2008 BMW X3 3.0SI Owners Manual

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
79
the openings in the rails. To slide the lashing
eyes, press the button.
Read and follow instructions accompany-
ing the heavy-duty cargo straps.<
Adaptive attachment system*
The adaptive attachment system is to divide up
the cargo area. It is comprised of two brackets
with a telescoping rail and a retaining strap.
These brackets are guided in the two rails on
the cargo area floor.
Before using the adaptive attachment
system, fold the rear backrests into the
upright position until they engage and then
hang the partition net
* in position. Otherwise,
the cargo can be hurled into the passenger
compartment in the event of an accident.<
1Bracket
2Telescoping rail
3Recess in the cargo area rail
Inserting brackets
The two brackets are connected by a telescop-
ing rail.
1.Insert each of the brackets into the respec-
tive recess in the rail on the cargo area floor.
2.Press the brackets down to slide them into
the desired position.
3.Make sure the brackets have seated
securely. They must engage audibly.
Do not place any cargo on the brackets;
this can cause them to disengage.<
Dividing cargo area
You have the following possibilities for place-
ment of the cargo:
>between the backrest and the telescoping
rail
>between the telescoping rail and the retain-
ing strap
Positioning the cargo between the telescoping
rail and the retaining strap:
1.Place the cargo against the telescoping rail.
Press the button, arrow1 and pull the
retaining strap around the cargo, arrow2.
2.Hook the retaining strap to the recess3 on
the telescoping rail.
3.Press the button on the bracket, arrow1.
The retaining strap is pulled tight.
You can also hook the two retaining
straps to each other.<
If you no longer require the adaptive attachment
system, unhook the retaining strap and route it
by the hook to the bracket to avoid damage.
Then slide the attachment system forward to
utilize the cargo area as efficiently as possible.
Removing brackets
Press down on the brackets, slide them to the
recesses in the rails, and remove.

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

Things to remember when driving
82
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.

Reference
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Mobility
83
Saving fuel
The fuel consumption of your vehicle is depen-
dent on various factors. You can improve your
vehicle's fuel consumption and reduce the
strain on the environment with several mea-
sures, your driving style and regular mainte-
nance.
Removing unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Removing attached parts following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use. Attached parts on the vehicle impair the
aerodynamics and increase the fuel consump-
tion.
Closing windows and panorama glass
sunroof
An open panorama glass sunroof or an open
window also increases the aerodynamic drag,
and with it the fuel consumption.
Checking tire inflation pressures
regularly
Check the tire inflation pressures at least twice
a month and before starting off on a longer trip
and correct them if necessary.
An insufficient tire inflation pressure increases
the rolling resistance, therefore increasing fuel
consumption and tire wear.
Driving off immediately
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it
running while the vehicle remains stationary.
Instead, drive off immediately at a moderate
engine speed. This enables a cold engine to
reach its operating temperature most rapidly.
Looking well ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking by
maintaining a corresponding distance to the
vehicle driving ahead. Driving smoothly and
looking ahead reduces fuel consumption.
Avoiding high engine speeds
Only use 1st gear when starting off. Accelerate
briskly from 2nd gear while avoiding high
engine speeds and shifting up prematurely.
When the desired speed is reached, shift into
the highest possible gear and drive at constant
speed at the lowest possible engine speed.
Always remember: driving at low engine speeds
decreases fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Using overrun conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and allow the vehicle to coast in
the highest possible gear.
On a downhill stretch of road, take your foot off
the accelerator and allow the vehicle to coast in
the suitable gear.
The flow of fuel is interrupted in overrun.
Switching off the engine during longer
stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic
jams. You already save fuel from approx. 4 sec-
onds with the engine switched off.
Switching off functions currently not
required
Functions like the air conditioner, seat heating
or the rear-window defroster require a lot of
energy and consume additional fuel. This plays
a major role especially when driving in urban
and in stop-and-go traffic. Therefore, switch off
these functions when they are not really
required.
Having maintenance carried out
Have regular maintenance performed on the
vehicle to achieve optimum the economy and
service life of your vehicle. BMW recommends
having maintenance performed by a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. Also observe
the BMW maintenance system, refer to
page105.

