traction control BMW X5 3.0Si 2008 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 command
system
*23
2Initiating
an emergency request255
3Reading lamps105
4Panorama glass sunroof
*39
5Interior lamps105
6Passenger airbag status lamp97
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system29
10Opening glove compartment118
11Automatic climate control107
12Ejecting audio CD
13Changing
>radio station162
>track162
14Selecting radio, CD and CD changer
15Selecting AM or FM waveband16Ejecting navigation DVD with navigation
system
*136
18Controller16
Turn, press or move horizontally in four
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display17
20Automatic Hold61
21Parking brake60
22Adaptive Drive
*91
23Programmable memory/direct selection
buttons21
24Switching Entertainment sound output
on/off and adjusting volume162 Manual air distribution108
Automatic air distribution and
volume107
Cooling function109
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control109
Maximum cooling109
Air volume108
Residual heat utilization110
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation108
Rear window defroster108
Seat heating
*50
Active seat ventilation
*50
17
Opening liftgate33
Active seat
*51
PDC Park Distance Control
*84
Rear view camera
*86
DTC Dynamic Traction Control89
HDC Hill Descent Control90

Controls
89Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction loss 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 limits 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The laws of physics cannot be repealed,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 are deactivated together.
Stabilizing interventions 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.
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.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90
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 X5.
The combined effects of xDrive and DSC fur-
ther optimize the traction and dynamic driving
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.
HDC Hill Descent Control
The concept
HDC is a system for driving downhill in steep
terrain. This system reduces vehicle speed on
steep downhill gradients, thus allowing you to
maintain even better control of your BMW
under these conditions. The vehicle moves at
approximately walking speed without active
intervention from the driver.
HDC is available for activation at vehicle speeds
below approx. 22 mph/35 km/h. When driving
down steep hills with a speed below approx.
22 mph/35 km/h, the vehicle reduces speed
automatically down to approximately walking
speed, approx. 5 mph/8 km/h, and then main-
tains this speed at a constant.
Only use HDC in transmission positions D or R.
Increasing or reducing speed
You can use the accelerator or brakes to vary
this automatically controlled speed within a
range extending from approx. 4 mph/6 km/h to
15 mph/25 km/h.You can specify a target speed within the same
range by using the lever of the cruise control.
With downhill grade over 10Ξ you can reduce
the speed to approx. 3 mph/4 km/h. Pull the
lever of the cruise control beyond the resis-
tance point, arrow3.
1Increasing speed
2Pull to the resistance point:
Reduce speed to approx. 4 mph/6 km/h
3Pull beyond the resistance point:
With downhill grade over 10Ξ, reduce
speed to approx. 3 mph/4 km/h.
Activating HDC
Press the button; the LED lights up.
The HDC display is shown in the instrument
panel.
The LED flashes when the brakes are applied
automatically.
Deactivating HDC
Press the button again. The LED and the HDC
display go out.
HDC is also deactivated at speeds over approx.
37 mph/60 km/h.

Driving tips
133Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Driving on poor roads
Your X5 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 should strictly observe for
your own safety, for that of your passengers,
and for the safety of the vehicle:
>Familiarize yourself with the vehicle before
driving off and avoid taking risks at all costs.
>Adapt your driving speed to the road condi-
tions. The steeper and rougher the road
surface is, the lower the speed should be.
>You can operate your vehicle on uphill and
downhill gradients with a maximum slope of
50 %. If you want to drive on uphill or down-
hill gradients of this kind, make sure before-
hand that the engine oil and coolant levels
are near the MAX mark, refer to page242.
>Use the HDC Hill Descent Control when
driving down extremely steep grades, refer
to page90. It is possible to start off on
grades 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 whenever possible.
>Please make sure that the undercarriage
does not touch the ground, for example on
crests and bumpy roads. The ground clear-
ance of the vehicle is a maximum of approx.
8 in/20 cm. Please note that the ground
clearance can vary depending on loading
and the driving conditions of the vehicle.
>Only drive through water on roads up to a
maximum depth of 20 in/50 cm and only at
walking speed, making sure not to stop in
the process.
>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
page89.
>If the drive wheels spin on one side, depress
the accelerator pedal sufficiently 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.

