2012 BMW X5 XDRIVE35I Owners Manual

Active seat ventilation* and
seat heating
*
Front 1
Seat heating
2 Active seat ventilation
Press button 1 or 2 once depending on the tem‐
perature or ventilation position. The LED in the
respective button lights up.
The temperature and ventilation levels are dis‐
played

in bar form on the Control Display. A dis‐
play of three bars indicates the highest level of
seat heating or seat ventilation.
The air flow rate may be reduced or the blower
may be switched off entirely to save on battery
power. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: press and hold button 1 or 2.
Temperature distribution without
active seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
1. Press button 1.
2. "Seat heating distribution" 3.
Turn the controller to adjust the distribution.
The setting is applied. Temperature distribution with active
seat ventilation
The heat output can be distributed variously in
the seat cushion and the backrest.
1.
Press button 1.
2. "Seat heating distribution" 3.
Turn the controller to adjust the distribution.
The setting is applied.
Heated rear seats
Operation similar to front seat heating, without
temperature distribution, refer to page 48.
Active seat* The seat cushion is actively varied by alternately
raising

and lowering the right and left half of the
seat cushion. This reduces muscular tension
and fatigue to help prevent lower back pain.
Press the button to switch on; the LED lights up.
The action of the system is reduced and if need
be, switched off in order to reduce the load on
the battery. The LED remains lit.
When the active seat is switched off, it can take
up to 1 minute before the two halves of the seat
cushion have returned to their initial position.
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Safety belts
General information
Always make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving away.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
Number of safety belts
Your
vehicle has been fitted with safety belts for
the safety of you and your passengers.
▷ BMW X5: five or seven* safety belts.
▷ BMW X6: four or five* safety belts.
Notes One person per safety belt
Never

allow more than one person to wear
a single safety belt. Never allow infants or small
children to ride on a passenger's lap.◀
Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies low
around the hips in the lap area and does not
press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt can
slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal im‐
pact and injure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck, rub
on sharp edges, be routed over solid or breaka‐
ble objects, or be pinched.◀
Reduction of restraining effect
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the
belt from fitting properly, and pull the shoulder
belt periodically to readjust the tension across
your lap; otherwise, the retention effect of the
safety belt may be reduced.◀
Using the middle safety belt
If the middle safety belt in the rear is used,
the larger section of the backrest must be
locked. Otherwise, the safety belt will not have
a restraining effect.◀ Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in the
belt buckle.
Unbuckling the belt
1.
Hold the belt firmly.
2. Press the red button in the belt buckle.
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct
for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted, refer to page 45.
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated into
the rear seat are for passengers sitting on the
left and right. The belt buckle* embossed with
the word CENTER is intended exclusively for
use by passengers riding in the center position.
Safety belt reminder for the driver's and
front passenger seat The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. In addition, a message ap‐
pears on the Control Display. Check
whether the safety belt has been fastened cor‐
rectly.
The safety belt reminder is active at speeds
above approx. 5 mph/8 km/h. It can also be ac‐
tivated if objects are placed on the front pas‐
senger seat.
Damage to safety belts
In the case of strain caused by accidents or
damage:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked. Seite 50
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Adjusting

Checking and replacing safety belts
Have the work performed only by your
service center; otherwise, it cannot be ensured
that this safety feature will function properly.◀
Belt-force limiter
The
effect of the belt-force limiter on the driver's
seat is dependent on the position of the driver's
seat.
To maintain the long-term accuracy of this func‐
tion, the driver's seat must be calibrated if a cor‐
responding message is displayed on the Control
Display.
Calibrating driver's seat
The warning lamp lights up. A mes‐
sage also appears on the Control Dis‐
play. Please calibrate the driver's seat.
1. Move the driver's seat forward until it stops.
2. Move the driver's seat forward again. It
briefly moves toward the front in the proc‐
ess.
3. Set the desired seating position again.
The calibration is completed when the message
on the Control Display disappears. Should this
message continue to be displayed, repeat the
calibration. If the message does not disappear
even

