2006 BMW X5 3.0I Owner's Manual

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General driving notesClosing liftgate/tailgate
Operate the vehicle only when the
tailgate and liftgate are completely
closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could enter into the passenger com-
partment.<
However, if special circumstances
should make it absolutely necessary to
operate the vehicle with the liftgate/tail-
gate 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
page105 or109.
Hot exhaust system
Extreme temperatures occur on
the exhaust system on any vehi-
cle. Do not remove the heat shields
installed adjacent to it, and never apply
undercoating to them. When driving,
standing at idle and while parking, take
care to avoid possible contact between
a hot exhaust system and any highly
flammable materials such as hay,
leaves, grass etc. Otherwise, there is a
danger of ignition and fire, with the risk
of serious injuries and damage.<
Mobile communications devices
in vehicle
BMW advises against using
mobile communications devices
such as mobile phones inside the vehi-
cle unless they are directly connected
to the external antenna. Otherwise, it is
impossible to prevent a mutual interfer-
ence of the vehicle electronics with the
mobile phone device. Also, there is no
guarantee that the radiation generated
by the transmission will be conveyed
out from the interior of the vehicle.<
When vehicle is parked Condensation forms in the air condi-
tioner system during operation and then
exits under the vehicle. Traces of water
on the ground are therefore normal.Brakes
Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light but
consistent pedal pressure can lead to
excessively high temperatures, brake
wear and possibly even brake failure.<
Road hazards
If road hazards, obstacles or curbs
are unavoidable, only drive over
them very slowly and carefully, other-
wise the wheels and suspension parts,
especially on vehicles fitted with low
profile tires, can be damaged.<
For more information on wheels and
tires, refer to page146.
Before driving into a car washFold in the exterior mirrors, refer to
page53, otherwise they could be dam-
aged due to the width of the vehicle.Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy
roads, reduce road speed. If you
do not, a wedge of water can form
between tires and road surface. This
state can cause a partial or total loss
of contact with the road surface, of
braking control and of control over the
vehicle.<

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General driving notes Driving your X5 Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the
road if it is deeper than 20 in/
50 cm, and then only at walking speed
at the most. Otherwise, the vehicle's
engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged. When
equipped with 2-axle self leveling sus-
pension
*, switch the vehicle into the
Off-Road setting before driving through,
refer to page97.<
Using handbrake on slopes
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or riding the
clutch; use the handbrake instead. Oth-
erwise, severe clutch wear will result.<
Interior and exterior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature
*
Two photocells serve to control the
automatic dimming of the interior and
exterior rearview mirrors. One photocell
is in the mirror glass, refer to arrow,
while the other is on the back of the
mirror, offset somewhat from the first.
For trouble-free operation, keep the
photocells clean and do not cover the
area between the interior rearview mir-
ror and the windshield. Do not attach
any kind of stickers to the windshield in
front of the mirror either. 530us245
On poor roads When you are driving on poor roads,
there are a few points which you should
strictly observe — for your own safety,
for that of your passengers, and for the
safety of the vehicle:
Driving on unpaved terrain can
cause damage to the vehicle.<
>Always adapt the driving speed to the
road conditions. The rougher or
steeper the road surface is, the lower
the speed should be
>You can operate your vehicle on
uphill and downhill gradients with a
maximum slope of 50 %. If you want
to drive on uphill or downhill gradi-
ents of this kind, make sure before-
hand that the engine oil and coolant
levels are near the max mark, refer to
pages152 and154.
Use the HDC Hill Descent Control
when driving down steep grades,
refer to page94.
It is possible to start off on grades of
up to 33 %.
The permissible body roll is also 50 %
>While driving, watch carefully for
obstacles such as rocks or holes. Try
to avoid these obstacles whenever
possible

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Driving your X5>Please note that it is possible for the
undercarriage to touch the ground,
for example on crests and bumpy
roads. The ground clearance of the
vehicle is:
– without self-leveling suspension
X5 3.0i, 4.4i: 8 in/20 cm
X5 3.0d: 7 in/17.5 cm
– with 2-axle self-leveling suspen-
sion
*
6.5-9 in/16.5-22 cm, depending on
the level selected.
>Only drive through water up to a max-
imum depth of 20 in/50 cm and only
at walking speed, making sure not to
stop in the process. When equipped
with 2-axle self leveling suspension
*,
switch the vehicle to the Off-Road
setting before driving through, refer
to page97.
After leaving the water, apply the
footbrake lightly several times while
driving at low speeds so as to dry the
brakes by braking and to prevent
decreased braking action due to wet-
ness.
Back onto paved road Our recommendation that you observe
the following points after driving on
adverse road surfaces is not intended
as a beauty treatment for your BMW.
Instead, it is intended to maintain driv-
ing safety:
>Clean the worst of the dirt from the
body and inspect the undercarriage
for damage.
>Clean mud, snow, ice etc. from the
wheels and tires and check the
wheels for damage.
>Check to determine whether rocks,
gravel or accumulations of dirt on the
brake rotors and calipers could influ-
ence braking performance. Remove
all such foreign objects.
>In order to clean the brake rotors,
apply the footbrake gently several
times while driving at a low speed.
Be sure that following traffic is not
endangered by this.
>For cleaning the handbrake, apply the
lever slightly at approx. 25 mph/
40 km/h and continue to drive for
approx. 200 yards/200 meters, pro-
vided that traffic conditions allow you
to do so.

