sensor BMW X5 4.4I 2001 User Guide

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
107n
Automatic climate control
*
1 Airflow directed toward the wind-
shield and side windows
2 Airflow for the upper body
The side rotary dials provide infi-
nitely-variable regulation of the air
supply, while the levers change the
airflow direction. The center rotary
dial controls the temperature of the
air as it flows out. Refer to page 111
3 Front footwell ventilation
4 Rear footwell ventilation
5 Air flow for the upper body in the
rear seat110
6 Automatic air distribution108
7 Individual air distribution108
8 Temperature control –
left-hand side108
9 Display for temperature and air
supply10910 Temperature control –
right-hand side108
11 To defrost windshield and side
windows109
12 Air conditioner109
13 Automatic recirculated air control
(AUC)110
14 Rear window defroster73, 110
15 Air supply109
16 Maximum cooling109
or using up residual heat110
17 Air grille for interior temperature
sensor – please keep clear and
unobstructed

136n
General driving notes Catalytic converter
Brakes:
Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light but
consistent pedal pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and
possibly even brake failure.
Aquaplaning:
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce vehicle speed. If you do not, a
wedge of water may form between the
tires and the road surface. This
phenomenon is referred to as aqua-
planing or hydroplaning. It is character-
ized by a partial or complete loss of
contact between the tires and the road
surface. The ultimate results are loss of
steering and braking control.
Cargo area cover:
Do not place heavy or hard objects on
the cargo area cover. These objects
could endanger vehicle occupants
during heavy brake applications or
evasive maneuvers.
Clothes hooks:
When suspending articles of clothing
from the hooks, be sure that they will
not obstruct the driver's vision. Do not
hang heavy objects on the hooks. If you
do so, they could cause personal injury
during braking or evasive maneuvers.< The catalytic converter reduces harmful
exhaust emissions.
It is designed for use with unleaded fuel
only. Even minute quantities of lead
would be enough to permanently
damage both the catalytic converter
and the system oxygen sensor.
To ensure efficient, trouble-free engine
operation and avoid potential damage:
>Be sure to comply with the scheduled
maintenance requirements.
>Fill the fuel tank well before it is
empty.
>Tow-start the vehicle only when the
engine is cold, since unburned fuel
may otherwise reach the catalytic
converter. It is better to start the
vehicle with an outside starting aid.
>Avoid other situations in which the
fuel is not burned, or burns incom-
pletely, such as engaging the starter
frequently or for extended periods, or
repeated start attempts in which the
engine does not start (stopping and
restarting an engine which is running
properly does not present a problem).
Never allow the engine to run with
any of the spark plug cables discon-
nected.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
163n
Caring for your vehicleWashing your vehicle You can have your new BMW washed
in an automatic car wash. Car wash
systems that do not employ brushes
are preferable.
Wipe away tough dirt and loosen and
remove dead insects before washing
the vehicle.
To prevent spots, avoid washing when
the hood is still warm, or immediately
after and during exposure to strong
sunlight.
When using an automatic car wash, be
sure that:
>The car wash system is suited for the
dimensions of your vehicle.
Before washing the vehicle in a
car wash, fold in the exterior
mirrors manually, otherwise they may
be damaged on account of the width of
the vehicle.<
>No damage will occur on vehicles
with attached body accessories (such
as spoilers or antennas). If you are
uncertain, consult the manager of the
car wash.
>The wheels and tires of your vehicle
cannot be damaged by the convey-
ance devices of the car wash system.
>The vehicle is cleaned with minimum
brush pressure, and that ample water
is available for washing and rinsing.
Vehicles with rain sensor
*:
Clean the windshield regularly. Wax
from automatic car washes or insects,
for example, can cause malfunctions in
the function of the rain sensor.
Deactivate the rain sensor in auto-
matic car washes. If you do not,
damage may occur if the wipers switch
on unintentionally.<
Parts of the vehicle that are inacces-
sible to the automatic car wash — such
as door sills, door and hood edges, etc.
— should be cleaned by hand.
In the winter months, it is especially
important to ensure that the vehicle is
washed on a regular basis. Large quan-
tities of dirt and road salt are difficult to
remove, and they also cause damage to
the vehicle.
If spray wands or high-pressure
washers are used, be sure to
maintain an adequate distance between
the spray source and the vehicle's
surface. Inadequate distance and
excessive pressure can damage or
weaken the finish, making it more
susceptible to subsequent attack. In
addition, moisture could penetrate to
vehicle components, leading to long-
term damage.<
When cleaning the headlamps,
please observe the following:
>Do not wipe dry (scratches). Never
use abrasives or strong solvents to
clean the covers.
>Remove dirt and contamination (such
as insects) by soaking with BMW Car
Shampoo and then rinsing with plenty
of water.
>Always use a deicer spray to remove
accumulated ice and snow – never
use a scraper.<
After washing the vehicle, apply
the brakes briefly to dry them.
Braking efficiency might otherwise be
reduced by the moisture and the brake
rotors could also be corroded.<

