2008 BMW X3 3.0SI steering

At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility Reference
13
Colors
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
different colors and combinations.
The following section explains the significance
of the individual colors as well as how you
should respond when they appear.
>red:
Stop the vehicle immediately
or
An important reminder
>yellow:
Have the system inspected as soon as
possible
or
For your information
>green:
For your information
>blue:
For your information
Buttons* on steering wheel
The buttons integrated into the steering wheel
are provided so that you can operate a number
of accessories quickly and without being dis-
tracted from traffic conditions. You may oper-
ate:
>Selected audio source functions
>Recirculated-air mode/steering wheel
heater
>Cruise control
>Selected telephone functions
>Voice command system
In order to operate a system, it must be
switched on.<
Telephone*/voice command system*/
audio sources*
>Press the button: answer and terminate call,
begin dialing selected phone number
>Extended pressure: activate/deactivate
voice command system
Display/hide phonebook. Display entries con-
secutively with buttons for fast forward/reverse
Fast forward/reverse
>Radio
Press the button: next stored station
Extended pressure: station search function
>CD
Press the button: skip track
Extended pressure: fast forward/reverse
>Phone
Browse through list of names
Volume
Cruise control*
Resume
+ accelerate and store, – decelerate and store
Activate/interrupt/deactivate

Cockpit
14
Recirculated-air mode/steering wheel
heater*
Depending on the equipment package, a
button is provided for the recirculated-air
mode or steering wheel heater.<
Switch recirculated-air mode on and off
Switch steering wheel heating on/off, refer to
page34

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
27
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed driving that is as fatigue-free
as possible. Together with safety belts, head
restraints, and airbags, sitting position plays an
important role in an accident. Compliance with
the following instructions is important; failure to
do so could impair the protective function of the
safety systems.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page35.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, to mini-
mize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms
in the event of airbag deployment.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Make
sure that the passenger sits correctly, e.g. does
not rest his feet or legs on the dashboard. Oth-
erwise, a triggering of the front airbag could
result in leg injuries. Make sure that passengers
do not lean their heads against side or head air-
bags. Otherwise, a triggering of the airbag could
result in injuries.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries resulting from contact with airbags cannot
be entirely ruled out, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may
provoke a mild – usually temporary – hearing
loss in extremely sensitive individuals.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page57.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of damage to the cervical vertebrae in acci-
dents.
Adjust the head restraint so that its mid-
dle lies approximately at the height of
your ears. Otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury in the event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page29.
Safety belts
Make sure the safety belts are worn in all occu-
pied seats every time you drive. Although air-
bags enhance safety by providing added pro-
tection, they are not a substitute for safety
belts.
Your vehicle has five seats that are each
equipped with a safety belt.
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Infants and chil-
dren must not ride on a lap. Make sure that the
belt in the lap area sits low against the hips and
does not press against the abdomen. The
safety belt must never rest against the throat,
rub against sharp edges, pass over hard or frag-
ile objects or be pinched. Fasten the safety belt
around your body snugly, making sure that it is
pulled taut across your lap and shoulder and
that it is not twisted; otherwise, the belt can
slide over the hips in the event of a frontal colli-
sion and injure your abdomen. Avoid wearing
clothing that prevents the belt from fitting prop-
erly and pull the shoulder belt upward periodi-
cally to readjust the tension across your lap in
order to avoid a reduction in the restraining
action of the safety belt.
If the middle safety belt is used, the larger part
of the backrest must be locked in position, refer
to page76; otherwise, the middle safety belt
cannot exert any restraining action.<
Safety belts, refer to page32.

Adjustments
34
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce glare from vehicles behind you when
you are driving at night, tilt the mirror by turning
the button.
Interior and exterior mirror,
automatically dimming*
This function is controlled by two photocells in
the inside rearview mirror. One is integrated into
the mirror glass, the other is located on the back
of the mirror.
For trouble-free operation, keep the photocells
clean and do not cover the area between the
interior rearview mirror and the windshield. Do
not attach any kind of sticker to the windshield
in front of the mirror, either.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent from unexpected movement.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Adapt the longitudinal position and height
of the steering wheel to the seat position.
3.Fold the lever back up.
Steering wheel heater*
The button for steering wheel heater is located
on the steering wheel, refer to page13.
With the ignition switched on, press the
button.
When the heater is switched on, the
LED in the button lights up.

Driving
38
Driving
Ignition lock
0Steering locked
1Steering unlocked
2Ignition switched on
3Starting engine
Steering locked
T h e k e y c a n b e in s e r t e d o r r e m o v e d in t h i s p o s i-
tion only.
After removing the key, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left or right until you hear the lock
engage.
Interlock with automatic transmission
The key can only be turned back to position0 or
removed if the selector lever is in position P:
interlock.
Steering unlocked
A slight steering wheel movement often makes
it easier to turn the key from0 to1.
Some power accessories are ready for opera-
tion.
Ignition switched on
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Starting engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed spaces;
otherwise, inhalation of toxic exhaust
gases can cause unconsciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with the
engine running, since an unattended vehicle
with a running engine is a safety hazard.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always shift
into neutral or selector lever position P and
engage the handbrake firmly before leaving the
vehicle with the engine running.<
Do not discontinue the starting procedure pre-
maturely, but also do not prolong it for more
than 20 seconds. Release the ignition key
immediately as soon as the engine starts.
When starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not allow the engine to warm up while
parked; instead, start driving immediately at a
moderate engine speed.
Indicator lamps
The warning lamp lights up. Exhaust
values are deteriorating. Have the vehi-
cle checked as soon as possible.
Under certain conditions, the indicator will flash.
This indicates a serious rate of engine misfire.
When this occurs, you should reduce speed
and consult the nearest BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center as soon as possible. Severe
engine misfire, even for only a short period of
time, can seriously damage emission control
components, especially the catalytic converter.
Display of the previously described mal-
function on Canadian models.
The warning lamp lights up. Malfunc-
tion in the engine electronics. You can
continue to drive with reduced engine

