tow BMW X6 2008 Owner's Manual

Driving tips
129Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Make sure that no fluids leak in the cargo
bay; otherwise the vehicle could be dam-
aged.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX lbs. or YYY kg. Otherwise, this could
damage the vehicle and produce unstable
vehicle operating conditions.<
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 lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs.
passengers in your vehicle, then the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs.:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
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, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
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.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of occupants, the less cargo/luggage
can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as low
as possible, placing it directly behind the
backrest.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>When hauling very heavy cargo and the rear
seat is not occupied, secure each safety
belt in the opposite buckle.
>Do not pile objects higher than the top edge
of the backrest.

Things to remember when driving
130 >Wrap sharp-edged or pointed objects
which could strike the rear window while
driving.
Securing cargo
>Use the luggage net*, retaining straps*, or
securing straps to hold down small and
lightweight luggage and cargo.
>For larger and heavier pieces, heavy-duty
cargo straps
* are available from your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. Four lashing
eyes
* mounted in the cargo bay are used to
secure these heavy-duty cargo straps, refer
to illustration.
>Please observe the special instructions
supplied with the heavy-duty cargo straps.
Position and secure the cargo as
described above, so that it cannot endan-
ger the car's occupants, for example if sudden
braking or evasive maneuvers are necessary.
Use only the lashing eyes
*, refer to illustration,
to secure the heavy-duty cargo straps; other-
wise, the cargo straps could come loose or the
vehicle could be damaged.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle
weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer
to page260, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard, and may also place you in viola-
tion of traffic safety laws.
You should never transport unsecured heavy or
hard objects in the passenger compartment, as
they could fly around and pose a safety hazard
to the vehicle's occupants during abrupt brak-
ing or evasive maneuvers.<
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an option
for your BMW. Please comply with the precau-
tions included with the installation instructions.
Loading roof-mounted luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
its handling and steering response. You should
therefore always remember not to exceed the
approved roof load capacity, the approved
gross vehicle weight or the axle loads when
loading the rack.
You can find the specified weights under
Weights on page260.
The load on the roof must be evenly distributed
and must not extend outward beyond the limits
of the loading surface. Always stow the heaviest
pieces on the bottom. Be sure to maintain ade-
quate clearance for the raising of the glass sun-
roof and that objects do not project into the
opening path of the liftgate.
Secure roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.
Driving on poor roads
Your BMW is at home on all roads and surfaces.
It combines a 4-wheel drive system with the
advantages of a normal passenger car.
Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as other-
wise the vehicle may be damaged.<
When you are driving on poor roads, there are a
few points which you should strictly observe for
your own safety, for that of your passengers,
and for the safety of the vehicle:
>Familiarize yourself with the vehicle before
driving off and avoid taking risks at all costs.
>Adapt your driving speed to the road condi-
tions. The steeper and rougher the road
surface is, the lower the speed should be.

Navigation
Driving tips
137Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
Entering a destination
manually
The system's word matching principle makes it
easier for you to enter the names of streets or
towns/cities, refer to page147. This allows you
to enter different spellings and completes your
entry automatically so that stored names can be
called up quickly.
1.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Navigation" is selected and
press the controller.
"New destination" is selected.
2.Press the controller.
3.Select "Enter address" and press the con-
troller.
The system also supports you with the follow-
ing features:
>If you do not enter a street, the system will
guide you to the downtown area of a town or
city.
>You can skip the entry of country and town/
city if the current entries should be retained
for your new destination.
Selecting country
1.Select "State / Province" or the displayed
country and press the controller.
The list of available countries appears on
the display.
2.Select the country of destination and press
the controller.
In order to be able to start the destination guid-
ance, at least the town/city of the destination or
its zip code must be entered.
Entering destination via town/city
name
1.Select "Town / City" or the displayed town/
city and press the controller.
2.Select the starting letter and press the con-
troller.
A list of all towns/cities starting with this let-
ter appears on the Control Display.
3.To delete the letter entered if necessary:
>Delete individual numbers or letters:
Move the controller toward the right to
select and press the controller.
>Delete all numbers or letters:
Move the controller toward the right to
select and press the controller
longer.

