2004 BMW X5 4.4I Owner's Manual

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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 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 vehicle and person-related
adjustments: Vehicle Memory and Key
Memory. You can configure up to four
different basic positions for four differ-
ent persons. The only requirement is
that each person uses his or her own
remote control key.
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 master keys with remote control,
color-coded decals are supplied
together with the keys.
What the system can doYour BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter can provide you with details on the
capabilities of the Vehicle Memory and
Key Memory systems.
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.<
Following configuration of the
memory functions, vehicle opera-
tion may differ from the description in
the Owner's Manual. Should you want
to sell your BMW some day, please
remember to have the memory func-
tions reset to the default state.<
Examples for Vehicle Memory:
>Various signals that can serve as
acknowledgment for locking and
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
pages 31, 33
>Deactivating/activating the pathway
lighting function, refer to page 102.
Examples for Key Memory:
>Automatic adjustment of the driver's
seat, exterior 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 111.

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Ignition lock Starting engine Ignition key positions 0Steering lock engaged
1Steering lock disengaged
2Ignition on
3Starting the engineSteering lock engaged The key can only be inserted or
removed in this position.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
If the key is not removed, an acoustic
signal sounds after the driver's door is
opened.390de010
Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion:
Only move the selector lever from posi-
tion P with the engine running.
To turn the key back to position 0 or to
remove it, first place the selector lever
in position P: interlock.<
Steering lock disengaged Slightly moving the steering often
makes it easier to turn the key from 0
to 1.
Individual current consumers are ready
for operation. Starting engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion:
Depress the clutch pedal when starting
the engine. If you do not, a lock pre-
vents the engine from starting.<
Before starting >Engage the handbrake
>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
>Press the clutch pedal.
If the clutch pedal is not pressed, the
engine cannot be started
>On vehicles with and automatic
transmission, press the footbrake.
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, as otherwise the inhaling
of toxic exhaust gases can cause
unconsciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, an odorless and colorless, but
highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with
the engine running, as such a vehicle
represents a potential safety hazard.<
When driving, standing at idle,
and parking the vehicle, take care
to avoid contact between the hot
exhaust system and flammable materi-
als, e.g. grass, hay, leaves, etc. Such
contact could lead to a fire, resulting in
serious personal injury and property
damage.<

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Starting engine Switching off engineWhen starting the engine, do not press
the accelerator pedal.
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.
X5 4.4i, 4.8is:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Here, it is suffi-
cient to turn the ignition key only briefly
to position 3 'Start engine' and to let go
of it right away. The starter actuation
continues to operate automatically for a
certain period of time and is stopped
automatically as soon as the engine has
started.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate or will be canceled if the bat-
tery voltage is insufficient. The engine
can be started by jump-starting, refer to
page 171.<
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. +57/–156:
>For the initial starting attempt, allow
the starter to remain engaged some-
what longer, approx. 10 seconds.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at startup are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, 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.<
Manual transmission:
1. Turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0
2. Engage first gear or reverse gear.
Automatic transmission:
1. Engage selector-lever position P
2. Turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0.
Do not remove the ignition key
when the vehicle is moving, as
otherwise the steering could lock.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and lock the
steering.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the handbrake 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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Handbrake Manual transmissionThe handbrake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked; it brakes the rear wheels.EngagingThe 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, 21.Releasing Pull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever. 530de262
If exceptional circumstances
should make it necessary to
engage the handbrake while the vehicle
is in motion, do not pull it too strongly.
In doing so, continuously press the but-
ton of the handbrake lever.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction – fishtailing
– at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not light up when
the handbrake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the handbrake 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 hand-
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill at a traffic sig-
nal, 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.
While shifting gear in the 5th/
6th gear level, be sure to press
the gearshift lever to the right to pre-
vent inadvertently engaging a gear in
the 3rd/4th gear level. Do not hold the
vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or
riding the clutch. Use the handbrake
instead, since a slipping clutch
increases clutch wear.< 380de044

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Manual transmission Automatic transmission with SteptronicReverse Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Press the gearshift lever to the left
to overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
In addition to fully automatic operation,
you can also manually shift with the
Steptronic, refer to page 69.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
530us238
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S
The transmission range display varies
according to the equipment of your
vehicle.
Starting engine The engine can only be started in the
selector lever position Park or Neutral. 530us239

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Automatic transmission with SteptronicRange selection An interlock prevents inadvertent gear-
shifts into selector-lever positions R
and P. To cancel the interlock, press
the button on the front of the selector
lever knob, refer to arrow. ShiftlockWith the vehicle stationary, press the
brake pedal before shifting out of P
or N; the shift command will not be exe-
cuted unless the brake is applied.
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise creep
when a drive position is engaged.530de263
To prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing, always select position P and
engage the handbrake before leaving
the vehicle with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with
the engine running, as such a vehicle
represents a potential safety hazard.<
P Park Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. The transmission locks to prevent
the rear wheels from turning.R Reverse Select only when the vehicle is station-
ary. N Neutral, idle For example, engage in automatic car
washes. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic driving
positionThis position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available. Kickdown The kickdown mode provides maximum
acceleration.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-
throttle position.

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Automatic transmission with SteptronicSport program and M/S manual
operation Move the selector lever from position D
to the left into gearshift gate M/S: the
sport program is activated and D S
appears in the instrument cluster. This
position is recommended for a perfor-
mance-oriented driving style.
When the selector lever is moved
slightly towards + or –, the Steptronic
shifts gear and manual operation is
activated. The following appears in the
instrument cluster depending on the
model
>1 to 5 or 1 to 6
>M1 to M5 or M1 to M6. 530de264
Upshifts and downshifts are executed
only when they will result in a plausible
combination of engine and vehicle
speed; thus, for example, a downshift
that would cause the engine to overrev
will not be executed by the system. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the cur-
rent gear.
To use the automatic function again,
move the selector lever to the right into
position D.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up or
the message "TRANS.FAILSAFE
PROG" appears in the Check
Control. A malfunction has occurred in
the transmission system. Avoid heavy
loads.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to P. Set the
handbrake and turn the engine off, igni-
tion 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 indica-
tor lamp does not go out, you can place
the selector lever in all positions. How-
ever, the vehicle will now only drive for-
ward with limited gear selection.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Information on jump-starting, tow-start-
ing and towing begins on page 171.

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Turn signals/headlamp flasher1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signalsSignaling briefly Press the lever up to but not beyond
the resistance point. It then returns to
the center position when released.
If the indicator lamp flashes and
the relay clicks faster than usual,
this indicates that one of the turn signal
bulbs is defective.< 530de265