maintenance BMW X3 2.5I 2006 E83 Owner's Manual

X3 2.5i
X3 3.0iOwner's Manual for Vehicle
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We therefore
have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and familiarize
yourself with the information that we have compiled for you
before starting off in your new vehicle. It contains important data
and instructions intended to assist you in gaining maximum use
and satisfaction from your BMW's unique range of technical fea-
tures. The manual also contains information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining the value of your BMW throughout an extended service
life.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page118.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
7Reporting safety defects
At a glance
10Cockpit
Controls
18Opening and closing
26Adjustments
33Transporting children safely
36Driving
43Everything under control
47Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
56Lamps
59Air conditioner
65Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
76Things to remember when driving
Mobility
84Refueling
86Wheels and tires
92Under the hood
97Maintenance
99Replacing components
107Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
114Technical data
118Everything from A to Z

Notes
6
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance
and repair methods. You should therefore have
the corresponding work on your vehicle per-
formed only by your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California law requires us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested and
approved by BMW and Genuine BMW Parts,
you simultaneously acquire the assurance that
they have been thoroughly tested by BMW to
ensure optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by other
manufacturers to verify if it can be used on a
BMW safely and without risk to either the vehi-
cle, its operation or its occupants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and
other products approved by BMW, together
with professional advice on using these items,
are available from all BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms, radios,
amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels, suspension
components, brake dust shields, telephones,
including operation of any mobile phone from
within the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equipment
such as CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or sim-
ilar accessories may cause extensive damage
to the vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle’s electrical system, or affect the
validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. See your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center for addi-
tional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
61
Ventilation
1Knurled wheels for opening and closing the
air vents through an infinitely variable range
2Levers for changing airflow direction
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from
the air vents for the upper body region
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vents to direct the flow of cool air in
your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Microfilter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming outside air. It is replaced when
maintenance is performed by your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center. A substantial reduction
in air supply indicates that the filter should be
replaced before normal maintenance.

Air conditioner
64 >Left LED on, AUC mode: a sensor detects
pollutants in the outside air. The system
suspends the supply of outside air as
needed and recirculates the air currently
within the vehicle. As soon as the concen-
tration of pollutants in the outside air has
decreased sufficiently, the system switches
automatically back to supplying outside air.
>Right LED on, recirculated-air mode: the
outside air supply into the vehicle is shut off
continuously. The system then recirculates
the air currently within the vehicle.
If condensation starts to form on the
inside window surfaces during operation
in the recirculated-air mode, you should switch
it off and increase the air supply as needed.
The recirculated-air mode should not be used
over a sustained period of time; otherwise, the
air quality inside the vehicle will steadily deteri-
orate.<
Rear window defroster
The rear window heating switches
off automatically after a certain
amount of time.
Ventilation
1Knurled wheels for opening and closing the
air vents through an infinitely variable range
2Levers for changing airflow direction
3Knurled wheel for more or less cool air from
the air vents for the upper body region
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vents to direct the flow of cool air in
your direction, for instance, if the interior has
become too warm.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past
you and is not directed straight at you.
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter*
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming outside air. The activated-char-
coal filter provides additional protection by fil-
tering gaseous pollutants from the outside air.
This combined filter is replaced when mainte-
nance is performed by your BMW Sports Activ-
ity Vehicle Center. A substantial reduction in
air supply indicates that the filter should be
replaced before normal maintenance.

Mobility
This section helps you maintain your mobility
by supplying important information on
vital topics including fuels and lubricants,
wheels and tires, service, maintenance
and breakdown assistance.
Mobility

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
85
Never attempt to continue driving until
the tank is completely empty; this can
negatively affect engine function and can dam-
age the vehicle.<
Fuel specifications
Never use leaded gasoline. Otherwise,
you will cause permanent damage to your
catalytic converter.<
Required fuel
Super Premium Gasoline/AKI 91
This gasoline is highly recommended.
However, you may also use gasoline with a
lower AKI rating. The minimum AKI rating is 87.
If you use gasoline with this minimum AKI rat-
ing, the engine may produce knocking sounds
when starting at high outside temperatures.
This has no effect on the engine life.
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant dif-
ferences in fuel quality: volatility, composition,
additives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale
in the United States and Canada. Fuels contain-
ing up to and including 10 % ethanol or other
oxygenates with up to 2,8 % oxygen by weight,
that is, 15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an
equivalent amount of co-solvent, will not void
the applicable warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
stalling, starting and drivability problems
especially under certain environmental condi-
tions such as high ambient temperature and
high altitude.
Should you encounter drivability problems that
you suspect could be related to the fuel you are
using, we recommend that you respond by
switching to a recognized high-quality brand
such as gasoline that is advertised as Top Tier
Detergent Gasoline.
Failure to comply with these recommendations
may also result in unscheduled maintenance.<

