2006 BMW X5 Owner's Manual - Page 138

138nGeneral driving notes Driving your X5 On poor roads When you are driving on poor 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: 530us245 Driving through water Do not drive through water on the road if it is deeper than 20 in/ 50 cm, and then only at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the transmission may be damaged. When equipped with 2-axle self leveling suspension*, switch the vehicle into the Off-Road setting before driving through, refer to page 97.< 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 gradients of this kind, make sure beforehand that the engine oil and coolant levels are near the max mark, refer to pages 152 and 154. Use the HDC Hill Descent Control when driving down steep grades, refer to page 94. It is possible to start off on grades of up to 33%. The permissible body roll is also 50 % > While driving, watch carefully for obstacles such as rocks or holes. Try to avoid these obstacles whenever possible Using handbrake on slopes Do not hold the vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or riding the clutch; use the handbrake instead. Otherwise, severe clutch wear will result.< Interior and exterior mirrors, automatic dimming feature* Two photocells serve to control the automatic dimming of the interior and exterior rearview mirrors. One photocell is in the mirror glass, refer to arrow, while the other is on the back of the mirror, offset somewhat from the first. For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells clean and do not cover the area between the interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do not attach any kind of stickers to the windshield in front of the mirror either. Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 159 867 - © 07/05 BMW AG