Handbrake - BMW X5 2004 Owner's Manual

Handbrake

The handbrake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked; it brakes the rear wheels.
Engaging
The lever engages automatically when
you pull it up and the indicator lamp
comes on in the instrument cluster in
ignition key position 2, refer to
pages 18 and 19.
Releasing
Pull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances
should make it necessary to
engage the handbrake while the vehicle
is in motion, do not pull it too strongly.
In doing so, continuously press the but-
ton of the handbrake lever.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction – fishtailing
– at the rear axle.
The brake lamps do not light up when
the handbrake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the handbrake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces. Even placing the gearshift lever
in 1st gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in
To avoid corrosion, apply the hand-
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance, provided that it is safe
to do so.
Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 157 897 - © 08/03 BMW AG
Manual transmission
Press the clutch pedal all the way down
each time you shift, pressing the gear-
shift lever into its proper end position.
Depress the clutch when starting the
vehicle, too, otherwise, the interlock
will prevent the engine from starting if
Park.<
the clutch is not depressed.
While shifting gear in the 5th/6th
gear level, make sure that you
press the gearshift lever to the right to
prevent inadvertently selecting a gear in
the 3rd/4th gear level. Do not hold the
vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or
riding the clutch. Use the handbrake
instead, since a slipping clutch
increases clutch
63n
wear.<