2023 BMW X3 Owners Manual - Lights

Lights

Lights and lighting

Switches in the vehicle

The light switch element is located next to the steering wheel.

Vehicle features and options

This chapter describes all standard, country-spe‐ cific and optional features offered with the series. It also describes features and functions that are not necessarily available in your vehicle, e.g., due to the selected options or country versions. This also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐ tems. When using these functions and systems, the applicable laws and regulations must be ob‐ served.

Automatic headlight control

Principle

The low beams are switched on and off automat‐ ically depending on the ambient brightness, for example in tunnels, in twilight or if there is precipitation.

General information

A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can cause the lights to be turned on.

Activating

Switch position:

The indicator light in the instrument cluster is il‐ luminated when the low beams are switched on.

System limits

The automatic headlight control cannot replace your personal judgment of lighting conditions.
For example, the sensors are unable to detect fog or hazy weather. In these situations, turn the lights on manually.

Parking lights, low beams and roadside parking lights

General information

Position of switch:

If the driver's door is opened when the driveready state is switched off, the exterior lighting is automatically switched off after a period of time.

Parking lights

Switching on

Position of switch: 

The indicator light in the instrument clus‐ ter lights up.

The vehicle is illuminated on all sides.

Do not use the parking lights for extended peri‐ ods; otherwise, they might drain the battery and it would then be impossible to switch on driveready state.

Low beams

Switching on

Position of switch: 

The low beams illuminate when drive-ready state is switched on.

The indicator light in the instrument clus‐ ter lights up.

Roadside parking lights

When the vehicle is parked, a one-sided roadside parking light can be switched on.

Welcome lights

Principle

The exterior lighting is switched on automatically when approaching or unlocking the vehicle.

General information

Depending on the equipment, the exterior light‐ ing of the vehicle can be set individually.

Activating/deactivating welcome light

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Exterior lighting"
4. Depending on the equipment, select the fol‐ lowing setting:

• "Welcome and goodbye" When unlocking the vehicle, individual light functions are switched on for a lim‐ ited time.
• "Door handle lights" Door handles and the ground in front of the doors are illuminated for a limited time.
• "Welcome Light Carpet" The area next to the vehicle is illuminated for a limited time.

 LED light carpet

The light source is located in the position indicated.

The light source is located in the position indi‐ cated.

Pathway lighting

Principle

For the illumination of the vehicle’s surroundings after exiting the vehicle, the exterior lighting can be switched on for a defined period of time.

Switching pathway lighting on

After switching off the drive-ready state, briefly push the turn signal lever forward.

Setting the duration

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Exterior lighting"
4. "Pathway lighting"
5. Select the desired setting.
6. "OK"

 Daytime driving lights

General information

Switch position:

• 
• Depending on the national-market version: 

The daytime driving lights light up when driveready state is switched on.

Depending on the national-market version: after switching off the drive-ready state, the parking lights will illuminate in position 

Activate/deactivate daytime driving lights

In some countries, daytime driving lights are mandatory, so it may not be possible to deacti‐ vate the daytime driving lights in front.

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Exterior lighting"
4. Depending on country specifications: "Daytime driving lights" or "Daytime driving lights, rear" 

Adaptive light functions

Principle

Adaptive light functions enable dynamic illumina‐ tion of the road.

General information

The adaptive light functions may consist of one system or multiple systems, depending on the equipment version:

• Adaptive Light Control.
• Cornering light.

Activating

 Switch position:

The adaptive light functions are active when the drive-ready state is switched on.

Adaptive Light Control

General information

Depending on the steering angle and other pa‐ rameters, the laser high beams follow the course of the road.

Cornering light

Principle

In tight curves, for instance on mountainous roads or when turning, an additional, cornering light is switched on that lights up the inside of the curve when the vehicle is moving below a certain speed.

General information

The cornering light is automatically switched on depending on the steering angle or, where appli‐ cable, the use of turn signals.

When driving in reverse, the cornering lights may be automatically switched on regardless of the steering angle.

Adaptive headlight range control

The adaptive headlight range control feature bal‐ ances out acceleration and braking processes as well as the vehicle load conditions in order to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.

Automatic High Beam Assistant

Principle

The Automatic High Beam Assistant detects other road users early on and automatically switches the high beams on or off depending on the traffic situation.

General information

The Automatic High Beam Assistant ensures that the high beams are switched on, whenever the traffic situation allows. In the low speed range, the high beams are not switched on by the system.

