Contents© 2005 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts,
only with the written consent of
BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 159 867
US English VIII/05
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.Notes
Overview
Controls and features
About this Owner's Manual8
Symbols used8
Your individual vehicle8
Status at time of printing9
For your own safety9
Symbol on vehicle parts10
Service and Warranty10
Reporting safety defects11Cockpit14
Instrument cluster15
Indicator and warning lamps19
Buttons on steering wheel23
Warning triangle24
First-aid kit24
Refueling24
Fuel specifications26Locks and security systems:
Keys30
Central locking system30
Opening and closing:
from outside31
Opening and closing:
from inside34
Liftgate35
Tailgate36
Alarm system38
Windows39
Panorama glass roof41
Adjustments:
Sitting safely43
Seats44
Mechanical seat adjustment45
Power seat adjustment46
Head restraints47
Power rear-seat backrest
adjustment48
Safety belts49
Seat, mirror and steering wheel
memory50
Heated seats52
Steering wheel52
Steering wheel heater53
Mirrors53
ContentsOperation, maintenance
Owner service procedures
Special operating instructions:
Breaking-in136
General driving notes137
Driving your X5138
Safe braking140
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure141
Tire identification marks145
Wheel/tire condition146
Replacing wheels/tires148
Snow chains149
Under the hood:
Hood150
Engine compartment
essentials151
Washer fluid152
Engine oil152
Coolant154
Brake fluid155Care and maintenance:
The BMW Maintenance
System156
OBD interface socket157Replacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit160
Windshield wiper blades160
Lamps and bulbs161
Changing a wheel165
Vehicle battery171
Fuses172
Assistance, giving and
receiving:
Receiving assistance173
Jump starting174
Tow-starting and towing175
10n
NotesBMW cannot test every product on the
market to determine whether it can be
used on a BMW safely and without risk
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its
occupants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on
using these items, are available from all
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms,
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors,
wheels, suspension components, brake
dust shields, telephones – including
operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an
externally mounted antenna – or trans-
ceiver equipment such as CBs, walkie-
talkies, ham radios or similar accesso-
ries, may cause extensive damage to
the vehicle, compromise its safety,
interfere with the vehicle's electrical
system or affect the validity of the BMW
Limited Warranty. Refer to your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle center for addi-
tional information.< Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of the emission control
devices and systems may be performed
by any automotive repair establishment
or individual using any certified auto-
motive part.<
Symbol on vehicle parts
Indicates that you should consult
the relevant section of this
Owner's Manual for information on a
particular part or assembly.
Service and WarrantyThis manual is supplemented by a Ser-
vice and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models or a Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet for Canadian mod-
els.
We recommend that you read this pub-
lication thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following
warranties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect
Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance
Warranty
>California Emissions Control System
Limited Warranty
Detailed information about these war-
ranties is listed in the Service and War-
ranty Information Booklet for US mod-
els or in the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
14n
1 Parking lamps/low beams100
2Fog lamps102
3>Turn signals68
>Roadside parking lamps101
>High beams101
>Headlamp flasher68
>Computer794 Washer/wiper system/rain sensor69
5Rear window defroster105, 110
6 Central locking system307 Hazard warning flashers
8 Horn: the entire surface
9 Adjusting steering wheel52
Cockpit
530de427
22n
Indicator and warning lamps
DSC Dynamic Stability Control/
xDrive
+
The warning lamp lights up con-
tinuously and a warning signal sounds:
DSC and HDC or the xDrive 4-wheel
drive system have failed.
The stabilizing interventions of DSC or
the xDrive 4-wheel drive system are no
longer available. Drive may be being
exerted exclusively via the rear axle.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
For additional information, refer to
page92
Proceed cautiously and defen-
sively. When driving on poor
roads, avoid using full throttle or press-
ing the accelerator beyond the kick-
down point and also avoid forceful
braking or full braking. Otherwise, the
drive train may be damaged or acci-
dents can occur.<
Engine electronics
*
Malfunction in the engine elec-
tronics. You can continue to
drive with reduced engine output or
engine speed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
Service Engine Soon
+
If the indicator lamp lights up
continuously or intermittently,
there is a malfunction in the exhaust-
relevant electronic systems. Although
the vehicle remains operable, the sys-
tem must be checked as soon as possi-
ble.
