tow BMW X6 2008 User Guide

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
94 function indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may
occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering actively varies the steering
angle of the front wheels in relation to the steer-
ing wheel movements. In addition, it also varies
the steering force required for steering depend-
ing on the vehicle's speed.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e. g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct. In the higher speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced more
and more. This improves the handling capability
of your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow
and a message is shown on the Con-
trol Display. The active steering is no
longer operational. At low speeds,
greater steering wheel movements are
required, whereas at higher speeds, the vehicle
reacts more sensitively to steering wheel move-
ments. The stability-promoting intervention
can also be deactivated. Proceed cautiously
and drive defensively. Have the system
checked.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.

Controls
101Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
In tight curves, e.g. serpentines, or when turn-
ing, one of the two front fog lamps is also
switched on up to a speed of approx. 45 mph/
70 km/h. This provides improved illumination of
the area inside the curve.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
With the ignition switched on, turn the light
switch to position 3, refer to page99.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adaptive
Head Light directs light towards the front pas-
senger side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, both turning lamps are
active.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point for approx.
1 second, arrow3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not leave them switched on for
long periods of time, otherwise it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
up to the resistance point, arrow 3.
Fog lamps*
First, switch on the parking lamps or the low
beams. The green indicator lamp in the instru-
ment panel lights up whenever the fog lamps
are on.
If the automatic headlamp control is acti-
vated, the low beams will come on auto-
matically when you switch on the fog lamps.<

Controls
103Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Climate
1Air toward the windshield and side windows
2Air for the upper body region, refer to
Front ventilation on page107
3Air to footwell
4Automatic climate control

Climate
106 >Driver's side: windows and footwell
>Individual program
Selecting program
Press the button repeatedly until
the desired program is shown on
the Control Display.
Adjusting air distribution individually –
individual program
The settings are stored in this program.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
3.Select "Vent settings" and press the con-
troller.
The driver's and front passenger side can
be adjusted separately with the fields on the
right or left side.
4.Select the driver's or front passenger side
if necessary.
Move the controller to the right or left
repeatedly until the driver's or front passen-
ger side is selected.
5.Select the desired field by moving the con-
troller.
6.Turn the controller to adjust the air distribu-
tion.
Driver's side:
1Air toward the windshield and side windows
2Air for the upper body
3Air to footwellFront passenger side:
4Air for the upper body
5Air to footwell
Pressing the AUTO button cancels the
manual air distribution settings.<
The automatic mode for the air volume remains
effective with manual air distribution.
Switching cooling function on and off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to the temperature setting.
This function is only available when the engine
is running.
The cooling function helps to avoid condensa-
tion on the window surfaces or to quickly
remove them.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati-
cally with the AUTO program.
Maximum cooling
Maximally cooled air is obtained as
quickly as possible at an outside
temperature above approx. 327/
06 and with the engine running.
The automatic climate control switches into the
recirculated-air mode at the lowest tempera-
ture. The maximum air volume flows out of the
air vents for the upper body. Therefore, open
these vents for maximum cooling.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode
You can respond to pollutants or
unpleasant odors in the immediate
environment by suspending the
supply of outside air. The system
then recirculates the air currently within the
vehicle. During AUC operation, a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air and con-
trols the shut-off automatically.

Climate
108
Ventilation in rear
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Knurled wheel for adjusting the tempera-
ture in the upper body region:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Lever to change the air vent direction
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. This com-
bined filter is changed during maintenance by
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
You can select a display of more detailed infor-
mation on the Control Display, refer to page72.
Rear automatic climate
control*
The control unit of the rear automatic climate
control is located in the center console in the
rear.1Temperature, left rear seating area
2AUTO program
3Display
4Temperature, right rear seating area
5Seat heating, right rear seat
6Air volume, manual
7Seat heating, left rear seat
The current setting for the temperature and the
air volume is shown on display3.
Activating rear automatic climate
control
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
3.Select "Rear climate control" and press the
controller.
4.Select the desired settings and press the
controller.
The rear automatic climate control is
activated and the settings of the automatic
climate control on the driver's side can be
applied if necessary.

