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YOU are now in Volume I
I
Foreword ................... .. ........................................................................\
.......... v
Index
........................ .. ................................................................ rear of manual
General, 001 General Warnings and Cautions 002 Vehicle Identification and VIN Decoder
Maintenance OiO 020 Maintenance
Engine
100 Engine-General 110 Engine Removal and Installation
113 Cylinder Head Removal and
Installation
116 Cyiinder Head and Valvetrain 117 Camshaft Timing Chain
119 Lubrication System
200 Transmission-General
2 Transmission 210 clutch 230 ManualTransmission
I20 Ignition System
121 Battery, Starter, Alternator
130 Fuel Injection
160 Fuel Tank and Fuel Pump 170 Radiator and Cooling System
180 Exhaust System
240 Automatic Transmission
250 Gearshift Linkage 260 Driveshaft
Suspension, 300 Suspension, Steering and 330 Rear Suspension
Brakes-General 331 Final Drive
Steering and No Front Suspension 340 Brakes
320 Steering and Wheel Alignment
400 Body-General
410 Fenders, Engine Hood 411 Doors
412 Trunk Lid, Tailgate
510 Exterior Trim, Bumpers 512 Door Windows
Equipment 513 Interior Trim
7
Equipment and 720 seat Belts
Accessories 721 Airbag System (SRS)
OBD On-Board Diagnostics
. ............ ..
515 Central Lociting and
Anti-Theft
520 Seats 540 Sunroof
.................................................................... Foreword .............................. .. v
Index ................... .. ................................................................ rear of manual
Electrical
6 system
600 Electrical System-General 620 Instruments
610 Electrical Comoonent Locations 630 Liohts
611 wipers and washers 612 Switches eati in^ and Air Conditioning
Radio
. ........... ........ .........................
Electrical Wiring Diagrams

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General
0 GENERAL, MAINTENANCE covers general vehicle infor-
mation
(010 General) as well as the recommended mainte-
nance schedules and service procedures to perform BMW
scheduled maintenance
work (020 Maintenance).
The next seven sections
(1 through 7) are repair based and
organized by three digit repair groups. Most major sections
begin with a GENERAL repair group,
e.g. 100 Engine-Gen-
eral. These "00 (double zero) groups contain descriptive the-
ory of operation and system troubleshooting information. The
remainder of the repair groups within a section contain the
service and repair information. The last two sections contain
detailed electrical wiring schematics and OBD
II scan tool and
diagnostic information.
Warnings, cautions and notes
Throughout this manual are many passages with the head-
ings WARNING, CAUTION, or NOTE. These very important
headings have different meanings.
WARNING-
The text under this heading warns of unsafe practices that
are very
likely to cause injury, either by direct threat to the per-
son(~) performing the work
orby increasedrisl( of accident or
mechanical failure while
drivinq.
CAUTION-
A CAUTION calls attention to importantprecautions to be ob-
senfed during the repair work that will help prevent acciden-
tally damaging the car or its parts.
NOTE-
A NOTE contains helpful information, tips that will help in do-
ing a betterjob and completing it more easily.
Please read every WARNING, CAUTION, AND NOTE in
001
General Warnings and Cautions and as they appear in re-
pair procedures. They are very important. Read them before
you begin any maintenance or repair job.

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01 0-1 2
1 General
Information you need to know
Model
When ordering parts it is important that you know the correct
model designation for your car. Models covered in this E39
manual are the
525i,5281,530i, 540i in Sedan and Station
Wagon body styles.
Model year
This is not necessarily the same as date of manufacture or
date of sale.
A 1999 model may have been manufactured in
late 1998, and perhaps not sold until early 2000. It is still a
1999 model. Model years covered by this manual are 1997 to
2002.
Date of manufacture
This information is necessary when ordering replacement
parts or determining if any of the warranty recalls are applica-
ble to your car. The label on the driver's door below the door
latch will specify the month and year that the car was built.
Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN)
This is a combination of letters and numbers that identify the
particular car. The VIN appears on the state registration doc-
ument, and on the car itself. One location is on the right front
strut tower in the engine compartment (arrow), another in the
lower left corner of the windshield.
Engine code
5 Series car covered in this manual are powered by
6 and 8 - cylinderengines. For information on engine codes and en- -. -
gine applications, see 100 Engine-General. -
Transmission code
The transmission type with its identifying code may be
impor- :
tant when buying clutch parts, seals, gaskets, and other .- transmission-related parts. For information on transmission
codes and applications, see 200 Transmission-General.

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Maintenance
Service Interval lndicator (Sll)
The BMW Service Interval lndicator (SII) notifies the driver
when oil change and other service is required. The
Sll dis-
plays the phrase "OIL SERVICE"
or"INSPECTI0N" and 7
light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the Instrumentcluster: 5green,
one yellow and one red.
For the
1997 and later 5 Series, BMW introduced an oil
change interval based on fuel consumption. The advantages
of this system are:
Fuel consumption is an accurate method of determining
engine load and the need for service.
The processing electronics are simple.
Resetting of indicator before the scheduled time will not
affect the time to the next service.
4 The Sll is programmed to measure a set volume of con-
sumed fuel. This volume varies between models, dependent
on vehicle and engine size. The
Sil control unit receives a
signal from the engine control module (ECM) when the vehi-
cle is in use. As
20% of the programmed fuel volume is con-
sumed, one of the green LEDs will go out. Each successive
20% of fuel consumption will cause the next LED to go out
until
100% of the measured volume has been consumed. At
this point the yellow LED will come on, indicating that service
is due. When
108% of the measured volume has been con-
sumed, the red LED will illuminate, indicating that service is
overdue.
Service Interval Indicator (SII), resetting
After the specified maintenance has been carried out, the Sll
memory should be reset.
NOTE-
For reference, the BMW oil service requirements are approx-
imately equivalent to the maintenance tliat other European
manufacturers specify at intervals with a maximum of every
15.000 miles or I2 months.

