traction control BMW X5 2009 E70 Owner's Manual

At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for
telephone
* and for voice activation
system
*23
2 Initiating
an emergency request 279
3 Reading lamps 113
4 Glass sunroof 42, 45
5 Interior lamps 113
6 Passenger airbag status lamp 105
7 Control Display 16
Displays for menu navigation
8 Hazard warning flashers
9 Central locking system 29
10 Opening glove compartment 126
11 Automatic climate control with 2-zone
control 115
Automatic climate control with 4-zone
control
*119
12 Ejecting audio CD
13 Changing
>radio station 174
> track 174 14
Selecting radio, CD and CD changer
15 Selecting AM or FM waveband
16 Ejecting navigation DVD with navigation
system
*148
18 Controller 16
Turn, press or move horizontally in
four directions
19 Opening start menu on Control Display 17
20 Automatic Hold 67
21 Parking brake 67
22 Adaptive Drive
*99
23 Programmable memory buttons 21
24 Switching Entertainment sound output
on/off and adjusting volume 174
Manual air distribution
116
Automatic air distribution and
volume 115
Cooling function 117
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control 117
Maximum cooling 117
Air volume 116
Residual heat utilization 118
Defrosting windows and
removing condensation 116
Rear window defroster 116
Seat heating
*55, 56
Active seat ventilation
*56
17 Opening liftgate 33, 35
Active seat
*57
PDC Park Distance Control
*91
Rear view camera
*93
DTC Dynamic Traction Control 97
HDC Hill Descent Control 98

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96
Cleaning rear view camera
The lens of the rear view camera is located on
the liftgate.
The picture quality of the rear view camera may
be impaired by dirt. Clean the lens with a moist,
nonabrasive cloth.
The lens is automatically heated in case of frost.
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped wi th an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability under extreme conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page 140.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking
during a lane change, dr iving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure st able braking behavior.
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short- est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce th
e pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction lo ss in the driving wheels
when starting off and accelerating. The system
also identifies unstable driving conditions, such
as a loss of traction at the rear of the vehicle or
sliding of the vehicle in its front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical lim its by reducing engine
output and through braking actions in the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style remains the responsibility of the driver.
Therefore, do not restrict the additional safety
margin with a risky driving style, as otherwise
there is a risk of an accident. <
Deactivating DSC
Press the button until the DSC indicator lamp in
the instrument panel lights up, but not longer
than approx. 10 seconds. DTC Dynamic Trac-
tion Control and DSC ar e deactivated together.
Stabilizing intervention s are now not carried
out.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.

Controls
97Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Activating DSC
Press the button; the indicator lamp in the
instrument panel goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamps light up:
DSC is deactivated.
DTC Dynamic Traction Control
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:
> When driving in sand, on snowy inclines, in
slush or on unplowed, snow-covered road
surfaces
> When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow, sand or on loose
ground
> When driving with snow chains
*
Activating DTC
Press the button briefly; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument panel lights up.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DTC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamps light up:
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument panel goes out.
xDrive
xDrive is the 4-wheel drive system of your
BMW. The combined effects of xDrive and DSC
further optimize the traction and dynamic driv-
ing characteristics. The 4-wheel drive system
xDrive variably distributes the drive forces to
the front and rear axle depending on the driving
situation and prevailing road conditions.
BMW X6: Dynamic Performance
Control
The concept
Dynamic Performance Control optimizes the
handling characteristic s of your BMW when
starting off, cornering, and during evasive
maneuvers. To achieve this, the system variably
distributes the drive torque of the rear axle to
the two rear wheels. This further increases the
steering precision and tracking stability of your
vehicle.
Display
The instrument panel display shows how xDrive
and Dynamic Performanc e Control are distrib-
uting the drive torque.

