belt BMW X3 2.5I 2006 E83 Owner's Manual

Cockpit
12
Indicator and warning lamps
Technology that monitors itself
Indicator and warning lamps that are identified
with
+ are checked for proper function each
time you turn the ignition key. They each light
up once for different periods of time.
When a malfunction occurs in a monitored sys-
tem, the corresponding lamp will either fail to go
o u t w h e n t h e e n g i n e i s s t a r t e d , o r i t w i l l c o m e o n
again during normal driving. Detailed informa-
tion is provided on the specified pages.
Battery charge current
+105
Headlamp flasher39
High beams57
Engine oil
+94
Driving stability control systems/
ABS Antilock Brake System
+48
ABS Antilock Brake System/chassis
control system for Canadian models
Brake system
+
With handbrake released50, 96
With handbrake engaged37
With other warning lamps50
Brake warning lamp for Canadian
models
Brake pads
+96
Please fasten safety belt
+29
Airbags
+53
Front fog lamps57
Automatic transmission +38
Turn signals39
DSC Dynamic Stability Control/
xDrive
+ 48, 49
Service Engine Soon
+98
Service Engine Soon warning lamp for
Canadian models.
Check Gas Cap
* +84
Engine electronics
+36
Washer fluid low41
Coolant low95
Flat Tire Monitor
* +50
Tire Pressure Monitor
* +52
Lamp defective56
Cruise control41
With ignition key in position 2, this
warning lamp indicates that a door
or the liftgate is open.

Adjustments
26
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 page33.
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 page53.
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.<
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 o r 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 in the rear is used, then
the wider backrest must be secured, refer to
page70, otherwise, the safety belt cannot exert
any restraining action.
Safety belts, refer to page29.

Reference
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Driving tips
Mobility
27
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never try to adjust your seat while operat-
ing the vehicle. The seat could respond
with unexpected movement, and the ensuing
loss of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
On the passenger seat as well, do not incline
the backrest too far to the rear while the vehicle
is being driven; otherwise, there is a danger in
the event of an accident of sliding under the
safety belt, eliminating the protection normally
provided by the belt.<
Also follow the instructions regarding the
height of head restraints on page28 and
regarding safety belt damage on page30.
Adjusting manually
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, fol-
low the adjustment instructions above.<
Longitudinal direction
Pull the lever 1 and slide the seat into the
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the seat for-
ward or backward slightly so that it engages
fully.
Height
Pull the lever 2 and apply weight to or remove
weight from the seat as needed.
Backrest
Pull the lever 3 and apply weight to or remove
weight from the backrest as needed.
Adjusting electrically*
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, fol-
low the adjustment instructions above.<
1Tilt
2Longitudinal direction
3Height
4Backrest
Manually adjusting head restraint, refer to Head
restraints on page28.

Reference
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Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
29
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level. Highest
preselected temperature when three LEDs are
illuminated.
To switch off:
Press the button and hold it longer.
Seat and mirror memory*
You can store and select three different adjust-
ment settings for the driver's seat and exterior
mirrors.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2.
2.Set the desired seat and exterior mirror
position.
3.Press the
MEMORY button:
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3:
The LED goes out.
Requesting a stored setting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving; otherwise,
there is a risk of accident from unexpected seat
movement.<
Convenience mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or
turn the ignition key to position 1.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button 1,
2 or3.
The system immediately cancels the adjust-
ment procedure when you press one of the seat
adjustment buttons or use one of the memory
buttons.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and turn the ignition
key to position 0 or 2.
2.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3
and maintain pressure until the adjustment
process has been completed.
If you press the
MEMORY button accidentally:
Press the button again, the LED goes out.
You can have your vehicle programmed
to automatically recall your own individual
stored adjustment settings for the seat and
exterior mirror position whenever you use your
personal remote control to unlock the vehicle.<
If you make use of this setting, be sure
that the footwell behind the driver's seat
is unobstructed before unlocking the vehicle.
If you fail to do so, any persons, animals or
objects behind the seat could be injured or
damaged by a rearward movement of the
seat.<
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimal protection,
please follow the instructions on page26.<
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-

