BMW X3 (F25) Owners Manual: Care

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.

• Car washes
• Vehicle care

Car washes

General information

Regularly remove foreign objects such as leaves in the area below the windshield when the hood is raised.

Wash your vehicle frequently, particularly in winter. Intense soiling and road salt can damage the vehicle.

Hints

Steam jets or high-pressure washers

When using steam jets or high-pressure washers, hold them a sufficient distance away and use a maximum temperature of 140 ºF/60 ºC.

Follow the user's manual for the high-pressure washer.

Cleaning sensors/camera lenses with high-pressure washers

When using high-pressure washers, do not spray the sensors and camera lenses on the outside of the vehicle for long periods and maintain a distance of at least 12 in/30 cm.

Automatic car washes

Hints

• Give preference to cloth car washes or those that use soft brushes in order to avoid paint damage.
• Make sure that the wheels and tires are not damaged by the transport mechanisms.
• Fold in the exterior mirrors; otherwise, they may be damaged, depending on the width of the vehicle.
• Deactivate the rain sensor, to avoid unintentional wiper activation.
• In some cases, an unintentional alarm can be triggered by the interior motion sensor of the alarm system. Follow the instructions on avoiding an unintentional alarm.

Guide rails in car washes

Avoid car washes with guide rails higher than 4 in/10 cm; otherwise, the vehicle body could be damaged.

Before driving into a car wash In order to ensure that the vehicle can roll in a car wash, take the following steps: Steptronic transmission:

1. Drive into the car wash.

2. Engage selector lever position N.

3. Deactivating Automatic Hold.

4. Release the parking brake.

5. Switch the engine off.

In this way, the ignition remains switched on, and a Check-Control message is displayed.

Do not turn off the ignition in the car wash

Do not turn off the ignition in the car wash; otherwise, selector lever position P is engaged and damages can result.

The vehicle cannot be locked from the outside when in selector lever position N. A signal sounds when an attempt is made to lock the vehicle.

To start the engine with Steptronic transmission:

1. Depress the brake pedal.

2. Press the Start/Stop button.

Pressing the Start/Stop button without stepping on the brake turns the ignition off.

Selector lever position Selector lever position P is engaged automatically:

• When the ignition is switched off.
• After approx. 15 minutes.

Headlights

• Do not rub dry and do not use abrasive or acidic cleansers.
• Soak areas that have been dirtied e. g., from insects, with shampoo and wash off with water.
• Thaw ice with de-icing spray; do not use an ice scraper.

After washing the vehicle

After washing the vehicle, apply the brakes briefly to dry them; otherwise, braking action can be reduced and corrosion of the brake discs can occur.

Completely remove all residues on the windows, to minimize loss of visibility due to smearing and to reduce wiper noises and wiper blade wear.

Vehicle care

Car care products

BMW recommends using care and cleaning products from BMW, since these have been tested and approved.

Car care and cleaning products

Follow the instructions on the container.

Cleansers can contain substances that are dangerous and harmful to your health.

Vehicle paint

Regular care contributes to driving safety and value retention. Environmental influences in areas with elevated air pollution or natural contaminants, such as tree resin or pollen can affect the vehicle's paintwork. Tailor the frequency and extent of your car care to these influences.

Aggressive substances such as spilled fuel, oil, grease or bird droppings, must be removed immediately to prevent the finish from being altered or discolored.

Leather care

Remove dust from the leather often, using a cloth or vacuum cleaner.

Otherwise, particles of dust and road grime chafe in pores and folds, and lead to increased wear and premature degradation of the leather surface.

To guard against discoloration, such as from clothing, provide leather care roughly every two months.

Clean light-colored leather more frequently because soiling on such surfaces is substantially more visible.

Use leather care products; otherwise, dirt and grease will gradually break down the protective layer of the leather surface.

Suitable care products are available from the service center.

Upholstery material care

Vacuum regularly with a vacuum cleaner.

If upholstery is very dirty, e.g., with beverage stains, use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth with a suitable interior cleaner.

Clean the upholstery down to the seams using large sweeping motions. Avoid rubbing the material vigorously.

Damage from Velcro fasteners

Open Velcro fasteners on pants or other articles of clothing can damage the seat covers. Ensure that any Velcro fasteners are closed.

Caring for special components

Light-alloy wheels

When cleaning the vehicle, use only neutral wheel cleaners having a pH value from 5 to 9.

Do not use abrasive cleaning agents or steam jets above 140 F/60 C. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Aggressive, acidic or alkaline cleaning agents can destroy the protective layer of adjacent components, such as the brake disk.

Chrome surfaces

Carefully clean components such as the radiator grille or door handles with an ample supply of water, possibly with shampoo added, particularly when they have been exposed to road salt.

Rubber components

Aside from water, treat only with rubber cleansers.

When cleaning rubber seals, do not use any silicon-containing car care products in order to avoid damage or noises.

Fine wood parts

Clean fine wood facing and fine wood components only with a moist rag. Then dry with a soft cloth.

Plastic components

These include:

• Imitation leather surfaces.
• Roofliner.
• Lamp lenses.
• Instrument cluster cover.
• Matt black spray-coated components.
• Painted parts in the interior.

Clean with a microfiber cloth.

Dampen cloth lightly with water.

Do not soak the roofliner.

No cleansers that contain alcohol or solvents

Do not use cleansers that contain alcohol or solvents, such as lacquer thinners, heavy-duty grease removers, fuel, or such; this could lead to surface damage.

Safety belts Dirty belt straps impede the reeling action and thus have a negative impact on safety.

Chemical cleaning

Do not clean chemically; this can destroy the webbing.

Use only a mild soapy solution, with the safety belts clipped into their buckles.

Do not allow the reels to retract the safety belts until they are dry.

Carpets and floor mats

No objects in the area around the pedals

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.

Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened again after they were removed for cleaning, e.g.

Floor mats can be removed from the car's interior for cleaning.

If the floor carpets are very dirty, clean with a microfiber cloth and water or a textile cleaner.

To prevent matting of the carpet, rub back and forth in the direction of travel only.

Sensor/camera lenses To clean sensors and camera lenses, use a cloth moistened with a small amount of glass detergent.

Displays/monitors

Cleaning displays and screens

Do not use any chemical or household cleaning agents; otherwise, surfaces can be affected.

Keeping out moisture

Keep all fluids and moisture away from the unit; otherwise, electrical components can be damaged.

Avoid pressure

Avoid pressing too hard when cleaning and do not use abrasive materials; otherwise, damage can result.

Clean with a clean, antistatic microfiber cloth.

Long-term

When the vehicle is shut down for longer than three months, special measures must be taken. Additional information is available from the service center.