
174nCaring for your car
Window care
You can use window and glass cleaner
to clean inside window surfaces and
mirrors without smearing and streaking.
Never use polishing pastes or abrasive
(quartz) cleansers on mirror lenses.
When caring for break-resistant
security glass
*, observe the fol-
lowing instructions:
The inner surface of the side windows
is coated with a plastic film. For this
reason, do not affix any decals or adhe-
sive stickers on the inside of these win-
dows unless they are to be placed there
permanently.
Wash the glass with clean water. If nec-
essary, you may add a commercially-
available mild household cleaner. Do
not use abrasive cleaners.
If the windows are fogged or iced over,
treat them with an anti-misting cloth or
a deicer spray – do not use an ice
scraper. <
Clean the wiper blades with soapy wa-
ter. The wiper blades should be re-
placed twice a year, before and after
the cold season.
Use only wiper blades which have
been approved by BMW. <
Caring for other vehicle
components and materials
Light-alloy wheels should be treated
with alloy wheel cleaner, especially
during the winter months. However, do
not use aggressive products contain-
ing acids, strong alkalis or abrasives.
Do not use steam cleaners operating at
temperatures above 140 7 (60 6).
(Follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.)
If your vehicle has chrome parts
* such
as window moldings, door handles or
other items, clean these parts carefully
with ample clean water, especially if
they have an accumulation of road salt.
Use a chrome polish for an additional
treatment.
Plastic components, vinyl upholstery,
headliners, lamp lenses, the clear cover
of the instrument cluster and compo-
nents with a sprayed dull black surface
can be cleaned with water (add plastic
cleaner as required). Do not allow mois-
ture to soak through the seats or head-
liner. Never use solvents such as lac-
quer thinner, heavy-duty grease
remover, fuels, etc. Rubber components should be cleaned
with water only; a rubber treatment or
silicone spray may also be applied.
The safety belts should be cleaned with
a mild soap and water solution without
being removed from the vehicle. Never
attempt chemical or dry cleaning, as
damage to the belt fabric could result.
After cleaning, never allow the inertia
reel to retract the belts until they are
completely dry. Dirty safety belts pre-
vent the inertia reel mechanism from
retracting the strap properly, and thus
constitute a safety hazard.
Heavily soiled floor carpets and mats
*
can be cleaned with an interior cleaner.
The floor mats can be removed from
the vehicle for cleaning.
Please use only a damp cloth to clean
wooden fascia panels and components.
Follow up by drying with a soft cloth.
Use cleaning and car-care
products that you can obtain
at your BMW center. <

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
Overview
Controls and features Operation, care
and maintenance
Owner service procedures
Technical dataIndex
Advanced technology
205
n
Airbags 206
Adaptive Transmission Control (ATC) 207
Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC) 208
BMW active seat 210
Safety belt tensioner 210
DSP sound system 211
Mirrors with automatic dimmer 211
Rain sensor 212
Tire Pressure Control (RDC) 213
Integrated rear suspension 214
Level control system 214
Xenon lamps 215

206n
Deceleration sensors continuously
monitor the physical forces acting upon
the vehicle. If, as the result of a frontal
collision, vehicle deceleration is
reached at which the protection of the
safety belts alone is no longer ade-
quate, the gas generators of the driver-
side and passenger-side airbags are ig-
nited simultaneously. However, the
front airbag on the passenger-side is
only triggered if an additional sensor
has recognized that the passenger seat
is occupied.
Depending on which side the vehicle is
involved in a side collision, the head
protection and side airbags in the front
and rear
* are triggered if necessary.
390de319
The airbags located under the marked
covers inflate and unfold in a matter of
a few milliseconds. In this process they
tear through the rated breaking points
of the upholstered covers or press them
out.
Because the inflation process must be
virtually instantaneous, it is necessarily
accompanied by a certain amount of
ignition and inflation noise. The gas
which the system employs to inflate the
airbag is not dangerous. Smoke
appears as the gas dissipates.
The entire process is completed within
fractions of a second.
Airbags

210nBMW active seat*Safety belt tensioner
BMW seats are configured for your
orthopedic well-being. The active seat
is an engineering enhancement of
BMW's seats, designed to ensure less
fatigue during extended trips while
sitting with little movement. The seat is
no longer a passive element between
the road, the running gear and the pas-
senger. Instead, it creates minor and
imperceptible shifts in your weight by
an active change in the contour of the
seat surface. The basic seat position is
not changed as this occurs.
Fluid cushions are located below the
surface of the seat in the seat's
upholstery on the left and right.
380de676
The fluid is circulated slowly back and
forth between the two cushions by
means of a pump. This causes a move-
ment of the spinal column which is
nearly unnoticeable, resulting in an im-
proved flow of blood to the vertebral
discs and the muscles in the area of the
spinal column. Vehicle occupants can
experience less muscle cramping, back
pain in the spine's lumbar region and
fatigue. The active seat thus provides a
significant contribution to your driving
comfort and safety.
The safety belt tensioner responds to
severe frontal collisions by tightening
the belts to ensure that occupants
remain firmly positioned in their seats.
A gas-pressure system retracts the
buckle assembly to tension the shoul-
der and lap belts within fractions of a
second. This reduces the tendency to
slide under the lap belt.
390de330

Index
Data
Technology
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
Overview
Controls and features Operation, care
and maintenance
Technical data Index
Advanced technology
217
n
Owner service procedures
Engine specifications 218
Dimensions 219
Weights 221
Capacities 223
Electrical system 224
Drive belts 224
Data

