ESP BMW X5 4.8IS 2006 E53 Owner's Guide

146n
Tire identification marks Wheel/tire condition Traction The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hydro-
planing, or peak traction characteris-
tics.< TemperatureThe temperature grades are A, the
highest, B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive tem-
perature can lead to a sudden flat tire.
The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law.
The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible a tire failure.< M+SWinter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties
than summer tires.
Wheel/tire damage Inspect your wheels and tires frequently
for tread wear, signs of damage and for
foreign objects lodged in the tread.
Check the tread pattern depth.
Please note that low-profile tires
make your wheels, tires and sus-
pension parts more susceptible to road
hazard and consequential damages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
normal vehicle operation can indicate
tire failure or some other vehicle mal-
function. This can, for example, be
caused by driving over curbs. This is
also true for irregularities in the vehi-
cle's handling characteristics, such as a
pronounced tendency to pull to the left
or right. Should this occur, respond by
immediately reducing your speed.
Carefully proceed – or have your vehicle
towed – to the nearest BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle center or tire dealer to
have the wheels or tires inspected.
Tire damage, extending to sudden and
complete loss of pressure in extreme
cases, can pose a potentially lethal
safety hazard for the vehicle's occu-
pants and other road users alike.<

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Replacing wheels/tires
Have new wheels and tires
installed only by your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle center or tire shop that
works according to BMW repair proce-
dures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subse-
quent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Retreaded tires
BMW does not recommend the
use of retreaded tires, otherwise
driving safety may be reduced. The rea-
son for this is that possible variations in
the design and aging – which could be
substantial – of the tire casing can
result in a limited service life.<
The right wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use
only wheel and tire combinations
that BMW has tested and approved for
your particular vehicle. Variations in fac-
tors such as manufacturing tolerances
mean that even wheels and tires with
identical official size ratings could actu-
ally have different dimensions than the
approved units – these differences
could lead to body contact, and with it
the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used,
BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for
driving safety.<
You can ask your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center for the correct wheel/tire
combination.
The correct wheel/tire combination also
affects various systems whose function
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS,
DSC, xDrive.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer. After tire damage, always
remember to have the original wheel
and tire combination remounted on the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Recommended tire brands:
BMW recommends particular tire
brands for each tire size. You will rec-
ognize them by the clearly visible BMW
identification on the tire sidewall.
With proper use, these tires meet the
highest standards for safety and han-
dling characteristics.530de424

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Engine oil The oil volume between the two marks
on the dipstick corresponds to approx.
1.1 US quarts/1 liter.
Do not fill beyond the upper mark
on the dipstick. Excess oil will
damage the engine.<
X5 4.8is:
With a very sporty driving style, the
engine oil level should be at the upper
mark on the dipstick.530us205
Adding engine oil Wait until the level has dropped to just
above the lower mark on the dipstick
before adding oil.
Add oil within the next 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise, the engine
could be damaged.<
Keep oil, grease, etc. out of reach
of children and heed warnings on
the containers to avoid health risks.<
Oil change:
Have oil changed only by your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center or by a
repair shop that works according to
BMW guidelines with appropriately
trained personnel.530de326
Specified engine oils The quality of the engine oil selected
has critical significance for the opera-
tion and service life of an engine.
Based on extensive testing, BMW has
approved only certain engine oils.
Only use approved BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil.
If you are unable to obtain BMW High
Performance Synthetic Oil, you can add
small amounts of other synthetic oil in
between oil changes. Only use oils with
the API SH specification or higher.
Ask your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center for details concern-
ing the specific BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oil or synthetic oils which
have been approved.<
You can also call BMW of North Amer-
ica at 1-800-831-1117 or visit this web-
site: www.bmwusa.com to obtain this
information.
Never use oil additives as they can
damage your engine under some
circumstances.<

157n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
OBD interface socketThe interface socket for the Onboard
Diagnostics is located on the left of the
driver's side at the bottom of the instru-
ment cluster and under a cover. The
cover has the letters OBD on it.
The purpose of the OBD system is to
ensure proper operation of the emission
control system for the vehicle's lifetime.
The system monitors emission-related
components and systems for deteriora-
tion and malfunction.
An illuminated indicator lamp
informs you of the need for ser-
vice, not of the need to stop the
vehicle. However, the systems should
be checked by your BMW Sports Activ-
ity Vehicle center at the earliest possi-
ble opportunity. 530us105
Display of the previously
described malfunction in Cana-
dian models.
Under certain conditions, the indicator
lamp will blink or flash. This indicates a
rather severe level of engine misfire.
When this occurs, you should reduce
speed and consult the nearest BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center as soon
as possible. Severe engine misfire over
only a short period of time can seriously
damage emission control components,
especially the catalytic converter.
When the filler cap is not properly
tightened, the OBD system can
detect the vapor leak and the indicator
lamp will light up. If the filler cap is sub-
sequently tightened, the indicator lamp
should extinguish within a few days.<
Event Data Recorders Your vehicle may be equipped with one
or more sensing and diagnostic mod-
ules or a recording device capable of
recording or transmitting certain vehicle
data or information. In addition, if you
have a Subscription Service Agree-
ment for the BMW Assist system, cer-
tain vehicle information may be trans-
mitted or recorded in order to provide
such services.

