Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find information on a partic-
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page292.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
21Letters and numbers
22Voice activation system
Controls
26Opening and closing
42Adjusting
54Transporting children safely
58Driving
76Controls Overview
88Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
111Lamps
116Climate
124Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
138Things to remember when driving
Navigation
148Navigation system
149Destination entry
158Destination guidance
165What to do if …
Entertainment
168On/off and tone
171Radio
174Satellite radio
179CD/DVD player and CD/DVD changer
187Music collection
192External devices
196DVD system in rear
Communications
212Telephone
224Contacts
226BMW Assist
Mobility
234Refueling
239Wheels and tires
251Under the hood
256Maintenance
258Care
262Replacing components
273Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
280Technical data
285Short commands of voice activation
system
292Everything from A - Z
At a glance
15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for tele-
phone
* and for voice activation
system
*22
2Initiating
an emergency request273
3Reading lamps115
4Glass sunroof38, 40
5Interior lamps115
6Passenger airbag status lamp107
7Control Display16
Displays for menu navigation
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system27
10Opening glove compartment127
11Automatic climate control with 2-zone
control117
Automatic climate control with 4-zone
control
*121
12Changing
>Radio station168
>Track168
13Selecting radio, CD and CD/DVD changer
*
14Selecting AM or FM waveband
16Controller16
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four
directions
17Buttons on the controller17
Selecting menus directly
18Automatic Hold61
19Parking brake60
20Adaptive Drive
*98
21Programmable memory buttons20
22Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume168
23Ejecting audio CD Manual air distribution118
Automatic air distribution and
volume117
Cooling function119
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control119
Maximum cooling119
Air volume118
Residual heat utilization119
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation118
Rear window defroster118
Seat heating
*49, 50
Active seat ventilation
*50
15
Opening liftgate30, 33
Active seat
*51
PDC Park Distance Control
*88
Top View
*90
Rear view camera
*93
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control95
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control96
HDC Hill Descent Control97
Side View
*92
Controls
27Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page86
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure,
refer to page86
>Language on Control Display, refer to
page86
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page85
>Date format, refer to page85
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page65
>Welcome lamps, refer to page111
>Pathway lighting, refer to page112
>Daytime driving lamps
*, refer to
page112
>High-beam Assistant
*, refer to
page113
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page89
>Top View
*: optical warning, refer to
page91
>Side View
*, refer to page92
>Rear view camera
*:
>Selecting functions, refer to page93
>Type of display, refer to page95
>Lane departure warning
*: last status, on/
off, refer to page104
>Head-up Display
*: selection, brightness
and position of display, refer to page109
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated-air control/recirculated-
air mode, temperature, air distribution, ven-
tilation temperature, starting on page117
>Programmable memory buttons: selecting
stored functions, refer to page20
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors,
and steering wheel
*, refer to page44
>Adaptive Drive
*: selected chassis and sus-
pension tuning, refer to page98>Audio sources: volume and tone settings,
refer to page168
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to
page173
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page172
>Phone: volume setting, refer to
pages215,220
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system functions when the
driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Liftgate
>Fuel filler flap
Operating from outside
>Using the remote control
>Using the door lock
>With Comfort Access
* using the door han-
dles
The interior lamps and the courtesy lamps
* are
also switched on and off with the remote con-
trol. The alarm system
is armed/disarmed at the
same time.
You can find more detailed information on the
alarm system
on page34.
Operating from inside
Using the button for central locking, refer to
page30. The fuel filler flap is not locked.
In an accident of sufficient severity, the central
locking system automatically unlocks the vehi-
cle. In addition, the hazard warning flashers and
interior lamps come on.
Climate
116
Climate
1Air toward the windshield and side windows
2Air for the upper body region, refer to Front
ventilation on page120
3Air to footwell
4Automatic climate control with 2-zone con-
trol, refer to page117
Automatic climate control with 4-zone con-
trol, refer to page121
Controls
117Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
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
118
Intensity of AUTO program
You can adjust the intensity of the AUTO pro-
gram by repeatedly pressing the AUTO button.