Adjustments
30 tection, they are not a substitute for safety
belts.
In the rear, the middle belt buckle embossed
with the word CENTER is intended exclusively
for use by passengers riding in the center posi-
tion.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The upper shoulder strap's anchorage point will
be in the correct position for seat occupants of
every build if the seat is correctly adjusted, refer
to page26.
Releasing
1.Hold the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
Safety belt reminder for front seats
The indicator lamp flashes or lights up.
In addition, a signal sounds. Please
make sure that the safety belts are
being worn correctly.
The safety belt reminder is activated if the
safety belt on the driver's side has not yet been
fastened.
At speeds greater than 5 mph/8 km/h, the
safety belt reminder is also activated if the
passenger side safety belt has not yet been
fastened, if heavy objects are placed on the
passenger's seat, or if the driver or front pas-
senger's safety belt is released.
Damage to safety belts
When strained by an accident or when
damaged: have the safety belt system,
including the belt tensioners, replaced and have
belt anchorage points inspected. Have this
work done only by your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center or by a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise,
there can be no guarantee that the safety
devices will function properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The passenger side mirror is more curved
than the driver's mirror. Objects in the
mirrors are closer than they appear. Do not esti-
mate the distance to following traffic based on
the view in the mirrors; otherwise, there is an
increased risk of accident.<
1Adjustments
2Switching over to the other mirror or to the
automatic parking function
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat and
mirror memory on page29.
Manual adjustments
The mirrors can also be manually adjusted by
pressing at the edges of the mirror glass.
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this
vehicle from being damaged, always fold
them in by hand before entering an automatic
car wash.<

Reference
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33
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and/or others, for example by open-
ing the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research has demonstrated that the
safest place for children is in the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 or smaller than
5 ft/150 cm should only ride in the rear, in
child restraint systems provided in accordance
with their age, weight, and height. Otherwise,
there is an increased risk of injury in the event of
an accident.<
Children older than 13 must be secured with a
safety belt as soon as they have outgrown a
suitable child restraint system due to their age,
height, and weight.
All seats in your BMW, except for the driver's
seat, correspond to the recommendations of
the norm SAE J1819 for safely securing child
restraint systems in motor vehicles.
Exception for the front passenger seat
If it should be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags must be deacti-
vated. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of
injury to the child if the airbag is triggered, even
with a child restraint system. Your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center will be happy to advise
you.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page54.
Installing child restraint
systems
Follow the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions for selection,
installation and use of the child restraint sys-
tem. Otherwise, the degree of protection can be
reduced.<
On the passenger's seat
Before installing a child restraint system
in the passenger seat, make sure that the
front and side airbag on the passenger seat
have been deactivated. Otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury when the airbag is trig-
gered.<
Child seat security
All rear seat safety belts and the safety belt for
the front passenger can be locked to prevent
their being pulled out in order to fasten child
restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure child restraint system with the belt.
2.Pull safety belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow safety belt to retract and pull it snugly
against the child restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.

Transporting children safely
34
Unlocking safety belt
1.Open safety belt buckle.
2.Remove child restraint system.
3.Allow safety belt strap to retract all the way.
Child restraint system with tether strap
Only use the tether strap attachment
points to fasten child restraint systems;
otherwise, the attachment points can be dam-
aged.<
For child restraint systems with a tether strap,
there are three additional attachment points,
refer to arrows. To gain access to this anchor
fitting, lift the plastic plug with the aid of a
screwdriver.
Routing of tether strap
Outer seats:
1.Slide head restraints upward.
2.Guide fastening strap through the bracket
of the head restraint.
3.Slide head restraint into the lowest position.
4.Hook fastening strap to attachment point.
Middle seat:
1.Fold center arm rest slightly forward.
2.Guide fastening strap through the opening.
3.Fold center arm rest back.
4.Hook fastening strap to attachment point.
When using the cargo area cover:
Fastening strap must run between the rear
backrest and the cargo area cover.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system*
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
To attach a LATCH child's seat, consult
the instruction manual and safety notices
from the manufacturer of the child's seat.<

