BMW i3 2014 User Manual
Contents
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A-Z
THE BMW i3.
OWNER'S MANUAL.
BMW i.
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BMW i SUSTAINABILITY.
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AUTOMOBILITY.
REINVENTED.
THE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT
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LIFE CYCLE OF BMW i.
01. DEVELOPMENT
• Redefine design principles for
purpose-built e-mobility.
• Reshape aerodynamics for less drag.
• Replace traditional materials with
recycled and renewable materials.
04. RECYCLING
• Retain used batteries as temporary
storage units, e.g. for solar energy.
• Recycle carbon bers by returning
them to the production process.
03. UTILIZATION
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• Recharge battery with innovative
BMW eDrive technology.
• Receive power from clean energy
producers for zero emission driving.
• Reduce CO2 emissions by 50%
throughout the product life cycle
by using energy from renewable
sources.
02. PRODUCTION
• Use clean electric power for
BMW i plants.
• Reduce energy consumption
in BMW i production.
01. DEVELOPMENT
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FOR OVER THREE QUARTERS OF
A CENTURY, THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND
THE CAR WAS LEFT UNTOUCHED.
Until now. Today, the BMW i3 introduces a wealth of new ways to create
the ultimate sustainable electric car. One key innovation is LifeDrive:
the rst serial production passenger cell made of light and extremely
robust carbon ber. It substantially reduces the weight of the vehicle
for maximum electric range. Moreover, streamow aerodynamics
reduce drag and energy consumption.
The interior of the BMW i3 features natural-ber based raw materials
in the instrument panel and door trim surfaces. Textiles for the seats
are made of up to 100% recycled materials. The leather components
are tanned with natural olive leaf extract, which gives the leather a
unique, fresh scent. The interior wood panels are made of open-pore
eucalyptus wood. All wood is sourced from responsible forestry and
certied by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®).
Innovation is also built into the BMW i3 product development process
itself: To ensure a truly sustainable product, measurable targets were
already set in the early strategic phase of development to dene environmental guidelines for the entire product life cycle – from the sourcing
of raw materials to production, utilization and recycling. These were
agreed to and monitored throughout the development phase of the
vehicle. The life cycle assessment process and the results have been
certied by a third party according to ISO 14040/14044. Further
details can be found online at bmw-i.com.
The Life module
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is made of ultra-light
carbon ber.
%
5 0
lighter than steel.
%
30
lighter than aluminum.
The interior of the BMW i3 includes a variety
of premium-quality, sustainable materials.
Approximately 25% of the thermoplastics used
are composed of recyclates or have been
replaced by renewable materials.
02. PRODUCTION
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THE BMW i3: FORGED BY THE POWER
OF WIND AND WATER.
The BMW i3 not only produces zero emissions while driving; all
electricity that goes into its production in Leipzig is generated from
renewables. BMW factories have been leading the way in sustainable
production for a long time now, but BMW i has gone even further
and signicantly improved its facilities. The BMW i factory in Leipzig
produces its own renewable energy – right on the premises – and
operates on 100% clean electric power at zero emissions. It also
consumes signicantly less resources.
And consider the unique approach to carbon ber production: It has
been located in Moses Lake, USA, so that all operations can be
powered completely by renewable energy from the numerous hydroelectric plants nearby.
For BMW i, sustainable production is not only an environmental consideration but also a social one, creating future-proof job proles and
training BMW i’s suppliers to comply with advanced sustainability
standards.
-5 0
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energy input
%
-70
%
100
renewable energy
%
water consumption
Energy and resource
consumption per
BMW i3 produced*
* compared to the industry-
leading BMW average
03. UTILIZATION
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THE ORIGIN OF EMISSION-FREE
DRIVING: POWER FROM RENEWABLE
RESOURCES.
With zero local emissions while driving, the BMW i3 helps reduce air
pollution in urban areas. When charged with clean power – generated
from renewables – the positive impact is greater still. This is because,
throughout the entire product life cycle, driving the new BMW i3 on
energy from renewable sources can potentially reduce emissions (CO2
equivalents) by up to 50%, when compared to a highly efcient vehicle
of the same class with a combustion engine. That’s why BMW i recommends clean energy producers, to help make an even bigger difference. Further details can be found online at bmw-i.com/sustainability.
As if that weren’t enough, the innovative eDrive technology of the
BMW i3 also features all sorts of efciency enhancers: from state-ofthe-art brake energy recuperation to range-increasing ECO PRO+
driving mode, which can boost the driving range by up to 40km at the
touch of a button.
