rear BMW X5 4.4I 2004 E53 Owner's Guide

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags Transporting children safely Airbag system operational
The warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster indicates the oper-
ational readiness of the entire
airbag system and the safety belt ten-
sioners as of ignition key position 1.
The warning lamp goes out after a few
seconds.
Airbag system malfunction
Have the airbag system checked
immediately if a malfunction
occurs, as otherwise there is a danger
of the system failing to respond in the
expected manner to an impact occur-
ring within its normal response range.<
A fault has occurred in the air-
bag system:
>Warning lamp does not light up as of
ignition key position 1
>Warning lamp lights up continuously
>Warning lamp lights up while the
vehicle is being driven.
The right place for children Children always in the rear:
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in a vehicle is in
the rear seat.
Older children should be tightly secured
with a safety belt, after they have out-
grown a booster seat that is appropri-
ate for their age, height and weight.
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 air-
bag. It may be difficult for a driver to
ensure that children in the rear seat will
remain properly positioned at all times
and do not place their heads on or near
the side airbag. Therefore, we recom-
mend that the rear side airbags, if pro-
vided, be deactivated if you plan to
transport children in the rear seat.<
Child-restraint systems in the rearChild-restraint systems appropriate for
every age group and weight are avail-
able at your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle center.
Children under 13 years of age
and children less than 5 ft/150 cm
tall should always ride in the rear and
the restraint systems should be secured
with the vehicle's safety belts.<
No universal child-restraint sys-
tems facing the rear of the vehicle
may be mounted on the rear seats.
If you want to use a rearward-facing
child-restraint system in the rear, then
the BMW Baby Seat with or without the
LATCH child-restraint fixing is suitable
for this purpose.<
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate forward-facing child-
restraint system that has first been
properly secured with a safety belt.
All rear sitting positions in your
vehicle meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.

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Transporting children safelyException for front passenger
seat
Should it become necessary to
use a child-restraint system on the
front passenger seat, the airbags on the
passenger's side must be deactivated.
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter will be happy to advise you on this
subject.<
Never install a rearward-facing
child-restraint system in the front
passenger seat of this vehicle if the
passenger airbag is not deactivated. If
you do so, the child could be severely
injured or killed when the airbag is trig-
gered. Your vehicle is equipped with an
airbag supplemental restraint system
for the front passenger. Because the
backrest on any rearward-facing child-
restraint system – of the kind designed
for infants under 1 year and 20 Ibs./9 kg
– would be within the airbag's deploy-
ment range, you should never mount
such a system in the front passenger
seat, since the impact of the airbag
against the child restraint's backrest
could lead to serious or fatal injuries.<
Installing child-restraint systemsBefore installing any child-restraint sys-
tem or child seat, read the following:
Observe the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions for
installation and use. Otherwise the
degree of protection can be reduced.
After an accident, have all parts of the
child-restraint system and of the rele-
vant vehicle safety belt system checked
by a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter and replaced if necessary.<
Commercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt por-
tion of a combination lap/shoulder belt.
Improperly or inadequately installed
restraint systems can increase the risk
of injury to children. Always read and
follow the instructions that come with
the system.
Child-restraint system securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems.
Information regarding this is located
near the buckle latch of each safety
belt. Locking safety belt Pull the entire length of the belt from
the belt retractor. Allow the reel to
retract the belt somewhat and engage
the buckle, then tighten the belt against
the child-restraint system. The retrac-
tion mechanism is now locked. 530us104

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Transporting children safelyUnlocking safety belt Unlock the safety belt, remove the
child-restraint device and allow the belt
retractor to reel the belt completely in.
Child-restraint system with tether
strapIf you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided,
refer to the arrows in the illustration.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system, as shown in the
illustration below. 530us037
Each sitting position is fitted with a
head restraint.
Outer sitting positions:
Lift the head restraint and pass the
tether strap between the head restraint
and the seat back. It is recommended
to readjust the head restraint into the
lowest possible position.530au003

