehicle.▷When another vehicle suddenly swerves
into the wrong lane.▷When stationary objects are approached at
high speed.◀
Maintaining/storing the speed
Press button.
Or:
Press the rocker switch while the system is in‐
terrupted.
When the system is switched on, the current
speed is maintained and stored as the desired
speed.
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Cruise controlThe concept The system maintains a preset speed via the
buttons on the steering wheel. The system
brakes on downhill gradients if engine braking
is insufficient.
General information
Depending on the driving settings, the features
of the cruise control can change in certain
areas.
Hints Unfavorable conditions
Do not use the system if unfavorable
conditions make it impossible to drive at a con‐
stant speed, e.g.:▷On winding roads.▷In heavy traffic.▷On slippery roads, in fog, snow or rain, or
on a loose road surface.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehi‐
cle and cause an accident.◀
Controls
Overview
Press but‐
tonFunctionCruise control on/off, interrupt,
refer to page 150Store/maintain speed, refer to
page 151Resume speed, refer to
page 151rocker switch:
Maintain, store, change speed,
refer to page 151Buttons are arranged according to vehicle's
series, optional features and country specifica‐
tions.
Switching on Press button on the steering wheel.
The marking in the speedometer is set to the
current speed.
The cruise control can be used.
Switch off Deactivated or interrupted system
With deactivated or interrupted system
use your brakes, steering and moves as usual
to avoid the chance of an accident.◀
Press button on the steering wheel.▷If active: press twice.▷If interrupted: press once.
The displays go out. The stored desired speed
is deleted.
Interrupting When active, press the button.
The system is automatically interrupted if:
▷The brakes are applied.▷The clutch pedal is depressed for a few
seconds or released while a gear is not en‐
gaged.▷Selector lever position D is disengaged.▷DTC Dynamic Traction Control is activated
or DSC is deactivated.▷DSC is actively controlling stability.▷HDC is activated.▷When SPORT+ is activated with Driving
Dynamics Control.Seite 150ControlsDriving comfort150
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