2000 BMW X5 4.4I light

48n
For maximum safety when adjusting the
seat position, please observe the fol-
lowing:
Never try to adjust your seat while
driving the vehicle. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement,
and the ensuing loss of vehicle control
could lead to an accident.
Be sure that the safety belt remains
firmly against your body at all times. In
the event of a frontal impact, a loose lap
belt could slide over your hips, leading
to abdominal injury. In addition, the
safety belt's restraint effectiveness is
reduced if the belt is worn loosely.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to
an extreme angle (especially important
for the front passenger to remember).
If you do so, there is a risk that you will
slide under the safety belt in an acci-
dent, thus reducing the protection
provided by the safety belt.<
Correct sitting posture

To reduce strain on the spinal column,
sit all the way back in the seat and rest
your back fully against the backrest.
The ideal sitting posture is achieved
with your head extending from your
spine in a straight line.
For long-distance driving, you may wish
to angle the backrest slightly to reduce
muscular tension. You should be able
to reach the highest point on the steer-
ing wheel without straightening your
arms.
1 Tilt angle (driver's seat only)
2 Backward/Forward adjustment
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Adjust the head restraint manually.
Comply with the adjustment in-
structions in the preceding col-
umn. Failure to do so could result in
diminished personal safety.<
Lumbar support
*
Refer to the BMW comfort seat on
page 49. 530us024
Seat adjustment Power seats

50n
BMW comfort seat
*
BMW sports seat
*
>Press the front/rear of the switch:
Increase/Decrease curvature.
>Press the upper/lower end of the
switch:
Increase the upper/lower curvature. 2 Shoulder support Move the rocker switch in the direction
of the arrow to adjust the tilt angle of
the shoulder support.
You can use the adjustable upper back-
rest for supplementary support in the
shoulder region. This provides a re-
laxed driving position and helps relieve
stress on the shoulder muscles. 530us026
To obtain the optimal shoulder support
position, we recommend:
Driver and front passenger:
1 Adjust the upper backrest section
to its extreme rear position.
2 Adjust for the optimal seating posture
as described on page 48.
3 Bring the upper backrest section for-
ward until your shoulders enjoy firm
support.
Front passenger's seat adjusted for
relaxed traveling:
1 Adjust the upper backrest section to
its extreme rear position.
2 Increase the seat cushion tilt.
3 Tilt the backrest slightly further.
4 Bring the upper backrest section
forward.
Make corrections in the forward/
backward adjustment of the seat
to ensure that the safety belt still fits
firmly against your body. If you do not
do this, the protection provided by the
safety belt may be reduced.< 3 Head restraint height Move the switch in the desired direc-
tion.
Thigh support Pull the lever and adjust the position
of the thigh support for your personal
comfort. 530us053

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.

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
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.

70n
Washer/Wiper system 1 Intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
*
Intermittent wipe:
You can set the wipe interval to four
stages with rotary dial 7.
In addition, the wipe interval is varied
automatically depending on road
speed.
Rain sensor:
When the rain sensor is activated, the
windshield wiper is controlled automati-
cally, depending on the degree of wet-
ness of the windshield (in both snow
and rain). You do not have to be con-
cerned with switching the windshield
wiper on or off or adjusting the wipe
interval between intermittent and full
wipe. Instead, you can concentrate fully
on the traffic conditions. This is espe-
cially important under adverse weather
conditions.
The rain sensor is positioned on the
windshield, directly in front of the inte-
rior rearview mirror.
To activate the rain sensor:
Move the lever to position 1 with the
ignition key in position 1 or higher. The
wipers travel once across the wind-
shield, regardless of the weather condi-
tions. You can leave the lever permanently in
position 1. It is then only necessary to
activate the rain sensor from ignition
key position 1 and up. To do this,
>turn rotary dial 7 briefly or
>clean the windshield 5 or use the
special wash program 6.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain
sensor:
Turn rotary dial 7.
Turn the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. If you do not,
damage may occur if the wipers switch
on unintentionally.<
2 Normal wiper speed The system switches automatically to
intermittent operation when the vehicle
is not moving (not on vehicles with the
rain sensor
*).
3 Fast wiper speed The wipers operate at normal speed
when the vehicle is not moving (not on
vehicles with the rain sensor
*).
5 Clean the windshield The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
If you pull the lever only briefly, the sys-
tem sprays washer fluid onto the wind-
shield without activating the wipers. 6 Special wash program
*
As at 5; there are also several additional
wash cycles, and the headlamps are
cleaned
*.
This program is recommended after you
have driven on extremely dirty roads.
Headlamp washers
*
>With the Special wash program 6
>With every fifth actuation of Clean
windshield 5 when the vehicle's
lighting is switched on.
Do not use the washers if there is
any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield. If you do so,
your vision could be obscured. For this
reason, use an antifreeze agent. Refer
to page 136.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty. This could cause damage
to the washer pump.< Windshield washer jets The windshield washer jets are warmed
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
71n
Washer/Wiper system Rear window defroster Rear window wiper 0 Retracted (home) position of the rear
window wiper.
1 Rear window wiper in intermittent
operation. When "Reverse" is se-
lected, continuous operation is
switched on automatically.
2 Clean the rear window.
You can also program the interval:
>Switch briefly from position 0 to posi-
tion 1.
>The time until reactivation (from posi-
tion 0 to 1) is the programmed inter-
val (max. 30 seconds). 530us045
Programming is deleted:
>Approx. 10 seconds after the lever is
placed in position 0 or
>after the engine is switched off.
For changing the wiper blade, refer to
page 154.
To activate Press the button: as long as the indica-
tor lamp remains on, the rear window
defroster continues at high-output
(rapid thaw).
After the indicator lamp goes out, the
defroster continues operating at re-
duced power for a limited period before
deactivating automatically. To deactivate Press the button if the indicator lamp
lights up. 530us046