2006 BMW X3 2.5I tow

Things to remember when driving
80 Please read the information provided with
the heavy-duty cargo straps.
Always position and secure cargo as
described above. If you do not, it can
endanger the passengers during braking or
evasive maneuvers.
Use only the lashing eyes, refer to page73, to
fasten the heavy-duty cargo straps; otherwise,
the heavy-duty cargo straps could loosen or the
vehicle could be damaged.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle
weight or either of the approved axle loads, refer
to page116, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard and may also place you in viola-
tion of road safety laws.
You should never transport heavy or hard
objects unsecured in the passenger compart-
ment, as they could be thrown about and pose a
safety hazard to the vehicle's occupants during
abrupt braking or evasive maneuvers.<
Roof-mounted luggage rack*
A special rack system is available as an optional
accessory for your BMW. Please observe the
information contained in the installation instruc-
tions.
Loading luggage rack
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
its handling and steering response. You should
therefore always remember not to exceed the
approved roof load capacity, the approved
gross vehicle weight, or the axle loads when
loading the rack.
These specifications can be found under
Weights on page116.
Make sure that the load is evenly distributed,
and that it does not extend outward beyond the
limits of the loading surface. Always stow the
heaviest pieces at the bottom. Be sure that ade-
quate clearance is maintained for raising the
glass sunroof and that objects do not project
into the opening path of the liftgate.Secure roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
while you drive.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers. Take corners gently.
Driving on poor roads
Your X3 is at home on all paved and unpaved
roads. It combines all-wheel drive with the
advantages of a normal passenger car.
Driving on unpaved terrain can cause
damage to the vehicle.<
When you are driving on poor roads, there are a
few points which you should strictly observe –
for your own safety and that of your passengers,
as well as to protect the vehicle:
>Familiarize yourself with the vehicle before
you begin driving. Do not take risks with the
vehicle under any circumstances.
>Always adapt the driving speed to the road
conditions. The more steep and uneven the
roadway is, the lower the speed should be.
>You can operate your vehicle on uphill and
downhill gradients with a maximum slope
of 50 %. If you wish to drive on uphill and
downhill grades of this nature, make sure
beforehand that the engine oil and coolant
levels are near the MAX mark, refer to
pages94 and95.
>When descending very steep hills, use
HDC Hill Descent Control, refer to page49.
It is possible to start off on inclines of up
to 32 %.
The permitted side tilt is 32 %.
>While driving, watch carefully for obstacles
such as rocks or holes. Try to avoid these
obstacles whenever possible.
>Avoid having the body make contact with
the ground, e.g. on the crests of hills and
bumpy roads. The ground clearance of the
vehicle is a maximum of approx. 8.0 in/
20 cm. Please be aware that the ground
clearance can vary depending on the load
and operating conditions of the vehicle.

Reference
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Mobility
89
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, B, and C, A
being highest, and represent the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance that all pas-
senger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either sep-
arately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.<
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not fall below 0.12 in/
3 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/3 mm,
there is an increased risk of high-speed hydro-
planing, even when only small amounts of water
are present on the road surface.
Winter tires display a noticeable loss in their
ability to cope with cold-weather driving condi-
tions once the tread wears to below 0.16 in/
4 mm. To ensure continued safety you should
always have such tires replaced.Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, refer
to arrow, are distributed over the tire's circum-
ference and are marked on the side of the tire
with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. If the tire tread
has worn down to the wear indicators, then the
legally permissible tread depth limit of 0.063 in/
1.6 mm has been reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires, make
wheels, tires and suspension parts more
susceptible to road hazard and consequential
damages.<
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, be caused by driving over curbs. The same
applies to any other abnormal road behavior,
such as pulling severely to the right or left.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires checked
immediately. Drive carefully to the nearest
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or tire spe-
cialist. Have the vehicle towed to one of these
locations if necessary.
Tire damage can pose a potentially lethal safety
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and other
road users alike.<
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center or a tire shop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subsequent dam-

