
Cockpit
12
Instrument panel
1Indicator lamps for turn signals
2Speedometer
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Tachometer72
5BMW X5: energy control72
BMW X6: engine oil temperature72 or
energy control72
6Display for
>Clock/date71
>Outside temperature71
>Indicator and warning lamps77
>Speed of cruise control
*69
>BMW X5: reserve display for diesel 
exhaust fluid2267Display for
>Odometer and trip odometer71
>Computer73
>Date and remaining travel distance 
for service requirements74
>Automatic transmission positions64
>HDC Hill Descent Control90
>High-beam assistant
*104
> There is a Check Control 
message77
>Adaptive Drive
*91
8Fuel gauge73
9Resetting trip odometer71
Displaying service requirement71
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Everything under control
72
Tachometer
Do not operate the engine with the needle in the 
red overspeed zone of the gauge, refer to arrow. 
At high revs in this range, the flow of fuel is 
interrupted to protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
Should the coolant, and with it the engine 
become too hot, a warning lamp lights up. In 
addition, a message appears on the Control 
Display.
Checking coolant level, refer to page243.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at operating temperature, 
the engine oil temperature is between approx. 
1707/806 and approx. 2507/1206.
When the engine oil temperature is too high, a 
warning lamp lights up in the instrument panel.
Energy control*
Displays the current fuel consumption. This 
allows you to see whether your current driving 
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
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Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
Technology for comfort, convenience and 
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
In addition to the PDC Park Distance Control, 
the rear view camera
*, refer to page86, can 
also be switched on.
PDC assists you during parking. A slow 
approach to an object in front of or behind your 
vehicle is announced by:
>Signal tones
>Optical displays
Measurement
Ultrasonic sensors in the bumpers carry out the 
measurement.
Their range is approx. 7 ft/2 m.
The acoustic warning begins:
>at approx. 24 in/60 cm for the front
* sen-
sors and the two rear corner sensors.
>at approx. 5 ft/1.50 m for the middle sen-
sors in the rear.
System limitations
PDC cannot replace the personal assess-
ment of the traffic situation. Also make a 
direct visual check of the traffic situation around 
the vehicle. Otherwise, there could be a risk of 
accident, for example due to other road users or 
objects outside the detection range of PDC.
Loud sources of sound, inside and outside the 
vehicle, could drown out the PDC signal tone.<
Avoid approaching an object too quickly. 
Avoid starting off quickly while PDC is not 
yet activated.
Otherwise, physical circumstances could cause 
the system to issue a warning late.<
Limitations of ultrasonic measurement
The detection of objects can come up against 
the limitations of physical ultrasonic measure-
ment, for example:
>when using tow bars and towing hitches
>in the presence of thin or wedge-shaped 
objects
>in the presence of low objects
>in the presence of objects with corners and 
sharp edges
Low objects that have already been displayed, 
e.g. curbs, can disappear again from the detec-
tion area of the sensors before or after a contin-
uous tone sounds.
Higher, protruding objects, e.g. ledges, cannot 
be detected.
False warnings
Under the following conditions, PDC may dis-
play a warning even though no obstacle is 
present in the detection range:
>in heavy rain
>when the sensors are heavily soiled or iced-
over
>when the sensors are covered with snow
>on rough road surfaces
>in large, rectangular buildings with smooth 
walls, e.g. underground garages
>in the presence of heavy exhaust
>due to the presence of other ultrasonic 
sources such as street sweepers, steam 
cleaners, or neon lamps.
Automatic activation
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, shift the selector lever into position R.
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Mobility
 241Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
BMW X6
1Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp 
and windshield cleaning systems, refer to 
page69
2Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding 
engine oil on page2423Starting-aid terminal, refer to page262
4Expansion tank for coolant, refer to 
page243
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on 
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking engine oil level
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic oil 
level check.
The condition for the most accurate indication 
of the oil level possible is measurement with the 
engine at operating temperature, i.e. following 
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6 miles/10 km. 
