BMW X3 3.0I 2005 E83 Owner's Guide

Opening and closing
20
Windows
Opening and closing windows
As of ignition key position 1:
>Press the switch up to the resistance point:
The window continues to move as long as
you continue to press the switch.
>Briefly press the switch beyond the resis-
tance point:
The window moves downward automati-
cally. Briefly press the switch again to stop
the opening motion.
You can close the windows in the same manner
by pulling the switch.
After switching off ignition
You can operate the power windows for up to
15 minutes as long as neither of the front doors
has been opened.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key and close the doors, as otherwise
children could operate the windows and injure
themselves.<
For convenience operation using the door lock,
refer to page18.
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the closing force rises beyond a predefined
threshold during closing, the system will imme-
diately stop moving the window prior to lower-
ing it slightly.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism you
should always inspect the window's travel
path prior to closing it, as the safety system
might fail to detect certain kinds of obstruc-
tions, such as very thin objects, and the window would continue closing.
You can disable the anti-trapping mechanism
by pressing the switch beyond the resistance
point and holding it.<
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
After disconnecting the battery, the anti-trap-
ping mechanism must be reinitialized. To do
this, open and close the windows once and con-
tinue pull the switch for longer than 2 seconds
after closing.
Safety switch
With the safety switch, you can prevent the rear
windows from being opened or closed via the
switches in the rear passenger area, by chil-
dren, for example. The indicator lamp lights up
when this safety feature is activated.
Always press the safety switch when chil-
dren ride in the rear, as otherwise
unchecked closing of the windows could lead to
injuries.<
You can deactivate the function again as
of ignition key position 1.<
Accessories in window area
After installing any accessory – such as a
clamp-on antenna for a portable phone – within
the window's travel range, you will need to have
the system reinitialized for use under the new
conditions. Please contact your BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center.

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Mobility
21
Panorama glass sunroof*
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key and close the doors, as otherwise
children could operate the sunroof and injure
themselves.<
The panorama glass sunroof is operational from
ignition key position 1.
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can operate the panorama glass sunroof for
up to 1 minute as long as neither of the doors
has been opened.
Raising, opening, closing
Press the switch or slide it in the desired direc-
tion up to the resistance point.
Release the switch to stop the motion.
The sliding visor is opened slightly when the
panorama glass sunroof is raised.
The panorama glass sunroof can be opened or
closed independently with the sliding visor
open.
Ventilation setting
The panorama glass sunroof is raised and the
sliding visor is opened slightly: Briefly press the
switch twice consecutively.
Automatic opening and closing
Briefly press the switch past the resistance
point and then release it.
Briefly pressing the switch again stops the
motion.
Opening and closing panorama glass
sunroof and sliding visor together
Briefly press the switch beyond the resistance
point twice consecutively.
Briefly pressing the switch again stops the
motion.
Comfort position
Each time the panorama glass sunroof is com-
pletely opened or closed, it stops in the comfort
position. If desired, continue the motion follow-
ing this with the switch.
In the comfort position the wind noise in the
interior is reduced.
Anti-trapping mechanism
If the panorama glass sunroof or sliding visor
encounter resistance when closing from
roughly one third of the sunroof opening or
when closing from the raised position, the clos-
ing action is interrupted and the panorama
glass sunroof and sliding visor reopen a little.
Despite the anti-trapping mechanism
inspect the sunroof's travel path prior to
closing it, as the safety system might fail to
detect certain kinds of obstructions, such as
very thin objects, and the sunroof would con-
tinue closing.
The anti-trapping mechanism for closing the
panorama glass sunroof is deactivated if the
switch is pressed beyond the resistance point
and held there. The closing action is interrupted
when you release the switch.<
Following interruptions in electrical
power supply
Following interruptions in electrical power, for
instance, when the battery is disconnected, it is
possible that the panorama glass sunroof will
extend to its tilt-up position, but fail to respond
to other commands. The system must be initial-
ized. BMW recommends having this work car-
ried out by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.