Destination entry
138 4.If necessary, enter more letters.
The list gradually grows smaller each time
you enter a new letter.
>Enter blank space if necessary:
Select the symbol and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to the third field from the top if nec-
essary. Turn the controller until the town/
c i t y n a m e i s s e le c t e d f ro m t he l is t a n d p r es s
the controller.
Entering destination via zip code
1.Select "Town / City" and press the control-
ler.
2.Enter the zip code:
Select the desired digits and press the con-
troller.>Enter a blank space:
Select the symbol and press the con-
troller.
>Delete individual numbers or letters:
Move the controller toward the right to
select and press the controller.
>Delete all numbers or letters:
Move the controller toward the right to
select and press the controller
longer.
3.Select the zip code and press the controller.
The corresponding destination is displayed.
4.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until the destination is
selected and press the controller.
Entering street, house number and
intersection
After the street you can also enter the intersec-
tion or the house number.
Entering street and intersection
1.Select "Street" or the displayed street and
press the controller.
2.Enter the street.
The street is entered exactly like the desti-
nation.
The intersection is entered in the same way as
the street.
Entering a street without entering a
town/city of destination
You can also enter a street without entering a
town/city of destination. In this case all streets
of the entered country are offered for selection.

Navigation
Driving tips
139Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
The related town/city is displayed after the
street name.
If a town/city has already been entered, you can
undo this entry. This may be practical if the
desired street does not exist in the entered des-
tination, because, for example, it belongs to
another part of the town/city.
1.Change to upper field.
The arrow is selected.
2.Turn the controller to the right until the
request for the entry of a street in the coun-
try appears and press the controller.
3.Change to the second field from the top and
enter the street.
Entering house number
All house numbers stored for the street on the
navigation DVD can be entered.
1.Select "House number" and press the con-
troller.
2.Enter the house number:
Select the desired digits and press the con-
troller.
3.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until the house number
is selected and press the controller.
Starting destination guidance with
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If the destination guidance does not need to
be started immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination
list, refer to page143.
Entering destination via
voice*
You can enter a desired destination with the
voice command system. When entering the
destination, it is possible to change between
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command system for this pur-
pose if necessary.
With {Options} you can have the possible
commands read aloud.<
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
2.{Enter address}

Destination entry
140
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of
destination.
Say the name of the country of destination in
the language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an
entire word.
Spelling destination
To enter the destination, spell it using the
orthography of the country of destination.
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal
volume, avoiding excessive emphasis and
pauses.
The system can suggest up to 20 destina-
tions that match your entries. Up to
6 entries are displayed at once on the Con-
trol Display.The town/city can also be selected from the list
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the destination is
selected and press the controller.
Entering the destination as an entire
word*
Towns/cities and streets located in the region
where the language of the voice command sys-
tem is spoken can be entered as an entire word.
Example: to enter a destination located in the
US as an entire word, the language of the sys-
tem must be English.
Speak smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding
excessive emphases and pauses.
1.Wait for the system to request the destina-
tion.
The system can suggest up to 6 destina-
tions that match your entries.
The town/city can also be selected from the list
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the destination is
selected and press the controller.
Destinations that sound the same which
cannot be differentiated by the system
are summarized in a separate list and shown as 2.Say the name of the country of destina-
tion.
1.Spell town/city name:
Say at least the first three letters of the
destination. The more letters you say,
the more exactly the system recognizes
the town/city.
A destination is suggested by the system.
2.Select city/town:
>Choose selected city/town: {Yes}
>Select other city/town: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>Display additional entries of the list:
{Next page}
>Spell the city/town again: {Repeat}
2.Say the name of the destination.
A destination is suggested by the system.
3.Select city/town:
>Choose selected city/town: {Yes}
>Select other city/town: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>Enter city/town again: {Repeat}
>Enter destination by spelling it:
{Spell}

Navigation
Driving tips
141Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
a destination followed by three dots.
Select this entry with {Yes} if necessary.
Then select the desired city/town in this list.<
Entering street and house number
The street is entered in the same way as the
destination.
To enter the house number:
Up to 4-digit house numbers can be entered.
Say the house number as individual numbers.
Starting destination guidance
Destination guidance starts immediately.
Saving destination
The destination is added to the destination list
or can be stored in the address book.
Selecting destination via map
If you only know the location of the town/city or
street of the destination, then you can enter the
destination by using a map. You can use the
cursor to select the destination on the map and
then apply it in the destination guidance.
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
"New destination" is selected.
2.Press the controller.3.Select "Input map" and press the controller.
A section of a map is displayed on the Con-
trol Display:
>During destination guidance, around the
current destination
>With the destination guidance deacti-
vated, around the last destination
entered
4.Select destination with cursor.
>Changing scale: turn the controller.
>Moving map: move the controller in the
corresponding direction.
The controller can be moved to the left,
right, forward and back.
5.To apply or store the destination in the des-
tination guidance, press the controller.
The selected destination and other menu
items are displayed.
6.Select the desired menu item:
>"Start route guidance" starts destination
guidance.
>"Show current position" places the cur-
rent position in the center of the map.
>"Show destination position" places the
current destination in the center of the
map. 1.{House number}
2.Say the house number.
{Start guidance}
{Add to destination list} or
{Add to address book}

