2008 BMW X6 XDRIVE35I lights

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system
automatically produces the maximum braking
force boost and thus helps to achieve the short-
est possible braking distance during full brak-
ing. This system exploits all of the benefits pro-
vided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction loss in the driving wheels
when starting off and accelerating. The system
also identifies unstable driving conditions, such
as a loss of traction at the rear of the vehicle or
sliding of the vehicle in its front wheels. In these
cases, DSC helps the vehicle maintain a safe
course within physical limits by reducing engine
output and through braking actions in the indi-
vidual wheels.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style remains the responsibility of the driver.
Therefore, do not restrict the additional safety
margin with a risky driving style, as otherwise
there is a risk of an accident.<
Deactivating DSC
Press the button until the DSC indicator lamp in
the instrument panel lights up, but not longer
than approx. 10 seconds. DTC Dynamic Trac-
tion Control and DSC are deactivated together.
Stabilizing interventions are now not carried
out.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears there.To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the button; the indicator lamp in the
instrument panel goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamps light up:
DSC is deactivated.
DTC Dynamic Traction Control
DTC is a version of DSC in which the drive out-
put is optimized for particular road conditions,
e.g. unplowed snow-covered roads. The sys-
tem assures the maximal drive output, but with
reduced driving stability. It is therefore neces-
sary to drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:
>When driving in sand, on snowy inclines, in
slush or on unplowed, snow-covered road
surfaces
>When rocking a stuck vehicle free or start-
ing off in deep snow, sand or on loose
ground
>When driving with snow chains
*
Activating DTC
Press the button briefly; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument panel lights up.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
88 15 mph/25 km/h.
You can specify a target speed within the same
range by using the lever of the cruise control.
With downhill grade over 10Ξ you can reduce
the speed to approx. 3 mph/4 km/h. Pull the
lever of the cruise control beyond the resis-
tance point, arrow3.
1Increasing speed
2Pull to the resistance point:
Reduce speed to approx. 4 mph/6 km/h
3Pull beyond the resistance point:
With downhill grade over 10Ξ, reduce
speed to approx. 3 mph/4 km/h.
Activating HDC
Press the button; the LED lights up.
The HDC display is shown in the instrument
panel.
The LED flashes when the brakes are applied
automatically.
Deactivating HDC
Press the button again. The LED and the HDC
display go out.
HDC is automatically deactivated at speeds
over approx. 37 mph/60 km/h.
Displays* in instrument panel
1Display for target speed
2HDC display
Malfunction
HDC is temporarily unavailable in the following
situations due to a high brake temperature:
>The LED in the button and the display HDC
go out during HDC operation.
>The LED in the button and the HDC display
do not light up when the button is pressed.
Malfunction of driving stability control
systems
When driving on poor roads, avoid using
full throttle or pressing the accelerator
beyond the kick-down point and also avoid
heavy braking. Otherwise, the drive train may be
damaged or accidents can occur.<
Adaptive Drive*
The concept
Adaptive Drive reduces the body roll which
occurs when cornering quickly or during fast
evasive maneuvers. In addition, Adaptive Drive
reduces the steering angle requirement,
improves the running comfort and increases
the dynamic driving characteristics of your
BMW.

