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AdjustingVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series.Therefore, it also
describes equipment that may not be found in
your vehicle, for instance due to the selected
special equipment or the country version. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
Sitting safely
The ideal seating position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:▷Safety belts, refer to page 54.▷Head restraints, refer to page 55.▷Airbags, refer to page 95.
Seats
Note before adjusting Do not adjust the seat while driving
Never attempt to adjust the driver's seat
while driving. The seat could respond with un‐
expected movement and the ensuing loss of
vehicle control could lead to an accident.◀
Do not incline the backrest too far to the
rear
Do not incline the backrest on the front pas‐
senger side too far to the rear during driving.
Otherwise, there is the danger of sliding under
the safety belt in an accident. This would elimi‐
nate the protection normally provided by the
belt.◀
Adjusting manually
Forward/backward
Pull the lever and slide the seat into the de‐
sired position. After releasing the lever, move
the seat forward or back slightly to make sure it
engages properly.
Thigh support
Pull the lever and move the thigh support for‐
ward or back.
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Adjusting electrically1Forward/backward2Height3Seat tilt4Backrest
Differs depending on seat:
1Backrest2Height
Additional depending on seat:
1Backrest width2Shoulder support3Thigh support4Lumbar support
Backrest widthThe width of the backrest can be changed with
the side wings to adjust the side support to
your own needs.
Shoulder support This also supports the back in the shoulder
area, This creates a relaxed sitting position and
helps relieve stress on the shoulder muscles.
The shoulder support is also used to adjust the
distance of the head restraint from the back of
the seat occupant's head.
Lumbar support
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar re‐
gion.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup‐
plementary support to help you maintain a re‐
laxed, upright sitting position.
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▷Increase or decrease curvature:
Press front or rear section of switch.▷Shift curvature up or down:
Press upper or lower section of switch.
BMW X5: rear seats
2nd row seats If the row of seats is divided, each side can be
adjusted separately.
Do not adjust the seat while driving
Never adjust the 2nd row seats while the
vehicle is moving, as otherwise the passengers
on the 3rd row seats could be injured.
Make sure that the locking devices of the 2nd
row seats engage properly. Otherwise the re‐
straining effect of the safety belts during an ac‐
cident could be reduced.◀
Longitudinal direction
1.Pull the lever and slide the seat into the de‐
sired position.2.Release the lever and move the seat
slightly forward or back so that it engages
properly.
Backrest
The backrests can be adjusted in four steps.
Pull the lever and apply weight to or remove
weight from the backrest as needed.
Access to 3rd row seats
Pull the lever and fold the seat forward.
The handle recess on the interior trim of the
door pillar makes climbing in easier.
Keep the footwell under the 2nd row
seats clear
When folding back the 2nd row seats, make
sure that the footwell under the 2nd row seats
is clear. Otherwise persons in the 3rd row
seats could be injured or objects damaged.◀
Warning lamp for the 2nd row seats:
lights up if the 2nd row seats are not
locked. A message also appears on
the Control Display.
3rd row seats
The 3rd row seats are divided and offer space
for two persons.
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Folding up backrest
Before folding up the backrest, remove the
luggage compartment roller cover, refer to
page 145, and, if necessary, slide the 2nd row
seats slightly forward.1.Pull the lever, refer to arrow. The backrest
is unlocked.2.Fold up and engage the backrest.
Ensure that the lock is securely en‐
gaged
Make sure that the catch engages se‐
curely. If it is not properly engaged, trans‐
ported cargo could enter the passenger
compartment during braking or evasive
maneuvers and endanger the vehicle occu‐
pants.◀3.Push the head restraints into the top posi‐
tion.
Folding backrest down
1.Push the head restraints down, refer to
page 57.2.Pull the lever, refer to arrows. The back‐
rests are released.3.Fold the backrest down.
Seat heating
Front
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. The maximum temperature is
reached when three LEDs are lit.
If the trip is continued within approx. 15 mi‐
nutes, the seat heating is activated automati‐
cally with the temperature set last.
To switch off: press and hold the button.
The temperature is reduced, if need be, down
to no heat in order to reduce the load on the
battery. The LEDs remain lit.
Rear
Operation similar to front seat heating, without
temperature distribution.
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Active seat ventilation and
seat heating
Front1Seat heating2Active seat ventilation
Press button 1 or 2 once depending on the
temperature 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
display 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.
If the trip is continued within approx. 15 mi‐
nutes, the seat heating is activated automati‐
cally with the temperature set last.
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 distribu‐
tion.
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 distribu‐
tion.
The setting is applied.
Heated rear seats Operation similar to front seat heating, without
temperature distribution, refer to page 52.
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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 muscu‐
lar 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.
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
impact and injure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck,
rub on sharp edges, be routed over solid or
breakable 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.
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Unbuckling the belt1.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 49.
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 posi‐
tion.
Safety belt reminder for the driver's
and front passenger seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a
signal sounds. In addition, a message
appears on the Control Display.
Check whether the safety belt has been fas‐
tened correctly.
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.
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 driv‐
er's seat is dependent on the position of the
driver's seat.
To maintain the long-term accuracy of this
function, the driver's seat must be calibrated if
a corresponding 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 mes‐
sage 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 in‐
creased risk of injury in an accident.◀
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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
approx. 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
covers.▷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 per‐
sonal safety of the occupants will be endan‐
gered.
Have the active head restraints reset after they
are triggered in a rear-end collision. Have this
work performed by the service center only;
otherwise, this safety feature with not be op‐
erational.◀
Please contact the service center if the front
head restraints need to be removed or instal‐
led.
Front seats: adjusting the height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approx. at ear level.
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
headrest 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 50.
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