2000 BMW 540I SEDAN Owners Manual

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Child restraints
*
Before installing any child restraint
device or child seat, please read
the following:
Never install a rear-facing child restraint
system in the front passenger seat of
this car.
Your car is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the
front passenger. Because the backrest
on any rear-facing child restraint sys-
tem (of the kind designed for infants un-
der 1 year and 20 Ibs./9 kg) would be
within the airbag's deployment range,
you should never mount such a device
in the front passenger seat, since the
impact of the airbag against the child
restraint's backrest could lead to seri-
ous or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child (not an in-
fant) to ride in the front seat, certain
precautions should be taken. First,
move the passenger seat as far away
from the dashboard as possible. This
important precaution is intended to
maximize the distance between the air-
bag and the child. Older children should
be tightly secured with a safety belt.
Younger children should be secured in
an appropriate forward-facing child re-
straint system that has first been prop-
erly secured with a safety belt. Never
install a rear-facing child restraint sys-
tem in the front passenger seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read
and comply with the instructions for in-
stallation and use provided by the child
restraint's manufacturer whenever you
use such a device.
Be sure that all occupants (of all ages)
remain properly and securely restrained
at all times.<
All rear seating positions in your
vehicle meet the recommendations
of SAE J1819, an industry-recom-
mended practice for securing child
restraint systems in motor vehicles.

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Child seat security Child-safety locks All of the rear belt retractors and the
front passenger's safety belt can be
locked for mounting and securing child
restraint systems.
A label with the appropriate instructions
for this is located in the immediate
vicinity of the buckle latch of each
safety belt.Lock the safety beltPull the entire length of the belt from
the inertia reel mechanism. Allow the
reel to retract the belt somewhat and
engage the buckle, then tighten the belt
against the child restraint system. The
retraction mechanism is now locked.365us146
Unlock the safety beltRelease the safety belt, remove the
child's seat and retract the safety belt to
its end position on the belt retractor.
Insert the key into a rear door lock and
turn it outward:
The door can now be opened from the
outside only.
390de019

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
0 Steering lock engagedThis is the only position in which the
ignition key can be inserted and
removed.
After removing the key, turn the steer-
ing wheel slightly to the left or right until
you hear the lock engage.
An acoustic warning sounds when you
fail to remove the ignition key after
opening the driver's door.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Do not move the selector lever from
position "P" until the engine is running
(ignition key position 2).
Your vehicle is equipped with an inter-
lock. Therefore, the ignition key cannot
be turned to position 0 and removed
until the selector lever is in position "P"
(Interlock).390de010
1 Steering lock disengagedYou will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to posi-
tion 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the
lock.2 Ignition onAll electrical equipment and accesso-
ries are available for use.3 Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. If you do not, a lock prevents
the engine from starting.<
Steering/Ignition lock

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Starting the engineBefore starting>Engage the parking brake
>Be sure that the transmission selector
is in "Neutral" (or "Park" if the vehicle
is equipped with an automatic trans-
mission)
>Step on the clutch pedal.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust
gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Breathing the exhaust gases poses
an extreme health risk, and can lead to
unconsciousness and death.
Never leave the car unattended with the
engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine represents a po-
tential safety hazard.<
Starting the engine>Start the engine. Do not press the
accelerator pedal.
BMW 528i, BMW 540i with man-
ual transmission:
Do not actuate the starter for too short
a time. Do not turn it for more than ap-
prox. 20 seconds. Release the ignition
key immediately as soon as the engine
starts.
Do not allow the engine to warm up by
leaving it running while the vehicle re-
mains stationary. Instead, begin driving
immediately at a moderate engine
speed.
BMW 540i with automatic transmission:
Your BMW is equipped with the conve-
nience starting feature. Simply turn the
key to position 3 (starter) and then re-
lease it immediately.
The starter continues to operate auto-
matically.
The automatic starting mode will not
operate if the battery voltage is low.
Should this condition arise, it remains
possible to jump-start the engine (refer
to page 182).<
Should the engine fail to start on the
first attempt (if it is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at extremely low tempera-
tures, from approx. +57 (Ð156)
and at elevations above 3,300 feet
(1,000 meters):
>It may be necessary to allow the
starter to remain engaged somewhat
longer than under normal operating
conditions (approx. 10 seconds)
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Engine idle speed is controlled by the
engine computer system. Increased
speeds at startup are normal and
should decrease as the engine warms
up. If engine speed does not decrease,
service is required.
To prevent the battery from discharg-
ing, always deactivate electrical de-
vices which are not in use. Switch the
ignition off when the vehicle is not
being driven.