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Table b. Inspection I Service (continued)
Checlt transmission and differential for
external lealts.
Check CV joint boots for damage or leaks.
Visually
check fuel tank, fuel lines, and
connections for
leaks.
New parts
Tools Required required
Check condition, position, and mounting
ol
exhaust system. Visually check and adjusl
if necessary.
Check power steering system for lealts.
Check power steering
fluid level and adjust
if necessary.
Check steering racidbox and tie rods for
tightness. Checit condition of front axle
joints, steering
linkage, and steering shaft
joints.
Check overall thickness of front and rear
bralte pads using
BMW special tool. If
replacement is necessary:
Examine brake disc surface.
Clean brake pad contact points in calipers
Grease wheel centering hubs.
Checlt thickness of parking brake linings
only when replacing rear brake shoes.
Checit operation of pariting brake and
adjust as necessary.
Checlt front control arm bushings for
damage or wear.
Check brake system connections and
lines
for leaks, damage, and incorrect
positioning Warm
engine
(~ealer service Irepair , required recommended lnformat~on
Check parking braite actuator. Adjust if
necessary
Check ail tire pressure (including spare)
and correct if necessary.
Checlt condition of tires (outer tread
surface), tread wear pattern: in case of
uneven wear, perform wheel alignment.
inspect entire body according to terms of
rust oerforation limited warrantv. (Must be
*:
4:
2 ~ perfdrmed at least every two years). I
Read out on-board diagnostic (OBD 11) fault
codes.
Checkengine coolant
system1 heater hose
connections for
leaks.
Checit coolant level and antifreeze
protection level. Add coolant as necessary.
* 100113010BD
I
170

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--- -
Maintenance
Table c. Inspection II Service
Additional
New parts Warm engine Dealer service repair
Tools required required required recommended information
Engine compartment maintenance
Replace air filter element. (Note: reduce
replacement intervals in dusty operating
conditions).
Replace brake
fluid every 2 years (time
interval begins from vehicle production
date).
Cooling system service
Spark plug service
Brake
system maintenance
:j:
*
Replace coolant every 3 years (time
interval begins from vehicle production
date).
Replace oxygen sensor every 160,000
itm
(1 00,000 miles).
020
FLUID AND LUBRICANT
SPECIFICATIONS
:I:
Oxygen sensor service
*
x:
Spark plugs:
M52
1 M62 engine:
Replace every 60,000 itm (48.000 miles).
M52
TU I M54 1 M62 TU engine:
Replace every 160,000
ltm (100.000
miles).
< Engine oil viscosity (SAE grade) vs. operating temperature
range for the BMW engines covered in this manual.
Fluid and lubricant capacities and specifications are listed be-
low. See
Fluids and lubricants.
:I:
*
*
*
WARNING -
The use of fluids that do not meet BMW" specifications may
impair performance and
reliabilitl: and may void warranty
coverage.
340
170
180
* 020

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Maintenance
continue to operate as designed. Extending the replacement
interval may void the emission control warranty coverage.
See
180 Exhaust System for information on replacing the
oxygen sensors.
Tightening torque
Oxvoen sensor to exhaust
manifold 50 Nrn (37 ft-lb)
NOTE-
A special soclet for replacing the oxygen sensor is available
from most automotive parts stores. The soclet has
a groove
cut down one side to allow the sensor to be installed without
damaging the wire harness.
Power steering fluid, checking level
The power steering system is permanently filled and does not
have a drain. Routinely adding ATF is not required unless the
system is leaking.
4 To check power steering fluid level in fluid reservoir:
Park car on level ground with engine off.
Level is correct
if it is between MlN and MAX marks on
dipstick.
If level is below
MlN mark, add fluid to reservoir to bring
level up.
* Hand-tighten reservoir cap.
Power steering fluid
Dexron
1iiO ATF or equivalent
Spark plugs
E39 models through model year 1998 were equipped with
spark plugs with two electrodes. These are gapped to
0.7 mm
(0.028 in) by the manufacturer and are not adjustable.
Starting with 1999 models, long life spark plugs with
3 or four
electrodes were used. These can be retroactively fitted to
earlier
models. The recommended spark plug replacement
interval
forthese is 100,000 miles.The electrode gap in these
spark plugs is not adjustable.
Spark plug applications
M52 Bosch FBLDCR
M52 TU, M54 Bosch FGR7DQP or NGK BKRBEQUP
M62 to 7/97 Bosch F7LDCR or NGK BKR6EK
M62 from 7/97 Bosch F9LDCR
M62 TU Bosch FGR7DQP or NGK BKRGEQUP

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100 Engine-General
........ General ........................... .I0 0.2 Driveability Troubleshooting 100-4
....................... Engine identifying features ............. .I0 0.3 System voltage 100-5
........................ Main grounds 100-5