Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
19
Cruise control
The concept
The cruise control is available for use at speeds
of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. The vehicle stores
and maintains the speed that you set using the
lever mounted on the steering column.
The cruise control can also be activated
during electric driving, eDRIVE. The
cruise control provides a particularly sensitive
adjustment of the electric drive output.<
Do not use the cruise control under driv-
ing conditions that do not permit a con-
stant speed, e.g. when driving on winding
roads, in heavy traffic or in poor road conditions
such as snow, rain, ice, and loose road surface.
Otherwise you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Storing speed and maintaining or increas-
ing
2Storing speed and maintaining or decreas-
ing
3Deactivating cruise control
4Resuming stored speed
Maintaining current speed
Briefly press, arrow1, or briefly pull, arrow2
lever.
The speed currently being driven is stored and
maintained. It is indicated on the speedometer
and briefly in the instrument panel.
If the engine braking effect is not sufficient on
steep downhill slopes, the vehicle may exceed
the set speed.
Increasing speed
Repeatedly press the lever up to or beyond the
resistance point, arrow1, until the desired
speed is set.
>Each time the lever is pressed to the resis-
tance point, the speed is increased by
approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pressed beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed
increases by a maximum of 5 mph or
10 km/h.
The system stores the setting and maintains
the set speed.
Accelerating with lever
Accelerate slightly:
Press the lever up to the resistance point,
arrow1, until the desired speed is reached.
Accelerate more rapidly:
Press the lever beyond the resistance point,
arrow1, until the desired speed is reached.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. The system stores the
setting and maintains the set speed.
Reducing speed
Repeatedly pull the lever up to the resistance
point or beyond, arrow2, until the desired
speed is displayed.
>Each time the lever is pulled up to the resis-
tance point, the desired speed decreases
by approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pulled beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed is
decreased by a maximum of 5 mph or
10 km/h until the minimum speed of
20 mph or 30 km/h is reached.
The system stores the setting and maintains
the set speed.
Deactivating cruise control
Briefly press the lever up or down, arrow3.
The displays in the speedometer go out.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
Driving
20 >when braking
>when transmission position N is engaged
>when DTC is activated or DSC is deacti-
vated
>when HDC is activated
>when the parking brake is set
>when driving stability control systems inter-
vene
Accelerating does not deactivate the cruise
control. After releasing the accelerator pedal,
the stored speed is reached and maintained
again.
Warning lamp
The warning lamp lights up if the
cruise control has been deactivated
automatically, e.g. by a control inter-
vention of the DSC. A message appears on the
Control Display.
Resuming stored speed
Briefly press the button, arrow4. The stored
speed is resumed and maintained.
With the ignition switched off, the stored speed
value is deleted and cannot be resumed again.
Displays in instrument panel
1Stored desired speed
2Selected desired speed appears briefly
If --- mph or --- km/h temporarily appears in the
instrument panel display, it is possible that the
system prerequisites for operation are currently
not met.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up if the sys-
tem has failed. A message appears on
the Control Display.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
21
Everything under control
Charge state display
Shows the available charge on a scale from 0 to
1 when drive readiness is switched on. At the
scale value 1, the high-voltage battery is fully
charged. The five segments divide the scale
into ranges of 20% each.
In normal driving operation, the high-voltage
battery is charged to approx. 80%. This permits
the hybrid system to make optimal use of the
energy recovery when decelerating or driving
downhill.
Even at the scale value 0, the hybrid system is
still under high voltage.
Displaying operating modes
Energy flows
In all operating modes of the vehicle, the energy
flows can be displayed on the Control Display.
This gives you an overview of the functioning of
the hybrid system in different driving condi-
tions.
Accessing the energy flow display
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Hybrid"
3.Energy flows are displayed.
The energy flow display functions according to
the following principle:
>Blue: Electrical energy.
>Red: Energy from the combustion engine.
>Arrow: Direction of the energy flow.
>Segments of the high-voltage battery sym-
bolize the charge state.
>The operating modes are displayed: DRIVE,
eDRIVE, CHARGE, eBOOST
Operating by voice activation*
You can also select the "Hybrid" menu using
voice activation.
{Hybrid}.
The menu is selected.
