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117n
Driving your BMW X5
Your BMW is right at home on all roads
and byways – even where the pavement
ends. It combines permanent four-
wheel drive with the agility of a typical
passenger car.
On bad roads
When you are driving on bad roads,
there are a few points which you should
strictly heed — for your own safety, for
that of your passengers, and for the
safekeeping of the vehicle:
> Familiarize yourself with the vehicle
before you begin driving. Do not take
risks with the vehicle under any cir-
cumstances.
> Always adapt vehicle speed to road
conditions – the steeper and more
uneven the road surface is, the
slower the vehicle's speed should be.
> You can operate your vehicle on up-
hill and downhill gradients with a
maximum slope of 50 %. If you intend
to drive on either an uphill or downhill
gradient of this steepness, check to
be sure in advance that the engine oil
and coolant levels are both near the
"max" mark. Refer to page 137
and 140.
When driving down steep slopes, use
the Hill Descent Control (HDC). Refer
to page 84.
Starting from a full stop is possible on
uphill gradients of up to 32 %.
The permitted side tilt is also 50 %.
> While driving, watch carefully for ob-
stacles such as rocks or holes. Try to
avoid these obstacles whenever pos-
sible.
> On hill crests and bumpy roads, for
example, be careful to prevent the
body from "bottoming" (contact be-
tween the body and the ground).
The ground clearance of the vehicle
is:
– 8 inches (200 mm) with up to four
passengers
– 7 inches (180 mm) fully loaded.
> Do not drive in water that is deeper
than 20 inches (50 cm). If you must
drive through water up to that depth,
drive at a walking speed and do not
stop.
After leaving the water, press on the
footbrake gently several times while
driving at a low speed. The brake ap-
plications will help to dry the brakes,
thus preventing a reduction in brak-
ing performance caused by the mois-
ture.
Back onto the paved road
In recommending that you observe the
following points after driving on adverse
road surfaces, it is not as a "beauty
treatment" for your BMW. Instead, it is
intended for the maintenance of driving
safety:
> Clean accumulations of dirt from the
body and check the undercarriage for
damage.
> Clean mud, snow, ice and other ma-
terials from the wheels and tires.
Check the tires for damage.
> Check to determine whether rocks,
gravel or accumulations of dirt on the
brake rotors and calipers could influ-
ence braking performance. Remove
all such foreign objects.
> In order to clean the brake rotors,
apply the footbrake gently several
times while driving at a low speed. Be
sure that following traffic is not en-
dangered by this.
> For cleaning the parking brake, apply
the lever slightly at approx. 25 mph
(40 km/h) and continue to drive for
approx. 200 yards (200 meters), pro-
vided that traffic conditions allow you
to do so.
Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 155 303 - © 12/99 BMW AG