2000 BMW X5 4.4I ignition

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
53n
Mirrors Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind
you when you are driving at night, tilt
the mirror by turning the button. Lighted vanity mirror Fold down the sun visor and slide the
cover panel to the side as required.
The mirror lamps operate from ignition
key position 1 and up. Sun visors These can be folded down toward the
windshield or swiveled out against the
side windows. 530us030
Interior and exterior rearview
mirror with automatic dimmer
*
By responding to the effects of ambient
light and the glare from following traffic,
these mirrors automatically dim through
an infinitely-variable range.
The mirrors automatically revert to their
clear, undimmed setting whenever you
select "Reverse."
To ensure that the mirrors continue to
operate properly, keep the two photo-
cells on the interior mirror clean and un-
obstructed. One photocell (arrow) is in
the mirror glass, while the other is offset
somewhat on the opposite side of the
mirror. 530us031
For an explanation of the electro-chro-
mic technology used in these mirrors,
refer to page 179.

54n
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory You can store and call up three different
seat, exterior mirror and steering wheel
positions. The illustration shows the
buttons on the seat for making these
position adjustments.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is
not stored in the memory. To store 1 Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2.
2 Adjust the desired positions for the
seat, door mirror and steering wheel.
3 Press the MEMORY button: the indi-
cator lamp in the button comes on.
4 Press memory button 1, 2 or 3, as
desired: the indicator lamp goes out. 530us032
To select a stored settingConvenience function:
1 Open the driver's door after unlock-
ing the vehicle or place the ignition
key in position 1.
2 Briefly press memory button 1, 2 or 3,
as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or mem-
ory buttons is activated during the
adjustment process.
Security function:
1 With the driver's door closed and the
ignition key either removed or in posi-
tion 0 or 2.
2 Maintain pressure on the desired
memory button (1, 2 or 3) until the ad-
justment process is completed.
If you press the MEMORY button acci-
dentally: press the button a second
time Ñ the indicator lamp goes out.
Do not call up a position from the
memory while the vehicle is mov-
ing. There is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement of the seat or
steering wheel.<
Passenger side exterior mirror tilt
function(automatic curb monitor)
1 Move the mirror selector switch (ar-
row) to the "driver's mirror" position.
2 When the selector lever is placed in
"Reverse," the passenger-side mirror
tilts downward to help the driver
monitor the area directly adjacent to
the vehicle during parking (curbs,
etc.).
You can deactivate this automatic fea-
ture by setting the mirror selection
switch to the "passenger side" position.530us033

58n
Airbags Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp displays the
operational status of the airbag
system from ignition key posi-
tion 1 and up.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
then goes out.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp fails to come on.
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly
before going out and then lighting up
again.
A system malfunction could prevent the
system from responding to an impact
occurring within its normal response
range.
Please have your authorized BMW cen-
ter inspect and repair the system as
soon as possible.
Sitting correctly with airbags
For your safety, comply with the
following instructions for the air-
bags. If you do not, the airbags may not
be able to provide their maximum pro-
tection. All passengers in the vehicle
should be aware of and comply with
this information:
The airbags are supplemental restraint
devices designed to provide extra pro-
tection; they are not a substitute for
safety belts. Wear your safety belt at all
times. The airbags will not be triggered
in the event of a minor accident, a vehi-
cle roll-over, or collisions from the rear.
In these instances, the safety belt pro-
vides optimal protection.
Airbags are located under cover panels
in the steering wheel, in the dashboard,
in the side trim panels in the front and
rear*, and in the windshield pillars and
the sides of the headliner.
Adjust your seat to a position that pro-
vides maximum distance between you
and the steering wheel, the instrument
panel and the door while still allowing
comfortable and safe access to all
vehicle controls.
To avoid sustaining hand and arm inju-
ries, always grasp the steering wheel
on
the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions. Do not place your
hands on the center pad.
Never allow any objects to obstruct the
area between the airbag and an occu-
pant.
Do not use the cover panel above the
passenger-side airbag as a storage
area.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them
or modify them in any other way.
Do not install a rear-facing child re-
straint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Children under 13 years of age and
children less than 5 feet (150 cm) tall
should ride only in the rear seat.
Infants or small children should never
be held on the lap of a passenger.
If your vehicle is equipped with side air-
bags in the rear passenger area, be
sure that child restraints are mounted
correctly and provided with the great-
est-possible distance between the air-
bags in the side trim panels. Do not al-
low children to lean out of the child's
seat in the direction of the side trim
panels. If they do so, serious injuries
can occur if the airbag is triggered.<

