BMW X5 4.4I 2000 Owners Manual

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
171n
Jump-starting Towing the vehicle 6 Start the engine on the support
vehicle and let it run.
7 Start the engine on the vehicle need-
ing the jump-start, and allow it to run
as usual. If the first start attempt is
not successful, wait a few minutes
before another attempt in order to
allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
8 Before disconnecting the jumper ca-
bles from your BMW, turn on the rear
window defroster and set the blower
to the highest speed; allow the en-
gine to run approx. 10 seconds. This
will prevent a voltage surge from the
voltage regulator to the electrical ac-
cessories.
9 Then disconnect the jumper cables in
reverse sequence.
Have the battery recharged if neces-
sary.
Tow fitting The screw-in tow fitting is stored be-
neath the cargo area floor. Carry it with
you at all times. This fitting is designed
for installation in the tow sockets lo-
cated at the front and rear of the vehi-
cle, and is intended for towing on
paved road surfaces only.
It should not be used to pull a vehicle
out of deep snow, mud, sand, etc.
Always observe all applicable towing
laws and regulations. Access to tow sockets Front:
Use a screwdriver on the left or right
side (arrows) to press the cover out . 530us128
Rear: pull the cover off.
Screw the tow fittings in until they
are tight. If you do not, the threads
could be damaged.
Do not tow the vehicle by any compo-
nents of the running gear, or lash them
down in any way. If you do so, the com-
ponents could be damaged, leading to
possible accidents.<
Use only a nylon towing strap to tow
the vehicle, since the inherent resil-
ience of this material helps protect both
vehicles from sudden jerking move-
ments.
Avoid "off-center" towing. Be sure
that the tow rope is pulled tightly
when the towing vehicle begins to
move.< 530us129

172n
Towing the vehicle
The towed vehicle should always
be the lighter of the two vehicles.
If this is not the case, it is no longer
possible to control vehicle response.<
Tow-starting It is not possible to start the engine of a
vehicle equipped with automatic trans-
mission by towing or pushing.
For instructions on jump starting: refer
to page 170.
Never attempt to use your vehicle to
push another car. If you do so, damage
to the energy-absorbing bumpers could
result.
Towing 1 Place the selector lever in "Neutral".
2 Towing speed:
Max. 45 mph (70 km/h).
3 Towing distance:
Max. 95 miles (150 km).
4 Leave the ignition key at position 1 to
ensure that the brake lamps, turn sig-
nals, horn and windshield wipers re-
main operative, and to prevent the
steering lock detent from engaging.
5 Switch on the hazard-warning system
(comply with country-specific regula-
tions).
Find some means of identifying the ve-
hicle in tow, for instance, place a sign
or warning triangle in the rear window.
Make sure that the ignition key re-
mains in position 1 even when the
electrical system has failed. This will
prevent the steering lock from engag-
ing. The steering and brakes are with-
out power assist when the engine is not
running. This means that increased ef-
fort is required for steering and brak-
ing.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck >Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment.
>Use a wheel lift or flat bed carrier.
>Please comply with applicable towing
laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.< 530us138

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
173n
Towing the vehicle Towing with a raised axle 1 Place the selector lever in "Neutral".
2 Switch off the engine.
3 Towing speed:
Maximum 30 mph (50 km/h).
4 Towing distance:
Maximum 95 miles (150 km).
Remove the rear driveshaft for
longer towing distances with the
front axle lifted; remove the front drive-
shaft for towing over longer distances
with the rear axle lifted. Failure to com-
ply with this will result in damage to the
transfer box.<

174n

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
175n
Airbags176
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)176
Four-wheel drive177
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)177
Radio reception178
Safety belt tensioner178
DSP sound system179
Rearview mirrors with automatic
dimmer179
Rain sensor180
Integrated rear suspension180
Level control system181
Xenon lamps181
Technol-

176n
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the physical forces acting upon
the vehicle. If, as the result of a frontal
collision, vehicle deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer ade-
quate, the gas generators of the driver-
side and passenger-side airbags are ig-
nited simultaneously. However, the
passenger-side airbag is only triggered
if an additional sensor has recognized
that the passenger seat is occupied.
In the event of a side collision, the head
protection and side airbags in the front
or rear
* are triggered if necessary.
390de319
The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process, they
tear through the designed separation
points of the upholstered covers or
press them out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of ig-
nition and inflation noise. The gas re-
quired to inflate the airbags is not dan-
gerous, and the associated smoke then
dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second. Adaptive Transmission Control (ATC)
uses a number of factors to calculate
the gear which provides the maximum
efficiency of the automatic transmis-
sion. In this process, the system moni-
tors your personal driving style, the
driving situation, the condition of the
road, and the traffic conditions.
ATC recognizes your personal driving
style from the positions and movements
of the accelerator pedal, deceleration
when braking, and lateral acceleration
through curves. Four different shift
characteristics Ð from comfort-oriented
to performance-oriented Ð are available
for selection by ATC.
530us130
Airbags ATC

