2008 BMW X3 3.0SI wheel

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page126.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
18Opening and closing
27Adjustments
35Transporting children safely
38Driving
46Everything under control
50Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
59Lamps
63Air conditioner
69Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
82Things to remember when driving
Mobility
92Refueling
94Wheels and tires
100Under the hood
105Maintenance
107Replacing components
116Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
122Technical data
126Everything from A to Z

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
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
25
Moving manually*
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
move the sunroof manually.
1.Pull the cover firmly downward to remove.
2.Take the Allen wrench
* from the compart-
ment under cargo area floor, refer to
page112, and insert it into the opening pro-
vided. Move the sunroof into the desired
position. 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
manipulations 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 confirmation sig-
nals 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 page20. 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.
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-

Opening and closing
26 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 being transported on car-carrying
trains, aboard ship, or on a trailer
>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 deactivated. You can have this setting
made at your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.<

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.