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higher than in the rest of the interior. Close 
the vent as required.<
Adjustments 
Slide the center armrest into the desired 
position. 
Storage compartments 
Storage compartment on center 
console between the front seats 
Open by pressing the cover back. 
Other compartments 
There are other compartments in the doors 
as well as in the front and rear center con-
sole.
Storage nets are located on the backrests 
of the front seats. 
Clothes hooks 
When suspending clothing from the 
hooks ensure that it will not obstruct 
the driver's vision. Do not hang heavy 
objects on the hooks. If you do so, they 
could cause personal injury to occupants 
during braking or evasive maneuvers.<
Beverage holders
To open: 
Briefly press the button. 
Do not place containers made of 
glass in the beverage holders. This 
would lead to an increased risk of injury in 
the event of an accident.<
To close: 
Press the cover in the center and push in 
the beverage holder. 
Ashtray, front 
Opening 
Slide back the cover. 
Emptying 
Press the ashtray forwards: it rises and can 
be removed. 
On vehicles with the non-smoking pack-
age, the insert is removed in the same way.  

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Rear center armrest 
1Storage compartment: pull upwards 
2To open the beverage holder: press and 
open the cover 
With the center armrest folded down, you 
have a better view towards the rear. 
Fold down rear seat* 
1.Open the buckle of the middle safety 
belt in the rear and insert the belt 
tongue at the end of the belt in the 
mounting on the back shelf 
2.Push the corresponding head restraint 
down as far as it will go, refer to 
page 40 
3.To unlock, pull the corresponding lever 
in the luggage compartment 4.The unlocked rear seat back moves for-
ward slightly. Place your hand in the 
gap and fold downwards. 
When you fold back the backrest, 
make sure that the retainer engages 
properly. If it is not properly engaged, 
transported cargo could enter the vehicle 
during braking or evasive maneuvers and 
endanger the vehicle occupants.<
The lashing eyes in the luggage compart-
ment provide you with a means of attaching 
luggage nets
* or flexible straps for secur-
ing suitcases and luggage, refer to 
page 109. 
Ski bag*
Designed for safe, convenient transport 
of up to four pairs of standard skis or up to 
two snowboards. 
The ski bag itself plus the additional capac-
ity provided by the luggage compartment 
make it possible to transport skis with a 
length of up to 6.9 ft/2.10 m. When skis of 
6.9 ft/2.10 m in length are loaded, the ski 
bag will tend to contract, reducing its over-
all capacity.  

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Stowing cargo 
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as 
low as possible, placing it directly 
behind the bulkhead behind the rear 
seats 
>Cover sharp edges and corners 
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat 
is not occupied, secure each safety belt 
in the opposite buckle. 
Securing the load
>Use the luggage net* or securing straps 
to hold down small and lightweight lug-
gage and cargo 
>Heavy-duty cargo straps
* for securing 
larger and heavier objects are available 
at your BMW center. Lashing eyes 
mounted in the corners of the luggage 
compartment are used to secure this 
load securing equipment, refer to illus-
tration 
>Please observe the special instructions 
supplied with the heavy-duty cargo 
straps. 
Always position and secure the load 
correctly. If you do not, it can even 
endanger the passengers during braking or 
evasive maneuvers.
Never exceed either the approved gross vehicle weight or either of the approved 
axle loads, refer to page 200, as excessive 
loads can pose a safety hazard, and may 
also place you in violation of freeway safety 
laws. 
You should never transport heavy or hard 
objects unsecured in the passenger com-
partment, as they could fly around and 
even pose a safety hazard to the vehicle's 
occupants during abrupt braking or evasive 
maneuvers.<
Roof-mounted luggage 
rack* 
Anchorage points 
The anchorage points are located within 
the door openings. 
A special rack system is available as an 
option for your BMW. Please comply with 
the precautions included with the installa-
tion instructions. 
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's cen-
ter of gravity when loaded, they have a 
major effect on its handling and steering 
response. 
You should therefore always remember not 
to exceed the approved roof weight, the 
approved gross vehicle weight or the axle 
loads when loading the rack. 
You can find the specified weights in the 
Technical data section on page 200. 
Make sure that the load is not too heavy, 
and that it does not extend outward to 
beyond the limits of the loading surface. 
Always load the heaviest pieces first Ð at 
the bottom. Be sure that adequate clear-
ance is maintained for raising the glass  

