2011 BMW X5M Owner's Manual

Controls
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Three-dimensionally-shaped markings are dis-
played.
Image on the Control Display
Switching on the rear view camera
using iDrive
With PDC activated:
1.Select the "Rear view camera" symbol.
2.Press the controller.
The image of the rear view camera is displayed.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Brightness
With the rear view camera switched on:
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is displayed and then press the controller.
Contrast
With the rear view camera switched on:
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is displayed and then press the controller.
Camera
The lens of the rear view camera is under the
grasping lip of the liftgate.
The presence of dirt can impair image quality.
Clean the lens with a moist, nonabrasive cloth.
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with 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 page140.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking during curves or when braking
during a lane change, driving stability and steer-
ing response are improved further.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable 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 the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the full braking.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents traction loss 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 limits 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The laws of physics cannot be repealed,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.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96 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 and hold the button until the indicator
lamp for DSC lights up and DSC OFF appears in
the instrument panel, but do not press the but-
ton for longer than approx. 10 seconds. DTC
Dynamic Traction Control and DSC are deacti-
vated together. Stabilizing interventions 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.
Activating DSC
Press the button: the indicator lamp in the
instrument panel goes out.
For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is controlling the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up:
DSC and DTC are malfunctioning.
DSC deactivated:
The indicator lamp lights up and
DSC OFF appears in the instrument
panel.DSC and DTC 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: the indicator lamp for DSC
lights up and TRACTION appears in the instru-
ment panel.

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For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DTC is controlling the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up:
DSC and DTC are malfunctioning.
DTC activated:
The indicator lamp lights up and TRAC-
TION appears in the instrument panel.
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again: the 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.
Dynamic Performance Control*
The concept
Dynamic Performance Control optimizes the
handling characteristics 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 Control Display shows how xDrive and
Dynamic Performance Control are distributing
the drive forces.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Torque distribution"
The current distribution of drive forces is indi-
cated by arrows pointing to all four wheels.
The highlighted arrows show the drive forces
currently present. The longer an arrow is, the
greater the drive forces in the associated wheel.
The transparent arrows indicate the maximum
value the drive forces over the last 10 seconds.
Malfunction
Malfunctions are displayed via Check Control,
refer to page82.
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

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
98 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 controlled 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 10Ξ you can reduce
the speed to approx. 3 mph/4 km/h. Pull the
lever of the cruise control beyond the resis-
tance point, arrow3.
1Increasing speed
2Pull to the resistance point:
Reduce speed to approx. 4 mph/6 km/h
3Pull beyond the resistance point:
With downhill grade over 10Ξ, 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.
Displays* in instrument panel
1Display for target speed
2HDC 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 kickdown 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 quickly or during fast
evasive maneuvers. In addition, Adaptive Drive

