tailgate BMW X5 4.8IS 2004 E53 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: BMW, Model Year: 2004, Model line: X5 4.8IS, Model: BMW X5 4.8IS 2004 E53Pages: 200, PDF Size: 3.91 MB
Page 6 of 200

 
Contents
 
© 2004 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, 
only with the written consent of 
BMW AG, Munich. 
Order No. 01 41 0 158 286
US English III/04
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper, 
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling. 
Notes
Overview
Controls and features
 
About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
Your individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects10Cockpit14 
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps19
Buttons on steering wheel23
Warning triangle24
First-aid kit24
Refueling24
Fuel specifications26
 
Locks and security systems: 
 
Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing: 
from outside31
Opening and closing: 
from inside34 
Liftgate35
Tailgate36
Alarm system38
Windows39
Panorama glass roof41
 
Adjustments: 
 
Sitting safely43
Seats44
Mechanical seat adjustment45
Power seat adjustment46
Head restraints47
Power rear-seat backrest 
adjustment48
Safety belts49
Seat, mirror and steering wheel 
memory50
Heated seats52
Steering wheel52
Steering wheel heater53
Mirrors54
 
Contents 
Page 32 of 200

30n
Keys Central locking system The key set 1Master keys with remote control. 
They specify the functions of the Key 
Memory. When doing so, individual 
functions of your vehicle can behave 
differently depending on the key 
used, refer to page 63.
To distinguish the different keys, the 
keys with remote control can be 
marked with the colored stickers you 
received when taking possession of 
the vehicle
Each master key with remote 
control contains a long-life bat-
tery. The battery is automatically 
charged in the ignition lock while the 
vehicle is being driven. 
If you have any master keys with 
remote control that are not used on a 
regular basis, you should therefore 530de367
remember to recharge these units by 
using them to drive the vehicle for an 
extended period at least every six 
months, also refer to page 32.< 
2Spare key for storage in a safe place, 
such as in your wallet.
This key cannot be used to open the 
lock for the glove compartment. This 
is an advantage in a hotel, for exam-
ple Replacement keys Additional or replacement keys are 
available at your BMW Sports Activity 
Vehicle center.
The concept The central locking system is ready for 
operation as soon as you close the front 
doors. The system engages or releases 
the locks on the 
>doors 
>liftgate/tailgate 
>fuel filler door. 
The central locking system can be 
operated 
>from outside via the remote control 
as well as via the driver's door lock
>from inside via the button for the cen-
tral locking system. 
If the system is locked from inside, the 
fuel filler door remains unlocked, refer 
to page 34.
When the system is actuated from out-
side of the vehicle, the anti-theft system 
is actuated simultaneously. This pre-
vents the doors from being unlocked 
via safety lock buttons or door handles. 
The alarm system is also armed or dis-
armed. 
In a serious accident the central locking 
system automatically unlocks, but only 
doors which have not been locked sep-
arately with the lock buttons, refer to 
page 34. In addition, the hazard warn-
ing flashers and the interior lamps are 
switched on.  
Page 33 of 200

31n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Opening and closing: from outsideUsing remote control When you engage/release the vehicle 
locks, you also activate/deactivate the 
anti-theft system, arm/disarm the alarm 
system, and switch the interior lamps 
on/off. 
You can have an acknowledgment 
signal set to confirm that the vehi-
cle is correctly locked.< 
Protect the remote control against 
unauthorized use by handing over 
only the spare key, for example when 
using hotel valet parking.<
You can find more detailed information 
on the alarm system on page 38.
Since passengers or animals 
remaining in the vehicle might be 
able to lock the doors from the inside, 
take the vehicle's keys with you so that 
the vehicle can be opened again from 
the outside at any time.<
Unlocking vehiclePress the button. 
Press the button once to unlock the 
driver's door and the fuel filler door 
only; press a second time to unlock all 
remaining doors as well as the liftgate/
tailgate. Convenience opening modePress the button briefly and then hold 
down. 
The windows and the panorama glass 
roof open. Locking and securing Press the button. 
Switching on interior lamps If the vehicle is locked, press button. 
With this function, you can also search 
for your vehicle, e.g. when parked in an 
underground garage.Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensorPress the button once again directly 
after locking. 
For more detailed information, refer to 
page 39. Opening liftgate Briefly press the button. 
The liftgate will open slightly, regard-
less of whether it was previously locked 
or unlocked. 
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Opening and closing: from outsideUsing the door lock One turn of the key in the driver's door 
lock unlocks the driver's door only. 
Turning the key a second time unlocks 
all of the remaining doors, the liftgate/
tailgate and the fuel filler door. 
You can have an acknowledgment 
signal set to confirm that the vehi-
cle is correctly locked.< 530de244
Convenience operation You also have the option of operating 
the windows and the panorama glass 
roof from the door lock. 
>To open: with the door closed, turn 
the key to the Unlock position and 
hold it there 
>To close: with the door closed, turn 
the key to the Lock position and hold 
it.
Watch during the closing process 
to be sure that no one is injured. 
Releasing the key stops the opera-
tion.< Manual operation In the event of an electrical malfunction, 
turn the key to the extreme left or right 
to unlock/lock the door.  
Page 36 of 200