after repeated calibration, have the system
checked as soon as possible.
Do not carry out calibration while the ve‐
hicle is moving
Never carry out calibration while the vehicle is
moving, as this can cause accidents.
Make sure that no persons or objects become
wedged during the calibration process, as this
can cause injuries or damage.◀
Head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident. Adjusting the head restraint
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all
occupied

seats; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
BMW X5: push the head restraints of the 3rd row
seats* into the top position.
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is ap‐
prox. at ear level.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is
as close as possible to the back of the head.
Active front head restraints
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient
severity, the active head restraint reduces the
distance to the head.
Reduced protective function
▷Do not use seat or head restraint cov‐
ers.
▷ Do not hang objects, e.g., clothes hangers,
directly on the head restraints.
▷ Only attach accessories approved by BMW
to the seat or head restraint.
Otherwise, the protective function of the active
head
restraint will be impaired and the personal
safety of the occupants will be endangered.
Have the active head restraints reset after they
are triggered in a rear-end collision. Have this
work performed by the service center only; oth‐
erwise, this safety feature with not be opera‐
tional.◀
Please contact the service center if the front
head restraints need to be removed or installed.
Front seats: adjusting the height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is ap‐
prox. at ear level. Seite 51
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Electrical
Adjusting electrically.
Front seats: adjusting the distance
from the back of the head
Press the button and pull the headrest cushion
forward or push it back.
Compromised performance
Do
not place any objects behind the head‐
rest cushion. Otherwise, you can impair the
proper function of the head restraint.◀
Comfort seat*
The distance from the back of the seat occu‐
pant's head can be adjusted using the shoulder
support, refer to page 46. Adjusting side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the head re‐
straint forward for increased lateral support in
the resting position.
BMW

X5: rear seats and 3rd row seats*
Adjusting the height ▷
To raise: pull.
▷ To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and
push the head restraint down.
In vehicles equipped with 3rd row seats, the
height
of the middle head restraint is not adjust‐
able.
Removing
1. Pull the head restraint upward to the stop.
2. Press the button, arrow 1, and pull the head
restraint out completely.
BMW X6: rear seats
The head restraints in the rear cannot be ad‐
justed and cannot be removed.
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Adjusting

Seat, mirror, and steering
wheel memory*
General information
Two different driver's seat and front passenger
seat* positions, exterior mirror positions and
steering
wheel positions* can be stored and re‐
trieved.
The adjustment of the backrest width and the
lumbar support is not stored in the memory.
Storing 1.
Switch on the radio ready state or the igni‐
tion, refer to page 61.
2. Set the desired seat, exterior mirror and
steering wheel positions.
3. Press the button. The LED in the
button lights up.
4. Press the desired memory button 1 or 2. The
LED goes out.
If the M button is pressed accidentally: Press the button again. The LED goes
out.
Calling up settings
Do not retrieve the memory setting while
driving
Do

not retrieve the memory setting while driving,
as an unexpected seat movement could result
in an accident.◀ Comfort function
1.
Open the driver's door after unlocking or
switch on the radio ready state, refer to
page 61.
2. Briefly press the desired memory but‐
ton 1 or 2.
The seat is automatically moved to the stored
position.
The procedure stops when a switch for setting
the seat or one of the memory buttons is
pressed.
Safety mode
1. Close the driver's door and switch the igni‐
tion on or off, refer to page 61.
2. Press and hold the desired memory button
1 or 2 until the setting procedure is com‐
pleted.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
General information
The

