2005 BMW X5 4.8IS light

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Steering wheel Steering wheel heater
*
Automatic steering wheel
adjustmentonly in conjunction with seat, mirror and
steering wheel memory
In or der to m a ke it e asie r t o get in to an d
out of the vehicle, the steering wheel
automatically moves into the top posi-
tion and returns to the driving or mem-
ory position.
This automatic feature is controlled by
the position of the ignition key and by
the driver's door.
Steering wheel heater functions in igni-
tion key position 2.
Press the button to activate or deacti-
vate this system.
The indicator lamp within the button
lights up when the steering wheel
heater is in operation.
If your vehicle is not equipped with
steering wheel heater, the button for
the recirculated-air mode is located
here, refer to page23.
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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags Transporting children safely Operational readiness of airbag
system
As of ignition key position 1, the
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up for a short time,
thus indicating the operational readi-
ness of the entire airbag system and the
safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
A fault has occurred in the air-
bag system:
>Warning lamp does not light up as of
ignition key position 1
>Warning lamp lights up permanently.
Have the airbag system checked
immediately if a malfunction
occurs, as otherwise there is a danger
of the system failing to respond in the
expected manner to an impact occur-
ring within its normal response range.<
The right place for children Children always in the rear:
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children in a vehicle is in
the rear seat.
Older children should be tightly secured
with a safety belt, after they have out-
grown a booster seat that is appropriate
for their age, height and weight.
If your vehicle is equipped with
rear side airbags, do not allow
children to lean towards the door trim,
as serious injuries could occur if the
side airbags were deployed and chil-
dren are too close to the airbags.<
Deactivate rear side airbags:
Labels in the rear door opening should
indicate the status of your rear seat side
airbags. If you are uncertain of their sta-
tus, or wish to have the airbags acti-
vated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle cen-
ter.
Child-restraint systems in the rear
Children under 13 years of age
and children less than 5 ft/150 cm
tall should always ride in the rear and
the restraint systems should be prop-
erly restraint.<
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate child-restraint system
that has been first properly secured to
the vehicle.
All rear sitting positions in your vehi-
cle meet the recommendations of
SAE J1819, an industry-recommended
practice for securing child-restraint sys-
tems in motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger
seat
Should it become necessary to
use a child-restraint system on the
front passenger seat, the front passen-
ger airbags must be deactivated. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle center will
be happy to advise you on this sub-
ject.<

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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 have up to four differ-
ent basic positions configured for four
different 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
pages31, 33
>Deactivating/activating the Pathway
lighting function, refer to page103.
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
page51
>Calling up customized settings for
the automatic climate control when
unlocking the vehicle, refer to
page112.

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Ignition lock Starting engine Ignition key positions 0 Steering lock engaged
1Steering lock disengaged
2 Ignition on
3Starting 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 depressed,
the engine cannot be started
>In vehicles with automatic transmis-
sions, depress 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.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select neutral or the position P
and engage the handbrake before leav-
ing the vehicle with the engine run-
ning.<
When starting the engine, do not press
the accelerator pedal.

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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
pages19, 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 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.
While shifting in the 5th/6th gear
lane, press the selector lever
toward the right, as otherwise acciden-
tal shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could
result in engine damage.< 380de044

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
M/S manual operation and
Sport Program Shift selector lever from position D
toward the left into the shifting slot 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 you briefly press the selector
lever in the + or – direction, manual
operation is activated and Steptronic
changes the gear 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.
In order to go back to using automatic,
move the selector lever toward 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 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 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 page171.

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Turn signals/headlamp flasher1High beams
2 Headlamp flasher
3Turn signalsSignaling briefly Press lever to resistance point and hold
for as long as you wish to signal.
Atypically rapid flashing of the turn
signal indicator light indicates the
failure of a turn signal lamp and when
towing a trailer, indicates the failure of
one of the trailer's turn signal lamps.
After switching off the ignition, make
sure the roadside parking lamps have
not been left on.<530de265

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Washer/wiper system/rain sensor
*
To adjust the sensitivity of the rain sen-
sor:
Turn serrated dial 7.
Deactivating the rain sensor:
Move lever to position 0.
Deactivate the rain sensor when
passing through an automatic car
wash. Failure to do so could result in
damage caused by undesired wiper
activation.< Normal wipe The system switches automatically to
intermittent mode when the vehicle is
stationary, 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. Windshield washing The system sprays washer fluid against
the windshield and activates the wipers
for a brief period.
Special wash program
*
As with 5; several additional wash
cycles are carried out and the head-
lamps are cleaned
*.
This program is recommended after you
have driven on extremely dirty roads.
Headlamp washing
*
>With the special wash program 6
>With every actuation of clean the
windshield 5 when the vehicle's light-
ing is switched on, the headlamps
will be cleaned at appropriate inter-
vals.
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. There-
fore use antifreeze, refer to page150.
Do not actuate washer systems when
the fluid reservoir is empty, as other-
wise the washer pump will be dam-
aged.<
Windshield washer nozzles The windshield washer jets are warmed
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.