2005 BMW X3 2.5I maintenance

X3 2.5i
X3 3.0iOwner's Manual for Vehicle
We are very glad that you have decided to purchase a BMW.
The more familiar you are with it, the more secure you will be on
the roads. This is why we ask you:
Please read the information we have gathered for you in this
Owner's Manual before you set off with your new BMW. You will
receive important information on vehicle operation that enables
you to make full use of the technical benefits of your BMW. You
will also find information on maintenance that serves to retain the
operating and road safety as well as the best possible value
retention of your vehicle. You will find supplementary information
in other brochures.
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of
this vehicle. It should stay with the vehicle when sold to provide
the next owner with important operating, safety and maintenance
information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page113.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
16Opening and closing
24Adjustments
31Transporting children safely
34Driving
42Everything under control
46Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
53Lamps
56A congenial climate
62Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
72Things to remember when driving
Mobility
80Refueling
82Wheels and tires
88Under the hood
93Maintenance
95Replacing components
103Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
110Technical data
113Everything from A to Z

Notes
6
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and high-performance
electronics, requires specially adapted mainte-
nance and repair methods. Therefore, only have
corresponding work on your BMW carried out
by a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. If work is carried out improperly, there is
a danger of consequential damage and the
related safety risks.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California law requires us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Batter-
ies also contain other chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer. Wash your
hands after handling. Used engine oil contains
chemicals that have caused cancer in labora-
tory animals. Always protect your skin by wash-
ing thoroughly with soap and water.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Genuine BMW Parts,
you simultaneously acquire the assurance that
they have been thoroughly tested by BMW to
ensure optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damages
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation or its occupants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment, for
instance CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or sim-
ilar accessories may cause extensive damage
to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. Refer to
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center for
additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<

A congenial climate
58
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vents to direct the flow of cool air in
your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Microfilter
The built-in microfilter removes dust and pollen
from the incoming outside air. It is replaced
when maintenance is performed by your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. A substantial
reduction in air supply indicates that the filter
should be replaced before normal maintenance.
Defrosting windows and removing
condensation
1Rotary blower switch
Set the rotary switch for air supply at level 4.
2Rotary temperature switch
Turn completely to the right.
3Rotary switch for air distribution
Turn to position .
4Rear window defroster
Switch on to defrost the rear window.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
61
culates the air currently within the vehicle.
During AUC operation, a sensor detects pollut-
ants in the outside air and controls the shut-off
automatically.
Press the button repeatedly to run through the
following control sequence:
>Indicator lamps off: outside air flows into the
vehicle.
>Left indicator lamp on, AUC mode: the sys-
tem recognizes pollutants in the outside air
and blocks the flow of air when necessary.
The system then recirculates the air cur-
rently within the vehicle. Depending on the
air quality, the automatic system then
switches back and forth between outside air
supply and recirculation of the air within the
vehicle.
>Right-hand indicator lamp on: the outside
air supply into the vehicle is shut off contin-
uously. The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off while also increasing air supply as
required. The recirculated-air mode should not
be used over a sustained period of time, other-
wise the air quality inside the vehicle will deteri-
orate.<
Rear window defroster
When the rear window defroster is
activated, the indicator lamp
comes on. The rear window
defroster switches off automatically.
You can have your vehicle set so that the
rear window defroster switches on auto-
matically. It is then switched on at outside tem-
peratures of less than approx. +397/+46
within 5 minutes of the engine start.<
Ventilation
The air vents for the upper body area can be
adjusted:
1Serrated dials
Serrated dials for opening and closing the
vent outlets through an infinitely-variable
range.
2Levers
Selector levers for airflow direction.
3Serrated dial
Use this serrated dial to adjust the amount
of cool air that is added to the airflow
emerging from the vent outlets for the
upper body.
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vents to direct the flow of cool air in
your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter*
The built-in microfilter removes dust and pollen
from the incoming air. The activated-charcoal
filter provides additional protection by filtering
gaseous pollutants from the outside air. This
combined filter is replaced when maintenance
is performed by your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Center. A substantial reduction in air supply
indicates that the filter should be replaced
before normal maintenance.

Mobility
This section helps you maintain your mobility
by supplying important information on
vital topics including fuels and lubricants,
wheels and tires, service, maintenance
and breakdown assistance.
Mobility

Wheels and tires
82
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tire's service life, but also
driving comfort and – to a great extent – driving
safety that depend on the condition of the tires
and the maintenance of the specified tire pres-
sure.
Checking pressure
Only check tire inflation pressure when the tires
are cold, i.e. after a maximum of 1.25 miles/2 km
driving or when the vehicle has been parked for
at least 2 hours. When tires are warm, the tire
inflation pressure increases.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it if necessary, including com-
pact wheel: at least every two weeks and before
beginning a longer trip. If you fail to observe this
precaution you may be driving on tires with
incorrect tire pressures, a condition that can not
only compromise your vehicle's driving stability,
but also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident. Do not drive with a depressurized, i.e.
flat tire. A flat tire will seriously impair your vehi-
cle's handling and braking response. Attempts
to drive on a flat tire can lead to loss of control
over the vehicle.<
After correcting the inflation pressure(s),
always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,
refer to page50.<
Inflation pressures for factory-installed
tires
The inflation pressures for your factory-
installed tires can be found on the door jamb
when you open the driver's door.
Inflation pressures for other tire sizes
The table below provides all the correct inflation
pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient
temperature.
For correct identification of the right tire
inflation pressure for your tires, observe
the specifications for the corresponding tire
sizes.<
Tire size
The inflation pressures apply to the tire sizes
approved and tire brands recommended by
BMW; a list of these is available from your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
93
Maintenance
The BMW maintenance
system
The BMW maintenance system supports the
preservation of the traffic and operating safety
of your BMW.
Regular maintenance is not only required for
the safety of the vehicle, it also improves the
resale value.
Service Interval Display
The BMW maintenance system takes the driv-
ing conditions of the vehicle into account when
determining service intervals:
From the point of view of maintenance,
62,000 miles/100,000 km accumulated in
short-distance urban driving are not the equiva-
lent of the same distance covered at moderate
speeds in long-distance highway travel.
The BMW maintenance system is divided into
engine oil service as well as Inspections I and II.
Determining the maintenance intervals accord-
ing to the actual loads on the vehicle covers
every kind of operating situation. However,
even those who drive only short distances,
significantly less than 6,200 miles/10,000 km
annually, should have the engine oil changed at
least every 2 years since oil deteriorates over
time, regardless of use.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic: it absorbs
moisture from the atmosphere over the
course of time. To ensure that the brake system
continues to provide safe and reliable perfor-
mance, remember to have the brake fluid changed at least every two years by a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center, also refer to the
Service and Warranty Information Booklet for
US models or the Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.<
Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models/Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian
models
For detailed information on required mainte-
nance items and the work involved, please refer
to the Service and Warranty Information Book-
let for US models or to the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Depending on operating conditions, it may be
advisable to have the body checked for damage
from rocks or gravel as a precaution against cor-
rosion.
BMW recommends that you have your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center per-
form the maintenance and repair.
Check that the maintenance work is recorded in
the Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models or the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet for Canadian models. These
entries will serve as proof that the vehicle has
received regular maintenance.<
OBD connector
The interface socket for the Onboard Diagnos-
tics is located on the left of the driver's side at