wheel BMW X6 2008 Owner's Guide

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1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires as provided at the factory,
refer to page237, do not continue driving.
Continuing to drive with a flat tire could
cause severe accidents.<
2.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guide values:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, cargo bay full, or
4 persons without luggage:
approx. 95 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo bay full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive cautiously and do not exceed
speeds of 50 mph/80 km/h or else you
run the risk of causing an accident. In the event
of pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur while
the vehicle is being driven, this can indicate final
failure of the damaged tire. Reduce speed and
stop at a suitable location as soon as possible,
otherwise pieces of the tire could become
detached and cause an accident. Do not con-
tinue driving, but instead contact the BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center.<
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction:
Have the system checked
>If a wheel without TPM electronics is
mounted, e.g. a compact wheel
*
>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency
Explanation according to the NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire, including the spare*, should be
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the
inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires. As an added safety fea-
ture, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system, TPMS, that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires are significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signif-
icantly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure. Underinflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop-
ping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver's responsibility to maintain correct
tire pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence will
continue upon subsequent vehicle startups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the mal-

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
94 function indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may
occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering actively varies the steering
angle of the front wheels in relation to the steer-
ing wheel movements. In addition, it also varies
the steering force required for steering depend-
ing on the vehicle's speed.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e. g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct. In the higher speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced more
and more. This improves the handling capability
of your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow
and a message is shown on the Con-
trol Display. The active steering is no
longer operational. At low speeds,
greater steering wheel movements are
required, whereas at higher speeds, the vehicle
reacts more sensitively to steering wheel move-
ments. The stability-promoting intervention
can also be deactivated. Proceed cautiously
and drive defensively. Have the system
checked.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.

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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head-level airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in backrests
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page42.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e. g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
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 air-
bag system. This category includes the uphol-
stery in the center of the steering wheel, on the
instrument panel, the doors and the roof pillars
along with the sides of the headliner. Do not
attempt to remove or dismantle the steering
wheel. Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been trig-gered, because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel and has
the required explosives licenses. Otherwise
unprofessional attempts to service the system
could lead to failure in an emergency or undes-
ired airbag triggering, either of which could
result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The front and
side airbags on the front passenger side are
activated or deactivated accordingly by the sys-
tem.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page53.
When teenagers and adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front and side
airbags to deactivate. The indicator lamp for the

Controls
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Head-Up Display*
The concept
With the Head-Up Display important informa-
tion is projected into the driver's field of view,
e.g. navigation instructions. This enables you to
take in this information without looking away
from the road.
Switching on/off
Press the button.
1Navigation information or Check Control
messages
2Cruise control
3Speed
Selecting displays
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.
6.Change into the second field from the top.
Turn the controller until "Head-Up Display"
is selected and press the controller.
7.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
8.Press the controller.
The information is shown on the Head-
Up Display.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Adjusting brightness and height of
display
The brightness of the display is automatically
adapted to the ambient lighting conditions.
However, you can change the base setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.

Lamps
102
Instrument lighting
You can control the lighting intensity by using
the knurled wheel.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, footwell lamps*, door entry
lighting
*, cargo bay lamps, and the courtesy
lamps
* are controlled automatically.
With the courtesy lamps, LED lights are located
in the door handles to illuminate the exterior
area before the doors.
To protect the battery, all lamps in the
vehicle are switched off approx. 15 min-
utes after radio readiness is switched off, refer
to Start/Stop button on page56.<
Switching interior lamps on and off
manually
Press the button.
If you wish the interior lamps, footwell lamps,
door entry lighting and courtesy lamps to
remain switched off all the time, press the but-
ton for approx. 3 seconds.
Reading lamps
Reading lamps are provided in the front and
rear
* adjacent to the interior lamps. Press the
button to switch the lamps on and off.

Controls
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By pressing the button repeatedly, you can
request three operating modes:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left LED on, AUC mode: the system
detects pollutants in the outside air and
shuts off the supply as needed.
>Right LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air is permanently shut off.
Should the windows fog up in the recircu-
lated-air mode, press the AUTO button or
switch off the recirculated-air mode and
increase the air volume if necessary.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
without interruption over an extended period of
time, as the air quality inside the vehicle deteri-
orates continuously.<
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is used to heat the
passenger compartment, e.g. while stopped at
a school to pick up a child.
Switching on
Pressing the right side switches on
the residual heat utilization when
the following conditions are met:
>up to 15 minutes after switching off the
engine
>with the engine at operating temperature
>with sufficient battery voltage
>at an outside temperature below 777/
256
REST appears on the display of the automatic
climate control when the residual heat utiliza-
tion is switched on.
From radio readiness the interior temperature,
the air volume and the air distribution can be
set.
Switching off
You can select the lowest blower speed by
pressing and holding the left side. Pressing
again switches off the residual heat utilization.
REST disappears from the display of the auto-
matic climate control.
Switching automatic climate control on
and off
You can select the lowest blower
speed by pressing and holding the
left side. Pressing again switches
off the automatic climate control.
You switch on the system again by pressing any
button of the automatic climate control.
Front ventilation
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Lever to change the air vent direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the
air vents, otherwise these could be cata-
pulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the air vents to direct the flow of cool air
in your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the air vents so that the air flows past you
and is not directed straight at you.