Reference
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Access to anchorage points
The picture shows the right rear seat as an
example. The anchorage points for the LATCH
child-restraint fixing system are located behind
the cover caps.
Remove the cover caps toward the front.
Press into place to reinstall.
Before attachment of the LATCH child-restraint
fixing system, remove the cover caps and pull
the belt out of the region of the child-restraint
fixing system.
For driving
With rear side airbags, make sure that
children do not lean out of the child's seat
toward the door panel; otherwise, injuries can
result if the side airbags are triggered.<
Child-safety lock of rear doors
Slide down the safety levers on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Press the safety switch for the power windows,
refer to page22, when children are in the rear of
the vehicle.

Reference
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Mobility
53
Have the damaged tire replaced by your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop
that is familiar with TPM and works in accor-
dance with BMW repair procedures, using
appropriately trained personnel.
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. Flat tires
cannot be detected.
Such a message is displayed in the following
situations:
>In the event of a malfunction:
Have the system checked
>When a wheel without TPM electronics is
mounted, e.g. a compact wheel
>When TPM is experiencing temporary inter-
ference from other systems or devices that
use the same frequency
Brake force display
The brake lamps light up in two stages,
depending on how heavily you apply the brakes.
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps 1 and the center brake
lamp light up.
>Powerful braking:
The brake lamps 1 and 2 light up together
with the center brake lamp.
Airbags
The following airbags are located beneath the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Head airbags
3Side airbags in front and rear
*
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimal protection,
please follow the instructions on page26.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the
head and side airbags help provide protection in
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The
respective head airbag supports the head.
The airbags will purposely not be activated by
every collision, e.g. not by more minor acci-
dents, or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag retention
system from the vehicle. Do not modify the indi-
vidual components of the system or its wiring in
any way. This includes the padded covers in the
center of the steering wheel, on the dashboard,
the doors, and the roof pillars as well as the
sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been triggered,
because there is a danger of burns.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
54 In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel and has
the required explosives licenses. Unprofes-
sional attempts to service the system could
lead to failure in an emergency or undesired air-
bag activation, either of which could result in
personal injury.<
Airbag warnings and information are also pro-
vided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
By evaluating the pressure on the seat cushion
of the front passenger seat, the system detects
whether or not the seat is occupied. The front
and side airbags for the passenger are activated
or deactivated by the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp located above the
inside rearview mirror indicates whether
the front passenger airbag system is currently
deactivated or activated, refer to Status of pas-
senger airbag in the section below.<
Before transporting a child in the front
passenger seat, follow the safety notices
and instructions under Transporting children
safely, refer to page33.
When teenagers or adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, the front and side airbags on the
passenger side can deactivate; this causes the
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbag to
light up. If this happens, have them change their
sitting position so that the passenger airbag is
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be achieved by changing
their sitting position, then have the person ride
in the back. Do not attach seat covers, seat
cushion padding, ball mats or other items to the
passenger seat unless they are specifically rec-
ommended by BMW. Do not place any items
under the seat which could press against the
seat from below. Otherwise, a correct analysis
of the seat cushion is not ensured.<
Status of passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the passenger airbag
indicates the operational readiness of the front
and side airbag on the passenger side depend-
ing on whether or not the seat is occupied. The
indicator lamp indicates whether the passenger
airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child
sitting as directed in a child restraint system
designed for this is detected.
The front and side airbags on the passenger
side are not activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on as
long as a person of sufficient size and in a
correct sitting position is detected on the
seat. The front and side airbags for the pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
However, the front and side airbags for the
passenger are not activated.
Operational readiness of airbag system
As of ignition key position 1, the warning lamp
lights up briefly, thus indicating the operational
readiness of the entire airbag system and the
safety belt tensioners.