Things to remember when drivingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Breaking-in period General information Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to
each other.
The following instructions will help achieve a
long vehicle life and good economy.
Engine and differential Always obey the official speed limit.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:▷For gasoline engine 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.▷For diesel engine 3,500 rpm and
93 mph/150 km/h.
Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐
stances.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full
traction potential until after an initial breaking-
in period.
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake
discs and brake pads. Drive moderately during
this break-in period.
Following part replacement
The same breaking in procedures should be
observed if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Closing the tailgate Drive with the tailgate closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, in the event of an accident or braking and
evasive maneuvers, passengers and other road
users may be injured, and the vehicle may be
damaged. In addition, exhaust fumes may en‐
ter the passenger compartment.◀
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:▷Close all windows and the glass sunroof.▷Greatly increase the blower speed.▷Drive moderately.
Hot exhaust system
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
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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
The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti‐
cles and burns them periodically at high tem‐
peratures.
During the cleaning time of several minutes,
the following may occur:▷Temporarily, the engine may run less
smoothly.▷Noises and a slight amount of smoke com‐
ing from the exhaust until shortly after the
engine is shut down.▷A somewhat higher engine speed is neces‐
sary to achieve the accustomed perform‐
ance.
Climate control windshield
The marked area is not covered with heat re‐
flective coating.
Use this area for garage door openers, devices
for electronic toll collection, etc.
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is advised that you do not use mobile com‐
munication devices, e.g., mobile phones, in‐
side the vehicle without connecting them di‐
rectly to the external antenna. Otherwise, the
vehicle electronics and mobile communication
devices can interfere with each other. In addi‐
tion, there is no assurance that the radiation
generated during transmission will be dis‐
charged 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.◀
Driving through water
For calm water, maximum water depth:▷X5: 19.6 inches/50 cm
At this max. depth, drive at walking speed.
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.
If the vehicle has parked-car heating, drive
through water only if it is not deeper than 9.8
inches/25 cm, and at this height no faster than
walking speed.◀
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Driving on poor roads
The vehicle connects four wheel drive to the
advantages of a normal truck
Do not drive on unpaved terrain
Do not drive on unpaved terrain; other‐
wise, the vehicle may be damaged.◀
For your own safety, for the safety of passen‐
gers and of the vehicle, heed the following
points:▷Become familiar with the vehicle before
starting a trip; do not take risks in driving.▷Adjust the speed to the road surface con‐
ditions. The steeper and more uneven the
road surface, the slower the speed should
be.▷When driving on steep uphill or downhill
grades: add engine oil and coolant up to
near the MAX mark. Uphill and downhill
grades can be traveled up to no more than
50 %.▷On steep downhill grades, use Hill Descent
Control HDC, refer to page 133.
Starting out is possible on uphill grades up
to 33 %. The permissible side tilt is 50 %.▷Avoid contact of the bottom of the body
with the ground.
The ground clearance is no more than 7.8
inches/20 cm and can vary according to
the loading condition.▷When wheels continue to turn, depress the
accelerator so that driving stability control
systems can distribute the driving force to
the wheels. Activate DTC Dynamic Trac‐
tion Control if available.
After a trip on poor roads
After a trip on poor roads, check wheels and
tires for damage to maintain driving safety.
Clear heavy soiling from the body.
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LoadingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
General information Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carry‐
ing capacity of the tires, never overload the ve‐
hicle. Overloading can lead to overheating and
increases the rate at which damage develops
inside the tires. This could result in a sudden
loss of tire inflation pressure.◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be dam‐
aged.◀
Determining the load limit1.Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:▷The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to thevehicle and unstable driving situations
may result.2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or
YYY pounds.4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load ca‐
pacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs =
400 lbs.5.Determine the combined weight of lug‐
gage and cargo being loaded on the vehi‐
cle. That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.Seite 194Driving tipsLoading194
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Saving fuelVehicle equipmentAll standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
General information Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐
ferent factors.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can have an
influence on fuel consumption and on the envi‐
ronmental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargoAdditional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts
following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use.
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.
Close the windows and glass
sunroof
Driving with the glass sunroof and windows
open results in increased air resistance and
thereby reduces the range.Tires
General information
Tires can affect fuel consumption values in
various ways, for instance fuel consumption
can be influenced by the size of the tires.