Things to remember when driving
144
Driving on poor roads
Your BMW is at home on all roads and surfaces.
It combines a 4-wheel drive system with the
advantages of a normal passenger car.Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as other-
wise the vehicle may be damaged. <
When you are driving on poor roads, there are a
few points which you shou ld strictly observe for
your own safety, for that of your passengers,
and for the safety of the vehicle:
> Familiarize yourself wi th the vehicle before
driving off and avoid taking risks at all costs.
> Adapt your driving spee d to the road condi-
tions. The steeper and rougher the road
surface is, the lower the speed should be.
> If you want to drive on very steep uphill or
downhill gradients, ma ke sure beforehand
that the engine oil and coolant levels are
near the MAX mark, refer to page 259.
BMW X5: you can operate your vehicle on
uphill and downhill gradients with a maxi-
mum slope of 50 %.
> On very steep downhill slopes, use Hill
Descent Control HDC, refer to page 98.
BMW X5: it is possible to start off on inclines
of up to 33 %. The permissible body roll is
50 %.
> While driving, watch carefully for obstacles
such as rocks or holes. Try to avoid these
obstacles whenev er possible.
> Make sure that the undercarriage does not
touch the ground, for example on crests and
bumpy roads. The ground clearance of the
vehicle is a maximum of approx. 8 in/20 cm.
Please note that the ground clearance can
vary depending on lo ading and the driving
conditions of the vehicle.
> Only drive through road surface water up to
a maximum water depth of
> BMW X5 20 in/50 cm
> BMW X6 17 in/45 cm
and only drive at walking speed; do not
remain stationary. >
After driving through water at low speed,
lightly press the brake pedal several times
to dry the brakes and to prevent the braking
effect from being reduced by wetness.
> Depending on the condition of the surface,
it may be practical to briefly activate DTC,
refer to DTC Dynamic Traction Control on
page 97.
> If the drive wheels spin on one side, depress
the accelerator pedal su fficiently so that the
driving stability control systems can distrib-
ute the drive forces to the individual wheels.
Please note the following points after driving on
poor roads to maintain the driving safety of your
BMW:
> Clean the coarsest dirt from the body.
> Clean mud, snow, ice etc. from the wheels
and tires and check the tires for damage.

Wheels and tires
254
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
Speed letter
Q = up to 100 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the US Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT ... 3008 indicates that the
tire was manufactured in week 30 of 2008.
BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall betw een tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades. <
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1 γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perfor mance of tires depends
upon the actual conditio ns of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C.
These grades represent th e tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement, as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assign ed to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not in clude acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics. <
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ
Belted construction – radial
Rim diameter in inches
Carrying capacity ID-code
(not in ZR tires)
Speed code letter
(in ZR tires before the R)255/55 R18109 H
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 0806

Mobility
257Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire,
refer to page101. Your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center will be happy to advise you on
this subject.
Recommended tire brands
Certain tire makes are recommended by BMW
depending on the tire size. You can recognize
these from the clearly visible BMW marking on
the tire sidewall.
When used properly, these tires comply with
the most demanding standards for safety and
vehicle response.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends using winter tires for opera-
tion on winter road or at temperatures below
+45 7/+7 6. Although all-season M+S tires
provide better winter traction than summer
tires, they generally fail to provide the same lev-
els of cold-weather performance as winter tires.
Paying attention to speed
Always observe the maximum permissi-
ble speed for the winter tires, otherwise
tire damage may occur, wh ich can result in acci-
dents. <
Storage
Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to lig ht as possible. Always
protect tires against all co ntact with oil, grease
and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure indica ted on the side wall of
the tire.
Rotating wheels between axles
Even with tires of the same size, BMW
recommends that you not rotate the front
tires to the rear or vice versa as this can nega-
tively affect hand ling characteristics.
When the vehicle is equipped with different
tires sizes
*, rotating tires from one axle to the
other is not permitted. <
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains,
classifies them as road-safe and recommends
them. Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center
can provide you with this information.
BMW X5: use is only permitted in pairs on the
rear wheels with tires of the size:
> 255/55 R 18
> 255/50 R 19
BMW X6: it is only permissible to use snow
chains in pairs, on the 255/50 R 19 rear wheels.
Observe the manufacturer's instructions when
mounting snow chains. Do not exceed a speed
of 30 mph/50 km/h with the chains mounted. After mounting snow chains, do not ini-
tialize the Flat Tire Monitor
*, as otherwise
incorrect displays can occur.
When you are driving with snow chains, it can
be beneficial to activate DTC briefly, refer to
page 97.<

