
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.

Controls
107Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
observe the adjustment instructions on
page42.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered in
every impact situation, e.g. less severe acci-
dents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the instrument cluster and window in the
region of the passenger seat free of foreign
materials, i.e. do not cover them with adhesive
film or covers and do not attach mounts, e.g. for
a navigation device or mobile phone to them.
Do not install cosmetic covers, seat cushions,
or other items on the front seats that are not
especially approved for seats with integrated
side airbags. Do not hang articles of clothing
such as jackets over the backrests.Do not attempt to remove the airbag restraint
system from the vehicle. Do not modify or
tamper with either the wiring or the individual
components in the airbag system. This includes
the upholstery in the center of the steering
wheel, on the instrument cluster, the doors, and
the roof pillars as well as the sides of the head-
liner. Do not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel. Do not touch the individual
components immediately after the system has
been triggered, because there is a danger of
burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel and has
the required explosives licenses. Otherwise
unprofessional attempts to service the system
could lead to failure in an emergency or undes-
ired airbag triggering, either of which could
result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of 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 passenger side are
activated or deactivated accordingly by the sys-
tem.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
108 indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page54.
When teenagers and adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front and side
airbags to deactivate. The indicator lamp for the
front passenger airbags lights up when this
occurs. In these cases, change the sitting posi-
tion so that the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be produced by changing
the sitting position, transport the correspond-
ing person on the rear seat. Do not fit seat cov-
ers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or other
items onto the front passenger seat unless they
are specifically recommended by BMW. Do not
lay objects under the seat which could press
against the seat from below. Otherwise a cor-
rect evaluation of the occupied seat surface
cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front
and side airbags on the front passenger side
depending on the seat occupation. The indica-
tor lamp shows whether the front passenger
airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint device intended for the pur-pose is properly detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side are not activated.
Most child's seats are detected by the
system. Especially the child's seats
required by NHTSA at the time the vehicle
is manufactured. After installing a child's
seat, make sure that the indicator lamp for
the front passenger airbags lights up. This
indicates that the child's seat has been
detected and the front passenger airbags
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
front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
However, the front and side airbags on the
front passenger side are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page58, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
readiness.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction, otherwise
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<

Controls
117Reference
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Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Automatic climate control with 2-zone control
1Seat heating and ventilation, driver's
side50
2Temperature, left side of passenger com-
partment
3AUTO program
4Temperature, right side of passenger com-
partment
5Maximum cooling
6Seat heating
and ventilation, front passen-
ger side50
7Passenger side
>Air distribution, manual
>Accessing setting for ventilation tem-
perature on the Control Display
8Switching cooling function on and off man-
ually9AUC Automatic recirculated-air control/
recirculated-air mode
10Manual air volume, switching off automatic
climate control, residual heat
11Rear window defroster
12Defrosting windows and removing conden-
sation
13Air grill for interior temperature sensor –
please keep clear and unobstructed
14Driver's side
>Air distribution, manual
>Accessing setting for ventilation tem-
perature on the Control Display
The current setting for manual air distribution is
displayed on the Control Display.
A congenial climate
The AUTO program offers the optimum air dis-
tribution and air volume for virtually all condi-
tions, refer to AUTO program below. Now you
only need to select an interior temperature
comfortable for you.
The following sections contain more detailed
information on the available setting options.
Most settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use, also refer to Personal Profile
settings on page26.AUTO program
The AUTO program handles the
adjustment of air volume and air
distribution to the windshield and
side windows, in the direction of
the upper body and in the footwell.
It also adapts your instructions for the tempera-
ture to outside influences throughout the year.
The cooling is switched on automatically with
the AUTO program. At the same time, a con-
densation sensor controls the program in such
a way that window condensation is prevented
as much as possible.

Climate
120 REST appears on the display of the automatic
climate control when the residual heat utiliza-
tion is switched on.
From radio readiness the interior temperature,
the air volume and the air distribution can be
set.
Switching off
You can select the lowest blower speed by
pressing and holding the left side. Pressing
again switches off the residual heat utilization.
REST disappears from the display of the auto-
matic climate control.
Switching automatic climate control on
and off
You can select the lowest blower
speed by pressing and holding the
left side. Pressing again switches
off the automatic climate control.
Y o u s w i t c h o n t h e s y s t e m a g a i n b y p r e s s i n g a n y
button of the automatic climate control.
Front ventilation
1Thumbwheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Levers to change the air vent direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the
air vents, otherwise these could be cata-
pulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the air vents to direct the flow of cool air
in your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the air vents so that the air flows past you
and is not directed straight at you.
Ventilation in rear
1Thumbwheels to smoothly open and close
air vents
2Levers to change the air vent direction
BMW X5: heating and ventilation,
3rd row seats
The air in the area of the 3rd row seats can be
heated or recirculated. Air vents are located in
the storage compartment area between the
seats and in the footwell of the 3rd row seats.
1Thumbwheel:
>Activating heating and distributing air in
footwell:
Turn toward front
>Distributing air in storage compartment
area between seats:
Turn toward rear
2Button for switching on blower:
LED lights up
The heating is not ready for operation
without switching on the blower. After the
heating is switched off, the blower can be used