173n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
The Roadside Assistance of the BMW
Group offers you assistance in the
event of a breakdown around the clock,
also on weekends and public holidays.
The phone numbers of the Roadside
Assistance control center in your home
country can be found in the BMW
Dealer Directory.
In the case of vehicles with the corre-
sponding equipment, you can use but-
tons in the headliner to contact Road-
side Assistance or initiate an
emergency call.
When the emergency call is initiated, a
telephone connection with the BMW
Assist response center is established.
In vehicles with activated BMW Assist,
if the current position of your vehicle
can be determined, it is transmitted to
the BMW Assist response center.
The requirements for initiating an emer-
gency call or contacting Roadside
Assistance:
>Ignition key in position 1
>The car phone is logged on to a
mobile telephone network
>The emergency call system is opera-
ble.1 Initiating an emergency call
2 Establishing contact to Roadside
Assistance
Initiating an emergency call
*
Press button 1 for at least 2 seconds.
The LED in the button lights up. As
soon as the voice connection to the
BMW Assist response center has been
established, the LED flashes. If the LED
flashes, but you are unable to hear the
response center, you can still be heard
by the response center.530ue261
For technical reasons, the emer-
gency call cannot be guaranteed
under the most unfavorable condi-
tions.<
Under certain conditions, an emer-
gency call is initiated automatically
immediately after a severe accident.
The automatic emergency call is not
affected by the button being pressed.
Roadside Assistance
*
Press button 2 for at least 2 seconds.
With the BMW Assist activated, the cur-
rent position of your vehicle will be
transmitted in the specific country.
Receiving assistance

176n
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, otherwise
the automatic transmission may be
damaged.<
Manual transmission:
Gearshift lever in idle position
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, 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, be
aware of the following:

Everything from A to ZDivided rear seat backrest,
refer to Folding rear seat
back124
Door keys30
Door lock33
DOT Quality Grades145
Draft-free
ventilation106,111
Driving lamps, refer to
Parking lamps/low
beams100
Driving notes
breaking-in136
driving hints137,138
Driving on poor roads138
Driving stability control92
Driving tips, refer to Driving
notes137
Driving your X5138
Dry air, refer to Air
conditioning105,110
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control92
warning lamp22
DVD changer, refer to
Owner's Manual for Radio/
Onboard Computer
Dynamic Brake Control
DBC91
indicator lamp21Dynamic Stability Control
DSC92
warning lamp22
E
EBV Electronic brake-force
distribution91
Electrical defect
liftgate35
tailgate36
Electrical malfunction
automatic transmission
with Steptronic67
door lock33
driver's door33
fuel filler door24
panorama glass roof42
Electric steering wheel
adjustment52
Electronic brake-force distri-
bution EBV91
Electronic Stability Program
ESP, refer to DSC Dynamic
Stability Control92
Emergency call173
Emergency operation, refer
to Manual operation
driver's door33
fuel filler door24
liftgate35
panorama glass roof42
tailgate36Emergency Service, refer to
Roadside Assistance173
Energy-conscious driving,
refer to Energy control74
Energy control74
Engine
breaking-in136
data180
electronic circuitry22
overheated, refer to
Coolant temperature
gauge76
speed74
starting62
switching off63
Engine compartment151
Engine coolant154
Engine oil152
additives, refer to
Specified engine oils153
filling capacity183
indicator/warning lamp19
specified engine oils153
Engine oil level152
indicator/warning lamp21
Engine oil pressure,
indicator/warning lamp19
Engine oil temperature
gauge75
Engine output, refer to
Engine specifications180Engine overheating, refer to
Coolant temperature
gauge76
Engine specifications180
Engine speed, refer to
Engine specifications180
Environmentally friendly
driving, refer to Energy
control74
ESP Electronic Stability
Program, refer to DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control92
Event Data Recorders157
Exhaust system137
Extended immobilizer
function88
Exterior mirrors53
automatic dimming
feature138
folding in and out54
External air, automatic
climate control110
F
Failure messages, refer to
Check Control77
Failure of a current
consumer172
False alarms, refer to
Avoiding unintentional
alarms39

So that you will have important speci-
fications available when you stop to
refuel, we recommend that you fill in
this table with data which apply to your
vehicle.
Consult the index for individual specifi-
cations.
FuelPlease enter your preferred fuel here. Engine oilThe oil volume between the two marks
on the oil dipstick corresponds to
approx. 1.1 US quarts/1 liter. Designation
QualityTire inflation pressures
Summer tires Winter tires
Front Rear Front Rear
4 persons
5 persons or 4 plus luggage
Refueling