In terms of its performance throughout the entire
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product life cycle – from the sourcing of raw
materials to production, use and recycling – how
does the BMW i3 compare to a vehicle with a
high-ef ciency combustion engine?
30
fewer CO2 equivalents
when driving with
EU-25 or comparable
energy mixes.
%
%
5 0
fewer CO2 equivalents
when driving on electricity from renewable
sources.
04. RECYCLING
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AT BMW i WE NOT ONLY PIONEER
NEW MATERIALS, WE ALSO TAKE
CARE OF THEIR RECYCLING.
Recycling is a given at BMW i. Production residues from carbon ber
production, carbon components and body parts, for instance, are
valuable materials. That’s why they are either reused as secondary raw
materials for the in-house BMW i production cycle or recycled for other
automotive or non-automotive applications. And the early production
stage of a BMW i3 marks a rst for the automotive industry – the rst
time recycled carbon ber is being used for a vehicle passenger cell.
Together with partners, BMW i is pioneering closed loops for up to
100% of carbon ber from production residues or end-of-life vehicles.
BMW i is also branching out in new directions when it comes to the
recycling of other components and materials. For example, there are
many possible ways to reuse the high-capacity BMW i lithium ion
battery pack. A very simple and effective one is as temporary energy
storage for solar power or wind energy to make renewably produced
energy available when it is needed.
%
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100
of used battery
packs could, for example, be reused as
temporary storage
units for solar power
equipment and wind
energy systems.
To nd out more about the sustainability
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philosophy behind your BMW i, please visit:
bmw-i.com/sustainability
Owner's Manual for Vehicle
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i3
Thank you for choosing a BMW i.
The more familiar you are with your vehicle, the better control
you will have on the road. We therefore strongly suggest:
Read this Owner's Handbook before starting off in your new
BMW i. Also use the Integrated Owner's Manual in your vehicle.
It contains important information on vehicle operation that will
help you make full use of the technical features available in your
BMW i. The manual also contains information designed to en‐
hance operating reliability and road safety, and to contribute to
maintaining the value of your BMW i.
Any updates made after the editorial deadline can be found in
the appendix of the Owner's Handbook for Vehicle.
We wish you a safe and enjoyable ride.
BMW AG
© 2014 Bayerische Motoren Werke
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Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the written
consent of BMW AG, Munich.
US English X/14, 11 14 490
Printed on environmentally friendly paper, bleached
without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
Contents
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The fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 208.
6 Notes
At a glance
14 Cockpit
18 iDrive
26 Voice activation system
29 Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle
31 BMW eDRIVE
Controls
36 Opening and closing
51 Adjusting
58 Transporting children safely
62 Driving
74 Displays
89 Lights
92 Safety
106 Driving stability control systems
109 Driving comfort
127 Climate control
134 Interior equipment
138 Storage compartments
Mobility
156 Charging vehicle
165 Refueling
168 Fuel
170 Wheels and tires
179 Under the hood
181 Engine oil
183 Coolant
185 Maintenance
187 Replacing components
193 Breakdown assistance
198 Care
Reference
204 Technical data
206 Appendix
208 Everything from A to Z
Driving tips
144 Things to remember when driving
148 Loading
150 Increase range
Notes
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Notes
The special features of your
BMW i
High-voltage system
Your BMW i is an electric vehicle. The vehicle
features a high-voltage system that consists of
an electric motor and a high-voltage battery
among other things. Optionally, the vehicle has
a combustion engine that generates electrical
energy via a generator and thereby increases
the range. This combustion engine is called
the Range Extender.
Carbon body
The vehicle consists of two different functional
units: the drive module made from aluminum
and the life module made from carbon fiber re‐
inforced plastic (carbon).
Using this Owner's Manual
Orientation
The fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic is by using the index.
An initial overview of the vehicle is provided in
the first chapter.
Symbols
Indicates precautions that must be followed
precisely in order to avoid the possibility of
personal injury and serious damage to the
vehicle.
◄ Marks the end of a specific item of
information.
Refers to measures that can be taken to
help protect the environment.
"..." Identifies display texts in vehicle used to
select individual functions.
›...‹ Verbal instructions to use with the voice
activation system.
››...‹‹ Identifies the answers generated by the
voice activation system.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the
relevant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.
Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
can be found in the appendix of the printed
Owner's Handbook for Vehicle.
User's manual for Navigation,
Entertainment, Communication
The topics Navigation, Entertainment, Com‐
munication and the short commands of the
voice activation system can be retrieved on the
Control Display via the Integrated Owner's
Handbook.
