2012 BMW X6 back seat

Controls
51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Active seat*
The seat cushion is actively varied by alter-
nately raising and lowering the right and left half
of the seat cushion. This reduces muscular ten-
sion 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.
If you switch off the active seat, it can take up
to 1 minute before the two halves of the seat
cushion have returned to their initial position.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is
more curved than the driver's mirror.
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of
following traffic based on what you see in the
mirrors; otherwise, there is an increased risk of
accident.<1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page44.
Adjusting manually
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Pressing button3 allows you to fold the mirrors
in and out again up to a speed of approx.
12 mph/20 km/h. This is advantageous, for
example, in car washes, narrow streets or for
bringing mirrors that have been manually folded
in back into the correct position.
Folded in mirrors fold out again at a speed of
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the
mirrors in manually, or with button3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both
exterior mirrors are automatically heated when
the motor is running or the ignition is switched
on.

Adjusting
52
Tilting down passenger-side exterior
mirror – automatic curb monitor*
Activating
1.Slide switch into the driver's side mirror
position, arrow 1.
2.Engage transmission position R.
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat
on the passenger side. This allows the
driver to see the area immediately adjacent
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror
position, arrow 2.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle effect of following vehi-
cles at night, turn the knob.
Interior and exterior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature*
This feature is controlled by two photocells in
the interior rearview mirror, one on the front and
one on the back.
For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells
clean and do not cover the area between the
interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do
not attach stickers of any kind to the windshield
in front of the mirror, either.
Steering wheel
Adjusting
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent as the result of unexpected movement.<
Manual adjustment*
1.Flip the lever down.
2.Adapt the longitudinal direction and height
of the steering wheel to the seat position.
3.Return the lever back to its locked position.

Transporting children safely
54
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening
the doors.<
Children always in rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only
be transported on the 2nd row seats in child
restraint devices which correspond to the age,
weight and height of the child. Otherwise there
is an 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
device 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 device on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags on the passen-
ger side must be deactivated. Otherwise, there
is an increased risk of injury for the child if the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
device.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to
page107.
Installing child restraint
devices
Follow the child restraint device manufac-
turer's instructions for selection, installa-
tion, and use of child restraint devices. Other-
wise, the degree of protection may be
reduced.<
BMW X5: for equipment with 3rd row
seats
*, make sure that the seat of the 2nd row seats on which the child restraint device is
mounted is properly locked. Otherwise there is
an increased risk of injury for the child in an
accident.
Do not mount child restraint devices on the
3rd row seats, as otherwise the protection pro-
vided by these child restraint devices may be
reduced.<
BMW X5: before mounting a child restraint
device in the center seat of the 2nd row seats,
move the outer seat cushions and backrests
into the rearmost positions.
On front passenger seat
After mounting a child restraint device on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side are deactivated; otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury if the airbags are trig-
gered.<
Seat position
Before installing a child restraint device, move
the front passenger seat as far back and as high
as possible to obtain the best possible position
for the belt. Do not change the seat position
after this.
Backrest width*
The backrest width adjustment of the
front passenger seat must be completely
open. After installing the child seat, no memory
position may be called up; otherwise, the stabil-
ity of the child's seat on the front passenger
seat is reduced.<
1.Open backrest width adjustment com-
pletely, refer to page44.
2.Install child's seat.

Controls
55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Child seat security
The rear safety belts
>BMW X5: all safety belts of the 2nd and
3rd
* row seats
>BMW X6: all safety belts of the 2nd row
seats
And the safety belt for the front passenger can
be locked to prevent extension in order to per-
mit attachment of child restraint devices.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint device with the
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and
pull taut against the child restraint device.
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child restraint device.
3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in com-
pletely.
LATCH child restraint fixing
system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
Follow the system manufacturer's
instructions on installation and use of
LATCH child restraint devices; otherwise, their
protective function may be reduced. away from the region of the child restraint fixing
system.
Make sure that the LATCH mounts have
properly clicked into place and that the
child restraint device is resting snugly against
the backrest. Otherwise, the protective action
may be reduced.<
The mounts for the LATCH anchors are located
at the points indicated by the arrows.
Child restraint device with tether strap
Only use the top tether mounting points
to secure child restraint devices, other-
wise the mounting points could be damaged.
Do not mount child restraint devices on the
3rd row seats in the BMW X5; otherwise the
protection provided by these child restraint
devices may be reduced.<
BMW X5
There are three additional mounting points for
child restraint devices with a tether strap on the
2nd row seats, refer to arrows. Fold out before
using the center mounting point.

