maintenance BMW X3 2016 F25 Owner's Manual

Addendum
ADDENDUM TO OWNER'S MANUAL
We wanted to provide you with some updates
and clarifications with respect to the printed
BMW Owner's Manual. These updates and
clarifications will supersede the materials con-
tained in that document.
1. Where the terms “service center,” “the ser-
vice center,” “your service center,” “service
specialist,” or “service” are used in the
Owner's Manual, we wanted to clarify that
the terms refer to a BMW dealer's service
center or another service center or repair
shop that employs trained personnel that
can perform maintenance and repair work
on your vehicle in accordance with BMW
specifications.
2. Where the text of the Owner's Manual con-
tains an affirmative instruction to contact a
“service center” or “your service center,”
we wanted to clarify that BMW recom-
mends that, if you are faced with one of the
situations addressed by that text, you con-
tact or seek the assistance of a BMW
dealer's service center or another service
center or repair shop that employs trained
personnel that can perform maintenance
and repair work on your vehicle in accor-
dance with BMW specifications.
While BMW of North America LLC, at no
cost to you, will pay for repairs required by
the limited warranties provided with respect
to your vehicle and for maintenance under
the Maintenance Program during the appli-
cable warranty and maintenance coverage
periods, you are free to elect, both during
those periods and thereafter, to have main-
tenance and repair work provided by other
service centers or repair shops.
3. Where the Owner's Manual makes refer-
ence to parts and accessories having been
approved by BMW, those references are
intended to reflect that those parts and
accessories are recommended by BMW of
North America LLC. You may elect to use
other parts and accessories, but, if you do,
we recommend that you make sure that any
such parts and/or accessories are appropri-
ate for use on your vehicle.
4. At page 7, under the warranty section's dis-
cussion of homologation, where it states
that you “cannot lodge warranty claims for
your vehicle there,” the text should read
that you “may not be able to lodge warranty
claims for your vehicle there.”
5. At page 7, under the “Parts and accesso-
ries” section, in the sixth sentence, the
word “cannot” should read “does not.”
6. At page 56, in the “Check and replace
safety belts” section, the text beginning,
“This should only be done by your service
center …” should be disregarded and the
following text should be read in lieu thereof:
“BMW recommends having this work per-
formed by a service center as it is important
that this safety feature functions properly.”
7. At page 57, under the heading: “Active
head restraint,” the paragraph beginning,
“Only attach accessories …” should be dis-
regarded and the following text should be
read in lieu thereof: “BMW recommends
that you attach accessories approved by
BMW to the seat or head restraint.”
8. At page 94, under the heading:  “Special
windshield,” the paragraph beginning,
“Therefore, have the special windshield …”
should be disregarded and the following
text should be read in lieu thereof:   “BMW
recommends that you have the special
windshield replaced by the service center.”
9. At page 176 under the heading: “Objects
within the range of movement of the ped-
als” and at page 234 under the heading:
“Carpets and floor mats,” the paragraph
that begins: “Only use floor mats …” should
be disregarded and the following language
should be read in lieu thereof: “The manu-
facturer of your vehicle recommends that
you use floor mats that have been identified
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

