Get Driving tips Guide for BMW X3 SUV 2020

Driving tips

This chapter provides you with information

useful in dealing with specific driving and

operating modes.

Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15

Driving tips

Things to remember when driving

Tires

Vehicle features and options

Tire traction is not optimal due to manufactur‐

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.

ing circumstances when tires are brand-new;

they achieve their full traction potential after a

break-in time.

Drive conservatively for the first

200 miles/300 km.

Brake system

Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐

prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimal per‐

formance between brake discs and brake

pads. Drive moderately during this break-in pe‐

riod.

Breaking-in period

General information

Moving parts need time to adjust to one an‐

other (break-in time).

Following part replacement

The same break-in procedures should be ob‐

served if any of the components above-men‐

tioned have to be renewed in the course of the

vehicle's operating life.

The following instructions will help accomplish

a long vehicle life and good efficiency.

During break-in, do not use the Launch Con‐

trol, refer to page 79.

Driving on poor roads

The vehicle connects four wheel drive to the

advantages of a normal truck

Engine, transmission, and axle drive

Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km

Do not exceed the maximum engine and road

speed:

Do not drive on unpaved terrain

Do not drive on unpaved terrain; other‐

wise, the vehicle may be damaged.◀

▷

For gasoline engine 4,500 rpm and

100 mph/160 km/h.

For your own safety, for the safety of passen‐

gers and of the vehicle, heed the following

points:

▷

For diesel engine 3,500 rpm and

93 mph/150 km/h.

Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐

stances.

▷

Become familiar with the vehicle before

starting a trip; do not take risks in driving.

▷

Adjust the speed to the road surface con‐

ditions. The steeper and more uneven the

road surface, the slower the speed should

be.

From 1,200 miles/2,000 km

The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be

increased.

▷

When driving on steep uphill or downhill

grades: add engine oil and coolant up to

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Things to remember when driving

Driving tips

near the MAX mark. Uphill and downhill

Hot exhaust system

grades can be traveled up to no more than

50 %.

Hot exhaust system

High temperatures are generated in the

exhaust system.

▷

On steep downhill grades, use Hill Descent

Control HDC, refer to page 125.

Do not remove the heat shields installed and

never apply undercoating to them. Make sure

that flammable materials, e. g. hay, leaves,

grass, etc. do not come in contact with the hot

exhaust system while driving, while in idle po‐

sition mode, or when parked. Such contact

could lead to a fire, resulting in an increased

risk of serious personal injury as well as prop‐

erty damage.

Starting out is possible on uphill grades up

to 30 %. The permissible side tilt is 30 %.

Avoid that the chassis bottom coming in

contact with the ground.

The ground clearance is no more than 7.8

inches/20 cm and can vary according to

the vehicle's load.

▷

When wheels continue to spin, depress the

accelerator so that driving stability control

systems can distribute the driving force to

the wheels. Activate DTC Dynamic Trac‐

tion Control if available.

Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise,

there is a danger of getting burned.◀

Diesel particulate filter

The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti‐

cles and burns them periodically at high tem‐

peratures.

After a trip on poor roads

After a trip on poor roads, check wheels and

tires for damage to maintain driving safety.

Clear heavy soiling from the body.

During several minutes of cleaning the follow‐

ing may occur:

▷

Temporarily, the engine may run less

smoothly.

General driving notes

▷

Noises and a slight amount of smoke com‐

ing from the exhaust until shortly after the

engine is shut down.

Closing the tailgate

Drive with the tailgate closed

▷

A somewhat higher engine speed is neces‐

sary to reach usual performance.

Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐

wise, in the event of an accident or braking and

evasive maneuvers, passengers and other traf‐

fic may be injured, and the vehicle may be

damaged. In addition, exhaust fumes may en‐

ter the vehicle interior.◀

Mobile communication devices in the

vehicle

Mobile communication devices in the ve‐

hicle

If driving with the tailgate open cannot be

avoided:

It is not recommended to use mobile phones,

such as mobile phones, in the vehicle interior

without a direct connection to an external aer‐

ial. Otherwise, the vehicle's electronics and

mobile communication devices can interfere

with each other. In addition, there is no assur‐

ance that the radiation generated during trans‐

▷

Close all windows and the glass sunroof.