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Switching off the engine Parking brakeTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Never remove the ignition key
while the vehicle is rolling. The
steering locks, making it impossible to
steer the vehicle.
Always remove the ignition key and en-
gage the steering lock before leaving
the vehicle.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, since placing the lever in 1st gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
Vehicles with automatic transmission
*:
The vehicle must be stationary and the
selector lever in "Park" before you can
remove the ignition key.
To engageThe lever engages automatically and
the "PARK BRAKE" or "BRAKE" (in
Canada "P") indicator lamp comes on in
the instrument cluster in ignition key
position 2. Refer to pages 22 and 23.To releasePull up slightly on the lever, press the
button and lower the lever.
The parking brake is primarily designed
to prevent the vehicle from rolling while
parked. It operates against the rear
wheels.390de042
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage
the parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull it with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed
against the release button while care-
fully pulling up the lever to apply mod-
erate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to over-
braking and loss of traction (fishtailing)
at the rear.
The brake lamps do not come on when
the parking brake is applied.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on slopes and inclined sur-
faces, since placing the lever in 1st gear
or reverse may not provide adequate
resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place the selector lever in "Park."<
To avoid corrosion, apply the parking
brake lightly from time to time when
coasting to a standstill (at a traffic sig-
nal, for instance), provided that it is safe
to do so.

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Manual transmissionBMW 528iThe shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.360de044
BMW 540iThe shift lever's neutral gate (dot in the
illustration) is located between 3rd and
4th gears.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral," the shift lever returns auto-
matically to this neutral position be-
cause of its spring loading.
When shifting gears in the 5th/
6th-gear plane, be sure to press
the gear lever to the right in order to
prevent inadvertent selection of a gear
in the 3rd/4th-gear plane.< 380de044
ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary. Press the shift lever to the
left to overcome the resistance.
As you do this, the backup lamps will
turn on automatically when the ignition
key is in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
A slipping clutch increases clutch
wear.<

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission
*
The automatic transmission of your
BMW is equipped with Adaptive Trans-
mission Control (ATC), a system which
reacts with precision to your individual
driving style and the driving conditions.
To achieve this, different driving pro-
grams are automatically engaged.
For details concerning ATC, please
refer to the chapter describing
"Advanced technology" on page 188.390us625
Selector lever positions
P R N D 4 3 2
The transmission range display varies
according to model (refer to illustra-
tions).
Starting engineThe selector lever must be in "Park" or
"Neutral" before it is possible to start
the engine.390us045
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts into
some selector lever positions. To re-
lease the shift-lock mechanism, press
the button on the front of the selector
handle (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in
order to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 390de046

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Automatic transmission
*
Before leaving the vehicle when
the engine is running, shift the se-
lector lever to the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake.
The vehicle could move if this is not
done.
Never leave the car unattended with the
engine running. An unattended vehicle
with a running engine represents a po-
tential safety hazard.
If you should accidentally select "Neu-
tral" while traveling at high speed,
remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal immediately. Allow the engine
speed to drop to idle before selecting
the desired drive position. Damage
could otherwise occur due to excessive
engine speed.<
P ParkSelect "Park" only when the vehicle is
stationary. The transmission locks to
prevent the rear wheels from turning.R ReverseSelect "Reverse" only when the vehicle
is stationary.
N NeutralSelect "Neutral" only if your journey is
interrupted for a long period.D Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.4 Ð Sport ProgramThis position is recommended if you
wish to select a performance-oriented
driving style.
3 and 2 Ð Shift limiterSelect this range when you wish to limit
gear changes (on steep uphill or down-
hill slopes, for instance). The transmis-
sion shifts up only as far as the selected
gear."Kickdown" In the "Kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
To activate this mode, depress the ac-
celerator pedal beyond the full-throttle
position, at which a resistance point
must be overcome.