maintenance BMW X5 4.4I 2005 E53 Owner's Guide

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags1 Front airbags for driver and front pas-
senger
2 Side Impact Head Protection System
for front and rear
3 Side airbags for front and rear
*
Protective action
Comply with the instructions on
page43. Failure to do so could
result in diminished personal safety.<
The front airbags supplement the safety
belts by helping to provide additional
protection for the front-seat occupants
in the event of a severe frontal impact
in which the protection afforded by the
safety belts alone may no longer be suf-
ficient. The head airbag and side airbag
help provide protection in the event of
530us035
a side impact. The side airbag is
designed to help support the body at
the side of the chest region. The Side
Impact Head Protection System pro-
tects the head.
The airbags are intentionally not trig-
gered in every impact situation, e.g. in
minor accidents, certain rollover situa-
tions or rear-end collisions.
For information on the correct sitting
position, refer to page43.
Do not apply adhesive materials
to the cover panels of the airbags,
cover them or modify them in any other
way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag
restraint system from the vehicle. Do
not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels, the
doors and the roof pillars or the sides
of the headliner. Do not remove or dis-
mantle the steering wheel yourself.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, as otherwise there is a danger
of burns. In case of faults, decommis-
sioning or after triggering of the airbag
restraint system, only commission a
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center or
a workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and is
equipped with the required explosives
permits for testing, repair, dismantling
or scrapping of the airbag generators.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury.<
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren 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 injury.
Please note that the word Airbag
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat.
If your vehicle is equipped with rear
side airbags, do not allow children to
lean towards the door trim, as serious
injuries could occur if the side airbags
were deployed and children are too
close to the airbags.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags Transporting children safely Operational readiness of airbag
system
As of ignition key position 1, the
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up for a short time,
thus indicating the operational readi-
ness of the entire airbag system and the
safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
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 permanently.
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.<
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 appropriate
for their age, height and weight.
If your vehicle is equipped with
rear side airbags, do not allow
children to lean towards the door trim,
as serious injuries could occur if the
side airbags were deployed and chil-
dren are too close to the airbags.<
Deactivate rear side airbags:
Labels in the rear door opening should
indicate the status of your rear seat side
airbags. If you are uncertain of their sta-
tus, or wish to have the airbags acti-
vated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter.
Child-restraint systems in the rear
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 prop-
erly restraint.<
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate child-restraint system
that has been first properly secured to
the vehicle.
All rear sitting positions in your vehi-
cle meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger
seat
Should it become necessary to
use a child-restraint system on the
front passenger seat, the front passen-
ger airbags must be deactivated. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center will
be happy to advise you on this sub-
ject.<

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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.
The figure shows the fastening of the
tether strap in the outer seating posi-
tions.530ue257

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Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functions You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle 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 Sports Activity Vehicle center can
make these settings for you.
There are vehicle and person-related
adjustments: Vehicle Memory and Key
Memory. You can have up to four differ-
ent basic positions configured for four
different persons. The only requirement
is that each person uses his or her own
remote control key.
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
the master keys with remote control,
color-coded decals are supplied
together with the keys.
What the system can doYour BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter can provide you with details on the
capabilities of the Vehicle Memory and
Key Memory systems.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<
Following configuration of the
memory functions, vehicle opera-
tion may differ from the description in
the Owner's Manual. Should you want
to sell your BMW some day, please
remember to have the memory func-
tions reset to the default state.<
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgment for locking and
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
pages31, 33
>Deactivating/activating the Pathway
lighting function, refer to page103.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatic adjustment of the driver's
seat, exterior mirror and steering
wheel with settings stored in the
memory for the individual driver when
the vehicle is unlocked, refer to
page51
>Calling up customized settings for
the automatic climate control when
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
page112.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
65n
Starting engine Switching off engineDo 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.
X5 3.0i:
Do not end the starting procedure
too soon, however at the latest after
approx. 20 seconds. Release the igni-
tion key immediately as soon as the
engine starts.
X5 4.4i, 4.8is:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Here, it is suffi-
cient to turn the ignition key only briefly
to position 3 'Start engine' and to let go
of it right away. The starter actuation
continues to operate automatically for a
certain period of time and is stopped
automatically as soon as the engine has
started.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate or will be canceled if the bat-
tery voltage is insufficient. The engine
can be jump started, refer to page171.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 altitudes above 3,300 ft/
1,000 meters and at very low tempera-
tures, from approx. +57/–156:
>For the initial starting attempt, allow
the starter to remain engaged some-
what longer, approx. 10 seconds.
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 discharg-
ing, always switch off electrical devices
that are not in use. Switch the ignition
off when the vehicle is not being driven.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent
or long periods with the starter
engaged, can lead to damage of the
catalytic converter.<
Manual transmission:
1. Turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0.
2. Shift into first gear or reverse.
Automatic transmission:
1. Shift into selector lever position P.
2. Turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
when the vehicle is moving, as
otherwise the steering could lock.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and lock the
steering.
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.<
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in Park before you can
remove the ignition key.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
67n
Manual transmission Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Reverse Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Press the gearshift lever to the left
to overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
In addition to fully automatic operation,
you can also manually shift with the
Steptronic, refer to page69.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
530us238
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S
The transmission range display varies
according to the equipment of your
vehicle.
Starting engine The engine can only be started in the
selector lever position Park or Neutral. 530us239

