156n
Lamps and bulbs Xenon lamps
*
The operating life of these lamp units is
extremely long and the likelihood of fail-
ure very low, provided that they are not
switched on and off a very great num-
ber of times. If one of these bulbs
should nevertheless fail, it is possible to
continue driving with great caution us-
ing the fog lamps, provided traffic laws
in your area do not prohibit this.
Because of the extremely high
voltages involved, any work on the
lighting system should be carried out by
technically-qualified personnel only.
Failure to comply with this creates a
risk of fatal injury.< Turn signal indicator/Parking
lamp (side marker lamps), front Dual-filament bulb, 28/8 watts
Please contact a BMW center in case of
a malfunction.
Side turn signals 5 watt bulb
1 Use finger pressure against the rear
end of the lens (arrow) to press it for-
ward for removal.
2 Press gently on the bulb and turn it to
the left to remove it. 530us109
Front fog lamps H1 bulb, 55 watts
The bulb is pressurized. There-
fore, wear safety glasses and pro-
tective gloves. Failure to comply with
this precaution could lead to injury if the
bulb is damaged during replacement.<
1 Pull the cover in front of the foglamp
forward.
2 Loosen the two screws (arrows) and
remove the foglamp.
3 Turn the cover cap on the rear of the
foglamp to the left and remove.
4 Unhook the wire clamp, remove the
contact base and replace the bulb. 530us110
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
159n
Lamps and bulbs Glove compartment lamp 5 watt bulb
1 Apply a screwdriver in the recess to
press the lamp out.
2 Remove the reflector.
3 Replace the bulb. Lighted vanity mirror10 watt bulb
1 Remove the bulb housing. Use a
screwdriver if necessary.
2 Replace the bulb.
Exit lamps Lamp in the lower door trim panel:
5 watt bulb
1 Press the lamp out with a screw-
driver.
2 Replace the bulb. Front area lighting
*
6 watt Xenon bulb
Please contact a BMW center in case of
a malfunction.
164n
Changing a wheel 9 Screw in the remaining lug bolts.
Tighten all the bolts securely.
10 Lower the jack and remove it from
beneath the vehicle.
11 Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal
pattern.
12 Check and correct the tire inflation
pressure at the earliest opportunity.
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not at-
tempt to raise another vehicle model
with it or to raise any load of any kind.
To do so could cause accidents and
personal injury.
To ensure continued safety, have the
tightness of the lug bolts checked with
a calibrated lug wrench [torque specifi-
cation: 94 ft-lb (130 Nm)] at the earliest
opportunity.<
Store the wheel and the tools in the or-
der opposite that for removal. Be sure
that the jack is first placed back into its
original position.
Before removing the support rod,
be sure that the tailgate is held
down firmly. If you fail to do so, it could
retract sharply upward and cause per-
sonal injury and vehicle damage.
After you remove the rod, close the tail-
gate carefully. Continue to hold it firmly
until it is completely closed.<
If light-alloy wheels other than original
BMW light-alloy wheels have been
mounted, it may be necessary to use
different lug bolts for those wheels.
Replace the defective tire as soon as
possible and have the new wheel/tire
balanced.
The spare wheel has a size
235/65 R 17 tire. If you have
mounted tires on your vehicle with a
different size, have wheels and tires of
the same size and specification rein-
stalled as soon as possible.
When the spare wheel is mounted, the
maximum speed rating is 130 mph
(210 km/h).<
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
165n
Battery Battery location The battery is located in the floor of the
vehicle below the spare wheel. Battery care The battery is maintenance-free, that is,
the original electrolyte will normally last
for the service life of the battery under
moderate climatic conditions.
For all questions that regard the
battery, please consult your BMW
center. Since the battery is mainte-
nance-free, the following is for your in-
formation only.<
Symbols You will find the following symbols on
your vehicle battery. To avoid injury,
please comply with the corresponding
precautions whenever you work with or
near the battery.
Before handling the battery,
please read the following infor-
mation:
Wear eye protection. Do not al-
low particles containing battery
acid or lead to come into con-
tact with your eyes, your skin, or your
clothing.
Battery acid is extremely corro-
sive. Wear eye protection and
protective gloves. Do not tip the
battery. Battery acid can leak from the
ventilation openings.
Do not allow children to have
access to batteries and battery
acid.
Never allow sparks or open
flame near the battery. Do not
smoke in the vicinity of the bat-
tery. Avoid sparks from electrical cables
or electrical equipment. Turn the key to
position 0 in the steering lock when you
are disconnecting or connecting the
battery. Never short-circuit the battery
terminals. This creates a risk of injury
from high-energy sparks.
A highly-explosive gas is
generated when the battery is
charged.
If you happen to get acid in your
eyes, rinse thoroughly for
15 minutes with clear water.
Following that, consult a physician im-
mediately. If you get acid spray on your
skin or clothing, rinse with plenty of wa-
ter. If electrolyte is accidentally swal-
lowed, consult a physician immediately.
In order to protect the battery
case from ultraviolet radiation,
do not place it in direct sunlight.
A discharged battery can freeze. Store
the battery in areas where temperature
remains above freezing.
172n
Towing the vehicle
The towed vehicle should always
be the lighter of the two vehicles.
If this is not the case, it is no longer
possible to control vehicle response.<
Tow-starting It is not possible to start the engine of a
vehicle equipped with automatic trans-
mission by towing or pushing.
For instructions on jump starting: refer
to page 170.