Check the tire inflation pressure
regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct the tire infla‐
tion pressure at least twice a month and before
starting on a long trip.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and
tire wear.
Drive away immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving
right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the fastest way for the cold engine to
reach its operating temperature.
Look well ahead when
driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehi‐
cle driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and looking ahead reduces
fuel consumption.
Use coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot
off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to
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Mobility
In order to always ensure your mobility, you will find important information on operating fluids,wheels and tires, maintenance and Roadside Assistance in the following.Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 926 740 - X/13
Wheels and tiresVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Tire inflation pressure Safety information
The tire characteristics and tire inflation pres‐
sure influence the following:▷The service life of the tires.▷Road safety.▷Driving comfort.
Checking the pressure
Tires have a natural, consistent loss of pres‐
sure.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
Regularly check the tire inflation pres‐
sure, and correct it as needed: at least twice a
month and before a long trip. If you fail to ob‐
serve this precaution, you may be driving on
tires with incorrect tire pressures, a condition
that may not only compromise your vehicle's
driving stability, but also lead to tire damage
and the risk of an accident.◀
Tires heat up during driving, and the tire infla‐
tion pressure increases along with the temper‐
ature of the tire. The tire inflation pressure
specifications relate to cold tires or tires with
the ambient temperature.
Only check the tire inflation pressure when the
tires are cold. This means after driving no more
than 1.25 miles/2 km or when the vehicle has
been parked for at least 2 hours.
After correcting the tire inflation pressure:▷Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor.▷Reinitialize the Tire Pressure Monitor.
Pressure specifications The tire inflation pressure table, refer to
page 212, contains all pressure specifications
for the specified tire sizes at the ambient tem‐
perature. Pressure specifications apply to ap‐
proved tire sizes and recommended tire
brands. This information can be obtained from
your service center.
To identify the correct tire inflation pressure,
please note the following:
▷Tire sizes of your vehicle.▷Maximum permitted driving speed.
Tire inflation pressures up to
100 mph/160 km/h
For speeds of up to 100 mph/160 km/h and for
optimum driving comfort, note the pressure
values in the tire inflation pressure table, refer
to page 212, and adjust as necessary.
These pressure values can also be found on
the tire inflation pressure label on the driver's
door pillar.
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Maximum permissible speed
Do not exceed 100 mph/160 km/h; other‐
wise, tire damage and accidents may result.◀
Tire inflation pressure values up to
100 mph/160 km/h
X5 sDrive35i/X5 xDrive35i/
X5 xDrive50i/X5 xDrive35d with two
rows of seatsTire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSISpecifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires255/55 R 18 109 H
M+S XL A/S RSC
255/55 R 18 109 H
M+S XL RSC2.3 / 332.8 / 41255/50 R 19 107 H
M+S XL A/S RSC
255/50 R 19 107 H
M+S XL RSC2.5 / 363.0 / 44Front: 275/40 R 20
106 W XL RSC
Rear: 315/35 R 20
110 W XL RSC2.5 / 36
--
2.8 / 41Front: 275/40 R 20
106 V M+S XL RSC
Rear: 315/35 R 20
110 V M+S XL RSC2.5 / 36
--
2.8 / 41Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSIFront: 285/35 R 21
105 Y XL RSC
Rear: 325/30 R 21
108 Y XL RSC2.5 / 36
--
3.0 / 44Compact wheel:
T 155/90 D 18 113
M
T 155/80 R 19 114
MSpeed up to a max. of
50 mph / 80 km/h
4.2 / 60
X5 sDrive35i/X5 xDrive35i/
X5 xDrive50i/X5 xDrive35d with three
rows of seats
Tire sizePressure specifications
in bar/PSISpecifications in
bar/PSI with cold
tires255/55 R 18 109 H
M+S XL A/S RSC
255/55 R 18 109 H
M+S XL RSC2.2 / 322.7 / 39255/50 R 19 107 H
M+S XL A/S RSC
255/50 R 19 107 H
M+S XL RSC2.4 / 352.9 /42Front: 275/40 R 20
106 W XL RSC
Rear: 315/35 R 20
110 W XL RSC2.4 / 35
--
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