Greatly increase the air flow from the vents.

Drive moderately.

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Driving tips

Things to remember when driving

mission will be conducted away from the vehi‐

cle interior.◀

Objects within the range of movement

of the pedals

No objects in the area around the pedals

Hydroplaning

Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other

objects out of the pedal area; otherwise, the

function of the pedals could be impeded while

driving and create the risk of an accident.

Hydroplaning

When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐

duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀

Do not place additional floor mats over existing

mats or other objects.

On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can

form between the tires and road surface.

Only use floor mats that have been approved

for the vehicle and can be properly attached to

floor.

This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐

ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete

loss of contact between the tires and the road

surface, ultimately undermining your ability to

steer and brake the vehicle.

Ensure that the floor mats are securely fas‐

tened again after they were removed for clean‐

ing, e.g.◀

Driving through water

Driving in wet conditions

Observe water level and speed

When roads are wet, salted, or in heavy rain,

press brake pedal ever so gently every few

miles.

Do not exceed the maximum water level

and maximum speed; otherwise, the vehicle's

engine, the electrical systems and the trans‐

mission may be damaged.◀

Ensure that this action does not endanger

other traffic.

Drive though calm water only and only if it is

not deeper than 19.6 inches/50 cm and at this

height, no faster than walking speed, up to

3 mph/5 km/h.

The heat generated in this process helps dry

the brake discs and pads.

In this way braking efficiency will be available

when you need it.

Braking safely

Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a stand‐

ard feature.

Hills

Avoid stressing the brakes

Applying the brakes fully is the most effective

way of braking in situations needed.

Avoid placing excessive stress on the

brake system. Light but consistent brake pres‐

sure can lead to high temperatures, brakes

wearing out and possibly even brake failure.◀

Steering is still responsive. You can still avoid

any obstacles with a minimum of steering ef‐

fort.

Do not drive in neutral

Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from

the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its

active mode.

Do not drive in neutral or with the engine

stopped, as doing so disables engine braking.

In addition, steering and brake assist are un‐

available with the engine stopped.◀

In certain braking situations, the perforated

brake discs can cause functional problems.

However, this has no effect on the perform‐

ance and operational reliability of the brake.

Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the

gear that requires least braking efforts. Other‐

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Driving tips

wise the brakes may overheat and reduce

brake efficiency.

You can increase the engine's braking effect

by shifting down, going all the way to first gear,

if needed.

Brake disc corrosion

Brake disc corrosion and contamination of the

brake pads are favored by:

▷

Low mileage.

Extended periods when the vehicle is not

used at all.

▷

Infrequent use of the brakes.

Corrosion will built up when the maximum

pressure applied to the brake pads during

braking is not reached - thus discs don't get

cleaned.

Corrosion buildup on the brake discs will cause

a pulsating effect on the brakes in their re‐

sponse - generally that cannot be corrected.

Condensation under the parked

vehicle

When using the automatic climate control,

condensation water develops collecting under‐

neath the vehicle.

These traces of water under the vehicle are

normal.

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Driving tips

Loading

vehicle and unstable driving situations

may result.

Vehicle 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.

2. Determine the combined weight of the

driver and passengers that will be riding in

your vehicle.

Hints

Overloading the vehicle

3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver

and passengers from XXX kilograms or

YYY pounds.

To avoid exceeding the approved ca‐

pacity of the tires, never overload the vehicle.

Overloading can lead to overheating and in‐

creases the rate at which damage develops in‐

side the tires. This could result in a sudden

loss of tire inflation pressure.◀

4. The resulting figure equals the available

amount of cargo and luggage load ca‐

pacity.

For example, if the YYY amount equals

1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs

passengers in your vehicle, the amount of

available cargo and luggage load capacity

is 400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs =

400 lbs.

No fluids in the cargo area

Make sure that fluids do not leak into the

cargo area; otherwise, the vehicle may be dam‐

aged.◀

Heavy and hard objects

5. Determine the combined weight of lug‐

gage and cargo being loaded on the vehi‐

cle. That weight may not safely exceed the

available cargo and luggage load capacity

calculated in Step 4.