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
59n
Airbags
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appropri-
ate child restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts).
Never let an occupant's head rest near
or on a side airbag because the inflating
airbag could cause a serious or fatal in-
jury. Please note that the word "Airbag"
imprinted on the door trim panel indi-
cates the airbag's location.
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in an automobile
is in the rear seat. However, a child sit-
ting in the rear seat and not properly re-
strained may place his or her head on
or near the airbag, if so equipped. For
example, a child Ñ even though belted
Ñ may fall asleep with his or her head
against the side airbag. It may be diffi-
cult for a driver to ensure that children
in the rear seat will remain properly po-
sitioned at all times and not place their
heads on or near the side airbag.
Therefore, we recommend that the rear
seat side airbags, if so equipped, be
deactivated if children will travel in the
rear seat.
The rear seat side airbags may already
have been deactivated, either at the
time of manufacture or by a
BMW center. Labels in the rear door
opening should indicate the status of
your rear seat side airbags. If you are
uncertain of their status, or wish to have
the airbags activated or deactivated,
please contact your BMW center.<
Even when all these guidelines are ob-
served, there is still a small residual risk
of injuries to the face, hands and arms
occurring from airbag deployment in
isolated instances. The ignition and
inflation noise may provoke a mild
temporary hearing loss in extremely
sensitive individuals.
Airbag warning information is also pro-
vided on the sun visors.
For additional information concerning
the airbag system, refer to page 148
and 176. This is the right way for a child to sit in a
child restraint when rear side airbags
(arrow) are provided.
380de637

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
63n
0 Steering lock engaged The key can only be inserted and
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
An acoustic warning is sounded when
you fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
Do not move the selector lever
from the "Park" position until the
engine is running (ignition key in posi-
tion 2).
In order to turn the key to position 0 or
to remove it, first move the selector
lever to the "Park" position (Interlock).< 390de010
1 Steering lock disengaged You will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.2 Ignition on All electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use. 3 Starting the engine
Steering/Ignition lock

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
65n
Switching off the engine Parking brake Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Never remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is rolling. If you
did so, the ignition lock would engage
when the steering wheel is turned.
Always remove the ignition key and en-
gage the steering lock before leaving
the vehicle.
Always engage the parking brake and
place the selector lever in "Park" when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces.<
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in "Park" before you can
remove the ignition key.
To engage The lever engages automatically and
the "PARK BRAKE" or "BRAKE" (in
Canada "P") indicator lamp comes on in
the instrument cluster in ignition key
position 2. Refer to pages 22 and 23. To release Pull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
The parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels. 530us039
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply mod-
erate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied.
Always engage the parking brake and
place the selector lever in "Park" when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces.<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill (at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance), provided that it is safe
to do so.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
67n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
If you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to the "Park" or "Neutral" position
and apply the parking brake. If you fail
to do this, the vehicle could move.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
P Ñ Park Select "Park" only when the vehicle is
completely stopped. The transmission
locks to prevent the rear wheels from
turning. R Ñ Reverse Select "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is completely stopped.
When you select "Reverse", the backup
lamps will turn on automatically when
the ignition key is in position 2. N Ñ Neutral Select "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a longer period.
D Ñ Drive
(automatic shift program) This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available. "Kickdown" In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.
M/S Manual mode and
Sport Program When you change from D to M/S, the
Sport Program is activated. This is indi-
cated by "D S" in the gear selection
display. The Sport Program is designed
for performance-oriented driving.
With the first brief touch, the automatic
transmission shifts from the Sport Pro-
gram to the manual mode. When you
move the selector lever forward in the
"+" direction, the transmission shifts up.
When the lever is moved back in the "Ð"
direction, the transmission shifts down.
Depending on the equipment version,
1 to 5 or M1 to M5 is indicated in the
transmission range display.
Upshifts or downshifts will only be
carried out by the ATC at appropriate
engine speeds and road speeds. If the 530us042

68n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic engine speed is too high, for instance,
the downshift will not be executed. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the
current gear.
If you are driving in the manual
mode and wish to accelerate rap-
idly Ð to pass another vehicle, for exam-
ple Ð shift down manually or with the
kickdown function.<
You can only change from M/S to se-
lector lever positions "P," "R" and "N"
via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts
automatically to the next higher gear
shortly before the RPM cutoff point.
>At low speeds, the transmission
shifts down automatically Ð you do
not have to act.
>In the "Kickdown" mode, the trans-
mission shifts down to the lowest
possible gear based on the engine
speed.
>Depending on the situation Ð when
driving in adverse winter conditions,
for example Ð you may also start out
in 2nd or 3rd gear.
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or the message "TRANS.FAIL-
SAFE PROG" appears in the
Check Control
*, there is a fault in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to "P." Set
the parking brake and turn the engine
off (ignition key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the en-
gine.
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.
If this should occur, avoid extreme en-
gine loads and consult the nearest au-
thorized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
Information on jump-starting, tow-start-
ing and towing begins on page 170.