You can display the oil level while driving or 
when stopped on a level surface with the engine 
running.1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
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Under the hood
242 3."Engine oil level"
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level OK"
>"Measuring engine oil level...": 
This process can take approx. 3 minutes 
when stopped on a level surface and 
approx. 5 minutes while driving.
>"Engine oil level below minimum. Add 
1quart!": 
At the next opportunity, add 1 US quart/liter 
of engine oil.
If the oil level displayed is below mini-
mum, add engine oil immediately. 
Failure to do so may lead to engine dam-
age.<
>"Engine oil level too high! Have this 
checked.":
Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise engine damage may 
result if too much oil has been added.<
>"Measurement inactive. Have this 
checked.": 
Do not add engine oil. Before continuing to 
drive, note the recalculated remaining mile-
age until the next oil change service, refer to 
Service requirements on page74. Have the 
system checked as soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
BMW X5
BMW X6
Do not add 1 US quart/liter of oil until a corre-
sponding message is shown on the Control Dis-
play.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km, 
otherwise the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Continuous exposure to used oil has 
caused cancer in laboratory testing. 
For this reason, any skin areas that come into 
contact with oil should be thoroughly washed 
with soap and water.
Keep oil, grease etc. out of reach of children and 
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks.<
Oil change
Only have an oil change carried out by a BMW 
Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop 
that works in accordance with BMW guidelines 
and uses appropriately trained personnel.
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Mobility
 243Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical 
significance for the operation and service life of 
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use 
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center 
will be happy to answer more detailed 
questions about approved oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at 
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at 
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Do not use oil additives, as these may 
result in engine damage.<
Alternative oil grades
If none of the approved oils is available at a 
given time, you can also use smaller quantities 
of other oils between oil changes. The packag-
ing must include one of the following indica-
tions of oil specifications.
Gasoline engines
>Preferred: BMW Longlife-01, 
BMW Longlife-01 FE
>Alternative: BMW Longlife-98, API SM or 
higher
Diesel engines
>BMW Longlife-04
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and 
is specified in SAE grades.
The choice of the right SAE grade is based on 
the climatic conditions in the region in which 
you normally drive your BMW.
Approved oils belong to the SAE classi-
fications 0W-40, 0W-30, 5W-40 and 
5W-30.<
These oils can be used for driving at all outside 
temperatures.
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system 
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant 
can cause burns.<
Coolant is composed of equal parts water and a 
coolant additive. Not all commercially available 
additives are suitable for your BMW. Your BMW 
Sports Activity Vehicle Center can recommend 
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, otherwise 
engine damage may result. The additives 
present a health hazard; observe the instruc-
tions on the containers.<
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Checking coolant level
1.Do not open the hood until the engine has 
cooled down.
2.Turn the cap of the expansion tank counter-
clockwise to allow any accumulated pres-
sure to escape, then continue turning to 
open.
3.The coolant level is correct when the cool-
ant level is between the MIN and MAX 
marks, refer to the diagram adjacent to the 
filler neck.
4.If the coolant is low, slowly add coolant up to 
the specified level; do not overfill.
5.Turn the cap until there is an audible click.
6.Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.
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Maintenance
244
Maintenance
BMW maintenance system
The BMW maintenance system supports the 
preservation of the traffic and operating safety 
of your BMW. The service schedule also 
includes operations related to the vehicle's 
comfort and convenience features, such as 
replacement of the filters for the inside air. 
The ultimate objective is to ensure economical 
maintenance by providing the ideal service for 
your vehicle.
Should the day come when you decide to sell 
your BMW, a complete dealer service history 
will prove to be an asset of inestimable value.
CBS Condition Based Service
Sensors and special algorithms take the differ-
ent driving conditions of your BMW into 
account. Condition Based Service uses this to 
determine the current and future service 
requirements. By letting you define a service 
and maintenance regimen that reflects your 
own individual requirements, the system builds 
the basis for trouble-free driving.