Controls
109Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The rear automatic climate control is not
ready for operation if the automatic cli-
mate control is switched off. When activating
the function of the automatic climate control for
defrosting the windows and removing conden-
sation, the rear automatic climate control is also
not ready for operation.<
AUTO program
The AUTO program assumes the
adjustment of the air distribution
toward the upper body and in the
footwell, as well as the air volume
for you. It also adapts your instruc-
tions for the temperature to outside influences
throughout the year.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature indi-
vidually on the left and right side.
The rear automatic climate control
adjusts this temperature as quickly
as possible at any time of year, if necessary with
the maximum cooling or heating capacity, and
then keeps it constant.
When switching between different tem-
perature settings in rapid succession, the
rear automatic climate control does not have
sufficient time to adjust the set temperature.<
Air volume, manual
You can vary the air volume by
pressing on the corresponding
side. You can reactivate the auto-
matic mode for the air volume with the AUTO
button.
Switching off rear automatic climate
control
You can select the lowest blower
speed by pressing and holding the
left side. Pressing again switches
off the rear automatic climate control.The rear automatic climate control can
also be switched off with iDrive. To switch
on the rear automatic climate control again, the
system must first be reactivated, refer to Acti-
vating rear automatic climate control.<
You switch on the system again by pressing any
button of the rear automatic climate control.
Ventilation in rear
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Knurled wheels to adjust temperature in
upper body region; can be adjusted sepa-
rately for left and right:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Lever to change the air vent direction
Parked car ventilation*
The concept
The parked car ventilation blows air into the
passenger compartment to lower interior tem-
peratures.
It is ready to use in the parked car mode at any
outside temperature.
You can set two different times for the system
to start. The parked car ventilation can also be
switched on and off directly. It remains
switched on for 30 minutes.
Since the system uses a substantial amount of
electrical current, you should refrain from acti-
vating it twice in succession without allowing
the battery to be recharged in normal operation
between use.

Practical interior accessories
116 1.Position the screwdriver from the onboard
tool kit, refer to page245, on the instrument
panel at the side and open the cover, arrow.
2.Pull the strap upward, arrow. The glove
compartment is opened manually.
Center armrest, front
A storage compartment is located under the
armrest between the front seats and, depend-
ing on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for
the mobile phone bracket or the snap-in
adapter. Also refer to page206.
Opening cover
Push cover down slightly and press the button.
The cover folds upward.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks
over the vehicle's loudspeaker system:
>AUX-In connection, refer to page186
>USB audio interface
*, refer to page187
Flashlight*
The flashlight is located in the storage compart-
ment between the front seats. Pull the flashlight
out of the holder when needed.
Battery change
To remove and insert the batteries, screw off
the flashlight head.
Return used batteries to a recycling col-
lection point or to your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center.<
Storage compartments
Compartments are located in the doors, in the
center console in the front and rear
*, and in the
rear console.
Storage nets
* are located on the backrests of
the front seats.
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects
in the storage nets; otherwise there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent.<
Clothes hooks
To fold out, press against upper edge.
When hanging clothing on the hooks,
ensure that it will not obstruct the driver's
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks.