Controls
89Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Chassis and suspension tuning
You can choose between two types of chassis
and suspension tuning.
>Normal:
The comfortable basic setting offers opti-
mum comfort when traveling.
>Sport:
The sporty basic setting offers increased
driving agility.
Selecting chassis and suspension
tuning
Press the button.
The system switches between the two chassis
and suspension tuning settings.
>Sport:
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT
is displayed in the instrument panel.
>Normal:
The LED in the button goes out.
The selection of the chassis and suspension
tuning setting is stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Starting assistant
The starting assistant enables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The parking brake is
not required for this purpose.
1.Hold the vehicle with the footbrake.
2.Release the footbrake and immediately
drive off quickly.The starting assistant holds the vehicle
for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the
footbrake. Depending on the load, the vehicle
may also roll back slightly during this time.
After releasing the footbrake, immediately start
quickly, otherwise the starting assistant no
longer holds the vehicle after approx. 2 seconds
and it begins to roll back.<
Self-leveling suspension*
Malfunction
The warning lamp for self-leveling
suspension lights up yellow and a
message is shown on the Control
Display. A malfunction has occurred in the self-
leveling suspension. Stop and check the vehi-
cle. If it is considerably lower at the rear than at
the front, and possibly also on one side – rear
left compared to rear right –, proceed to the
nearest BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or
a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. Drive with appropriate caution in the
meantime. The vehicle has reduced ground
clearance and driving comfort may be notice-
ably reduced. Even if the orientation of the vehi-
cle is normal, when a malfunction is indicated
on the display, you should proceed to the near-
est BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a
workshop that works according to BMW guide-
lines and uses appropriately trained personnel.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor detects a pressure loss in
one tire by comparing the speeds of the individ-
ual wheels during driving.
In the event of a pressure loss, there is a change
in the rolling circumference and therefore the
rotation speed of the corresponding wheel. The
system detects this change and reports it as a
flat tire.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90
Function requirements
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
The initialization must be repeated after
each time the tire inflation pressure is cor-
rected and after every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natural,
even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
When you are driving with the compact wheel*
the Flat Tire Monitor is unable to function.
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. Do not initialize the sys-
tem when driving with snow chains
* or with the
compact wheel
*.<
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "FTM" is selected and press
the controller.
6.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
7.Select "Reset" and press the controller.
8.Select "Yes" and press the controller. The
message "resetting FTM …" is displayed.
9.Start to drive.
The initialization finishes during driving.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.
If you have deactivated DSC, it will be activated
automatically.
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
In case of further air loss of the defective
wheel, its position will be indicated to you
on the Control Display.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
92
One wheel is yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire. A message appears on the
Control Display.
All wheels are yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
several tires. A message appears on the Control
Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire.
Reasons for this can be:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary interference due to systems or
devices which use the same radio fre-
quency
>Malfunction
Resetting system
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
Resetting finishes during driving, which can be
interrupted at any time. When driving resumes,
resetting is continued automatically. Do not
reset the system when driving with a compact
wheel
*.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "TPM" is selected and press
the controller.
6.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
7.Select "Reset" and press the controller.
8.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
9.Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After a few minutes of driving, the set tire infla-
tion pressures in the tires are applied as the set
values to be monitored. Resetting finishes dur-
ing driving. The tires are shown in green on the
Control Display.
If a flat tire is detected during resetting
and applying the tire inflation pressures,
all tires are shown in yellow on the Control Dis-
play. The message "Tire low!" is displayed.<
Message with low tire inflation
pressure
The warning lamp lights up yellow. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.

Controls
93Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires as provided at the factory,
refer to page237, do not continue driving.
Continuing to drive with a flat tire could
cause severe accidents.<
2.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guide values:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, cargo bay full, or
4 persons without luggage:
approx. 95 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo bay full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive cautiously and do not exceed
speeds of 50 mph/80 km/h or else you
run the risk of causing an accident. In the event
of pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur while
the vehicle is being driven, this can indicate final
failure of the damaged tire. Reduce speed and
stop at a suitable location as soon as possible,
otherwise pieces of the tire could become
detached and cause an accident. Do not con-
tinue driving, but instead contact the BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center.<
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction:
Have the system checked
>If a wheel without TPM electronics is
mounted, e.g. a compact wheel
*
>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency
Explanation according to the NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire, including the spare*, should be
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the
inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires. As an added safety fea-
ture, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system, TPMS, that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires are significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signif-
icantly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure. Underinflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop-
ping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver's responsibility to maintain correct
tire pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence will
continue upon subsequent vehicle startups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the mal-

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
94 function indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may
occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering actively varies the steering
angle of the front wheels in relation to the steer-
ing wheel movements. In addition, it also varies
the steering force required for steering depend-
ing on the vehicle's speed.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e. g. in a town or when parking, the steer-
ing angle increases, i.e. the steering becomes
very direct. In the higher speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced more
and more. This improves the handling capability
of your BMW over the entire speed range.
In critical situations, the system can make tar-
geted corrections to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the vehicle
before the driver intervenes.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow
and a message is shown on the Con-
trol Display. The active steering is no
longer operational. At low speeds,
greater steering wheel movements are
required, whereas at higher speeds, the vehicle
reacts more sensitively to steering wheel move-
ments. The stability-promoting intervention
can also be deactivated. Proceed cautiously
and drive defensively. Have the system
checked.
Brake force display
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96 front passenger airbags lights up when this
occurs. In these cases, change the sitting posi-
tion so that the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be produced by changing
the sitting position, transport the correspond-
ing person on the rear seat. Do not fit seat cov-
ers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or other
items onto the front passenger seat unless they
are specifically recommended by BMW. Do not
lay objects under the seat which could press
against the seat from below. Otherwise a cor-
rect evaluation of the occupied seat surface
cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front
and side airbags on the front passenger side
depending on the seat occupation. The indica-
tor lamp shows whether the front passenger
airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint system intended for the
purpose is properly detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side are not activated.
Most child's seats are detected by the
system. Especially the child's seats
required by the NHTSA at the time the vehi-
cle is manufactured. After installing a child's
seat, make sure that the indicator lamp for
the front passenger airbags lights up. This indicates that the child's seat has been
detected and the front passenger airbags
are not activated.<
>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 airbags on the front pas-
senger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
However, the front and side airbags on the
front passenger side are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page56, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
readiness.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction, otherwise
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<