Driving your x5 – BMW X5 4.8is SAV 2004 User Manual

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137

Driving your X5

On bad roads

When you are driving on bad roads,
there are a few points which you should
strictly observe — for your own safety,
for that of your passengers, and for the
safety of the vehicle:

Driving on unpaved terrain can
cause damage to the vehicle.

Always adapt the driving speed to the
road conditions. The rougher or
steeper the road surface is, the lower
the speed should be

You can operate your vehicle on
uphill and downhill gradients with a
maximum slope of 50 %. If you want
to drive on uphill or downhill gradi-
ents of this kind, make sure before-
hand that the engine oil and coolant
levels are near the max mark. Refer
to pages

148

and

150

Use the HDC Hill Descent Control on
steep downhill gradients, refer to
page

It is possible to start off on gradients
of up to 32%.
The permitted side tilt is also 50 %

While driving, watch carefully for
obstacles such as rocks or holes. Try
to avoid these obstacles whenever
possible

Please note that, for example on
crests and bumpy roads, the body
can make ground contact.
The ground clearance of the vehicle
is:
– 8 in/200 mm with up to four persons
– 7 in/180 mm fully loaded, without

self-leveling suspension

Only drive through water up to a
maximum depth of 20 in/50 cm and
only at walking speed, making sure
not to stop in the process.
After leaving the water, press on the
footbrake gently several times while
driving at a low speed. The brake
applications will help to dry the
brakes, thus preventing a reduction in
braking performance caused by the
moisture.

Back onto 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 the largest accumulations of
dirt from the body and check the
underbody for damage

Clean mud, snow, ice etc. from the
wheels and tires and check the
wheels 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
endangered by this

For cleaning the handbrake, 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.