Controls
95Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Do not reset the system when driving with a
compact wheel
*.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset TPM"
4.Start the engine – do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset TPM".
6.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. On the Control Display, the tires are
shown in green and "Status: TPM active " is
displayed again.
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 "Low tire!" is shown.<
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.
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.<
Status display
The current status of the TPM Tire Pressure
Monitor can be displayed on the Control Dis-
play, e.g. whether or not the TPM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 95 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
98
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head-level airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in backrests
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
observe the adjustment instructions on
page43.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding 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 cover 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 front 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
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, removal, 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 passenger 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
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 98 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Controls
99Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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 instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page55.
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 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 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. 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 page59, 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.<
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 99 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Controls
101Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Notes
The visibility of the displays in the Head-Up Dis-
play is influenced by:
>Sunglasses with certain polarization filters
>Certain sitting positions
>Objects on the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play
>Wet road surface and unfavorable lighting
conditions
If the image is distorted, have the basic setting
checked at a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Cen-
ter.
Special windshield
The windshield is part of the system. The shape
of the windshield complies with the require-
ments of the Head-Up Display to enable a pre-
cise display. A film in the windshield prevents
the double images from being displayed.
Windshield replacement should be carried out
by a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel.
Care instructions
Important information on this topic is provided
on page249.
Only clean the cover of the Head-Up Dis-
play with a soft, lint-free cloth or with a
display cleaning cloth, otherwise damage may
result.<
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 101 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Climate
112
BMW X5: heating and ventilation,
3rd row seats
The air in the area of the 3rd row seats can be
heated or recirculated. Air vents are located in
the storage compartment area between the
seats and in the footwell of the 3rd row seats.
1Thumbwheel:
>Activating heating and distributing air in
footwell:
Turn toward front
>Distributing air in storage compartment
area between seats:
Turn toward rear
2Button for switching on blower:
LED lights up
The heating is not ready for operation
without switching on the blower. After the
heating is switched off, the blower can be used
to recirculate the air within the vehicle, e.g. at
high temperatures. To do this, turn the thumb-
wheel 1 toward the rear and switch on the
blower, button2.<
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. This com-
bined filter is changed during maintenance by
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
You can select a display of more detailed infor-
mation on the Control Display, refer to page74.
Automatic climate control
with 4-zone control*
Front operation
Corresponds to the operation of the automatic
climate control with 2-zone control, refer to
page108.
Rear operation
The control unit is located in the center console
in the rear.
1Temperature, left rear seating area
2AUTO program
3Display
4Temperature, right rear seating area
5Seat heating, right rear seat
6Air volume, manual
7Seat heating, left rear seat
The current setting for the temperature and the
air volume is shown on display3.
Activating/deactivating
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3."Rear climate"
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 112 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Controls
115Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Practical interior accessories
Integrated universal remote
control*
The concept
The integrated universal remote control can
replace as many as three hand-held transmit-
ters for various remote-controlled accessories,
such as garage and gate or lighting systems.
The integrated universal remote control regis-
ters and stores signals from the original hand-
held transmitters.
The signal of an original hand-held transmitter
can be programmed on one of the three mem-
ory buttons1. Then with the ignition switched
on, this programmed memory button1 can be
used to operate the respective feature. The
LED2 flashes to confirm transmission of the
signal.
Should you sell your vehicle one day, be sure to
delete the stored programs beforehand for your
safety, refer to page116.
To prevent possible damage or injury,
before programming or using the inte-
grated universal remote control, always inspect
the immediate area to make certain that no peo-
ple, animals or objects are within the travel
range of the device. Also, comply with the
safety precautions of the original hand-held
transmitter.<
Checking compatibility
If you see this symbol on the packaging
or in the manual supplied with the orig-
inal hand-held transmitter, it is safe to
assume that it is compatible with the integrated
universal remote control.
Should you have additional questions,
please contact your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center or call: 1-800-355-3515.
Information is also provided on the Internet at:
www.bmwusa.com or
www.homelink.com.HomeLink is a registered trademark of Johnson
Controls, Inc.<
Programming
1Memory buttons
2LED
Fixed-code hand-held transmitters
1.Switch on ignition, refer to page59.
2.When starting operation for the first time:
press the left and right-hand memory but-
ton 1 for approx. 20 seconds until the LED2
flashes quickly. All stored programs are
deleted.
3.Hold the original hand-held transmitter at
a distance of approx. 4 in/10 cm to 12 in/
30 cm from the memory buttons1.
