Get Mobility -> General care Guide for BMW X3 SUV Second Generation (2011-2017)

Mobility

General care

Cleaning sensors/lenses of the camera

with high-pressure cleaners

Vehicle equipment

This chapter describes all standard, national

and special equipment provided in the model

series. Equipment not available in the vehicle is

therefore also described, for example the se‐

lected special equipment or national version.

This also applies to safety-relevant functions

and systems. Comply with the relevant na‐

tional regulations when using the correspond‐

ing functions and systems.

Do not spray the sensors with high-pressure

cleaners for an extended period of time and

maintain a distance of at least 30 cm, approxi‐

mately 12 in from sensors and lenses of the

camera on the outside of the vehicle.◀

Automatic car washes.

Information

▷

Textile car washes or systems using soft

brushes are preferable, to avoid damage to

the paintwork.

Washing the car

General

▷

Make sure the wheels and tyres are not

damaged by the conveying mechanism.

Regularly remove foreign bodied, for example,

leaves, with the bonnet opened in the area be‐

neath with windscreen.

Fold in the exterior mirrors, as they could

otherwise sustain damage due to the vehi‐

cle's width.

Especially in winter, wash the car more fre‐

quently. Very high levels of dirt and spreading

salt can cause damage to the car.

▷

Deactivate the rain sensor, see page 76, to

avoid unintentional operation of the wipers.

In some instances, depending on the inte‐

rior movement detector of the alarm sys‐

tem, a false alarm may be triggered. Ob‐

serve the information on avoiding false

alarms, see page 45.

Information

Steam-jet cleaners or high-pressure

cleaners

If you use steam-jet cleaners or high-pressure

cleaners, make sure you maintain an adequate

distance and a maximum temperature of

60 ℃/140 ℉.

Guide rails in car washes

Avoid car washes where the guide rails

are higher than 10 cm, 4 in otherwise the car

body may be damaged.◀

With the glass roof keep a distance of at least

80 cm, approximately 31.5 inches. High-pres‐

sure jets striking it from close up or with exces‐

sively high pressure or temperature could

cause damage, or start off a process of long-

term damage.

Entering a car wash

Follow the below steps so that the vehicle can

be driven into a vehicle wash:

Manual gearbox:

Comply with the instructions for the high-pres‐

sure cleaner.◀

1. Drive into the car wash.

2. Engage idle position.

236

General care

Mobility

3. Stop the engine.

4. Switch on ignition.

Steptronic transmission:

▷

Soak impurities such as insects with sham‐

poo and wash off with water.

Remove ice with a de-icer spray; do not

use an ice scraper.

1. Drive into the car wash.

After washing the car

2. Engage selector lever position N.

3. Deactivate Automatic Hold, see page 74.

4. Release the parking brake.

5. Stop the engine.

After washing the car, drive it briefly and apply

the brakes to dry them out; this is necessary to

prevent reduced braking action, and also to

avoid corrosion of the brake discs.

In this way the ignition remains switched

on and a check control message is dis‐

played.

Completely remove residues on the wind‐

screens to avoid affecting visibility due to

smearing, and to reduce wiping noise and

wiper blade wear.

Do not switch off ignition in the car

wash

Do not switch off ignition in the car wash,

otherwise the selector lever position P is

engaged and this can cause damage.◀

Car care

Care products

It is not possible to lock the vehicle from the

outside in selector lever position N. If an at‐

tempt is made to lock the vehicle, a signal

sounds.

BMW recommends that you use BMW care

and cleaning products, as these have been

tested and approved.

Care and cleaning products

When starting engine with manual gearbox:

Observe the information on the pack.

1. Press clutch pedal.

When cleaning the interior, open the doors or

windows.

2. Press the start/stop button.

When starting engine with Steptronic trans‐

mission:

Use only products that are intended for clean‐

ing the vehicle's interior.

1. Press the brake.

Cleaning agents can contain hazardous sub‐

stances or constitute a health risk.◀

2. Press the start/stop button.

Pressing the start/stop button or depressing

the brake switches off the ignition.

Vehicle paintwork

Regular care promotes driving safety and pre‐

serves your vehicle's value. Environmental ef‐

fects in areas with higher air pollution or natu‐

ral contaminations, for example tree resin or

leaf dust, may have an effect on the vehicle

paintwork. Base the frequency and extent of

vehicle care on such factors.

Selector lever position

Selector lever position P is engaged automati‐

cally:

▷

With the ignition switched off.

After approximately 15 minutes.

Remove corrosive substances, such as run-off

fuel, oil, grease or bird droppings immediately

to avoid changes to the paint or discoloura‐

tions.