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Operating temperatures 
The system is configured for operat-
ing temperatures of 57/Ð156 to 
1407/+606. Outside this temperature 
range, malfunctions can occur.<
Care instructions 
You can find everything you need to know 
on this topic by consulting the separate 
Caring for your vehicle brochure.
Switching on/off
Press button 1, refer to page 130.
Adjusting the volume
Adjusting the volume for audio 
sources 
The setting is made in dependence on a 
specific key.
Turn button 1 until the desired volume has 
been reached.
Tone control 
You can change the following tone settings 
in dependence on a specific key:
>Treble
>Bass
>Balance:
Right/left volume balance
>Fader:
Front/rear volume balance
>Speed volume:
Raises the volume with increasing 
speed
>LOGIC7 spatial sound
*:
Improvement in spatial acoustics in all 
frequency ranges
>Equalizer
*:
Setting individual frequency ranges to 
include spatial acoustics>Reset:
Resets the tone settings to their stan-
dard default settings.
Changing tone
Control Center, for principle details, refer to 
page 16:
1.Open the start menu by pressing the 
button
2.Open the   menu by pressing the con-
troller
3.Select "Entertainment settings" and 
press the controller
4.Select "Audio" and press the controller.
The tone settings can also be selected if 
you have opened "Entertainment":
Select "Set" and then "Audio" and press 
the controller each time. 

 151
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Batteries 
Never attempt to disassemble your 
BMW portable phone or its battery. 
Use only approved battery types Ð the 
wrong battery can destroy your portable 
phone.
To avoid possible short circuits, after 
removing a battery you should never allow 
it to come into contact with metallic sur-
faces of any kind.<
Disposing of used batteries
Return used batteries to a recycling 
collection point or to your BMW cen-
ter.<
Care instructions
You can find useful information on caring 
for your portable phone in the separate 
portable phone Owner's Manual and in the 
separate Caring for your vehicle brochure.
Controls 
You can operate the BMW portable phone* 
using:
>The steering wheel, refer to page 11 
>The Control Center, refer to page 152
>The voice control, refer to page 157.
You can use the car phone via the hands-
free unit for BMW Assist calls.
The Control Display indicates which tele-
phone you are using to establish a connec-
tion.
Telephoning with the 
car phone: BMW Assist calls
You can use the car phone via the hands-
free unit for BMW Assist calls.
The car phone must have been 
enabled prior to initial use. In this con-
nection, please contact your BMW cen-
ter.< 
Starting the BMW portable phone* 
Before starting off, place the BMW portable 
phone in the cradle. If you are making a call 
using the car phone, you can only use the 
BMW portable phone once you have termi-
nated this call. 
Inserting the portable phone
1.Press button 1 
2.If necessary, remove the protective cap 
from the antenna connector on the rear 
of the portable phone
3.Insert the portable phone with the 
antenna fully retracted
4.Press the cradle downwards.
Removing the portable phone
Press button 1. 
For information on operating your 
portable phone, please consult the 
separate Owner's Manual.<
Hands-free unit 
The hands-free microphones are located 
on the headlining.  

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525i/530i 
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa 
All pressure specifications in 
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires. 
Cold = ambient temperature
225/50 R 17 94 V M+S 
225/50 R 17 94 W 
245/40 R 18 93 W 
225/55 R 16 95 Q,T,H M+S 
225/50 R 17 94 Q,T,H M+S 
Only 525i: 
225/55 R 16 95 V M+S 
225/55 R 16 95 V 29/200 35/240 36/250 44/300
245/45 R 17 95 W 
245/45 R 17 95 V M+S 29/200 32/220 33/230 41/280
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 W 29/200 - 36/250 -
Rear: 275/35 R 18 95 W - 32/220 - 41/280
Front: 245/35 R 19 89 Y 29/200 - 33/230 -
Rear: 275/30 R 19 92 Y - 32/220 - 41/280
Compact wheel:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
More details on the permitted load and weights can be found on page  200. 

