steering wheel BMW X5 3.0I 2006 E53 User Guide

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags1 Front airbags
2 Head airbags
3 Side airbags for front and rear
*
Protective action
Comply with the instructions on
page43. Failure to do so could
result in diminished personal safety.<
The front airbags supplement the safety
belts by helping to provide additional
protection for the front-seat occupants
in the event of a severe frontal impact in
which the protection afforded by the
safety belts alone may no longer be suf-
ficient. The head airbag and side airbag
help provide protection in the event of a
side impact. The respective side airbag
is designed to help support the body at
530us035
the side of the chest region. The Side
Impact Head Protection System pro-
tects the head.
The airbags are intentionally not trig-
gered in every impact situation, e.g. not
in minor accidents or rear-end colli-
sions.
Stickers on the rear door frame
indicate the status of the rear side
airbags. If the status cannot be clearly
recognized, or if you want to have the
airbags activated/deactivated, please
contact your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle center.<
For information on the correct sitting
position, refer to page43.
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag
restraint system from the vehicle. Do
not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment cluster, the side trim panels, the
doors and the roof pillars or the sides of
the headliner. Do not remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel yourself.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, otherwise there is a danger of
burns. If the airbag restraint system
malfunctions, needs to be decommis-
sioned, or has been triggered, only
entrust the necessary repair work to a
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center or a
workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and has
the required explosives permits for test-
ing, repair, dismantling or scrapping of
the airbag generators. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the air-
bags is also provided on the sun visors.

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Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functions You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle meet your own
personal requirements. In developing
your vehicle, BMW has included several
user-defined functions in the vehicle's
design. Your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle center can make these settings for
you.
There are vehicle and person-related
adjustments: Vehicle Memory and Key
Memory. You can have up to four differ-
ent basic positions configured for four
different persons. The only requirement
is that each person uses his or her own
remote control key.
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes
the individual user by means of a data
exchange with the key, and makes
adjustments accordingly.
In order for you to distinguish between
the master keys with remote control,
color-coded decals are supplied
together with the keys.
What the system can doYour BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter can provide you with details on the
capabilities of the Vehicle Memory and
Key Memory systems.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<
Following configuration of the
memory functions, vehicle opera-
tion may differ from the description in
the Owner's Manual. Should you want
to sell your BMW some day, please
remember to have the memory func-
tions reset to the default state.<
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgment for locking and
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
pages31, 33
>Deactivating/activating the Pathway
lighting function, refer to page100.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatic adjustment of the driver's
seat, exterior mirror and steering
wheel with settings stored in the
memory for the individual driver when
the vehicle is unlocked, refer to
page51
>Calling up customized settings for
the automatic climate control when
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
page109.

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Ignition lock Starting engine Ignition key positions 0 Steering lock engaged
1Steering lock disengaged
2 Ignition on
3Starting engineSteering lock engaged The key can only be inserted or
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal sounds after the driver's door is
opened.390de010
Automatic transmission:
Only move the selector lever from
position P with the engine running.
To turn the key back to position 0 or to
remove it, first place the selector lever
in position P: interlock.<
Steering lock disengaged Slightly moving the steering often
makes it easier to turn the key from 0
to 1.
Individual electrical devices are ready
for operation. Starting engine
Manual transmission:
Depress the clutch when starting
the engine. If you do not, a lock pre-
vents the engine from starting.<
Before starting >Engage the handbrake
>Be sure that the gearshift lever is in
Neutral or the selector lever in Park if
the vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transmission
>Depress the clutch.
If the clutch is not depressed, the
engine cannot be started
>Press the footbrake with an auto-
matic transmission.
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, otherwise the inhalation of
toxic exhaust gases can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with
the engine running, as such a vehicle
represents a potential safety hazard.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select neutral or the position P
and engage the handbrake before leav-
ing the vehicle with the engine run-
ning.<
When starting the engine, do not press
the accelerator pedal.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
Cruise control
*
Rear window wiper 0 Retracted position of the rear window
wiper
1 Rear window wiper in intermittent
mode. When the transmission is
shifted into reverse, continuous rear
wiper operation is switched on auto-
matically
2 Cleaning rear window
You can also program the interval:
>Switch briefly from position 0 to posi-
tion 1
>Wait the desired interval time and
th en sw itc h fr om p osit ion 0 to 1 again
to establish the programmed inter-
val; max. 30 seconds. 530de266
Programming is deleted:
>approximately 10 seconds after the
lever is placed in position 0 or
>after the engine is switched off.
For changing the wiper blade, refer to
page160.You can automatically maintain and
store any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
You can use cruise control whenever
the system is active while the engine is
running.
On the sports steering wheel
*, there
are +/– buttons on the right side of the
steering wheel for the cruise control.
Do not use the cruise control
when unfavorable conditions do
not permit driving at constant speed.
Otherwise you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident. These
unfavorable conditions include winding
roads, heavy traffic or poor road condi-
tions, e.g. snow, rain, ice or a loose
road surface.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
PDC Park Distance Control
* Antilock Brake System
Signal tones The distance from an object is indicated
in front with a higher intermittent tone,
and at the rear with a lower intermittent
tone. As the distance between vehicle
and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter.
The signal tone becomes continuous
once the distance to the nearest object
falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm.
The warning signal is canceled after
approx. 3 seconds if you are moving
parallel to a wall. MalfunctionsThe LED flashes and a short steady sig-
nal tone is sounded
>if you activate PDC with the button
>when you select reverse for the first
time after switching on the ignition
>if a malfunction occurs while the PDC
system is active.
Switch the system off and have the
cause of the malfunction corrected by
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility
for estimating the distance
between the vehicle and any obstruc-
tions always remains with the driver.
Even when sensors are involved, there
is a blind spot in which objects cannot
be detected. This applies especially in
those cases where the system
approaches the physical constraints of
ultrasonic measurement, as occurs with
tow bars and trailer couplings, and in
the vicinity of thin or wedge-shaped
objects. It is also possible that low
objects already displayed, such as curb
edges, may come into the blind spot of
the sensors before a continuous signal
sounds or that higher, protruding
objects, such as ledges, will not be
detected.
Loud sources of sound, inside and out-
side the vehicle, could drown out the
PDC signal tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free
of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effec-
tively.
When using high-pressure washers, do
not spray sensors for long periods and
keep the sprayer at least 4 in/10 cm
away from the sensors.<
The concept The ABS Antilock Brake System pre-
vents the wheel brakes from locking
during braking. Safe steering response
is maintained even during full braking.
This increases active safety.
The ABS is operational every time you
start the engine. Safe braking, refer to
page 140.EBV Electronic brake-force
distribution EBV controls the brake system's appli-
cation pressure at the rear wheels to
ensure stable deceleration.DBC Dynamic Brake Control When the brake pedal is depressed
rapidly, this system automatically gen-
erates a maximum boost of braking
force and thus aids in keeping braking
distances as short as possible during
full braking. This system exploits all of
the benefits provided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the
brake pedal for the duration of the
brake application. DBC is deactivated
when you release the brake pedal.