Opening and closing
22
Manual operation
In the event of an electrical malfunction, you can
operate the panorama glass sunroof manually.
1.Pull off the cover firmly downward.
2.Insert the Allen wrench from the compart-
ment beneath the cargo area floor, refer to
page99, into the proper opening and turn
the panorama glass sunroof in the desired
direction. Direction of rotation for closing,
refer to arrow.
Alarm system*
The concept
The vehicle alarm system responds:
>When a door, the hood, or the tailgate is
opened.
>To movements inside the vehicle: interior
motion sensor, refer to Tilt alarm sensor
and interior motion sensor.
>To changes in the vehicle tilt angle such as
occur during attempts to steal the wheels or
tow the vehicle.
>To interruptions in battery voltage.The system responds to unauthorized vehicle
entry and attempted theft by simultaneously
activating:
>The acoustic alarm for approx. 30 seconds.
>The hazard warning flashers for approx.
5minutes.
>The high beams, which flash on and off in
the same rhythm.
Arming and disarming alarm system
When you lock or unlock the vehicle, either with
the remote control or at the door lock, the alarm
system is armed or disarmed at the same time.
If the alarm system has been properly armed,
the hazard warning flashers light up once.
You can have different acknowledgment
signals set to confirm arming and disarm-
ing.<
You can also open the tailgate with the system
armed using the button on the remote con-
trol, refer to page17. When you close the tail-
gate, the system is rearmed.
Switching off alarm
>Unlock the vehicle using the remote control,
refer to page17.
or
>Turn the ignition key to position 1.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp below the interior rear-
view mirror flashes continuously: the sys-
tem is armed.

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23
>The indicator lamp flashes when the vehicle
is locked: door(s) or tailgate are not com-
pletely closed. Even if you do not close the
alerted area, the system begins to monitor
the remaining areas, and the indicator lamp
flashes continuously after 10 seconds.
However, the interior motion sensor is not
activated.
>The indicator lamp goes out when the vehi-
cle is unlocked: no manipulation or
attempted intrusions have been detected in
the period since the system was armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
after the vehicle is unlocked: an attempted
entry has been detected in the period since
the system was armed.
Following triggering of an alarm, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor and interior motion
sensor
Tilt alarm sensor
The tilt of the vehicle is monitored. The alarm
system reacts, e.g. in case of an attempted
wheel theft or towing.
Interior motion sensor
In order for the interior motion sensor to func-
tion properly, the windows and panorama glass
sunroof must be completely closed.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
may be switched off at the same time. This pre-
vents unintentional alarms, e.g. in the following
situations:
>In stacking garages
>When transporting on car-carrying trains
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
Press the button on the remote control
again directly after locking.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are switched off until
the next time the vehicle is unlocked and subse-
quently locked again.
If you wish, the tilt alarm sensor and inte-
rior motion sensor are permanently
switched off. You can have this set at your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center.<
If you interrupt the convenience closing of
the windows and panorama glass sunroof
within the first 10 seconds and then reinitiate
the action, this will unintentionally switch off the
tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor.
If this has occurred, the system must be dis-
armed and then rearmed.<

Adjustments
24
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed driving that is as fatigue-free
as possible. The sitting position plays an impor-
tant role together with the safety belts, head
restraints and airbags in providing occupants
with maximum levels of passive safety in an
accident. Therefore, observe the following
instructions, as otherwise the protective func-
tion of the safety systems may be impaired.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page31.
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 front passenger is correctly seated
and does not place feet or legs against the
instrument panel, as otherwise leg injuries can
result if the front airbag is triggered. Never let an
occupant's head rest near or on a side airbag
because the inflating airbag could cause a seri-
ous or fatal injury.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries resulting from contact with airbags cannot
be fully excluded, 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 page31.
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 all equipped
with a safety belt.
Occupants should sit upright and be
properly restrained at all times: infants
and small children in appropriate child-restraint
systems; larger children and adults using the
safety belts.
Never allow more than one person to wear a sin-
gle safety belt. Infants and children must not
ride on a lap.
Expectant mothers should always wear their
safety belts, taking care to position the lap belt
against the lower hips, where it will not exert
pressure against the abdominal area. The
safety belt must not rest against the neck, nor
be wedged in any way or permitted to rub
against sharp edges. Avoid twisting the belt
while routing it snugly across the hips and
shoulder, as close to the body as possible, with-
out resting against hard or fragile objects. Oth-
erwise, in the event of a frontal impact, a loose
lap belt could slide over your hips, leading to
abdominal injury. Avoid wearing clothing that
prevents the belt from fitting properly and pull
the shoulder belt upward periodically to read-
just 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
page67, otherwise, the safety belt cannot exert
any restraining action.
For fastening safety belts, refer to page27.

