2004 BMW 525I SEDAN maintenance

525i
530i
545i

Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.
Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you with
enhanced control and security when you drive it. We there-
fore have this request:
Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and
familiarize yourself with the information that we have com-
piled for you before starting off in your new vehicle.
It contains important data and instructions intended to
assist you in gaining maximum use and satisfaction from
your BMW's unique range of technical features. The man-
ual also contains information on maintenance designed to
enhance operating safety and contribute to maintaining the
value of your BMW throughout an extended service life.
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent
part of this vehicle. It should stay with the vehicle when
sold to provide the next owner with important operating,
safety and maintenance information.
This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility

Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to
use the index, refer to page 202.

Using this Owner's Manual

4Notes
7Reporting safety defects

At a glance

10Cockpit
16Control Center
20Voice command system

Controls

26Opening and closing
36Adjustments
45Transporting children safely
49Driving
65Everything under control
76Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
87Lamps
90A congenial climate
96Practical interior accessories

Driving tips

106Things to remember when driving

Navigation

114Starting navigation system
116Destination entry
123Destination guidance
127What to do if É

Entertainment

130On/off, tone
134Radio
141CD Compact Disc
144CD changer

Communications

150Telephoning
161TeleService, BMW Assist



Mobility

168Refueling
170Wheels and tires
177Under the hood
181Maintenance
183Rules and regulations
184Replacing components
190Giving and receiving assistance

Reference

198Technical data
202Everything from A to Z

Notes

6

For your own safety

Fuels

Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including
10% ethanol or other oxygenates with up
to 2.8% oxygen by weight Ð that is,
15% MTBE or 3% methanol plus an equiv-
alent amount of co-solvent Ð will not void
the applicable warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship. Field
experience has indicated significant differ-
ences in fuel quality Ð volatility, composi-
tion, additives, etc. Ð among gasolines
offered for sale in the United States and
Canada. The use of poor-quality fuels may
result in driveability, starting and stalling
problems, especially under certain environ-
mental conditions such as high ambient
temperature and high altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems which you suspect could be related to
the fuel you are using, we recommend that
you respond by switching to a recognized
high-quality brand.
Failure to comply with these recommenda-
tions may result in unscheduled mainte-
nance.
Follow the relevant safety rules when you
are handling gasoline.

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Maintenance and repair

Advanced technology, e. g. the use of
modern materials and high-perform-
ance electronics, requires specially
adapted maintenance and repair methods.
Therefore, only have corresponding work
on your BMW carried out by a BMW center
or a workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel. If work is carried
out improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety
risks.

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Parts and accessories

For your own safety, use genuine
parts and accessories approved by
BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by BMW and Genuine BMW
Parts, you simultaneously acquire the
assurance that they have been thoroughly
tested by BMW to ensure optimum perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free from
defects in material and workmanship.
BMW will not accept any liability for dam-
age resulting from installation of parts and
accessories not approved by BMW.
BMW cannot test every product made by
other manufacturers to verify if it can be
used on a BMW safely and without risk to
either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-
pants.
Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on using
these items, are available from all BMW
centers.
Installation and operation of non-BMW
approved accessories such as alarms,
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels,
suspension components, brake dust
shields, telephones Ð including operation of
any portable phone from within the vehicle
without using an externally mounted
antenna Ð or transceiver equipment, for
instance, CBs, walkie-talkie, ham radio or
similar accessories, may cause extensive
damage to the vehicle, compromise its
safety, interfere with the vehicle's electrical
system or affect the validity of the BMW
Limited Warranty. Consult your BMW cen-
ter for additional information.

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Maintenance, replacement, or repair
of the emission control devices and
systems may be performed by any automo-
tive repair establishment or individual using
any certified automotive part.

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Control Center
16
Control Center
The Control Center groups the functions of
a large number of switches. This means
that these functions can be operated from
a central position. The following section
provides an introduction to the principle of
the menu guidance. How you control the
individual functions is described in the con-
text of the relevant equipment.
Controls
1Controller: you navigate through the
menus of the Control Center and make
adjustments by turning, pressing and
moving it to the left, right, forwards or
backwards
2Opening the start menu from any menu
item
3Control Display
When you turn the controller, you feel a
clicking. This helps you to select the
desired menu item.
To avoid posing an unnecessary haz-
ard due to inattention, both to your
own vehicle's occupants and to other road users: never attempt to use the controls or
make entries unless traffic and road condi-
tions allow.<
Menu overview
You can call up all the functions in the Con-
trol Center using five menu items.
Communication
>Portable phone*
>BMW Assist* or TeleService*.
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for display of
the average fuel consumption.
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD.
Climate
>Air distribution
>Seat air conditioning
*
>Independent ventilation
*.
Menu item
>Switching off the Control Display
>Traffic information
>Sound and display settings
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. Key
Memory
>Display of the maintenance requirement
and dates for statutory emission and
vehicle inspections.

