Cool "Hidden" features of the E53 X5

[JT///MC]

So cool. Confirmed the passenger DC socket, reset the tranny, and slid the center armrest forward! Whoohoo! Love this thread!

[dok47]

Originally Posted by JCAPX5

Our '06 3.0 DOES have the flashlight.

It also sets off the alarm by holding the turnk-release button on the key (programmable)

Flush-mounted metal bars built into the BACK of the rear seats is for extra stability when using a baby-seat. My wants-to-be-a-mom girlfriend loved that one!

Does any one knows if that "panic mode" works on every X5 even european versions? I tried dozen times and it does not work on mine. It has alarm and it works, remote key works it blinks but no alarm activation when holding trunk button on key? Maybe is just outside EU versions
Is there way to trick it and enable it?

[e30mpower]

Originally Posted by Essam Khafagi

They turn on with the lights ... u will find one in each door handle, two fronts near the mirror and two in the back near the interior lighting.. put ur hand when it is dark u will easily notice them.

Actually all BMWs have them!

I have been killing myself for the past few days trying to find the door handle LEDs. I got my 2003 3.0i a few months ago and was surprised I didn't have the "BMW Ambient Lighting" or whatever they're calling it. A friend of mine had a 2006 that had the red/orange LEDs behind the door handles and thought it was so cool.

Then I pulled one of the sales brochures for the 2002 X5, and in black and white, it says "BMW Ambience Lighting" and one of the features, it says, is door handle illumination.

So what's up with the door handle illumination? I have the overhead console LEDs that shine down on the center, but am upset my door handles don't illuminate like my friends 2006, or even our 2008 ML350.

My production date is 12/02 I believe. serial number is LV80809 (yes I am a loser, I have memorized my serial number.)

[X5 Meister]

Not all got it, it was added during a production cycle. Do a thread search, one guy recently did his own retrofit. Another guy was doing a repair of his door and discovered the LED bulb that would have been used for the door handle illumination and completed the job himself. Another guy looked into wiring it all up himself using OE BMW parts, but decided (smartly) that it would cost a fortune to do) Your car is pretty early in the production run so it might not have gotten it at all or if you are lucky the bulb might just be there. Look at the schematic below. There are two parts, # 9 and # 10, seemingly present at the same time, which we know can't happen. See the confusion now...

[Bushman2]

By mistake I put my temperature read out in celsius. How exactly do I put it back in Farenheit? Please help.

[X5 Meister]

Go to nav settings screen.

[RMak]

I don't know if this is a hidden feature or if my X5 was just bugging out.

My wife's cellphone was charging and it was connected to jack behind the center console... right were the rear passenger vents and heated seats are. Right before my wife's phone got the ringing sound of her text message, I over heard this "dadaduuuummm" (3 x's) sound like thing over the bmw speakers/sound system. The sound would only happen once before she recieved her text message. She recieved 2 text messages and oddly it happened twice. Of course this only happened when her phone was charging through the jack?

[Weasel]

I think that small audio interference happens with most sound systems. My computer speakers do that anytime a phone is about to ring as well, at home and at work.

[ngo8]

Hey whats up guys after reading al 32 pages of this thread i ran out to my car (2005 4.4i) found the 12v out put under the glove department found the flashlight also went to the back of the trunk found 2 more 12v outputs ,i also did the tranny reset i felt a big differnce the right mirror trick worked great as well ,keep them coming this is a great thread thanks for the info , ohh yeah is there a way to get 3D maps on the nav? its being upgraded to v32 any help will be great.

[Disneygrad]

No offense, RMak, perhaps you ought to stay of of the pubs a bit. LOL>.