2012 BMW X5M lights

3.
"Pathway light.: s" 4.
Set the duration.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Automatic headlamp control
*
Switch position : the low beams are switched
on and off automatically, e.g., in tunnels, in twi‐
light or if there is precipitation. The LED next to
the symbol lights up.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams remain switched on independ‐
ent

of the ambient lighting conditions when you
switch on the front fog lamps*.
Personal responsibility
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal judgment
in determining when the lamps should be
switched on in response to ambient lighting
conditions.
For example, the sensors are unable to detect
fog or hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you
should always switch on the lamps manually un‐
der these conditions.◀
Daytime running lights
The daytime running lights light up in posi‐
tion 0, and . After the ignition is
switched off, the parking lamps light up in posi‐
tion .
Activating/deactivating
1. "Settings"
2. "Lighting" 3.
"Daytime running lamps" The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
Adaptive light control*
The concept
Adaptive light control is a variable headlamp
control system that enables dynamic illumina‐
tion of the road surface.
Depending on the steering angle and other pa‐
rameters, the light from the headlamp follows
the course of the road.
In

sharp curves, e.g. serpentines, or during turn‐
ing, up to a certain speed one of the two front
fog lamps* is switched on as a turning lamp. This
provides improved illumination of the area inside
the curve.
Controls
Activating
Switch position with the ignition switched
on.
The turning lamps are automatically switched
on depending on the steering angle or the use
of turn signals.
Standstill function*:

to avoid blinding oncoming
traffic, the Adaptive Light Control directs light
towards the front passenger side when the ve‐
hicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, both turning lamps are
active.
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Lamps

Malfunction
A message is displayed.
Adaptive light control is malfunctioning or has
failed.
Have the system checked as soon as pos‐
sible.
High beams/roadside parking
lamps 1
High beams
2 Headlamp flasher
3 Roadside parking lamps*
Left and right roadside parking lamps*
The vehicle can be illuminated on one side.
Switching on
After parking the vehicle, press the lever up or
down beyond the resistance point for ap‐
prox. 2 seconds, arrow 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the battery.
Therefore,

do not leave them on for unduly long
periods of time; otherwise, the battery might not
have enough power to start the engine.
Switching off
Briefly press the lever in the opposite direction
to the pressure point, arrow 3.
High-beam Assistant*
The concept
When the lights are switched on, this system
automatically switches the high beams on and
off. The procedure is controlled by a sensor on the front of the interior rearview mirror. The as‐
sistant ensures that the high beams are
switched on whenever the traffic situation al‐
lows. The driver can intervene at any time and
switch the high beams on and off as usual.
Activating the High-beam Assistant
1.
Turn the light switch to .
2. With the low beams switched on, briefly
push

the turn indicator lever in the direction
of the high beam. The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. The high beams are
switched on and off automatically.
The system responds to light from oncoming
traffic

and traffic driving ahead of you, and to ad‐
equate illumination, e.g., in towns and cities.
Switching the high beams on and off
manually ▷
High beams on, arrow 1.
▷ High beams off/headlamp flasher, arrow 2.
To reactivate the High-beam Assistant, briefly
push the turn indicator lever toward the high
beams. Seite 83
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Controls At a glance

Activating/deactivating via iDrive
1.
"Settings"
2. "Lighting"
3. "High beam assistant" The setting is stored for the remote control cur‐
rently in use.
System limits
Personal responsibility
The
High-beam Assistant cannot serve as
a substitute for the driver's personal judgment
of when to use the high beams. Therefore, man‐
ually switch off the high beams in situations
where this is required to avoid a safety risk.◀
The system is not fully functional in situations
such as the following, and driver intervention
may be necessary:
▷ In very unfavorable weather conditions,
such as fog or heavy precipitation.
▷ In detecting poorly-lit road users, such as
pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and
wagons; when driving close to train or ship
traffic; and at animal crossings.
▷ In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions,
in cross traffic or half-obscured oncoming
traffic on freeways.
▷ In poorly-lit towns and cities and in the pres‐
ence of highly reflective signs.
▷ At low speeds.
▷ When the windshield in front of the interior
rearview mirror is fogged over, dirty or cov‐
ered with stickers, etc.
▷ If the sensor view field is dirty. The view field of the sensor is located on the
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Do not cover this area with stickers, etc.
Clean

the sensor view field with a cloth mois‐
tened with a small amount of glass cleaner.
Front fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on. Press the button. The green indicator
lamp

in the instrument cluster lights up.
If the automatic headlamp control, refer to
page 82, is activated, the low beams will come
on automatically when you switch on the fog
lamps.
Instrument lighting Adjust the brightness using the thumbwheel.
Interior lamps
General information
The

interior lamps, footwell lamps*, exit lamps*,
cargo area lamps and courtesy lamps* are con‐
trolled automatically.
The courtesy lamps* have LED lights in the door
handles to illuminate the exterior area in front of
the doors.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps inside
the car are switched off about 8 minutes after
the ignition is switched off, Start/Stop button,
refer to page 61. Seite 84
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Lamps