6
Indicates, on certain parts or assemblies, that
incorrect use of high-voltage equipment or of
orange-colored high-voltage components re‐
sults in the risk of life-threatening injury from
electric shock.
Vehicle features and options
This Owner's Manual describes all models and
all standard, country-specific and optional
Notes
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equipment that is offered in the model series.
Therefore, in this Owner's Manual, we also de‐
scribe and illustrate features that are not avail‐
able in your vehicle, e.g., because of the se‐
lected optional features or the country-specific
version.
This also applies to safety-related functions
and systems.
On right-hand drive vehicles, some controls
are arranged differently from what is shown in
the illustrations.
Status of the Owner's
Manual
Basic information
The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a
policy of constant development that is con‐
ceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety stan‐
dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from
those in your vehicle.
Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
can be found in the appendix of the printed
Owner's Handbook for Vehicle.
For your own safety
there. Further information can be obtained
from your Service Centre.
Working on the vehicle, maintenance
and repairs
Advanced technology, especially the use of
high-performance high-voltage electronics
and modern materials such as carbon, requires
special knowledge when making modifications
to and working on the vehicle, as well as cus‐
tomized maintenance and repair work.
Modifications and work on the vehicle, espe‐
cially maintenance and repairs to the high-volt‐
age system and carbon body as well as the ret‐
rofitting of accessories, may only be carried
out by an authorized BMW i service center or
one that operates according to BMW i specifi‐
cations with personnel trained accordingly.
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.◀
Warranty
Your vehicle is technically configured for the
operating conditions and registration require‐
ments applying in the country of first delivery homologation. If your vehicle is to be operated
in a different country it might be necessary to
adapt your vehicle to potentially differing oper‐
ating conditions and permit requirements. If
your vehicle does not comply with the homolo‐
gation requirements in a certain country you
cannot lodge warranty claims for your vehicle
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Notes
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Parts and accessories
BMW recommends using parts and accesso‐
ries approved by BMW for this purpose.
Your BMW center is the right contact for genu‐
ine BMW parts and accessories, other prod‐
ucts approved by BMW and related qualified
advice.
BMW has tested these products for safety and
suitability in relation to BMW vehicles.
BMW can assume responsibility for them.
However, we cannot assume any responsibility
whatsoever for parts and accessories that have
not been specifically approved by BMW.
BMW cannot evaluate whether each individual
product from another manufacturer can be
used with BMW vehicles without presenting a
safety hazard. This guarantee is also not appli‐
cable when country-specific government ap‐
proval has been granted. Testing of this kind
may fail to embrace the entire range of poten‐
tial operating conditions to which components
might be exposed on BMW vehicles. Such
products could conceivably fail to comply with
BMW's own stringent quality standards.
California Proposition 65 Warning
California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automo‐
bile components and parts, including compo‐
nents found in the interior furnishings in a vehi‐
cle, contain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth
defects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain
products of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro‐
ductive harm. Battery posts, terminals and re‐
lated accessories contain lead and lead com‐
pounds. Wash your hands after handling. Used
engine oil contains chemicals that have caused
cancer in laboratory animals. Always protect
your skin by washing thoroughly with soap and
water.
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:
▷ New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
▷ Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.
▷ Federal Emissions System Defect War‐
ranty.
▷ Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.
▷ California Emission Control System Lim‐
ited Warranty.
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country and continental region in order to de‐
liver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be required to adapt your ve‐
hicle to meet different prevailing operating
conditions and homologation requirements.
You should also be aware of any applicable
warranty limitations or exclusions for such
country or region. In such case, please contact
Customer Relations for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the
road safety, operational reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance meas‐
ures:
▷ BMW Maintenance system
▷ Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models
8
Notes
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▷ Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this could result in seri‐
ous damage to the vehicle. Such damage is
not covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Data memory
Many electronic components on your vehicle
are equipped with data memories that tempo‐
rarily or permanently store technical informa‐
tion about the condition of the vehicle, events
and faults. This technical information generally
records the state of a component, a module, a
system or the environment:
▷ Operating mode of system components, fill
levels for instance.
▷ Status messages for the vehicle and from
its individual components, e.g., wheel rota‐
tion speed/vehicle speed, deceleration,
transverse acceleration.
▷ Malfunctions and faults in important sys‐
tem components, e.g., lights and brakes.
▷ Responses by the vehicle to special situa‐
tions such as airbag deployment or engag‐
ing the stability control system.
▷ Ambient conditions, such as temperature.