Destination entry
144 >Delete all entries:
Select "Delete list". The destination
guidance is switched off.
>Change entry:
Select "Edit". For operation, refer to
Entering destination via town/city name,
page137.
3.Press the controller.
Address book
Opening address book
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
Select "Address book" and press the controller.
Storing destinations in address book
You can store approx. 100 destinations in the
address book.
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
2.Select "New address" and press the con-
troller.
3.Select "Enter address" and press the con-
troller.4.Enter name and address, also refer to
Entering a destination manually, page137.
5.Select "Store in address book" and press
the controller.
The entry is stored in the address book.
You can also store a destination from the desti-
nation list into the address book, refer to
page143.
Storing current position*
The current position can be applied in the
address book.
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
2.Change into the third field from the top.
Turn the controller until "New address" is
selected and press the controller.
3.Select "Use current location as address"
and press the controller.
The name given can be changed. For oper-
ation, refer to Entering a destination manu-
ally, page137.
4.Select "Store in address book" and press
the controller.
You can also apply your current position in the
address book if you have left the sector covered
by the navigation DVD. In this case, you must
enter a name.
Selecting destinations from address
book
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
The stored entries appear on the Control
Display.

Navigation
Driving tips
147Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Press the controller.
The route criterion is highlighted.
5.If necessary, select an additional route cri-
terion and then press the controller:
>"Dynamic route"
Automatic changing of the route in case
of traffic obstructions. Depending on
road type and the kind and extent of the
traffic obstruction, the route can also be
calculated so that you travel through the
traffic obstruction.
>"Avoid tollroads"
Tollroads are avoided where possible.
>"Avoid ferries"
Ferries are avoided where possible.
To exit the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
The route criteria can also be changed in the
arrow or map display.
1.Select the symbol for the route criterion and
press the controller.
2.Select a route criterion and press the con-
troller.
If the route criteria "Avoid highways",
"Avoid tollroads" or "Avoid ferries" are
selected, the calculation time for the route can
increase considerably. The system supports the word matching princi-
ple to make it easier for you to enter the names
of streets or towns/cities. The system runs
ongoing checks, comparing your destination
entries with the data stored on the navigation
DVD as the basis for instant response. The user
benefits include:
>Names of specific locations can also vary
from the official versions if you are using a
spelling that is customary in another coun-
try.
Example:
Instead of "München", you can also enter
the English spelling "Munich" or the Italian
spelling "Monaco".
>When you are entering the names of towns/
cities and streets the system will complete
them automatically as soon as enough let-
ters are available to ensure unambiguous
identification.
>The system only accepts name entries
beginning with letters that are stored on the
navigation DVD. The system will not accept
non existent names and addresses.

Destination guidance
150 To exit the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
Displaying map view
You can have your current position displayed on
a map. After starting the destination guidance,
the planned route is shown on the map.
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the fourth field from the top.
Turn the controller until the desired map
view is selected:
>"Map facing north"
>"Map direction of travel"
>"Perspective"
3.Press the controller.
1Switching voice instructions on/off
2Starting/ending destination guidance
3Selecting destination via map
4Displaying the menu in which the informa-
tion last selected can be displayed/hidden,
refer to Selecting destination using infor-
mation, page1425Changing map display
> "Map facing north"
> "Map direction of travel"
> "Perspective"
6Changing route criteria
7Manually displaying traffic information
*
8Arrow to destination from a bird's eye view
The estimated time of arrival and the distance
to the destination are shown in the bottom line
of the Control Display.
To exit from the menu:
Select the arrow and press the controller.
At scales of less than 250 miles/500 km, you
have the option of deciding whether to orient
the map to north, toward your current direction
of travel, or show the map in perspective. At
scales of 250 miles/500 km or greater, the map
always points toward north.
Changing map display

Select the corresponding symbol and press the
controller.
The next map display is displayed.
Changing scale
Turn the controller to change the scale.
Displaying roads and towns/cities of
route
You can have the roads and towns/cities along
the route displayed during destination guid-
ance.
The distances remaining to be traveled on each
individual route are also displayed.