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reduces the steering angle requirement,
improves the running comfort and increases
the dynamic driving characteristics of your
BMW.
Chassis and suspension 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.
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to start off
conveniently on slopes. The parking brake is
not required for this purpose.1.Hold the vehicle with the brake pedal.
2.Release the brake pedal and immediately
drive off quickly.
The drive-off assistant holds the vehicle
for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the
brake pedal. Depending on the load, the vehicle
may also roll back slightly during this time.
After releasing the brake pedal, immediately
start quickly, otherwise the drive-off assistant
no longer holds the vehicle after approx.
2 seconds and it begins to roll back.<
Self-leveling suspension*
The concept
The self-leveling suspension on the rear axle
assures a continuous ground clearance.
To do so, the height of the vehicle is measured
by sensors at both rear wheels.
If the actual height deviates from the defined
height, e.g. due to loading of the vehicle, then
this difference is compensated for very quickly.
In addition, spring motions resulting from cor-
nering or irregularities in the road surface are
reduced to a minimum.
The system functions automatically.
Malfunctions
Malfunctions are displayed via Check Control,
refer to page82.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor*
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla-
tion pressure in the tires.
The system detects a pressure loss in a tire by
comparing the rotational speeds of the individ-
ual wheels while moving.
In the event of a pressure loss, the diameter and
therefore the rotational speed of the corre-
sponding wheel change. This is detected and
reported as a flat tire.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
100
Function requirements
The system must have been initialized while the
tire inflation pressure was correct; otherwise,
reliable signaling of a flat tire is not ensured.
Initialize the system after every correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
System limits
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in
advance.<
A natural, even pressure loss in all four tires
cannot be detected. Therefore, check the tire
inflation pressure regularly.
In the following situations, 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.
Status display
The current status of the Flat Tire Monitor can
be displayed on the Control Display, e.g.
whether or not the FTM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Flat Tire Monitor"
The status is displayed.
Initialization
The initialization process adopts the set infla-
tion tire pressures as reference values for the
detection of a flat tire. Initialization is started by
confirming the inflation pressures.
Do not initialize the system when driving with
snow chains
* or with the compact wheel*.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Reset"
4.Start the engine – do not drive away.
5.Start the initialization using "Reset".
6.Start to drive.
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically.<
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or a major loss in tire
inflation pressure.
Actions in the event of a flat tire
Run-flat tires
You can continue driving with a damaged tire at
speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-flat
tires as provided at the factory, refer to
page249, do not continue driving. Continuing
to drive with a flat tire could cause severe acci-
dents.<

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If you have deactivated DSC, it will be activated
automatically.
When driving with a damaged tire:
1.Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu-
vers.
2.Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
If the defective tire continues to lose pres-
sure, its position will be indicated to you on
the Control Display.
3.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor
may not have been initialized. The system
must then be initialized.<
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure.
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
Approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, cargo area full, or
4 persons without luggage:
Approx. 95 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo area 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.
A loss of tire inflation pressure results in a
change in the handling characteristics, e.g.
reduced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance and altered self-steering prop-
erties.<
Vibrations or loud noises while driving can
indicate complete failure of the tire.
Reduce your speed and stop; otherwise, pieces
of the tire could come loose and cause an acci-
dent. Do not continue driving, and contact your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center. The concept
Monitoring of the tire inflation pressure in the
four mounted tires. The system reports when
the tire inflation pressure has dropped consid-
erably in one or several tires.
Function requirements
The system must have been reset while the
inflation pressure was correct; otherwise, reli-
able signaling of a flat tire is not ensured.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics to
ensure that the system will operate properly.
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in
advance.<
The system does not operate correctly if it has
not been reset. For example, a flat tire may be
indicated despite correct tire inflation pres-
sures.
The system is inactive and cannot indicate a flat
tire:
>If a wheel without TPM electronics is
mounted, e.g. a compact wheel
*
>If the TPM is disturbed by other systems or
devices with the same radio frequency
Status display
The current status of the Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM can be displayed on the Control Display,
e.g. whether or not the TPM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
102 3."Tire Pressure Monitor - TPM"
The status is displayed.
Status display on Control Display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
A change in the tire inflation pressure during
driving is taken into account.
A correction is only necessary if indicated by
the TPM.
Green
The tire inflation pressure corresponds to the
target value.
"TPM active" appears on the Control Display.
One wheel is yellow
A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire.
All wheels are yellow
>A flat tire or major drop in inflation pressure
in several tires.
>The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus issues a warning based on
the inflation pressures initialized last.
Gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire.
Reasons for this may be:
>TPM is being reset
>Interference due to systems or devices that
use the same radio frequency
>Malfunction
Resetting system
Reset the system again after each correction of
the tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
Resetting finishes during driving, which can be
interrupted at any time. When driving resumes,
resetting is continued automatically. 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. The resetting process
is completed automatically as you drive. On the
Control Display, the tires are shown in green
and "Status: TPM active" is displayed again.
The trip can be interrupted at any time. When
driving resumes, resetting is continued auto-
matically.
If a flat tire is detected while the system is
resetting, all tires on the Control Display
are displayed in yellow. The message "Low
tire!" is shown.<