2006 BMW X5 4.8IS height

43n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
The ideal sitting position can make a
vital contribution to relaxed driving that
is as fatigue-free as possible. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head
restraints and the airbags, the seat
position also plays an important role for
the passive safety of the occupants in
an accident. To ensure that the safety
systems operate with optimized effi-
ciency, we strongly urge you to follow
the instructions contained in the section
below.
For additional information on transport-
ing children safely, refer to page57.Airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by its rim, with hands at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock positions to minimize the
risk of injuries to your hands and arms
in the event of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbags and the seat occupant. Do
not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage
area. Make sure that the front passen-
ger is correctly seated and does not
rest feet or legs on the instrument
panel, as otherwise leg injuries can
occur if the front airbag is triggered.
Make sure that the occupants do not
rest their heads on side or head air-
bags, as otherwise injuries can occur if
the airbags are triggered.<
Even if you adhere to all instructions,
injuries resulting from contact with air-
bags cannot be fully excluded, depend-
ing on the circumstances. The ignition
and inflation noise may provoke a mild –
usually temporary – hearing loss in
extremely sensitive individuals.
For airbag locations and additional
information on airbags, refer to
page55.Head restraint A correctly adjusted head restraint
reduces the risk of cervical injuries in
accidents.
Adjust the head restraint so that
its center is approximately at the
height of the ears, as otherwise there is
an increased risk of injury in an acci-
dent.<
Safety belt For every trip, use the safety belt on all
occupied seats. Airbags complement
the safety belt as an additional safety
device, but they do not represent a sub-
stitute.
Your vehicle has five seats that are all
equipped with a safety belt.
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
– infants and small children in appropri-
ate child-restraint systems; larger chil-
dren and adults using the safety belts.
Each safety belt should always be used
by only one person; babies and children
may not ride on the lap of another pas-
senger.
In addition, pregnant women should
always wear a safety belt, making espe-
cially sure that the belt rests low on the
hips in the lap area, and does not press
against the abdomen.
Do not route the belt across your neck
or run it across sharp edges. Be sure
that the belt does not become caught
or jammed. Wear the safety belt without
twisting, snugly across the lap and
shoulders, as close to the body as pos-
sible. Be sure not to route it over solid
or breakable objects, otherwise the belt
can slip over the hips in the lap area in a
Sitting safely

45n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Mechanical seat adjustment Seat adjustment 1 Backward/forward
Pull the lever and slide the seat to the
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the
seat forward or backward slightly so
that it engages fully.
2Height
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the seat as
needed. 530us211
3Backrest
Pull the lever and apply weight to or
remove weight from the backrest as
needed.
Comply with the adjustment
instructions on page43. Failure
to do so could result in diminished per-
sonal safety.< 530us212
Sports seat
* adjustment
You can also adjust the thigh support:
Pull the lever and adjust the position of
the thigh support for your personal
comfort. 530de253

46n
Power seat adjustment
*
Seat adjustment 1Angle
2 Backward/forward
3 Cushion height
4 Backrest angle
Adjust the head restraint manually, refer
to page47.
Comply with the adjustment
instructions on page43. Failure
to do so could result in diminished per-
sonal safety.< 530us024
Comfort seat
* adjustment
This seat allows you to make additional
adjustments for
1Lumbar support
2 Shoulder support
3 Head restraint height
Lumbar support:
You can also adjust the contours of the
backrest to obtain additional support in
the lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column
receive supplementary support to help
you maintain a relaxed, upright sitting
position.530de251
>Increase or decrease curvature: push
switch forward or backward.
>Shift curvature up or down: push
switch up or down.

47n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Power seat adjustment
*
Head restraints
Shoulder support:
Move the switch in the direction of the
arrow to adjust the tilt angle of the
shoulder support.
You can use the adjustable upper back-
rest for supplementary support in the
shoulder region. This provides a relaxed
sitting position and helps relieve stress
on the shoulder muscles.
For optimum adjustment, the following
is recommended:
Driver and front passenger:
1. Adjust the upper backrest section to
its extreme rear position
2. Adjust for the optimal sitting position
as described on page43
3. Bring the upper backrest section fur-
ther forward until your shoulders are
well supported.530de252
Front passenger's seat adjusted for
relaxed traveling:
1. Adjust the upper backrest section to
its extreme rear position
2. Tilt the backrest down to a slightly
more horizontal angle
3. Bring the upper backrest section for-
ward until your shoulders are well
supported.
Make corrections in the forward/
backward adjustment of the seat
to ensure that the safety belt still fits
firmly against your body. If you do not
do this, the protection provided by the
safety belt may be reduced.<
Head restraint height:
Move the switch in the desired direc-
tion.
A correctly adjusted head restraint
reduces the risk of cervical injuries in
accidents.
Adjust the head restraint so that
its center is approximately at the
height of the ears, as otherwise there is
an increased risk of injury in an acci-
dent. restraints, tilt the head restraint to the
desired angle.
To adjust the height of the front or rear
head restraints, pull the head restraint
up or push it down.
Power height adjustment, refer to
page46.530de250