Under the hood
94
Engine oil
Engine oil consumption depends on driving
style and operating conditions.
Warning lamp
Engine oil pressure
The warning lamp lights up red:
The engine oil pressure is too low.
Stop the vehicle immediately and
switch off the engine. Check the engine oil level
and top off as needed. If the oil level is correct:
have the system checked immediately.
Do not continue driving. The engine could
be damaged because of inadequate lubri-
cation.<
Engine oil level
The warning lamp lights up yellow dur-
ing driving. In addition, an acoustic sig-
nal sounds.
The oil level is at the absolute minimum. Add
engine oil as soon as possible. Until then, do not
drive more than approx. 30 miles/50 km.
The warning lamp lights up yellow after
the engine is switched off. In addition,
an acoustic signal sounds.
Top off engine oil at the earliest opportunity,
e.g. when refueling.
Engine oil sensor
The warning lamp lights up yellow
within 30 seconds after starting the
engine:
The oil level sensor is defective. Have it
checked as soon as possible.
Checking oil level
1.With the engine at operating temperature,
i.e. after at least 6 miles/10 km of uninter-
rupted driving, park the vehicle in a horizon-
tal position.
2.Switch off engine.
3.After approx. 5 minutes, pull the dipstick out
and wipe it off with a clean lint-free cloth,
paper towel, or similar material.4.Carefully push the dipstick all the way into
the guide tube and pull it out again.
The oil should extend to between the two
marks on the dipstick.
5.Push the oil dipstick into the dipstick tube
as far as possible again.
The oil quantity between the two marks of the
dipstick is approx. 1.1 US quarts/1 liter.
Do not fill beyond the upper mark on the
dipstick. Excess oil can damage the
engine.<
Adding engine oil
Do not add oil until the oil level has dropped to
just above the lower marking on the dipstick,
refer to page94.
Add oil within the next 30 miles/50 km;
otherwise, engine damage could result.<
Keep oil, grease, etc. out of reach of chil-
dren and heed warnings on the contain-
ers. Otherwise, you could endanger your
health.<
Oil change
Have the oil changed only by your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that

Reference
At a glance
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Driving tips
Mobility
99
Replacing components
Onboard tool kit
The onboard tool kit is located in a compart-
ment on the left in the cargo area.
Wiper blades
Replacing front wiper blades
1.Move the wiper into the fold-out position,
refer to page40.
2.Lift the wiper arm and press the securing
spring, refer to arrow.
3.Pull the wiper blade off toward the wiper
arm.
4.Insert the new blade and snap it into place.
To prevent damage to the wipers, always
fold them back down onto the windshield
before you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 2 or open the hood.<
Replacing rear wiper blade
1.Lift the wiper arm.
2.Pull off the wiper blade, refer to arrow.
3.Insert a new wiper blade.
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make a significant contribu-
tion to road safety. Therefore, comply fully with
the following instructions during bulb replace-
ment. If you are not familiar with the specified
procedures or they are not described here,
BMW recommends having this work carried out
at your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use
a clean cloth, paper towel, or the like or grasp
bulb by its base.<
A replacement bulb set is available from your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
In all work on the electrical system, switch
off the relevant component to prevent
short circuits. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, follow any
instructions provided by the bulb manufac-
turer.<
When maintaining the headlamps, please follow
the instructions in the separate Caring for your
vehicle brochure.

Replacing components
104 3.Turn the handle to the left as far as possible,
refer to arrow3.
Turning the handle releases the com-
pact wheel. Its weight of approx.
18 lbs./8 kg is then entirely supported by
the handle.<
4.Slowly lower the handle as far as possible,
refer to arrow4.
5.Pull the compact wheel to the rear so that it
is still securely resting in its compact wheel
receptacle.
6.If need be, turn the wheel in the compact
wheel receptacle so that the attachment of
the retaining strap to the rim points toward
the rear.
7.Rotate the clamp by 180°, refer to arrows 1,
and unhook the retaining strap from the
clamp, refer to arrow 2.
8.Take out the compact wheel toward the
back.
9.Fasten the retaining strap to the compact
wheel receptacle and resecure the compact
wheel receptacle by reversing the above
steps.
The width of the defective wheel prevents
it from fitting into the compact wheel receptacle in place of the compact wheel
itself.<
Inserting compact wheel
The compact wheel is reinserted in the reverse
sequence of its removal.
When attaching the retaining strap to the
compact wheel, make sure the belt is
threaded through 2 rim openings, with one
unoccupied hole between them; otherwise, the
compact wheel could come loose in an acci-
dent.<
Preparing wheel change
1.Observe the safety precautions on
page103.
2.Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling:
place the wheel chock behind the front
wheel on the side of the vehicle opposite
the side being raised. If the vehicle is parked
on a downward slope, place the wheel
chock securely in front of the tire. If the
wheel must be changed on a surface with
a more severe slope, take additional pre-
cautions to secure the vehicle from rolling.
3.Loosen the lug bolts by a γ turn.
Jacking up vehicle
1.Position the vehicle jack at the jacking point
closest to the wheel so that the entire sur-
face of the jack base perpendicularly con-
tacts the ground under the jacking point.
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not attempt
to raise another vehicle model with it or to
raise any load of any kind. To do so could
cause accidents and personal injury.<