Reference 301
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Digital Versatile Disc, refer to
– DVD changer193
– Player for navigation DVD 174
Dimensions 287
Directional indicators, refer to Turn signals 73
Direction announcements,
refer to Voice
instructions 165
Direction instructions, refer to
Voice instructions 165
Directory for navigation, refer
to Address book 158
Displacement, refer to Engine data 286
Display, refer to iDrive 16
Displaying images 212
Display lighting, refer to
Instrument lighting 113
"Display off" 21
Displays, refer to Instrument
panel 12
"Display settings" 89,107
Displays on the windshield,
refer to Head-Up
Display 107
Disposal
– battery of remote control with comfort access 41
– remote control battery 206
– vehicle battery 277
Distance, refer to Computer 80
"Distance to dest." 81
Distance to destination, refer to Computer 80
Distance warning, refer to PDC Park Distance
Control 91
Door entry lighting 113
Door key, refer to Keys/ remote control 28
Door lock 32
Door locking, confirmation signals 31 "Door locks"
30,31,83
Doors
– manual operation 32
– remote control 29
DOT Quality Grades 254
Downhill driving assistance, refer to HDC 98
Draft-free ventilation 118
Drinks holder, refer to Cup holders 127
Drive for navigation DVDs 174
"Driver's door only" 30
Driver's seat, calibrating 55
"Driver's seat climate" 56
Dr

iving lamps, refer to Parking
lamps/low beams 110
Driving on poor roads 144
Driving route, refer to Displaying route 163
Driving stability control systems 96
Driving through water 140
Driving tips, refer to General driving notes 138
Dry air, refer to Cooling
function 117
Drying the air, refer to Cooling function 117
DSC Dynamic Stability Control 96
– indicator lamp 13,97
DTC Dynamic Traction Control 97
– activating 97
– indicator lamp 97
"DVD"
– for DVD system in rear 206
– in DVD changer 194
DVD
– DVD changer 193
– DVD system in rear 204
– player for navigation DVD 174 DVD changer
193
– adjusting brightness 196
– adjusting contrast 196
– audio and video playback 194
– audio playback 197
– chapter selection 198
– controls 193
– DVD audio content 198
– DVD control 194
– DVD country codes 194
– DVD-specific menu 197
– fast forward 195
– filling 193
– installation position 193
– malfunctions 194
– removing DVDs 193
– reverse 195
– selecting audio
language 198
– selecting language 196
– selecting subtitles 196
– selecting title 197
– selecting viewing angle 197
– skip chapter 195
– tone control 195,198
– zoom 196
"DVD form
at"
– for DVD system in rear 209
– in DVD changer 196
DVD for navigation 148
DVD system in rear 204
– CD/DVD player 205
– connecting headphones 205
– controls 204
– displaying images from CD/ DVD 212
– DVD country codes 206
– external device 215
– information on CD/DVD
player 214
– playing audio tracks from CD/DVD 210
– playing video from CD/ DVD 206
– remote control 205
– switching on/off 206

Everything from A to Z
302
Dynamic Performance
Control 97
"Dynamic route" in navigation 161
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC 96
Dynamic Traction Control DTC 97
E
Easy entry/exit 58
Eject button, refer to Buttons
on the CD player 174
Electrical malfunction
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic 72
– door lock 32
– driver's door 32
– fuel filler door 244
– glass sunroof, electric 46
– liftgate 33
– panorama glass sunroof 44
– parking brake 69
Electric seat 49
Electronic brake-force distribution 96
Electronic oil level check 260
Emergency operation, refer to Manual operation
– door lock 32
– driver's door 32
– fuel filler door 244
– liftgate 33
– transmission lock, automatic transmission 72
Emergency request 279
Emergency services, refer to Roadside Assistance 280
"Enabled services" 241
"Enabled TeleServices" 238
"End call" 228 Engine
– breaking-in
138
– data 286
– oil temperature 79
– overheated, refer to Coolant
temperature 79
– speed 286
– starting 66
– starting, with comfort access 40
– switching off 66
Engine compartment 259
Engine coolant 262
Engine oil
– adding 261
– additives, refer to Approved
engine oils 262
– approved engine oil 262
– checking oil level 260
– electronic oil level check 260
– temperature 79
Engine oil temperature 79
Engine output, refer to Engine data 286
Engine overheating, refer to
Coolant temperature 79
Engine speed 286
Engine starting, refer to
Starting engine 66
E