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
195n
Airbags196
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC)196
Four-wheel drive197
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)197
Radio reception198
Safety belt tensioner198
DSP sound system199
Rearview mirrors with automatic
dimmer199
Rain sensor200
Front axle200
Integrated rear suspension201
Level control system201
Xenon lamps202
Technology

196n
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the physical forces acting upon
the vehicle. If, as the result of a frontal
impact, vehicle deceleration is reached
at which the protection of the safety
belts alone is no longer adequate, the
gas generators of the driver-side and
passenger-side airbags are ignited
simultaneously. However, the
passenger-side airbag is only triggered
if an additional sensor has recognized
that the passenger seat is occupied.
Depending on which side the of vehicle
is involved in a side collision, the head
protection and side airbags in the front
and rear
* on that side are triggered if
necessary.
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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
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
required to inflate the airbags is not
dangerous, and the associated smoke
then dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second. On vehicles with an automatic trans-
mission, Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC) uses a number of factors to
calculate the gear which provides the
maximum efficiency. In this process,
the system monitors 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 – from comfort-oriented
to performance-oriented – are available
for selection by ATC.
530us130
Airbags ATC
*

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
197n
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-X), a sub-func-
tion of DSC.
If a wheel tends to slip, it is braked
automatically by ADB-X 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
530us133
system intervention. Engine output is
also reduced if necessary.
When the DSC is deactivated, the
ADB-X traction intervention is set for
the maximum drive force. However,
the engine intervention and the stability
controls are no longer available. For
this reason, DSC should only be deacti-
vated in the exceptional circumstances
described on page 95.
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
situations such as driving in extreme
winter 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 wheel-
spin and reduces the engine's drive
torque. If necessary, the system also
responds with additional braking inter-
vention at all four wheels.
In addition, DSC permanently monitors
the vehicle's current operating condition
and compares it with an ideal condition
that is calculated from the sensor
signals. If deviations from this occur
(understeering or oversteering, for
instance), DSC can stabilize the vehicle
in fractions of a second by adapting
engine output and with the assistance of
braking intervention at individual
wheels. This way, as long as the skid
can still be managed under the laws of
physics, these kinds of dangerous skids
are prevented even before they can
start.
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 accompanied by
certain sounds specific to the system.
Four-wheel drive DSC

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
199nDSP sound system* Rearview mirrors with automatic dimmer*
The DSP Professional premium sound
system features a special amplifier
combined with Digital Sound
Processing (DSP) and integrated
speakers to surround you with crisp,
true-to-life sound reproduction. The
speaker system's subwoofers, woofers,
midrange speakers and tweeters
furnish you with an impressively full-
bodied listening experience. The indi-
vidual components are oriented so as
to produce the aural sensation that you
would experience facing the stage in a
concert hall. The system also automati-
cally adjusts the bass and treble
settings to compensate for changes in
volume and vehicle speed.
530us142
The interior and exterior rearview
mirrors 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
control system operates by comparing
the respective levels of luminous inten-
sity in front of and behind the vehicle.
390de113
The difference provides the basic
parameter used to modulate an elec-
trical current and induce chemical
changes in a semisolid layer incorpo-
rated in the lenses.
The semisolid reacts chemically to this
electrical current, thus providing
dimming 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.

