What reduces the restraining effect
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed;
otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced.◀
Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
To ease accessibility to the seat belt buckle, an
adjustable slider is available on the belt to help
position the buckle when not in use.
Tensioning the safety belt
automatically
When the belt is closed, it is automatically
tightened once after the release.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's and
passenger's seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be activated
if objects are placed on the front passenger
seat.
Safety mode
In critical situations, e.g., during full brake ap‐
plication, the front safety belts tighten auto‐
matically.
If the situation passes without an accident oc‐
curring, the belt tension relaxes.
If the belt tension does not loosen automati‐
cally, stop the vehicle and unbuckle the belt
using the red button in the buckle. Fasten the
belt before continuing on your trip.
Damage to safety beltsWear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work properly.◀
Front head restraints Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjust the headrest via the backrest tilt as
needed.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.Seite 56ControlsAdjusting56
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is as close as possible to the back of the head.
Active head restraint
In the event of a rear-end collision with a cer‐
tain severity, the active head restraint automat‐
ically reduces the distance from the head.
Reduced protective function▷Do not use seat or head restraint
covers.▷Do not hang objects, e.g., clothes hangers,
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.◀
Wear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the active headrest checked and if
needed replaced.
Adjusting the height
Adjusting electrically.
Distance to the back of the head:
basic seat▷Forward: by pulling.▷Back: press the button and push the head
restraint toward the rear.
Distance to the back of the head:
M multifunctional seat
The head restraint is automatically reposi‐
tioned when the shoulder support is adjusted.
Removing The head restraints cannot be removed.
BMW X5 M: rear head
restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident.◀
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
Seite 57AdjustingControls57
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14
Adjusting the height▷To raise: push.▷To lower: press button, arrow 1, and push
headrest down.
The center head restraint cannot be adjusted
in elevation.
RemovingOnly remove the head restraint if no one will be
sitting in the seat in question.
1.Raise the head restraint up against the re‐
sistance.2.Press button, arrow 1, and pull the head re‐
straint out completely.
The center head restraint cannot be removed.
Before transporting passengers
Reinstall the head restraint before trans‐
porting anyone in the seat; otherwise, the pro‐
tective function of the head restraint is unavail‐
able.◀
Seat, mirror, and steering
wheel memory
The concept
Two driver's seat and exterior mirror positions
can be stored per profile, refer to page 35, and
called up. Settings for the backrest width and
lumbar support are not stored in memory.
Hints Do not retrieve the memory while driving
Do not retrieve the memory setting while
driving, as an unexpected movement of the
seat or steering wheel could result in an acci‐
dent.◀
Keep the movement area unobstructed
When changing the seat position, keep
the seat's area of movement unobstructed;
otherwise, people might get injured or objects
damaged.◀
At a glance
Storing
1.Switch on the ignition.2.Set the desired position.3. Press button. The LED in the but‐
ton lights up.4.Press selected button 1 or 2 while the LED
is lit. The LED goes out.
If the SET button is pressed accidentally:
Seite 58ControlsAdjusting58
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14
Transporting children safelyVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are notnecessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
The right place for children
Note
Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors.◀
Children should always be in the rear Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Only transport children younger than
13 years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in
the rear in child restraint systems provided in
accordance with the age, weight and size of
the child; otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size.◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child re‐
straint system in the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front, knee and side airbags
on the front passenger side are deactivated.
Automatic deactivation of front-seat passen‐
ger airbags, refer to page 108.Note
Deactivating the front-seat passenger
airbags
If a child restraint system is used in the front
passenger seat, deactivate the front-seat pas‐
senger airbags; otherwise, there is an in‐
creased risk of injury to the child when the air‐
bags are activated, even with a child restraint
system.◀
Installing child restraint
systems
Hints Manufacturer's information for child re‐straint systems
To select, mount and use child restraint sys‐
tems, observe the information provided by the
system manufacturer; otherwise, the protec‐
tive effect can be lost.◀
Ensuring the stability of the child seat
When installing child restraint systems,
make sure that the child seat is securely fas‐
tened to the backrest of the seat. Angle and
headrest of the backrest might need to be ad‐
justed or possibly be removed. Make sure that
all backrests are securely locked. Otherwise
the stability of the child seat can be affected,
and there is an increased risk of injury becauseSeite 63Transporting children safelyControls63
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14
BMW X5 M: cargo areaCargo cover
Hints Hook the cargo cover on both sides
Hook the cargo cover on both sides to
prevent damaging the cover.◀
Do not deposit heavy objects
Do not deposit heavy or hard objects on
the cargo cover. Otherwise, they may pose a
risk to occupants, such as during braking and
evasive maneuvers.◀
Do not let the cargo cover snap back into
place
Do not allow the cargo cover to snap back into
place; this can damage it.◀
Attaching1.Remove cargo cover, arrow 1.2.Hook cargo cover into the brackets on both
sides, arrow 2
Removing
The cover can be removed to load bulky lug‐
gage.
1.Press button, arrow 1, to unlock the cover.2.Pull the cover back, arrow 2.
Installing
Slide the cover forward horizontally into the
two side brackets until it audibly latches. The
red warning fields disappear. Tug on the cover
to check if it is properly locked in place.
Enlarging the cargo area
General information
The cargo area can be enlarged by folding
down the rear seat backrest.
The rear seat backrest is divided at a ratio of
40–20–40. The sides and the middle section
can be folded down separately.
Hints Danger of jamming
Before folding down the rear seat back‐
rests, ensure that the area of movement of the backrests is clear. In particular, ensure that no
one is located in or reaches into the area of
movement of the rear seat backrests when the
middle section is folded down. Otherwise, in‐
jury or damage may result.◀
Ensuring the stability of the child seat
When installing child restraint systems,
make sure that the child seat is securely fas‐
tened to the backrest of the seat. Angle and
headrest of the backrest might need to be ad‐
justed or possibly be removed. Make sure that
all backrests are securely locked. Otherwise
Seite 164ControlsInterior equipment164
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14
Ensuring the stability of the child seat
When installing child restraint systems,
make sure that the child seat is securely fas‐
tened to the backrest of the seat. Angle and
headrest of the backrest might need to be ad‐
justed or possibly be removed. Make sure that
all backrests are securely locked. Otherwise
the stability of the child seat can be affected,
and there is an increased risk of injury because
of unexpected movement of the rear seat
backrest.◀
Ensure that the lock is securely engaged
When you fold back the backrest make
sure that it locks in place. When this happens
the red warning field on the seat disappears.
Otherwise transported cargo could shoot into
the car's interior during braking or evasive ma‐
neuvers and endanger occupants.◀
Using the middle safety belt
If the middle safety belt in the rear is
used, the larger side of the backrest must be
locked. Otherwise, the safety belt will not have
a restraining effect.◀
Folding down the sides Move the front seats to an upright posi‐
tion
Before folding down the rear backrests, ensure
that the front seats are moved forward slightly
and are in an upright position. Otherwise, the
head restraint and screen could be damaged.◀
Reach into the recess and pull forward.
Folding down the middle section
Reach into the recess and pull forward.
Ski and snowboard bag General information
The ski and snowboard bag is contained in a
protective jacket in the cargo area.
Follow the installation and operation instruc‐
tions included in the protective jacket.
Seite 167Interior equipmentControls167
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 956 993 - X/14