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Flat Tire MonitorInitializing system
Perform the initialization immedi-
ately every time you correct the
inflation pressure, change a tire or
change a wheel or all wheels. The vehi-
cle must be driven during initialization.<
1. Start the engine, but do not begin to
drive immediately.
2. Press the button until the yellow indi-
cator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up for a few seconds.
3. Begin driving.
530de419
It takes a few minutes of driving before
the Flat Tire Monitor can detect and
report a flat tire.
When driving with snow chains,
do not initialize the system.<
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up yel-
low. There is a flat tire or exten-
sive inflation pressure loss.
1. Reduce speed and stop the vehicle
carefully. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers
2. Identify damaged tire
If identification is not possible,
contact your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle center.<
3. Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a wheel on page 165.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Air conditioner Temperature
The graduations on the dial
provide general reference val-
ues for the interior tempera-
ture. 707/226 is recom-
mended as a comfortable setting. After
driving begins, the selected tempera-
ture is reached as quickly as possible
and kept constant by the control sys-
tem.
Air distribution
You can direct air to flow onto
the windows , toward the
upper body and into the
footwell . All intermediate
settings are possible. In the setting,
there is a low flow of air onto the win-
dows to keep them free of condensa-
tion.
Air supply
You can adjust the air supply
through an infinitely-variable
range. The heating and venti-
lation become more and more
effective as the air supply settings are
increased. In the 0 setting, the blower
and climate control are switched off
and the outside air supply is blocked.
Rear window defroster
When the rear window
defroster is activated, the
LED lights up. The rear window
defroster switches off automatically.
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehu-
midified and — depending on
the temperature setting — warmed
again. Depending on the weather, the
windshield may fog over briefly when
the engine is started. You can reduce
condensation forming on the windows
by switching on the air conditioning.
During air conditioning, condensa-
tion forms, which then exits under
the vehicle. Traces of water on the
ground are therefore normal.<
Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleas-
ant odors outside the vehicle
by temporarily switching off the outside
air supply. The system then recirculates
the air currently within the vehicle.
You can also use the button on the
steering wheel to switch over to the
recirculated-air mode, refer to page 23.
If the windows fog over in the
recirculated-air mode, switch the
recirculated-air mode off and increase
the air supply as required.<