34n
Opening and closing: from insideYou can operate the central locking 
system with this button when the 
driver's door is closed. The doors and 
liftgate are unlocked or locked only. 
However, the anti-theft system is not 
activated. Also, the fuel filler door 
remains unlocked to allow refueling. 
You have the option of setting the 
central locking system to lock 
automatically as soon as you move off. 
This can be adjusted to be key-
specific.<530de220
If only the driver's door was 
unlocked from the outside and 
you press the button 
>all other doors, the liftgate/tailgate 
and the fuel filler door will be 
unlocked when the driver's door is 
opened
>the driver's door will be locked again 
when it is closed.< 
Unlocking and opening doors >Either unlock the doors together with 
the button for the central locking sys-
tem and then pull the door handle 
above the armrest or 
>pull the release handle for each door 
twice: the first pull unlocks the door, 
and the second one opens it. 
Locking >Use the central locking button to lock 
all of the doors simultaneously, or 
>press down the individual safety lock 
buttons. As an added design feature 
to prevent the driver from being inad-
vertently locked out of the vehicle, 
the driver's safety lock button will not 
engage as long as the door is open. 
When the vehicle is moving, do 
not lock the doors with the safety 
lock buttons. Doors locked in this man-
ner would not unlock automatically in 
the event of an accident.
Since passengers or animals remaining 
in the vehicle might be able to lock the 
doors from the inside, take the vehicle's 
keys with you so that the vehicle can be 
opened again from the outside at any 
time.<  
Page 38 of 200

36n
Liftgate TailgateClosing You can pull the liftgate down by plac-
ing both hands in the handle recesses, 
refer to arrows.
To close the liftgate, merely press it 
down gently. The closing process will 
then be carried out automatically.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the 
travel path of the liftgate is clear 
when it is closed, as with all closing 
procedures.< 530us017
Operate the vehicle only when 
both gates are completely closed. 
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter 
into the interior of the vehicle.< 
If special circumstances should make it 
absolutely necessary to operate the 
vehicle with the liftgate open:
1. Close all windows and the panorama 
glass roof
2. Increase the air supply for the air 
conditioner or automatic climate 
control to a high level, refer to 
page 107 or 111.
Opening Press the button:
You can fold the tailgate down. 
When opened, the tailgate can 
accept loads of up to 440 lbs./
200 kg. When the vehicle is stationary 
you may, for example, utilize the tail-
gate as a seat or as a loading platform 
for luggage or recreation gear.< 530de246 
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37n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
TailgateManual release In the event of an electrical malfunction, 
you can release the tailgate manually: 
1. Unfasten the trim panel clip with the 
vehicle key or with a screwdriver, 
refer to arrow 1, and remove it 
toward the top, refer to arrow 2530de317
2. Using the same tool, press the latch 
in the direction of the arrow; the tail-
gate is released 
3. Reinstall the trim panel. 530de241
Luggage straps Use the retaining straps on the cargo 
floor cover to secure smaller items of 
luggage.
Movement is reduced when objects are 
placed on the straps.
The lashing eyes located at the corners 
of the cargo area provide you with a 
convenient means of attaching luggage 
nets
* or flexible straps for securing lug-
gage. 
Refer also to Cargo loading on 
page 130.
394de302 
Page 81 of 200

