2009 BMW X5 Rear seat

Adjusting
56
The temperature is reduced, if need be, down to
no heat in order to redu
ce the load on the bat-
tery. The LEDs remain lit.
Rear
Operation similar to front seat heating; without
temperature distribution.
Active seat ventilation* and
seat heating*
Front
1 Seat heating
2 Active seat ventilation
Press button 1 or 2 once depending on the
temperature or ventilation position. The LED in
the respective button lights up.
The temperature or ventila tion levels are shown
on the Control Display.
The air quantity is reduced and if need be, the
ventilation is switched o ff in order to reduce the
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: press button 1 or 2 longer.
Temperature distribution without
active seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. Open the start menu.
2. Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
3. Select "Seat heater di stribution" and press
the controller.
4. Move the controller to the left or right to
select "Driver" or "Passenger".
5. Turn the controller. The adjustment is
applied; the fiel d can be changed.
Temperature distribution with active
seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. Open the start menu.
2. Move the controller to the left to open "Cli-
mate".
3. Select "Driver's seat climate" or "Passen-
ger's seat climate" and press the controller.

Controls
57Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
4.Turn the controller to adjust the distribu-
tion.
The setting is applied.
Heated rear seats
Operation similar to front seat heating; without
temperature distribu tion, refer to page55.
Active seat*
The seat cushion is acti vely varied by alter-
nately raising and lowering the right and left half
of the seat cushion. This reduces muscular ten-
sion and fatigue to he lp prevent lower back
pain.
Press the button to switch on; the LED lights
up.
The action of the system is reduced and if need
be, switched off in order to reduce the load on
the battery. The LED remains lit.
If you switch off the acti ve seat, it can take up
to 1 minute before the two halves of the seat
cushion have returned to their initial position.
Mirrors
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 estimate the distance of
following traffic based on what you see in the
mirrors; otherwise, there is an increased risk of
accident. <
1 Adjusting
2 Switching to the other mi rror or to the auto-
matic curb monitor
3 Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page 50.
Adjusting manually
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Pressing button 3 allows you to fold the mirrors
in and out again up to a speed of approx.
12 mph/20 km/h. This is advantageous, for
example, in car washes, narrow streets or for
bringing mirrors that have been manually folded
in back into the correct position.
Folded in mirrors fold out again at a speed of
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on
the width of the car wash system. <

Adjusting
58
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both
exterior mirrors are automatically heated when
the motor is running or th e ignition is switched
on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1. Slide switch into the driver's side mirror
position, arrow 1.
2. Engage transmission position R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat
on the passenger side. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror
position, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle e ffect of following vehi-
cles at night, turn the knob.
Interior and exte rior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature*
This feature is controlle d by two photocells in
the inside rearview mirro r, one on the front and
one on the back.
For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells
clean and do not cover the area between the
interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do
not attach stickers of an y kind to the windshield
in front of the mirror, either.
Steering wheel
Adjusting
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent as the result of unexpected movement. <
The steering wheel can be adjusted in four
directions.
Storing steering wheel positions, refer to Seat,
mirror and steering wheel memory on page 50.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the steering wheel
temporarily moves into the uppermost position.

Controls
61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors. <
Children alwa ys in rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported on the 2nd row seats in child
restraint devices which correspond to the 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
device can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessa ry to use a child
restraint device on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags on the passen-
ger side must be deactivated. Otherwise, there
is an increased risk of in jury for the child if the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
device. <
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to
page 106.
Installing child restraint
devices
Follow the child restraint device manufac-
turer's instructions fo r selection, installa-
tion, and use of child restraint devices. Other-
wise, the degree of protection may be
reduced. <
BMW X5: for equipment with 3rd row
seats
*, make sure that the seat of the 2nd row seats on which the ch
ild restraint device is
mounted is properly locked. Otherwise there is
an increased risk of inju ry for the child in an
accident.
Do not mount child rest raint devices on the
3rd row seats, as otherwise the protection pro-
vided by these child restraint devices may be
reduced. <
On front passenger seat
After mounting a child restraint device on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side are deactivated; otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags are trig-
gered. <
Backrest width*
The backrest width adjustment of the
front passenger seat must be completely
open. After installing th e child's seat, no mem-
ory position may be called up; otherwise, the
stability of the child's se at on the front passen-
ger seat is reduced.<
1. Open backrest width adjustment com-
pletely, refer to page 50.
2. Install child's seat.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts, in the BMW X5 all of the
safety belts of the 2nd and 3rd
* row seats and
the passenger safety belt can be locked to pre-
vent them from being pulled out in order to
secure child restraint devices.

Controls
63Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
BMW X6
For child restraint devices with tether strap,
there are two additional attachment points on
the back of the rear se at backrests, refer to
arrows.
Placement of tether strap
Make sure that the tether strap is not
routed over sharp edges and does not
twist on its way to the attachment point; other-
wise, the belt cannot pr operly secure the child
restraint device in the event of an accident.<
BMW X5
1 Direction of travel
2 Head restraint
3 Tether strap hook
4 Mounting point 5
Backrest
6 Tether strap of child restraint device
When using the cargo bay cover, route the
tether strap through between the backrest of
the 2nd row seats and the cargo bay cover.
BMW X6
1 Direction of travel
2 Head restraint
3 Tether strap hook
4 Mounting point
5 Backrest
6 Tether strap of child restraint device
When using the cargo bay cover, route the
tether strap through between the rear seat
backrest and the cargo bay cover.

Transporting children safely
64
Attaching tether strap to the backrest
of the 2nd row seats
BMW X5:
On outer seats:
1.Slide the head re straint upward.
2. Guide the tether stra p between the head
restraint brackets.
3. Hook in the tether st rap on the mounting
point with the hook.
4. Slide the head restra int into the bottom
position.
5. Pull tether strap taut.
O n c e n t e r s e a t w i t h e q u i pment with two rows of
seats:
1. Fold the center armr est somewhat toward
the front.
2. Guide the tether strap through the opening
in the center armrest.
3. Fold back and engage the center armrest.
4. Hook in tether strap on mounting point.
5. Pull tether strap taut. On center seat with equipment with three rows
of seats:
1.
Slide the head restraint upward.
2. Guide the tether strap between the head
restraint brackets.
3. Hook in the tether st rap on the mounting
point with the hook.
4. Slide the head restraint into the bottom
position.
5. Pull tether strap taut.
BMW X6:
1. Route tether strap over the middle of the
head restraint.
2. Hook in the tether st rap on the mounting
point with the hook.
3. Pull tether strap taut until it compresses the
cushion of the head restraint, thus prevent-
ing the tether strap from sliding off.
On trips
Child-safety locks for rear doors
Slide down the safety le ver on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Always press the safety switch for the power
windows, refer to page 42, when children are
riding in the rear of the vehicle.

Controls
105Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Brake force display*
BMW X5
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.
BMW X6
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2 Head-level airbags in front and rear
3 Side airbags in backrests
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
observe the adjustment instructions on
page 48.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by re sponding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head. The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e.g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the instrument cluster and window in the
region of the passenger seat free of foreign
materials, i.e. do not co ver them with adhesive
film or covers and do not attach mounts, e.g. for
a navigation device or mobile phone to them.
Do not install cosmetic covers, seat cushions,
or other items on the fr ont seats that are not
especially approved for seats with integrated
side airbags. Do not hang articles of clothing
such as jackets over the backrests.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag restraint
system from the vehicle. Do not modify or
tamper with either the wiring or the individual
components in the airbag system. This includes

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
106
the upholstery in the center of the steering
wheel, on the instrument cluster, the doors, and
the roof pillars as well as
the sides of the head-
liner. Do not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel. Do not touch the individual
components immediately after the system has
been triggered, because there is a danger of
burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, remova l, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel and has
the required explosives licenses. Otherwise
unprofessional attempts to service the system
could lead to failure in an emergency or undes-
ired airbag triggering, either of which could
result in personal injury. <
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passeng er seat. The front and
side airbags on the front passenger side are
activated or deactivated accordingly by the sys-
tem.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following. <
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the inst ructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page 61.
When teenagers and adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front and side
airbags to deactivate. The indicator lamp for the
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 la mp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be produced by changing the sitting position, transport the correspond-
ing person on the rear se
at. Do not fit seat cov-
ers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or other
items onto the front passenger seat unless they
are specifically recomme nded 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 light s up when a child in
a child restraint device intended for the pur-
pose 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. Af ter 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.