2006 BMW X3 3.0I tow

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
7
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited
Warranty.
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 1-800-831-
1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer, or BMW
of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele-
phone the toll free hotline 1-800-333-0510,
or contact Transport Canada by mail at: Trans-
port Canada, ASFAD, Place de Ville Tower C,
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0N5.

Opening and closing
24
Closing manually
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the panorama glass sunroof manually.
1.Pull the cover firmly downward to remove.
2.Insert the Allen wrench from the compart-
ment beneath the cargo area floor, refer to
page103, into the proper opening and turn
the panorama glass sunroof in the desired
direction. The arrow in the illustration indi-
cates the rotation direction for closing the
sunroof.
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the liftgate is
opened.
>To movements inside the vehicle: interior
motion sensor, refer to description below.
>When the car's inclination changes, for
instance if an attempt is made to jack it up
and steal the wheels or to raise it prior to
towing away.
>To interruptions in battery voltage.
The alarm system signals unauthorized manip-
ulations for a short time by:
>Sounding an acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
>Flashing the high beams
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
If the alarm system has been properly armed,
the hazard warning flashers light up once.
You can have different acknowledgment
signals set to confirm arming and disarm-
ing.<
You can open the liftgate even when the system
is armed by using the button of the remote
control, refer to page19. When the liftgate is
closed, it is locked again and monitored.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control,
refer to page19.
>Turn the ignition key to position 1.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
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Mobility
25
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes after the vehicle
is locked: doors, hood, or liftgate are not
properly closed. Even if you do not close the
alerted area, the system begins to monitor
the remaining areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after approx. 10 sec-
onds. However, the interior motion sensor
is not activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
no manipulation or attempted intrusions
have been detected in the period since the
system was armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
after the vehicle is unlocked: an attempted
entry has been detected in the period since
the system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and panorama glass
sunroof must be completely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In duplex garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote con-
trol again as soon as the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
If you wish, you can have the tilt alarm
sensor and interior motion sensor perma-
nently switched off. You can have this setting
made at your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
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Mobility
35
Access to anchorage points
The picture shows the right rear seat as an
example. The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint fixing system are located behind
the cover caps.
Remove the cover caps toward the front.
Press into place to reinstall.
Before attachment of the LATCH child-restraint
fixing system, remove the cover caps and pull
the belt out of the region of the child-restraint
fixing system.
For driving
With rear side airbags, make sure that
children do not lean out of the child's seat
toward the door panel; otherwise, injuries can
result if the side airbags are triggered.<
Child-safety lock of rear doors
Slide down the safety levers on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Press the safety switch for the power windows,
refer to page22, when children are in the rear of
the vehicle.

Reference
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Mobility
39
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can shift into neutral, for example, in auto-
matic car washes. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is the lowest when the vehicle is
driven in position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration.
Press the accelerator pedal past the increased
resistance point at the full-throttle position.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Move the selector lever from position D toward
the left into the M/S shifting slot.
The Sport program is activated and SD appears
in the instrument cluster. This position is rec-
ommended for a performance-oriented driving
style.
When you push the selector lever forward or
pull it back, this activates the manual mode and
Steptronic changes gear. The instrument clus-
ter shows M1 through M5.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; as a result, for
example, a downshift that would cause the
engine to overrev will not be executed by the
system. The gear selected will appear briefly in
the instrument cluster followed by the current
gear.To use the automatic function again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up. A malfunc-
tion has occurred in the transmission
system. Avoid heavy loads.
While it will still remain possible to move the
selector lever to any desired position, the trans-
mission will revert to its default mode with only
a limited number of forward gears.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Instructions on towing, tow starting and jump
starting begin on page108.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals
Atypically rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal bulb has
gone out.<
Signaling briefly
Press lever to resistance point and hold for as
long as you wish to signal.
Touch signaling
Press lever to resistance point.
The signal flashes three times.
If you wish, you can have this function
activated.<

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
48
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a short con-
tinuous tone sounds. PDC is malfunctioning.
Switch off PDC. Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effectively.
When using high-pressure washers, do not
spray sensors for long periods and keep the
sprayer at least 4 in/10 cm away from the sen-
sors.
System limits
Even with PDC, final responsibility for
estimating the distance between the
vehicle and any obstructions always remains
with the driver. Even when sensors are involved,
there is a blind spot in which objects cannot be
detected. The system is also subject to the
physical limits that apply to all forms of ultra-
sonic measurement, such as those encoun-
tered with tow bars and trailer couplings, or thin
and wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low objects
already displayed, e.g. a curb, can come into the
blind spot of the sensors before a continuous
tone sounds. The system may fail to detect
higher obstacles such as ledges.
Loud sources of sound, inside and outside the
vehicle, could drown out the PDC signal tone.<
Driving stability control
systems
Your BMW is equipped with an extended array
of systems designed to enhance and maintain
vehicle stability even under unfavorable driving
conditions.
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents the wheels from locking during
braking. Safe steering response is maintained
even during full braking. This results in an
increase in the active safety.
ABS is operational every time you start the
engine. Safe braking, refer to page78.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure a stable braking behavior.
DBC Dynamic Brake Control
When the brake pedal is depressed quickly, this
system automatically generates a maximum
braking force distribution and thus helps keep
the braking distance to a minimum during full
braking. This system exploits all of the benefits
provided by ABS.
As long as you want full braking to continue, do
not reduce pressure on the brake.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control
DSC prevents slip at the drive wheels when
starting off and accelerating. DSC also detects
unstable driving conditions, such as a fishtailing
of the vehicle's rear end or the sliding of the
vehicle on its front wheels. In these circum-
stances, DSC helps keep the vehicle on a safe
path, within physical limits, by reducing engine
output and by applying the brakes in individual
wheels.
The DSC is operational every time you start the
engine.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Do not reduce the additional safety mar-
gin again by taking unnecessary risks.<
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp goes out shortly
after the engine starts.
When the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is controlling the drive and braking forces.
When the indicator lamp stays lit:
DSC has been switched off with the button.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
57
Automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for the driver's judg-
ment in determining when the vehicle lamps
should be switched on. For example, the sys-
tem cannot detect fog or hazy weather. To
avoid safety risks, you should always switch on
the lamps manually under these conditions.<
You can have the sensitivity of the head-
lamp control adjusted.<
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other assumptions, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In ignition position 2, turn the light
switch into the automatic headlamp
control position, refer to page56.
The LED next to the symbol lights up.
In order not to blind oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light is not active when driving in
reverse and only points toward the passenger
side when the vehicle is stationary.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also have the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking. When doing
so, be sure to comply with national regulations.
After switching off the engine, press the lever
past the resistance point in the corresponding
direction 3.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. For this reason, avoid using them for
extended periods; otherwise, it may no longer
be possible to start the engine.<
Front fog lamps*
Briefly press the button once again to switch
on/off.
The parking lamps or low beams must
be switched on for the fog lamps to
operate. The green indicator lamp lights
up when the fog lamps are on.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
59
Air conditioner
Air conditioner
1Airflow directed toward the windshield and
side windows
2Airflow for the upper body61
3Airflow to footwell61
4Air volume605Recirculated-air mode60
6Temperature60
7Air distribution60
8Rear window defroster60
9Cooling function60