The required distance between the
hand-held transmitter and the mem-
ory buttons1 depends on the relevant sys-
tem of the original hand-held transmitter
used.<
4.Simultaneously press the transmit button
on the original hand-held transmitter and
the desired memory button1 on the inte-
grated universal remote control. The LED 2
flashes slowly at first. As soon as the LED2
flashes rapidly, release both buttons. If the
LED2 does not flash rapidly after approx.
15 seconds, alter the distance and repeat
the step.
5.To program other original hand-held trans-
mitters, repeat steps 3 and 4.
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 115 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Practical interior accessories
116 The corresponding memory button1 is now
programmed with the signal of the original
hand-held transmitter.
You can operate the device when the engine is
running or when the ignition is switched on.
If the device cannot be used after
repeated programming, check whether
the original hand-held transmitter uses an alter-
nating-code system. To do so, either read the
instructions for the original hand-held transmit-
ter or hold down the programmed memory but-
ton 1 of the integrated universal remote control.
If the LED2 on the integrated universal remote
control flashes rapidly for a short time and then
remains lit for approx. 2 seconds, this indicates
that the original hand-held transmitter uses an
alternating-code system. In the case of an alter-
nating-code system, program the memory but-
tons 1 as described at Alternating-code hand-
held transmitters.<
Alternating-code hand-held
transmitters
To program the integrated universal remote
control, consult the operating instructions for
the equipment to be set. You will find informa-
tion there on the possibilities for synchroniza-
tion.
When programming hand-held transmitters
that employ an alternating code, observe the
following supplementary instructions:
Programming will be easier with the aid of
a second person.<
1.Park your vehicle within the range of the
remote-controlled device.
2.Program the integrated universal remote
control as described above in the section
Fixed-code hand-held transmitters.
3.Locate the button on the receiver of the
device to be set, e.g. on the drive unit.
4.Press the button on the receiver of the
device to be set. After step 4, you have
approx. 30 seconds for step 5.
5.Press the programmed memory button1
of the integrated universal remote control
three times.The corresponding memory button1 is now
programmed with the signal of the original
hand-held transmitter.
Should you have questions, please con-
tact your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.<
Deleting all stored programs
Press the left and right-hand memory button1
for approx. 20 seconds until the LED2 flashes
quickly:
All stored programs are deleted.
Reassigning individual programs
1.Hold the original hand-held transmitter at
a distance of approx. 4 in/10 cm to 12 in/
30 cm from the memory buttons1.
The required distance between the
hand-held transmitter and the mem-
ory buttons1 depends on the relevant sys-
tem of the original hand-held transmitter
used.<
2.Press the desired memory button1 of the
integrated universal remote control.
3.When the LED2 flashes slowly after approx.
20 seconds, press the transmit button of
the original hand-held transmitter. Release
both buttons as soon as the LED2 flashes
rapidly. If the LED2 does not flash rapidly
after approx. 15 seconds, alter the distance
and repeat the step.
Digital compass*
1Adjustment button
2Display
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 116 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11
Controls
119Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Do not connect USB hard disks.
>Do not use the USB interface to recharge
external devices.
Center armrest front
A storage compartment is located under the
armrest between the front seats and, depend-
ing on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for
the mobile phone bracket or the snap-in
adapter. Also refer to page202.
Opening cover
Push cover down slightly and press the button.
The cover folds upward.
Connection for external audio device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks
over the vehicle's speaker system:
>AUX-IN connection, refer to page183
>USB audio interface, refer to page183
Storage compartments
Compartments are located in the doors, in the
center console in the front and rear
* as well as
in the rear console in the X6.
Storage nets
* are located on the backrests of
the front seats.
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects
in the storage nets; otherwise there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent.<
Clothes hooks
When hanging clothing on the hooks,
ensure that it will not obstruct the driver's
vision. Do not hang heavy objects on the hooks.
If you do so, they could cause personal injury to
occupants during braking or evasive maneu-
vers.<
BMW X5
Clothes hooks are located near the grab han-
dles in the rear.
BMW X6
To fold out, press against upper edge.
Cup holders
Use lightweight, unbreakable containers
and do not transport hot beverages; oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident. Do not force unsuitable
containers into the cup holders, as otherwise
damage can result.<
Front
Slide the cover back.
ba8_e70ag.book Seite 119 Freitag, 5. Juni 2009 11:42 11