Headlights

▷

Do not rub them when dry or use abrasive

or corrosive cleaning agents.

237

Mobility

General care

Corrosive, acidic or alkaline cleaners may de‐

stroy the protective layer of neighbouring

parts, such as brake discs, for example.

Leather care

Remove dust from the leather at regular inter‐

vals with a cloth or vacuum cleaner.

Dust and road dirt will otherwise become

worked into pores and folds, causing consider‐

able abrasion and causing the leather surface

to become prematurely brittle.

Chrome surfaces

Carefully clean parts such as the radiator grille

and door handles with plenty of water to which

a shampoo may be added, particularly if ex‐

posed to road salt.

In order to protect against discolouration, for

example from clothing, clean the leather ap‐

proximately every two months.

Rubber parts

Other than washing with water, treat only with

rubber care products.

Clean light-coloured leather more frequently

as it has the tendency to soil faster.

Use leather cleaner, as dirt and grease with

otherwise attack the protective coating of the

leather.

Do not use any silicone-based care products

for treating rubber seals, otherwise these

could be damaged and become a source of

noise.

Suitable cleaner can be obtained from a Serv‐

ice centre.

Fine wood parts

Care of upholstery fabrics

Clean regularly with a vacuum cleaner.

Clean fine wood trims and fine wood parts with

a damp cloth only. Then dry them with a soft

cloth.

In the event of heavy soiling, for example stains

caused by drinks, use a soft sponge or a lint-

free microfibre cloth with suitable interior

cleaning agents.

Plastic parts

These include:

Clean upholstery materials over a large area up

to the seams. Avoid strong rubbing.

▷

Imitation leather surfaces.

Roof lining.

Damage from Velcro fasteners

Light covers.

Open Velcro fasteners on trousers or

other items of clothing can damage seat cov‐

ers. Make sure that any Velcro fasteners on

your clothing are closed.◀

Glass cover of instrument cluster.

Parts sprayed matt black.

Painted parts in the interior.

Use a microfibre cloth to clean.

Slightly moisten the cloth with water.

Do not soak the roof lining.

Care of special parts

Light alloy wheels

Only when cleaning on the vehicle use neutral

rim cleaner with a pH value of between 5 and 9.

Do not use any rough cleaner or steam cleaner

above 60 ℃/140 ℉. Observe the manufactur‐

er's information.

No alcohol-based or solvent-based

cleaning agents

Do not use any alcohol-based or solvent-

based cleaning agents such as nitro thinners,

cold cleansers, fuel or similar, otherwise the

surfaces can be damaged.◀

238

General care

Mobility

Seat belts

Displays/screens

Dirt on the seat belts can interfere with the ac‐

tion of the reel and represent a safety hazard.

Cleaning of displays and screens

Do not use any chemical or household

cleaning materials, otherwise surfaces may be

corroded.◀

Dry cleaning

Do not dry-clean or use chemical prod‐

ucts, otherwise the fabric may be weakened.◀

Keep moisture away

Clean only with a mild soap solution while still

fitted to the vehicle.

Keep all liquids away from the set, other‐

wise electrical components may be dam‐

aged.◀

Never allow seat belts to retract unless they

are dry.

Avoid pressure

Avoid applying excessive pressure when

cleaning and do not use abrasive materials,

otherwise damage could occur.◀

Carpets and foot mats

No objects in the range of movement of

the pedals

Use a clean, anti-static microfibre cloth to

clean.

Foot mats, carpets or other objects must not

breach the range of movement of the pedals,

otherwise they could influence the function of

the pedals when driving and may cause an ac‐

cident.

Laying up out of use

When the vehicle is laid up for longer than

three months, special measures are to be

taken. Further information can be obtained

from the Service Centre.

Do not place additional foot mats on top of ex‐

isting floor mats or other similar objects.

Only use foot mats that have been approved

for the vehicle and that can be fastened ac‐

cordingly.

Ensure that floor mats are securely reattached

after having been removed, for example for

cleaning.◀

Floor mats can be removed from the vehicle to

enable the interior to be cleaned more thor‐

oughly.

In the event of heavy soiling, clean floor car‐

pets using a microfibre cloth and water or tex‐

tile cleaner. In doing so, rub back and forth in

the direction of travel, otherwise the carpet can

become tangled.

Sensors/lenses of the camera

Clean sensors or lenses of the camera using a

cloth moistened with a small amount of a

glass-cleaning product.

239

Mobility -> General care for Your BMW X3 SUV Second Generation (2011-2017)

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