2003 BMW 760LI SEDAN Owners Manual

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183
Fuel specifications
The engine uses lead-free gasoline only.
Required fuel:
>Premium Unleaded Gasoline,
min. 91 AKI.
AKI = Anti-Knock Index.
Do not use leaded fuels. The use of
leaded fuels will cause permanent
damage to the system's oxygen sensor and
the catalytic converter.<

Wheels and tires
184
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
The factory-mounted tires have been spe-
cially selected to provide optimal perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle; if
properly cared for they will furnish a combi-
nation of tremendous safety and excellent
ride comfort.
It is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving comfort and Ð above all else Ð
driving safety that depend on the condition
of the tires and the maintenance of the spe-
cified tire pressure.
Incorrect inflation pressure is a frequent
cause of tire damage. Tire inflation pres-
sures also have a substantial effect on your
BMW's handling response.
Check tire inflation pressures regu-
larly Ð at least every two weeks and
before beginning a longer trip. If you fail to
observe this precaution you may be driving
on tires with incorrect tire pressures, a con-
dition that can not only compromise your
vehicle's stability, but also lead to tire
damage and the risk of an accident.
Remember to check the inflation pressure
in your spare tire. Inflate the spare to the
highest pressure specified for any tire on
the vehicle.<
The inflation pressures, provided on a label
affixed to the B-pillar, are visible when the
driver's door is open.
Checking inflation pressure
The table on the next page provides the
correct inflation pressures for cool tires,
ambient temperature, in psi/kilopascal.
Vehicles with Flat Tire Monitor or TPM Tire
Pressure Monitor:
After mounting a spare tire or correcting
the inflation pressure(s) always reinitialize
the system, refer to page 98 or 99.
Complying with tire approval
specifications
The inflation pressures in the table apply to
tire sizes and tires from BMW approved
manufacturers. Your BMW center is familiar
with these pressures. Different pressures
may be specified for tires from other
manufacturers.

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BMW 745i, 745Li
BMW 760Li
Tire size
Pressure specifications in
psi/kPa
245/55 R 17, including M+S
245/50 R 18, including M+S 32/220 35/240 35/240 42/290
Front: 245/45 R 19 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 275/40 R 19 - 35/240 - 42/290
Front: 245/40 R 20 32/220 - 35/240
Rear: 275/35 R 20 - 35/240 - 42/290
Tire size
Pressure specifications in
psi/kPa
245/50 R 18, including M+S 35/240 38/260 38/260 42/290
Front: 245/45 R 19 35/240 - 38/260 -
Rear: 275/40 R 19 - 38/260 - 42/290
Front: 245/40 R 20 35/240 - 38/260
Rear: 275/35 R 20 - 38/260 - 42/290

Wheels and tires
186
Tire condition
Tire tread Ð tire damage
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
The tread depth should not drop below
0.12 in (3 mm), although, for example,
European legislation only specifies a
minimum tread depth of 0.06 in (1.6 mm).
At tread depths below 0.12 in (3 mm) there
is an increased risk of high-speed hydro-
planing, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base,
see arrow, are distributed over the tire's
circumference and are marked on the tire
sidewall with TWI Ð Tread Wear Indicator.
These indicators signal at a tread depth of
0.06 in (1.6 mm) that the legal wear limit
has been reached.
Never attempt to continue driving on
a flat tire. Because a flat tire will
seriously impair your vehicle's handling
and braking response, attempts to drive on
a flat tire can lead to loss of control over the
vehicle.
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never overload
the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and damage inside the tires. The
ultimate result can assume the form of a
sudden air loss.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
normal vehicle operation can indicate tire
failure or some other vehicle defect. This
can, for example, be caused by driving over
curbs. These kinds of problems may also
be signaled by other changes in vehicle response, such as a strong tendency to pull
to the left or right. Should this occur,
respond by immediately reducing your
speed. Carefully proceed Ð or have your
vehicle towed Ð to the nearest BMW center
or tire dealer to have the wheels or tires
inspected.
Tire damage, extending to sudden and
complete loss of pressure in extreme
cases, can pose a potentially lethal safety
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and
other road users alike.<
Run-flat tires*
Run-flat tires consist of self-contained tires
and special rims. The tire reinforcement
ensures that the tire retains some residual
safety in the event of pressure drop and
driving remains possible to a restricted
degree, refer to page 200.
The vehicle is equipped with a Flat Tire
Monitor or TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
which indicates flat tires.
Tire replacement
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufacturer.
BMW tests and approves specific wheel
and tire combinations.
DOT Quality Grades
Treadwear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.<
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would