Addendum
by it as appropriate for use in your vehicle
and that can be properly fixed in place.”
10. At page 182, under the heading: “Have
maintenance carried out,” the sentence
beginning, “The maintenance should be
carried out …” should be disregarded and
the following text should be read in lieu
thereof:   “BMW recommends that you have
the maintenance carried out by your service
center.”
11. At page 197, under the heading “Tire infla-
tion specifications,” the sentence begin-
ning, “Tire inflation pressure specifications
apply to approved tire sizes …” should be
disregarded.
12. At page 202, under the heading: “Mount-
ing,” the paragraph beginning, “Have
mounting and balancing …” should be dis-
regarded and the following text should be
read in lieu thereof: “BMW recommends
that you have mounting and balancing per-
formed by your service center or a tire
mounting specialist.”
13. At page 203, under the heading: “Approved
wheels and tires,” the term “Approved”
should be disregarded and in lieu thereof,
the term “Recommended” should be read
in its place. In addition, the text of that sec-
tion should be disregarded and the follow-
ing text should be read in lieu thereof:
The manufacturer of your vehicle strongly
suggests that you use wheels and tires that
have been recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer for your vehicle type; other-
wise, for example, despite having the same
official size ratings, variations can lead to
body contact and with it, the risk of severe
accidents.
The manufacturer of your vehicle does not
evaluate non-recommended wheels and
tires to determine if they are suitable for use
on your vehicle.
14. At page 207, under the heading: “Snow
Chains,” the text should be disregarded and
the following text should be read in lieu
thereof:
Only certain types of fine-link snow chains
have been tested by the manufacturer of
your vehicle and are determined by the
manufacturer of your vehicle to be road safe
and are recommended by the manufacturer
of your vehicle.
Information about recommended snow
chains is available from a service center.
15. At page 208, under the heading “Hood,” the
sentence beginning, “If you are unfamiliar”
should be disregarded.
16. At page 212, under the heading: “Engine oil
change,” the text should be disregarded
and in lieu thereof should be read as follows:
BMW recommends that you have the oil
changed at your BMW dealer's service cen-
ter or at another service center that has
trained personnel that can perform the work
in accordance with BMW specifications.
17. At page 215, under the heading: “Service
and Warranty Information Booklet for US
models and Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models,” the second
paragraph should be disregarded and the
following text read in lieu thereof:
The manufacturer of your vehicle recom-
mends that you have maintenance and
repair performed by your BMW dealer's ser-
vice center or another service center or
repair shop that employs trained personnel
that can perform maintenance and repair
work on your vehicle in accordance with
BMW specifications. The manufacturer of
your vehicle recommends that you maintain
records of all maintenance and repair work
performed on your vehicle.
18. At page 218 and page 220, where it reads:
“Do not perform work/bulb replacement on
xenon headlights,” that text should be dis-
regarded and in lieu thereof the following
text should be read: “Xenon headlight work
or replacement can cause serious and fatal
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

ContentsThe fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 242.6Notes
At a glance
14Cockpit18iDrive27Voice activation system30Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle
Controls
34Opening and closing52Adjusting62Transporting children safely66Driving80Displays95Lights100Safety123Driving stability control systems130Driving comfort152Climate control160Interior equipment168Storage compartments
Driving tips
174Things to remember when driving178Loading181Saving fuelMobility190Refueling192Fuel197Wheels and tires208Engine compartment210Engine oil213Coolant215Maintenance217Replacing components226Breakdown assistance231Care
Reference
238Technical data242Everything from A to Z
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