▷
Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, cover them or modify
them in any way.
▷ Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents
or the wiring in the airbag system. This
also applies to steering wheel covers, the
dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars and the
sides of the headliner.◀
Even when all instructions are followed closely,
injury from contact with the airbags cannot be
ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term

and, in most cases, temporary hear‐
ing impairment in sensitive individuals.
In the case of a malfunction, deactivation
and after triggering of the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered; oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
your service center or a workshop that has the
necessary authorization for handling explosives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or un‐
desired triggering of the airbag, either of which
could result in injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are
also found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the 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 passen‐
ger side are activated or deactivated accordingly
by the system.
The indicator lamp above the interior rearview
mirror shows the current status of the front pas‐
senger airbags, deactivated or activated, refer to
Front passenger airbag indicator lamp below. Leave feet in the footwell
Make

sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise, the front
passenger airbags may not function properly.◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, refer to the safety notes and instruc‐
tions under Children on the front passenger
seat, refer to page 56.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults, the
front passenger airbags may be deactivated in
certain sitting positions. In this case, the indica‐
tor lamp for the front passenger airbags lights
up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front passenger airbags are activated and
the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To make sure that occupation of the seat cush‐
ion can be detected correctly:
▷ Do not attach seat covers, seat cushion pad‐
ding,

ball mats or other items to the passen‐
ger seat unless they are specifically recom‐
mended by BMW.
▷ Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.
Indicator lamp for the front passenger
airbags Seite 87
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Controls At a glance

Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the ar‐
rangement of the switches and indicator lamps
may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air‐
bags indicates the operating state of the front
passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ac‐
tivated or deactivated.
▷
The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint fixing system intended for
the purpose is properly detected on the
seat. The airbags on the front passenger
side are not activated.
▷ The indicator lamp does not light up when,
for example, a correctly seated person of
sufficient size is detected on the seat. The
airbags on the front passenger side are ac‐
tivated.
▷ The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty. However, the airbags on
the front passenger side are not activated.
The system generally detects children seated in
a child seat, especially in the child seats that
were required by NHTSA when the vehicle was
manufactured.
After installing a child seat, make
sure that the indicator lamp for the front pas‐
senger airbags lights up. This indicates that the
child seat has been detected and the front pas‐
senger airbags are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system In the radio ready state and beyond, refer to
page
61, the warning lamp comes on briefly to
indicate that the entire airbag system and the
belt tensioners are operational. Airbag system malfunction
▷
Warning lamp does not light up in the radio
ready state.
▷ Warning lamp remains permanently on.
Have the airbag system checked without
delay if there is a malfunction
In the event of a malfunction in the airbag sys‐
tem, have it checked without delay; otherwise,
there

is the risk that the system will not function
as intended even if a sufficiently severe accident
occurs.◀
FTM Flat Tire Monitor*
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla‐
tion pressure in the tires.
It detects a pressure loss in a tire by comparing
the rotational speeds of the individual 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.
Functional requirements
The system must have been initialized when the
tire inflation pressure was correct; otherwise,
reliable signaling of a flat tire is not ensured. In‐
itialize the system after each correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
System limits
Sudden tire damage
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external influences cannot be indicated in ad‐
vance.◀
A natural, even pressure loss in all four tires can‐
not be detected. Therefore, check the tire infla‐
tion pressure regularly.
The system could be delayed or malfunction in
the following situations: Seite 88
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▷
When the system has not been initialized.
▷ When driving on a snowy or slippery road
surface.
▷ Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration.
▷ When driving with snow chains*.
When driving with a 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 inflation
tire pressures as reference values for the detec‐
tion of a flat tire. Initialization is started by con‐
firming the inflation pressures.
Do not initialize the system when driving with
snow chains* or with a compact wheel*.
1. "Vehicle Info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Reset"
4. Start the engine - do not drive away.
5. Start the initialization with "Reset".
6. Drive away.
The initialization is completed while driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
The initialization automatically continues when
driving resumes.
Indication of a flat tire The warning lamp lights up red. A
message appears on the Control Dis‐
play. In addition, a signal sounds.
There is a flat tire or a major loss in tire inflation
pressure. Reduce your speed and stop cautiously. Avoid
sudden braking and steering maneuvers.
When a flat tire is indicated, DSC Dynamic Sta‐
bility Control is switched on if necessary.
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.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-flat tires
as provided at the factory, do not continue driv‐
ing. Continuing to drive could cause severe ac‐
cidents.◀
Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive 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 inflation
pressure in all four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Flat Tire Monitor may not have
been initialized. In this case, initialize the
system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
▷ With a light load:
1 to 2 people without luggage:
Approx. 155 miles/200 km.
▷ With a medium load:
2

persons, cargo area full, or 4 persons with‐
out luggage:
Approx. 94 miles/150 km.
▷ With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo area full: Seite 89
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Controls At a glance