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187
wear one and one-half Ð 1g Ð times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart signifi-
cantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and differ-
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.<
Temperature
The temperature grades are A Ð the
highest Ð, B, and C, representing the tire's
resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A repre-
sent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combina-
tion, can cause heat buildup and possible
tire failure.<
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
Do not use retreaded tires, since dri-
ving safety may be impaired. Possible
variations in the design and the age Ð which
could be substantial Ð of the carcasses can
lead to unusually rapid wear.<
Tire age
The tire's date of manufacture is indicated
on the sidewall:
DOT ... 3402 indicates that a tire was
manufactured in week 34 of the year 2002.
Regardless of mileage or wear, BMW
recommends that you replace all tires Ð
including the spare Ð after a maximum of
6 years, even though the tires may have a
theoretical service life of up to 10 years.
Wheel and tire
combinations
The right choice
Use only wheel and tire combinations
that BMW has approved for your par-
ticular vehicle. Variations in factors such as
manufacturing tolerances mean that even
wheels and tires with identical official size
ratings could actually have different dimen-
sions than the approved units Ð these diffe-
rences could lead to body contact, and
with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire
size, classifies them as road-safe and
approves them. Consult your BMW center
for more information. Observe any country-
specific regulations, e.g. on making a cor-
responding entry in the vehicle documents.

Wheels and tires
188 The correct combination of wheels
and tires is a vital factor in ensuring
reliable operation of various vehicle sys-
tems such as ABS and DSC.
It is therefore important to ensure that tires
from a single manufacturer with a single
tread configuration are always mounted on
all vehicle wheels; after a flat tire, always
remember to have the specified wheel and
tire combination remounted on the vehicle
as soon as possible.<
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as pos-
sible. Always protect tires against all con-
tact with oil, grease and fuels.
Special characteristics of
winter tires
Choosing the right tire
BMW recommends winter tires Ð M+S tires
for use in cold winter driving conditions.
Although all-season M+S tires provide
better winter traction than standard
summer tires with H, V, W and ZR speed
ratings, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance
as winter tires.
When mounting, always install winter tires
of a single tread configuration and from a
single manufacturer on all four wheels to
ensure safe tracking and secure steering
response.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed for
which the winter tires are rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to ser-
vice tires can lead to damage and acci-
dents.
Have this work performed by skilled pro-
fessionals only. The technicians at your
BMW center will be glad to assist you with
the required professional knowledge and
specialized equipment.<
Tire condition, tire pressure
Because winter tires display a noticeable
loss in their ability to cope with cold-wea-
ther driving conditions once the tread
wears to below 0.16 in (4 mm), to ensure
continued safety you should always have
such tires replaced.
Always maintain the specified inflation
pressures in all tires, and remember to
have the wheel and tire assemblies bal-
anced every time either a wheel or a tire is
replaced.
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain snow chains, clas-
sifies them as road-safe and approves
them. Consult your BMW center for more
information. BMW recommends only using
these approved, narrow-link snow chains.
These snow chains are approved exclusi-
vely for use in pairs on the rear wheels, and
should only be mounted on tires with the
dimensions 245/50 R 18. Observe the
manufacturer's instructions when installing
snow chains. Do not exceed a vehicle
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) with the chains
mounted.

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Under the hood
Hood
Releasing
Pull the lever located under the left side of
the instrument panel.
Never attempt to perform any service
or repair operations on your vehicle
without the required, professional technical
training. When you are unfamiliar with the
service procedures and precautions,
always have any required work carried out
at your BMW center. Unprofessional
attempts at service and repair, and the
incorrect handling of parts and materials
that can occur during such attempts, con-
stitute a potential safety hazard, both for
the vehicle's occupants and for other road
users.<
Opening
Pull the release handle and open the hood.
Closing
Close the hood from a height of approx.
16 in (40 cm) with momentum. It must be
clearly heard to engage.
Observe the same precautions that
apply to all closing operations by
ensuring that the hood's travel range is
clear and unobstructed before allowing the
hood to fall into position.
If you see any signs that the hood is not
completely closed while driving your
vehicle, you should stop at once and close
it securely.<

Under the hood
190
Engine compartment
1Engine oil dipstick, see below,
Checking oil level
2Brake fluid reservoir, located beneath
the microfilter cover192
3Reservoir for windshield and headlamp
washer system73
4Engine oil filler neck191
5Coolant expansion tank192
6Auxiliary terminal for jump starting203
Engine oil
Checking oil level
1.Park the vehicle on a level surface
2.Switch the engine off after it has
reached normal operating temperature
3.After approx. 5 minutes, pull the dip-
stick out and wipe it off with a clean lint-
free cloth, paper towel, or similar mate-
rial
4.Carefully push the dipstick all the way
into the guide tube and pull it out again
5.The oil should extend to between the
two marks on the dipstick.
As is the case with fuel economy, the rate
at which the engine uses oil is strongly
influenced by driving style and operating
conditions.