The selected intensity, SOFT, MEDIUM or
INTENSIVE, appears on the display of the auto-
matic climate control.
Temperature
Set the desired temperature indi-
vidually on the driver's and front
passenger side.
The automatic climate control
adjusts this temperature as quickly as possible
at any time of year, if necessary with the maxi-
mum cooling or heating capacity, and then
keeps it constant.
In the highest setting you activate the maximum
heating capacity, regardless of the outside tem-
perature. And in the lowest setting, the maxi-
mum cooling capacity.
When switching between different tem-
perature settings in rapid succession, the
automatic climate control does not have suffi-
cient time to adjust the set temperature.<
Adapting Ventilation temperature
This function can be used to adjust the temper-
ature of the air to the upper body region, refer to
page116, separately for the driver and front
passenger.
Use the controller on the Control Display to
adjust the ventilation temperature.
To accomplish this, the access the Ventilation
temperature setting manually via the buttons
for air distribution, refer to page117, or via
iDrive.
1."Settings"
2."Climate"
3.Select "Driver ventilation" or "Front pas-
senger ventilation".4.Turn the controller to adjust the tempera-
ture.
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
Quickly remove ice and condensa-
tion from the windshield and front
side windows.
To do this, also switch on the cooling function.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a
while. Depending on the vehicle
equipment, upper wires are used
as an antenna and are not part of the rear win-
dow defroster.
Air volume, manual
You can vary the air volume by
pressing on the corresponding
side. You can reactivate the auto-
matic mode for the air volume with the AUTO
button.
Air distribution, manual
You can use various programs to separately
direct the emerging airflow to the driver and
passenger side of the vehicle interior.
>Upper body region
>Upper body region and footwell
>Footwell
>Driver's side: also the windshield, side win-
dows, and footwell
Controls
119Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Selecting program
Press the button repeatedly until
the desired program is shown on
the Control Display.
1Air toward the windshield and side windows
2Air for the upper body
3Air to footwell
Pressing the AUTO button cancels the
manual air distribution settings.<
The automatic mode for the air volume remains
effective with manual air distribution.
Switching cooling function on and off
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before also reheating it as
required, according to the temperature setting.
This function is only available when the engine
is running.
The cooling function helps to avoid condensa-
tion on the window surfaces or to quickly
remove them.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati-
cally with the AUTO program.
Maximum cooling
Maximally cooled air is obtained as
quickly as possible at an outside
temperature above approx. 327/
06 and with the engine running.
The automatic climate control switches into the
recirculated-air mode at the lowest tempera-
ture. The maximum air volume flows out of the air vents for the upper body. Therefore, open
these vents for maximum cooling.
AUC Automatic recirculated-air
control/recirculated-air mode
You can respond to pollutants or
unpleasant odors in the immediate
environment by suspending the
supply of outside air. The system
then recirculates the air currently within the
vehicle. During AUC operation, a sensor
detects pollutants in the outside air and con-
trols the shut-off automatically.
By pressing the button repeatedly, you can
request three operating modes:
>LED off: outside air flows in continuously.
>Left LED on, AUC mode: the system
detects pollutants in the outside air and
shuts off the supply as needed.
>Right LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
supply of outside air is permanently shut off.
Should the windows fog up in the recircu-
lated-air mode, press the AUTO button or
switch off the recirculated-air mode and
increase the air volume if necessary.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
without interruption over an extended period of
time, as the air quality inside the vehicle deteri-
orates continuously.<
Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is used to heat the
passenger compartment, e.g. while stopped at
a school to pick up a child.
Switching on
Pressing the right side switches on
the residual heat utilization when
the following conditions are met:
>Up to 15 minutes after switching off the
engine
>With the engine at operating temperature
>With sufficient battery voltage
>At an outside temperature below 777/
256
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