2002 BMW X5 3.0I ESP

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags1 Front airbag for driver and front
passenger
2 Side Impact Head Protection System
for driver and passenger sides (front
and rear
*)
3 Side airbags for driver and passenger
sides (front and rear
*)
Protective effectThe front airbags supplement the safety
belts by providing additional protection
for the front-seat occupants in the
event of a severe frontal impact in
which the protection afforded by the
safety belts alone may no longer be
sufÞcient. The Side Impact Head
Protection System and the side airbags
help provide protection in the event of a 530us035
side impact. Each of the side airbags is
designed to help support the upper
body.
The side airbags in the rear
passenger area
* of your vehicle
may already have been deactivated
either at the time of manufacture or by a
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center.
You may have them activated if you
desire to do so. Please contact your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center for
additional information.<
For information on the correct sitting
posture, refer to page 44.
The airbags will not be triggered in
the event of a minor accident, a
vehicle roll-over, or collisions from the
rear.<
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. In the event of a malfunction,
deactivation, or triggered actuation (as
a response to an accident) of the airbag
restraint system, consult your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center for
testing, repairs or service operations.
Do not modify or tamper with either the
wiring or the individual components in
the airbag system. These include the
padded steering wheel hub, the instru-
ment cluster, the side trim panels of the
front or rear doors and the roof pillars or
the sides of the headliner. Do not
remove or dismantle the steering wheel
yourself. To ensure compliance with
official safety regulations, entrust
disposal of airbag generators to a
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center.
Unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation,
either of which could result in personal
injury. Do not touch the individual
components directly after the system
has been triggered, as otherwise there
is a danger of burns.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
AirbagsThis is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
rear side airbags (arrow) are provided. 530us099
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster shows the opera-
tional status of the airbag
system from ignition key position 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.
If there is a system malfunction, have
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center inspect the system immediately.
If you do not, there is a risk that the
airbags will not be triggered within their
normal response range, even if the level
of impact would normally have trig-
gered them.

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Transporting children safely

Commercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured
with a lap belt or with the lap belt
portion of a combination lap/shoulder
belt. Improperly or inadequately
installed restraint systems can increase
the risk of injury to children. Always
read and follow the instructions that
come with the system.
If you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points (refer to the arrows in
the illustration) have been provided.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area,
attach the tether strap to the corre-
sponding anchorage point to secure the
child-restraint system. Remove the
cover first on the middle location.
If the respective seating position is
fitted with a head restraint lift the head
restraint and pass the tether strap
between the head restraint and the seat
back.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
530us037
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat,
please read the following:
Never install a rear-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat of this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rear-facing child-restraint
system (of the kind designed for infants
under 1 year and 20 Ibs/9 kg) would be
within the airbag's deployment range,
you should never mount such a device
in the front passenger seat, since the
impact of the airbag against the child
restraint's backrest could lead to
serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child (not an
infant) to ride in the front seat, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as far away
from the instrument panel as possible.
This important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the
airbag and the child. Older children
should be tightly secured with a safety
belt.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functions You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicles to reflect your
own personal requirements. In engi-
neering your vehicle, BMW has
included several user-defined func-
tions in the vehicle's design. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center can
make these settings for you.
There are settings related to the vehicle
("Vehicle Memory") and settings related
to individuals ("Key Memory"). You can
configure up to four different basic
positions for four different persons. The
only requirement is that each person
uses his or her own remote control key. 463de029
When your vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control, the vehicle recognizes
the individual user by means of a data
exchange with the key, and makes
adjustments accordingly.
In order for you to distinguish between
different keys, colored decals are
supplied together with the keys.What the system can doYour BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center can provide you with details on
the capabilities of the "Vehicle Memory"
and "Key Memory" systems. A few
examples follow below:
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgment for locking and
unlocking the vehicle
>Deactivating/activating the "Follow
me home" lamps function.Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatically moving the driver's
seat, outside mirror and steering
wheel into position for the respective
person when unlocking the vehicle
>Calling up customized settings for the
automatic climate control when
unlocking the vehicle.
You will see this symbol
throughout the Owner's Manual. It
is to remind you at appropriate places
of the settings that are available to
you.<

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
To interrupt the cruise control When the system is activated, press
button 1. The indicator lamp stays on.
You can use the cruise control again
whenever required by calling up the
speed that was stored last.
In addition, the system is automatically
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
controlled speed for an extended
period (by depressing the acceler-
ator, for example). To recall the stored setting Press button:
The vehicle accelerates to and main-
tains the last speed stored.

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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 or wedge-shaped
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 vehicle 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 20.
Indicator lamp ßashes:
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 Sports Activity
Vehicle center to have the system
repaired.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)To switch the system offPress the button; the indicator lamp
comes on and stays on.
Traction intervention remains active;
that is, braking intervention will
continue.
In the following exceptional circum-
stances, it may be effective to switch
off 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. 530de230
As a result of the traction interven-
tion, the brakes may be subjected
to additional loads when the system is
switched off. 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 switch the system on againPress 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.<
Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)DBC is an integral component of the
DSC system.
The system responds to sudden, high-
intensity applications of force to the
brake pedal by automatically braking
the vehicle with maximum boost to
achieve the shortest-possible braking
distances during "panic stops." This
system exploits all the benefits of ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure exerted
against the brake pedal until the
braking maneuver has been completed.
DBC is deactivated when you release
the brake pedal.

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Variable Ride Height
*
Variable Ride Height on both axles
*
The warning lamp for the Vari-
able Ride Height comes on, or
the message "SELFLEVEL
SUSP.INACT" appears in the Check
Control: there is a malfunction in the
Variable Ride Height.
Stop and inspect the vehicle. If it is
riding significantly lower in the rear than
in the front, or if it is sitting at an incline
(left rear compared to right rear),
consult the nearest BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle center. Drive with
appropriate caution in the meantime.
The vehicle has reduced ground clear-
ance or driving comfort is noticeably
reduced.
Even if the attitude of the vehicle is
normal, you should consult the nearest
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center if
the warning lamp indicates a system
malfunction.
The conceptYour vehicle is equipped with Variable
Ride Height acting on both the front
and rear suspension. This system
combines automatic self-leveling,
which compensates for variations in
front-to-rear load-distribution patterns,
with a selection feature allowing drivers
to choose from among several ride-
height options.
You may choose from among the
following ride heights:
>Standard
The "standard" setting is intended for
most operating conditions, including
trailer towing
>Off-Road
Higher ride height for increased
ground clearance
>Access
Lowers vehicle for more convenient
cargo handling and easier passenger
ingress and exitsChanges in ride height are initiated
either manually, using the control
button (refer to page 96), or automati-
cally in response to specific speeds.
When the ride height is selected manu-
ally, the driver has the additional option
of revising the ride-height selection by
entering a new command during the
adjustment process.
When the vehicle is stationary, the
system executes ride-height changes in
both directions (up and down) when-
ever the doors are closed. The tailgate/
liftgate may be open. The system raises
the vehicle only when the engine is
running.
The system's automatic self-leveling
feature automatically compensates for
variations in the vehicle's load.
Frequent changes in ride height
initiated at short intervals can
overheat the compressor, causing the
system to briefly suspend active opera-
tion.<