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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 side as well, do not recline
the backrest too far while the vehicle is being
driven, as otherwise there is a danger of sliding
under the safety belt during an accident, elimi-
nating the protection normally provided by the
belt.<
Please observe the information on using safety
belts provided on page27 and the information
on the head restraints on page25.
Seat adjustment
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions
above.<
1Longitudinal direction
Pull the lever and slide the seat into the
desired position.
After you release the lever, move the seat
forward or backward slightly so that it
engages fully.
2Height
Pull the lever and apply weight to or remove
weight from the seat as required.3Backrest
Pull the lever and apply weight to or remove
weight from the backrest as required.
Adjusting sports seat*
You can also adjust the tilt and the thigh
support:
1Upward tilt
Pull the lever as many times as required to
set the desired tilt.
2Downward tilt
Press the lever as many times as required to
set the desired tilt.
3Thigh support
Pull the lever and move the thigh support in
a longitudinal direction.
Head restraints
Head restraints reduce the risk of injury to
cervical vertebrae when accidents occur.
Adjust the head restraints so that their middles
are approximately at ear height.<

Adjustments
26
Adjustments
Height adjustment:
>To raise: pull upward.
>To lower: press button, arrow 1, and slide
head restraint downward.
Front head restraint tilt angle: adjust by tilting.
Removing front head restraint
1.Pull the head restraint upward to the stop.
2.Press button, arrow 1, and pull head
restraint all the way out.
Installing front head restraint
1.Press button, arrow1, and slide the head
restraint into its sockets.
2.Adjust the head restraint.
Power seat*
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimal protection,
please observe the adjustment instructions on
page24.<
1Tilt
2Longitudinal direction
3Height
4Backrest Setting the head restraint manually, refer to
above paragraph.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contours of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>To increase or decrease curvature: press
switch forward or back.
>To move curvature up or down: press
switch up or down.
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.

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3.Press the MEMORY button:
The indicator lamp in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3:
The indicator lamp goes out.
Requesting a stored setting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving, as other-
wise 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
adjustment 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 acci-
dentally:
Press the button a second time – the indicator
lamp goes out.<
You can have your vehicle programmed
to automatically recall your own individual
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 adjustment, be
sure that the footwell behind the driver's
seat is unobstructed before unlocking the vehi-
cle. 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.<
Heated seats*
The seat cushion and backrest can be heated
when the ignition key is in position 2.
To request different temperature levels: press
the button repeatedly.
To switch off from a higher heat setting: press
the button and hold it slightly longer.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimal protection,
please follow the instructions on page24.<
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.
Fastening
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Releasing
1.Press the red button in the belt buckle.
2.Hold the belt firmly.

Adjustments
28 3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
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 page24.
The two rear safety belt buckles integrated into
the rear seat are for passengers sitting on the
left and right. The belt buckle embossed with
the word CENTER is intended exclusively for
use by passengers riding in the center posi-
tion.<
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 pas-
senger side safety belt has not yet been fas-
tened, if heavy objects are placed on the pas-
senger's seat, or if the front passenger's safety
belt is released.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the entire
belt system, including the tensioning mecha-
nisms, replaced at your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center or at a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Have the belt
anchorage points inspected for damage at the
same time. Failure to observe this precaution
may prevent the safety belts from effectively
providing optimal protection when needed. If a
child-restraint system was in the vehicle during
an accident, consult the manufacturer's
instructions regarding replacement.<
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving. There is a risk of acci-
dent from unexpected movement.<
1.Fold the clamping lever downward.
2.Adapt the steering wheel in the longitudinal
direction and height of the seat position.
3.Fold the clamping lever back up.
Steering wheel heater*
The button for steering wheel heater is located
on the steering wheel, refer to page12.
Steering wheel heater: switching on/off
The steering wheel heater operates as of igni-
tion key position 2.
Press the button to activate or deactivate this
system.
The indicator lamp within the button lights up
when the steering wheel heater is in operation.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger side fea-
tures a lens with a more convex surface
than the mirror installed on the driver's side.
When estimating the distance between yourself
and other traffic, bear in mind that the objects
reflected in the mirror are closer than they
appear. This means that estimations of the

Reference
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29
distance to following traffic should not be
regarded as precise.<
1Adjustments
2Switching over to the other mirror or to the
automatic parking function
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat and
mirror memory on page26.
To prevent the exterior mirrors on this
vehicle from being damaged, always fold
them in by hand before entering an automatic
car wash.<
Manual adjustments
You can also adjust the mirrors manually if need
be: by pressing the edges of the mirror glass.
Automatic heating
When the outside temperature falls below a
specified temperature, both outside mirrors are
automatically heated whenever the engine is
running or the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger's mirror,
automatic parking function*
Activating
1.Select the driver's exterior mirror with
switch 1.
2.When you shift into reverse or move the
selector-lever into position R, the exterior
mirror glass on the front passenger side tilts
downward slightly. This allows the driver to
see the area immediately adjacent to the
vehicle – such as a curb – when parking, etc.
You can have the angle of downward tilt
set to depend on the key used.<
Deactivating
Select the front passenger's exterior mirror with
switch 1.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce the dazzle effect of following vehi-
cles at night, turn the knob.