2012 BMW X3 tailgate

Unlocking the tailgate separately
Press the button on the exterior of the tailgate.
This corresponds to pressing the
button.
Do not place the remote control in the
cargo area
Take the remote control with you and do not
leave it in the cargo area; otherwise, the remote
control is locked inside the vehicle when the tail‐
gate is closed.◀
Malfunction
Comfort Access may not function properly if it
experiences interference from external sources
such as mobile phones, metal objects, overhead
power lines, transmission towers, etc.
In this case, open or close the vehicle using the
buttons on the remote control or use the
integrated key in the door lock.
To subsequently start the engine, hold the re‐
mote control against the marked area on the
steering column, refer to page 31.
Alarm system
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds to:
▷Opening of a door, the hood or the tailgate.▷Movements in the vehicle.▷Changes in the vehicle tilt, e.g., during at‐
tempts to steal a wheel or when towing the
car.▷Interruptions in battery voltage.
The alarm system briefly indicates tampering:
▷By sounding an acoustic alarm.▷By switching on the hazard warning system.▷By flashing the high beams.Arming and disarming the alarm
system
General information
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control, Comfort Access or at the
door lock the alarm system is armed or disarmed
at the same time.
Door lock and armed alarm system
Unlocking via the door lock will trigger the alarm
on some country-specific versions.
In order to terminate this alarm, unlock vehicle
with the remote control or switch on the ignition,
if necessary, by emergency detection of the re‐
mote control.
Tailgate and armed alarm system
The tailgate can be opened using the remote
control, even if the alarm system is armed.
Press the button on the remote control
for approx. 1 second.
After the tailgate is closed, it is locked and moni‐
tored again by the alarm system. The hazard
warning system flashes once.
In some vehicle equipment variants, the tailgate
can only be opened using the remote control if
the vehicle was unlocked first.
Panic mode Press the button on the remote control
for at least 3 seconds.
Switching off the alarm▷Unlock the vehicle using the remote control.▷With Comfort Access: if you are carrying the
remote control with you, pull on the door
handle.Seite 41Opening and closingControls41
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Indicator lamp on the interior rearview
mirror▷The indicator lamp flashes briefly every
2 seconds:
The system is armed.▷The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
The doors, hood or tailgate is not closed
properly, but the rest of the vehicle is se‐
cured.
After 10 seconds, the indicator lamp flashes
continuously. Interior motion sensor and tilt
alarm sensor are not active.▷The indicator lamp goes out after unlocking:
The vehicle has not been tampered with.▷The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the engine is started, but no longer than
approx. 5 minutes:
An alarm has been triggered.
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored.
The alarm system responds in situations such
as attempts to steal a wheel or when the car is
towed.
Interior motion sensor
The windows and glass sunroof must be closed
for the system to function properly.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be switched off together, such as in the fol‐
lowing situations:
▷In automatic car washes.▷In duplex garages.▷During transport on car-carrying trains, at
sea or on a trailer.▷When animals are to remain in the vehicle.
Switching off the tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the remote control button again
within 10 seconds as soon as the vehicle
is locked.
The indicator lamp lights up for approx. 2 sec‐
onds and then continues to flash.
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
are switched off until the vehicle is locked again.
Power windows
General information Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for example,
cannot operate the power windows and injure
themselves.◀
Opening
▷ Press the switch to the resistance
point.
The window opens while the switch is held.
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Seat and mirror memory
General information
Two different driver's seat and exterior mirror
positions can be stored and retrieved for each
remote control. Settings for the backrest width
and lumbar support are not stored in memory.
Storing
1.Switch on the ignition.2.Set the desired position.3. Press the button. The LED in the
button lights up.4.Press the desired button 1 or 2. The LED
goes out.
If the M button is pressed accidentally:
Press the button again.
The LED goes out.
Calling up settings Do not retrieve the memory while driving
Do not retrieve the memory setting while
driving, as an unexpected movement of the seat
or steering wheel could result in an accident.◀
Comfort function
1.Open the driver's door.2.Switch off the ignition.3.Briefly press the desired button 1 or 2.
The corresponding seat position is performed
automatically.
The procedure stops when a switch for adjust‐
ing the seat or one of the buttons is pressed.
Safety mode1.Close the driver's door or switch on the ig‐
nition.2.Press and hold the desired button 1 or 2 until
the adjustment procedure is completed.
Calling up of a seat position
deactivated
After a brief period, the calling up of stored seat
positions is deactivated to save battery power.
To reactivate calling up of a seat position:
▷Open or close the door or tailgate.▷Press a button on the remote control.▷Press the Start/Stop button.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
At a glance
1Adjusting2Left/right, Automatic Curb Monitor3Fold in and out
General information
The mirror on the passenger side is more curved
than the driver's side mirror.
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Switching on/off manually
Press the button.
▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
The PDC is shown on the Control Display.
Switch on the backup camera via the iDrive, refer
to page 105.
Assistance functions
Functional requirement
▷The backup camera is switched on.▷The tailgate is fully closed.
Pathway lines
▷Can be shown in the backup camera image
when in transmission position R.▷Help you to estimate the space required
when parking and maneuvering on level
roads.▷Are dependent on the current steering angle
and are continuously adjusted to the steer‐
ing wheel movements.Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 105.
