2004 BMW X3 3.0I Owner's Manual

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
71
Removing the ski bag
Pull the handle forward and remove the ski
bag upward.
Do not position cargo at the opening.
If you do, it can endanger the passen-
gers during braking or evasive maneu-
vers.<
Cargo area
When loading, observe the information on
page 78.
Folding rear seat back
Reach into the opening and pull forward,
refer to arrow.
When you fold back the backrest, be
sure that the catch engages securely.
The red warning indicator disappears in the
recess when the catch is engaged.<
Ski bag*
To create a flat load area floor, you can
remove the ski bag before folding the rear
seat back and replace it with a cover. You
will find the cover in the cargo area under
the floor cover.
Cargo area cover
Pull the cargo area cover out by the handle
and hook it in the rear holders.
You can carry light objects such as articles
of clothing on the cargo area cover.
Do not place heavy and hard objects
on the cover. If you do so, they could
endanger occupants during braking
maneuvers. Do not allow the cover to snap
back into place, as otherwise it could be
damaged.<
Removal
1.Press the side buttons, refer to arrow 1
2.Pull the cassette towards the rear, refer
to arrow 2.
Installation
Push the cassette forward into the two side
holders until it locks in place.

Practical interior accessories
72
Loading cargo with the rear seat
back folded down
Holders for the cassette are fitted to the
backs of the rear seat backs, refer to
arrow 1.
Guide in the cassette from the right side
until it locks in place, refer to arrow 2. Here,
the cargo area cover must always point in
the direction of travel and the loop of the
partition net must point upward.
You can pull out the partition net and insert
it in the holders in the roof area above.
Partition net*
Pull the partition net by the loop from the
cassette; hold the bar on both sides and
insert in the holder.
Do not allow the partition net to snap
back into place, as otherwise there is
a danger of injury and the partition net
could be damaged.<
Behind the side trim panel
Press the button to open.
Floor cover
Opening
For access to the compact wheel etc.
To open, raise the cover by the handle,
refer to arrow.
If required, you can remove or raise the
floor cover.
Raising
Swing up the floor cover and hook it onto
the handle of the cargo area cover with its
catch.

Reference
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Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
73
Lashing eyes, rail*
You can secure load-securing devices to
the lashing eyes on the cargo area floor.
To shift the lashing eyes, press the button.
The lashing eyes can be removed at the
openings in the rails.
Read and comply with the information
enclosed with the load-securing
devices.<
Sockets
When the cover is folded up, you have
access to another socket.
The sockets can be used to plug in hand
flashlights, car vacuum cleaners, etc., with
power ratings of up to approx. 200 W at
12 V. Do not damage the socket with
unsuitable plugs, also refer to page 69.

Driving tips
This section is designed to provide you
with extra support by supplying information
useful in dealing with specific driving and
operating conditions.

Things to remember when driving
76
Things to remember when driving
Break-in procedures
To ensure that your vehicle provides maxi-
mum economy throughout a long service
life, we request that you observe the fol-
lowing instructions:
Engine and differential
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km:
During this initial period you should attempt
to avoid constant, steady-state operation
and vary both vehicle and engine speeds
as often as possible. Until the break-in
period has been completed you should
also refrain from exceeding the following:
>4,500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h.
Always obey all official speed limits.
Refrain from using full throttle and avoid
pressing the accelerator beyond the kick-
down point.
Once you have driven 1,200 miles/
2,000 km, the engine and vehicle speeds
can be gradually increased.
You should also comply with these break-in
procedures should the engine or one of the
differentials be replaced later in the course
of the vehicle's service life.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with
their manufacture, tires do not achieve their
full traction potential until after an initial
break-in period. For this reason, drive with
extra care during the initial 200 miles/
300 km.
Obey your local and state maximum speed
limits.
When the vehicle is operated on wet
or slushy roads, a wedge of water
may form between the tire and the road
surface. This phenomenon is referred to as
hydroplaning and can lead to partial or
complete loss of traction, vehicle control
and braking effectiveness. Reduce your
speed on wet roads.<
Brake system
Approx. 300 miles/500 km must elapse
before the brake pads and rotors achieve
the optimal pad-surface and wear patterns
required for trouble-free operation and
long service life later on.
To break in the separate handbrake drums,
apply the handbrake lightly when coasting
to a standstill Ð at a traffic signal, for
instance; use caution to avoid posing a
danger to other road users.
To avoid corrosion, repeat this procedure
from time to time.
The brake lamps do not come on when the
handbrake is set.
Vacuum for the brake system servo
unit on your BMW is available only
when the engine is running. When you
move the vehicle with the engine off Ð e.g.
by towing Ð substantially higher levels of
pedal force will be required to brake the
vehicle.<
Clutch
The function of the clutch is also only at its
optimized level after a distance driven of
approx. 300 miles/500 km. During this
break-in period, engage the clutch gently.
General driving notes
High temperatures
Extreme temperatures occur at the
catalytic converter on this and every
catalyst-equipped vehicle. Do not remove
the heat shields installed adjacent to vari-
ous sections of the exhaust system, and
never apply undercoating to them. When
driving, standing at idle and while parking
take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any
highly flammable materials such as hay,
leaves, grass, etc. Such contact could lead