Do not stow any heavy and hard objects

in the car's interior without securing them; oth‐

erwise, they may present a danger to occu‐

pants, e.g., during braking and evasive maneu‐

vers.◀

Determining the load limit

1. Locate the following statement on your ve‐

hicle’s placard:

▷

The combined weight of occupants

and cargo should never exceed XXX kg

or YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the

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Loading

Driving tips

Load

Securing cargo

Lashing eyes in the trunk

The maximum load is the sum of the weight of

the occupants and the cargo.

To secure the cargo there are four lashing

eyes in the cargo area.

The greater the weight of the occupants, the

less cargo that can be transported.

Lashing eyes in the trunk with rails

Stowing cargo

▷

Cover sharp edges and corners on the

cargo.

▷

Heavy cargo: stow as far forward as possi‐

ble, directly behind and at the bottom of

the rear passenger seat backrests.

▷

Very heavy cargo: when the rear seat is not

occupied, secure each of the outer safety

belts in the opposite buckle.

To secure the cargo there are four movable

lashing eyes in the cargo area.

▷

If necessary, fold down the rear backrests

to stow cargo.

Do not stack cargo above the top edge of

the backrests.

Use the trunk partition net, refer to

page 166, to protect passengers. Make

sure that objects cannot penetrate the

trunk partition net.

To slide the lashing eyes, press the button, ar‐

row 1. Make sure that the lashing eyes latch at

the new position.

The lashing eyes at the openings in the rails

can be removed.

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Driving tips

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Cargo net, FlexNet

Attachment to the rack

The flexible cargo net is hooked into eyes and

secures the cargo in the cargo area. The stor‐

age net can be attached to the following eyes:

Follow the installation instructions of the roof

rack.

Mounting

Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained

for tilting and opening the glass sunroof.

Loading

Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center

of gravity when loaded, they have a major ef‐

fect on vehicle handling and steering re‐

sponse.

Therefore, note the following when loading

and driving:

▷

Lashing eyes in the rails.

Eyes on the trunk wall.

▷

Do not exceed the approved roof/axle

loads and the approved gross vehicle

weight.

The eyes are located on both sides of the

trunk.

▷

Distribute the roof load uniformly.

Securing cargo

The roof load should not extend past the

loading area.

Securing cargo

Stow and secure the cargo as described;

otherwise it may present a danger to the occu‐

pants, e.g., during braking and evasive maneu‐

vers.◀

▷

Always place the heaviest pieces on the

bottom.

Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie

with ratchet straps.

▷

Smaller and lighter items: secure with re‐

taining straps or with a cargo net or draw

straps.

Do not let objects project into the opening

path of the tailgate.

Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration

and braking maneuvers. Take corners gen‐

tly.

▷

Larger and heavy objects: secure with

cargo straps.

Cargo straps, cargo netting, retaining

straps or draw straps on the lashing eyes in

the trunk.

Roof-mounted luggage rack

Note

Installation only possible with roof rack.

Roof racks are available as special accessories.

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Saving fuel

Driving tips

Saving fuel

Vehicle features and options

Close the windows and glass

sunroof

Driving with the glass sunroof and windows

open results in increased air resistance and

thereby reduces the range.

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.

Tires

General information

Tires can affect fuel consumption in various

ways, e.g., tire size may influence fuel con‐

sumption.

General information

Your vehicle contains advanced technology for

the reduction of fuel consumption and emis‐

sions.

Check the tire inflation pressure

regularly

Check and, if needed, correct the tire inflation

pressure at least twice a month and before

starting on a long trip.

Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐

ferent factors.

Carrying out certain measures, such as a mod‐

erate driving style and regular maintenance,

can influence fuel consumption and the envi‐

ronmental impact.

Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐

sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and

tire wear.

Drive away immediately

Remove unnecessary cargo

Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while

the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving

right away, but at moderate engine speeds.

Additional weight increases fuel consumption.

Remove attached parts

following use

This is the quickest way of warming the cold

engine up to operating temperature.

Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage

racks which are no longer required following

use.

Look well ahead when

driving

Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐

dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.

Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.

By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehi‐

cle driving ahead of you.

Driving smoothly and proactively reduces fuel

consumption.

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Driving tips

Saving fuel

road conditions, maintenance or environmental

factors.

Avoid high engine speeds

As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers

fuel consumption and reduces wear.