mirror on the passenger side is more curved
than the driver's mirror.
Estimating distances correctly
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. Do not estimate the distance
to the traffic behind you based on what you see
in the mirror, as this will increase your risk of an
accident.◀ Seite 53
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At a glance
1
Adjusting
2 Left/right, Automatic Curb Monitor*
3 Folding in and out*
Selecting a mirror To change over to the other mirror:
Slide the mirror changeover switch.
Adjusting electrically The
setting corresponds to the direction
in which the button is pressed.
Storing positions*
Seat and mirror memory*, refer to page 53.
Adjusting manually
If an electrical malfunction occurs, for example,
press the edges of the mirror glass.
Automatic Curb Monitor*
When the reverse gear is engaged, the mirror
glass tilts downward slightly on the front pas‐
senger side. This improves your view of the curb
and other low-lying obstacles when parking, for
example.
Activating
1. Slide the mirror changeover switch
to the driver's side mirror position.
2. Engage reverse gear or move the selector
lever to position R. Deactivating
Slide the mirror changeover switch to the pas‐
senger's side mirror position.
Fold in and out*
Press button 3.
Possible up to approx. 15 mph/20 km/h.
For example, this is advantageous
▷
In car washes.
▷ In narrow streets.
▷ For folding back mirrors that were folded
away manually.
Mirrors that were folded in are folded out auto‐
matically
at a speed of approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Fold in the mirror in a car wash
Before entering an automatic car wash,
fold in the exterior mirrors by hand or with the
button; otherwise, they could be damaged, de‐
pending on the width of the vehicle.◀
Automatic heating
Depending on the external temperature, both
exterior mirrors are automatically heated when
the engine is running or the ignition is switched
on.
Interior rearview mirror
Reducing the blinding effect From behind when driving at night: turn the
knob. Seite 54
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Adjusting

Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic
dimming feature
*Two photocells are used for control:
▷
In the mirror glass, see arrow.
▷ On the back of the mirror.
For proper operation:
▷ Keep the photocells clean.
▷ Do not cover the area between the inside
rearview mirror and the windshield.
Steering wheel
General information Do not adjust while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving; otherwise, an unexpected movement
could result in an accident.◀
Adjusting
Mechanical* 1.
Fold the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seating posi‐
tion. 3.
Fold the lever back.
Do not use force to swing the lever back.
Do not use force to swing the lever back
up; otherwise, the mechanism will be dam‐
aged.◀
Electric* The steering wheel can be adjusted in four di‐
rections.
Storing steering wheel positions, refer to Seat,
mirror, and steering wheel memory, refer to
page
53.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the steering wheel
temporarily

moves into the uppermost position.
Steering wheel heating*
Switching on/off Press the button.
▷
On: the LED lights up.
▷ Off: the LED goes out. Seite 55
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Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Note
Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors.◀
Children should always be in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Transport
children younger than 13 years
of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm on the 2nd row
seats only, using child restraint fixing systems
suitable for the age, weight, and height of the
child. Otherwise, there is the increased danger
of injury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
fixing system can no longer be used, due to their
age, weight and size.◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child restraint
fixing system on the front passenger seat, make
sure that the front and side airbags on the front
passenger side are deactivated. Automatic de‐
activation of front passenger airbags, refer to
page 87.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury to the child when the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
fixing system.◀ Installing child restraint fixing
systems
Notes
Manufacturer's information for child re‐
straint fixing systems
To select, mount and use child restraint fixing
systems, observe the information provided by
the system manufacturer; otherwise, the pro‐
tective effect can be impaired.
◀
Note the following in vehicles equipped
with 3rd row seats
BMW X5: in vehicles with 3rd row seats*, make
sure that the seat of the 2nd row seats on which
the child restraint fixing system is mounted is
properly locked. Otherwise, there is an in‐
creased risk of injury for the child in an accident.
Do not mount child restraint fixing systems on
the 3rd row seats, as otherwise the protection
provided by these child restraint fixing systems
may be reduced.◀
BMW X5: before mounting a child restraint fixing
system in the center seat of the 2nd row seats,
move the outer seat cushions and backrests into
the rearmost positions.
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child restraint fixing system on
the front passenger seat, ensure that the front
and side airbags on the front passenger side are
deactivated.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury to the child when the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
fixing system.◀ Seite 56
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Transporting children safely