Everything under control
66
Energy Control/Current fuel
consumption
Displays the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current
driving style is conducive to fuel economy
with minimum exhaust emissions.
Fuel gauge
After the reserve quantity has been
reached, a message appears for a short
time on the Control Display; the range is
shown in the computer. Below a range of
approx. 30 miles/50 km, the message
remains on the Control Display, and the
range is displayed.
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 18.5 gallons/
70 liters, of which approx. 2.1 gallons/
8 liters reserve. You can find information on
Refueling on page 168.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer
period, when you are driving in mountain-
ous areas, for example, the indicator may
fluctuate slightly.
Refuel well before the tank is empty,
as otherwise engine functions will not
be ensured and damage can occur if you
drive down to the last drop.<
Service requirement display
and display of legally
prescribed inspections
In the instrument cluster
The remaining distance to be driven, the
date for the next maintenance as well as
the date entered for the state emission or
vehicle inspection are displayed briefly as
of ignition key position 2, if the date is
imminent.
Your Service Advisor will determine
your vehicle's current service require-
ments by reading out the data stored in the
vehicle key.<
On the Control Display
You can view additional information on ser-
vice and maintenance procedures using
the Control Center.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Service" and press the control-
ler
3.Select "Service requirements" and
press the controller
4.Select "Status" and press the control-
ler.

Controls
67Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The display shows a list of selected service
and maintenance procedures, as well as
legally prescribed official inspections.
Symbols
The service deadline has already
passed.
The deadline for service or an official
inspection is approaching. Please
contact your BMW center for an appoint-
ment.
No service is currently required. If you
desire, certain maintenance opera-
tions can be carried out at the next service.
You can request more detailed information
on every entry.
Select the entry and press the controller.
To exit the menu:
Select and press the controller
Entering dates for state emission and
vehicle inspections
Make sure the date in the Control
Center is always set correctly, refer to
page 74, as otherwise the effectiveness of
Condition Based Service CBS is not
ensured. page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Service" and press the control-
ler
3.Select "Service requirements" and
press the controller
4."Select Status" and press the controller
5.Select "Emission inspect." or "State
inspection" and press the controller
6.Select "Set service date" and press the
controller. The month is highlighted
7.Turn the controller to make the adjust-
ment
8.Press the controller to accept the set-
ting. The year is highlighted
9.Turn the controller to make the adjust-
ment
10.Press the controller to apply the setting.
The date entry is stored.
To exit the menu:
Select and press the controller

Navigation
Entertainment
Driving tips
143Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Mobility
Malfunctions
The BMW CD player is a Class 1 laser
product. Do not operate the system if
the cover is damaged, otherwise severe
eye damage can result.
Always refer repair and maintenance oper-
ations to qualified technicians.
With self-recorded CDs, labels applied
later can become detached during play-
back due to the development of heat and
cause irreparable damage to the device.<
CDs with copy protection devices
cannot be played on your CD player
or only with certain restrictions. These CDs
differ from the CD Audio Standard Red
Book, on the basis of which all CD players
and changers are designed. In this case,
please contact the CD dealer or manufac-
turer.
You may experience playback problems,
such as skips, when using CDs that you
have copied at home.
If the display fails to detect a CD that you
have loaded in the drive, check to ensure
that the CD has been inserted correctly and
inspect it for signs of defects.
High levels of humidity inside the system
can condense on the laser's scan lens and
temporarily prevent it from reading the
CD.<

CD changer
146
Random play sequence
In this mode, the music tracks on the cur-
rent CD are played in a random sequence.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Select "Set" and press the controller to
display a list of additional menu items
2.Select "Random" and press the control-
ler.
To cancel the random mode:
>Press the controller, select "Random"
and press the controller
>Select another function using the Con-
trol Center.
Fast forward/reverse
Buttons in the center console:
1.Select the direction:
Press and hold the button. The tracks
can be heard, but the tone is distorted
2.To interrupt the fast forward/reverse
function, release the button.
The system will continue play at the
point on the CD at which the button was
released.
The track is displayed on the Control Dis-
play, refer to page 18.
Malfunctions
The BMW CD changer is a Class 1
laser product. Do not operate the sys-
tem if the cover is damaged, otherwise
severe eye damage can result.
Always refer repair and maintenance oper-
ations to qualified technicians.
With self-recorded CDs, labels applied
later can become detached during play-
back due to the development of heat and
cause irreparable damage to the device.<
CDs with copy protection devices
cannot be played on your CD changer
or only with certain restrictions. These CDs
differ from the CD Audio Standard Red
Book, on the basis of which all CD players
and changers are designed. In this case,
please contact the CD dealer or manufac-
turer.
You may experience playback problems,
such as skips, when using CDs that you
have copied at home.
If the display fails to detect a CD that you
have loaded in the magazine, check to
ensure that the CD has been inserted cor-
rectly and inspect it for signs of defects.
High levels of humidity inside the system
can condense on the laser's scan lens and
temporarily prevent it from reading the
CD.<