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EnglishControls -> Driving for your BMW X3 2004-2010
Driving
Ignition lock
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.<
0
1
2
3
Steering locked
Steering unlocked
Ignition switched on
Starting engine
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.
Steering locked
When starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
The key can be inserted or removed in this posi-
tion only.
Do not allow the engine to warm up while
parked; instead, start driving immediately at a
moderate engine speed.
After removing the key, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left or right until you hear the lock
engage.
Indicator lamps
Interlock with automatic transmission
The warning lamp lights up. Exhaust
values are deteriorating. Have the vehi-
cle checked as soon as possible.
The key can only be turned back to position 0 or
removed if the selector lever is in position P:
interlock.
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.
Steering unlocked
A slight steering wheel movement often makes
it easier to turn the key from 0 to 1.
Some power accessories are ready for opera-
tion.
Ignition switched on
Display of the previously described mal-
function on Canadian models.
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
The warning lamp lights up. Malfunc-
tion in the engine electronics. You can
continue to drive with reduced engine
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output or speed. Have the system checked
immediately.
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.
Manual transmission
1. Step on the brake.
2. Depress the clutch pedal and shift into neu-
tral.
Automatic transmission*
1. With the vehicle at a stop, move the selector
lever into position P.
If the clutch pedal is not depressed,
the motor will not start.<
2. Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
3. Engage the parking brake firmly.
3. Start the engine.
Automatic transmission*
1. Step on the brake.
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to prevent
the vehicle from rolling while parked; it brakes
the rear wheels.
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:
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up; an acous-
tic signal also sounds when you begin
to drive. The handbrake is still engaged.
>
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.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Engaging
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.<
The lever engages automatically when you pull
up on it.
Releasing
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.<
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
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engage it too forcefully. In doing so, continu-
ously press the button of the handbrake lever.
Otherwise, excessively forceful engagement of
the handbrake can cause the rear wheels to lock
and cause the rear of the vehicle to fishtail.<
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started in selector lever
positions P: Park or N: Neutral.
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally engage the hand-
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if traffic conditions permit. The brake
lamps do not light up when the handbrake is
applied.<
Displays in the instrument cluster
Manual transmission
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
The selector lever position is indicated, and in
the manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Changing selector lever positions
>
Only move the selector lever from posi-
tion P with the engine running: interlock.
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift to the right. Otherwise, an
inadvertent shift into 3rd or 4th gear could harm
the engine.<
>
When the vehicle is stationary, step on the
brake before shifting out of P or N; other-
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a drive position, press
on the brake pedal until you are ready to
start driving.<
Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. Press
the gearshift lever to the left to overcome the
resistance.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page 40.
Parking vehicle
A lock prevents the selector lever from being
inadvertently moved into positions R and P. To
release the lock, press the button on the front of
the selector lever handle, refer to arrow.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage the
handbrake before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running.<
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example, a downshift that would cause the
engine to overrev will not be executed by the
system. The gear selected will appear briefly in
the instrument cluster, followed by the current
gear.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels
from turning.
To use the automatic function again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
Malfunction
N Neutral
You can shift into neutral, for example, in auto-
matic car washes. This allows the vehicle to roll.
Red warning lamp
The transmission is overheated.
Reduce speed immediately and stop at
a suitable location so that the transmis-
sion can cool down again. It is possible to con-
tinue driving moderately.
D Drive, automatic position
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is the lowest when the vehicle is
driven in position D.
Have the system checked immediately.
Kick-down
Yellow warning lamp
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration.
Press the accelerator pedal past the increased
resistance point at the full-throttle position.
A malfunction has occurred in the trans-
mission system. Avoid heavy loads.
While it will still remain possible to move
the selector lever to any desired position, the
transmission will revert to its default mode with
only a limited number of forward gears.
Have the system checked as soon as possible.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Instructions on towing, tow starting and jump
starting begin on page 114.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
Move the selector lever from position D toward
the left into the M/S shifting slot.
The Sport program is activated and SD appears
in the instrument cluster. This position is rec-
ommended for a performance-oriented driving
style.
When you push the selector lever forward or
pull it back, this activates the manual mode and
Steptronic changes gear. The instrument clus-
ter displays M1 to M6.
1
2
3
High beams
Headlamp flasher
Turn signals
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; as a result, for
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Atypically rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal bulb has
gone out.<
Fold the wipers back down onto the wind-
shield before you turn the ignition key to
position 1 or 2 again. If you do not, they could be
damaged.<
Signaling briefly
Intermittent mode
Press lever to resistance point and hold for as
long as you wish to signal.
