2003 BMW X5 4.4I Owners Manual

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
AirbagsThis is the right way a larger child
should sit wearing the safety belt when
rear side airbags, refer to 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 air-
bags 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 safelyCommercially-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.
Child-restraint system with tether
strap If you use a child-restraint system with
a tether strap, three additional tether
anchorage points have been provided Ð
refer to the arrows in the illustration.
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, as shown in the
illustration below. 530us037
Each seating position is fitted with a
head restraint.
Outer seating positions:
Lift the head restraint and pass the
tether strap between the head restraint
and the seat back. It is recommended
to readjust the head restraint into the
lowest possible position. 530au003

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Transporting children safely

Center seating position:
The head restraint must be adjusted
into the lowest possible position. Pass
the tether strap over the head restraint.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.530au002
Before installing any child-
restraint device or child seat,
please read the following:
Never install a rearward-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 rearward-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, after they have outgrown a booster
seat that is appropriate for their age,
height and weight.
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate forward-facing child-
restraint system that has first been
properly secured with a safety belt.
Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
child restraint's manufacturer when-
ever you use such a device.
Be sure that all occupants, of all ages,
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your
vehicle meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.

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Transporting children safelyChild-restraint system securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child-
restraint systems. Information regarding
this is located near the buckle latch of
each safety belt. Lock the safety belt Pull the entire length of the belt from
the belt retractor. Allow the reel to
retract the belt somewhat and engage
the buckle, then tighten the belt against
the child-restraint system. The retrac-
tion mechanism is now locked. Release the safety belt Release the buckle, remove the child-
restraint device and allow the belt
retractor to reel the belt completely in. 530us104
LATCH child-restraint systemLATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren

The rear outer seating positions are
provided with anchorage points for a
LATCH child-restraint system. The
illustration shows the anchorage points
in the left rear seat as an example.
Canadian models only:
The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint system are indicated by
buttons, refer to illustration.
Remove cover panel by pulling it off
toward the front.
Simply put it back on to reattach it.
To install a LATCH child-restraint
system, please follow the manu-
facturer's operating instructions and
safety precautions.<530ue229
Child-safety locksSlide the safety lever on the rear doors
downward:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only. 530de226

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Vehicle Memory, Key Memory How the system functions You have probably frequently wished
that you could configure individual
functions of your vehicle 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
Ð Vehicle Memory Ð and settings related
to individuals Ð 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
the remote control master 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 exam-
ples follow below:
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgment for locking and
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
pages 31, 34
>Deactivating/activating the Follow me
home lamps function, refer to
page 99.Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatic adjustment of the driver's
seat, outside mirror and steering
wheel with settings stored in the
memory for the individual driver when
the vehicle is unlocked, refer to
page 51
>Calling up customized settings for the
automatic climate control when
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
page 107.
You will see this symbol through-
out the Owner's Manual. It is to
remind you at appropriate places of the
settings that are available to you.<

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Ignition key positions0 Steering lock engaged
1 Steering lock disengaged
2 Ignition on
3 Starting the engineSteering lock engaged The key can only be inserted or
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right
until you hear the lock engage.
Once the ignition has been switched off
Ð ignition key in position 0 or removed Ð
the radio functions are still available for
approx. 20 minutes. Turn the radio back
on to use it.390de010
An acoustic warning is sounded when
you fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
Vehicles with automatic trans-
mission:
Do not move the selector lever from the
Park position until the engine is running
Ð ignition key in position 2.
In order to turn the key to position 0 or
to remove it, first move the selector
lever to the Park position Ð Interlock.< 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.
Individual electrical devices are ready
for operation. Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion: depress the clutch when
starting the engine. If you do not, a lock
prevents the engine from starting.<
Before starting >Engage the parking brake
>Be sure that the gearshift lever is in
Neutral or the selector lever in Park if
the vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transmission
>Depress the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. Breathing the
exhaust gases poses an extreme health
risk, and can lead to unconsciousness
and death. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide, an odorless and col-
orless, but highly toxic gas.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running, since an unat-
tended vehicle with a running engine
represents a safety hazard.<
When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care
to avoid contact between the hot
exhaust system and flammable mate-
rials, e.g. grass, hay, leaves, etc. Such
contact could lead to a fire, resulting in
serious personal injury and property
damage.<
Ignition lock Starting the engine

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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.

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Parking brake Manual transmissionThe parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.To engage The lever engages automatically when
you pull it up and the indicator lamp
comes on in the instrument cluster in
ignition key position 2, refer to
pages 19 and 20.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever. 530de262
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 Ð fishtailing
Ð at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is engaged.
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.<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill at a traffic
signal, for instance, provided that it is
safe to do so.
Press the clutch pedal all the way down
each time you shift, pressing the gear-
shift lever into its proper end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too, otherwise, the interlock
will prevent the engine from starting if
the clutch is not depressed. 360de044