
At a glance
 11Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
9BMW X6: upshifting or downshifting 
with automatic transmission 71
10 Instrument panel 12
13 Ignition lock 65
14 Buttons on steering wheel 15
Horn, entire surface
18 Releasing hood 258
8
Turn signals 73
High beams, headlamp flasher 73
Roadside parking lamps
*112
Time, date, outside temperature, 
Check Control 78, 86
Computer 80
11 Windshield wipers 74
Rain sensor 74
BMW X5: rear window wiper 75
12 Starting/stopping engine and 
switching ignition on/off 
65
Telephone
*:
> Press: accepting and ending 
call, starting dialing
* for 
selected phone number and 
redialing if no phone number is 
selected
> Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice 
activation system
* 23
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling in phone book and in lists 
with stored phone numbers
Individually programmable 59 
Individually programmable 59 
Steering wheel heating
*59
16 Steering wheel adjustment 58
17 Cruise control
*75 

Opening and closing
38
To stop the opening process:
>
Press the button on the outside of the lift-
gate.
> Press and hold the  bu tton on the remote 
control.
> Press the button on the inside of the lift-
gate.
> Press the button on the center console 
again.
The opening process is interrupted if you 
set the vehicle in motion. <
Closing liftgate
Make sure that the closing path of the lift-
gate is clear, otherwise injuries may 
result. <
The liftgate closes automatically when you 
press the button on the inside of the liftgate.
To stop the closing process:
> Press the button on the inside of the lift-
gate.
> Press the button on the outside of the lift-
gate.
Closing is not canceled when you put the 
vehicle into motion. <
The liftgate also cl oses automatically 
without pressing the bu tton if it is loaded 
with an additional weight of approx. 11 lbs./5 kg, 
e.g. snow or ice.<
Manually opening or closing
In case of an electrical  defect of the automatic 
liftgate operation function:
1. Manually rele ase the liftgate, refer to 
page 36.
2. Open or close the liftgate slowly and with-
out making sudden movements.
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the liftgate is 
opened
> To movements in the vehicle: interior 
motion sensor, refer to page 39
> To changes in the vehicle's tilt if someone 
attempts to steal th e wheels or tow the 
vehicle
> To interruptions in battery voltage
Unauthorized operations  are briefly signaled by 
the alarm system:
> with an acoustic alarm
> by switching on
 the hazard warning flashers
> by flashing the high beams
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.
With the system armed, the liftgate can also be 
opened using the  button of the remote con-
trol, refer to page 30. When the liftgate is 
closed, it is once again locked and monitored.
Switching off alarm
> Unlock the vehicle using the remote control, 
refer to page 30.
> Insert the remote contro l all the way into the 
ignition lock. 

Controls
 39Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp under the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
> The indicator lamp flashes after locking: 
The doors, hood, or liftgate are not properly 
closed. Even if you do not close the alerted 
area, the system begins to monitor the 
remaining areas, and  the indicator lamp 
flashes continuously after approx. 10 sec-
onds. However, the interior motion sensor 
is not activated.
> The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking: 
your vehicle has not been disturbed while 
you were away.
> The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking 
until the remote control  is inserted into the 
ignition lock, however for a maximum of 
approx. 5 minutes: your vehicle has been 
disturbed while you were away.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm 
system reacts, e.g. in  case of an attempted 
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior  motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and glass sunroof
*/
panorama glass sunroof
* must be completely 
closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor 
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following 
situations:
> In stacking garages
> When transporting on car-carrying trains, 
by sea or on a trailer
> When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and 
interior motion sensor
Press the  button on the remote control 
again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp light s up briefly and then 
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and 
the interior motion sensor  are switched off until 
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
Comfort access*
Comfort access enables you to access your 
vehicle without having to  hold the remote con-
trol in your hand. It is sufficient to carry the 
remote control with you,  e.g. in your jacket 
pocket. The vehicle auto matically detects the 
related remote control in the immediate vicinity 
or in the interior.
Comfort access supports the following func-
tions:
> Unlocking/locking vehicle
> Comfort closing
> Opening liftgate
> Starting engine
Functional requirements
>The vehicle can only be unlocked if the 
vehicle detects that th e remote control car-
ried is not located in the vehicle interior.
> The next unlocking and locking cycle is not 
possible until after approx. 2 seconds. 

Driving
74
Washer/wiper system
1Switching on wipers
2 Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3 Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or 
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
5Setting interval for inte rmittent wipe or sen-
sitivity of the rain sensor
* 
Switching on wipers
Pull the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically retu rns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once. 
The system reverts to op eration in the intermit-
tent mode with the  vehicle stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyond the resistance 
point. 
The system reverts to normal speed with the 
vehicle stationary.
Intermittent operation or rain sensor*
With the rain sensor, th e wiper operation is con-
trolled automatically as  a function of the rain 
intensity. The rain sensor is located on the 
windshield, directly in fr ont of the interior rear-
view mirror.
Activating intermittent operation or 
rain sensor
Press the button, arrow 3. The LED in the but-
ton lights up.
Setting interval for intermittent wipe or 
sensitivity of the rain sensor
Turn the serrated dial 5.
Deactivating intermittent operation or 
rain sensor
Press the button again, arrow 3. The LED goes 
out.
Deactivate the rain  sensor when passing 
through an automatic  car wash. Failure to 
do so could result in damage caused by undes-
ired wiper activation. <
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow4.
The system sprays washer fluid against the 
windshield and ac tivates the wipers for a brief 
period.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched 
on, the headlamps are also cleaned at regular 
and appropriate intervals.
Do not use the washers if there is any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on the 
windshield. If you do so, your vision could be 
obscured. To avoid freezing, use a washer fluid 
antifreeze, refer to Wash er fluid. Do not use 
washing mechanisms when the washer fluid 
reservoir is empty, ot herwise you will damage 
the washer pump.< 