The system responds to light from oncoming traffic and traffic driving ahead of you, and to am‐ bient lighting, for instance in towns and cities.

The high beams can be switched on and off manually at any time.

Activate Automatic High Beam Assistant

Switch position:

Press the button on the turn signal lever.

The indicator light in the instrument clus‐ ter is illuminated when the low beams are switched on.

The headlights are automatically switched be‐ tween low beams and high beams.

The blue indicator light in the instrument cluster lights up when the system switches on the high beams.

The Automatic High Beam Assistant is deacti‐ vated when manually switching the high beams on and off.

To reactivate the Automatic High Beam Assis‐ tant, press the button on the turn signal lever.

Deactivate Automatic High Beam Assistant

Press the button on the turn signal lever.

Sensitivity of the Automatic High Beam Assistant

General information

The sensitivity of the Automatic High Beam As‐ sistant can be adjusted.

Safety information

Warning
If adjustments have been made or the sensitiv‐ ity has been modified, oncoming traffic may be momentarily blinded. There is a risk of accident. If adjustments have been made and the sensi‐ tivity has been modified, make sure that on‐ coming traffic is not momentarily blinded. Switch off the high beams manually if required.

Functional requirements

• Setting at standstill only.
• Drive readiness is switched on.
• Light is turned off.

Increase sensitivity
Push the turn signal lever to the front for approxi‐ mately 10 seconds.
A Check Control message is displayed. The sys‐ tem responds more sensitively.

Resetting the sensitivity
Push the turn signal lever to the front again for approx. 10 seconds or switch off the drive-ready state.
The sensitivity of the Automatic High Beam As‐ sistant is reset to the factory settings.

System limits

The Automatic High Beam Assistant cannot re‐ place the driver's personal judgment of when to use the high beams. In situation that require this, therefore dimming manually.

The system is not fully functional in the following situations, and driver intervention may be neces‐ sary:

• n very unfavorable weather conditions, such as fog or heavy precipitation.
• When detecting poorly-lit road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and wagons; when driving close to train or ship traffic; or at animal crossings.
• In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions, in crossing traffic or half-obscured oncoming traffic on highways.
• In poorly-lit towns and cities or in the pres‐ ence of highly reflective signs.
• When the windshield in front of the interior mirror is fogged up, dirty or covered with stickers, etc.

Laser high beams

Principle

The headlight range of the high beams is in‐ creased and provides better illumination of the road.

General information

When the high beams are switched-on, starting with a speed of approx. 37 mph/60 km/h, the la‐ ser high beams in the headlight are automatically switched on in addition to the LED high beams.

Depending on the country variant, further infor‐ mation can be obtained from the laser label on the headlight.

Safety information

The label is in the headlight and is visible from the outside.

Instrument lighting

Functional requirement

The parking lights or low beams must be switched on to set the brightness.

Setting the brightness

Adjust the brightness with the thumbwheel.

Interior lighting

General information

Depending on the equipment version, interior lights, footwell lights, entry lights, ambient light‐ ing, and speaker lighting are automatically con‐ trolled.

Overview

Buttons in the vehicle

Interior lights

Reading lights

Turning interior lights on/off

Press the button.

To switch off permanently: press the button and hold for approx. 3 seconds.

The interior lights in the rear of the vehicle can be switched on and off independently. The but‐ ton is located in the rear headliner.

Turning reading lights on/off

Press the button.

Depending on the vehicle equipment, the read‐ ing lights are located next to the interior lights in the front and rear.

Ambient light

General information

Depending on the equipment version, lighting can be adjusted for some lights in the car's interior.

Activating/deactivating ambient light

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Interior lighting"
4. "Ambient lighting"

 Turning ambient light on/off

The ambient light is switched on when the vehi‐ cle is unlocked, and switched off when the vehi‐ cle is locked.

If the ambient light was deactivated via iDrive, it will not be switched on when the vehicle is un‐ locked.

Selecting the color

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Interior lighting"
4. "Color"
5. Select the desired setting.

Setting the brightness

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Interior lighting"
4. "Brightness"
5. Select the desired setting.

 Dynamic light

Individual actions, for example incoming calls or opened doors, are indicated by light effects.

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Interior lighting"
4. "Dynamic light"
5. Select the desired setting.

 Dimmed while driving

Some lights of the interior lighting are dimmed when the vehicle is driven in the dark.

1. "CAR"
2. "Settings"
3. "Interior lighting"
4. "Dimmed for night driving"