2013 BMW X3 Owner's Manual

DrivingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Start/Stop button The concept Pressing the Start/Stop button
switches the ignition on or off
and starts the engine.
Automatic transmission: The
engine starts if the brake is de‐
pressed while pressing the Start/Stop button.
Ignition on Automatic transmission: Press the Start/Stop
button but do not depress the brake.
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Most of the indicator and warning lamps in the
instrument cluster light up for varying lengths
of time.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
switch off the ignition and any unnecessary
electronic systems/power consumers.
The ignition switches off automatically:▷When locking the vehicle, even if the low
beams are switched on.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started.Note
If the engine is switched off and the ignition is
switched on, the system automatically
switches to the radio ready state when the
door is opened if the lights are switched off or
the daytime running lights are switched on.
Ignition off
Automatic transmission: Press the Start/Stop
button again, but do not depress the brake.
All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go
out.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
switch off the ignition and any unnecessary
electronic systems/power consumers.
Transmission position P with the ignition
off
When the ignition is switched off, position P is
engaged automatically. When in an automatic
car wash, for example, ensure that the ignition
is not switched off accidentally.◀
The ignition automatically cuts off while the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is stopped:▷When locking the vehicle, and when the
low beams are activated.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started. This function is only available
when the low beams are switched off.▷When opening or closing the driver door, if
the driver's seat belt is unbuckled and the
low beams are switched off.▷While the driver's seat belt is unbuckled, if
the driver's door is open and the low
beams are switched off.
When the ignition is switched off, by opening
or closing the driver's door or unbuckling the
driver's seat belt, the radio ready state remains
active.
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Radio ready stateActivate radio ready state:▷When the engine is running: press the
Start/Stop button.
Some electronic systems/power consumers
remain ready for operation.
The radio ready state switches off automati‐
cally:
▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the cen‐
tral locking system.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started.
Starting the engine
Hints Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas; otherwise, breathing of exhaust fumes may lead to loss of consciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless but highly toxic
gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running; doing so poses a risk of
danger.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, set the parking brake and place the trans‐
mission in position P or neutral to prevent the
vehicle from moving.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid repeated unsuccessful attempts to
start the vehicle or starting the vehicle several
times in quick succession. Otherwise, the fuel
is not burned or is inadequately burned, posing
a risk of overheating and damage to the cata‐
lytic converter.◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at
moderate engine speeds.
Automatic transmission
Starting the engine1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
Engine stop
Hints Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for exam‐
ple, cannot start the engine.◀
Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, for example, by turning the steering
wheel in the direction of the curb. ◀
Before driving into a car wash In order for the vehicle to be able to roll into a
car wash, heed the information regarding
Washing in automatic car washes, refer to
page 187.
Automatic transmission
Switching off the engine
1.Engage transmission position P with the
vehicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
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The radio ready state is switched on.3.Set the parking brake.
Automatic Engine Start/Stop
Function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the engine during a
stop, e.g., in a traffic congestion or at traffic
lights. The ignition remains switched on. The
engine starts again automatically for driving
off.
Certain vehicle components may experience
additional wear as a result of this system.
Automatic mode
The Auto Start/Stop function is operational af‐
ter each engine start.
This function is activated at speeds faster than
about 3 mph, approx. 5 km/h.
Engine stop
The engine is switched off automatically dur‐
ing a stop under the following conditions:
Automatic transmission:
▷The selector lever is in transmission posi‐
tion D.▷The brake pedal remains pressed while the
vehicle is stationary or the vehicle is held
by Automatic Hold.▷The driver's seat belt is buckled or the driv‐
er's door is closed.
The air volume of the air conditioner is reduced
when the engine is switched off.
Displays in the instrument cluster The display indicates that the
automatic engine start-stop
function is ready for an auto‐
matic engine start.
The display indicates that the
conditions for an automatic en‐
gine stop have not been satis‐
fied.
Note
The engine is not switched off automatically in
the following situations:▷External temperature too low.▷The external temperature is high and auto‐
matic climate control is running.▷The passenger compartment has not yet
been heated or cooled to the required
level.▷The engine is not yet at operating temper‐
ature.▷The wheels are at a sharp angle or the
steering wheel is being turned.▷After driving in reverse.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷The engine compartment lid is unlocked.▷HDC Hill Descent Control is activated.▷Stop-and-go traffic.▷The transmission selector lever is in posi‐
tion N or M/S.▷Use of fuel with high ethanol content.
Starting the engine
The engine starts automatically under the fol‐
lowing conditions:
▷Automatic transmission:
By releasing the brake pedal.
When Automatic Hold is activated: press
the accelerator.
After the engine starts, accelerate as usual.
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Safety mode
After the engine switches off automatically, it
will not start again automatically if any one of
the following conditions are met.▷The driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the driver's door is open.▷The hood was unlocked.
Some indicator lamps light up for varying
lengths of time.
The engine can only be started via the Start/
Stop button.
Note Even if driving away was not intended, the de‐
activated engine starts up automatically in the
following situations:
▷Excessive warming of the passenger com‐
partment when the cooling function is
switched on.▷The steering wheel is turned.▷Automatic transmission: the transmission
position is changed from D to N, R, or M/S.▷Automatic transmission: the transmission
position is changed from P to N, D, R or
M/S.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷Excessive cooling of the passenger com‐
partment when the heating is switched on.Activating/deactivating the system
manually
Using the button
Press the button.
▷LED comes on: Auto Start Stop function is
deactivated.
The engine is started during an automatic
engine stop.
The engine can only be stopped or started
via the Start/Stop button.▷LED goes out: Auto Start Stop function is
activated.
Switching off the vehicle during an
automatic engine stop
During an automatic engine stop, the vehicle
can be switched off permanently, e.g., when
leaving it.