49n
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex
Safety belts
Comply with the instructions on
page43. Failure to do so could
result in diminished personal safety.<
Use the safety belts on all occupied
seats for every trip. Airbags comple-
ment the safety belt as an additional
safety device, but they do not represent
a substitute.
Fastening Make sure you hear the latch plate
engage in the belt buckle.Releasing1. Press the red button in the belt
buckle
2. Hold the belt firmly
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.530us034
In the back, the middle safety belt
buckle is provided for use exclu-
sively by the middle passenger.
If it is not possible to extract the center
belt, this indicates that the larger back-
rest is not securely locked, refer to
page124.<
Safety belt reminder for front
seats
Indicator lamp flashes or lights
up. In addition, a signal sounds
and, depending on the equip-
ment, a message
* appears in the
Check Control. Please check to make
sure safety belts are correctly fastened.
The belt reminder is activated when the
safety belt on the driver's side has not
yet been fastened.
The belt reminder is also active at
speeds greater than approx. 5 mph/
8 km/h when the passenger belt has
not yet been fastened, heavy objects
are placed on the front passenger seat,
or passengers sitting in the front
remove their safety belts.
Safety belt height adjustment You can adjust the safety belts to fit
your own physical dimensions by using
the safety belt height adjustment:
Slide the button up or down as
required.
Also observe the instructions on adjust-
ing the seats on page44.530de259

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.

58n
Transporting children safelyInstalling child-restraint systems
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions when
selecting, installing and using child-
restraint systems. Otherwise the degree
of protection can be reduced.<
Commercially available child restraint
systems are designed for securing with
a lap belt or with the lap belt section
of a three-point belt. Incorrectly or
improperly installed child restraint sys-
tems can increase the risk of injury for
children. Always follow the instructions
for installing the system exactly.
On front passenger seat:
Before mounting a child restraint
system on the front passenger
seat, make sure that the front and side
airbag on the front passenger side are
deactivated, as otherwise there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags are
triggered.<
Before mounting a universal child-
restraint system, move the front pas-
senger seat into the highest position to
achieve the best possible belt routing.
Do not change this seat height.
Child-restraint system securityAll rear safety belts and the safety belt
for the front passenger can be locked to
prevent them from being pulled out,
enabling them to be used for securing
child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt:
1. Secure child restraint system with
the belt
2. Pull out belt webbing completely
3. Allow belt webbing to be pulled in
and pull taut against child restraint
system. The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking safety belt:
1. Open belt buckle
2. Remove child restraint system
3. Allow belt webbing to be pulled in
completely530us104
Child restraint system with tether
strapThere are three additional mounting
points for child restraint systems with a
tether strap, refer to arrows.530us037

96n
2-axle self-leveling suspension
*
The concept Your vehicle is equipped with 2-axle
self-leveling suspension acting on both
the front and rear suspension. This sys-
tem combines automatic self-leveling,
which compensates for variations in
front-to-rear load-distribution patterns,
with a selection feature allowing drivers
to choose from among several ride-
height options.
You may choose from among the fol-
lowing ride heights:
>Normal
The standard setting is intended for
most operating conditions, including
trailer towing
>Off-Road
Increased level for more ground
clearance
>Access
Lowers vehicle for more convenient
cargo handling or easier passenger
entries and exits.
Changes in ride height are initiated
either manually, using the control but-
ton, refer to page 97, or automatically in
response to specific speeds. When the
ride height is selected manually, the
driver has the additional option of revis-
ing the ride-height selection by entering a new command during the adjustment
process.
When the vehicle is stationary, the sys-
tem executes ride-height changes in
both directions – up and down – when-
ever the doors are closed. The tailgate/
liftgate may be open. The system raises
the vehicle only when the engine is run-
ning.
The system's automatic self-leveling
feature automatically compensates for
variations in the vehicle's load.
The ground clearance of the vehicle
6.5-9 in/16.5-22 cm, depending on the
level selected.
Frequent changes in ride height
initiated at short intervals can
overheat the compressor, causing the
system to briefly suspend active opera-
tion.<
Self-leveling suspension display 1 Off-Road
2Standard
3 Access
The LEDs not only show the current ride
height, but also indicate changes:
>LED on: indicates the vehicle's cur-
rent ride height
>Ride-height LED flashes while the
LED for the earlier level remains on:
the ride height is being adjusted to a
new level, either automatically or in
response to driver input at the button.
When the suspension reaches the new
ride height the flashing LED reverts to
continuous operation, and the LED for
the earlier level goes out.530de218