BMW 2009 X3, Owner'S Manual

Page: 42 / 146

Driving
40
engage it too forcefully. In doing so, continu-
ously press the button of the handbrake lever.
Otherwise, excessively forceful engagement of
the handbrake can cause the rear wheels to lock
and cause the rear of the vehicle to fishtail.
<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally engage the hand-
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming
to a stop if traffic conditions permit. The brake
lamps do not light up when the handbrake is
applied.
<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
an inadvertent shift into 3rd or 4th gear could
harm the engine.
<
Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. Press
the gearshift lever to the left to overcome the
resistance.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to
page
41 .
Parking vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P and engage the
handbrake before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running.
<
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started in selector lever
positions P: Park or N: Neutral.
Displays in the instrument cluster
P R N D SD M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
The selector lever position is indicated, and in
the manual mode, the gear currently engaged.
Changing selector lever positions
> Only move the selector lever from posi-
tion P with the engine running: interlock.
> When the vehicle is stationary, step on the
brake before shifting out of P or N; other-
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a drive position, press
on the brake pedal until you are ready to
start driving.
<
A lock prevents the selector lever from being
inadvertently moved into positions R and P. To
release the lock, press the button on the front of
the selector lever handle, refer to arrow.
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