2004 BMW X5 4.4I page 24

32n
Opening and closing: from outside
If the vehicle is locked, the liftgate
is also locked again when closed.
Before and after a trip, be sure that the
liftgate was not opened unintention-
ally.<
Panic modeBy pressing and holding the button for
more than two seconds, you can start
the alarm system if there is an impend-
ing danger if its is armed.
To switch off the alarm
Press the button.
Malfunction The remote control can be subjected to
malfunctions by local radio waves.
Should the remote control fail to oper-
ate owing to interference of this kind,
unlock and lock the vehicle via the door
lock using the master key.
If it is no longer possible to lock the
vehicle via the remote control, the bat-
tery is discharged. Use this remote
control during an extended drive; this
will recharge the battery, refer to
page 30.
For US owners onlyThe transmitter and receiver units com-
ply with part 15 of the FCC/Federal
Communication Commission regula-
tions. Operation is governed by the fol-
lowing:
FCC ID: LX8EWS
LX8FZVS
LX8FZVE
Compliance statement:
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
>This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
>this device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modifications to
these devices could void the
user's authority to operate this equip-
ment.<

35n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
LiftgateOpening from outside Press the button, refer to arrow:
The liftgate opens slightly.
The cargo area is illuminated whenever
the liftgate is opened, refer also to
page 104.
With the liftgate open, the dis-
tance from the ground to the
upper edge is more than 6.6 ft/2 m.
Please consider this, e.g. when opening
the liftgate in a garage.<530de245
Opening from inside Press this button to open the liftgate
when the vehicle is stationary.
If pointed or sharp-edged objects
could strike the rear window while
driving, be sure to provide protection
around all edges. If you do not do this,
the heating conductors of the rear win-
dow could be damaged.<
For information on the cargo area cover
and on other details in the cargo area,
refer to Cargo area, beginning on
page 124.530de221
Manual release In the event of an electrical malfunction,
you can release the liftgate manually:
1. Remove the plastic plug from inside
the cargo area and pull toward the
interior, refer to arrow. The liftgate
will be released
2. Reinstall the plug. 530de316

36n
Liftgate TailgateClosing You can pull the liftgate down by plac-
ing both hands in the handle recesses,
refer to arrows.
To close the liftgate, merely press it
down gently. The closing process will
then be carried out automatically.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the
travel path of the liftgate is clear
when it is closed, as with all closing
procedures.< 530us017
Operate the vehicle only when
both gates are completely closed.
Otherwise, exhaust fumes could enter
into the interior of the vehicle.<
If special circumstances should make it
absolutely necessary to operate the
vehicle with the liftgate open:
1. Close all windows and the panorama
glass roof
2. Increase the air supply for the air
conditioner or automatic climate
control to a high level, refer to
page 107 or 111.
Opening Press the button:
You can fold the tailgate down.
When opened, the tailgate can
accept loads of up to 440 lbs./
200 kg. When the vehicle is stationary
you may, for example, utilize the tail-
gate as a seat or as a loading platform
for luggage or recreation gear.< 530de246

37n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
TailgateManual release In the event of an electrical malfunction,
you can release the tailgate manually:
1. Unfasten the trim panel clip with the
vehicle key or with a screwdriver,
refer to arrow 1, and remove it
toward the top, refer to arrow 2530de317
2. Using the same tool, press the latch
in the direction of the arrow; the tail-
gate is released
3. Reinstall the trim panel. 530de241
Luggage straps Use the retaining straps on the cargo
floor cover to secure smaller items of
luggage.
Movement is reduced when objects are
placed on the straps.
The lashing eyes located at the corners
of the cargo area provide you with a
convenient means of attaching luggage
nets
* or flexible straps for securing lug-
gage.
Refer also to Cargo loading on
page 130.
394de302

38n
Alarm system The concept The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the liftgate
is opened
>To movement in the vehicle interior:
interior motion sensor
>To variations in the vehicle tilt angle
such as occur during attempts to
steal the wheels or tow the vehicle
>To interruption of battery voltage.
The system responds to unauthorized
vehicle entry and attempted theft by
simultaneously activating the following:
>Sounding an acoustical alarm for
30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers are acti-
vated for approx. five minutes
>The high beams flash on and off in
the same rhythm.
Arming and disarming alarm
system When you lock or unlock the vehicle,
either with the remote control or at the
door lock, the alarm system is armed or
disarmed at the same time.
You can have different acknowl-
edgment signals set to confirm
arming and disarming.<
The liftgate can also be opened with the
system armed using the button on the
remote control, refer to page 31. The
liftgate is locked again when closed.
Pressing the button longer triggers the
alarm: panic mode, refer to page 32.
Indicator lamp displays >The indicator lamp below the interior
rearview mirror flashes continuously:
the system is armed
>The indicator lamp flashes when the
vehicle is locked: door(s) or liftgate
are not completely closed. Even if
you do not close the alerted area, the
system begins to monitor the remain-
ing areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after 10 sec-
onds. However, the interior motion
sensor is not activated
>The indicator lamp goes out when the
vehicle is unlocked: no manipulation
or attempted intrusions have been
detected in the period since the sys-
tem was armed530us241