Everything under control
22
Electric driving: eDRIVE
During electric driving, the power output by the
electric motors is indicated by arrows:
Depending on the position of the accelerator
pedal, up to four arrows light up one after
another.
The tachometer pointer is in the READY posi-
tion.
If all four arrows have already lit up, when addi-
tional drive power is needed, e.g. for accelera-
tion, the combustion engine is switched on.
Assisted combustion engine: eBOOST
At the maximum output from the electric
motors, all four arrows light up simultaneously.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The energy recovery is indicated in the tachom-
eter as an arrow with the + symbol: The high-
voltage battery is charged.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 22.5 US gal/
85 liters. You will find information on refueling
on page32.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
After the reserve quantity has been reached, a
message briefly appears on the Control Display;
the remaining range is shown in the computer.
Below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the
message remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
27
Using energy recovery
Energy recovery is displayed in the instrument
panel.
Coasting mode
In coasting mode, e.g. when rolling toward a
traffic signal, the high-voltage battery is
charged by energy recovery.
Braking
The most efficient energy recovery and charg-
ing of the high-voltage battery are achieved
with moderate braking.
Switching off functions currently not
required
Functions such as air conditioning, seat heat-
ing, or rear window defrosting consume a lot of
energy and require additional fuel. Their influ-
ence is particularly pronounced in city traffic
and stop & go operation. For this reason, it is a
good idea to switch these functions off when
they are not really needed.
Having maintenance carried out
Have the vehicle serviced regularly in order to
achieve the optimum economy and service life
of your vehicle. BMW recommends having the
maintenance performed by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center. Also pay attention to
the BMW maintenance system, refer to the
BMW X6 Owner's Manual.
General driving notes
Driving through water
Maximum water depth: 17 in/45 cm
Only drive through water up to the above-
mentioned depth at no greater than walk-
ing speed; otherwise, the engine, electrical sys-
tem, and transmission can be damaged.<
Braking safely
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature. In situations that require it, it is best to
brake with full force. Since the vehicle maintains
steering responsiveness, you can still avoid
possible obstacles with a minimum of steering
effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal, combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits, indicate that
ABS is in its active mode.
Hills
To prevent overheating and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent pressure on the brake pedal
can lead to high temperatures, brake wear and
possibly even brake failure.<
With a fully charged high-voltage battery,
the combustion engine is switched on
when driving downhill in order to avoid over-
loading the high-voltage battery.<
The braking effect of the engine can be further
increased by downshifting in the manual mode
of the automatic transmission, if necessary into
first gear, refer to page18. This prevents an
excessive strain on the brakes.
Do not drive in idle or with drive readiness
mode deactivated; otherwise, there is no
braking action from the energy recovery or from
the engine and no power-assistance for braking
and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area of movement
of the pedals and impair their operation.<
Refueling
32
Refueling
Before refueling, deactivate drive readi-
ness. When handling fuel, always observe
all applicable precautionary measures and reg-
ulations. Never transport reserve fuel contain-
ers in the vehicle. These could become leaky
and cause an explosion or a fire in an accident.<
Refueling
The BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is equipped with a
special fuel tank. It is designed for special
requirements that arise in the hybrid operation
of the vehicle, e.g. alternating driving with the
combustion engine or electric motors. Fuel
vapors can cause pressure to build up in the fuel
tank, which is reduced before the fuel tank
catch is opened.
Preparation
Unlocking fuel filler door
1.Deactivate drive readiness, refer to
page15.
2.Push the button to start pressure compen-
sation.
3.Messages indicate that the fuel filler door
has been released and refueling is possible.
In rare cases, the pressure decrease can
take several seconds. A message on the
Control Display indicates when the fuel filler
door has been released.
4.Open the fuel filler door.
If the fuel filler door is not opened within
10 minutes after the fuel tank catch is released, the fuel filler door locks again.
Press the button again.
Opening fuel filler door
1.Open the fuel filler door. To do this, briefly
press the lower edge.
The fuel filler door can only be opened if the
fuel tank catch has been released.
2.Turn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise.
3.Place the fuel filler cap in the bracket
attached to the fuel filler door.
Closing
Fit the cap and turn it clockwise until you clearly
hear a click.
