2001 BMW 525i engine

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002 Vehicie identification and
VlN Decoder
Vehicle identification Number (VIN), decoding
Some of the information in this manual applies only to cars of a parlicuiar model year or range
of vears. For
examole. 1999 refers to the 1999 model vear but does not necessarilv malch the
caiendsr year in which the car was manufactured or sold. To be sure of the model year of a
particular car,
checic the Vehicle ldentification Number (VIN) on the car.
The VIN is a unique sequence of 17 characters assigned by BMW lo identify each individual
car. When decoded, the VIN tells the country and year of manufacture; make, model and serial
number: assembly
plant and some equipment specifications.
The BMW VIN is on a plate mounted on top of the dashboard, on the driver's side where the
number can be seen through the windshield, The 10th character is the model year code. The
letters
I. 0, Q and U are not used for model year designation. Examples: X for 1999, Y for 2000,
1 for 2001,2 for 2002, etc. The table below explains some of the codes in the VIN for 1997
through 2002 BMW
E39 5 Series BMWs covered by this manual.
Sample
VIN: ~~Iz~o~w~B~w~ 13 8 9 1 lposition 1 2 3 zi 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12-17
VIN
position Description Decoding information
1-3 Countrv of WBA B
I J 1 znan~+q ;BT BMW Molorsporl. Gmon, ~;nch Gerrn;!n,
Linc 525 (2UU1 - 2003) 528 (2000-2003. 530; 540 i
5
1
Manual belts with dual airbags Manual belts with advanced airbaos
Series
Body
type
i engine lype . ..
D 5251 (2001 - 2002), 528i (1997 - 2000) E MS. 530i, 540i (1997 - 1998) J 5251 Wagon
M 528i (1999 - 2000) N 5401 Sedan (1999 - 2003) 540i wagon (2001)
P 528i wagon (1999 - 2000) R 540i waaon 12002 - 20031
6,4 Aulomatic 5,3 Manual
Vehicle type 3.4.7 Passenger vehicle
Checlr digit
Model year Restraint
system
1 0 Manual belts
3 Manual belts wilh driver
& passenger airbags 4
Manual belts with advanced passenger B driver airbags
0 - 9 or X, calculated by NHTSA
V 1997 W 1RRR
Assembly plant A, F, K Munich, Germany
B, C, D, G Dingolfing. Germany E, J. P Reqensburq. Germany .
Serial number
Sequential produclion number lor specific vehicle

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01 0-1
010 General
General ........................... .01 0.2
How to Use this Manual ............ .01 0.2
Warnings. cautions and notes ........... .0l 0.3
Getting Started .................... .0i 0.5
Safety ............................. .O1 0.5
Lifting the car ........................ .O1 0.5
Raising car ......................... .O1 0.5
Working under car .................... .O1 0.6
Advice for the Beginner ............ .O1 0.7
Planning ahead ...................... .O1 0.7
Workshop practices ................... .O1 0.7
Non-reusable fasteners ................ .O1 0.7
Tightening fasteners .................. .O1 0.8
Gaskets and seals .................... .O1 0.9
Electrical testing .................... .O1 0.10
Wire repairs ........................ .O1 0.10
Buying Parts ..................... .01 0.11
Genuine BMW parts ................. .O1 0.11
Non-returnable parts ................. .O1 0.11
Information you need to know .......... .0l 0.12
Service ........................... 01 0-1 3
TOOIS ............................. 010-13
Basic tool requirements ............... 01 0-1 4
Jack stands ......................... 01 0-1 6
Oil change equipment ................. 01 0-1 6
Torque wrench ...................... 01 0-17
Digital multimeter .................... 010-17
BMW special tools ................... 01 0-1 8
Emergencies ...................... 01 0-1 8
Changing a tire ...................... 01 0-1 8
Jump starting ....................... 01 0-1 9
Indicator and warning lights ............ 01 0-1 9
Towing ............................ 010-20
Spare parts kit ...................... 010-21

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01 0-2
General
This section is intended to help the do-it-yourselfer get start-
ed. Tips on workshop practices, basic tools, and a quick refer-
ence guide to emergencies can be found here.
WARNING-
Do not use this manual unless you are familiar with basic
automotive repair procedures and safe workshop
practices.
0 This manual illustrates the worl quired for most service work; it is not a substitute for full
and up-to-date information from the vehicle manufac-
turer or for proper training as an automotive technician.
Note that it is not possible to anticipate all of the ways
or conditions under which vehicles may be serviced or
to provide cautions as to all of the possible hazards that
may result.
MOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
WARNING -
Your common sense and goodjudgement are crucial to safe
and successful service
work. Read procedures through be-
fore starting them. Think about whether the condition of your
cac your level of mechanical skill, or pour level of reading
comprehension might result in or contribute in some way to
an occurrence that might cause you injury, damage your car;
or result in an unsafe repair. If you have doubts for these or
other reasons about your ability to perform safe repair work
on your car; have the work done at an authorized
BMW deal-
er or other qualified shop.
The manual is divided into ten sections:
0 GENERAL, MAINTENANCE
0 I ENGINE
2 TRANSMISSION
3 SUSPENSION, STEERING AND BRAKES
4 BODY
5 BODY EQUIPMENT
6 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7 EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES
- ELE ELECTRICAL WIRING DIAGRAMS
OBD ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS

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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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.
General
WARNING-
Never run the engine in tile work area unless it is well-ven-
tilated. The exhaust should be vented to the outside. Car-
bon monoxide (CO) in exhaust kills.
Remove all neckties,
scarfs, loose clothing, or jewelry
when working near a running engine or power tools.
Tuck in shirts. Tie long hair and secure it under a cap.
Severe injury can result from these things being
caugiit
in rotating parts.
Remove rings, watches, and bracelets. Aside from the
dangers of moving parts, metallic jewelry conducts
electricity and may cause shorts, sparks, burns, or
damage to the electricalsystem when accidentally con-
tacting the battery or other electrical terminals.
Disconnect the battery negative
(-) cable whenever
working on or near the fuel system or anything that is
electrically powered. Accidental electrical contact may
damage the electrical system or cause a fire.
Fuelis highly flammable. When working around fuel, do
not
smoke or work near heaters or other fire hazards.
Keep an approved fire extinguisher handy.
The fuel system is designed to retain pressure even
when the ignition is off When worlcing with the
fuelsys-
tem, loosen the fuel lines slowly to allow the residual
pressure to dissipate gradually. Take precautions to
avoid spraying fuel.
. Illuminate the worlc area adequately and safely Use a
portable safety light for worlcing inside or under the car.
A fluorescent type
light is best because it gives off less
heat. If using a light with a normal incandescent bulb,
use rough service bulbs to avoid
breakage. The hot fil-
ament of an accidentally broken bulb can ignite spilled
fuel or oil.
Keep sparks, lighted matches, and any open flame
away from the top of the battery. Hydrogen gas
emitted
by the battery is highly flammable. Any nearby source
of ignition may cause the battery to explode.
Never lay
tools or parts in the engine compartment or
on top of the battery. They may
fallinto confinedspaces
and be difficult to retrieve, become caught in belts or
other rotating parts when the engine is started, or
cause electrical shorts and damage to the electrical
system.

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General
Much of the necessary maintenance and minor repairthat an
automobile will need can be done with ordinary tools. Below
you'll find important information on how to work safely, a dis-
cussion of what tools will be needed and how to use them.
Safety
Although an automobile presents many hazards, common
sense and good equipment can help ensure safety. Many ac-
cidents happen because of carelessness. Pay attention and
stick to the safety rules in this manual.
Lifting the car
4 The proper jacking points should be used to raise the car
safely and avoid damage. The
jack supplied with the car can
only be used at the four side points (arrows) just behind the
front wheels or just in front of the rear wheels.
WARNING-
. Never work under a lifted car unless it is solidly supported
on
jack stands that are intended for that purpose.
When raising the car using a floorjack or hydraulic lift,
carefully position the jack pad to prevent damaging the
car body.
* Watch the jack closely. Male sure it stays stable and
does not shift or tilt.
As the car is raised, it may roll
sliahtlv and the
jack mav shift.
Raising car
- Park car on flat, level surface.
- If changing a tire, loosen lug bolts before raising car. See
Changing
a tire.
Place jack into position.
Malte sure jack is resting on flat, sol-
id surface. Use a board or other support to provide a firm sur-
face for jack, it necessary.
- Raise car slowly while constantly checking position of jack
and car.
- Once car is raised, bloclc wheel that is opposite and farthest
from jack to prevent car from unexpectedly rolling.

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(General
WARNING-
Do not rely on the transmission or the parking brake to
keep the car from rolling. They are not
a substitute forpos-
itively bloclcing the opposite wheel.
Never
work undera car that is supported only by a jaclc.
Use jack stands designed to support the car. See
Tools.
Working under car
- Disconnect negative (-) cable from battery so that car cannot
be started. Let others know what you will be doing.
CAUTION-- Prior to disconnecting the battery, read the battery discon-
nection cautions given in
001 General Cautions and
Warnings.
- Raise car slowly as described above.
- Use at least two jack stands to support car. Use jack stands
designed for the purpose of supporting a car. See Tools.
WARNING-
* A jaclc is a temporary lifting device and should not be used
alone to support the car while you are under it.
Do not use wood, concrete
blocks, or bricks to support
a
ca,: Wood may split Blocks and bricks, while strong,
are not designed for that kind of load, and may break or
- Place jaclc stands on firm, solid surface. If necessary, use a
flat board or similar solid object to provide a firm footing.
- Lower car slowly until its weight is fully supported by jack
stands. Watch to
make sure that the jack stands do not tip or
lean as the car settles on them.
- Observe all jacking precautions again when raising car to re-
move jack stands.