On right-hand drive vehicles, some controls
are arranged differently from what is shown in
the illustrations.
Status of the Owner's
Manual
Basic information
The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a
policy of constant development that is con‐
ceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety stan‐
dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from
those in your vehicle.
Updates made after the editorial
deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
for the Owner's Manuals are found in the ap‐
pendix of the printed Quick Reference for the
vehicle.
For your own safety Warranty
Your vehicle is technically configured for the
operating conditions and registration require‐
ments applying in the country of first delivery -
homologation. If your vehicle is to be operated
in a different country it might be necessary to
adapt your vehicle to potentially differing oper‐
ating conditions and permit requirements. If
your vehicle does not comply with the homolo‐
gation requirements in a certain country you
cannot lodge warranty claims for your vehicle
there. Further information can be obtained
from your Service Centre.
Maintenance and repairs Advanced technology, e.g., the use of modern
materials and high-performance electronics,
requires suitable maintenance and repair work.Therefore, have this work performed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord‐
ing to BMW repair procedures with appropri‐
ately trained personnel.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.
Parts and accessories
BMW recommends using parts and accesso‐
ries approved by BMW for this purpose.
Your BMW center is the right contact for genu‐
ine BMW parts and accessories, other prod‐
ucts approved by BMW and related qualified
advice.
BMW has tested these products for safety and
suitability in relation to BMW vehicles.
BMW can assume responsibility for them.
However, we cannot assume any responsibility
whatsoever for parts and accessories that have
not been specifically approved by BMW.
BMW cannot evaluate whether each individual
product from another manufacturer can be
used with BMW vehicles without presenting a
safety hazard. This guarantee does not apply
when country-specific government approval
has been granted. Testing of this kind may fail
to embrace the entire range of potential oper‐
ating conditions to which components might
be exposed on BMW vehicles. Such products
could conceivably fail to comply with BMW's
own stringent quality standards.
California Proposition 65 Warning California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automo‐
bile components and parts, including compo‐
nents found in the interior furnishings in a vehi‐
cle, 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 emitSeite 7Notes7
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro‐
ductive harm. Battery posts, terminals and re‐
lated accessories contain lead and lead com‐
pounds. 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.
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:▷New Vehicle Limited Warranty.▷Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.▷Federal Emissions System Defect War‐
ranty.▷Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.▷California Emission Control System Lim‐
ited Warranty.
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country and continental region in order to de‐
liver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be required to adapt your ve‐
hicle to meet different prevailing operating
conditions and homologation requirements.
You should also be aware of any applicable
warranty limitations or exclusions for such
country or region. In such case, please contact
Customer Relations for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the
road safety, operational reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance meas‐
ures:▷BMW Maintenance system▷Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models▷Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this could result in seri‐
ous damage to the vehicle. Such damage is
not covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Data memory
Many electronic components on your vehicle
are equipped with data memories that tempo‐
rarily or permanently store technical informa‐
tion about the condition of the vehicle, events
and faults. This technical information generally
records the state of a component, a module, a system or the environment:
▷Operating mode of system components, fill
levels for instance.▷Status messages for the vehicle and from
its individual components, e.g., wheel rota‐
tion speed/vehicle speed, deceleration,
transverse acceleration.▷Malfunctions and faults in important sys‐
tem components, e.g., lights and brakes.▷Responses by the vehicle to special situa‐
tions such as airbag deployment or engag‐
ing the stability control system.▷Ambient conditions, such as temperature.
This data is purely technical in nature and is
used to detect and correct faults and to opti‐
mize vehicle functions. Motion profiles over
routes traveled cannot be created from this
data. When service offerings are used, e.g., re‐
pair services, service processes, warranty
claims, quality assurance, this technical infor‐
mation can be read out from the event and
fault memories by the service personnel, in‐
Seite 8Notes8
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

Opening and closingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Remote control/key General information
The vehicle is supplied with two remote con‐
trols with integrated key.
Every remote control holds a replaceable bat‐
tery.
You may set the key functions depending on
the optional features and country-specific ver‐
sion. For Settings, refer to page 45.
The vehicle stores personal settings for every
remote control. Personal Profile, refer to
page 35.
The remote controls hold information on re‐
quired maintenance. Service data in the re‐
mote control, refer to page 215Overview1Unlocking2Locking3Unlock the tailgate4Press briefly: headlight courtesy delay fea‐
ture
Press and hold: Panic mode
Integrated key
Press button, arrow 1, and remove the key, ar‐
row 2.
The integrated key fits the following locks:
▷Driver's door.▷Glove compartment on the front passenger
side.Seite 34ControlsOpening and closing34
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Service required"
Required maintenance procedures and le‐
gally mandated inspections are displayed.4.Select an entry to call up detailed informa‐
tion.
Symbols
Sym‐
bolsDescriptionNo service is currently required.The deadline for scheduled mainte‐
nance or a legally mandated inspec‐
tion is approaching.The service deadline has already
passed.
Entering appointment dates
Enter the dates for the required inspections.
Make sure that the vehicle's date and time are
set correctly.
On the Control Display:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Service required"4."§ Vehicle inspection"5."Date:"6.Adjust the settings.7.Confirm.
The entered date is stored.
Automatic Service Request
Data regarding the service status or legally
mandated vehicle inspections are automati‐
cally transmitted to your service center before
a service due date.
You can check when your service center was
notified.
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3.Open "Options".4."Last Service Request"
Gear shift indicator
The conceptThe system recommends the most fuel effi‐
cient gear for the current driving situation.
Depending on the vehicle's features and coun‐
try version of the vehicle, the gear shift indica‐
tor is active in the manual mode of the Step‐
tronic transmission and with manual
transmission.
Suggestions to shift gear up or down are dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
On vehicles without a gear shift indicator, the
engaged gear is displayed.
Steptronic transmission: displays
ExampleDescriptionFuel efficient gear is set.Shift into fuel efficient gear.Seite 87DisplaysControls87
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

