steering BMW X5 4.4I 2001 User Guide

48n
For maximum safety when adjusting the
seat position, please observe the
following: Never try to adjust your seat while
driving the vehicle. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement,
and the ensuing loss of vehicle control
could lead to an accident.
Be sure that the safety belt remains
firmly against your body at all times. In
the event of a frontal impact, a loose lap
belt could slide over your hips, leading
to abdominal injury. In addition, the
safety belt's restraint effectiveness is
reduced if the belt is worn loosely.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to
an extreme angle (especially important
for the front passenger to remember).
If you do so, there is a risk that you will
slide under the safety belt in an acci-
dent, thus reducing the protection
provided by the safety belt. <
Correct sitting posture
To reduce strain on the spinal column,
sit all the way back in the seat and rest
your back fully against the backrest.
The ideal sitting posture is achieved
with your head extending from your
spine in a straight line.
For long-distance driving, you may
wish to angle the backrest slightly to
reduce muscular tension. You should
be able to reach the highest point on
the steering wheel without straight-
ening your arms. 1 Tilt angle (driver's seat only)
2 Backward/Forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Adjust the head restraint manually.
Comply with the adjustment
instructions in the preceding
column. Failure to do so could result in
diminished personal safety. <
Lumbar support*
Refer to the BMW comfort seat on
page 50.
530us024
Seat adjustment Power seat(s*)

52nPower rear-seat backrests* Adjusting steering wheel
You can make separate adjustments of
the backrest tilt angle on the right and
left sides.
You can select a comfortable sitting
position and also increase the capacity
of the cargo area by moving the back-
rests into their most upright position.
From the rear seats: press the corre-
sponding switch.
You can prevent adjustments of
the power rear-seat backrest from
the rear passenger area with the safety
switch for the power windows (refer to
page 46).<
530us143
From the cargo area: the switches are
located on both sides of the cargo area.
530us144
The steering wheel can be moved in
any of four directions. Adjust the wheel
by moving the control lever in the
desired direction.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. If you
do so, there is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement. <
To store the steering wheel setting,
refer to "Seat, mirror and steering
wheel memory" on page 55.
530us028

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
53nAdjusting steering wheel Mirrors
Automatic steering wheel
adjustment
(only in conjunction with seat, mirror
and steering wheel memory)
In order to make it easier to get into and
out of the vehicle, the steering wheel
automatically moves into the top posi-
tion and returns to the driving (memory)
position.
This automatic feature is controlled by
the position of the ignition key and by
the driver's door.
Exterior mirrors
1 Mirror switch for 4-way adjustment
2 Left/right selection switch
You can also adjust the mirrors manu-
ally by pressing against the outer edges
of their lenses.
To store the mirror settings, refer to
"Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory" on page 55.
Before going through a car wash,
manually fold the outside mirrors
inward, otherwise they could be
damaged, depending on the width of
the car wash system. <
530us029
The mirror on the passenger's
side features a lens with a more
convex surface than the mirror installed
on the driver's side. When estimating
the distance between yourself and
other traffic, bear in mind that the
objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. This means that esti-
mations of the distance to following
traffic should not be regarded as
precise. <
Self-defrosting mirrors
Both mirrors are defrosted automati-
cally when the ignition key is in
position 2.