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105
2.Guide the jack head into the rectangular
recess of the jacking point when cranking
up, refer to drawing inset.
3.Jack the vehicle up until the wheel you are
changing is raised from the ground.
Mounting a wheel
1.Unscrew the lug bolts and remove the
wheel.
2.Remove accumulations of mud or dirt from
the mounting surfaces of the wheel and
hub. Clean the lug bolts.
3.Position the new wheel or compact wheel.
Secure the wheel by screwing at least two
lug bolts into opposite bolt holes. When you
mount wheels other than Genuine BMW
light-alloy wheels, different lug bolts may
also be required.
4.Screw in the remaining lug bolts. Tighten all
the bolts securely in a diagonal pattern.
5.Lower the jack and remove it from beneath
the vehicle.
After mounting
1.Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal pattern.
To ensure safety, always have the lug
bolts checked with a calibrated
torque wrench as soon as possible to
ensure that they are tightened to the speci-
fied torque. The tightening torque is
101lbft/140Nm.<
2.Stow the defective wheel in the cargo area.
3.Check and correct the tire inflation pressure
at the earliest opportunity.
Protect valve stems and valve stem
seal caps from dirt and contamina-tion. Dirt in valve stems is a frequent source
of gradual air loss.<
4.Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor
* or reset
the Tire Pressure Monitor
*, refer to
pages51, 52.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor
when driving with a compact wheel.<
5.Replace the damaged tire with a new one as
soon as possible and have the new wheel
balanced.
Driving with compact wheel
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. Do not deacti-
vate DSC; otherwise, unstable driving condi-
tions may result.<
Mounting the compact wheel can change the
driving characteristics. For example, it can
reduce tracking stability during braking, extend
braking distances, and alter self-steering char-
acteristics in the limit range. With winter tires,
these characteristics are more pronounced.
Only one compact wheel may be
mounted. You should re-equip with
wheels and tires of the original size as quickly as
possible.<
Vehicle battery
Maintenance
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, i.e., the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
mate. Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center
will be happy to advise you on all questions con-
cerning the battery.
Warning lamp
The warning lamp lights up. The battery
is no longer being charged. The alterna-
tor V-belt is defective or there is a mal-
function in the charge current circuit of the
alternator. Have the system checked immedi-
ately.

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
109
Starting engine
1.Start the engine of the assisting vehicle and
let it run at a slightly elevated idling speed
for a few minutes.
2.Start the engine on the other vehicle in the
usual way.
If the first start attempt is not successful,
wait a few minutes before another attempt
in order to allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the connection sequence.
If need be, have the battery checked and
recharged.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Tow starting and towing
Obey all applicable laws and guidelines
for tow starting and towing.<
Do not allow any passengers other than
the driver to ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.<
Using tow fitting
The threaded tow fitting is stored in the
onboard tool kit, refer to page99, and must
always remain in the vehicle. It can be screwed
in at the front or rear of the BMW.
Only use the tow fitting that comes with
the vehicle and screw it in as far as it will
go. Use the tow fitting only for towing on roads.
Avoid lateral loading of the tow fitting, e.g. do
not lift the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise,
the tow fitting and the vehicle can be dam-
aged.<
Access to screw thread
Press out the cover in the front or rear bumper
at the notch at the bottom with a screwdriver.
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition key is in posi-
tion 1; otherwise, the steering lock will
engage, making it impossible to steer the vehi-
cle. There is no power assist with the engine
switched off. It is therefore necessary to exert
increased effort for braking and steering.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers depend-
ing on the local regulations. If the electrical sys-
tem fails, mark the vehicle to be towed, e.g. with
a sign or warning triangle in the rear window.
Do not exceed a towing speed of
30 mph/50 km/h and a towing distance of
95 miles/150 km; otherwise, the drive train may
be damaged.<
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing selector lever positions, refer to
page38.
Towing methods
In some countries, towing with tow bars or
ropes on public roads is not permitted.
Familiarize yourself with the regulations on tow-
ing in the specific country.

Giving and receiving assistance
110
With tow bar
The towing vehicle must not be lighter
than the vehicle to be towed; otherwise,
it will not be possible to safely control vehicle
response.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an offset
angle, please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be strictly limited in corners.
>When mounted at an angle, the tow bar will
exert lateral forces, tending to push the
vehicle sideways.
Secure the tow bar to the tow fittings
only. Otherwise, other vehicle parts could
be damaged.<
With tow-rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow-rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps.
Secure the tow rope to the tow fittings only.
Otherwise, other vehicle parts could be dam-
aged.<
With tow truck
Do not tow the X3 with only the front or
rear axle raised; otherwise, the wheels
could lock and the transfer case could be dam-
aged.<
Have the X3 transported only on a flat bed.To avoid damage, do not lift the vehicle
from the tow fitting or body and suspen-
sion parts.<
Tow starting
If possible, do not tow start the vehicle; jump
start the engine instead, refer to page108.
Vehicles equipped with catalytic convertors
should only be tow started when the engine is
cold. It is not possible to tow start an engine
equipped with an automatic transmission.
1.Switch on hazard warning flashers, comply
with local regulations.
2.Switch on ignition, refer to page36.
3.Shift into 3rd gear.
4.Have the vehicle tow-started with the clutch
depressed and slowly release the clutch.
After the engine starts, immediately
depress the clutch again.
5.Stop at a suitable location, remove the tow
bar or rope and switch off the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
6.Have the vehicle checked.
Do not activate the HDC Hill Descent
Control during tow starting, refer to
page49.<