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Maintenance 
The BMW Maintenance 
System 
The BMW Maintenance System is 
designed to ensure that your vehicle will 
continue to furnish consistent reliability 
combined with optimal safety. The service 
schedule also includes operations related 
to the vehicle's comfort and convenience 
features, such as replacement of the filters 
for the inside air. The ultimate objective is 
to ensure economical maintenance by pro-
viding the ideal service for your vehicle. 
Should the day come when you decide to 
sell your BMW, you will find that a complete 
dealer service history is an asset of inesti-
mable value. 
CBS Condition Based Service 
CBS is a more advanced version of the Ser-
vice Interval Display. Sensors combine with 
highly-specialized algorithms to supply 
service information that reflects your vehi-
cle's actual operating conditions more pre-
cisely than ever before. 
The system now provides individual dis-
plays of the times or distances remaining 
until the deadlines for specific service 
operations as well as legally prescribed 
inspections: 
>Engine oil 
>Brakes: separate for front and rear 
>Brake fluid 
>Spark plugs >Vehicle check 
>Depending on national regulations: 
legally prescribed inspections. 
CBS monitors both current and upcoming 
service requirements. Your vehicle stores 
this information continuously in the ignition 
key while the vehicle is being driven. You 
should therefore hand over to the BMW 
Service Advisor the key you last used to 
drive when you take your vehicle for ser-
vice. After accessing the data stored in the 
vehicle key, your BMW Service Advisor is 
able to suggest precisely the right array of 
service procedures for your own individual 
vehicle. 
By letting you define a service and mainte-
nance regimen that reflects your own indi-
vidual requirements, Condition Based Ser-
vice builds the basis for trouble-free 
driving. 
You can find more detailed information on 
the service requirement display on 
page 66. 
Make sure the date in the Control 
Center is always set correctly, refer to 
page 75, as otherwise the effectiveness of 
Condition Based Service CBS is not 
ensured.
and Service Guide Booklet for Cana-
dian models 
Please consult your Service and Warranty 
Information Booklet for US models and 
Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for 
Canadian models for additional information 
on service requirements.
Have service and repair operations 
performed at your BMW center.
Take the time to ensure that these service 
procedures are confirmed by entries in 
your vehicle's Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet for US models and War-
ranty and Service Guide Booklet for Cana- 

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Changing a wheel 
Safety measures in the event of a 
breakdown or wheel change: 
Park the vehicle as far away as possible 
from moving traffic and on firm ground. 
Switch on the hazard warning flashers. 
Lock the steering wheel in straight-ahead 
setting of the wheels. Apply the handbrake 
and engage first gear, reverse gear or 
selector lever to position P.
Have all vehicle occupants get out of the 
vehicle and ensure that they remain outside 
the immediate area in a safe place, such as 
behind a guardrail.
If a warning triangle or portable hazard 
warning lamp is required, set it up on the 
roadside at an appropriate distance from 
the rear of the vehicle.
Comply with all safety guidelines and regu-
lations.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm sur-
face which is not slippery.
The vehicle or the jack could slip to the side 
if you attempt to raise the vehicle on a soft 
or slippery surface such as snow, ice, tiles, 
etc. 
Position the jack on a firm support surface.
Do not use a wooden block or similar 
object as a support base for the jack, as 
this would prevent it from extending to its 
full support height and reduce its load-car-
rying capacity.
To avoid serious or fatal injury: never lie 
under the vehicle, and never start the 
engine while it is supported by the jack.<
What you will need 
To avoid rattling noises later on, note the 
positions of the tools before removing 
them, then return them to their initial posi-
tions after completing work.1Chock 
2Vehicle jack 
3Lug wrench 
are located in the tool space in the rim of 
the compact wheel. Raise the floor mat and 
the cover beneath it. Take out the required 
tool(s). After using the tools, return them to 
the storage space. 
Compact wheel* 
1.Unscrew the wing nut 1 
2.Remove the disk 2 to the side 
3.Take out the tool brackets 3 
4.Remove the compact wheel. 
Procedure 
1.Read carefully and comply with the 
safety precautions on left-hand column
2.To secure the vehicle against move-
ment: 
Place the wheel chock behind the front 
wheel on the side opposite the side 
being raised. If the vehicle is parked on 
a downward slope, place the chock in 
front of the wheel. If the wheel must be 
changed on a surface with a more 
severe slope, take additional precau-
tions to secure the vehicle from rolling