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
55nSeat, mirror and steering wheel memory*
You can store and call up three different
seat, exterior mirror and steering wheel
positions. The illustration shows the
buttons on the seat for making these
position adjustments.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is
not stored in the memory.
To store
1 Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2.
2 Adjust the desired positions for the
seat, exterior mirror and steering
wheel.
3 Press the
MEMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button comes on.
4 Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as desired: the indicator lamp goes out.
530us032
To select a stored setting
Convenience function:
1 Open the driver's door after unlocking the vehicle or place the
ignition key in position 1.
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or
memory buttons is activated during
the adjustment process.
Security function:
1 With the driver's door closed and the ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2.
2 Maintain pressure on the desired memory button (1, 2 or 3) until the
adjustment process is completed.
If you press the
MEMORY button acci-
dentally: press the button a second
time — the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not call up a position from the
memory while the vehicle is
moving. There is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement of the seat or
steering wheel. <
Passenger side exterior mirror tilt
function
(automatic curb monitor)
1 Move the mirror selector switch
(arrow) to the "driver's mirror" posi-
tion.
2 When the selector lever is placed in "Reverse," the passenger-side mirror
tilts downward to help the driver
monitor the area directly adjacent to
the vehicle during parking (curbs,
etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic
feature by setting the mirror selection
switch to the "passenger side" position.
530us033

56nPersonalized memory*Car Memory, Key Memory
Your BMW center can adjust your
vehicle's systems in such a
manner that your personalized settings
are automatically called up for the seat,
mirror and steering wheel positions
when you unlock the vehicle with your
personal remote control key. <
If
you make use of the Key Memory,
be sure that the footwell behind
the driver's seat is unobstructed before
unlocking the vehicle. If you fail to do
so, persons or objects could be injured
or damaged if the seat should move
backward. <
How the system functions
You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicles to reflect your
own personal requirements. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has
included several user-defined func-
tions in the vehicle's design. Your BMW
center can make these settings for you.
There are settings related to the vehicle
("Car Memory") and settings related to
individuals ("Key Memory"). You can
configure up to four different basic
positions for four different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key.
463de029
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
different keys, colored decals are
supplied together with the keys.
What the system can do
Your BMW center can provide you with
details on the capabilities of the "Car
Memory" and "Key Memory" systems.
Memory functions are possible for the
> driver's seat
> steering wheel
> exterior mirrors
> automatic climate control.
You will see this symbol
throughout the Owner's Manual. It
is to remind you at appropriate places
of the settings that are available to
you. <
An example of Key Memory is the auto-
matic adjustment of the driver's power
seat with settings stored in the memory
for the individual person when the
vehicle is unlocked.

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
59nAirbags
Sitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the
airbags. If you do not, the airbags may
not be able to provide their maximum
protection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with
this information:
Even though there is an airbag, wear a
safety belt every time you get in the
vehicle, because airbags enhance
safety by providing added protection.
Make sure you are seated comfortably
in your seat, in such a way that you
always maintain control, and are not too
close to the steering wheel.
Always hold the steering wheel by the
rim to keep any chance of injury to
hands or arms to an absolute minimum,
should the airbag be deployed.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbag and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
front passenger-side airbag as a
storage area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
Do not install a rear-facing child
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this car.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 feet (150 cm) tall
should ride only in the rear seat.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
If your car is equipped with side airbags
in the rear passenger area, be sure that
child restraints are mounted correctly
and provided with the greatest-possible
distance between the airbags in the
side trim panels. Do not allow children
to lean out of the child's seat in the
direction of the side trim panels. If they
do so, serious injuries can occur if the
airbag is triggered. < At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appro-
priate child restraint systems; larger
children and adults using the safety
belts). Never let an occupant's head
rest near or on a side airbag because
the inflating airbag could cause a
serious or fatal injury. Please note that
the word "Airbag" imprinted on the door
trim panel indicates the airbag's loca-
tion.
Accident research shows that the
safest place for children in an auto-
mobile is in the rear seat. However, a
child sitting in the rear seat and not
properly restrained may place his or her
head on or near the airbag, if so
equipped.
For example, a child — even though
belted — may fall asleep with his or her
head against the side airbag. It may be
difficult for a driver to ensure that chil-
dren in the rear seat will remain prop-
erly positioned at all times and do not
place their heads on or near the side
airbag. Therefore, we recommend that
the rear side airbags, if provided, be
deactivated if you plan to transport
children in the rear seat.