Wheels and tires
86
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
The condition of the tires and the maintenance
of the specified tire pressure are crucial not only
to the tire's service life, but also to driving com-
fort and most importantly, driving safety.
Checking pressure
Only check tire inflation pressure when the tires
are cold. This means after a maximum of
1.25 miles/2 km driving or when the vehicle has
been parked for at least 2 hours. When tires are
warm, the tire inflation pressure increases.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it as needed, even on the
compact wheel: at least twice a month and
before starting long trips. If you fail to observe
this precaution, you may be driving on tires with
incorrect tire pressures, a condition that can not
only compromise your vehicle's driving stability,
but also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident.
Do not drive with deflated, i.e. flat tires. A flat tire
will seriously impair your vehicle's handling and
braking response. Attempts to drive on a flat tire
can lead to loss of control over the vehicle.<
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor
* or reset
the Tire Pressure Monitor
*, refer to pages51,
52.<
Pressure specifications
The table on the next page provides all the cor-
rect inflation pressures for the specified tire
sizes at ambient temperature.
The inflation pressures in the table apply
to BMW-approved tire sizes and recom-
mended tire brands. Your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center will be glad to supply this infor-
mation. tion pressure for your tires, please note the fol-
lowing:
>Tire size for your vehicle
>Load status
>Maximum permissible driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
up to 100 mph/160 km/h
For normal driving at speeds of up to 100 mph/
160 km/h and to achieve an optimal driving
comfort, take note of the tire inflation pressures
listed on the following page in the column for
speeds up to max. 100 mph/160 km/h and
adjust your tire pressure as needed.
These tire inflation pressures are also listed on
the door pillar and can be seen with the driver's
door open.
The maximum permissible speed for
these tire inflation pressures is 100 mph/
160 km/h. Do not exceed this speed; failure to
heed this limit can lead to tire damage and acci-
dents.<
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h, take note of
the tire inflation pressures listed in the column
for speeds above 100 mph/160 km/h in the
table on the following page and adjust your tire
pressure as needed. Failure to due so can lead
to tire damage and accidents.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
97
Maintenance
The BMW maintenance
system
The BMW maintenance system supports the
preservation of the road and operating safety of
your BMW.
Regular maintenance is not only required for
the safety of the vehicle, it also improves the
resale value.
Service Interval Display
The BMW maintenance system takes the driv-
ing conditions of the vehicle into account when
determining service intervals:
From the maintenance standpoint,
62,000 miles/100,000 km accumulated in
short-distance urban driving are not the equiva-
lent of the same distance covered at moderate
speeds in long-distance highway travel.
The BMW maintenance system is divided into
engine oil service and Inspections I and II.
Determining the maintenance intervals accord-
ing to the actual loads on the vehicle covers
practically every kind of operating situation.
However, even those who drive only short dis-
tances, significantly less than 6,200 miles/
10,000 km annually, should have the engine oil
changed at least every 2 years since oil deterio-
rates over time, regardless of use.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic: it absorbs
moisture from the atmosphere over the
course of time. To ensure that the brake system
continues to provide safe and reliable perfor-
mance, remember to have the brake fluid changed at least every two years by a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center, also refer to the
Service and Warranty Information Booklet for
US models or the Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.<
Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models and
Warranty and Service Guide Booklet
for Canadian models
Please consult your Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet for US models and Warranty
and Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models
for additional information on service require-
ments.
BMW recommends that you have service
and repair operations performed at your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Take the time to ensure that these service pro-
cedures are confirmed by entries in your vehi-
cle's Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models and Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models. These entries
verify that your vehicle has received the speci-
fied regular maintenance.<
Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnostics
The chief components that make up the emis-
sions content can be checked by a device that
uses the OBD socket.

Maintenance
98 This socket is located under a cover on the left
side of the driver's footwell, just under the dash-
board.
Emissions values
The warning lamp lights up. Exhaust
values are deteriorating. Have the vehi-
cle checked as soon as possible.
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.
Display of the previously described mal-
function on Canadian models.
When the fuel filler cap is not properly
tightened, the OBD system can detect
the vapor leak and the indicator lamp will light
up. If the filler cap is subsequently tightened,
the indicator lamp should go out within a few
days.<
Event data recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or more
sensing and diagnostic modules or a recording
device capable of recording or transmitting cer-
tain vehicle data or information. In addition, if
you have a Subscription Service Agreement for
the BMW Assist system, certain vehicle infor-
mation may be transmitted or recorded in order
to provide such services.
Care
You can find useful information on caring for
your BMW in the Caring for your vehicle bro-
chure.