Controls
 91Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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
92
PDC with visual warning
You can also have the system show distances 
to objects on the Control Display. Objects that 
are farther away are already shown there before 
a signal tone sounds. 
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
If the vehicle is equipped with a rear view cam-
era, refer to Displays on page 95.
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 "Vehicle / Tire s" and press the con-
troller.
5. Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Maneuvering aids" is 
selected and press the controller. 6.
Turn the controller until "View selection" is 
selected and press the controller.
7. Select "PDC in main window only" and 
press the controller.
 The PDC screen is activated.
The display appears on  the Control Display as 
soon as PDC is activated.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for 
estimating the distance between the 
vehicle and any obstructions always remains 
with the driver. Even when sensors are pro-
vided, there is a blind sp ot in which objects can 
no longer be detected. The system's detection 
of objects is also subjec t to the physical limits 
that apply to all forms of ultrasonic measure-
ment, such as those encountered with tow bars 
and trailer couplings, th in or wedge-shaped 
objects etc. Low objects already displayed, e.g. 
the curb, can also disappear from the detection 
area of the sensors again before or after a con-
tinuous tone already sounds. Higher, protrud-
ing objects, e.g. ledg es, cannot be detected. 
For this reason, drive with care; otherwise, there 
is a danger of personal injury or property dam-
age.
Loud sources of sound, inside and outside the 
vehicle, could drown ou t the PDC signal tone.< 

Lamps
110
Lamps
Parking lamps/low beams
0Lights off and daytime driving lamps*
1Parking lamps and daytime driving lamps*
2Low beams and welcome lamps
3 Automatic head lamp control
*, daytime 
driving lamps
*, welcome lamps and Adap-
tive Head Light
*
If you open the driver's door with the ignition 
switched off, the exteri or lighting is automati-
cally switched off when  the light switch is in 
position 0, 2  or  3.
If necessary, switch on the parking lamps, 
switch position 1.
Parking lamps
In switch position 1, the front, rear and side 
vehicle lighting is switch ed on. You can use the 
parking lamps for parking.
The parking lamps drain the battery. Do 
not leave them switched on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine. It  is better to switch on 
the roadside parking lamp s on one side, refer to 
page 112.<
Low beams
The low beams light up wh en the light switch is 
in position  2 and the ignition is on.
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position 3, the system activates the 
low beams and switches them on or off in 
response to changes in ambient light condi-
tions, for instance, in a tunnel, at dawn and dusk 
and in case of precipitation. Adaptive Head 
Light
* is active. The LED next to the symbol 
lights up when the low beams are on. You can 
activate the daytime driving lamps, refer to 
page 111. In the situations named above, the 
system then automatically  switches over to the 
low beams.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can 
cause the lights to  be switched on.
The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*. <
The automatic headla mp control cannot 
serve as a substitute for your personal 
judgment in determin ing when the lamps 
should be switched on  in response to ambient 
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors 
cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To avoid 
safety risks, you should always switch on the 
low beams manually un der these conditions.<
Welcome lamps
When parking the vehicle, if you leave the light 
switch in position2 or 3, the parking lamps and 
the interior lamps light up briefly when the vehi-
cle is unlocked.
Activating/deactivating welcome 
lamps
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. 

Controls
 115Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic climate control with 2-zone control
1Seat heating and ventilation, driver's 
side 56
2 Temperature, left side of passenger 
compartment
3 AUTO program
4 Temperature, right side of passenger 
compartment
5 Maximum cooling
6 Seat heating
 and ventilation, 
front passenger side 56
7 Manual air distribution, front passenger side
8 Switching cooling function on and off 
manually 9
AUC Automatic recirculated-air control/
recirculated-air mode
10 Manual air volume, sw itching off automatic 
climate control, residual heat
11 Rear window defroster
12 Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation
13 Air grill for interior temperature sensor – 
please keep clear and unobstructed
14 Manual air distribution, driver's side
The current setting for manual air distribution 
is displayed on the Control Display.
A congenial climate
The AUTO program offers the optimum air dis-
tribution and air volume for virtually all condi-
tions, refer to AUTO pr ogram below. Now you 
only need to select an interior temperature 
pleasant to you.
The following sections contain more detailed 
information on the available setting options.
Most settings are stored for the remote control 
currently in use, also re fer to Personal Profile 
settings on page 28.
AUTO program
The AUTO program handles the 
adjustment of air volume and air 
distribution to the windshield and 
side windows, in the direction of 
the upper body and in the footwell. 
It also adapts your inst ructions for the tempera-
ture to outside influenc es throughout the year. The cooling is switched 
on automatically with 
the AUTO program. At the same time, a con-
densation sensor controls the program in such 
a way that window condensation is prevented 
as much as possible.
Intensity of AUTO program
You can adjust the intensity of the AUTO pro-
gram by repeatedly pr essing the AUTO button. 
The respective current setting is displayed 
when the button on the display of the automatic 
climate control is pressed.
You can also adjust the intensity of the AUTO 
program via iDrive.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. Press the  button. 
This opens the start menu.
2. Move the controller to  the left to open "Cli-
mate".