Cool "Hidden" features of the E53 X5

[TerminatorX5]

it was in the facelifeted 2004 model year - to see if you have the AHL module, look at your headlight switch, if it has a little green LED light next to the AUTO settings, you probably have the adaptive headlights... and of course, you can check to see if your lights follow the steering wheel...

[Qsilver7]

Again, we need to know if you have the MID or the Navigation screen??? You can change the scale from liters to gallons...easily...but I can't tell you how if I don't know which set-up you have...MID or NAV?

When you say "checking out the TEST"...are you talking about UNLOCKING your OBC to access the 21 TESTs? If so, if you didn't go to TEST 19...then the OBC is still LOCKED...thus that's what you will see if you try to access any of the OBC TESTs other than TEST 1 or 2.

Where are you getting your information from to UNLOCK your OBC? If you don't have complete information...then wait until you do so that you don't reset something you don't want to reset. This feature wasn't intended for the consumer...but is a way to access the input/output/functions of the IKE (instrument cluster electronics).

Here's the instructions on how to UNLOCK your OBC and a brief description of each TEST:

Below is the procedure for unlocking the OBC (just like the link above) and there's also a brief description of the OBC TESTs. Disregard that it mentions "e38" in the heading...the "unlock" info applies to the e38/e39/e53 with the high instrument cluster...the low instrument cluster used in the e46 & e53 is similar except there's only 1 button on the cluster, so initiating the TESTs is slightly different as well as how they appear in the display since the low cluster doesn't have the larger 20-digit alpha/numeric display:

[CrazyOneToo]

Thank you very much. Now I understand that the picture you posted showed me how to go back to the default showing of items shown on my gauge cluster. Yes I have the MID unit not navigation. No I didn't go to test 19 or try to unlock it. I was just trying to view some of the tests that it shows on these pages. Clearly I did something wrong somewhere and made it so that it only showed one item when I had the car in normal driving mode. Thanks for helping me get it back to default.
Alan

[Qsilver7]

Great. And you don't have to unlock the OBC or do any of the TESTs to put your scale back to gallons instead of liters. You can do that right on your MID.

Press the BC button on your MID (located on the lower right button)...and you should see a prompt on the far right to change the scale. In the image below you can see the L/KM (liters/kilometers) prompt (next to the SET button). Yours should say something else (like gal/miles) since you have liters/kilometers selected. If you press that button, it should revert back to gallons/miles. \

The display for your OBC is the MID (not the display in the instrument cluster). To control/set/reset/start/stop any OBC functions, you do this with the buttons on the MID. The BC button on the turn signal stalk only allows you to program OBC features to appear in the instrument cluster...so you can call them up (as a fringe benefit). You can't control any of the OBC features with the turn signal stalk...because the display in the cluster has first priority to the Check Control system. That's why any Priority 1 or 2 warnings from the Check Control system will wipe other info from the display. If you leave your lights on and shut down the engine, or leave your keys in the igntion and open the door etc...or you have any warning/prompts from the Check Control System...they take over the display in the cluster to let you know what's going on. And only after clearing them can you go back to displaying other info there.

Hope this makes sense.

[CrazyOneToo]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Hope this makes sense.

Yeah it does. Thanks. I'll try it out in a few minutes. You rock!!!

[pezho405]

So much to read here. some of what i know:

Many coding possibilites as well the roll up windows with key.

If you very quickly press pedal down and hit the kickdown button and lift off again it will dowshift to its lowest possible gear at the moment, it wont change up for the next few seconds unless you apply more throttle.

Flick the highbeams with the key out before leaving and locking, will keep the car lit up for like 15-45 seconds so you can see where you are going. As well as if you put on a turn signal, that side will stay on.

YOU CAN Heel toe rev match when downshifting, you just gotta find the exact spot between when you downshift and the gear engages. Ive gotten a good sense of when to do it and do it out of habit now. (is it bad?)
Usually its like .7-1 seconds after you hit the gear lever.
It reduces any jerking and is a smooth transition.

Dont know if this is bad but under hard acceleration if i lift off as gear changes i feel like it changes abit quicker and gets on the power right away.

If you click lock once again after locking it the first time, i think during while the mirror light is flasing fast, it will disable the interior motion sensor.

if you pop off the gear shift boot and cover, its a great place to hide things

Well i knew a bunch before i started tyuping this but as i remember ill add them

[MacProo]

Heres a fun one i found.
If you take the traction control off, you still have a very hard time trying to slide the car. so to over come this i found this trick.

1) Remove the rear seat, simply lift it up.
2) there will be 2 connector cables on connected to X drive, LEFT seat. If you remove the two cables and start up the car, ABS, Stability and 4x4 will be turned off.

Once you start driving you will hear a difference in the engine noise, sounds more aggressive. From standstill you can easily do a burn out (4.4L version). when you accelerate in a turn your back end will slide out.
On dirt i did 360s and you can see that most if not all of the power goes directly to the back wheels.
so what essentially happens is that you turn off X-Drive.
it feels like an entirely new car in my opinion, must more rear power.

I've done this on multiple occasions and i've had no issues with it. the car has 250,000 km on it.

Let me know what you guys think! If you have any questions I can prove you guys with photos or anything else


I also ordered an AUX cable for the e53 off of ebay (~$20). Im plan on doing the installation once it arrives. If anyone is curious as to how to do it let me know and I will post some instructions.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by MacProo

Here's a fun one I found.
If you take the traction control off, you still have a very hard time trying to slide the car.

That's probably because you can't take traction control off, just dynamic stability control. Unless you unplug something.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by MacProo

...so what essentially happens is that you turn off X-Drive...

Since there are two types of AWD systems used on the e53 X5...knowing what model year you have would be most helpful to the forum...especially if there's a difference between the systems in the area you told us to look for a connection.

The early build e53s uses technology based on the earlier AWD systems going back to the old e30 325ix...and has a torque split of 38/62 front/rear...where as the later build e53s have the variable x-Drive system that defaults to a 40/60 front/rear split until slippage or other dynamic creates a different variation of torque split.

In fact, your model/model year/build date would help us all better.

[MacProo]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Since there are two types of AWD systems used on the e53 X5...knowing what model year you have would be most helpful to the forum...especially if there's a difference between the systems in the area you told us to look for a connection.

The early build e53s have a fixed 38/62 front/rear split...where as the later build e53s have the variable x-Drive system that defaults to a 40/60 front/rear split until slippage or other dynamic creates a different variation.

In fact, your model/model year/build date would help us all better.

I use a 2004 E53 4.4L
I havent checked the build date. If i remember ill check next time i go for a drive



Heres an image of where the cables are (2 of them). Sorry it's blurry, i had a difficult time holding the seat up and taking the photo


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