
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 respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features 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 glanceControl 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.Switch on the ignition.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.
Seite 18At a glanceiDrive18
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

What reduces the restraining effect
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed;
otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced.◀
Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Tensioning the safety belt
automatically
When the belt is closed, it is automatically
tightened once after the release.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's and
passenger's seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be activated
if objects are placed on the front passenger
seat.
Safety mode
In critical situations, e.g., during full brake ap‐
plication, the front safety belts tighten auto‐
matically.
If the situation passes without an accident oc‐
curring, the belt tension relaxes.
If the belt tension does not loosen automati‐
cally, stop the vehicle and unbuckle the belt
using the red button in the buckle. Fasten the
belt before continuing on your trip.
Damage to safety beltsWear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work properly.◀
Front head restraints Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
Distance Adjust the distance so that the head restraint
is as close as possible to the back of the head.Seite 58ControlsAdjusting58
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

Manual steering wheel adjustment1.Fold the lever down.2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seating posi‐
tion.3.Fold the lever back.
Power steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four di‐
rections.
Storing the position Seat, mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer
to page 61.
Steering wheel heating
Press button.▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
If the trip is resumed within approx. 15 min,
steering wheel heating is automatically acti‐
vated again.
Seite 64ControlsAdjusting64
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

After a power failure
Putting the parking brake into
operation1.Switch on the ignition.2. Press the reel while stepping on the
brake pedal or selector lever position P is
set.
It may take several seconds for the brake to be
put into operation. Any sounds associated with
this are normal.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out as soon as the parking
brake is ready for operation.
Turn signal, high beams,
headlight flasher
Turn signal
Hints Do not adjust the exterior mirrors
Do not adjust the exterior mirror while
driving and when turn signals/hazard warning
flashers are on, or else the additional turn sig‐
nal lights in the exterior mirror are out of posi‐
tion and can't be seen.◀
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp
indicates that a turn signal bulb has failed.
Triple turn signal activation Press the lever to the resistance point.
The turn signal flashes three times.
The function can be activated or deactivated.
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Triple turn signal"
Settings are stored for the profile currently in
use.
Signaling briefly
Press the lever to the resistance point and hold
it there for as long as you want the turn signal
to flash.
High beams, headlight flasher
▷High beams, arrow 1.▷Headlight flasher, arrow 2.Seite 76ControlsDriving76
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

During trip interruption with the rain sensor
switched on: if the trip is resumed within ap‐
prox. 15 minutes, the rain sensor is automati‐
cally activated again.
Deactivate the rain sensor in car washes
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through an automatic car wash; otherwise, un‐
intentional wiping can cause damages.◀
Setting the frequency or sensitivity of
the rain sensor
Turn the thumbwheel.
Clean the windshield, headlights
Pull the wiper lever towards you.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In addition, the headlights are cleaned at regu‐
lar intervals when the vehicle's lights are acti‐
vated.
Do not use the washer system at freezing
temperatures
Do not use the washers if fluid could freeze
onto the windshield which might impede your
viewing field. Therefore use antifreeze fluid.
Avoid using the washer when the reservoir is
empty; operation might damage pump.◀
Windshield washer nozzles The windshield washer nozzles are automati‐
cally heated while the ignition is switched on.
Fold-out position of the wipers Fold wipers back when you want to change the
blades or with pending low temperatures.1.Switch the ignition on and off again.2.With icy conditions make sure that blades
are not frozen to the windshield.3.Press the wiper lever up beyond the point
of resistance and hold it for approx. 3 sec‐
onds, until the wiper remains in a nearly
vertical position.
After the wipers are folded back down, the
wiper system must be reactivated.
Folding wipers back down
Before switching the ignition on, fold the
wipers back down to the windshield; other‐
wise, the wipers may become damaged when
they are activated.◀
1.Switch on the ignition.2.Push wiper lever down. Wipers move to
their resting position and are ready again
for operation.
Washer fluid
Hints Antifreeze for washer fluid
Antifreeze is flammable and can cause
injury if it is used incorrectly.
Seite 78ControlsDriving78
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

DisplaysVehicle features and optionsThis 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 tothe selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Overview, instrument cluster
1Fuel gauge 922Speedometer3Messages, e.g. Check Control4Tachometer 925Engine oil temperature 926Current fuel consumption7Electronic displays 848Reset miles 92
Electronic displays
▷Selection lists, refer to page 96.▷External temperature, refer to page 93.▷Auto Start/Stop function, refer to page 71.▷On-board computer, refer to page 97.▷Date, refer to page 93.▷Energy recovery, refer to page 94.▷Transmission display, refer to page 82.▷Miles/trip miles, refer to page 92.Seite 84ControlsDisplays84
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

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
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15

▷Turn on voice activation system.
Display
Depending on your vehicle's optional features,
the list in the instrument cluster can differ from
the illustration shown.
Activating a list and adjusting the
setting
On the right side of the steering wheel, turn
the thumbwheel to activate the corresponding
list.
Using the thumbwheel, select the desired set‐
ting and confirm it by pushing the thumbwheel.
On-board computer
Indication in the info display The information from the com‐
puter is shown in the info display
in the instrument cluster.
Calling up information on the info
display
Press the onboard computer button on the
turn signal lever.
Information is displayed in the info display of
the instrument cluster.
Information at a glance
Repeatedly pressing the button on the turn
signal lever calls up the following information in
the info display:
▷Range.▷Average consumption, fuel.▷Average consumption, fuel.▷Miles and trip miles.
For a multi-functional instrument display.▷Average speed.▷Date.▷Speed limit detection.
Not for a multi-functional instrument dis‐
play.▷Time of arrival.
When destination guidance is activated in
the navigation system.▷Distance to destination.
When destination guidance is activated in
the navigation system.▷ECO PRO bonus range.Seite 97DisplaysControls97
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 954 312 - II/15