64n
0 Steering lock engaged
The key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until you hear the lock engage.
Once the ignition has been switched off
(ignition key in position 0 or pulled out),
the radio functions are still available for
approx. 20 minutes. Turn the radio back
on to use it.
An acoustic warning is sounded when
you fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
390de010
Vehicles with automatic trans-
mission:
Do not move the selector lever from the
"Park" position until the engine is
running (ignition key in position 2).
In order to turn the key to position 0 or
to remove it, first move the selector
lever to the "Park" position (Interlock). <
1 Steering lock disengaged
You will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.
Individual electrical devices are ready
for operation.
2 Ignition on
All electrical devices are ready for
operation.
3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch when
starting the engine. If you do not, a lock
prevents the engine from starting. <
Before starting
> Engage the parking brake.
> Be sure that the transmission
selector is in "Neutral" (or "Park" if
the vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transmission).
> Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Breathing the exhaust gases poses
an extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard. <
Steering/Ignition lock Starting the engine

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
65nStarting the engine Switching off the engine
Do not press the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine.
BMW X5 3.0i:
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time. Do not turn it for more
than approx. 20 seconds. Release the
ignition key immediately as soon as the
engine starts.
BMW X5 4.4i:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Simply turn the
key to position 3 (starter) and then
release it immediately.
The starter continues to operate auto-
matically.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate if the battery voltage is low.
The engine can be started by means of
jump-starting (refer to page 190).<
Do not allow the engine to warm up
by leaving it running while the vehicle
remains stationary. Instead, begin to
drive immediately at a moderate engine
speed.Should the engine fail to start on the
first attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
> Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at very low temperatures,
from approx. +5 7 (–15 6) and at alti-
tudes above 3,300 ft (1,000 meters):
> For the initial start attempt, allow the
starter to remain engaged somewhat
longer (approx. 10 seconds).
> Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at startup are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharging,
always deactivate electrical devices
that are not in use. Switch the ignition
off when the vehicle is not being driven. Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Never remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is rolling. If you
did so, the ignition lock would engage
when the steering wheel is turned.
Always remove the ignition key and
engage the steering lock before leaving
the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined
surfaces. Even placing the lever in
1st gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park." <
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in "Park" before you can
remove the ignition key.

74nCruise control
You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h).
Do not use cruise control on
twisting roads, when high traffic
density prevents driving at a constant
speed, when the road surface is slick
(snow, rain, ice), or when the road
surface is loose (rocks or gravel,
sand). <
To activate the system
In ignition key position 1 or 2:
Press button 1, the indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on. You can
now use the cruise control.
For the arrangement of the buttons in
the Sports steering wheel
*: refer to
page 27.
390de332
To store and maintain speed or to
accelerate
Press button 2 briefly:
The system stores and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
briefly touch the button, the speed
increases by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button 2:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the button, the system
stores and maintains the current speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the
engine's braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed can be
exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient. <
To decelerate
Press button 3 briefly:
When cruise control is active, every
briefly touch of the button reduces the
speed by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button 3:
With the cruise control active, the
system automatically reduces the
throttle opening to slow the vehicle.
When you release the button, the
system stores and maintains the
current speed.

82n
Computer Mode selectionFrom ignition key position 1 and up,
you can call up information from the
computer using the button in the turn
signal lever. By pressing the button
briefly in the direction of the steering
column, you can call up a new function
for display.
The displays appear in the following
order: outside temperature, average
fuel consumption, cruising range,
average speed.
Starting with ignition key position 1,
the last active setting is displayed.
The range of available displays varies
according to your individual vehicle's
equipment.530us047
Outside temperature and average
fuel consumption You can change the units of measure-
ment (6/7) for the outside tempera-
ture display by
1 pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset button (in ignition
key position 1).
2 and then turning the ignition key to 0.
Refer also to page 76.390us126
Cruising range and average speed The computer bases its calculations of
the cruising range on the previous
driving style and conditions.
This computer ignores any time spent
when the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is not running in its average
speed calculations.390us703