BMW X3 xDrive28i Owner's Manual page 130

Driving tips
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the gear
in which the least braking is required. Otherwise,
the brake system may overheat, resulting in a
reduction in the brake system efficiency.
Manual transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if
necessary.
Automatic transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down in the manual mode of the auto‐
matic transmission, refer to page 65.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the brake
system. Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear and pos‐
sibly even brake failure.◀
Do not drive in neutral
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking. In
addition, steering and brake assist is unavailable
with the engine stopped.◀
Brake disc corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and contamination
on the brake pads are furthered by:
▷ Low mileage.
▷ Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.
▷ Infrequent use of the brakes.
Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
130
Things to remember when driving
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Condensation under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water develops that exits underneath
the vehicle.
Therefore, traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are normal.
Roof-mounted luggage rack
Note
Installation only possible with roof rack.
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Attachment to the rack
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 effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
Therefore, note the following when loading and
driving:
▷ Do not exceed the approved roof/axle loads
and the approved gross vehicle weight.
▷ Distribute the roof load uniformly.
▷ The roof load should not be too large in area.
▷ Always place the heaviest pieces on the bot‐
tom.
▷ Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie with
ratchet 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.