towing BMW X5 4.8IS 2005 E53 Owner's Manual

ContentsOperation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Special operating instructions:
Breaking-in136
General driving notes137
Driving your X5138
Safe braking140
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure141
Tire identification marks143
Wheel/tire condition144
Replacing wheels/tires146
Snow chains147
Under the hood:
Hood148
Engine compartment
essentials149
Washer fluid150
Engine oil150
Coolant152
Brake fluid153Care and maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System154
OBD interface socket155Replacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit158
Windshield wiper blades158
Lamps and bulbs159
Changing a tire163
Vehicle battery168
Fuses169
Assistance, giving and
receiving:
Receiving assistance170
Jump starting171
Tow-starting and towing172

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.

70n
Turn signals/headlamp flasher1High beams
2 Headlamp flasher
3Turn signalsSignaling briefly Press lever to resistance point and hold
for as long as you wish to signal.
Atypically rapid flashing of the turn
signal indicator light indicates the
failure of a turn signal lamp and when
towing a trailer, indicates the failure of
one of the trailer's turn signal lamps.
After switching off the ignition, make
sure the roadside parking lamps have
not been left on.<530de265

99n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
2-axle self-leveling suspension
*
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 100, 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 tailgate/
liftgate may be open. The system raises
the vehicle only when the engine is run-
ning.
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.<
Self-leveling suspension display 1 Off-Road
2Standard
3 Access
The LEDs not only show the current ride
height, but also indicate changes:
>LED on: indicates the vehicle's cur-
rent ride height
>Ride-height LED flashes while the
LED for the earlier level remains on:
the ride height is being adjusted to a
new level, either automatically or in
response to driver input at the button.
When the suspension reaches the new
ride height the flashing LED reverts to
continuous operation, and the LED for
the earlier level goes out530de218

125n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Ski bag
*
Securing load After loading, secure the ski bag and its
contents. To do so, tighten the retaining
belt at the buckle.
Secure the ski bag in this way. If
you fail to do so, it could endanger
occupants during braking or evasive
maneuvers.<
When stowing the ski bag, proceed in
the reverse order from loading.530de284
If the cover in the cargo area is
concealed by the pull-out cargo
floor, do not fold the larger rear back-
rest down. If you do so, it will damage
the cover.<

131n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Cargo loading
Avoid overloading the vehicle so
that the permissible loading
capacity of the tires is not exceeded.
Overloading can lead to overheating
and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. The ultimate
result can assume the form of a sudden
air loss.<
Determining loading limit1. Locate the following statement on
your vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX Ibs. or YYY kg, as other-
wise the vehicle may be damaged
and unstable driving conditions may
result.<
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX Ibs.
or YYY kg
530de225
4. The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount
equals 1350 Ibs. and there will be
five 150 Ibs. passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
600 Ibs.:
1350 Ibs. minus 750 Ibs. = 600 Ibs.
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult the
manual for transporting a trailer to
determine how this may reduce the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.

132n
Cargo loadingLoad:
The permitted load is the total of the
weight of occupants and cargo/lug-
gage. The greater the weight of occu-
pants, the less cargo/luggage can be
transported.530us249
Stowing cargo >Position heavy cargo as far forward
as possible directly behind the back-
rests and as low as possible
>Cover sharp edges and corners
>Do not pile objects higher than the
top edge of the backrest
>Fasten the partition net, refer to
page127, and ensure that carried
items cannot pass through the parti-
tion net
>Wrap objects which could strike the
rear window while driving accordingly
>If you are transporting very heavy
loads when the rear seat is not occu-
pied, secure the outer safety belts in
the opposite buckles. 530de032
Securing load >Secure smaller, light pieces with the
retaining straps or a luggage net
*, or
use elastic straps, refer to page37
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for secur-
ing larger and heavier objects are
available at your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center. The lashing eyes pro-
vided at the corners of the cargo area
serve for mounting these heavy-duty
cargo straps
>Read and comply with the informa-
tion enclosed with the heavy-duty
cargo straps.
530us090