Not provided in vehicles with rain sensor.
You can set the wipe interval to four stages with
the knurled wheel 5.
Touch signaling
Press lever to resistance point.
The signal flashes three times.
In addition, the wipe interval is varied automati-
cally depending on road speed.
If you wish, you can have this function
activated.<
Rain sensor*
The rain sensor automatically controls wiper
operation as a function of the rain intensity.
The sensor is mounted on the windshield,
directly in front of the interior rearview mirror.
Washer/wiper system/
rain sensor*
Deactivate the rain sensor when passing
through an automatic car wash. Failure to
do so could result in damage caused by undes-
ired wiper activation.<
Activating
With the ignition key in position 1 or higher,
move the lever to position 1. The wipers travel
once across the windshield, regardless of the
weather conditions.
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1
2
3
4
5
Wipers retracted
You can leave the lever permanently in posi-
tion 1 and then only need to activate the rain
sensor whenever the ignition key is in position 1
or higher. To do so:
Intermittent or rain sensor operation
Normal wiper speed
Fast wipe
>
>
Briefly turn the knurled wheel 5 or
Brief wipe
Clean the windshield 1, refer to page 42
Select interval time or set sensitivity of
rain sensor
Adjusting sensitivity
Turn the knurled wheel 5.
Fold-out position
The right wiper is partially concealed by the
hood.
To move the wipers into a vertical position:
Deactivating
Switch lever to position 0.
1. Switch on wipers in lever position 1.
Normal wiper speed
2. When the wipers are approximately vertical,
move the ignition key to position 0.
The system switches automatically to intermit-
tent mode when the vehicle is not moving, not
on vehicles with rain sensor.
For changing the wiper blades, refer to
page 104.
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You can also program the interval:
Fast wipe
The wipers operate at normal speed when the
vehicle is not moving, not on vehicles with rain
sensor.
1. Briefly move the wiper lever from position 0
to position 2.
2. Wait for desired interval; maximum of
30 seconds.
Cleaning windshield, rear window and
headlamps*
3. Move the wiper lever from position 0 to
position 2 again.
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable. For
this reason, keep it away from sources of
flame and store it only in its original containers.
Store it so that it is inaccessible to children.
Always follow the instructions for use provided
on the containers.<
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1
2
3
Wipers retracted
Cleaning windshield and headlamps
Rear window wiper intermittent mode
Cleaning rear window
Filler neck for Washer fluid
Only refill washer fluid when the engine is
cool in order to prevent contact with hot
engine components. Otherwise, there is a risk
of fire and personal injury if the fluid spills.<
Do not activate the washer if there is
any danger of the fluid freezing on the
windshield. If you do so, your vision could be
obscured. To avoid freezing, use a washer fluid
antifreeze, refer to Washer fluid. Do not activate
the washer when the washer fluid is empty as
this will damage the washer pump.<
Cleaning windshield
The system sprays washer fluid against the
windshield and activates the wipers for a brief
period.
The washer jets are automatically heated
whenever the engine is running or the ignition is
switched on.
All of the washer jets are supplied from one res-
ervoir.
Fill with water and, if required, with an antifreeze
additive according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Cleaning headlamps*
To maintain the mixing ratio, mix the
washer fluid before adding it to the reser-
voir.<
When the vehicle lighting system is switched
on, the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals.
Capacity
Rear window wiper
Approx. 3.2 US quarts/3 liters.
Rear window wiper in intermittent mode. When
reverse gear is engaged, the wiper operates
continuously.
With headlamp washer system* approx.
6.9 US quarts/6.5 liters.
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ton increases the speed by approx. 1 mph/
1 km/h.
Cruise control*
The vehicle maintains and stores the speed that
you set at speeds greater than approx. 20 mph/
30 km/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.
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
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.
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.<
Decelerating
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up green: sys-
tem ready for operation using the but-
tons on the steering wheel.
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.
Activating system
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.
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.
Interrupting cruise control
Deactivating system
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.
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.
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
Maintaining speed, storing, and
accelerating
>
>
If you exceed or fall below the set speed for
an extended period, by pressing the accel-
erator, for example
Briefly press + button:
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed. Each additional touch of the but-
When DSC is activated
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Resuming stored speed
Press button:
The vehicle accelerates to and maintains the
last speed stored.
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