BMW X3 (F25) Owners Manual: Replacing components

• Vehicle features and options
• Wiper blade replacement
• Lamp and bulb replacement
• Changing wheels
• Vehicle battery
• Fuses

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.

Onboard vehicle tool kit

The onboard vehicle tool kit is located under the first aid kit behind the left folding cover in the trunk.

Wiper blade replacement

Hints

Do not fold down the wipers without wiper blades. Do not fold down the wipers if wiper blades have not been installed; this may damage the windshield.

Front: Replacing the wiper blades

1. To change the wiper blades, fold up, the wiper arms.

2. Fold up the wipers.

3. Position the wiper blade in a horizontal position.

4. Remove the wiper blade toward one side.

5. Insert the new wiper blade in reverse order of removal until it locks in place.

6. Fold down the wipers.

Rear: replacing the wiper blades

1. Lift off the wiper fully and pull off the wiper blade, arrow.

2. Attach a new wiper blade. It must engage audibly.

3. Fold down the wipers.

Lamp and bulb replacement

Hints

Lights and bulbs Lights and bulbs make an essential contribution to vehicle safety.

The manufacturer of the vehicle recommends that you entrust corresponding procedures to the service center if you are unfamiliar those or if they have not been described here.

You can obtain a selection of replacement bulbs at the service center.

Danger of burns

Only change bulbs when they are cool; otherwise, there is a danger of getting burned.

Working on the lighting system

When working on the lighting system, you should always reel off the lights affected to prevent short circuits.

To avoid possible injury or equipment damage when replacing bulbs, observe any instructions provided by the bulb manufacturer.

Do not perform work/bulb replacement on xenon headlights

Have any work on the xenon lighting system, including bulb replacement, performed only by a service center. Due to the high voltage present in the system, there is a danger of fatal injuries if work is carried out improperly.

Do not touch the bulbs

Do not touch the glass of new bulbs with your bare hands, as even minute amounts of contamination will burn into the bulb's surface and reduce its service life.

Use a clean tissue, cloth or something similar, or hold the bulb by its base.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) Some items of equipment use light-emitting diodes installed behind a cover as a light source.

These light-emitting diodes, which are related to conventional lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-emitting diodes.

Do not remove the covers

Do not remove the covers, and never stare into the unfiltered light for several hours; otherwise, irritation of the retina could result.

Headlight glass Condensation can form on the inside of the external lights in cool or humid weather. When driving with the light switched on, the condensation evaporates after a short time. The headlight glass does not need to be changed.

If the headlights do not dim despite driving with the light switched on, increasing humidity forms, e. g. water droplets in the light, have the service center check this.

Headlight setting The headlight adjustments can be affected by changing lights and bulbs. Have the headlights' settings checked and corrected by service after a replacement.

Front lights, bulb replacement

Halogen headlights

At a glance

1. High beams/headlight flasher
2. Low beams
3. Turn signal/side marker light
4. Parking lights
5. Daytime running lights

Accessing the low beams and parking lights

Follow general instructions.

1. Open the hood.

2. Turn the cover counterclockwise and remove.

3. The upper bulb is the low beam and the lower bulb is the parking lamp.

Low beams 55-watt bulb, H7.

1. Tip the connector with the bulb down slightly and pull out carefully.

2. Pull the bulb off the connector and insert the new bulb.

3. Install the new bulb in reverse order of removal.

4. Place the cover according to the arrow markings on the headlight housing.

5. Close the headlight housing with the lid.

Parking lights 5-watt bulb, W5W.

1. Remove the bulb holder.

2. Carefully remove the bulb from the socket.

3. Install the new bulb in reverse order of removal.

4. Place the cover according to the arrow markings on the headlight housing.

5. Close the headlight housing with the lid.

Accessing the high beams/headlight flasher and daytime running lights

Follow general instructions.

1. Open the hood.

2. Turn the cover counterclockwise and remove.

3. The upper bulb is the high beam/headlight flasher and the lower bulb is the daytime running lights.

High beams/headlight flasher 55-watt bulb, H7.

1. Tip the connector with the bulb up slightly and pull out carefully.

2. Pull the bulb off the connector and insert the new bulb.

3. Install the new bulb in reverse order of removal.

4. Place the cover according to the arrow markings on the headlight housing.

5. Close the headlight housing with the lid.

Daytime running lights 21-watt bulb, W21W.

1. Turn the bulb holder counterclockwise and remove.

2. Carefully remove the bulb from the socket.

3. Install the new bulb in reverse order of removal.

4. Place the cover according to the arrow markings on the headlight housing.

5. Close the headlight housing with the lid.

Xenon headlights

Hints Because of the long life of these bulbs, the likelihood of failure is very low. Switching the lights on and off frequently shortens their life.

If a bulb fails, reel on the front fog lights and continue the trip with great care. Comply with local regulations.

Do not perform work/bulb replacement on xenon headlights

Have any work on the xenon lighting system, including bulb replacement, performed only by a service center. Due to the high voltage present in the system, there is a danger of fatal injuries if work is carried out improperly.

For checking and adjusting headlamp aim, please contact your BMW center.

At a glance

1. Parking lights / daytime running lights
2. Low beams/high beams/headlight flasher
3. Turn signal/side marker light

Xenon headlights Low beams and high beams are designed with xenon technology.

The parking lights and daylight running lights are made using LED technology.

Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

LED headlights

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) With LED headlights, all front lights and side indicators are designed with LED technology.

If an LED fails, switch on the front fog lights and continue the trip with great care. Comply with local regulations.

Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

Front fog lights Follow general instructions.

35-watt bulb, H8.

1. Insert the screwdriver from the onboard vehicle tool kit, with the flat side on the clip, arrow 1.

2. Turn the screwdriver by 90º, arrow 2.

3. Remove the front fog lamp toward the front.

4. Detach the connector.

5. Turn the bulb bracket and remove it.

6. Remove the bulb and replace it.

7. Proceed in reverse order to insert the front fog lamp. Note the guide rails in doing so.

LED front fog lights These front fog lights are made using LED technology. Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

Turn signal

Note Follow general instructions.

The turn signals are located next to each low beam in the engine compartment.

21-watt bulb, PY 21W.

Replacement

1. Open the hood.

2. Turn the bulb with the socket counterclockwise and carefully remove.

3. Push the bulb down slightly and unscrew from the socket.

4. To insert the new bulb, proceed in reverse order of removal.

Turn signal in exterior mirror The turn signals in the exterior mirrors feature LED technology. Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

Tail lights, bulb replacement

At a glance

1. Turn signal
2. Backup lamp
3. Inside brake lamp
4. Rear lamp
5. Rear lamp/brake light

Bulb replacement, exterior tail lights

General information Follow general instructions.

21-watt bulb, P21W.

With Adaptive Light Control or xenon headlights: rear lamp features LED technology.

Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

Use caution when replacing the bulb

Use caution and proceed one step at a time when replacing the bulbs to prevent damage to the tail lights or the vehicle.

Removing the exterior tail lamp

1. Open the tailgate.

2. Insert the screwdriver from the onboard vehicle tool kit between the cover and body, push it up, arrow, and remove the cover.

3. Release both nuts.

4. Remove the tail lamp from the body and detach the connector.

Replacing the bulbs

1. Release the three fasteners on the bulb holder and remove the bulb holder from the tail lamp.

2. Turn the bulb and remove it. The turn signal is the upper bulb and the rear lamp/ brake lamp is the lower bulb on the bulb holder.

3. Proceed in the reverse order to insert the new bulb and attach the bulb holder. Make sure that the bulb holder is engaged in all fasteners.

Installing the tail lamp

1. Connect and install the tail lamp.

2. Insert the cover with the three mountings in the tail lamp. While applying pressure on the top and bottom bracket, slide the cover down to the stop.

Lights in the tailgate

General information Follow general instructions.

Reversing lights: 16-watt bulb, W16W.

Inner brake lamp: 21-watt bulb, H21W.

Accessing the lights

1. Open the tailgate.

2. Pull out the cover at the recessed grip, arrow.

3. Detach the connector.

Replacing the reversing lamp and inner brake lamp

1. Detach the bulb holder from the tail lamp.

The reversing lamp is the upper bulb and the inner brake lamp is the lower bulb on the bulb holder.

2. To replace the reversing lamp, pull off the bulb carefully.

To replace the inner brake lamp, push the bulb down and turn it to the left.

Installing the bulb holder

1. Attach the connector to the tail lamp.

2. Proceed in the reverse order to insert the new bulb and attach the bulb holder.

Ensure that the bulb holder is firmly attached.

License plate lights Follow general instructions.

These lights are made using LED technology.

Contact your service center in the event of a malfunction.

Changing wheels

Hints

When using run-flat tires or sealants, a tire does not need to be changed immediately in the event of pressure loss due to a flat tire.

Which is why no spare tire is available.

The tools for changing wheels are available as accessories from your service center.

Jacking points for the vehicle jack

The jacking points for the vehicle jack are located at the positions shown.

Vehicle battery

Maintenance

The battery is maintenance-free.

The added amount of acid is sufficient for the service life of the battery.

Further information about the battery can be obtained from your service center.

Battery replacement

Use approved vehicle batteries only

Only use vehicle batteries that have been approved for your vehicle by the manufacturer; otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged and systems or functions may not be fully available.

After a battery replacement, have the battery registered on the vehicle by the service center to ensure that all comfort features are fully available and that any Check Control messages of these comfort features are no longer displayed.

Charging the battery

General information Make sure that the battery is always sufficiently charged to guarantee that the battery remains usable for its full service life.

The battery may need to be charged in the following cases:

• When making frequent short-distance drives.
• If the vehicle is not used for prolonged periods, longer than a month.

Hints

Do not connect charging devices to the 12 volt socket in the vehicle

Do not connect battery chargers to the factory- installed 12 volt sockets in the vehicle as this may damage the vehicle battery due to an increased power consumption.

Starting aid terminals In the vehicle, only charge the battery via the starting aid terminals, in the engine compartment with the engine off.

Power failure

After a temporary power loss, some equipment needs to be newly initialized or individual settings updated, e. g.:

• Seat and mirror memory: store the positions again.
• Time: update.
• Date: update.
• Glass sunroof: initialize the system.

Disposing of old batteries

Have old batteries disposed of by your service center or bring them to a recycling center.

Maintain the battery in an upright position for transport and storage. Secure the battery so that it does not tip over during transport.

Fuses

Hints

Replacing fuses

Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and do not replace a defective fuse with a substitute of another color or amperage rating; this could lead to a circuit overload, ultimately resulting in a fire in the vehicle.

Plastic tweezers and information on the fuse types and locations are stored in the fuse box in the trunk.

In the glove compartment

Swing the cover down, arrow.

In the cargo area

Open the cover on the right side trim, arrow, and remove the sound insulation.

Information on the fuse types and locations is found on a separate sheet.