Never attempt to use your vehicle to
push another car. If you do so, damage
to the energy-absorbing bumpers could
result.
Towing 1 Place the selector lever in "Neutral".
2 Towing speed:
Max. 45 mph (70 km/h).
3 Towing distance:
Max. 95 miles (150 km).
4 Leave the ignition key at position 1 to
ensure that the brake lamps, turn sig-
nals, horn and windshield wipers re-
main operative, and to prevent the
steering lock detent from engaging.
5 Switch on the hazard-warning system
(comply with country-specific regula-
tions).
Find some means of identifying the ve-
hicle in tow, for instance, place a sign
or warning triangle in the rear window.
Make sure that the ignition key re-
mains in position 1 even when the
electrical system has failed. This will
prevent the steering lock from engag-
ing. The steering and brakes are with-
out power assist when the engine is not
running. This means that increased ef-
fort is required for steering and brak-
ing.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck >Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment.
>Use a wheel lift or flat bed carrier.
>Please comply with applicable towing
laws.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.< 530us138
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
179n
DSP sound system
*
Rearview mirrors with automatic dimmer
*
The DSP Professional premium sound
system features a special amplifier
combined with Digital Sound Process-
ing (DSP) and integrated speakers to
surround you with crisp, true-to-life
sound reproduction. The speaker sys-
tem's subwoofers, woofers, midrange
speakers and tweeters furnish you with
an impressively full-bodied listening ex-
perience. The individual components
are oriented so as to produce the aural
sensation that you would experience
facing the stage in a concert hall. The
system also automatically adjusts the
bass and treble settings to compensate
for changes in volume and vehicle
speed. 530us142
The interior and exterior rearview mir-
rors with automatic dimming feature
reduce glare from following traffic by
adapting the intensity of the reflected
images to correspond to levels of light
registered by the unit's sensors. The
mirrors revert to their undimmed setting
as soon as the light source disappears.
A forward facing sensor is mounted on
the front of the interior mirror housing
and is designed to monitor light levels
in the area forward of the vehicle.
A second sensor is integrated within
the mirror's glass. The electronic con-
trol system operates by comparing the
respective levels of luminous intensity
in front of and behind the vehicle. 390de113
The difference provides the basic pa-
rameter used to modulate an electrical
current and induce chemical changes in
a semisolid layer incorporated in the
lenses.
The semisolid reacts chemically to this
electrical current, thus providing dim-
ming of the mirrors through an infi-
nitely-variable range (electrochromic
technology).
As a result, it is no longer necessary to
dim the interior mirror manually, and the
driver can concentrate completely on
traffic conditions.
180n
Rain sensor
*
Integrated rear suspension
The rain sensor controls windshield
wiper operation, depending on how wet
the windshield is.
Infrared light is carried along the sur-
face of the windshield in an optical con-
ductor in such a manner that it is re-
flected completely when the windshield
is dry. The quantity of reflected light is
measured.
If the window is covered with beads of
water, the amount of light that is re-
flected is decreased since the infrared
light at the surface of the windshield
can then escape. The quantity of re-
flected light is thus a means of gauging
the degree of wetness on the wind-
shield. 390de133
When the system is set to the "Intermit-
tent" wiper speed, the wipers react im-
mediately Ñ if water is splashed onto
the windshield by vehicles traveling
ahead of you, for example. As a result,
the rain sensor provides a contribution
to driving safety and comfort.
This axle is based on the same multi-
link principle as that in series-7 vehi-
cles. The axle's kinematics and elastic
kinematics are critical for wheel control
Ñ a significant prerequisite for achieving
the objective of exceptional onroad
handling characteristics with this vehi-
cle concept.
In order to reduce unsprung mass, the
wheel carriers and the swing arm are
made of aluminum.
For an outstanding quality in acoustics
and vehicle oscillation characteristics,
the differential is isolated with double
elasticity through a chassis sub-frame
toward the vehicle body.
530us131
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
181n
Level control system
Xenon lamps
*
The level control system for the rear
axle maintains constant ground clear-
ance of your vehicle, even when carry-
ing a load.
For this purpose, the vehicle is
equipped with air springs instead of
steel springs at the rear axle. With the
help of two sensors, an electronic
control unit calculates the height of the
body at all times and, if it is required, it
allows air which is generated in a com-
pressor to flow into the air springs.
As a result of the pressure increase in
the air springs, the level control system
ensures not only constant ride height,
but also ride comfort which is indepen-
dent of the load the vehicle is carrying. 530us132
Xenon lamps illuminate the side and
front areas of the vehicle with signifi-
cantly more brightness and uniformity
than traditional halogen lamps.
In a xenon lamp, an electric arc re-
places the filament in order to generate
intense illumination. A gas mixture in a
quartz glass tube with metal vapor is
ignited by a high electric voltage. The
arc that is generated is then sustained
by a lower voltage. When the lamp is
turned on there is a brief period of high
intensity. Maximum brightness is
attained in approx.15 seconds. 390de134
Xenon lamps provide significantly-im-
proved visibility, especially during ad-
verse weather conditions and driving
situations (driving at night in heavy rain
or through road repair areas where
there are no lane markers, for instance).
Vehicles with xenon lamps
are
equipped with automatic headlamp
range control. As a result, the highway
is always optimally lighted, regardless
of load conditions, and drivers in on-
coming traffic are not blinded.
Xenon lamps make a significant contri-
bution to highway safety since other
highway users, or bicyclists and motor-
cyclists in the right lane, and pedestri-
ans are more easily detected.