
 
10n
 
Notes
 
Installation and operation of non-BMW 
approved accessories such as alarms, 
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, 
wheels, suspension components, brake 
dust shields, telephones Ð including 
operation of any portable cellular phone 
from within the vehicle without using an 
externally mounted antenna Ð or trans-
ceiver equipment such as CB, walkie-
talkie, ham radio or similar accessories, 
may cause extensive damage to the 
vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere 
with the vehicle's electrical system or 
affect the validity of the BMW Limited 
Warranty. Contact your BMW Sports 
Activity Vehicle center for additional 
information.
 
<
 
 
Maintenance, replacement, or 
repair of the emission control 
devices and systems may be performed 
by any automotive repair establishment 
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.
 
<
 
 
 
Symbol on vehicle parts 
 
Indicates that you should consult 
the relevant section of this 
Owner's Manual for information on a 
particular part or assembly. 
 
Service and Warranty
 
This manual is supplemented by a Ser-
vice and Warranty Information Booklet 
for US models or a Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet for Canadian 
models. 
We recommend that you read this 
publication thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following 
warranties:
 
>
 
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
 
> 
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
 > Federal Emissions System Defect 
Warranty >
 Federal Emissions Performance War-
ranty
 
>
 
California Emissions Control System 
Limited Warranty
Detailed information about these 
warranties is listed in the Service and 
Warranty Information Booklet for US 
models or in the Warranty and Service 
Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
 
Reporting safety defects
 
The following only applies to vehicles 
owned and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a 
defect which could cause a crash or 
could cause injury or death, you should 
immediately inform the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
NHTSA in addition to notifying BMW of 
North America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, 
Westwood, New Jersey 07675-1227, 
Telephone 800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it 
may open an investigation, and if it 
finds that a safety defect exists in a 
group of vehicles, it may order a recall 
and remedy campaign. However, 
NHTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your 
dealer, or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call 
the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 
1-800-424-9393 Ð or 366-0123 in 
Washington, D.C. area Ð or write to: 
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transpor-
tation, Washington, D.C. 20590. You 
can also obtain other information about 
motor vehicle safety from the Hotline.
 
For your own safety 

 
20n
 
Indicator and warning lamps 
 
Red or yellow: continue to drive; 
drive cautiously 
 
If the brake warning lamp 
comes on red together with the 
yellow warning lamps for ABS 
and DSC: 
Continue to drive; drive 
cautiously and defensively and 
avoid full brake applications. 
Have the system checked by the 
nearest BMW Sports Activity Vehicle 
center. 
For additional information: refer to 
pages 91 and 132.
If all three warning lamps come on 
yellow:
Continue to drive; drive cautiously and 
defensively and avoid full brake appli-
cations. 
Have the system checked by your 
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center as 
soon as possible. 
Warning lamps for Canadian 
models. 
 
Red: an important reminder
 
Parking brake
 
* 
Comes on when the parking 
brake is engaged. 
For additional information: refer to 
page 64. 
Parking brake
 
* 
 warning lamp
 
  
for 
Canadian models.
Please fasten safety belts 
 
l 
 
Lights up either for a few 
seconds or, depending on 
model, until the belt is engaged. 
Depending on model, together with an 
acoustic signal
 
* 
 or a message
 
* 
 in the 
Check Control. 
For additional information on safety 
belts: refer to page 49. 
Airbags 
 
l 
 
Please have the system 
inspected by your BMW Sports 
Activity Vehicle center. 
For additional information: refer to 
page 55. 
 
Yellow: check as soon as possible 
 
Antilock Brake System ABS 
 
l
 
ABS has been deactivated in 
response to system malfunction. 
Conventional braking performance 
remains available with no loss of effi-
ciency. Please have the system 
inspected by your BMW Sports Activity 
Vehicle center.
For additional information: refer to 
page 132.
ABS warning lamp for Canadian 
models.
Engine oil level
Comes on while driving:
The oil level is at the absolute 
minimum; refill as soon as possible. Do 
not drive more than approx. 30 miles/
50 km until you do.
For additional information: refer to 
page 141.
Engine oil level 
Comes on after the engine has 
been switched off: add engine 
oil at your earliest opportunity, e.g. 
when you stop to refuel. 
For additional information: refer to 
page 141.  

32n
Opening and closing Ð via the remote controlTo unlock Press button. 
Press the button once to unlock the 
driver's door and the fuel filler door 
only; press a second time to unlock all 
remaining doors as well as the tailgate/
liftgate. Convenience opening mode Press and hold button. The power 
windows and sliding/tilt sunroof are 
opened. 
To lock and secure Press button. To switch on the interior lamps After locking the vehicle, press button 
again. To switch off the tilt alarm sensor 
and interior motion sensorPress button a second time immedi-
ately after locking. 
For additional information: refer to 
page 40. 
To open the liftgate Press button. 
The luggage compartment lid/liftgate 
will open slightly, regardless of whether 
it was previously locked or unlocked.
Before and after a trip, be sure 
that the tailgate/liftgate was not 
opened unintentionally.< Panic modeBy pressing and holding the button for 
more than two seconds, you can trigger 
an alarm via the alarm system if there is 
an impending danger (the alarm system 
must be armed).
To switch off the alarm 
Press button. 

