Page 71 of 223

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
71nWasher/Wiper system
0 Wipers retracted
1 Intermittent mode or rain sensor
*
2 Normal wipe
3 Fast wipe
4 Brief wipe
5 Clean the windshield
6 Special wash program
*
7 Rotary dial for control of the wipe interval or the sensitivity of the rain
sensor
*
530us044
0 Wipers retracted (home position)
The left wiper is partially concealed by
the hood. In order to bring the wipers to
roughly a vertical position (this is impor-
tant for changing the wiper blades or to
fold the wipers out during frosty
weather, for example):
> With the lever in position 1, switch off
the ignition as soon as the wipers
come to a stop.
If equipped with a rain sensor
*:
1 Switch on the wipers with the lever in position 1, 2 or 4.
2 When the wipers are approx. vertical, switch the ignition off.
For changing the wiper blades, refer to
page 174.
Fold the wipers back down onto
the windshield before you turn the
ignition key to position 1 or 2 again. If
you do not, they could be damaged. <
1 Intermittent mode 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
wetness of the windshield (in both snow
and rain). You do not have to be
concerned with switching the wind-
shield 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
especially 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
conditions.
Page 73 of 223

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
73nWasher/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 gear is
engaged, 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
interval (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 174.
To activate
Press the button: as long as the indi-
cator lamp remains on, the rear window
defroster continues at high-output
(rapid thaw).
After the indicator lamp goes out, the
defroster continues operating at
reduced power for a limited period
before deactivating automatically.
Vehicles with air conditioner:
Refer to page 100 for the location of the
button.
To deactivate
Press the button if the indicator lamp
lights up.
530us046
Page 75 of 223

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Data
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Car care
Controls
Overview
75nCruise control
To cancel the cruise control
When the system is activated, press
button 1. The indicator lamp stays on.
You can use the cruise control again as
required.
In addition, the system is also automati-
cally deactivated in response to the
following conditions:
>When you apply pressure to the
brake pedal.
> When you apply pressure to the
clutch pedal or when you move the
automatic transmission selector lever
from "Drive" to "Neutral."
> If you exceed or fall below the
programmed speed for an extended
period (by depressing the acceler-
ator, for example).
390de332
To resume the stored setting
Press button 4:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored. When you
turn the ignition key to position 0, the
stored speed is deleted and the system
is deactivated.
To deactivate the system
When the cruise control has been
canceled, press button 1 again. The
indicator lamp goes off and the stored
speed is deleted.
Page 77 of 223

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
77nTachometer Energy control Fuel gauge
Do not operate the engine with the
needle in the red overspeed zone of the
gauge.
To protect the engine, the engine
management system automatically
interrupts the fuel supply in this range;
the resulting effect resembles that
associated with a sudden loss of
power.
390us004
Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in liters/100 km on Canadian
vehicles). This allows you to see
whether your current driving style is
conducive to fuel economy with
minimum exhaust emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the
display goes to "Maximum" (zero on
Canadian models).
390us005
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
If the indicator lamp comes on and
stays on, there are approx.
>2.0 gallons (8 liters) – BMW X5 3.0i
> 2.5 gallons (10 liters) – BMW X5 4.4i
of fuel still in the tank.
Tank capacity: refer to page 209.
Certain operating conditions (such as
those encountered in mountainous
areas) may cause the needle to fluc-
tuate slightly.
Please refuel early, as driving to
the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter. <
390us006
Page 94 of 223

94n
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
detected. 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 in (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, it recognizes
unstable vehicle conditions, such as
understeering or oversteering, and, as
far as is possible within the laws of
physics, keeps the car on a steady
course by adapting the RPMs and
brake applications to 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 flashes:
The system is active and governs drive
and braking force.
If the indicator lamp fails to go out after
the engine is started, or comes on
during normal driving and stays on:
The system is either defective or was
switched off with the button: the stabi-
lizing applications described to the left
are no longer available. The vehicle will
remain completely operational,
however, without DSC.
Consult your BMW center to have the
system repaired.
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IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
95n
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Hill Descent Control
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
continue. Refer also to "Four-wheel
drive" on page 197.
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.
>When driving with snow chains. 530us048
As a result of the traction interven-
tion, the brakes may be subjected
to additional loads when the system is
deactivated. For this reason, it is
possible that the braking intervention
will be disabled automatically for a brief
period in order to limit brake tempera-
ture.
To maintain vehicle stability, always
drive with the system switched on when
possible.<
To reactivate the systemPress the button again; the indicator
lamp goes out.
The laws of physics cannot be
repealed, even with DSC. An
appropriate driving style always
remains the responsibility of the driver.
We therefore urge you to avoid using
the additional safety margin of the
system as an excuse for taking risks.
Do not make any modifications to the
DSC system. Service procedures on
the system are to be performed by
authorized technicians only.<
For additional details concerning DSC,
please refer to the chapter describing
"Advanced technology" on page 197.
The concept HDC is a system for driving downhill in
steep terrain. This system reduces
vehicle speed on steep downhill gradi-
ents, thus allowing you to maintain
control of your BMW under these
conditions.
The vehicle moves at slightly more than
walking speed without active interven-
tion from the driver.
You can activate HDC below approx.
20 mph (30 km/h). When driving down
steep hills, the vehicle reduces speed
automatically down to slightly more
than walking speed (approx. 5 mph/
8 km/h) and then maintains this speed
at a constant.
By applications of the brakes or accel-
erator, you can alter this speed in the
range of approx. 3 mph (5 km/h) to
approx. 20 mph (30 km/h).
HDC is deactivated automatically if you
exceed approx. 35 mph (60 km/h).
Page 100 of 223
100n
530us139Air conditioner
Page 101 of 223
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
101n
Air conditioner 1 Airflow directed toward the wind-
shield and side windows
2 Airflow for the upper body
The side rotary dials allow you to
open and close the air supply
through an infinitely-variable range,
while the levers change the airflow
direction. The center rotary dial
controls the temperature of the air
as it flows out. Refer to page 103
3 Front footwell ventilation
4 Rear footwell ventilation
5 Air flow for the upper body in the
rear seat103
6 Temperature102
7 Air distribution toward
>the windows
>the upper body
>the footwell
An infinitely-variable range of
intermediate settings is also
available. Refer to page 102
8 Air supply102
The climate control is active when
the blower is switched on.
9 Rear window defroster73, 102
10 Cooling102
11 Recirculated air mode103