BMW X3 2013 Owner's Manual page 150

Driving tips
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required.
Otherwise, the brake system may overheat, re‐
sulting in a reduction in the brake system effi‐
ciency.
You can increase the engine's braking effect
by shifting down, going all the way to first gear,
if necessary.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the
brake system. Light but consistent brake pres‐
sure can lead to high temperatures, brake wear
and possibly 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 un‐
available with the engine stopped.◀
Brake disc corrosion
The corrosion on the brake discs and the con‐
tamination 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.
Condensation under the parked
vehicle
When using the automatic climate control,
condensation water develops that exits under‐
neath the vehicle.
Traces of water under the vehicle like this are
normal.
146
Things to remember when driving
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 926 047 - XI/13
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 911 041 - VI/13
Driving on poor roads
The vehicle connects four wheel drive to the
advantages of a normal truck
Do not drive on unpaved terrain
Do not drive on unpaved terrain; other‐
wise, the vehicle may be damaged.◀
For your own safety, for the safety of passen‐
gers and of the vehicle, heed the following
points:
▷ 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.
▷ When driving on steep uphill or downhill
grades: add engine oil and coolant up to
near the MAX mark. Uphill and downhill
grades can be traveled up to no more than
50 %.
▷ On steep downhill grades, use Hill Descent
Control HDC, refer to page 108.
Starting out is possible on uphill grades up
to 30 %. The permissible side tilt is 30 %.
▷ Avoid contact of the bottom of the body
with the ground.
The ground clearance is no more than 7.8
inches/20 cm and can vary according to
the loading condition.
▷ When wheels continue to turn, 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.
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.