gear shifting BMW X3 3.0I 2007 E83 Owner's Manual

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
39
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.<
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.<
Manual transmission
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.<
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
page40.
Parking vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage the
handbrake before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running.<
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.
Displays in the instrument cluster
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 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.<
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.

Driving
40
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
transmission locks to prevent the rear wheels
from turning.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can shift into neutral, for example, in auto-
matic car washes. This allows the vehicle to roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is the lowest when the vehicle is
driven in position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration.
Press the accelerator pedal past the increased
resistance point at the full-throttle position.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
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.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; as a result, for 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.
To use the automatic function again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Malfunction
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.
Have the system checked immediately.
Yellow warning lamp
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.
Instructions on towing, tow starting and jump
starting begin on page114.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Turn signals

Things to remember when driving
82
Hills
To prevent overheating and reduced effi-
ciency of the brake system, drive long or
steep downhill grades in the gear in which the
least braking is required. Otherwise, even light
but continuous pressure on the brake can lead
to high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
The braking action of the engine can be further
intensified by downshifting, all the way down to
first gear if need be. This strategy helps you
avoid placing excessive loads on the brake sys-
tem. Downshifting in manual mode of automatic
transmission, refer to page40. When descend-
ing hills slowly, use HDC Hill Descent Control,
refer to page51.
Never drive with the clutch depressed,
with the transmission in neutral, or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, you will
have neither the braking action of the engine or
nor its power assistance to the brakes or steer-
ing.
Never allow floor mats, carpeting, or other arti-
cles to protrude into the area around the brake
or accelerator pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.<
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminants accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimal
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
Brake pads
The warning lamp lights up.
The brake pads have reached their min-
imum pad thickness. Have brake pads
replaced immediately.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating of the tire and increases the rate at
which damage develops inside the tires. The
ultimate result can assume the form of a sudden
blow-out.<
Determining load limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX lbs. or YYY kg. Otherwise, the vehicle
may be damaged and unstable driving con-
ditions may result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
990 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
240 lbs.:
990 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 240 lbs.

Everything from A to Z
132 Service and warranty6
Service Engine Soon37,103
Service Interval
Display46,102
Setting interior
temperature62,65
Shifting gears in automatic
transmission with
Steptronic40
Shiftlock39
Side airbags56
Side tilt, permissible84
Side turn signals, bulb
replacement107
Signal horn, refer to Horn10
Sitting safely27
– with airbags27
– with head restraint27
– with safety belt27
Ski bag73
Smokers' package, refer to
Ashtray72
Snow chains96
Soft drink can holder, refer to
Cup holders70
SOS, refer to Initiating an
emergency call113
Spare fuses112
Spare key18
Spare wheel, refer to Compact
wheel109
Speed
– with compact wheel111
– with winter tires95
Speedometer, refer to
Instrument cluster11
Split rear backrest, refer to
Enlarging cargo area74
Sport program, automatic
transmission with
Steptronic40
Sports seat29
Stability control, refer to
Driving stability control
systems50
Starting, refer to Starting
engine37Starting difficulties
– at very low temperatures38
– jump starting114
Starting engine37
Starting off uphill, refer to
Acceleration assistant52
Status of passenger
airbags57
Status of this Owner's Manual
at time of printing5
Steering lock37
Steering wheel10
,13
– adjustment33
– buttons on steering
wheel13
– heater33
– lock37
Steering wheel with
buttons13
Steptronic39
Storage compartments71
Storage package71
Storage package nets71
Storage space, refer to Cargo
area74
Storing desired speed, refer to
Cruise control43
Storing seat position, refer to
Seat and mirror memory30
Storing tires95
Straps, refer to Cargo
loading82
Sunroof, refer to Panorama
glass sunroof23
Switches, refer to Cockpit10
Switching cooling function on/
off62,65
Switching off engine38
Symbols4
T
Tachometer45
Tail lamps107
– indicator lamp, defective
bulb58
– replacing bulbs107
Tank, washing systems, refer
to Washer fluid42
Tank capacity123
Technical data120
Technical modifications5
Telephone, refer to separate
operating instructions
Temperature
– air conditioner62
– automatic climate control65
– tires94
Temperature display
– outside temperature47
– outside temperature
warning47
– setting units47
Temperature gauge46
Temperature of coolant, refer
to Coolant thermometer46
Temperature warning47
Tempomat, refer to Cruise
control43
Thigh support adjustment29
Three point safety belts31
Tightening torque of lug bolts,
refer to After mounting110
Tilt alarm sensor
– remote control20
– switching off20,26
Tilt function, passenger-side
mirror32
Tire inflation pressures90
– monitoring, refer to Tire
Pressure Monitor54
– restoring90
Tire Pressure Monitor54
– malfunction warnings54
– resetting system54
– system limitations54
– warning lamp54
Tire replacement94