Things to remember when driving
84
General driving notes
Closing 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.
2.Greatly increase the air supply of the air
conditioning system or automatic climate
control, refer to page64 or67.
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures occur in the exhaust
system of every vehicle. Do not remove
the heat shields installed adjacent to various
sections of the exhaust system, and never apply
undercoating to them. When driving, standing
at idle, and 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 to
a fire, resulting in serious personal injury and
property damage. Do not touch hot exhaust
pipe, it can cause burns.<
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms in the air conditioner/auto-
matic climate control system during operation,
and then exits under the vehicle. Traces of con-
densed water under the vehicle are therefore
normal.
Before driving into a car wash
Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to page33;
otherwise, they could be damaged due to the
width of the vehicle.
Deactivate the rain sensor; otherwise, damage
could result from undesired wiper activation,
refer to page42.
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 sur-
face. This phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and is characterized by a partial or
complete loss of contact between tires and
road surface, ultimately undermining your abil-
ity to steer and brake the vehicle.<
The danger of hydroplaning increases as tire
tread depth decreases, also refer to Minimum
tread depth on page97.
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 trans-
mission may be damaged.<
Using handbrake on inclines
Do not hold the vehicle in place on slopes
by slipping or riding the clutch, use the
handbrake instead. Otherwise, greater clutch
wear will result.<
Safe braking
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as standard
equipment. In situations in which it is required, it
is best to apply the brakes fully. Since the vehi-
cle 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.
Wet roads
On wet roads or in heavy rain, briefly 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 that is generated by the brake applica-
tions helps to dry the brake pads and rotors.
The full braking force will then be available
when you need it.

Reference
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Mobility
85
Hills
To prevent overheating and reduced effi-
ciency of the brake system, drive long or
steep downhill grades in the gear in which the
least braking is required. Otherwise, even light
but continuous pressure on the brake can lead
to high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
The braking action of the engine can be further
intensified by downshifting, all the way down to
first gear if need be. This strategy helps you
avoid placing excessive loads on the brake sys-
tem. Downshifting in manual mode of automatic
transmission, refer to page41. When descend-
ing hills slowly, use HDC Hill Descent Control,
refer to page52.
Never drive with the clutch depressed,
with the transmission in neutral, or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, you will
have neither the braking action of the engine or
nor its power assistance to the brakes or steer-
ing.
Never allow floor mats, carpeting, or other arti-
cles to protrude into the area around the brake
or accelerator pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency 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 pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
Brake pads
The warning lamp lights up.
The brake pads have reached their min-imum pad thickness. Have brake pads replaced
immediately.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating of the tire and increases the rate at
which damage develops inside the tires. The
ultimate result can assume the form of a sudden
blow-out.<
Make sure that no fluids leak in the cargo
area; as otherwise the vehicle could be
damaged.<
Determining load limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX lbs. or YYY kg. Otherwise, the vehicle
may be damaged and unstable driving con-
ditions may result.<
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 lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
990 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
240 lbs.:
990 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 240 lbs.

Things to remember when driving
86 5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded into and/or onto the
vehicle. This combined weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and lug-
gage 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.
Stowing cargo
>To protect passengers, use the partition
net, refer to page78.
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as low
as possible, placing it directly behind the
rear seat backrests.
>Cover sharp edges and corners.
>Do not stack cargo higher than the upper
edge of the backrests.>Items that could bump against the rear win-
dow while driving must be adequately cov-
ered.
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is
not occupied, secure the safety belt on
each side in the buckle on the opposite
side.
Securing cargo
>Use the luggage net* o r d r a w s t ra p s t o h o ld
down small and lightweight luggage and
cargo, refer to page78.
>For larger and heavier pieces, heavy-duty
cargo straps
* are available from your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. These
heavy-duty cargo straps are secured to
lashing eyes mounted in the cargo area,
refer to page78.
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 page78, 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 page124, as excessive loads can pose a
safety hazard and may also put you in violation
of road safety laws.
You should never transport unsecured heavy or
hard objects in the passenger compartment, as
they could be thrown around and pose a safety
hazard to the vehicle's occupants during abrupt
braking or evasive maneuvers.<