200nRain sensor* Front axle
The rain sensor controls windshield
wiper operation, depending on how wet
the windshield is.
Infrared light is carried along the
surface of the windshield in an optical
conductor in such a manner that it is
reflected completely when the wind-
shield is dry. The quantity of reflected
light is measured.
If the window is covered with beads of
water, the amount of light that is
reflected is decreased since the
infrared light at the surface of the wind-
shield can then escape. The quantity of
reflected light is thus a means of
gauging the degree of wetness on the
windshield.
390de133
When the system is set to the "Intermit-
tent" wiper speed, the wipers react
immediately — 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.
The double-jointed suspension strut
axle is based on the same concept as
the one in the 7 Series, but was totally
re-developed because of the require-
ments for all-wheel drive. Parts
subjected to particularly high stress
levels for guiding the wheels are
designed as steel-forged parts to meet
the demands made by rougher roads.
The load-bearing front axle has large-
volume, hydraulically cushioned rubber
bearings that allow the axle to absorb
the reactive forces from the engine and
the braking forces from the front
wheels. An integrated rigid plate over
the load-bearing front axle provides
superb support against the lateral
forces introduced by the control arm
(wishbone), and also serves as an
effective protective barrier for the oil
pan and steering.
530de035

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
201nFront axle Integrated rear suspensionLevel control system*
At the same time, particular attention
has been devoted to maintaining the
driving performance you have come
to expect from BMW.
This axle is based on the same multi-
link principle as that in 7 Series vehi-
cles. The axle's kinematics and elastic
kinematics are critical for wheel control
— a significant prerequisite for achieving
the objective of exceptional onroad
handling characteristics with this
vehicle 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
The level control system for the rear
axle maintains constant ground clear-
ance of your vehicle, even when
carrying a load.
For this purpose, the vehicle is
equipped with air springs instead of
steel springs at the rear axle. With the
help of two sensors, an electronic
control unit calculates the height of the
body at all times and, if it is required, it
allows air which is generated in a
compressor to flow into the air springs.
As a result of the pressure increase in
the air springs, the level control system
ensures not only constant ride height,
but also ride comfort which is indepen-
dent of the load the vehicle is carrying.
530us132

Everything from A to Z215n
Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
Cellular phone 118, 144
refer to the separate
Owner's Manual
Center (high-mount) brake lamp 177
Central locking system 36
button 40
Changing a wheel 180t
Charge indicator lamp 22
Charging the battery 186t
Check air pressure 30
CHECK button 79
Check Control 79
Checking engine oil level 157
tire pressure 30t
Child restraint systems 61, 62
Child's seat 61
Child-safety locks 63
Cigarette lighter front 120
rear 121
socket 121t
Clean the windshield 72
Climate control in the rear passenger area 111
Clock 85
refer also to the onboard
monitor Owner's Manual
Cockpit 16 Code
91
activating 91
deactivating 91
refer also to the radio
Owner's Manual
selecting 91
Cold start 65
Comfort seat 50
Compartments 118
Computer 82, 88
refer also to the onboard
computer Owner's Manual
remote control 92
Configuring the settings 56
Consumption, fuel 90
Contamination on paintwork 164
Convenience operation of windows and sliding/tilt
sunroof 36
Convenience starting feature 65
Coolant 141, 160
antifreeze 141
temperature gauge 78
Cornering Brake Control (CBC) 138
Cruise control 74
Cruising range 82, 90
Cup holder 119
Curb weight 208D
Data link connector for On-
board Diagnostics 170
Date calling up 85
changing 85
refer also to the onboard
monitor Owner's Manual
Daytime-driving lamp 97
DBC (Dynamic Brake Control) 24, 138
Deactivating 92
Deactivating the interior motion
sensor 38t , 44 t
Deep water 135
Defrosting the windows 105t, 109 t
Difficult steering 143t
Digital clock 85
refer also to the onboard
monitor Owner's Manual
Digital sound processor 199
Dimensions 207
Dipstick, engine oil 157t
Disc brakes 140
Disconnect the battery 186t
Displacement 206
Display lighting 97
Displays 18, 20 Disposal
used batteries 186t
used oil 159t
Distance 89
Distance warning 93
Diversity Antenna system 198
Divided rear backrest 124
Door keys 34
Door locks, care 141
Doors manual operation 36
remote control 38
unlocking and locking 36
DOT Quality Grades 146
Drink holder, refer to cup holder 119
Drive belts 210
Driving notes 136, 140
Driving through water 135
Driving your BMW X5 135
DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) 24, 94 , 197
DSP amplifier, refer to the radio Owner's Manual
DSP sound system 199
Dynamic Brake Control (DBC) 24, 138
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) 24, 94 , 197