
51n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory
*
Calling up a stored setting
Do not call up a position from the
memory while the vehicle is mov-
ing. There is a risk of accident from
unexpected movement of the seat or
steering wheel.<
Convenience function:
1. Open the driver's door after unlock-
ing the vehicle or place the ignition
key in position 1
2. Briefly press memory button 1, 2
or 3, as desired.
Movement stops immediately when
one of the seat-adjustment or mem-
ory buttons is activated during the
adjustment process.
Security function:
1. With the driver's door closed and the
ignition key either removed or in
position 0 or 2
2. Maintain pressure on the desired
memory button 1, 2 or 3 until the
adjustment process is completed.
If you press the
M
EMORY button
accidentally: press the button
again – the LED goes out.<
You can have your vehicle pro-
grammed to automatically dial in
your own individual adjustment settings
for the seat, mirrors and steering wheel
whenever you use your personal
remote control to unlock the vehicle.<
If you make use of this function,
be sure that the footwell behind
the driver's seat is unobstructed before
unlocking the vehicle. If you fail to do
so, any persons or objects behind the
seat could be injured or damaged by a
rearward movement of the seat.<
Passenger-side exterior mirror
tilt function Automatic curb monitor
Activating:
1. Select the driver's mirror with the
mirror selection switch
2. When you engage reverse gear or
selector-lever position R, the exterior
mirror glass on the front passenger
side tilts downward slightly. This
allows the driver to see the area
immediately adjacent to the vehicle –
such as a curb – when parking, etc.
Deactivating:
Slide the mirror selection switch to the
passenger's side position.530us214

52n
Heated seats
*
Steering wheel
Front The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated when the ignition key is in posi-
tion 2.
You can call up different heating modes
by repeatedly pressing the button.
You can also switch off the higher heat-
ing modes directly:
Press the button and hold it slightly
longer.530de417
Rear The operating concept is the same as
for the front heated seats. You can
select between two heating modes.530de234
Adjustments The steering wheel can be moved in
any of four directions. Adjust the steer-
ing wheel by moving the control lever in
the desired direction.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. There
is a risk of accident from unexpected
movement.<
To store the steering wheel setting,
refer to Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory on page50. 530de255

53n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Steering wheel Steering wheel heater
*
Mirrors
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 influenced by
the position of the ignition key and by
the driver's door.
The steering wheel heater functions in
ignition key position 2.
Press the button to activate or deacti-
vate this system.
The LED in the button lights up when
the steering wheel heater is switched
on.
If your vehicle is not equipped with
steering wheel heater, the button for
the recirculated-air mode is located
here, refer to page23.
530de428
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's
side is more curved than the
driver's mirror. Objects reflected in the
mirror are closer than they appear. Do
not attempt to estimate the distance to
following traffic based on the view in
the mirrors, as otherwise an increased
accident risk will result.<

54n
Mirrors1 Adjustments
2 Switching to the other mirror or to the
automatic parking function
*
3 Folding mirrors in and out
*
To store the mirror settings, refer to
Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory
on page50.Adjusting manuallyThe mirrors can also be adjusted manu-
ally by pressing the edges of the mirror
glass.530de256
Folding mirrors in and out Pressing button 3 allows you to fold
mirrors in and out up to a speed of
6 mph/10 km/h. This is advantageous,
for example, in narrow streets or for
bringing mirrors that have been manu-
ally folded-in back into the correct posi-
tion.
Before going through a car wash,
fold the exterior mirrors inward
manually or using button 3; otherwise
they could be damaged, depending on
the width of the car wash system.
heated when the motor is running or the
ignition is switched on.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind
you when you are driving at night, tilt
the mirror by turning the button.530us244

57n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Airbags Transporting children safely >The indicator lamp does not light up
when, for example, a correctly seated
person of sufficient height is detected
on the seat. The front and side airbag
on the front passenger side are acti-
vated
>The indicator lamp does not light up
when the seat is empty.
The front and side airbag on the front
passenger side are not activated.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:
>Warning lamp does not light up as of
ignition key position 1
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
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 in an accident of cor-
responding severity.<
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, as otherwise they
could endanger themselves and other
persons, e.g. by opening the doors.<
In principle, all seats in your BMW
except the driver's seat are suitable for
mounting universal child restraint sys-
tems for all ages which are approved
for the respective age group.
Children always in the rear:
Accident research shows that the saf-
est place for children is on the back
seat.
Only transport children under
13 years of age or less than 5 ft/
150 cm tall in the rear in child restraint
systems intended for the respective
age, weight and height of the child.
Otherwise there is an increased danger
of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must
wear a safety belt as soon as a suitable
child restraint system can no longer be
used due to their age, size and weight.
All rear seat positions in your vehicle
comply with the recommendations of
the standard SAE J1819 for the safe
securing of child restraint systems in
motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger seat:
Should it be necessary to use a
child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat, the front and side air-
bags must be deactivated. Otherwise,
there is an increased risk of injury for
the child when the airbags are trig-
gered, even with a child-restraint sys-
tem. Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center will be happy to advise you.<
More information on automatic deacti-
vation of the front passenger airbags,
refer to page56.

62n
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
Automatic transmission:
Only move the selector lever from
position 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 electrical devices are ready
for operation. Starting engine
Manual transmission:
Depress the clutch 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
>Depress the clutch.
If the clutch is not depressed, the
engine cannot be started
>Press the footbrake with an auto-
matic transmission.
Do not run the engine in closed
rooms, otherwise the inhalation of
toxic exhaust gases can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, 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.

OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
63n
Starting engine Switching off engineDo 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.
X5 3.0i:
Do not end the starting procedure too
soon, but do not continue for longer
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. With this fea-
ture, it is sufficient 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 oper-
ate 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 jump started, refer to page174.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 being
drained, 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. Shift into first gear or reverse.
Automatic transmission:
1. Shift into 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, other-
wise, the steering could lock.
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the ignition key and lock the
steering.
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.
Automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in the P posi-
tion.<
Automatic transmission:
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in Park before you can
remove the ignition key.

64n
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. Otherwise
strong application of the handbrake can
lead to overbraking of the rear axle and
associated 'fishtailing' of the vehicle
rear end.
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.
Automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in Park.<
To prevent corrosion and one-
sided braking action, occasionally
apply the handbrake lightly when the
vehicle is slowly coming to a stop if the
traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when
the handbrake is applied.
Press the clutch all the way down each
time you shift, pressing the gearshift
lever into its proper end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too. If the clutch is not
depressed, the interlock will prevent the
engine from starting.
While shifting in the 5th/6th gear
slot, press the gearshift lever
toward the right, otherwise, accidental
shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could
result in engine damage.< 380de044