BMW X3 3.0I 2007 E83 Owners Manual

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Fuel tank capacity
Approx. 17.7 US gal/67 liters, including the
reserve capacity of approx. 2 US gal/8 liters.
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 damage the catalytic converter.
Do not use flex fuel or E85, i.e. fuel that is com-
prised of 85 % ethanol as these can damage the
engine and fuel supply system.<
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.
Do not use any gasoline below the speci-
fied minimum fuel grade. Otherwise, the
engine could be damaged.<
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
90
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 pages53,
54.<
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 optimum driving com-
fort, 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.<

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Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits; failure to do so could put you in violation
of the law.

Wheels and tires
92
X3 3.0i, 3.0si
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
of up to max.
100 mph/160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those above
100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
235/55 R 17 99 H M+S 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
235/50 R 18 97 H M+S 32/220 35/240 32/220 35/240 35/240 41/280
Front: 235/50 R 18 97 V
Rear: 255/45 R 18 99 V32/220
––
32/22032/220
––
32/22035/240
––
38/260
Front: 235/45 R 19 95 W
Rear: 255/40 R 19 96W32/220
––
35/24032/220
––
35/24035/240
––
41/280
Compact wheel:
T 135/90 R 17 104 M61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page122

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Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
Speed code letter
Q = up to 105 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The tire's date of manufacture is indicated on
the sidewall:
DOT ... 2806 indicates that a tire was manufac-
tured in week 28 of the year 2006.BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
For example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1γ) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due to varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices, and dif-
ferences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C.
These grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test sur-
faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.< e.g. 235/50 R 18 97 V
Nominal width in mm
Cross-sectional
relationship in Ξ
Radial tire code
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
not for ZR tires
Speed rating, before R on ZR tires
e.g. DOT xxxx xxx 3005
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire age

Wheels and tires
94
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, B, and C, A
being highest, and represent the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance that all pas-
senger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either sep-
arately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.<
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not fall below 0.12 in/
3 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/3 mm,
there is an increased risk of high-speed hydro-
planing, even when only small amounts of water
are present on the road surface.
Winter tires display a noticeable loss in their
ability to cope with cold-weather driving condi-
tions once the tread wears to below 0.16 in/
4 mm. To ensure continued safety you should
always have such tires replaced.Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, refer
to arrow, are distributed over the tire's circum-
ference and are marked on the side of the tire
with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. If the tire tread
has worn down to the wear indicators, then the
legally permissible tread depth limit of 0.063 in/
1.6 mm has been reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires, make
wheels, tires and suspension parts more
susceptible to road hazard and consequential
damages.<
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, be caused by driving over curbs. The same
applies to any other abnormal road behavior,
such as pulling severely to the right or left.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires checked
immediately. Drive carefully to the nearest
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or tire spe-
cialist. Have the vehicle towed to one of these
locations if necessary.
Tire damage can pose a potentially lethal safety
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and other
road users alike.<
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center or a tire shop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subsequent dam-

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age and related safety hazards. Make sure that
the new wheels are balanced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW does not recommend the use of
retreaded tires; otherwise, driving safety
may be reduced. The causes for this include the
possibly different tire casing structures and the
often wide variations in their age, which can
result in a limited service life.<
Correct wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that BMW
has tested and approved for your particular
vehicle. Variations in factors such as manufac-
turing tolerances mean that even wheels and
tires with identical official size ratings could
actually have different dimensions than the
approved units – these differences could lead to
body contact and with it, the risk of severe acci-
dents. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
You can ask your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center for the correct wheel-and-tire combina-
tion.
The correct wheel-and-tire combination affects
various systems whose function would other-
wise be impaired, e.g. ABS, DSC or xDrive.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread config-
uration from a single manufacturer. After tire
damage, always remember to have the original
wheel and tire combination remounted on the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Wheels equipped with electronics for
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
When installing new tires or when changing
from summer tires to winter tires or vice versa,
only use wheels equipped with TPM electron-
ics; otherwise, the Tire Pressure Monitor can-
not detect a flat tire, refer to page54. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center will be
happy to advise you in this regard.
Recommended tire brands
BMW recommends particular tire brands for
each tire size. You will recognize them by the
clearly visible BMW identification on the tire
sidewall.
With proper use, these tires meet the highest
standards for safety and handling characteris-
tics.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold
winter driving conditions. Although all-season
M+S tires do provide better winter traction than
summer tires, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance as
winter tires.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed for
which the winter tires are rated.<
Storage
Store wheels or tires in a cool, dry place, pro-
tecting them from light whenever possible. Pro-
tect the tires from contact with oil, grease and
fuel. Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure indicated on the side wall of the tire.
Changing wheels from one axle to
another
BMW does not recommend changing the front
wheels to the back or vice versa as this can
impair handling characteristics.

Wheels and tires
96
Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains are tested,
classified as road-safe, and recommended by
BMW. You can obtain a list of these from your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center. It is only
permissible to use them in pairs and on the rear
wheels.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions when
installing snow chains.
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of 30 mph/
50 km/h with snow chains mounted.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor
*
w i t h s n o w c h a in s in s t a ll e d ; o t h er w is e , t he
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When you are driving with snow chains, it can
be beneficial to temporarily activate DTC, refer
to page51.<

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Under the hood
Never attempt to perform any service or
repair operations on your vehicle without
the required professional technical training. If
you are not familiar with the regulations to be
observed, have work on your vehicle carried out
only by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Cen-
ter or at a workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with appropriately
trained personnel. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subsequent dam-
age and related safety hazards.<
Hood
Unlocking
Pull the lever located under the left side of the
instrument cluster.
Opening
To avoid causing damage, make sure that
wiper arms are resting against the wind-
shield before opening the hood.<
Press the release handle and open the hood.
Closing
Close the hood with force by allowing it to fall
from a height of approx. 1 ft/30 cm. It must
engage audibly.
Avoid injuries by making sure that the
hood's closing region is clear and unob-
structed.
If you see any signs that the hood is not com-
pletely closed while driving your vehicle, you
should stop at once and close it securely.<

Under the hood
98
Important components in the engine compartment
1Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp
and windshield washer system, refer to
page42
2Body ground, negative terminal, refer to
page114
3Jump starting terminal, refer to page1144Filler neck for engine oil, refer to
Adding engine oil
5Reservoir for brake fluid, refer to page101
6Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page101. In vehicles with a gasoline
engine, the expansion tank is on the other
side