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Transporting children safelyCenter sitting position:
The head restraint must be adjusted
into the lowest possible position. Pass
the tether strap over the head restraint.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child-restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.530au002
LATCH child-restraint fixing Remove cover panel by pulling it off
toward the front.
To remount, simply push on.
The illustration is an example showing
the mounts for the LATCH, Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren,
child-restraint fixing at the left rear.
The system is also available at the right
rear position.
Canadian models only:
The anchorage points for the LATCH
are identified with buttons, refer to illus-
tration.
To fit the LATCH child-restraint
fixing, follow the manufacturer's
operating and safety instructions.<530ue229
Child-safety locks Slide the safety lever on the rear doors
downward:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only. 530de226

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Handbrake Manual transmissionThe handbrake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked; it brakes the rear wheels.EngagingThe lever engages automatically when
you pull it up and the indicator lamp
comes on in the instrument cluster in
ignition key position 2, refer to
pages 19, 21.Releasing Pull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever. 530de262
If exceptional circumstances
should make it necessary to
engage the handbrake while the vehicle
is in motion, do not pull it too strongly.
In doing so, continuously press the but-
ton of the handbrake lever.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction – fishtailing
– at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not light up when
the handbrake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the handbrake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces. Even placing the gearshift lever
in 1st gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in Park.<
To avoid corrosion, apply the hand-
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance, provided that it is safe
to do so.
Press the clutch pedal all the way down
each time you shift, pressing the gear-
shift lever into its proper end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too, otherwise, the interlock
will prevent the engine from starting if
the clutch is not depressed.
While shifting gear in the 5th/
6th gear level, be sure to press
the gearshift lever to the right to pre-
vent inadvertently engaging a gear in
the 3rd/4th gear level. Do not hold the
vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or
riding the clutch. Use the handbrake
instead, since a slipping clutch
increases clutch wear.< 380de044

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Automatic transmission with SteptronicRange selection An interlock prevents inadvertent gear-
shifts into selector-lever positions R
and P. To cancel the interlock, press
the button on the front of the selector
lever knob, refer to arrow. ShiftlockWith the vehicle stationary, press the
brake pedal before shifting out of P
or N; the shift command will not be exe-
cuted unless the brake is applied.
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise creep
when a drive position is engaged.530de263
To prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing, always select position P and
engage the handbrake before leaving
the vehicle with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with
the engine running, as such a vehicle
represents a potential safety hazard.<
P Park Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. The transmission locks to prevent
the rear wheels from turning.R Reverse Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. N Neutral, idle For example, engage in automatic car
washes. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic driving
positionThis position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available. Kickdown The kickdown mode provides maximum
acceleration.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
0Wipers retracted
1Intermittent mode or rain sensor
2Normal wipe
3Fast wipe
4Brief wipe
5Cleaning the windshield
6Special wash program
*
7Serrated dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensor530de324
Retracted positionThe left wiper is partially concealed by
the hood. In order to bring the wipers to
roughly a vertical position, this is impor-
tant for changing the wiper blades or to
fold the wipers out during frosty
weather, for example:
>With the lever in position 1, switch off
the ignition as soon as the wipers
come to a stop.
If equipped with a rain sensor:
1. Switch on the wipers with the lever in
position 1, 2 or 4
2. When the wipers are approx. vertical,
switch the ignition off.
For changing the wiper blades, refer to
page 158.
Fold the wipers back down onto
the windshield before you turn the
ignition key to position 1 or 2 again. If
you do not, they could be damaged.<
Intermittent mode Not on vehicles with rain sensor.
You can set the wipe interval to four
stages with serrated dial 7.
In addition, the wipe interval is varied
automatically depending on road
speed. Rain sensor The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly in front of the inte-
rior rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
Move the lever to position 1 as of igni-
tion key position 1. The wipers travel
once across the windshield, regardless
of the weather conditions.
You can leave the lever permanently in
position 1. It is then only necessary to
activate the rain sensor as of ignition
key position 1.
To do this, turn serrated dial 7 briefly.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain sen-
sor:
Turn serrated dial 7.
Deactivating the rain sensor:
Move lever to position 0.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
Cruise control
*
Rear window wiper 0Retracted position of the rear window
wiper
1Rear window wiper in intermittent
mode. When reverse gear is
engaged, continuous operation is
switched on automatically
2Cleaning the rear window
You can also program the interval:
>Switch briefly from position 0 to posi-
tion 1
>The time until reactivation, from posi-
tion 0 to 1, is the programmed inter-
val; max. 30 seconds. 530de266
Programming is deleted:
>Approx. 10 seconds after the lever
is placed in position 0 or
>after the engine is switched off.
For changing the wiper blade, refer to
page 158.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
* the but-
tons +/– for the cruise control are
located on the right-hand side of the
steering wheel.
Activating system As of ignition key position 2:
Press the button; the indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on, refer
to page 22. You are able to use the
cruise control.
Do not use the cruise control
when driving on winding roads, in
heavy traffic or in poor road conditions
– e.g. snow, rain, ice, loose road sur-
face – that do not permit a constant
speed.<

