2000 BMW X5 4.4I steering

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.

72n
Cruise control You can store and automatically main-
tain any desired vehicle speed above
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h). To activate the system In ignition key position 1 or 2:
Press button 4, the indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on. You can
now use the cruise control.
For the arrangement of the buttons in
the Sports steering wheel
*: refer to
page 27.
390de058
To store and maintain speed or to
accelerate Press button 1 briefly:
The system registers and maintains the
current vehicle speed. Every time you
briefly touch the button, the speed in-
creases by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button 1:
The vehicle accelerates without pres-
sure on the accelerator pedal. When
you release the button, the system reg-
isters and maintains the current speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the
engine's braking effect is not suffi-
cient, the controlled speed can be
exceeded. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insuffi-
cient.<
To decelerate Press button 2 briefly:
When cruise control is active, every
briefly touch of the button reduces the
speed by approx. 0.6 mph (1 km/h).
Press and hold button 2:
With the cruise control active, the sys-
tem automatically reduces the throttle
opening to slow the vehicle. When you
release the button, the system registers
and maintains the current speed.

80n
Onboard computer Mode selection From ignition key position 1 and up, you
can call up information from the
onboard computer using the button in
the turn signal lever. By pressing the
button briefly in the direction of the
steering column, you can call up a new
function for display.
The displays appear in the following
order: outside temperature, average
fuel consumption, cruising range,
average speed.
Starting with ignition key position 1, the
last active setting is displayed.
The range of available displays varies
according to your individual vehicle's
equipment. 530us047
Outside temperature and average
fuel consumption You can change the units of measure-
ment (6/7) for the outside tempera-
ture display by
1 pressing and holding the trip odome-
ter reset button (in ignition key posi-
tion 1).
2 and then turning the ignition key to 0.
Refer also to page 74. 390us126
Operating range and average
speed The computer bases its calculations of
the cruising range on the previous driv-
ing style and conditions.
This computer ignores any time spent
when the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is not running in its average
speed calculations. 390us125

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
83n
PDC
*
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
The PDC system does not remove
the driver's personal responsibility
for evaluating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstacles. Even when
sensors are involved, there is a blind
spot in which objects cannot be de-
tected. This applies especially in those
cases where the system approaches
the physical constraints of ultrasonic
measurement, as occurs with tow bars
and trailer couplings, and in the vicinity
of thin and painted objects.
Certain sources of sound, such as a
loud radio, could drown out the PDC
signal tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free
of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they continue to operate effectively.
Do not apply high pressure spray to the
sensors for a prolonged period of time.
Maintain an adequate distance of more
than 4 inches (10 cm).<
The concept DSC maintains vehicle stability, even in
critical driving situations.
The system optimizes vehicle stability
during acceleration and when starting
from a full stop, as well as optimizing
traction. In addition, the system recog-
nizes unstable vehicle conditions (un-
dersteering or oversteering, for exam-
ple) and helps to keep the vehicle on a
sure course by intervening via the en-
gine and by braking intervention at the
individual wheels.
The system starts up automatically
each time you start the engine. Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out shortly
after you switch on the ignition.
Refer to page 24.
Indicator lamp ßashes:
The system is active and governs drive
force and braking force.
If the indicator lamp fails to go out after
the engine is started, or comes on dur-
ing normal driving and stays on:
There is a system malfunction or the
system was deactivated with the but-
ton. You can continue to drive the vehi-
cle normally, but without DSC. Consult
your authorized BMW center to have
the system repaired.
To deactivate the system Press the button (arrow); the indicator
lamp comes on and stays on.
Traction intervention remains active;
that is, braking intervention will con-
tinue. Refer also to Four-wheel drive on
page 177.
In the following exceptional circum-
stances, it may be effective to deacti-
vate the DSC for a short period:
>when rocking the vehicle or starting
off in deep snow or on loose
surfaces.
>on sandy road surfaces.
>on poor surfaces with deep ruts.
>if the wheels "churn" on muddy
surfaces.
>or when driving with snow chains. 530us048

IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
93n
Automatic climate control Air supply
In the "AUTO" program,
the air flow is controlled
automatically. AUTO will appear in the
display 9 (refer to the overview on
page 90). Use "+" and "-" to vary the air
flow. When your setting is displayed by
bars, the automatic air flow is switched
off. Automatic air distribution maintains
its setting. You can reactivate the auto-
matic air supply by pressing the
"AUTO" button.
When you press "Ð " during operation at
minimum blower speed all displays are
canceled: the blower, heating and air
conditioner are switched off. The out-
side air supply is closed. You can
switch the system back on by pressing
any button of the automatic climate
control (except the REST button 16).
To defrost the windshield and
door windows
This program quickly re-
moves ice and condensa-
tion from the windshield and the side
windows.
Air conditioner
The air is cooled and de-
humidified and Ñ depend-
ing on the temperature setting Ñ
warmed again when the air conditioner
system is switched on. Depending on
the weather, the windshield may fog
over briefly when the engine is started.
Use the button to switch the air condi-
tioner off at outside temperatures be-
low approx. 41 7(5 6). This will help
to prevent the windows from fogging
up.
If the windows fog over after switching
the air conditioner off, switch it back
on.
Condensation forms in the air
conditioner system during opera-
tion, which then exits under the vehicle.
Traces of condensed water of this kind
are thus normal.<
Automatic recirculated air
control (AUC)
If there are unpleasant
odors or pollutants in the
outside air, you can temporarily block
the air flow from the outside. The sys-
tem then recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle.
Press the button repeatedly to run
through the following control sequence:
>Indicator lamps off: outside air flow
operational.
>Left-hand indicator lamp on Ð AUC
mode: the system recognizes pollut-
ants in the outside air and blocks the
flow of air when necessary. The sys-
tem then recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle.
Depending on the air quality, the
automatic system then switches back
and forth between outside air supply
and recirculation of the air within the
vehicle.
>Right-hand indicator lamp on: the
flow of external air into the vehicle is
completely blocked. The system then
recirculates the air currently within
the vehicle.
If you have a multifunction steering
wheel with the button for recirculated
air (refer to page 26), you can also use
this button to switch between "Off" and
the recirculated air mode or AUC and
the recirculated air mode.

96n
Seat heating
*
Steering wheel heating
*
Front The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated when the ignition key is in posi-
tion 2.
You can call up different heating modes
by repeatedly pressing the keys.
When the three indicator lamps are illu-
minated, the highest heating mode is
activated. One lamp indicates the low-
est heating mode. The temperature is
regulated with a thermostat in each
mode.
You can also switch the higher heating
modes off directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer. 530us064
Rear The function is the same as for front
seat heating. You can select between
two heating modes. 530us065
Steering wheel heating functions in
ignition key position 2.
Press the button (arrow) to activate or
deactivate this system.
The lamp within the button lights up
when the steering wheel heater is in
operation.
If you have a multifunction steering
wheel without steering wheel heating,
the button for the recirculated air mode
is in this location (refer to page 26). 390de014