
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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7Computer 978Reset miles 92
Switching the change of display on and off
You can set whether the instrument display
automatically changes to the ECO PRO or
SPORT in the display when you switch driving
modes.1."Settings"2."Instrument cluster"3."ECO PRO Info"
Or"Driving mode view"
With Professional Navigation System:
switching zoom function on/off
You can program whether the current speed is
to appear enlarged in the speedometer.
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Instrument cluster"3."Magnifier function"
ECO PRO displays
1Speedometer2Variable displays: ECO PRO Tips, Deceler‐
ation assistant instructions, Driver assist
system displaysSeite 86ControlsDisplays86
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General information
Steptronic Sport transmission: shift lights are
shown, when the SPORT+ driving program is
activated.
Manual transmission: shift lights are shown,
when the SPORT or SPORT+ driving program
is activated.
Switching on shift lightsSteptronic Sport transmission:1.Select SPORT+ using the Driving Dynam‐
ics Control.2.Activate the M/S manual mode of the
transmission.
Manual transmission:
1.Select SPORT or SPORT+ using the Driv‐
ing Dynamics Control.2.Deactivate DSC if needed.
Display in the instrument display
▷Current engine speed is displayed in the
tachometer.▷Arrow 1: successive yellow illuminated
fields indicate an increase in the speed.▷Arrow 2: successive orange illuminated
fields indicate the upcoming shift moment.▷Arrow 3: fields are illuminated in red. Do
not wait any further to shift.
When the maximum possible speed is
reached, the entire display flashes. When the
maximum speed is exceeded, the supply of
fuel is interrupted in order to protect the en‐
gine. Speeds in this range must be avoided.
Check Control
The concept The Check Control system monitors functions
in the vehicle and notifies you of malfunctions
in the monitored systems.
A Check Control message is displayed as a
combination of indicator or warning lights and
text messages in the instrument cluster and in
the Head-up Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal may sound and a text message may appear on the Control Dis‐
play.
Indicator/warning lights
General information
The indicator and warning lights in the instru‐
ment cluster can light up in a variety of combi‐
nations and colors.
Several of the lights are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Red lights Safety belt reminder Flashing or illuminated: safety belt onthe driver or passenger side is not
buckled. The safety belt reminder can
also be activated if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat.
Make sure that the safety belts are positioned
correctly.
Airbag system Airbag system and belt tensioner aredefective.
Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐
ice center immediately.Seite 88ControlsDisplays88
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Parking brakeThe parking brake is set.
For additional information, refer to Release
parking brake, refer to page 74.
Brake system Continue to drive moderately.
Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐
ice center immediately.
Front-end collision warning Illuminated: advance warning is issued,
e.g., when there is the impending dan‐
ger of a collision or the distance to the
vehicle ahead is too small.
Increase distance.
Flashing: acute warning of the imminent dan‐
ger of a collision when the vehicle approaches
another vehicle at a relatively high differential
speed.
Intervention by braking or make an evasive ma‐
neuver.
Pedestrian warning Symbol in the instrument cluster.
Symbol in the instrument display.
If a collision with a person detected in this way
is imminent, the symbol lights up and a signal sounds.Orange lights
Active Cruise Control The number bars shows the selected
distance from the vehicle driving
ahead.
For additional information, refer to Active
Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, ACC,
refer to page 143.
Vehicle detection, Active Cruise Control Illuminated: vehicle driving ahead de‐
tected.
Flashing: the conditions are not ade‐
quate for operating the system.
The system was deactivated but applies the
brakes until you actively resume control by
pressing on the brake pedal or accelerator
pedal.
Yellow lights
Anti-lock Braking System ABS Avoid abrupt braking if possible. Brak‐
ing force boost in some cases defec‐
tive. Stop carefully. Take into account
longer brake travel. Have this checked
by the service center immediately.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control Flashing: DSC controls the drive and
braking forces. The vehicle is stabi‐
lized. Reduce speed and adapt driving
profile to the driving circumstances.
Illuminated: DSC failed. Have the system
checked by the service center.
For additional information, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control DSC, refer to page 135.Seite 89DisplaysControls89
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These messages can be faded for approx.
8 seconds. After this time, they are dis‐
played again automatically.▷Other Check Control messages are faded
automatically after approx. 20 seconds.
They are stored and can be displayed
again later.
Displaying stored Check Control
messages
On the Control Display:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Check Control"4.Select the text message.
Messages after trip completion Special messages displayed while driving are
displayed again after the ignition is switched
off.
Fuel gauge Vehicle tilt position may cause
the display to vary.
Depending on the equipment
version, the arrow beside the
fuel pump symbol shows which
side of the vehicle the fuel filler flap is on.
Hints on refueling, refer to page 204.
Tachometer Always avoid engine speeds in the red warning
field. In this range, the fuel supply is inter‐
rupted to protect the engine.
Engine oil temperature▷Cold engine: the pointer is at
the low temperature end.
Drive at moderate engine
and vehicle speeds.▷Normal operating tempera‐
ture: the pointer is in the
middle or in the left half of
the temperature display.▷Hot engine: the pointer is at the high end of
the temperature range. A Check Control
message is also displayed.
Coolant temperature
If the coolant along with the engine becomes
too hot, a Check Control message is displayed.
Check the coolant level, refer to page 234.
Odometer and trip odometer Display
▷Odometer, arrow 1.▷Trip odometer, arrow 2.
Show/reset kilometers Press the knob.
▷When the ignition is
switched off, the time, the
external temperature and
the odometer are displayed.▷When the ignition is switched on, the trip
odometer is reset.Seite 92ControlsDisplays92
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