40n
Windows After the ignition has been switched off:
>You can still operate the windows as
long as neither of the front doors has
been opened. To open the windows,
press the switch beyond the resis-
tance point.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and close
the doors, as otherwise children could
operate the windows and injure them-
selves etc.<
For the convenience operation via the
remote control or the door lock, refer to
pages 31, 33. Anti-trapping mechanism A contact strip is integrated into the
inner side of each of the upper window
frame sections. If pressure is exerted
against this contact strip while a win-
dow is being raised, the system will
respond by stopping the window and
then retracting it a small distance.
Despite the anti-trapping mecha-
nism, be extremely careful that the
closing path of the window is not
obstructed whenever it is closed.
Otherwise, an object might not touch
the contact strip in some situations,
with very thin objects, for instance.
You can disable the anti-trapping
mechanism by pulling the switch
beyond the resistance point and hold-
ing it.
Because the power windows are sealed
at high pressure to prevent wind noise
when closed, a powerful motor is
required for efficient closing. When
closing the windows, always ensure
that they are not obstructed in any way.
Unsupervised use of these systems can
result in serious personal injury.
Remove the ignition key to deactivate
the power windows whenever you
leave the vehicle. Never leave the keys
in the vehicle with unsupervised chil-
dren. Never place anything that could
obstruct the driver's vision on or next to
the windows.<
Safety switch With the safety switch, you can prevent
the rear windows from being opened or
closed via the switches in the rear pas-
senger area, by children, for example.
You can also prevent adjustments of
the power rear-seat backrests from the
rear passenger area, refer to page 48.
Always press the safety switch
when children ride in the rear, as
otherwise unchecked closing of the
windows could lead to injuries.<530us209

42n
Panorama glass roof
*
Anti-trapping mechanism If the panorama glass roof or sliding
visor encounter resistance when clos-
ing from roughly one third of the roof
opening or when closing from the
raised position, the closing action is
interrupted and the panorama glass
roof and sliding visor reopen a little.
Despite the anti-trapping mecha-
nism inspect the roof's travel path
prior to closing it, as the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of
obstructions, such as very thin objects,
and the roof would continue closing.
The anti-trapping mechanism for clos-
ing the panorama glass roof is deacti-
vated if the switch is pressed beyond
the resistance point and held there. The
closing action is interrupted when you
release the switch.<
Following a power failure Following interruptions in electrical
power, for instance, when the battery is
disconnected, it is possible that the
panorama glass roof will extend to its
tilt-up position, but fail to respond to
other commands. The system must be
initialized. BMW recommends having
this work carried out by your BMW
Sport Activity Vehicle center.
Manual operation In the event of an electrical malfunction,
you can operate the panorama glass
roof manually.
1. Remove the Allen wrench and the
screwdriver from the onboard tool
kit, refer to page 158
2. Remove the cover from the head-
liner. To do this, position the screw-
driver somewhat off-center at the
rear and carefully lever out the cover
3. Insert the Allen wrench in the open-
ing provided and turn the panorama
glass roof in the desired direction.530de410

43n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
The ideal sitting position can make a
vital contribution to relaxed driving that
is as fatigue-free as possible. The sit-
ting position also plays an important
role together with the safety belts and
airbags in providing occupants with
maximum levels of passive safety in an
accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimized efficiency,
we strongly urge you to observe the
instructions contained in the following
section.
For additional information on transport-
ing children safely, refer to page 59.Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock positions to minimize the
risk of injuries to your hands and arms
in the event of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbags and the seat occupant. Do
not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage
area. Make sure that the front passen-
ger is correctly seated and does not
rest feet or legs on the instrument clus-
ter, otherwise leg injuries can occur if
the knee and front airbag are triggered.
Never let an occupant's head rest near
or on a side airbag because the inflating
airbag could cause a serious or fatal
injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions
injuries resulting from contact with air-
bags cannot be fully excluded, depend-
ing on the circumstances. The ignition
and inflation noise may provoke a mild –
usually temporary – hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags, refer to
page 57.Sitting safely with safety belts Fasten your safety belt before starting
any trip. Airbags complement the safety
belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts.
Even pregnant women should also
always wear the safety belt and espe-
cially ensure that the lap belt is posi-
tioned low on the hip and does not
press on the lower body.
Only one person should ever wear a
safety belt, and infants and children
may not be seated on the lap of another
passenger.
Do not route the belt across your neck,
or run it across sharp edges. Be sure
that the belt does not become caught
or jammed. Avoid twisting the belt while
routing it firmly across the hips and
shoulder. Do not allow the belt to rest
against hard or fragile objects. Other-
wise, in the event of a frontal impact, a
loose lap belt could slide over your
hips, leading to abdominal injury. Avoid
wearing clothing that prevents the belt
from fitting properly and pull the lap belt
periodically to readjust the tension
across your shoulder in order to avoid a
reduction in the retention effect of the
safety belt.<
For instructions on operating the safety
belt, refer to page 49.
Sitting safely