Practical interior accessories
120
Expanding cargo bay
The rear seat backrest is divided. You can fold
down both sides separately in order to expand
the cargo bay.
Before folding the rear seat backrest for-
ward or using the ski bag, remove bever-
age containers from the cup holder and close
the cup holder.<
Reach into the recess and pull toward the front.
When you fold back the backrest, be sure
that the catch engages securely. The red
warning indicator disappears in the recess
when the catch is engaged. If it is not properly
engaged, transported cargo could enter the
passenger compartment during braking or eva-
sive maneuvers and endanger the vehicle occu-
pants.<
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the safety belt information on
page42.<
Storage compartments in
cargo bay
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the fol-
lowing storage compartments are provided in
the cargo bay.
>Storage compartment
* behind the left side
panel.
>Storage compartments under the floor
panel.
>Storage compartment on the right in the
cargo bay.>Storage tray
* under the floor panel,
capacity approx. 2.8 cu ft/80 liters.
>Retaining straps
* on the left and right side
panel for securing small objects.
>Hooks
*, e.g. for hanging up shopping bags
or carrier bags on the left and right in the
cargo bay.
>Net
* on the left side panel of the cargo bay
for smaller objects.
>Lashing rail with lashing eyes
*. You can
secure heavy-duty cargo straps on the lash-
ing eyes.
They can be removed at the notches in the
rails. To move the lashing eyes, press the
button.
Read and comply with the information
enclosed with the heavy-duty cargo
straps.<
Floor panel flap
To access the onboard toolkit etc.
To open, swing up the flap by the handle, refer
to arrow.
The floor panel flap can be locked.
Adaptive fastening system*
The adaptive fastening system is used to divide
up the cargo bay. It consists of two brackets
with a telescopic rail and retaining straps.
These are guided into the two rails on the cargo
bay floor.
Before using the adaptive fastening sys-
tem, fold up and lock the rear seat back-
rest; otherwise, the cargo could be thrown into
the vehicle interior in an accident.<

Controls
121Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Brackets
2Telescopic rail
3Notch in the cargo bay rail
Mounting brackets
The two brackets are connected with a tele-
scopic rail.
1.Insert the brackets at the respective notch
in the rail on the cargo bay floor.
2.Press down the brackets to push them into
the desired position.
3.Check the firm seating of the brackets.
They must be clearly heard to engage.
Do not lay cargo on the brackets, as oth-
erwise they could be unlocked.<
Dividing up cargo bay
You can position the cargo as follows:
>between the rear seat backrest and the
telescopic rail
>between the telescopic rail and the retain-
ing strapPositioning cargo between telescopic rail and
retaining strap:
1.Lay the cargo on the telescopic rail. Press
the button, arrow1, and route the retaining
strap around the cargo, arrow2.
2.Hook the retaining strap into the mount3
on the telescopic rail.
3.Press the button of the bracket, arrow1.
The retaining strap is tensioned.
You can also hook both retaining straps
into each other.<
When you are finished using the adaptive fas-
tening system, unhook the retaining strap and
guide it back into the bracket in order to prevent
damage and injury.
Then slide the fastening system toward the
front in order to permit the best possible use of
the cargo bay.
Removing brackets
Press down the brackets, slide them up to the
notches of the rails and remove them.
Depending on your vehicle's equipment pack-
age, you can store the adaptive fastening sys-
tem under the floor panel in the cargo bay.
Ski bag*
The ski bag is designed for safe, clean transport
of up to 4 pa irs of s tandard s kis or up to 2 snow-
boards.
With the ski bag you can stow skis with a length
of up to 6.9 ft/2.10 m. When skis of 6.9 ft/
2.10 m in length are loaded, the ski bag will tend
to contract, reducing its overall capacity.
Before loading the ski bag, fold in the dis-
play screen of the DVD system in the
rear
*, as otherwise the display screen could be
damaged.<

Practical interior accessories
122
Loading
1.Fold down the center armrest, press the
button and open the cover.
2.Press the button again; the cover in the
cargo bay opens. If you press the button
firmly the first time, this cover also opens.
3.Extend the ski bag between the front seats
and fill it. The zipper facilitates access to the
stowed items and drying of the ski bag.
4.Attach the hook of the ski bag retaining
strap to the eyelet on the rear seat backrest.
Only stow clean skis in the ski bag. Wrap sharp
edges to prevent damage.
Securing cargo
After loading, secure the ski bag and its con-
tents. Tighten the retaining strap on the ten-
sioning buckle for this purpose.Secure the ski bag in this way. If you fail to
do so, it could endanger occupants dur-
ing braking or evasive maneuvers.<
To store the ski bag, perform the above steps in
reverse order.
Removing ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for
faster drying or to allow you to put it to other
uses.
1.Pull the handle toward the front, arrow1.
2.Take out the ski bag upward, arrow2.
3.Close the cover in the cargo bay.
Details on various inserts are available
from your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.<