Mobility
237Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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 ... 1207 indicates that the
tire was manufactured in week 12 of 2007.
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 between 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 (1γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions 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 the 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 assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include 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

Reference 275
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Disposal
– battery of remote control
with comfort access38
– remote control battery194
– vehicle battery253
Distance, refer to
Computer73
"Distance to dest."74
Distance to destination, refer
to Computer73
Distance warning, refer to
PDC Park Distance
Control84
Door entry lighting105
Door key, refer to Keys/
remote control28
Door lock31
Door locking, confirmation
signals31
"Door locks"30,31,76
Doors
– manual operation32
– remote control29
DOT Quality Grades237
Downhill driving assistance,
refer to HDC90
Draft-free ventilation110
Drinks holder, refer to Cup
holders120
"Driver's door only"30
Driver's seat, calibrating49
"Driver's seat climate"51
Driving lamps, refer to Parking
lamps/low beams102
Driving on poor roads133
Driving route, refer to
Displaying route151
Driving stability control
systems88
Driving through water129
Driving tips, refer to General
driving notes128
Dry air, refer to Cooling
function109
Drying the air, refer to Cooling
function109DSC Dynamic Stability
Control89
– indicator lamp13,89
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control89
– activating89
– indicator lamp90
"DVD"182
– for DVD system in rear194
DVD changer
– fast forward183
– reverse
183
– skip chapter183
"DVD format" for DVD system
in rear197
DVD for navigation136
DVD system in rear192
– CD/DVD player193
– connecting headphones193
– controls192
– displaying images from CD/
DVD200
– DVD country codes195
– external device203
– information on CD/DVD
player202
– playing audio tracks from
CD/DVD198
– playing video from CD/
DVD195
– remote control193
– switching on/off194
"Dynamic route" for
navigation149
Dynamic Stability Control
DSC89
Dynamic Traction Control
DTC89
E
Easy entry/exit53
Electrical malfunction
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic65
– door lock32
– driver's door32
– fuel filler door232
– liftgate33
– panorama glass sunroof40
– parking brake63
Electric seat43
Electric steering wheel
adjustment52
Electronic brake-force
distribution88
Electronic oil level check242
Emergency operation, refer to
Manual operation
– door lock32
– driver's door32
– fuel filler door232
– liftgate33
– transmission lock, automatic
transmission65
Emergency request255
Emergency services, refer to
Roadside Assistance256
"Enabled services"229
"Enable services"229
"End call"216
Energy-conscious driving,
refer to Energy Control72
Energy Control72
Engine
– breaking-in128
– data262
– overheated, refer to Coolant
temperature72
– speed262
– starting60
– starting, with comfort
access37
– switching off60
Engine compartment242
Engine coolant244

Everything from A to Z
286 "Top 8" for mobile phone216
Torque
– engine262
– lug bolts, refer to After
mounting252
Touch tone dialing218
Tow fitting257
Towing257
– tow fitting257
"Town / City" for destination
entry139
Town/city for destination
entry139
Tow-starting257,258
"TPM"95
TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor94
– resetting system94
– system limits94
– warning lamp95
Tracks
– finding177
– random sequence178
– sampling, scan177
Track width, refer to
Dimensions263
Traction-assist feature, refer
to DSC Dynamic Stability
Control89
Traction control, refer to
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control89
Traffic congestion
– bypassing157
– displaying traffic
information154
Traffic information for
navigation
– depiction in route map156
– displaying155
– during destination
guidance157
– switching on/off155
– symbols156
"Traffic Info settings"155Transmission
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic64
– manually releasing
transmission lock on
automatic transmission with
Steptronic65
– starting assistant91
Transmission positions, refer
to Automatic transmission
with Steptronic64
Transporting children
safely55
Transport securing device,
refer to Securing cargo132
Tread depth, refer to Minimum
tread depth238
Treble, refer to Tone
control
163
"Treble / Bass" for DVD
system in rear197
"Trip computer"74
Trip computer74
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer71
"Triple turn signal"67
Trip odometer71
Turning circle, refer to
Dimensions263
Turn signals66
– indicator lamp12
– replacing bulbs248
U
Underbody protection, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Uniform Tire Quality Grading/
UTQR237
"Units"83
Units
– average fuel
consumption82
– temperature82
Universal garage-door
opener, refer to Integrated
universal remote
control115Universal remote control115
"Unlock button"30
Unlocking
– from inside32
– liftgate30
– using remote control30
– without key, refer to Comfort
access36
Unlocking and locking doors,
using remote control30
Unlocking without key, refer to
Comfort access36
"Unlock rear menu" for DVD
system in rear192
"Update services"227
USB audio interface189
"USB" in audio
mode188,190
Used batteries
– refer to Disposal253
– refer to Replacing battery38
V
Valve screw caps, refer to
After mounting252
Vehicle
– battery253
– breaking-in128
– care246
– care, refer to Caring for your
vehicle brochure
– decommissioning, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
– loading131
– measurements, refer to
Dimensions263
– parking60
– washing, refer to Caring for
your vehicle brochure
– weights264
"Vehicle / Tires" for
unlocking30
Vehicle jack251
– jacking points252
Vehicle position, refer to
Displaying current
position157