2000 BMW 540I SEDAN jump start

Contents

Operation, care and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Advanced technology

Under the hood:

Hood143
Engine compartment 144
Washer fluids148
Washer nozzles148
Engine oil149
Coolant151
Brake fluid152
Vehicle Identification
Number153

Care and maintenance:

The BMW Maintenance
System154
Caring for your car155
Airbags160
Vehicle storage160

Laws and regulations:

Technical modifications161
OBD connector162

Replacement procedures:

Onboard tool kit166
Wiper blades166
Lamps and bulbs167
Changing tires173
Battery176
Fuses178

In case of electrical
malfunction:

Fuel filler door180
Sliding/Tilt sunroof180
Tailgate181

Assistance, giving and
receiving:

Jump-starting182
Towing the vehicle183Airbags188
Adaptive Transmission Control
(ATC) 188
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC) 189
Radio reception190
BMW active seat 190
Safety belt tensioner191
DSP sound system 192
Interior rearview mirror with
automatic dimmer 192
Rain sensor 193
Tire Pressure Control (RDC) 194
Integrated rear suspension194
Level control system 195
Xenon lamps 195

68n
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.

73n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Automatic transmission
*
Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or if the message "TRANS.
FAILSAFE PROG" appears in
the Check Control
*, there is a malfunc-
tion in the transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop, select the
"Park" position, apply the parking brake
and shut the engine off (ignition key po-
sition 0). Restart the engine after a few
seconds. If the indicator lamp goes out
again after a few seconds, the normal
transmission functions have been re-
stored. You may continue to drive as
usual.
If the indicator lamp does not go out,
you can place the selector lever in all
positions. However, the vehicle will now
only drive forward with limited gear
selection.
Under these circumstances, avoid ex-
treme engine loads and consult the
nearest authorized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 182 and 183.

76n
Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
Upshifts or downshifts will be carried
out by the ATC only at appropriate en-
gine speeds and road speeds. For in-
stance, if engine speed is too high, a
downshift will not be executed. The
gear selected will appear briefly in the
instrument cluster followed by the cur-
rent gear.
If you are driving in the manual
mode and wish to accelerate rap-
idly from low road speeds (when pass-
ing, for instance), you must shift down
manually or with the kickdown func-
tion.<
You can only change from "M/S" to se-
lector lever positions "P,""R," and "N"
via the "D" position.
In the following situations, the Step-
tronic "thinks" for you in the manual
mode:
>In order to prevent engine over-
speeding, the transmission shifts au-
tomatically to the next higher gear
shortly before the RPM cutoff point
>At low speeds, the transmission shifts
down automatically Ð you do not have
to act
>In the kickdown mode, the transmis-
sion shifts down to the lowest gear
which is possible, depending on the
engine speed
>According to the situation, for
instance in wintry conditions, the
vehicle can be started in 2nd or
3rd gear.Electronic transmission control
module
If the indicator lamp comes on
or the message "TRANS.FAIL-
SAFE PROG" appears in the
Check Control
*, there is a fault in the
transmission system.
Bring the vehicle to a stop. Move the
transmission selector lever to "P." Set
the parking brake and turn the engine
off (ignition key to position 0).
Wait a few seconds, then start the
engine.
If the indicator lamp goes out after a
few seconds, normal transmission per-
formance has been restored. You may
continue to drive as usual. If the indica-
tor lamp does not go out, you can place
the selector lever in all positions. How-
ever, the vehicle will now only drive for-
ward with limited gear selection.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine
loads and consult the nearest autho-
rized BMW center.
Do not work in the engine com-
partment when a drive gear (for-
ward or reverse) is engaged. If you do
this, the vehicle could move.<
For jump-starting, towing and tow-
starting, refer to pages 182 and 183.

145n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Engine compartment Ð BMW 528i1 Engine oil dipstick149
2 Reservoir for brake fluid (under the
housing of the microfilter)152
3 Auxiliary terminal for jump
starting182
4 Coolant expansion tank151
5 Engine oil filler neck149
6 Reservoir for intensive-cleaning
system
*
148
7 Reservoir for headlamp washer
* and
windshield washer system148

147n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Engine compartment Ð BMW 540i1 Reservoir for brake fluid (under the
housing of the microfilter)152
2 Auxiliary terminal for jump
starting182
3 Engine oil dipstick149
4 Engine oil filler neck149
5 Coolant expansion tank151
6 Reservoir for intensive-cleaning
system
*
148
7 Reservoir for headlamp washer
* and
windshield washer system148

Overview
Controls and features
Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical data
Index Advanced technology
165n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Replacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit166
Wiper blades166
Lamps and bulbs167
Changing tires173
Battery176
Fuses178
In case of electrical
malfunction:
Fuel filler door180
Sliding/Tilt sunroof180
Tailgate181
Assistance, giving and
receiving:
Jump-starting182
Towing the vehicle183

182n
Never use spray starter fluids.
If the battery is discharged, the engine
can be started with the use of two
jumper cables and the battery of an-
other vehicle. Always use jumper ca-
bles with fully insulated handles on the
terminal clamps.
Do not touch high-voltage wiring
and cables on a running engine.
There is a risk of fatal injury if you do
this.<
Carefully comply with the following in-
structions to avoid personal injury and
damage to one or both vehicles:
1 Ensure that the battery on the sup-
port vehicle is also rated at 12 volts,
and that the capacities of the two
batteries (Ah) are roughly comparable
(printed on casing).
2 Leave your battery connected to the
car electrical system.
3 Make sure that there is no contact
between the bodywork of the two ve-
hicles Ð short circuit risk.
4 Start by connecting the jumper cable
from the positive terminal of the sup-
port vehicle to the positive terminal
connector located in your BMW's en-
gine compartment. The cover of the
auxiliary terminal for jump starting is
marked with a "+" sign (refer to the
illustration). Remove the cover by
pulling tab. The illustration shows the
external start support point of the
BMW 528i. For the BMW 540i, refer
to "Engine compartment" on
page 146.390de145
5 Then connect the negative terminals.
Attach the cable to either the support
vehicle's negative battery terminal,
or to a suitable ground on its engine
or bodywork. Then connect the other
end of the cable to a ground on the
engine or body of the vehicle which is
to be started. There is a special nut
on the strut dome of your BMW; refer
to the arrow in the illustration.
Follow the same sequence for
connecting the jumper cables if
you assist in jump-starting another ve-
hicle. If you do not, there is a risk of in-
jury caused by spark generation at the
battery.< 390de146
Jump-starting