Maintenance
79n
OverviewControlsRepairsDataIndex
Check Control Graphic display
* 
The following alerts or status messages 
are displayed with icons as of ignition 
key position 2 until the defects are cor-
rected: 
1Check low beams 
2Add washer fluid, goes out after 
approx. 1 minute 
3Door open 
4Tailgate open 
5Check brake and tail lamps. A defec-
tive center brake lamp is indicated by 
the upper symbol 
When you open the door after stopping, 
a warning signal sounds without a 
visual indicator for: 
>LIGHTS ON
>KEY IN IGNITION LOCK. 390de121
Alphanumeric display
* 
Text messages are used to alert the 
driver to system malfunctions as of igni-
tion key position 2. The alert is accom-
panied by an acoustic signal.
1Status messages symbol
2Display
3CHECK button 
Messages concerning system faults are 
differentiated based on two priorities: 530de254
Priority 1
These defects are immediately indi-
cated by an acoustic signal and a flash-
ing warning symbol 1. Simultaneous 
defects will be displayed consecutively. 
These status messages remain in the 
display until the defects are corrected. 
They cannot be deleted by pressing the 
CHECK button 3: 
>RELEASE PARKINGBRAKE
>COOLANT TEMPERATURE
Temperature too high. Stop the vehi-
cle immediately and switch off the 
engine, refer to pages 78 and 150
>STOP! ENGINE OILPRESS
Oil pressure too low. Stop the vehicle 
immediately and switch off the 
engine, refer to pages 19, 148 
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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Self-leveling suspension
*
2-axle self-leveling suspension
*
The warning lamp for the self-
leveling suspension comes on, 
or the message "SELFLEVEL 
SUSP.INACT" appears in the Check 
Control: there is a malfunction in the 
self-leveling suspension. 
Stop and inspect the vehicle. If the rear 
of the vehicle is visibly lower than the 
front, possibly accompanied by a tilt 
noticeable when you compare the left 
rear with the right rear, please respond 
by immediately proceeding to the near-
est BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center. 
Drive with appropriate caution in the 
meantime. The vehicle has reduced 
ground clearance and driving comfort 
may be noticeably reduced. 
Even when the position of the vehicle is 
normal, have the system checked as 
soon as possible when a malfunction is 
indicated.
The concept Your vehicle is equipped with 2-axle 
self-leveling suspension acting on both 
the front and rear suspension. This sys-
tem combines automatic self-leveling, 
which compensates for variations in 
front-to-rear load-distribution patterns, 
with a selection feature allowing drivers 
to choose from among several ride-
height options.
You may choose from among the fol-
lowing ride heights:
>Normal
The standard setting is intended for 
most operating conditions, including 
trailer towing
>Off-Road
Increased level for more ground 
clearance
>Access
Lowers vehicle for more convenient 
cargo handling or easier passenger 
entries and exits.
Changes in ride height are initiated 
either manually, using the control but-
ton, refer to page 98, or automatically in 
response to specific speeds. When the 
ride height is selected manually, the 
driver has the additional option of revis-
ing the ride-height selection by entering a new command during the adjustment 
process.
When the vehicle is stationary, the sys-
tem executes ride-height changes in 
both directions – up and down – when-
ever the doors are closed. The liftgate/
tailgate may be open. The system 
raises the vehicle only when the engine 
is running.
The system's automatic self-leveling 
feature automatically compensates for 
variations in the vehicle's load.
Frequent changes in ride height 
initiated at short intervals can 
overheat the compressor, causing the 
system to briefly suspend active opera-
tion.< 
Page 164 of 200

162n
Lamps and bulbs Lamps in the side panel: 
1. Open the cover in the side panel 
2. Lift the side panel if necessary 
3. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb 
holder while turning it to the left for 
removal and replacement
4. Remove the bulb. 530de305
Lamps in the tailgate: 
1. Unclip the trim panel in the tailgate 
with a screwdriver 
2. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb 
holder while turning it to the left for 
removal and replacement 
3. Remove the bulb. Center brake lamp LED strip in the rear spoiler: please 
contact a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle 
center in case of a malfunction. 530de306
License plate lamps 5 watt bulb 
1. Press the lamp out to the side with a 
screwdriver 
2. Remove the lamp and replace the 
bulb. 530de307