This data is purely technical in nature and is
used to detect and correct faults and to opti‐
mize vehicle functions. Motion profiles over
routes traveled cannot be created from this
data. When service offerings are used, e.g., re‐
pair services, service processes, warranty
claims, quality assurance, this technical infor‐
mation can be read out from the event and
fault memories by the service personnel, in‐
cluding the manufacturer, using special diag‐
nostic tools. You can obtain further information
there if you need it. After an error is corrected,
the information in the fault memory is deleted
or overwritten on a continuous basis.
With the vehicle in use there are situations
where you can associate these technical data
with individuals if combined with other infor‐
mation, e.g., an accident report, damage to the
vehicle, eye witness accounts — possibly with
the assistance of an expert.
Additional functions that are contractually
agreed with the customer - such as vehicle
emergency locating - you can transmit certain
vehicle data from the vehicle.
Event Data Recorder EDR
This vehicle is equipped with an event data re‐
corder EDR. The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa‐
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting
a road obstacle, data that will assist in under‐
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a
short period of time, typically 30 seconds or
less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
▷ How various systems in your vehicle were
operating.
▷ Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were fastened.
▷ How far, if at all, the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal.
▷ How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under‐
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur.
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
nontrivial crash situation occurs; no data are
recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data, e.g., name,
gender, age, and crash location, are recorded.
However, other parties, such as law enforce‐
ment, could combine the EDR data with the
9
Notes
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type of personally identifying data routinely ac‐
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehi‐
cle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the ve‐
hicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law
enforcement, that have the special equipment,
can read the information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR.
Vehicle identification
number
The vehicle identification number can be found
under a cover under the front passenger seat.
The vehicle identification number can also be
found behind the windshield.
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://
www.safercar.gov; or write to: Administrator,
NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washing‐
ton, DC 20590. You can also obtain other in‐
formation about motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, De‐
fect Investigations and Recalls, may call the
toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510. You can also
obtain other information about motor vehicle
safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause in‐
jury or death, you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis‐
tration NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, West‐
wood, New Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone
1-800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
10
Notes
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At a glance
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These overviews of buttons, switches and
displays are intended to familiarize you with your
vehicle. You will also become quickly acquainted
with the available control concepts and options.
At a glance Cockpit
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Cockpit
Vehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, countryspecific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
All around the steering wheel
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
1 Power windows 48
2 Exterior mirror operation 55
3 Unlocking hood 42
Unlock tailgate 43
With Range Extender: vent fuel tank 165
4 Lights
Parking lights 89
Low beams 89
14
Automatic headlight con‐
trol 90
Daytime running lights 90
Instrument lighting 90
5 Left steering column stalk
Turn signal 69
High beams, head‐
light flasher 69
Cockpit At a glance
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Roadside parking lights 90
Computer 85
6 Instrument cluster 74
7 Switch drive readiness on and
off 62
8 Selector lever 64
9 Right steering column stalk
Wiper 70
Rain sensor 71
Clean the windshields and head‐
lights 71
10 Steering wheel buttons, right
Entertainment source
Volume
Voice activation 26
Telephone
Thumbwheel for selection lists 84
11 Adjust steering wheel 57
12 Steering wheel buttons, left
Store speed 115
Resume speed 117
Cruise control on/off, interrupt‐
ing 116
Active Cruise Control on/off, in‐
terrupting 109
Cruise control, adjust dis‐
tance 109
Cruise control rocker reel 116
13 Horn, total area
15
At a glance Cockpit
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All around the center console
1 Control Display 18
2 Radio/Multimedia, refer to Integrated Own‐
er's Handbook
3 Glove compartment 138
4 Climate control 127
5 Hazard warning system 193
Intelligent Safety 99
6 Controller with buttons 18
7 Parking brake 68
8 PDC Park Distance Control 117
Rearview camera 120
Parking assistant 122
9 Driving Dynamics Control 107
16
All around the roofliner
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Cockpit At a glance
1 Intelligent Emergency Re‐
quest 193
2 Glass sunroof, powered 49
3 Indicator lamp, front-seat pas‐
senger airbag 94
4 Reading lights 91
5 Interior lights 91
17
At a glance iDrive
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iDrive
Vehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, countryspecific 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 Display
Hints
▷ To clean the Control Display, follow the
care instructions.
▷ Do not place objects close to the Control
Display; otherwise, the Control Display or
other surfaces 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
Turn on operations.
1.
2. Press the controller.
Switch off
1. Press button.
2. "Turn off control display"
Control elements
1 Control Display
2 Controller with buttons and, depending on
the equipment version, with touchpad
18
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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