▷The volume remains constant even if the
volume of other audio sources is changed.▷The volume is stored for the remote con‐
trol currently in use.
Notes on Emergency
Requests
Do not use the voice activation system to ini‐
tiate an Emergency Request. In stressful situa‐
tions, the voice and vocal pitch can change.
This can unnecessarily delay the establish‐
ment of a telephone connection.
Instead, use the SOS button, refer to
page 307, in the vicinity of the interior mirror.
Environmental conditions
▷Say the commands, numbers, and letters
smoothly and with normal volume, empha‐
sis, and speed.▷Always say commands in the language of
the voice activation system.▷Keep doors, windows and /panoramic
glass sunroof closed to prevent noise in‐
terference.▷Avoid making other noise in the vehicle
while speaking.Seite 27Voice activation systemAt a glance27
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▷The settings are automatically saved in the
profile currently activated in the remote
control.▷The remote control used is detected when
the vehicle is unlocked and the stored pro‐
file is called up.▷Your personal settings will be recognized
and called up again even if the vehicle has
been used in the meantime by someone
else with another remote control.
The individual settings are stored for a maxi‐
mum of four remote controls. They are stored
for two remote controls if Comfort Access is in
use.
Personal Profile settingsThe following functions and settings can be
stored in a profile.
More information on the settings can be found
under:
▷Assigning the programmable memory but‐
tons, refer to page 23.▷Response of the central locking system
when the car is being unlocked, refer to
page 32.▷Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to
page 35.▷Driver's seat, exterior mirror and steering
wheel positions, refer to page 57.▷Settings for the display on the Control Dis‐
play and in the instrument cluster:▷12h/24h clock format, refer to
page 87.▷Date format, refer to page 88.▷Brightness of the Control Display, refer
to page 88.▷Language on the Control Display, refer
to page 88.▷Units of measure for fuel consumption,
distance covered/remaining distances,
and temperature, refer to page 88.▷Show visual warning for the Park Distance
Control PDC, refer to page 121.▷Show visual warning for Top View, refer to
page 124.▷Show Side View, refer to page 126.▷Backup camera:▷Function selection, refer to page 123.▷Type of display, refer to page 124.▷Lane departure warning: last setting, on/
off, refer to page 102.▷Head-up Display: selection, brightness and
position of the display, refer to page 127.▷Adaptive Drive: selected chassis and sus‐
pension tuning, refer to page 109.▷Light settings:▷Triple turn signal activation, refer to
page 73.▷Welcome lamps, refer to page 90.▷Headlamp courtesy delay feature, refer
to page 91.▷Daytime running lights, refer to
page 91.▷High-beam Assistant, refer to
page 92.▷Automatic climate control with 2-zone con‐
trol: settings, refer to page 131.▷Navigation:▷Voice activation, refer to page 181.▷Route criteria, refer to page 179.▷Map view settings, refer to page 183.▷Entertainment:▷Tone control, refer to page 190.▷Radio, stored stations, refer to
page 198.▷CD/multimedia, audio source listened
to last, refer to page 200.▷Telephone: volume, refer to page 240.Seite 31Opening and closingControls31
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Locking
Touch the area on the door handle, arrow 2,
with your finger for approx. 1 second.
This corresponds to pressing the
but‐
ton.
To save battery power, ensure that the ignition
and all electronic systems and/or power con‐
sumers are switched off before locking the ve‐
hicle.
If a remote control is detected within the vehi‐
cle, the vehicle does not lock or is unlocked
again.
Convenient closing Press the area, arrow 2, with your finger and
hold.
In addition, the windows and the glass sunroof/
panoramic glass sunroof close.
Monitor the closing process
Watch during the closing process to be
sure that no one is injured. Removing the hand
from the door handle immediately stops the closing process.◀
Unlocking the tailgate separately
Press the button on the exterior of the tailgate.
This corresponds to pressing the
button.
If a remote control accidentally left in the cargo
area is detected in the locked vehicle, the tail‐
gate opens again.
The hazard warning flashers flash and a signal
sounds.
Ignition on
Pressing the Start/Stop button switches the
ignition on.
When doing so, do not depress the brake
pedal, otherwise the engine will start.
Starting the engine
The engine can be started or the ignition can
be switched on when a remote control is inside
the vehicle. It is not necessary to insert a re‐
mote control into the ignition lock, refer to
page 67.
As long as no remote control is detected in the
vehicle, it is only possible to restart the engine
within approx. 10 seconds after it is switched
off if no door has been opened.
Switching off the engine▷Remote control not in ignition lock:
After switching off the engine, the trans‐
mission is automatically switched into
transmission position P.▷Remote control in ignition lock:
If transmission position N is engaged, the
transmission remains in this position after
the engine is switched off.
Malfunction
The Comfort Access functions can be distur‐
bed by local radio waves, such as by a mobile
phone in the immediate vicinity of the remote
control or when a mobile phone is being
charged in the vehicle.
If this occurs, open or close the vehicle using
the buttons on the remote control or use the
integrated key in the door lock.
To start the engine afterward, insert the re‐
mote control into the ignition switch.
Warning lamps The warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when you attempt to
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SafetyVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series.Therefore, it alsodescribes 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.
Airbags
1Front airbags2Head airbags3Side airbagsFront airbags
Front airbags help protect the driver and front
passenger by responding to frontal impacts in
which safety belts alone cannot provide ade‐
quate restraint.
Side airbags
In a lateral impact, the side airbag supports the
side of the body in the chest and lap area.
Head airbags
In a lateral impact, the head airbag supports
the head.
Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags▷Keep at a distance from the airbags.▷Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
keep the danger of injury to your hands or
arms as low as possible if the airbag is trig‐
gered.▷There should be no people, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.▷Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.▷Keep the dashboard and window on the
front passenger side clear, i.e., do not
cover with adhesive labels or coverings,
and do not attach holders such as for navi‐
gation instruments and mobile phones.Seite 95SafetyControls95
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▷Do not use force when plugging the con‐
nector into the USB interface.▷Do not connect devices such as fans or
lamps to the USB interface.▷Do not connect a USB hard drive.▷Do not use the USB interface to recharge
external devices.
Center armrest front
Storage compartment A storage compartment is located under the
armrest between the front seats and, depend‐
ing on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for
the mobile phone cradle or the snap-in
adapter.
Details on this mobile phone cradle, refer to
page 247.
Opening
Push cover down slightly and press the button.
The cover folds upward.
Connection for an external audio
device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player and play audio tracks over the car's loudspeaker system:
▷AUX-IN port, refer to page 212.▷USB audio interface, refer to page 212.Rear center armrest
BMW X6 and BMW X5 with 3rd row
seats
Pull on the loop and fold down the center arm‐
rest.
BMW X5 without 3rd row seats
Unlock the center armrest with the button in
the lower section of the opening and fold
down.
Storage compartments Compartments are located in the doors, in the
center console in the front and rear as well as
in the rear console in the BMW X6.
Storage nets are located on the backrests of
the front seats.
Items in the storage nets
Do not stow hard or sharp-edged objects
in the storage nets; otherwise there is an in‐
creased risk of injury in the event of an acci‐ dent.◀
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Hot exhaust systemHot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure
that flammable materials, e. g. hay, leaves,
grass, etc. do not come in contact with the hot
exhaust system during driving, while in idle po‐
sition mode, or when parked. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of seri‐
ous personal injury as well as property dam‐
age.
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise,
there is the danger of getting burned.◀
Diesel particulate filter Soot particles are collected in the diesel partic‐
ulate filter and periodically burned away at high
temperatures.
The following may occur during the cleaning
period, which lasts several minutes:▷The engine temporarily runs somewhat
more roughly.▷A slightly higher engine speed is necessary
to achieve the accustomed performance.▷Noises occur and a minimal amount of
smoke emerges from the exhaust until
shortly after the engine is switched off.
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is not recommended to use mobile phones,
such as mobile phones without a direct con‐
nection to an external aerial in the vehicle's
passenger compartment. Otherwise, the vehi‐
cle electronics and mobile communication de‐
vices can interfere with each other. In addition,
there is no assurance that the radiation gener‐
ated during transmission will be discharged
from the vehicle interior.◀
Hydroplaning
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tire
tread depth decreases. Minimum tread depth,
refer to page 284.
Driving through water
Maximum water depth:▷BMW X5: 20 inches/50 cm.▷BMW X6: 17 inches/45 cm.
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission may
be damaged.◀
Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a stand‐ ard feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations when this is neces‐
sary.
The vehicle maintains steering responsive‐
ness. You can still avoid any obstacles with a
minimum of steering effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.
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6.Select the letters.7.Change to the list of street names.8.Highlight the street.9.Select the street.
Starting destination guidance after
entering the destination
1."Accept destination"2."Start guidance" or "Add as another
destination"
Add, refer to page 177, a destination as a
further destination.
Address book
Create contacts, refer to page 258.
Selecting a destination from the
address book
1."Navigation"2."Address book"
Contacts with addresses are displayed if
these addresses have been checked as
destinations in the contacts.
If the contacts with addresses from the
mobile phone are not displayed, they first
need to be checked as destinations, refer
to page 259.3.Select a contact in the list or, if desired,
with "A-Z search".4."Business address" or "Home address"Storing the destination in the address
book
After entering the destination, store the desti‐
nation in the address book.1."Navigation"2."Map"3. "Guidance"4.Open "Options".5."Store as new contact" or "Add to existing
contact"6.Select an existing contact, if available.7."Business address" or "Home address"8.Enter "Last name" and, if necessary, "First
name".9."Store in vehicle"
Storing the position
The current position can be stored in the ad‐
dress book.
1."Navigation"2.Open "Options".3."Store position as contact" or "Add
position to contact"Seite 172NavigationDestination entry172
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changed; for example, gas stations might not
be in operation.
Opening the search for specialdestinations
Selection of special destinations, such as ho‐
tels or tourist attractions.1."Navigation"2."Points of Interest"3.Select the search function.
Online Search
1."Google™ Local Search"2.Select a special destination.3. Select the symbol.4."Start guidance"
A-Z search
1."A-Z search"2."Town/City"3.Select or enter the town/city.4."Category"5.Select the category.6."Category details"
For some special destinations, multiple
category details can be selected. Move the
controller to the left to leave the category
details.7."Keyword"8.Enter the keyword.
A list of the special destinations is dis‐
played.9.Select a special destination.
Details are displayed.
If multiple details are stored, you can leaf
through the pages.
If a phone number is available, a connec‐
tion can be established if necessary.10. Select the symbol.11."Start guidance" or "Add as another
destination"
Add a destination as a further destination,
refer to page 177.
"Start search": if a search term is not entered,
the search is repeated with the previous
search term.
Category search
1."Category search"2."Town/City"3.Select or enter the town/city.4."Category"5.Select the category.6."Category details"
For some special destinations, multiple
category details can be selected. Move the
controller to the left to leave the category
details.7."Start search"
A list of the special destinations is dis‐
played.8.Select a special destination.
Details are displayed.
If multiple details are stored, you can leaf
through the pages.
If a phone number is available, a connec‐
tion can be established if necessary.9. Select the symbol.10."Start guidance" or "Add as another
destination"
Add a destination as a further destination,
refer to page 177.
Display of special destinations
List of special destinations: special destina‐
tions are arranged by distance and appear with
a directional arrow pointing to the special des‐
tination.
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