For additional information, refer to
page157
Display of the previously
described malfunction in Cana-
dian models.
Check Gas Cap
* +
Warning lamp lights up. Fuel
filler cap is not properly closed
or is missing. Check whether the fuel
filler cap is properly closed. For addi-
tional information, refer to page25
Green: for your information
Turn signals
Flashes when the turn signals
are operated. Rapid flashing
indicates a system malfunction.
For additional information, refer to
page68
Cruise control
*
Lights up when system is
switched on: ready for operation
using the buttons on the steering
wheel.
For additional information, refer to
page71
Fog lamps
Lights up when fog lamps are
switched on. For additional
information, refer to page102
Blue: for your information
High beams
Lights up when the high beams
are on or the headlamp flasher
is actuated.
For additional information, refer to
pages68, 101
23n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Buttons on steering wheel
*
The buttons integrated into the steering
wheel are provided so that you can
operate a number of accessories
quickly and without being distracted
from traffic conditions. You may oper-
ate:
>selected functions of the audio
sources
*
>the recirculated-air mode of the air
conditioner
* or the steering-wheel
heater
*
>the cruise control
>selected phone functions
* and
>the voice command system*.
In order to operate a system, the
corresponding system must be
switched on.<
Press briefly:
Accept incoming call, start dialing,
terminate call.
Extended pressure:
Switch voice command system on
and off
Display/hide phonebook. Display the
entries consecutively with the buttons
for forward/back
Forward:
>Radio
Press briefly: next stored station
Extended pressure: station search
function
>CD
Press briefly: track search
Extended pressure: fast forward in
track
>Cassette
Press briefly: stop track search or
fast forward
Extended pressure: fast forward
>Telephone
Scroll through list of names
Reverse: functions the same as fast
forward
Volume
On the sports steering wheel
*, there
are +/– buttons for volume on the left
side of the steering wheel.
Cruise control: resume
Cruise control: store and accelerate
+
as well as store and decelerate
–
On the sports steering wheel
*, there
are +/– buttons on the right side of the
steering wheel for the cruise control.
Cruise control: activate/interrupt/deac-
tivate
Recirculated-air mode
* and AUC auto-
matic recirculated-air control or steer-
ing wheel heater
*: switch on/off
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 protection, refer to Tilt alarm
sensor and 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:
>An acoustical alarm, which sounds
for 30 seconds
>The hazard warning flashers, which
flash for approx. five minutes
>The high beams, which flash on and
off in the same rhythm as the hazard
warning flashers.
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 page31. The
liftgate is locked again when closed.
Pressing the button longer triggers the
alarm: panic mode, refer to page32.
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: the doors or liftgate
are not properly closed. Even if you
do not close the alerted area, the sys-
tem begins to monitor the remaining
areas, and the indicator lamp flashes
continuously after 10 seconds. How-
ever, 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 armed.530us241
39n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Alarm system Windows>The indicator lamp flashes for 10 sec-
onds after the vehicle is unlocked: an
attempted entry has been detected in
the period since the system was
armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the
indicator lamp will flash continuously.Tilt alarm sensorThe tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The
alarm system reacts, for example, if
someone attempts to steal the wheels
or tow the vehicle.Interior motion sensorIn order for the interior motion sensor to
function properly, the windows and
panorama glass roof must be com-
pletely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
s en sor m ay be swi tch e d off a t t h e sam e
time. This prevents unintentional
alarms, e.g. in the following situations:
>In duplex garages
>When transporting on car-carrying
trains
>If animals are to remain in the vehicle.
To switch off the tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor:
Press the button on the remote control
twice consecutively.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and
then flashes continuously. The tilt alarm
sensor and the interior motion sensor
are switched off until the next unlocking
and locking actions are executed.
To prevent injuries, exercise care
when closing the windows and
keep them in your field of vision until
they are shut.
Always take along the ignition key when
you leave the vehicle, as otherwise chil-
dren could, for example, operate the
windows and injure themselves.<
Opening and closing windows As of ignition key position 1:
>Press the switch up to the resistance
point:
The window continues to move
downward as long as you continue to
hold the switch
>Briefly press the switch beyond the
resistance point:
The window moves downward auto-530us020