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.
▷ A flat tire in one or more tires while the sys‐
tem is being reset.
Wheels, gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire.
Reasons for this may be:
▷ TPM is being reset.
▷ Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same radio frequency.
▷ Malfunction.
Resetting the system
Reset the system after each correction of the
tire inflation pressure and after every tire or
wheel change.
1. "Vehicle Info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Reset"
4. Start the engine - do not drive away.
5. Reset the tire pressure using "Reset".
6. Drive away.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After driving for a few minutes, the set tire infla‐
tion
pressures are applied as set values. The re‐
setting process is completed automatically as
you drive. The tires are shown in green and
"TPM active" is shown on the Control Display.
The trip can be interrupted at any time. If you
drive away again, the process resumes auto‐
matically. Do not reset the system when driving
with a compact wheel*.
If a flat tire is detected while the system is re‐
setting, all tires on the Control Display are dis‐
played in yellow. The message "Low tire!" is
shown. Low tire pressure message
The small warning lamp lights up yel‐
low and the large warning lamp lights
up red. A message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, a signal
sounds.
▷ There is a flat tire or a major loss in tire in‐
flation pressure.
▷ The system was not reset after a wheel
change and thus issues warnings based on
the inflation pressures initialized last.
Reduce your speed and stop cautiously. Avoid
sudden braking and steering maneuvers.
When

a low inflation pressure is indicated, DSC
Dynamic Stability Control is switched on if nec‐
essary.
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.
Do not continue driving without run-flat
tires
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-flat tires
as provided at the factory, do not continue driv‐
ing. Continuing to drive could cause severe ac‐
cidents.◀
Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive with a damaged tire:
1. Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.
2. Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
3. Check the air pressure in all four tires at the
next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires is
correct, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not
have been reset. Reset the system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
▷ With a light load:
1 to 2 people without luggage: Seite 91
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Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips
Controls At a glance

Approx. 155 miles/200 km.
▷ With a medium load:
2
persons, cargo area full, or 4 persons with‐
out luggage:
Approx. 94 miles/150 km.
▷ With a full load:
4 or more persons, cargo area full:
Approx. 30 miles/50 km.
The possible driving distance after a loss of tire
inflation pressure depends on the cargo load
and the driving style and conditions.
When the vehicle is driven with a damaged tire,
its handling characteristics change, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance, and altered self-steering
properties. Adjust your driving style accord‐
ingly. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers or driv‐
ing over obstacles, e. g., curbs, potholes, etc.
Because

the possible driving distance depends
on how the vehicle is used during the trip, the
actual distance may be smaller or greater de‐
pending on the driving speed, road conditions,
external temperature, cargo load, etc.
Continued driving with a flat tire
Drive moderately and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
A loss of tire inflation pressure results in a
change in the handling characteristics, e.g., re‐
duced lane stability during braking, a longer
braking distance and altered self-steering prop‐
erties.◀
Final tire failure
Vibrations or loud noises while driving can
indicate the final failure of the tire. Reduce speed
and stop; otherwise, pieces of the tire could
come loose and cause an accident. Do not con‐
tinue driving, and contact your service center.◀
Message when the system was not
reset
The yellow warning lamp lights up. A
message appears on the Control Dis‐
play. The system detected a wheel change but was
not reset.
Warnings regarding the current tire inflation
pressure are not reliable.
Check the tire inflation pressure and reset the
system.
Malfunction
The

small warning lamp flashes in yel‐
low and then lights up continuously;
the larger warning lamp comes on in
yellow. On the Control Display, the
tires are shown in gray and a message appears.
No flat tire can be detected.
Display in the following situations:
▷ If a wheel without TPM electronics is fitted,
for instance a compact wheel*: have the
service center check it if necessary.
▷ Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.
▷ TPM could not be fully reset. Reset the sys‐
tem again.
▷ Disturbance by systems or devices with the
same

radio frequency: after leaving the area
of the disturbance, the system automatically
becomes active again.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated

to the inflation pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la‐
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla‐
tion pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres‐
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you Seite 92
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Safety