X3 3.0i
X3 3.0siOwner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you
before starting off in your new vehicle. It contains important data
and instructions intended to assist you in gaining maximum use
and satisfaction from your BMW's unique range of technical fea-
tures. The manual also contains information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW throughout an extended service
life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG
Notes
6
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 damage
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
similar accessories, may cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, compromise its safety, inter-
fere with the vehicle's electrical system, or
affect the validity of the BMW Limited Warranty.
See 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.<
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.
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
11
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator and warning lamps12
3Tachometer45
Indicator and warning lamps12
4Coolant temperature gauge46
5Fuel gauge45
6Button for
>Displaying the time46
>Service Interval Display46
>Checking oil level99
7Selector lever and program displays for
automatic transmission
*398Button for
>Resetting trip odometer45
>Setting time46
9Display for
>Trip odometer/odometer45
>Time46
>Service Interval46
>Computer47
>Checking oil level99
Cockpit
12
Indicator and warning lamps
Technology that monitors itself
Indicator and warning lamps that are identified
with
+ are checked for proper function each
time you turn the ignition key. They each light
up once for different periods of time.
When a malfunction occurs in a monitored sys-
tem, the corresponding lamp will either fail to go
o u t w h e n t h e e n g i n e i s s t a r t e d , o r i t w i l l c o m e o n
again during normal driving. Detailed informa-
tion is provided on the specified pages.
Battery charge current
+111
Headlamp flasher40
High beams59
Engine oil
+99
Driving stability control systems/
ABS Antilock Brake System
+50
ABS Antilock Brake System/chassis
control system for Canadian models
Brake system
+
With handbrake released52, 101
With handbrake engaged38
With other warning lamps52
Brake warning lamp for Canadian
models
Brake pads
+82
Please fasten safety belt
+31
Airbags
+56
Front fog lamps59
Automatic transmission +39
Turn signals40
DSC Dynamic Stability Control/
xDrive
+ 50, 51
Dynamic Traction Control DTC
+51
Service Engine Soon
+103
Service Engine Soon warning lamp for
Canadian models.
Check Gas Cap
* +88
Engine electronics
+37
Topping off washer fluid42
Coolant low101
Flat Tire Monitor
* +53
Tire Pressure Monitor
* +54
Lamp defective58
Cruise control43
With ignition key in position 2, this
warning lamp indicates that a door
or the liftgate is open.
Everything under control
46
Coolant temperature gauge
Blue
The engine is still cold. Drive at moderate
engine and vehicle speeds.
Between blue and red fields
Normal operating range. It is permissible for the
dial to drift up to the red field.
Red
Comes on while driving:
The engine is overheated. Switch off the engine
immediately and allow it to cool down.
Checking coolant level, refer to page101.
When you switch on the ignition, the warning
lamp1 comes on briefly to confirm that the sys-
tem is operational.
Service Interval Display
Remaining distance until next service
due
The displays shown in the illustration appear for
a few seconds once the ignition key is in posi-
tion 1 or after starting the engine.Together with the message OIL SERVICE or
INSPECTION, the next scheduled service and
remaining distance to this service are displayed
in miles/kilometers.
The remaining distance is determined on the
basis of the past driving style.
A flashing display and a – sign before the
numerical value mean that the service interval
has been passed by the displayed number of
miles/kilometers. Please make an appointment
with your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Clock
If you wish to have a continuous clock display,
you can also set the car radio display to show
the time, refer to Owner's Manual for Radio.
You can set the clock or the time that appears in
the car radio display as follows.
Setting time
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher:
Hours
1.Hold button2 pressed for a few seconds
until the hours are displayed and the colon
flashes.
2.Press button1 repeatedly until the desired
hour is set.
Minutes
3.Press button2 to change to the minutes
display.
4.Press button1 repeatedly until the desired
minutes are set.
5.Press button2 to confirm the time.
Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
56
Airbags
The following airbags are located beneath the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
*
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimum protection,
please follow the instructions on page27.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag cushions the side upper body area. The
respective head airbag cushions the head.
The airbags are intentionally not triggered in
every collision situation, e.g. they are not trig-
gered not in less serious accidents, or rear-end
collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag retention
system from the vehicle. Do not modify the indi-
vidual components of the system or its wiring in
any way. This includes the padded covers in the
center of the steering wheel, on the dashboard,
the doors, and the roof pillars as well as the
sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been triggered, because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel and
that has the required explosives licenses. Oth-
erwise, unprofessional attempts to service the
system could lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired airbag activation, either of which
could result in personal injury.<
Airbag warnings and information are also pro-
vided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
By evaluating the pressure on the seat cushion
of the front passenger seat, the system detects
whether or not the seat is occupied. Depending
on the detection result, the system correspond-
ingly activates or deactivates the front and side
airbags for the passenger.
The indicator lamp located above the
inside rearview mirror indicates whether
the front passenger airbag system is currently
deactivated or activated, refer to Status of pas-
senger airbag in the section below.<
Before transporting a child in the front
passenger seat, read the safety notices
and follow the safety instructions under Trans-
porting children safely on page34.
When teenagers or adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, the front and side airbags on the
passenger side can deactivate; this causes the
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbag to
light up. If this happens, have them change their
sitting position so that the passenger airbag is
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be achieved by changing
their sitting position, then have the person ride
in the back. Do not attach seat covers, seat
cushion padding, ball mats or other items to the
passenger seat unless they are specifically rec-
ommended by BMW. Do not place any items
under the seat which could press against the
Things to remember when driving
80
Things to remember when driving
Breaking-in
Moving parts should be allowed to adjust to one
another. To ensure that your vehicle provides
maximum economy throughout a long service
life, we request that you comply with the follow-
ing instructions.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
For the first 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at varying engine and driving speeds, but
do not exceed 4,500 rpm or 100 mph / 160 km/h
in the process.
Generally avoid full throttle or kick-down posi-
tion of the accelerator pedal.
After 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and road speed can be gradually
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion 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 lim-
its.
When the vehicle is operated on wet or
slushy roads, a wedge of water may form
between the tire and the road surface. This phe-
nomenon is referred to as hydroplaning and can
lead to partial or complete loss of traction, vehi-
cle control and braking effectiveness. Reduce
your speed on wet roads.<
Brake system
Your vehicle must travel approx. 300 miles/
500 km before the brake pads and rotors
achieve the optimum 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
stop – at a traffic signal, for instance; use cau-
tion 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 applied.
Vacuum for the brake system servo unit
on your BMW is available only when the
engine is running. When you move the car with
the engine off – e.g., by towing – substantially
higher levels of pedal force will be required to
brake the vehicle.<
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimum
level only after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
Following component replacements
Follow the breaking-in instructions again when-
ever subsequent driving requires replacement
of previously mentioned components.
General driving notes
Close the liftgate
Operate the vehicle only when the liftgate
is completely closed; otherwise, exhaust
fumes could enter the interior of the vehicle.<
If special circumstances should make it abso-
lutely necessary to operate the vehicle with the
liftgate open:
1.Close all windows and the panorama glass
sunroof.
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