Transporting children safely
56
BMW X6
For child restraint devices with tether strap,
there are two additional attachment points on
the back of the rear seat backrests, refer to
arrows.
Placement of tether strap
Make sure that the tether strap is not
routed over sharp edges and does not
twist on its way to the attachment point; other-
wise, the belt cannot properly secure the child
restraint device in the event of an accident.<
BMW X5
1Direction of travel
2Head restraint
3Tether strap hook
4Mounting point5Backrest
6Tether strap of child restraint device
When using the cargo area cover, route the
tether strap through between the backrest of
the 2nd row seats and the cargo area cover.
BMW X6
1Direction of travel
2Head restraint
3Tether strap hook
4Mounting point
5Backrest
6Tether strap of child restraint device
When using the cargo area cover, route the
tether strap through between the rear seat
backrest and the cargo area cover.

Controls
57Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Attaching tether strap to the backrest
of the 2nd row seats
BMW X5:
On outer seats:
1.Slide the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the tether strap between the head
restraint brackets.
3.Hook in the tether strap on the mounting
point with the hook.
4.Slide the head restraint into the bottom
position.
5.Pull tether strap taut.
On the center seat when equipped with two
rows of seats:
1.Fold the center armrest somewhat toward
the front.
2.Guide the tether strap through the opening
in the center armrest.
3.Fold back and engage the center armrest.
4.Hook in tether strap on mounting point.
5.Pull tether strap taut.
On the center seat when equipped with three
rows of seats:1.Slide the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the tether strap between the head
restraint brackets.
3.Hook in the tether strap on the mounting
point with the hook.
4.Slide the head restraint into the bottom
position.
5.Pull tether strap taut.
BMW X6:
1.Route tether strap over the middle of the
head restraint.
2.Hook in the tether strap on the mounting
point with the hook.
3.Pull tether strap taut until it compresses the
cushion of the head restraint, thus prevent-
ing the tether strap from sliding off.
On trips
Child-safety locks for rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors:
the door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Always press the safety switch for the power
windows, refer to page38, when children are
riding in the rear of the vehicle.

Controls
61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic Hold
The concept
This function assists you as you drive by auto-
matically setting and releasing the parking
brake, e.g. when you are stopped at a traffic sig-
nal or in stop-and-go traffic.
When Automatic Hold is activated, the vehicle is
automatically held in place when standing.
When driving up inclines, the system prevents
your vehicle from rolling backward in an undes-
ired way.
After the engine is started, the system can be
activated and deactivated at any time the
driver's seat is occupied until the next time the
engine is switched off.
Activating
Press the button. The LED in the button lights
up and the indication AUTO H appears in the
instrument panel.
Automatic Hold is activated.
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic
Hold, the indicator light in the instru-
ment panel also lights up in green.
Indicator lamp on Canadian models.
Deactivating
Press the button again, the LED in the button
and the indication AUTO H in the instrument
panel go out.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic Hold,
then press on the brake pedal to deactivate it.When the parking brake is set manually, refer to
page60, Automatic Hold is automatically deac-
tivated.
Driving
With Automatic Hold activated, the vehicle is
automatically prevented from rolling after it
comes to a stop.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
panel lights up in green.
Indicator lamp on Canadian models.
If the transmission is in a drive position, simply
press on the gas pedal to begin driving. The
brake is automatically released and the indica-
tor lamp goes out.
Before driving into the car wash, deacti-
vate Automatic Hold; otherwise, the park-
ing brake will be automatically set after stop-
ping and the vehicle can no longer roll.<
Parking
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic Hold
and you switch off the motor, the parking brake
is automatically set.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
panel changes from green to red.
Indicator lamp on Canadian models.
The parking brake is not set if you have
already switched off the engine while the
vehicle is rolling to a stop.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.<
You can manually release the parking brake
even after switching off the motor as long as the
remote control remains in the ignition lock, refer
to page60. Use this function in car washes, for
example.
When leaving the vehicle, always take
along the remote control; this precaution
prevents children from releasing the parking
brake, for example.<

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
92
Cameras
The lenses of the Top View cameras are on the
undersides of the exterior mirror housings.
The presence of dirt can impair image quality.
Clean the lens with a moist, nonabrasive cloth.
Side View*
The concept
Side View provides an early look at cross traffic
at blind driveways and intersections. Road
users concealed by obstacles to the left and
right of the vehicle can only be detected from
the driver's seat at the last minute. To improve
visibility, two cameras in the front of the vehicle
record the traffic situation on each side.
System limits
The maximum detection range of the cameras
is 330 ft/100 m.
Display
The images from both cameras are shown
simultaneously on the Control Display.
Check the traffic situation around the
vehicle on blind driveways and intersec-
tions with your own eyes. Otherwise, an acci-
dent could result from road users or objects
located outside the picture area of the Side
View cameras.<
Automatic deactivation
The system switches off: above approx. 9 mph/
15 km/h. If needed, switch the system back on.
Switching on/off manually
Press the button.
Image on the Control Display
The traffic area to the left and right is displayed
on the Control Display.
Guidelines at the bottom of the image show the
position of the front of the vehicle.
Brightness
With the Side View switched on:
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is displayed and then press the controller.
Contrast
With the Side View switched on:
1.Select the symbol.
2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is displayed and then press the controller.