increasing the tire inflation pressure. The tire
inflation pressure is reduced when the tire
temperature falls again. These circumstances
may cause a warning when temperatures fall
very sharply.
Malfunction The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. A Check
Control message is displayed. No flat
tire or loss of tire inflation pressure can be de‐
tected.
Display in the following situations:▷A wheel without TPM electronics is fitted:
have the service center check it if needed.▷Malfunction: have the system checked by
your service center.▷TPM was unable to complete the reset.
Reset the system again.▷Interference through systems or devices
with the same radio frequency: after leav‐
ing the area of the interference, the system
automatically becomes active again.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres‐
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres‐
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel ef‐
ficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale. Your vehicle has also
been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi‐
cator to indicate when the system is not oper‐
ating properly. The TPMS malfunction indica‐
tor is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunc‐
tion, the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illumi‐
nated. This sequence will continue upon sub‐
sequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal‐
function exists. When the malfunction indicator
is illuminated, the system may not be able to
detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of replace‐
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle
that prevent the TPMS from functioning prop‐
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction tell‐
tale after replacing one or more tires or wheels
on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement
or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor The conceptThe system detects tire inflation pressure losson the basis of rotation speed differences be‐
tween the individual wheels while driving.
In the event of a tire inflation pressure loss, the
diameter and therefore the rotational speed of
the corresponding wheel changes. This will be
detected and reported as a flat tire.Seite 106ControlsSafety106
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

Adjust air flow with the program active.
If the windows are fogged over, you can also
switch on the cooling function to dehumidify
the air.
Cooling function
The car's interior can only be cooled with the
engine running.
Press button.
The air will be cooled and dehumidi‐
fied and, depending on the temperature set‐
ting, warmed again.
Depending on the weather, the windshield and
side windows may fog up briefly when the en‐
gine is started.
The cooling function is switched on automati‐
cally with the AUTO program.
When using the automatic climate control,
condensation water, refer to page 177, devel‐
ops that exits underneath the vehicle.
Rear window defroster Press button.
The rear window defroster switches
off automatically after a certain period of time.Switching the system on/off
Switch off
Turn the rotary switch for the air volume, refer
to page 153, to 0. The blower and automatic
climate control are turned off entirely.
Switching on
Set any air volume.
The AUTO program can also be switched on
directly via the AUTO button.
Microfilter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from
the incoming air.
This filter should be replaced during scheduled
maintenance, refer to page 215, of your vehi‐
cle.Seite 154ControlsClimate control154
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

This filter should be replaced during scheduled
maintenance, refer to page 215, of your vehi‐
cle.
Ventilation
Front ventilation▷Lever for changing the air flow direction,
arrow 1.▷Thumbwheels for opening and closing the
vents continuously, arrows 2.▷Thumbwheel to vary the temperature in
the upper body region, arrow 3.
Toward blue: colder.
Toward red: warmer.
The set interior temperature for the driver
and passenger are not changed.
Adjusting the ventilation
▷Ventilation for cooling:
Direct vent in your direction when vehicle's
interior is too hot.▷Draft-free ventilation:
Adjust the vent to let the air flow past you.Ventilation in the rear▷Thumbwheel for continuous opening and
closing of the vents, arrow 1.▷Thumbwheel to vary the temperature, ar‐
row 2.
Toward blue: colder.
Toward red: warmer.▷Lever for changing the air flow direction,
arrow 3.
Parked-car ventilation
The concept The parked-car ventilation ventilates the vehi‐
cle interior and lowers its temperature, if
needed.
Operation can be performed via iDrive.
Functional requirements
Parked-car ventilation
▷Using the preset reel-on time or when op‐
erated directly: any external temperature.
Open the vents to allow air to flow out.
Switching on/off directly
On the Control Display:
1."Settings"2."Climate"3."Activate comf. ventilation"Seite 158ControlsClimate control158
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15