Reference
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Mobility
77
to a fire, and with it the risk of serious prop-
erty damage as well as personal injury.<
Parking the vehicle
Condensation forms in the air conditioner
system during operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed
water under the vehicle are thus normal.
Before driving into the car wash
Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to
page 31, as otherwise they could be dam-
aged due to the width of the vehicle.
Deactivate the rain sensor as otherwise
damage could result from undesired wiper
activation, refer to page 42.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a
wedge of water can form between tires and
road surface. This phenomenon is referred
to as hydroplaning, and is characterized by
a partial or complete loss of contact
between tires and road surface, ultimately
undermining your ability to steer and brake
the vehicle.<
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. Otherwise,
the vehicle's engine, the electrical systems
and the transmission may be damaged.<
Safe braking
Emergency stops
The best way to brake is to apply maximum
pressure to the brake pedal during emer-
gency Ð panic stops. Since the vehicle
maintains steering responsiveness, you
can nevertheless avoid possible obstacles
with a minimum of steering effort.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combined with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits indicates
to the driver that ABS is in its active mode. Do not drive with your foot resting on
the brake pedal. Otherwise, even light
but consistent pedal pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possi-
bly even brake failure.<
Wet conditions
While driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is a good idea to apply light
pressure to the brake pedal every few
miles. Watch traffic conditions to ensure
that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat which is gener-
ated by the brake applications helps to dry
the brake pads and rotors. The required
braking force will then be available when
you need it.
On a grade
You can retain full and unimpaired braking
efficiency by downshifting to a gear in
which only minimal brake applications are
needed when descending long or steep
downhill stretches.
You can further enhance the engine's brak-
ing effect by selecting a lower gear in the
automatic transmission's manual mode,
downshifting as far as first gear on
extremely steep stretches, refer to
page 38. This strategy helps you avoid
placing excessive loads on the brake sys-
tem.
During slower downhill driving, use the Hill
Descent Control HDC, refer to page 51.
Never drive with the clutch pressed,
with the transmission in Neutral or
with the engine switched off, as otherwise
there is no engine braking when the trans-
mission is in Neutral, and no power-assist
for brakes and steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
accelerator and brake pedals and obstruct
their movement.<
Corrosion
When the vehicle is driven only occasion-
ally, during extended periods when the
vehicle is not used at all, and in operating
conditions where brake applications are

Things to remember when driving
78 less frequent, there is an increased ten-
dency for corrosion to form on rotors, while
contaminants accumulate on the brake
pads. This occurs because the minimal
pressure which must be exerted by the
pads during brake applications to clean the
rotors is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors,
the brakes will tend to respond with a pul-
sating effect that even extended applica-
tion will fail to cure.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond
their approved carrying capacity,
never overload the vehicle. Overloading
can lead to overheating and increases the
rate at which damage develops inside the
tires. The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.<
Determining the load limit
1.Locate the following statement on the
driver's door pillar:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX lbs or YYY kg. Failure to
observe this can compromise your
vehicle's driving stability and cause
vehicle damage.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle
3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX
pounds or YYY kilograms4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs and there will be five 150-lbs
passengers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs:
1,400 lbs minus 750 lbs = 650 lbs
5.Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight should never
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
part of the load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult the
manual for transporting a trailer to
determine how this may reduce the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permitted load is the total of the weight
of occupants and cargo/luggage. The
greater the weight of occupants, the less
cargo/luggage can be transported.