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Check Control >CHECK BRAKE FLUID
Level has dropped approx. to mini-
mum. Have the brake fluid topped up
as soon as possible, refer to
page 151. Have the reason for the
brake fluid loss eliminated by your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center
>DSC/4x4 INACTIVE
DSC and/or 4-wheel drive system
xDrive has failed.
The stabilizing interventions of DSC
and/or the 4-wheel drive system
xDrive are no longer available. Drive
may then only be carried out via the
rear axle.
Have the system checked at the
nearest BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center.
For additional information, refer to
page 95
>SELFLEVEL SUSP.INACT
*
Please consult the nearest BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center
>SELFLEVEL SUSP.INACT*
MAX. 35 MPH/MAX. 60 KM/H
*
These messages are displayed con-
secutively.
Do not exceed a maximum speed of
35 mph/60 km/h.
Please consult the nearest BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center>TRANSMISS'N OVERHEAT
*
Reduce speed immediately and stop
at a suitable location so that the sys-
tem can cool down again. Please
contact the nearest BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle center
>LIMIT
*
Display when the programmed road-
speed limit is exceeded, refer to
page 87.
Priority 2
These displays appear for 20 seconds
as of ignition key position 2. The warn-
ing symbols remain after the message
disappears. You can open the mes-
sages again for display by pressing the
CHECK button.
>TRUNKLID OPEN
This message only appears when
starting off
>DOOR OPEN
This message appears after a mini-
mal defined road speed has been
exceeded
>FASTEN SEAT BELTS
*
In addition, the indicator lamp with
the belt symbol lights up and an
acoustic signal sounds
>WASHER FLUID LOW
Too low, top up at the next opportu-
nity, refer to page 148>CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV
The oil level is at the absolute mini-
mum point. Therefore, have the
engine oil topped up as soon as pos-
sible, refer to page 148. Until then,
do not drive more than approx.
30 miles/50 km
>CHECK GAS CAP
Check to see whether the fuel filler
cap has been closed properly, refer
to page 25
>OUTSIDE TEMP. +237/–56
This display is only an example. The
current temperature is displayed at
outside temperatures of +37.57/
+36 and below, refer also to
page 75
>CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS
A lamp has failed or the electrical
circuit has a fault, refer to page 161
or consult a BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center
>CHECK LOWBEAM LIGHTS
CHECK SIDE LIGHTS
CHECK REAR LIGHTS
CHECK FRONT FOGLAMPS
CHECK LICPLATE LIGHT
CHECK HIGHBEAM LIGHT
CHECK BACK UP LIGHTS
The respective lamp may have failed
or the electrical circuit may be defec-

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PDC Park Distance Control
*
The concept PDC provides extra safety and conve-
nience during parking maneuvers. Sig-
nal tones indicate the current distance
to an object behind or in front of your
vehicle. To do this, four ultrasonic sen-
sors in the front and rear bumpers each
measure the distance to the nearest
object. The detection range of the front
sensors and the two sensors located at
the ends of the rear bumper is approx.
2 ft/60 cm, while the rear center sen-
sors can detect objects to a distance of
approx. 5 ft/1.50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can
indicate objects when they are
approached slowly, as is usually the
case when parking. Avoid approaching
objects too fast, otherwise the system
may give warning of physical obstacles
too late.<
Automatic function The system starts to operate automati-
cally approx. one second after you
select reverse or move the selector
lever into the R position with the igni-
tion key in position 2.
Wait this short period before reversing.
Manual activation Press the button, the indicator lamp
lights up. Manual deactivation Press the button again; the indicator
lamp goes out.Automatic deactivationAfter driving a distance of more than
approx. 160 ft/50 m or exceeding a
speed of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the
system switches off and the indicator
lamp goes out. Switch the system on
again as required. 530de371