You can set the Control Display to show 
remaining distances and times of selected 
maintenance intervals and legally mandated 
deadlines, refer to page74:
>Engine oil
>Brake pads, front and rear separately
>Brake fluid
>Vehicle check>Legally mandated inspections depending 
on local regulations
Service data in remote control
Your vehicle stores the information required for 
maintenance continuously in the remote con-
trol during driving. After accessing the data 
stored in the remote control, your BMW Service 
Advisor can suggest precisely the right array of 
service procedures for your own individual vehi-
cle. You should therefore hand over the remote 
control you last used to drive to the BMW Ser-
vice Advisor when you take your vehicle in for 
service.
Make sure the date is set correctly, refer 
to page80, otherwise the effectiveness 
of CBS Condition Based Service is not 
ensured.<
Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models and 
Warranty and Service Guide Booklet 
for Canadian models
Please consult your Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet for US models and Warranty 
and Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models 
for additional information on service require-
ments.
BMW recommends that you have service 
and repair operations performed at your 
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center. 
Take the time to ensure that these service pro-
cedures are confirmed by entries in your vehi-
cle's Service and Warranty Information Booklet 
for US models and Warranty and Service Guide 
Booklet for Canadian models. These entries 
verify that your vehicle has received the speci-
fied regular maintenance.<
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Everything from A to Z
279
Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS Antilock Brake 
System88
Accessories5
Access to 3rd row seats48
Acoustic signal, refer to Check 
Control77
Activated-charcoal filter112
Active seat52
Active seat ventilation51
Active steering96
– malfunction97
– warning lamp97
Adaptive brake lamp, brake 
force display97
Adaptive Drive91
Adaptive fixing system124
Adaptive Head Light103
Address for navigation, 
entering141,147
Adjusting confirmation signals 
for locking and unlocking28
Adjusting opening 
height31,33
Adjusting temperature with 
expanded-scope automatic 
climate control109
Adjusting the tone during 
audio operation, refer to 
Tone control160
Adjusting thigh 
support44,45
Airbags98
– sitting safely43
– warning lamp99
Air distribution
– automatic108,113
– manual110
Air recirculation110
– AUC Automatic 
recirculated-air control110
– recirculated-air mode110Air vents107
– refer to Ventilation111
Air vents of automatic climate 
control107
Air volume109,113
AKI, refer to Fuel 
specifications225
Alarm system34
– avoiding unintentional 
alarms35
– interior motion sensor35
– switching off alarm34
– switching off tilt alarm 
sensor and interior motion 
sensor35
– tilt alarm sensor35
Albums of music 
collection180
Alloy wheels247
All-season tires, refer to 
Winter tires238
All-wheel drive, refer to 
xDrive90
Alterations, technical, refer to 
For your own safety5
AM, waveband163
Antenna for mobile phone202
Antifreeze
– coolant243
– washer fluid69
Antilock Brake System 
ABS88
Anti-theft system
– refer to Alarm system34
– refer to Central locking 
system27
Approved axle weights, refer 
to Weights271
Approved engine oils243
Approved gross vehicle 
weight, refer to Weights271
Armrest, refer to Center 
armrest, front119Around the center console14
Around the steering wheel10
Arrival time, refer to 
Computer74
Ashtray
– front120
– rear120
Assist, refer to separate 
operating instructions
Assistance systems, refer to 
Driving stability control 
systems88
AUC Automatic recirculated-
air control110
Audio160
– controls160
– switching on/off160
– tone control160
– volume160
Audio CDs, DVD system in 
rear193
Audio device, external119
Automatic
– air distribution108,113
– air volume108,113
– headlamp control102
– liftgate operation31
– steering wheel adjustment, 
refer to Easy entry/exit54
Automatically switching high-
beams on and off, refer to 
High-beam assistant104
Automatic car washes246
Automatic climate control
– automatic air 
distribution108,113
– in rear112
– switching off111,113
– ventilation in rear111
– with 2-zone control108
– with 4-zone control112
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