Turning circle lines▷Can be shown in the backup camera image.▷Show the course of the smallest possible
turning circle on a level road.▷Only one turning circle line is displayed
when the steering wheel is turned.
Show the parking aid lines, refer to page 105.
Parking using pathway and turning
circle lines
1.Position the vehicle so that the turning circle
lines lead to within the limits of the parking
space.Seite 104ControlsDriving comfort104
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2.Turn the steering wheel to the point where
the pathway line covers the corresponding
turning circle line.
Obstacle marking
▷Spatially-shaped markings can be shown in
the backup camera image.
Their colored steps match the markings of the
PDC. This simplifies estimation of the distance
to the object shown.
Activating the assistance functions
More than one assistance function can be active
at the same time.
Showing the parking aid lines
"Parking aid lines"
Pathway and turning circle lines are displayed.
Showing the obstacle marking
"Obstacle marking"
Spatially-shaped markings are displayed.
Display on the Control Display
Switching on the backup camera via
iDrive
With PDC activated:
"Rear view camera"
The backup camera image is displayed. The set‐
ting is stored for the remote control currently in
use.
Brightness
With the backup camera switched on:
1. Select the symbol.2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is reached and press the controller.
Contrast
With the backup camera switched on:
1. Select the symbol.2.Turn the controller until the desired setting
is reached and press the controller.
Camera
The camera lens is located in the handle of the
tailgate. The image quality may be impaired by
dirt.
Clean the lens, refer to page 251.
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Top View
The concept
Top View assists you in parking and maneuver‐
ing. The area around the doors and the road area
around the vehicle are shown on the Control
Display for this purpose.
Capturing the image
The image is captured by two cameras
integrated in the exterior mirrors and by the
backup camera.
The range is approx. 7 ft/2 m to the side and rear.
In this way, obstacles up to the height of the ex‐
terior mirrors are detected early.
System limits
Top View cannot be used in the following situa‐
tions:▷With a door open.▷With the tailgate open.▷With an exterior mirror folded in.▷In poor light.
A Check Control message is displayed in some
of these situations.
Check the traffic situation as well
Check the traffic situation around the ve‐
hicle with your own eyes. Otherwise, an accident
could result from road users or objects located
outside the picture area of the cameras.◀
Switching on automatically
Select transmission position R with the engine
running.
The Top View and PDC images are displayed if
the system is switched on via iDrive.
Automatic deactivation during forward
travel
The system switches off when a certain driving
distance or speed is exceeded.
Switch the system back on if necessary.
Switching on/off manually
Press the button.
▷On: the LED lights up.▷Off: the LED goes out.
If Top View is displayed, switch on the backup
camera via the iDrive, refer to page 107.
Visual warning
The approach of the vehicle to an object can be
shown on the Control Display.
When the distance to an object is small, a red bar
is shown in front of the vehicle, as it is in the PDC
display.
The display appears as soon as Top View is ac‐
tivated.
If the backup camera image was selected last, it
again appears on the display. To switch to Top
View:
"Rear view camera" Select the symbol on
the Control Display.
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Things to remember when drivingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Breaking-in period
General information
Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to
each other.
The following instructions will help achieve a
long vehicle life and good economy.
Engine and differential
Always obey the official speed limit.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:▷For gasoline engine, 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode for the initial
miles.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac‐
tion potential until after an initial breaking-in pe‐
riod.
Drive conservatively for the first 200 miles/
300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and discs. Drive moderately during this break-in
period.
Following part replacement
The same breaking in procedures should be ob‐
served if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Closing the tailgate Drive with the tailgate closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, in the event of an accident or braking or
evasive maneuvers, passengers or other road
users may be injured or the vehicle may be dam‐
aged. In addition, exhaust fumes may enter the
passenger compartment.◀
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:▷Close all windows and the glass sunroof.▷Greatly increase the blower speed.▷Drive moderately.
Hot exhaust system
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
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In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the gear
in which the least braking is required. Otherwise,
the brake system may overheat, resulting in a
reduction in the brake system efficiency.
Manual transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if
necessary.
Automatic transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down in the manual mode of the auto‐
matic transmission, refer to page 65.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the brake
system. Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear and pos‐
sibly even brake failure.◀
Do not drive in neutral
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking. In
addition, steering and brake assist is unavailable
with the engine stopped.◀
Brake disc corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and contamination
on the brake pads are furthered by:▷Low mileage.▷Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.▷Infrequent use of the brakes.
Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
Condensation under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water develops that exits underneath
the vehicle.
Therefore, traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are normal.
Roof-mounted luggage rack
Note
Installation only possible with roof rack.
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Attachment to the rack
Follow the installation instructions of the roof
rack.
Mounting
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained
for tilting and opening the glass sunroof.
Loading
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
Therefore, note the following when loading and
driving:▷Do not exceed the approved roof/axle loads
and the approved gross vehicle weight.▷Distribute the roof load uniformly.▷The roof load should not be too large in area.▷Always place the heaviest pieces on the bot‐
tom.▷Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie with
ratchet straps.▷Do not let objects project into the opening
path of the tailgate.▷Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration
and braking maneuvers. Take corners gen‐
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