136n
Moving parts should be allowed to
break in. To ensure that your vehicle
provides maximum economy through-
out a long service life, we request that
you observe the following instructions:
Engine and differential Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km:
Drive at varying engine speeds and
road speeds, but do not exceed
4,500 rpm and the following road
speeds during this initial period:
6-cylinder engines: 100 mph/160 km/h
8-cylinder engines: 106 mph/170 km/h
Obey your local and state maximum
speed limits.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of
the transmission's kick-down mode
during these initial miles.
Once you have driven 1,200 miles/
2,000 km, the engine and vehicle
speeds can be gradually increased.Tires Due to technical factors associated with
their manufacture, tires do not achieve
their full traction potential until after an
initial break-in period. Therefore, drive
reservedly during the first 200 miles/
300 km. Obey your local and state maximum
speed limits.
When the vehicle is operated on
wet or slushy roads, a wedge of
water may form between the tire and
the road surface. This phenomenon is
referred to as hydroplaning and can
lead to partial or complete loss of trac-
tion, vehicle control and braking effec-
tiveness. Reduce your speed on wet
roads.<
Brake system Brakes require an initial break-in period
of approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve
optimal contact and wear patterns
between brake pads and rotors.
To break in the separate handbrake
drums, apply the handbrake lightly
when coasting to a standstill at a traffic
signal, for instance, provided that traffic
conditions allow you to do so.
To avoid corrosion, repeat this proce-
dure from time to time.
The brake lamps do not light up
when the handbrake is applied.
Vacuum for the brake system servo unit
on your BMW is available only when the
engine is running. When you move the
vehicle with the engine switched off,
when towing, for instance, substantially
higher levels of pedal force will be
required to brake the vehicle.<
ClutchThe function of the clutch is only at its
optimized level after a distance driven
of approx. 300 miles/500 km. During
this break-in period, engage the clutch
gently.Following component
replacementsObserve the break-in instructions again
if previously addressed components
must be replaced again during driving
later.
Breaking-in

172n
Jump starting Tow-starting and towing Your BMW is equipped with a special
nut on the left side panel as a body
ground or negative terminal, refer to
arrow in illustration.
4. Attach one end of the negative/–
jumper cable to the negative terminal
of the battery or to an engine or body
ground of the vehicle providing
assistance
5. Connect the second terminal clamp
of the negative/– jumper cable to the
negative terminal of the battery or to
the engine or body ground of the
vehicle to be started.530us127
Starting engine1. Start the engine on the support vehi-
cle and allow it to run for several min-
utes at a fast idle
2. Start the engine on the other vehicle
in the usual way.
If the first start attempt is not suc-
cessful, wait a few minutes before
another attempt in order to allow the
discharged battery to recharge
3. Let the engines run for a few minutes
4. Disconnect the jumper cables by
reversing the connection sequence.
Depending on the cause of the fault,
have the battery recharged by your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Using tow fitting The screw-in tow fitting is stored
beneath the cargo floor cover. Carry it
with you at all times. It can be screwed
in at the front or rear of the vehicle.
To prevent damage to the tow fit-
ting and the vehicle, observe the
following: only use the tow fitting that
comes with the vehicle and screw it in
as far as it will go. Use the tow fitting for
towing only on the roadway. Avoid lat-
eral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do
not lift the vehicle by the tow fitting.<

173n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Tow-starting and towingAccess to screw thread Front:
Use a screwdriver to press the right or
left cover out, refer to arrows. 530de370
Rear:
Pull the cover off. Being towed
Make sure that the ignition key is
in position 1, otherwise the steer-
ing lock could engage and it would not
be possible to steer the vehicle.
When the engine is stopped, there is no
power assist. This requires increased
braking and steering effort.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers
depending on the local regulations.
If the electrical system fails, mark the
vehicle to be towed, e.g. with a sign or
warning triangle in the rear window.
530de318
Do not exceed a towing speed of
30 mph/50 km/h and a towing dis-
tance of 95 miles/150 km, as otherwise
the automatic transmission may be
damaged.<
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Gearshift lever in idle position
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Selector lever in N.
Towing methodsIn some countries, towing with a tow
bar or rope on public roads is not per-
mitted.
Familiarize yourself with all regulations
on towing in the respective country.
With tow bar:
The towing vehicle may not be
lighter than the vehicle to be
towed, as otherwise handling will be
uncontrollable.<
The tow fitting of both vehicles should
be on the same side. If an angled posi-
tion of the bar cannot be avoided,
observe the following: