2009 BMW X5 XDRIVE 48I light

Controls
85Reference
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Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors functions in the
vehicle and issues a message if there is a mal-
function in the monitored systems. This kind of
Check Control message co nsists of indicator
and warning lamps in the instrument cluster,
and if necessary an acoustic signal and text
messages at the bottom of the Control Display.
Indicator and warning lamps
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different combinations and colors.
means that a Check Control message has
been generated. The symbol continues to be
visible even when the Check Control message
disappears after a short time. The warning
lamps and text messages are stored and can be
displayed later, also refer to page 86.
Explanatory text messages
Text messages at the bottom edge of the Con-
trol Display explain the meaning of the dis-
played indicator and warning lamps.
You can display additional information on most
Check Control messages later, e.g. on the
cause of the malfunction and on corresponding
need for action, see below.
In the case of corresponding urgency, this infor-
mation is displayed immediately when the
related lamp lights up.
Exit the displayed information: Select the arrow an d press the controller.
Hiding Check Control messages
Press the button in the turn signal lever up or
down.

Controls
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Setting time format
1.Select "Time format" and press the control-
ler.
2. Select the desired format and press the
controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Setting date
1. Select "Date" and press the controller.
2. Select "Set date" and press the control-
ler.The first section of the date display is
highlighted, in this case the month.
3. Turn the controller to make the adjustment.
4. Press the controller to apply the setting.
The next setting is highlighted.
5. Make the remaining ad justments. After the
last adjustment, the date is stored.
Changing date format
1. Select "Date format" and press the control-
ler.
2. Select the desired format and press the
controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Brightness of Control Display
The brightness is automatically adapted to the
ambient lighting conditions. However, you can
change the basic setting.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page 16.
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 "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5. Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Brightn ess" is selected and
press the controller.
6. If necessary, move the controller to the right
to select "Display".
7. Turn the controller until the desired setting
is selected.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Units of measure
You can change the units of measure for con-
sumption, distances, temperature and pres-
sure.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple 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 "Language / Units" and press the
controller.
5. Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Units" is selected and press
the controller.

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Technology for comfort, convenience and
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking.
Acoustic signals and an optical displays
alert
you to the approach of an object in front of
* or
behind your vehicle. To measure the distance,
there are four ultrasonic sensors in each
bumper. The range of these sensors is approx.
7 ft/2 m. But an acoustic warning only sounds at
approx. 24 in/60 cm for the sensors at the
front
* and at the two rear corners and at approx.
5 ft/1,50 m for the middle sensors at the rear.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually th e case when parking.
Avoid approaching an obje ct a t h i g h s p e e d , o t h -
erwise the physical circumstances would mean
that the system warning was too late. <
Automatic activation
Whenever the engine is running or the ignition
i s o n , e a c h t i m e y o u m o v e the selector lever into
position R, the PDC syst em is activated after
approx. 1 second.
Wait this short period before driving off.
Manual activation
Press the button, the LED lights up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Automatic deactivation
After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system is
switched off and the LED goes out. You can
reactivate the system manually as needed.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, the position is corre-
spondingly indicated by an interval tone. Thus,
an object detected to the left rear of the vehicle
will be indicated by a sign al tone from the left
rear speaker, etc. As the distance between
vehicle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter. If the dis-
tance to the nearest ob ject falls to below
roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a continuous tone
sounds.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3seconds:
> if you remain in front of an object that was
only detected by one of the corner sensors
> if you drive parallel to a wall
Adjusting
You can adjust the volume of the warning tones
if the vehicle is equipped with a single drive,
refer to page 90.
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a message
appears on the Control Display. PDC is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effectively. Do
not spray the sensors with high-pressure clean-
ers for long periods and maintain a distance of
at least 4 in/10 cm to them.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96
Cleaning rear view camera
The lens of the rear view camera is located on
the liftgate.
The picture quality of the rear view camera may
be impaired by dirt. Clean the lens with a moist,
nonabrasive cloth.
The lens is automatically heated in case of frost.
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped wi th an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability under extreme conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Braking safely, refer to page 140.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking
during a lane change, dr iving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure st able braking behavior.
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 th
e pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction lo ss 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 lim its 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 ar e deactivated together.
Stabilizing intervention s 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.

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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.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DTC controls the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamps light up:
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument panel goes out.
xDrive
xDrive is the 4-wheel drive system of your
BMW. The combined effects of xDrive and DSC
further optimize the traction and dynamic driv-
ing characteristics. The 4-wheel drive system
xDrive variably distributes the drive forces to
the front and rear axle depending on the driving
situation and prevailing road conditions.
BMW X6: Dynamic Performance
Control
The concept
Dynamic Performance Control optimizes the
handling characteristic s of your BMW when
starting off, cornering, and during evasive
maneuvers. To achieve this, the system variably
distributes the drive torque of the rear axle to
the two rear wheels. This further increases the
steering precision and tracking stability of your
vehicle.
Display
The instrument panel display shows how xDrive
and Dynamic Performanc e Control are distrib-
uting the drive torque.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
98
Press the BC button on the turn signal lever
repeatedly until the disp
lay appears, refer to
arrow.
The drive train and wheels are schematically
depicted.
Bar graphs show the cu rrent distribution of
drive torque. The longer an illuminated bar is,
the greater the drive torq ue in the related wheel.
Malfunction
If xDrive and Dynamic Performance Control are
malfunctioning, the instrument panel display
appears in gray.
HDC Hill Descent Control
The concept
HDC is a system for driving downhill in steep
terrain. This system reduces vehicle speed on
steep downhill gradients, thus allowing you to
maintain even better control of your BMW
under these conditions. The vehicle moves at
approximately walking speed without active
intervention from the driver.
HDC is available for activation at vehicle speeds
below approx. 22 mph/35 km/h. When driving
down steep hills with a speed below approx.
22 mph/35 km/h, the vehicle reduces speed
automatically down to approximately walking
speed, approx. 5 mph/8 km/h, and then main-
tains this speed at a constant.
Only use HDC in transmission positions D or R.
Increasing or reducing speed
You can use the accelerator or brakes to vary
this automatically cont rolled speed within a
range extending from approx. 4 mph/6 km/h to 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 10 Ξ you can reduce
the speed to approx. 3mph/4km/h. Pull the
lever of the cruise control beyond the resis-
tance point, arrow 3.
1 Increasing speed
2 Pull to the resistance point:
Reduce speed to approx. 4 mph/6 km/h
3 Pull beyond the re sistance point:
With downhill grade over 10 Ξ, 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.

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Displays* in instrument panel
1Display for target speed
2 HDC 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 qu ickly 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.
Chassis and susp ension 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 en ables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The parking brake is
not required fo r 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 slight ly during this time.
After releasing the footbrake, immediately start
quickly, otherwise the starting assistant no

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
100
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 Activi ty Vehicle Center or
a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel. Drive with a ppropriate caution in the
meantime. The vehicle has reduced ground
clearance and driving co mfort may be notice-
ably reduced. Even if th e 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.
Function requirements
In order to assure the re liable 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 situatio ns, 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, th e initialization is con-
tinued automatically. Do not initialize the sys-
tem when driving with snow chains
* or with the
compact wheel
*. <
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2. Press the controller to open the menu.
3. Select "Settings" an d press the controller.
4. Select "Vehicle / Tire s" and press the con-
troller.