Do not crush the band attached to the
cap; otherwise, the cap may not properly
seal and fuel vapors can escape.<
Manually releasing fuel filler door
If an electrical malfunction should occur and the
system does not release the fuel filler door, you
can unlock the fuel filler door manually.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
37
Giving and receiving assistance
Jump starting, charging
high-voltage battery
Your BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is equipped with
two types of battery:
>12 Volt battery
>High-voltage battery
If the 12 Volt battery or high-voltage battery is
dead, the combustion engine can be started
with the aid of another vehicle using two jumper
cables.
Only use jumper cables with fully insulated ter-
minal clamps and do not deviate from the
described procedure.
To avoid the risk of potentially fatal injury,
always avoid all contact with electrical
components while the engine is running. Care-
fully adhere to the following sequence, both to
prevent damage to one or both vehicles, and to
guard against possible personal injuries.<
Identifying the dead battery
>Dead 12 Volt battery: Ignition cannot be
switched on.
>Dead high-voltage battery: Ignition can be
switched on. Drive readiness cannot be
activated.
A message appears on the Control Display.
Preparation
1.Check whether the battery of the other
vehicle is a 12 Volt battery and has approxi-
mately the same capacitance in Ah. This
information can be found on the battery.
2.Switch off the engine of the assisting vehi-
cle.
3.Switch off any electrical systems and com-
ponents in both vehicles.
There must not be any contact between
the bodies of the two vehicles, otherwise
there is a danger of shorting.<
Connecting jumper cables
To avoid personal injury from sparks, fol-
low this sequence when connecting
jumper cables.<
In your BMW, the so-called jump-starting termi-
nal in the engine compartment functions as the
positive battery terminal, also refer to the
engine compartment overview on page35. The
cover cap is marked with a + symbol.
1.Fold open the cover of the BMW starting-
aid terminal. To do so, pull the tab.
2.Attach one end of the jumper cable plus/+
to the positive terminal of the battery or a
starting-aid terminal of the vehicle provid-
ing assistance.
3.Attach the second end of the cable to the
positive terminal of the battery or to a start-
ing-aid terminal of the vehicle to be started.
4.Attach one end of the jumper cable minus/–
to the negative terminal of the battery or to
an engine or body ground of the assisting
vehicle.
Your BMW has a special nut as body ground
or negative pole.
Giving and receiving assistance
38 5.Attach the second end of the cable to the
negative terminal of the battery or to the
engine or body ground of the vehicle to be
started.
Charging: 12 Volt battery
1.Start the engine on the assisting vehicle
and activate drive readiness, allowing the
assisting vehicle to run at idle for several
minutes at slightly increased speed.
2.Start the engine on your vehicle in the usual
way.
If the first starting attempt is not successful,
wait a few minutes before another attempt
in order to allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the connection sequence.
Have the battery checked if necessary.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Charging: High-voltage battery
1.Start the engine on the assisting vehicle
and activate drive readiness, allowing the
assisting vehicle to run at idle for several
minutes at slightly increased speed.
2.Switch on the ignition of your vehicle when
prompted by the corresponding message
on the Control Display. The charging
begins.
3.The charging is concluded when this is
prompted by a corresponding message on
the Control Display.
4.Start the combustion engine of your own
vehicle.
5.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the connection sequence.
Have the hybrid system checked if necessary.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Charging interrupted
The charging may be interrupted, for example if
the battery power of the assisting vehicle is
insufficient.
Disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse of
the sequence described above and contact
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Tow-starting and towing
Getting towed:
Have your BMW ActiveHybrid X6 trans-
ported only on a flat bed of a tow truck;
otherwise, the high-voltage system may be
damaged.<
In special circumstances, it is possible to have
the vehicle towed on the road for short dis-
tances, e.g. in order to remove the vehicle from
a dangerous area.
No tow-starting
The engine cannot be started by tow-starting.
Start the engine by jump starting it, refer to
page37.
Have the cause of the starting difficulties elimi-
nated.
Towing the vehicle
Towing your BMW ActiveHybrid X6 with a tow
rope or tow bar is only possible in special cir-
cumstances for short distances, e.g. in order to
remove the vehicle from a dangerous area. Oth-
erwise, the hybrid system can be damaged.