Use 1st gear to get the vehicle moving. Start‐

ing with the 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly. When

accelerating, shift up before reaching high en‐

gine speeds.

Switch off any functions that

are not currently needed

Functions such as seat heating and the rear

window defroster require a lot of energy and

reduce the range, especially in city and stop-

and-go traffic.

When you reach the desired speed, shift into

the highest applicable gear and drive with the

engine speed as low as possible and at a con‐

stant speed.

Reel off these functions if they are not needed.

The ECO PRO driving program supports the

energy conserving use of comfort features.

These functions are automatically deactivated

partially or completely.

If necessary, observe the gear shift indicator of

the vehicle, refer to page 87.

Use coasting

When approaching a red light, take your foot

off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to

a halt.

Have maintenance carried

out

Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve

optimal vehicle efficiency and operating life.

The maintenance should be carried out by

your service center.

For going downhill take your foot off the accel‐

erator and let the vehicle roll.

The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.

Also note the BMW Maintenance System, refer

to page 215.

Switch off the engine during

longer stops

Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.,

at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic

congestion.

ECO PRO

The concept

ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves

on fuel consumption. For this purpose, the en‐

gine control and comfort features, e. g. the cli‐

mate control output, are adjusted.

Auto Start/Stop function

The Auto Start/Stop function of your vehicle

automatically switches off the engine during a

stop.

Under certain conditions the engine is auto‐

matically decoupled from the transmission in

the D selector lever position. The vehicle con‐

tinues traveling with the engine idling to re‐

duce fuel consumption. Selector lever position

D remains engaged.

If the engine is switched off and then restarted

rather than leaving the engine running con‐

stantly, fuel consumption and emissions are

reduced. Savings can begin within a few sec‐

onds of switching off the engine.

In addition, fuel consumption is also deter‐

mined by other factors, such as driving style,

In addition, context-sensitive instructions are

displayed to assist with an optimized fuel con‐

sumption driving style.

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Driving tips

The achieved extended range is displayed in

the instrument cluster as bonus range.

The output is reduced once the set ECO

PRO speed is reached.

Overview

Coasting

The system includes the following

EfficientDynamics functions and displays:

Fuel-efficiency can be optimized by disengag‐

ing the engine and Coasting, refer to

page 185, with the engine idling.

▷

ECO PRO bonus range, refer to page 183.

This function is only available in ECO PRO

mode.

ECO PRO tips driving instruction, refer to

page 184

▷

ECO PRO climate control, refer to

page 183.

ECO PRO climate control

"ECO PRO climate control"

ECO PRO coasting driving status, refer to

page 185.

Climate control is set to be fuel-efficient.

By making a slight change to the set tempera‐

ture, or slowly adjusting the rate of heating or

cooling of the car's interior, fuel consumption

can be economized.

Activate ECO PRO

Press button repeatedly until ECO

PRO is displayed in the instrument

The mirror heating is made available when out‐

side temperatures are very cold.

cluster.

Configuring ECO PRO

ECO PRO potential

Shows potential savings with the current set‐

tings in percentages.

Via the Driving Dynamics Control

1. Activate ECO PRO.

2. "Configure ECO PRO"

Display in the instrument cluster

ECO PRO bonus range

3. Configure the program.

Via the iDrive

1. "Settings"

2. "ECO PRO mode"

Or

An adjusted driving style helps

you extend your driving range.

This may be displayed as the

bonus range in the instrument

cluster.

1. "Settings"

The bonus range is shown in the range display.

2. "Driving mode"

3. "Configure ECO PRO"

Configure the program.

The bonus range is automatically reset every

time the vehicle is refueled.

ECO PRO Tip

▷

"Tip at:":

Adjust the ECO PRO speed.

"ECO PRO speed warning":

▷

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Driving tips

Saving fuel

Efficiency display

ECO PRO tip, driving tip

The arrow indicates that the driving

style can be adjusted to be more fuel

efficient by backing off the accelerator

Display in the instrument cluster

for instance.

Note

The efficiency display and ECO PRO tips in the

instrument cluster appear when the ECO PRO

display is activated.

Activating driving style and ECO PRO tips:

1. "Settings"

Display in the instrument cluster with extended

range

2. "Instrument cluster"

3. "ECO PRO Info"

ECO PRO tip, symbols

An additional symbol and text instructions are

displayed.