224nElectrical system Drive belts
Battery
12 V, 90Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch FGR 7 DQP or
NGK BKR 6 EQUP
This spark ignition system meets all
requirements of the Canadian Interfer-
ence-Causing Equipment Regulations
(ICES-2). BMW 525i, 530i:
Water pump – Generator –
Power steering
Drive belt 6 PK x 1538
A/C compressor
Drive belt 5 PK x 863
BMW 540i:
Water pump – Generator –
Power steering
V-belt 7 K x 1635
A/C compressor
V-belt 5 K x 1004 You can obtain Original BMW
Parts and Accessories, as well as
professional advice from your BMW
center. <

Everything from A to Z
A
ABS (Antilock Brake
System)23, 143
Accessories6
Activated-charcoal
filter119
Active seat55, 210
Adaptive Transmission
Control (ATC)72, 207
Add
antifreeze168
t
brake fluid168
t
engine coolant168
t
engine oil165
t
washer fluids164
t
Adjust washer
nozzles164
t
Adjusting
backrest angle53
backrest, forward/
backward52
seats52
steering wheel56
temperature110, 116
thigh support55
Air conditioner108
Air distribution110, 116
Air outlets108, 114
Air pressure29
t
, 150
t
Air supply110, 117
Air vent108, 114Airbags23, 62, 176, 206
Alarm system47
Antennas149
Antifreeze167
t
radiator146
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)23, 143
Anti-theft alarm system47
Anti-theft protection39
Approved axle weight221
Approved gross vehicle
weight221
Approved roof load
capacity221
Aquaplaning141, 150
Arrival time97
ASC+T/DSC (Automatic
Stability Control plus
Traction/Dynamic Stability
Control)24, 102, 208
Ashtray126
ATC (Adaptive Transmission
Control)72, 207
Attach vacuum cleaner127
AUC (Automatic
recirculated-air
control)117
Automatic car washes171
Automatic climate
control114
remove condensation from
windows117Automatic cruise control81
Automatic curb monitor59
Automatic dimming
interior rearview mirror57
Automatic rear window
cleaning80
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC)117
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction/Dynamic
Stability Control (ASC+T/
DSC)24, 102, 208
Automatic transmission72
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic75
Average fuel
consumption89
Average speed89, 98
Avoid false alarms48
t
Axle loads221
B
Backrest, adjusting52, 55
Backup lamps71
bulb replacement186
t
Battery193
t
, 224
capacity224
charge condition194
t
charging194
discharged200
t
removing and
installing195
t
Belts61
Beverage holder125
Blower110, 117
BMW active seat55, 210
BMW comfort seat54
BMW sports seat55
BMW Universal
Transmitter121
Body-cavity protectant172
Brake faults146
t
Brake hydraulic
system22, 146
Brake lamps, bulb
replacement186
t
Brake system140
brake faults146
brake fluid168
brake lamps, bulb
replacement186
brake pads23
disc brakes144
parking brake23, 70
Brake-in procedure140
Break-resistant security
glass174
care174
t
Bulb replacement183
t
C
California Proposition
65 Warning177
Capacity223

Everything from A to Z
Door locks, care146
Doors
emergency release38
manual operation38
t
remote control40
unlocking and locking38
DOT Quality Grades151
Drive belts224
Driving in winter146
Driving notes141
Driving through water141
DSC (Dynamic Stability
Control)24, 102, 208
DSP sound system211
refer also to the Radio
Owner's Manual
Dynamic Brake Control
(DBC)23, 100, 145
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)24, 102, 208
E
Electric power seat52
Electric power windows49
Electrical defect
fuel filler door198
t
sliding/tilt sunroof198
t
tailgate199
Electrical heating, exterior
mirror57
Electrical steering wheel,
adjusting56Electrical system224
Electronic vehicle
immobilizer37
Elements of operation16
Emergency operation
doors38
t
fuel filler door198
t
luggage compartment lid/
tailgate43, 199
t
sliding/tilt sunroof198
t
Energy control84
Engine
compartment160
coolant167
Engine oil
consumption165
grades166
level23
pressure22
specifications166
t
Engine specifications218
Error indicators86
Estimated time of arrival97
Exterior finish172
Exterior mirror56
electrical heating57
Exterior mirror with
automatic dimming
feature211
F
Failure messages86
t
Failure of an electrical
accessory196
t
Failure warnings86
t
Filler cap cover28
Filling capacities223
Filling the washer
reservoir164
t
First-aid kit27
t
Fittings, tow-starting and
towing201
t
Flashlight124
Flat tire150, 190
t
Fog lamp, bulb
replacement185
t
Footbrake144
Footwell lamps107
bulb replacement189
t
Forward/backward
adjustment, seats52, 55
Front fog lamps106
Front seat adjustment52
Frost protection,
radiator167
Fuel29
gauge84
quality29
tank capacity223
Fuel consumption97
average97
indicator84Fuel filler door, release after
electrical fault198
t
Fuses196
t
, 197
G
Gasoline29
gauge84
quality29
Glove compartment124
bulb replacement189
t
Gross vehicle weight221
H
Handbrake23, 70
Hands-free system125
Hazard warning
flashers27
t
Hazard warning
triangle27
t
Head restraints53
Headlamp covers,
care171
t
, 183
t
Headlamp flasher78
Headlamp washer
system164
Heated seats119
Heated steering wheel120
Heating and
ventilation108, 114
Heating while stopped118
Heating, rapid113
Heavy loads136