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
39
output or speed. Have the system checked
immediately.
Manual transmission
1.Step on the brake.
2.Depress the clutch pedal and shift into neu-
tral.
If the clutch pedal is not depressed,
the motor will not start.<
3.Start the engine.
Automatic transmission*
1.Step on the brake.
2.Move selector lever into position P.
3.Start the engine.
Special starting conditions
In the following situations, press the accelerator
pedal halfway down while starting:
>If the engine fails to start on the first
attempt, for instance if it is very hot or cold.
>When starting the engine at very low tem-
peratures, e.g. below approx. +57/–156,
at high altitudes over approx. 3,300 ft/
1,000 m.
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
either not burned or inadequately burned and
there is a danger of overheating and damaging
the catalytic converter.<
Switching off engine
Do not remove the ignition key when the
vehicle is rolling; otherwise, the steering
wheel lock would engage, preventing you from
steering.
When leaving the vehicle, remove the ignition
key and lock the steering. To prevent the vehi-
cle from rolling, engage the parking brake firmly
when parking.<
Manual transmission
1.Engage the parking brake firmly.
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
3.Shift into first gear or reverse.
Automatic transmission*
1.With the vehicle at a stop, move the selector
lever into position P.
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
3.Engage the parking brake firmly.
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to prevent
the vehicle from rolling while parked; it brakes
the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up; an acous-
tic signal also sounds when you begin
to drive. The handbrake is still engaged.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Engaging
The lever engages automatically when you pull
up on it.
Releasing
Pull up slightly on the lever, press the button
and lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances should
make it necessary to engage the hand-
brake while the vehicle is in motion, do not

Driving
44
Cruise control*
The vehicle maintains and stores the speed that
you set at speeds greater than approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h.
You can use cruise control whenever the sys-
tem is active while the engine is running.
Do not use the cruise control under unfa-
vorable conditions that do not permit a
constant speed, e.g. when driving on winding
roads or in heavy traffic or when negotiating
poor road conditions such as snow, rain, ice, or
a loose road surface. Otherwise, you could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident.<
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up green: sys-
tem ready for operation using the but-
tons on the steering wheel.
Activating system
With ignition key in position 2 or higher:
Press button on steering wheel; the indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster comes on.
The cruise control mode is enabled.
Deactivating system
Press the button repeatedly until the indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
The cruise control is also deactivated when the
ignition key is turned to position 0. The speed
stored in the memory is deleted in the process.
Maintaining speed, storing, and
accelerating
Briefly press + button:
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed. Each additional touch of the but-ton increases the speed by approx. 1 mph/
1km/h.
Press and hold + button:
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. When you release the
button, the system maintains and stores the
current speed.
If the braking action of the engine is insufficient
on a downhill stretch, then the set vehicle can
exceed the set speed. Speed can drop on uphill
grades if the engine output is insufficient.
Decelerating
Briefly press – button:
Each press of the button decreases the vehi-
cle's speed by roughly 1 mph/1 km/h, provided
that you have already activated the cruise con-
trol.
Press and hold – button:
With the cruise control active, the system auto-
matically reduces the fuel supply to slow the
vehicle. When you release the button, the sys-
tem maintains and stores the current speed.
Interrupting cruise control
When the system is activated, press the button.
The indicator lamp stays on. You can use the
cruise control again whenever required by
requesting the speed that was stored last.
In addition, the system is automatically inter-
rupted in response to the following conditions:
>When you apply pressure to the brake pedal
>When you apply pressure to the clutch
pedal or when you move the automatic
transmission selector lever from D to N
>If you exceed or fall below the set speed for
an extended period, by pressing the accel-
erator, for example
>When DSC is activated

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
51
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. Low objects
already displayed, e.g. curb edges, can come
into the blind spot of the sensors before or after
a continuous tone sounds. The system may fail
to detect higher obstacles such as projections
from walls.
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 page84.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure a stable braking behavior.
Brake assistant
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. The system 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 cir-
cumstances, 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 laws of physics cannot be repealed,
even with DSC. An appropriate driving
style always remains the responsibility of the
driver. Do not squander the additional margin of
safety by driving dangerously; otherwise, you
run the risk of causing an accident.<
Deactivating DSC
Maintain pressure on the button until the DSC
indicator lamp lights up, but do not press for
longer than approx. 10 seconds. DTC Dynamic
Traction Control and DSC are deactivated