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Safe braking Emergency stops You brake most effectively when you
apply maximum pedal pressure in situa-
tions requiring it: emergency stops.
Since the vehicle maintains steering
responsiveness, you can nevertheless
avoid possible obstacles with a mini-
mum of steering effort.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits
indicates to the driver that ABS is in its
active mode.Brake fluid level If the brake fluid level is too low and
brake pedal travel has become longer,
there may be a malfunction in one of
the two brake system's hydraulic cir-
cuits.
Proceed to the nearest BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center.
In so doing, increased pressure on the
brake pedal may be required, and slight
pulling to the side and longer braking
distances may result. Please remember
to adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.<
Disk brakes When the vehicle is driven only occa-
sionally, during extended periods when
the vehicle is not used at all, and in
operating conditions where brake appli-
cations are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to
form on rotors, while contaminants
accumulate on the brake pads. This
occurs because the minimal pressure
that the pads must exert to clean the
rotors during brake applications is not
reached.
If the brake rotors are corroded, they
will tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect that even extended
application will fail to cure.
When driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is advisable to apply light
pressure to the brake pedal from time
to time. Monitor traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not
endanger other road users. The heat
generated in this process helps dry the
pads and rotors to ensure that the brak-
ing force is then immediately available
when required.
Extended or steep mountain descents
should be driven in the gear in which
only minimal periodic brake application
is required. This avoids excessive strain on the brakes and possible impairment
of braking action.
Do not drive with the clutch pedal
depressed, at idle or with the
engine switched off, as otherwise there
will be no engine braking effect or
power assistance for braking and steer-
ing.
BMW recommends having brake
inspections performed at a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center only. If
you do not, parts of the 4-wheel drive
system could be damaged.
No floor mats, carpets or other objects
may lie in the area of pedal travel, as
otherwise pedal operation may be
impaired.<
Brake pads
For your own safety: use only
brake pads that BMW has
approved for your particular vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suited for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<

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Information for your safety The condition of the tires and the main-
tenance of the specified tire pressure
are crucial not only to the tire's service
life, but also to driving comfort and
most importantly, driving safety. Checking pressureOnly check tire inflation pressure when
the tires are cold. This means after a
maximum of 1.25 miles/2 km driving or
when the vehicle has been parked for at
least 2 hours. When tires are warm, the
tire inflation pressure increases.
Check the tire inflation pressure
regularly and correct it as needed,
even on the spare wheel: at least twice
a month and before starting long trips. If
you fail to observe this precaution, you
may be driving on tires with incorrect
tire pressures, a condition that can not
only compromise your vehicle's driving
stability, but also lead to tire damage
and the risk of an accident. Do not drive
with deflated, i.e. flat, tires. A flat tire
will seriously impairs your vehicle's
handling and braking response.
Attempts to drive on a flat tire can lead
to loss of control over the vehicle.<
After correcting the inflation pres-
sure(s), always reinitialize the Flat
Tire Monitor, refer to page99.<
Inflation pressures for factory-
installed tiresThe tire inflation pressure specifications
for your factory-installed tires at ambi-
ent temperature are listed on the edge
of the driver's door and can be con-
sulted when the door is open.Inflation pressuresThe tire pressure tables in the following
pages give all of the pressure specifica-
tions for the tire sizes indicated at ambi-
ent temperature.
The inflation pressures apply to
the tire sizes and tire brands
respectively approved and recom-
mended by BMW; a list of these is avail-
able from your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle center.<530de225
Tire inflation pressure

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Tire inflation pressureFor correct identification of the right tire
inflation pressure for your tires, observe
the following:
>Tire sizes for your vehicle
>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for driving up to
100mph or 160km/h:
For normal driving up to 100 mph or
160 km/h adjust pressures to the
respective tire inflation pressures listed
on the following page in the traveling
speeds column for normal driving at
spe eds up to a m axim um o f 10 0 m p h or
160 km/h to achieve optimum driving
comfort.
The permissible top speed for
these tire inflation pressures is
100mph or 160km/h. Do not exceed
this speed, as otherwise tire damage
and accidents may result.<
Tire inflation pressures for driving
above 100 mph or 160 km/h:
In order to drive at maximum
speeds in excess of 100 mph or
160 km/h, please observe, and, if nec-
essary, adjust tire pressures for speeds
exceeding 100 mph or 160 km/h from
the relevant table on the following
pages. Otherwise tire damage and acci-
dents could occur.<

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Tire inflation pressureBMW Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph/160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those exceeding
100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires,
cold = ambient temperature
X5 3.0i235/65 R 17 104 H M+S
255/55 R 18 105 H M+S32/220 33/230 32/220 32/220 32/220 39/270
Front: 255/50 R 19 103 V
Rear: 285/45 R 19 107 V
Front: 275/40 R 20 102 W
Rear: 315/35 R 20 106 W32/220
–
32/220
––
32/220
–
32/22032/220
–
32/220
––
32/220
–
32/22032/220
–
32/220
––
39/270
–
39/270
You will find more information on permissible loads and weights on page182.

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Tire inflation pressureBMW Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph/160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those exceeding
100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires,
cold = ambient temperature
X5 4.4i235/65 R 17 104 H M+S
255/55 R 18 105 H M+S32/220 33/230 32/220 33/230 32/220 39/270
Front: 255/50 R 19 103 V
Rear: 285/45 R 19 107 V
Front: 275/40 R 20 102 W
Rear: 315/35 R 20 106 W32/220
–
32/220
––
32/220
–
32/22032/220
–
32/220
––
32/220
–
32/22032/220
–
32/220
––
39/270
–
39/270
X5 4.8isFront: 275/40 R 20 102 W
Rear: 315/35 R 20 106 W
255/55 R 18 105 H M+S32/220
–
32/220–
35/240
35/24032/220
–
32/220–
35/240
35/24033/230
–
33/230–
39/270
39/270
Compact wheel:
T 155/80 R 19 114 M61/420
You will find more information on permissible loads and weights on page182.