Symbol Measure

For efficient driving back off the ac‐

celerator or delay accelerating to al‐

low time to assess road conditions.

A mark in the efficiency display informs about

the current driving style.

Reduce speed to the selected ECO

PRO speed.

Mark in the area of arrow 1: display of the en‐

ergy recovered by coasting or when braking.

Steptronic transmission: shift from

M/S to D.

Mark in the area of arrow 2: display when ac‐

celerating.

Your driving style's efficiency is shown by the

bar's color:

Indications on the Control Display

EfficientDynamics

Information on fuel consumption and technol‐

ogy can be displayed while driving.

▷

Blue display: efficient driving style as long

as the mark moves within the blue range.

▷

Gray display: adjust driving style, e. g. by

backing off the accelerator pedal.

1. "Vehicle info"

The display switches to blue as soon as all

conditions for fuel-efficiency-optimized driving

are met.

2. "EfficientDynamics"

Displaying fuel consumption history

The average fuel consumption can be dis‐

played within an adjustable time frame.

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Driving tips

Vertical bars show consumption for the se‐

lected time frame.

As soon as you step on the brake or accelera‐

tor pedal, the engine is automatically coupled

again.

Trip interruptions are represented below the

bar on the time axis.

Hints

"Consumption history"

Coasting is a component of the ECO PRO, re‐

fer to page 182, driving mode.

Adjusting fuel consumption history

time frame

Coasting is automatically activated when ECO

PRO mode is called via the Driving Dynamics

Control.

Select the symbol.

The function is available in a certain speed

range.

Resetting fuel consumption history

1. Open "Options".

A proactively driving style helps the driver to

use the function as often as possible and sup‐

ports the fuel-conserving effect of coasting.

2. "Reset consumption history"

Displaying EfficientDynamics info

The current efficiency can be displayed.

"EfficientDynamics info"

Safety mode

The function is not available under one of the

following conditions.

The following systems are displayed:

▷

Auto Start/Stop function.

Energy recovery.

Climate control output.

Coasting.

▷

DSC OFF or TRACTION activated.

Driving in the dynamic limit range and on

steep uphill or downhill grades.

▷

Battery charge status temporarily too low

or vehicle electrical system drawing exces‐

sive current.

Display ECO PRO tips

▷

Cruise control activated.

"ECO PRO Tips"

Settings are stored for the profile currently in

use.

Functional requirements

In ECO PRO mode, this function is available in

a speed range from approximately 30 mph, ap‐

prox. 50 km/h to 100 mph, approx. 160 km/h, if

the following conditions are met:

Coasting

The concept

▷

Accelerator pedal and brake pedal are not

operated.

The system helps to conserve fuel.

To do this, under certain conditions the engine

is automatically decoupled from the transmis‐

sion when selector lever position D is set. The

vehicle continues traveling with the engine

idling to reduce fuel consumption. Selector

lever position D remains engaged.

The selector lever is in selector lever posi‐

tion D.

Engine and transmission are at operating

temperature.

The driving status Coast can be influenced

with the shift paddles.

This driving condition is referred to as coast‐

ing.

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Display

Display in the instrument cluster

Color code blue, arrow 1, and symbol, arrow 2:

driving condition Coasting.

Displaying EfficientDynamics info

1. "Vehicle info"

The mark in the efficiency display is backlit in

blue and is located at the zero point. The tach‐

ometer approximately indicates idle speed.

2. "EfficientDynamics"

The coasting point indicator is illuminated at

the zero point during coasting.

3.

"EfficientDynamics info"

Deactivating the system manually

Display in the instrument cluster with

extended range

The function can be deactivated in the Config‐

ure ECO PRO, refer to page 183, menu, e.g., to

use the braking effect of the engine when trav‐

eling downhill.

The mark in the efficiency dis‐

play below the tachometer is

backlit in blue and is located at

the zero point. The tachometer

approximately indicates idle

speed.

Settings are stored for the profile currently in

use.

The coasting point indicator is illuminated at

the zero point during coasting.

Indications on the Control Display

The Coasting driving condition is displayed in

EfficientDynamics Info while this driving mode

is active.

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Driving tips for Your BMW X3 SUV 2020

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