ntering country of destination 151
Entering destination 151
Entering house number or intersection 152
Entering intersection 152
Entering street 152
"Entertainment" 174
Entertainment sound output on/off 175
"Equalizer", refer to Tone
control 177
Equalizer, refer to Tone control 177
"ESN" 184
ESP Electronic Stability Program, refer to DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control 96 Event Data Recorders
264
Exhaust system, refer to Hot
exhaust system 139
Exterior mirrors 57
– adjusting 57
– automatic dimming feature 58
– automatic heating 58
– folding in and out 57
– tilting down passenger-side exterior mirror 58
External audio device 127
– refer to AUX-In
connection 200
Eye for tow-starting and towing, refer to Tow
fitting 281
F
Fader, refer to Tone
control 176
Failure messages, refer to Check Control 85
False alarm, refer to Avoiding
unintentional alarms 39
Fastening safety belts, refer to Safety belts 54
– warning lamp 55
Fastest route for navigation 160
Fast forward
– CD changer 190
– CD player 190
– DVD changer 195
"Fast route" in navigation 160
Fault displays, refer to Check
Control 85
Filler neck for washer fluid 75
First aid, refer to First-aid
kit 279
First-aid kit 279
Fixing system, adaptive 133
Flashing during locking/ unlocking, refer to Setting
confirmation signals 31

Everything from A to Z
312
3rd row seats
54
Tightening torque of the lug
bolts, refer to After
mounting 277
Tilt alarm sensor, switching
off 39
Tilting down passenger-side exterior mirror 58
"Time / Date" 88
"Time format" 89
Timer, refer to Preselecting
activation times 122
"Timer 2" for parked-car
ventilation 122
"Timer 1" for parked-car ventilation 122
Tire inflation pressures 249
– checking 249
– monitoring, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor 100
Tire Pressure Monitor TPM 101
Tire Quality Grading 254
Tires
– age 254
– air loss 101,103
– breaking-in 138
– changing 256
– condition 255
– damage 255
– flat tire, refer to Changing
wheels 275
– inflation pressure 249
– inflation pressure
monitoring, refer to FTM
Flat Tire Monitor 100
– new wheels and tires 256
– pressure loss 101,103
– pressure monitoring, refer to TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor 101
– replacing 275
– retreaded tires 256
– run-flat tires 256
– size 254
– tread 255
– wear indicators 255
– wheel/tire combination 256
– winter tires 257 "Title" for DVD system in
rear 209
TMC station, refer to Traffic information 166
Tone in audio mode
– adjusting 175
– middle setting 177
"Tone" in DVD system in
rear 209
Tone on locking/unlocking 31
To
ols, refer to Onboard
toolkit 269
"Top 8" for mobile phone 228
Torque
– engine 286
– lug bolts, refer to After
mounting 277
Touch tone dialing 230
Tow fitting 281
Towing 281
– tow fitting 281
"Town / City" for destination
entry 151
Town/city for destination entry 151
Tow-starting 281,282
"TPM" 102
TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor 101
– resetting system 102
– system limits 102
– warning lamp 103
Tracks
– finding 189
– random sequence 190
– sampling, scan 189
Traction-assist feature, refer
to DSC Dynamic Stability
Control 96
Traction control, refer to
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control 96
Traffic congestion
– bypassing 169
– displaying traffic information 166 Traffic information for
navigation
– depiction in route map 167
– displaying 167
– during destination
guidance 169
– switching on/off 166
– symbols 168
Transmission
– automatic transmission with Steptronic 70
– manually releasing transmission lock on
automatic transmission with
Steptronic 72
Transmission positions, refer
to Automatic transmission
with Steptronic 70
Transporting children
safely 61
Transport securing device, refer to Securing cargo 143
Tread depth, refer to Minimum tread depth 255
Treble, refer to Tone
control 175
"Treble / Bass" for DVD system in rear 20
9
"Trip computer" 81
Trip computer 81
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer 78
Trip odometer 78
Turning circle, refer to
Dimensions 287
Turn signals 73
– indicator lamp 12
– replacing bulbs 270,273
U
Ultra-low sulfur diesel 245
Uniform Tire Quality Grading/
UTQR 254
"Units" 89
Units
– average fuel consumption 89
– temperature 89