110n
Automatic climate control
*
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and
dehumidified and —
depending on the temperature setting —
warmed again. Depending on the
weather, the windshield may fog over
briefly when the engine is started. You
can reduce condensation forming on
the windows by switching on the air
conditioning.
During air conditioning, condensa-
tion forms, which then exits under
the vehicle. That traces of water on the
ground are therefore normal.<
Maximum cooling
Maximally cooled air is
obtained as quickly as possi-
ble from an outside temperature above
327/06 and with the engine running.
The automatic climate control changes
over to the lowest temperature and
switches into the recirculated-air mode.
The maximum air quantity only flows
out of the vents for the upper body.
Therefore, open these vents for maxi-
mum cooling.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control
You can respond to
unpleasant odors or pollut-
ants in the immediate environment by
shutting off the supply of outside air.
The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle. In AUC
operating mode, a sensor detects pol-
lutants in the external air and controls
the shut-off automatically.
Press the button repeatedly to run
through the following control sequence
>LEDs off: outside air supply opera-
tional
>Left LED on, AUC mode: the system
detects pollutants in the outside air
and blocks the flow of air when nec-
essary. The system then recirculates
the air currently within the vehicle.
Depending on the air quality, the
automatic system then switches back
and forth between outside air supply
and recirculation of the air within the
vehicle
>Right LED on: the outside air supply
into the vehicle is shut off continu-
ously. The system then recirculates
the air currently within the vehicle.
You can also use the button on the
steering wheel to switch between Off
and recirculated-air mode or between
AUC and recirculated-air mode, refer to
page23.
If the windows fog over in the
recirculated-air mode, switch the
recirculated-air mode off and increase
the air supply as required.< Rear window defroster
When the rear window
defroster is activated, the
LED lights up. The rear window
defroster switches off automatically
after a while.
Residual heat
Press the button when the
motor is switched off, but
warm.
The heat stored in the engine is utilized
for heating the interior when the engine
has been switched off – while waiting at
a railroad crossing, for instance.
This function may be activated when
the outside temperature is below
approx. 597/156, the engine is at
operating temperature, and the battery

140n
Safe braking Emergency stops You brake most effectively when you
apply maximum pedal pressure in situa-
tions requiring it: emergency stops.
Since the vehicle maintains steering
responsiveness, you can nevertheless
avoid possible obstacles with a mini-
mum of steering effort.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits
indicates to the driver that ABS is in its
active mode.Brake fluid level If the brake fluid level is too low and
brake pedal travel has become longer,
there may be a malfunction in one of
the two brake system's hydraulic cir-
cuits.
Proceed to the nearest BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center.
In so doing, increased pressure on the
brake pedal may be required, and slight
pulling to the side and longer braking
distances may result. Please remember
to adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.<
Disk brakes When the vehicle is driven only occa-
sionally, during extended periods when
the vehicle is not used at all, and in
operating conditions where brake appli-
cations are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to
form on rotors, while contaminants
accumulate on the brake pads. This
occurs because the minimal pressure
that the pads must exert to clean the
rotors during brake applications is not
reached.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they
will tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect that even extended
application will fail to cure.
When driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is advisable to apply light
pressure to the brake pedal from time
to time. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not
endanger other road users. The heat
generated in this process helps dry the
pads and rotors to ensure that the brak-
ing force is then immediately available
when required.
Extended or steep mountain descents
should be driven in the gear in which
only minimal periodic brake application
is required. This avoids excessive strain on the brakes and possible impairment
of braking action.
Do not drive with the clutch pedal
depressed, at idle or with the
engine switched off, as otherwise there
will be no engine braking effect or
power assistance for braking and steer-
ing.
BMW recommends having brake
inspections performed at a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center only. If
you do not, parts of the 4-wheel drive
system could be damaged.
No floor mats, carpets or other objects
may lie in the area of pedal travel, as
otherwise pedal operation may be
impaired.<
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only
brake pads that BMW has
approved for your particular vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suited for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Lamps and bulbs Changing a wheel Light-emitting diodes LEDs Light-emitting diodes installed behind
translucent lenses serve as the light
source for many of the controls and dis-
plays in your vehicle. The concept
behind their operation is related to that
employed for lasers.
Do not remove the covers, and
never stare into the unfiltered light
several hours, as irritation of the retina
could result.<
Safety precautions to observe in
the event of a flat and during all
tire changes:
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Park on a firm, flat, sur-
face. Switch on the hazard warning
flashers.
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead position, remove the key and
engage the steering lock. Shift into 1st
or reverse, selector lever in Park with
automatic transmission, and engage the
handbrake.
All passengers should be outside the
vehicle and well away from your imme-
diate working area, behind a guardrail,
for instance.
If a warning triangle or portable hazard
warning lamp is required, set it up on
the roadside at an appropriate distance
from the rear of the vehicle. Comply
with all safety guidelines and regula-
tions.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm
surface that is not slippery. The vehicle
or the jack could slip to the side if you
attempt to raise the vehicle on a soft
or slippery surface such as snow, ice,
tiles, etc.
Position the jack on a firm support sur-
face.
Do not place wooden blocks or similar
objects under the jack. If this is done,
the jack might not be able to reach its
full support capacity because of the
limited height. To avoid serious or fatal
injury: never lie under the vehicle, and
never start the engine while it is sup-
ported by the jack.<
Your BMW has either a compact wheel
for temporary use to ensure your mobil-
ity, or a spare wheel of the size 235/
65 R 17. Please observe the differences
in handling when removing the wheel
from the cargo area.