63n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Starting the engine  Switching off the engineDo not press the accelerator pedal 
while starting the engine. 
BMW X5 3.0i:
Do not actuate the starter for too 
short a time. Do not turn it for more 
than approx. 20 seconds. Release the 
ignition key immediately as soon as the 
engine starts.
BMW X5 4.4i, 4.6is:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Simply turn the 
ignition key to position 3 Ð starter Ð and 
then release it immediately. 
The starter actuation continues to 
operate automatically for a certain 
period of time and is stopped automati-
cally as soon as the engine has started.
The automatic starting mode will not 
operate if the battery voltage is low. 
The engine can be started by means of 
jump-starting, refer to page 162.< 
Do not allow the engine to warm up 
by leaving it running while the vehicle 
remains stationary. Instead, begin to 
drive immediately at a moderate engine 
speed. 
Should the engine fail to start on the 
first attempt, if it is very hot or cold, for 
instance:
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway 
down while engaging the starter. 
Cold starts at altitudes above 3,300 ft/
1,000 meters and at very low tempera-
tures, from approx. +5 7/Ð15 6: 
>For the initial start attempt, allow the 
starter to remain engaged somewhat 
longer, approx. 10 seconds.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the 
engine computer system. Increased 
speeds at start-up are normal and 
should decrease as the engine warms 
up. If engine speed does not decrease, 
service is required. 
To prevent the battery from discharging, 
always switch off electrical devices that 
are not in use. Switch the ignition off 
when the vehicle is not being driven.
Extended starting attempts, char-
acterized by excessively frequent 
or long periods with the starter 
engaged, can lead to damage of the 
catalytic converter.<
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0. 
Do not remove the ignition key 
while the vehicle is still moving. If 
you do so, the steering will lock.
Always remove the ignition key and 
engage the steering lock before leaving 
the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when 
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces. Even placing the gearshift lever 
in 1st gear or reverse may not provide 
adequate resistance to rolling. 
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in Park.< 
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The vehicle must be stationary and the 
selector lever in Park before you can 
remove the ignition key. 

67n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
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 transmission range 
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. 
Whenever you tap the selector lever in 
the 
+ direction, the transmission shifts 
up, and when you tap it in the 
Ð direc-
tion, the transmission will shift down. 
Depending on the equipment version, 
1 to 5 or M1 to M5 is indicated in the 
transmission range display.
530de264
Upshifts or downshifts will only be 
carried out at appropriate engine 
speeds and road speeds. If the 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 
example Ð shift down manually or with 
the kickdown function.< 
You can only change from M/S to 
selector lever positions P, R and N via 
the D position. 
Electronic transmission control 
module
If the indicator lamp comes on 
or the message Ð TRANS.FAIL-
SAFE PROG Ð 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 switch the engine 
off, ignition key to position 0. 
Wait a few seconds, then start the 
engine.
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 indi-
cator lamp does not go out, you can 
place the selector lever in all positions. 
However, the vehicle will now only drive 
forward with limited gear selection. 
If this happens, avoid extreme engine 
loads and consult the nearest 
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center. 
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear is 
engaged. If you do this, the vehicle 
could move.< 
Information on jump-starting, tow-
starting and towing begins on page 162. 

69n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Washer/Wiper system/Rain sensor
* 
Intermittent mode
 
Not on vehicles with rain sensor.
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 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. 
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.
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain 
sensor:
Turn rotary dial 7.
Deactivating the rain sensor:
Move lever to position 0.Switch the rain sensor off in auto-
matic car washes. If you do not, 
damage may occur if the wipers switch 
on unintentionally.< 
Normal wipe The system switches automatically to 
intermittent mode when the vehicle is 
not moving, not on vehicles with rain 
sensor. Fast wipe The wipers operate at normal speed 
when the vehicle is not moving, not on 
vehicles with rain sensor. Clean the windshield The system sprays washer fluid against 
the windshield and activates the wipers 
for a brief period. 
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.
Clean the headlamps
* 
>With the special wash program 6
>With every actuation of clean the 
windshield 5 when the vehicle's 
lighting is switched on, the head-
lamps will be cleaned at appropriate 
intervals.  

70n
Washer/Wiper system/Rain sensor
*
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 141.
Do not use the washers when the reser-
voir is empty. This could cause damage 
to the washer pump.< 
Windshield washer jetsThe windshield washer jets are warmed 
automatically when the ignition key is in 
position 2. 
Rear window wiper 0 Retracted position of the rear window 
wiper
1 Rear window wiper in intermittent 
mode. 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 Ð from 
position 0 to 1 Ð is the programmed 
interval, max. 30 seconds. 530de266
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 150. 

74n
Tachometer Energy controlBMW X5 3.0i, 4.4iDo not operate the engine with the 
needle in the red overspeed zone of the 
gauge, refer to arrow.
To protect the engine, the engine man-
agement system automatically inter-
rupts the fuel supply in this range.530us227
BMW X5 4.6isThe orange pre-warning zone displays 
current permissible engine speeds, 
depending on the engine temperature. 
As the engine temperature increases, 
some of the sectors for this pre-warning 
zone will go out one after the other.
Avoid engine speeds in the pre-warning 
zone if possible.
Do not operate the engine with the 
needle in the red overspeed zone of the 
gauge, refer to arrow.
To protect the engine, the engine man-
agement system automatically inter-
rupts the fuel supply in this range.530us231
BMW X5 3.0i, 4.4iIndicates the current fuel consumption 
in mpg, on Canadian vehicles in liters/
100 km. 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 Ð zero on 
Canadian models.390us005