1.Press the Start/Stop button. The ignition is
switched off. The Auto Start/Stop function
is deactivated.
Transmission position P is engaged auto‐
matically.2.Set the parking brake.
Engine start as usual via Start/Stop button.
Automatic deactivation
In certain situations, the Auto Start/Stop func‐
tion is deactivated automatically for safety rea‐
sons, such as when the driver is detected to be
absent.
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Malfunction
The Auto Start/Stop function no longer
switches of the engine automatically. A Check
Control message is displayed. It is possible to
continue driving. Have the system checked.
Parking brake The conceptThe parking brake is used to prevent the vehi‐
cle from rolling when it is parked.
Setting
Pull the switch.
The LED lights up.
The indicator lamp lights up red. The
parking brake is set.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models
Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, for example, by turning the steering
wheel in the direction of the curb. ◀
While driving
Use while driving serves as an emergency
braking function:
Pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the switch is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lamps light
up.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models.
If the vehicle is braked to a speed of approx.
2 mph/3 km/h, the parking brake remains set.
Releasing
With the ignition switched on:
Automatic transmission: Press the
switch while the brake is pressed or
transmission position P is engaged.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released.
Automatic Release in cars with
automatic transmission
For automatic release, operate the accelerator
pedal.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
Subject to the following requirements, the
parking brake is automatically released by op‐
eration of the accelerator pedal:▷Engine on.▷Drive position engaged.▷Driver buckled in and doors closed.
Inadvertent operation of the accelerator
pedal
Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not op‐
erated unintentionally; otherwise, the vehicle is
set in motion and there is a risk of an acci‐
dent.◀
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Automatic Hold
The concept This system assists the driver by automatically
setting and releasing the brake, such as when
moving in stop-and-go traffic.
The vehicle is automatically held in place when
it is stationary.
On inclines, the system prevents the vehicle
from rolling backward when driving away.
For your safety
Under the following conditions, Automatic
Hold is automatically deactivated and the park‐
ing brake is set:
▷The engine is switched off.▷A door is opened and driver's safety belt is
unbuckled while the vehicle is stationary.▷The moving vehicle is brought to a stand‐
still using the parking brake.
The indicator lamp switches from
green to red and the letters AUTO H go out.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models.
Before driving away:
▷Release the parking brake manually.▷Reactivate Automatic Hold.
Leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, engage position P of the automatic trans‐
mission and ensure that the parking brake is
set. Otherwise, the vehicle may begin to roll.◀
Activating This function can be activated when the driv‐
er's door is closed and the safety belt is fas‐
tened, and while driving.
Press the button.
The LED and the letters AUTO H light
up.
The indicator lamp lights up.
Automatic Hold is activated.
Deactivating Press the button again.
The LED and the letters AUTO H go
out.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic Hold,
press on the brake pedal to deactivate it.
When the parking brake is set manually, Auto‐
matic Hold is deactivated automatically.
Driving Automatic Hold is activated: the vehicle is au‐
tomatically secured against rolling after brak‐
ing to a standstill.
The indicator lamp lights up green.
Step on the accelerator pedal to drive
off.
The brake is released automatically.
The indicator lamp goes out.
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Before driving into a car wash
Before driving into the car wash, deacti‐
vate Automatic Hold; otherwise, the parking
brake will be set when the vehicle is stationary
and the vehicle will no longer be able to roll.◀
Parking
The parking brake is automatically set if the
engine is switched off while the vehicle is be‐
ing held by Automatic Hold.
The indicator lamp changes from green
to red.
The parking brake is not set if the en‐
gine is switched off while the vehicle is
coasting to a halt. Automatic Hold is
deactivated.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian mod‐
els
Automatic Hold remains activated during the
engine stop brought about by the Auto Start/
Stop function.
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for exam‐
ple, cannot release the parking brake.◀
Malfunction
In the event of a failure or malfunction of the
parking brake, secure the vehicle against roll‐
ing using a wheel chock, for example, when leaving it.Turn signal, high beams,
headlamp flasher
Turn signal
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp
indicates that a turn signal bulb has failed.
Triple turn signal activation Press the lever to the resistance point.
The turn signal flashes three times.
The function can be activated or deactivated:
1."Settings"2."Lighting"3."Triple turn signal"
Signaling briefly
Press the lever to the resistance point and hold
it there for as long as you want the turn signal
to flash.
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High beams, headlamp flasher▷High beams, arrow 1.▷Headlamp flasher, arrow 2.
Washer/wiper systemSwitching the wipers on/off and brief
wipe
Do not switch on the wipers if frozen
Do not switch on the wipers if they are
frozen onto the windshield; otherwise, the wiper blades and the windshield wiper motor
may be damaged.◀
No wiper operation on dry windshield
Do not use the windshield wipers if the
windshield is dry, as this may damage the
wiper blades or cause them to become worn
more quickly.◀
Switching on
Press the wiper levers up.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Normal wiping speed: press up once.
The wipers switch to intermittent operation
when the vehicle is stationary.▷Fast wiping speed: press up twice or press
once beyond the resistance point.
The wipers switch to normal speed when
the vehicle is stationary.
Switching off and brief wipe
Press the wiper levers down.
The lever automatically returns to its initial po‐
sition when released.
▷Brief wipe: press down once.▷To switch off normal wipe: press down
once.▷To switch off fast wipe: press down twice.
Intermittent operation or rain sensor
The concept Without the rain sensor, the frequency of the
wiper operation is preset.
The rain sensor automatically controls the time
between wipes depending on the intensity of the rainfall. The sensor is located on the wind‐
shield, directly behind the interior rearview mir‐
ror.
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