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
177n
The transmission of power to the four
drive wheels is provided permanently
through a transfer box. The distribution
of torque between the front and rear
axles is 38% to 62%.
Traditional differential locks at the front
and rear axles and in the transfer box
are not required. Their function is taken
over by automatic braking intervention
at all four wheels. These traction inter-
ventions are governed by Automatic
Differential Brake (ADB), a sub-function
of DSC.
If a wheel tends to slip, it is braked
automatically by ADB until it once again
gains traction, and drive force can be
transmitted to that wheel. In addition,
the drive force is distributed to the
remaining wheels during this system
530us133
intervention. Engine output is also re-
duced if necessary.
When the DSC is deactivated, the ADB
traction intervention is set for the maxi-
mum drive force. However, the engine
intervention and the stability controls
are no longer available. For this reason,
DSC should only be deactivated in the
exceptional circumstances described
on page 83.
The BMW X5 is a vehicle for all types of
roads. The permanent four-wheel drive
provides a significant degree of vehicle
stability and tractive power under all
road conditions. It assists in critical sit-
uations such as driving in extreme win-
ter conditions or on bad roads. Precision sensors monitor the wheel
speeds, the steering angle, lateral
acceleration, brake pressure and the
movement of the vehicle around its
vertical axis.
If differences in wheel speeds occur,
the system recognizes the danger of
wheelspin and reduces the engine's
drive torque. If necessary, the system
also responds with additional braking
intervention at all four wheels.
In addition, DSC permanently monitors
the vehicle's current operating condi-
tion and compares it with an ideal con-
dition that is calculated from the sensor
signals. If discrepancies from this ideal
condition (understeering or oversteer-
ing, for example) occur, DSC stabilizes
the vehicle in fractions of a second by
reducing engine power output and with
the assistance of braking intervention at
individual wheels. Dangerous skids are
thus prevented from the very beginning.
You may need some time to become
accustomed to this system intervention.
However, it provides optimum drive
force and vehicle stability.
The braking intervention may be ac-
companied by certain sounds specific
to the system.
Four-wheel drive DSC

178n
Radio reception Safety belt tensioner Radio waves Ñ mediumwave, long-
wave and shortwave Ñ offer a wide
range of reception, because the broad-
cast signals travel not only along the
ground as surface waves, but also as
waves bounced back to earth from the
ionosphere.
Frequency-modulation (FM) provides
substantially better sound quality than
AM. However, because FM transmis-
sions rely on line-of-sight broadcast
waves, their effective reception range is
limited. 360de084
Although numerous factors combine to
impose inherent limitations on the re-
ception quality available from mobile
radios, specially designed systems can
be employed to minimize their effects:
The Diversity Antenna system employs
several FM antennas integrated within
the rear window. An integral processor
automatically selects the antenna with
the best FM reception quality at any
given time. Because the ongoing an-
tenna selection process is completed
within milliseconds, it remains inaudible
to the radio listener. The safety belt tensioner responds to
collisions by tightening the belts to en-
sure that occupants remain firmly posi-
tioned in their seats. A gas-pressure
system retracts the buckle assembly to
tension the shoulder and lap belts
within fractions of a second. This re-
duces the tendency to slide under the
lap belt.
390de330

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
179n
DSP sound system
*
Rearview mirrors with automatic dimmer
*
The DSP Professional premium sound
system features a special amplifier
combined with Digital Sound Process-
ing (DSP) and integrated speakers to
surround you with crisp, true-to-life
sound reproduction. The speaker sys-
tem's subwoofers, woofers, midrange
speakers and tweeters furnish you with
an impressively full-bodied listening ex-
perience. The individual components
are oriented so as to produce the aural
sensation that you would experience
facing the stage in a concert hall. The
system also automatically adjusts the
bass and treble settings to compensate
for changes in volume and vehicle
speed. 530us142
The interior and exterior rearview mir-
rors with automatic dimming feature
reduce glare from following traffic by
adapting the intensity of the reflected
images to correspond to levels of light
registered by the unit's sensors. The
mirrors revert to their undimmed setting
as soon as the light source disappears.
A forward facing sensor is mounted on
the front of the interior mirror housing
and is designed to monitor light levels
in the area forward of the vehicle.
A second sensor is integrated within
the mirror's glass. The electronic con-
trol system operates by comparing the
respective levels of luminous intensity
in front of and behind the vehicle. 390de113
The difference provides the basic pa-
rameter used to modulate an electrical
current and induce chemical changes in
a semisolid layer incorporated in the
lenses.
The semisolid reacts chemically to this
electrical current, thus providing dim-
ming of the mirrors through an infi-
nitely-variable range (electrochromic
technology).
As a result, it is no longer necessary to
dim the interior mirror manually, and the
driver can concentrate completely on
traffic conditions.

180n
Rain sensor
*
Integrated rear suspension
The rain sensor controls windshield
wiper operation, depending on how wet
the windshield is.
Infrared light is carried along the sur-
face of the windshield in an optical con-
ductor in such a manner that it is re-
flected completely when the windshield
is dry. The quantity of reflected light is
measured.
If the window is covered with beads of
water, the amount of light that is re-
flected is decreased since the infrared
light at the surface of the windshield
can then escape. The quantity of re-
flected light is thus a means of gauging
the degree of wetness on the wind-
shield. 390de133
When the system is set to the "Intermit-
tent" wiper speed, the wipers react im-
mediately Ñ if water is splashed onto
the windshield by vehicles traveling
ahead of you, for example. As a result,
the rain sensor provides a contribution
to driving safety and comfort.
This axle is based on the same multi-
link principle as that in series-7 vehi-
cles. The axle's kinematics and elastic
kinematics are critical for wheel control
Ñ a significant prerequisite for achieving
the objective of exceptional onroad
handling characteristics with this vehi-
cle concept.
In order to reduce unsprung mass, the
wheel carriers and the swing arm are
made of aluminum.
For an outstanding quality in acoustics
and vehicle oscillation characteristics,
the differential is isolated with double
elasticity through a chassis sub-frame
toward the vehicle body.
530us131