Climate
108
Ventilation in rear
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Knurled wheel for adjusting the tempera-
ture in the upper body region:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Lever to change the air vent direction
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. This com-
bined filter is changed during maintenance by
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
You can select a display of more detailed infor-
mation on the Control Display, refer to page72.
Rear automatic climate
control*
The control unit of the rear automatic climate
control is located in the center console in the
rear.1Temperature, left rear seating area
2AUTO program
3Display
4Temperature, right rear seating area
5Seat heating, right rear seat
6Air volume, manual
7Seat heating, left rear seat
The current setting for the temperature and the
air volume is shown on display3.
Activating rear automatic climate
control
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
3.Select "Rear climate control" and press the
controller.
4.Select the desired settings and press the
controller.
The rear automatic climate control is
activated and the settings of the automatic
climate control on the driver's side can be
applied if necessary.

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The rear automatic climate control is not
ready for operation if the automatic cli-
mate control is switched off. When activating
the function of the automatic climate control for
defrosting the windows and removing conden-
sation, the rear automatic climate control is also
not ready for operation.<
AUTO program
The AUTO program assumes the
adjustment of the air distribution
toward the upper body and in the
footwell, as well as the air volume
for you. It also adapts your instruc-
tions for the temperature to outside influences
throughout the year.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature indi-
vidually on the left and right side.
The rear automatic climate control
adjusts this temperature as quickly
as possible at any time of year, if necessary with
the maximum cooling or heating capacity, and
then keeps it constant.
When switching between different tem-
perature settings in rapid succession, the
rear automatic climate control does not have
sufficient time to adjust the set temperature.<
Air volume, manual
You can vary the air volume by
pressing on the corresponding
side. You can reactivate the auto-
matic mode for the air volume with the AUTO
button.
Switching off rear automatic climate
control
You can select the lowest blower
speed by pressing and holding the
left side. Pressing again switches
off the rear automatic climate control.The rear automatic climate control can
also be switched off with iDrive. To switch
on the rear automatic climate control again, the
system must first be reactivated, refer to Acti-
vating rear automatic climate control.<
You switch on the system again by pressing any
button of the rear automatic climate control.
Ventilation in rear
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Knurled wheels to adjust temperature in
upper body region; can be adjusted sepa-
rately for left and right:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Lever to change the air vent direction
Parked car ventilation*
The concept
The parked car ventilation blows air into the
passenger compartment to lower interior tem-
peratures.
It is ready to use in the parked car mode at any
outside temperature.
You can set two different times for the system
to start. The parked car ventilation can also be
switched on and off directly. It remains
switched on for 30 minutes.
Since the system uses a substantial amount of
electrical current, you should refrain from acti-
vating it twice in succession without allowing
the battery to be recharged in normal operation
between use.

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.

Driving tips
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>If you want to drive on very steep uphill or
downhill gradients, make sure beforehand
that the engine oil and coolant levels are
near the MAX mark, refer to page240.
>On very steep downhill slopes, use Hill
Descent Control HDC, refer to page87.
>While driving, watch carefully for obstacles
such as rocks or holes. Try to avoid these
obstacles whenever possible.
>Please make sure that the undercarriage
does not touch the ground, for example on
crests and bumpy roads. The ground clear-
ance of the vehicle is a maximum of approx.
8 in/20 cm. Please note that the ground
clearance can vary depending on loading
and the driving conditions of the vehicle.
>Only drive through water on roads up to a
maximum depth of 18 in/45 cm and only at
walking speed, making sure not to stop in
the process.
>After driving through water at low speed,
lightly press the brake pedal several times
to dry the brakes and to prevent the braking
effect from being reduced by wetness.
>Depending on the condition of the surface,
it may be practical to briefly activate DTC,
refer to DTC Dynamic Traction Control on
page86.
>If the drive wheels spin on one side, depress
the accelerator pedal sufficiently so that the
driving stability control systems can distrib-
ute the drive forces to the individual wheels.
Please note the following points after driving on
poor roads to maintain the driving safety of your
BMW:
>Clean the coarsest dirt from the body.
>Clean mud, snow, ice etc. from the wheels
and tires and check the tires for damage.