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
69n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
M/S manual operation and
Sport Program Shift selector lever from position D
toward the left into the shifting slot M/S:
the Sport Program is activated and D S
appears in the instrument cluster. This
position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style.
When you briefly press the selector
lever in the + or – direction, manual
operation is activated and Steptronic
changes the gear The following appears
in the instrument cluster depending on
the model
>1 to 5 or 1 to 6
>M1 to M5 or M1 to M6. 530de264
Upshifts and downshifts are executed
only when they will result in a plausible
combination of engine and vehicle
speed; thus, for example, a downshift
that would cause the engine to overrev
will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the cur-
rent gear.
In order to go back to using automatic,
move the selector lever toward the right
into position D.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up or
the message TRANS.FAILSAFE
PROG appears in the Check
Control. A malfunction has occurred in
the transmission system. Avoid heavy
loads.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to P. Set the
handbrake and switch the engine off,
ignition key to position 0.
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission per-
formance has been restored. You may
continue to drive as usual. If the indica-
tor lamp does not go out, you can place
the selector lever in all positions. How-
ever, the vehicle will now only drive for-
ward with limited gear selection.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Information on jump starting, tow-start-
ing and towing begins on page171.

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71n
Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent mode or rain sensor
2Normal wipe
3Fast wipe
4Brief wipe
5 Windshield washing
6 Special wash program
*
7 Serrated dial for control of the wipe
interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensor530de324
Fold-out 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
page158.
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 automatically controls
the wiper operation as a function of the
rain intensity. It 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.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
73n
Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
Rear window wiper 0 Retracted position of the rear window
wiper
1 Rear window wiper in intermittent
mode. When reverse gear is
engaged, continuous operation is
switched on automatically
2 Cleaning 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:
>approximately 10 seconds after the
lever is placed in position 0 or
>after the engine is switched off.
For changing the wiper blade, refer to
page158.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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Cruise control* DecelerationBriefly press button
–:
When cruise control is active, every
brief touch of the button reduces the
speed by approx. 0.6 mph/1 km/h.
Press and hold button –:
With the cruise control active, the sys-
tem automatically reduces the throttle
opening to slow the vehicle. When you
release the button, the system main-
tains and stores the current speed.
Interrupting cruise control When the system is activated, press
button 1. The indicator lamp stays on.
You can use the cruise control again
whenever required by calling up the
speed that was stored last.
In addition, cruise control is interrupted
automatically:
>When you apply pressure to the
brake pedal
>When you apply pressure to the
clutch pedal or when you move the
automatic transmission selector lever
from Drive to Neutral
>If you exceed or fall below the con-
trolled speed for an extended period,
by depressing the accelerator, for
example
>When DSC Dynamic Stability Control
is set.
Recalling stored setting Press button:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored.