2004 BMW 545I SEDAN ESP

Driving tips
107Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the
tread depth of the tires decreases, refer
also to Tire tread on page 173.
Water on the road
Do not drive through water on the
road if it is deeper than 1 ft/30 cm,
and then only at walking speed at the most.
Otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the electri-
cal systems and the transmission may be
damaged.<
Brakes
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as stan-
dard. The best way to achieve optimized
response from the ABS is to apply maxi-
mum pressure to the brake pedal during
emergency: panic stops. Since the vehicle
maintains steering responsiveness, you
can nevertheless avoid possible obstacles
with a minimum of steering effort.
Pulsation at the brake pedal combines with
sounds from the hydraulic circuits to indi-
cate to the driver that ABS is in its active
mode.
Do not drive with your foot resting on
the brake pedal. Even light but con-
sistent pedal pressure can lead to high
temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
Driving in wet conditions
While driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is a good idea to apply light
pressure to the brake pedal every few
miles. Monitor traffic conditions to ensure
that this maneuver does not endanger
other road users. The heat generated in this
process helps dry the pads and rotors to
ensure that full braking efficiency will then
be available when you need it.
Hills
You can retain full and unimpaired braking
efficiency by downshifting to a gear in
which only minimal brake applications are
needed when descending long or steep
downhill stretches. You can further enhance the engine's brak-
ing effect by selecting a lower gear in the
automatic transmission's manual mode,
downshifting as far as first gear on
extremely steep stretches, refer to
pages 50 and 55. This strategy helps you
avoid placing excessive loads on the brake
system.
Never drive with the clutch pressed or
allow the vehicle to coast with the
transmission in Neutral Ð or with the engine
switched off Ð there is no engine braking
when the transmission is in Neutral, and no
power-assist for brakes and steering when
the engine is not running.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
accelerator and brake pedals and obstruct
their movement.<
Corrosion on the brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasion-
ally, during extended periods when the
vehicle is not used at all, and in operating
conditions where brake applications are
less frequent, there is an increased ten-
dency for corrosion to form on rotors, while
contaminants accumulate on the brake
pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the
pads during brake applications to clean the
rotors is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors,
the brakes will tend to respond with a pul-
sating effect that even extended applica-
tion will fail to cure.
Brake pads
The brake pad wear warning lamp
lights up and a message appears on
the Check Control. Please note any
supplementary information that appears
there.
Warning lamp for Canadian models.
The brake pads have reached their mini-
mum pad thickness. Have them replaced at
your BMW center as soon as possible.

Things to remember when driving
108 For your own safety: use only brake
pads that BMW has approved for your
particular vehicle model. As BMW cannot
assess the suitability of other brake pads
for use on your vehicle, we are unable to
assume continued responsibility for the
vehicle's operating safety if non-approved
pads are installed.<
Mobile communication in the vehicle
BMW recommends using mobile communi-
cation devices, e.g. portable phones, in the
interior of the vehicle with a suitable exter-
nal antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle elec-
tronics and mobile communication device
can influence one another.
Loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond
their approved carrying capacity,
never overload the vehicle. Overloading
can lead to overheating and increases the
rate at which damage develops inside the
tires. The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on the
driver's door pillar
*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or YYY lbs, as otherwise
the vehicle may be damaged and unsta-
ble driving conditions may result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle 3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or YYY pounds
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity.
For example, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lbs.
passengers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs.:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight must not exceed
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
part of the load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult the
manual for transporting a trailer to
determine how this may reduce the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permitted load is the total of the weight
of occupants and cargo/luggage. The
greater the weight of occupants, the less
cargo/luggage can be transported.

Driving tips
109Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
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

Navigation
Driving tips
117Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Entertainment
Mobility
1.Select "Country" or the displayed coun-
try and press the controller.
A list of available countries appears in
the display
2.Select the country of destination and
press the controller.
Entering city of destination
or zip code
In order to be able to start the destination
guidance, at least the city of destination or
its zip code must be entered.
1.Select "City" or the displayed city and
press the controller
2.To enter the zip code:
Select digits individually and press the
controller.
The corresponding city of destination is
supplemented.
To enter the city of destination:
Select the first starting letters and press
the controller.
A list of all towns/cities starting with this
letter appears on the Control Display
3.If necessary, enter other letters.
The list gradually grows smaller each
time you enter a new letter.To enter blanks:
Select and press the controller.
To delete the last letter:
Select and press the controller
4.Select the city name from the list and
press the controller.
Entering street, house number and
intersection
1.Select "Street" or the displayed street
and press the controller
2.For instructions on entry, refer to Enter-
ing city of destination.
After the street you can also enter the inter-
section or the house number.
The procedure for entering intersections is
basically the same as that used for streets.
Entering house number, e.g. "194":
1.Select "House number" and press the
controller
2.To enter "194":
Select digits individually and press the
controller.
To delete the last letter or digit:
Select and press the controller
3.Select the house number shown on the
Control Display and press the control-
ler.
If all of the house numbers on a street
are not stored on the navigation CD/
DVD, a selection list with number
ranges is displayed. The option for
entering house numbers will not be
offered if no house numbers are stored
for the selected street on your naviga-
tion CD/DVD.

Destination entry
122 You can change the selected route as often
as you like, both when entering your desti-
nation and at any time while the system is
guiding you to it Ð the system revises its
travel recommendations accordingly.
Wordmatch principle
The system supports the wordmatch prin-
ciple to make it easier for you to enter the
names of streets or towns. The system runs
ongoing checks, comparing your destina-
tion entries with the data stored on the nav-
igation CD/DVD as the basis for instant
response. The user benefits include:
>Names of specific locations can also
vary from the official versions provided
that the spelling of the entry corre-
sponds to a standard form used in
another country
Example:
Instead of 'MŸnchen', you can also
enter the English spelling 'Munich' or
the Italian spelling 'Monaco'
>When you are entering the names of
towns and streets the system will com-
plete them automatically as soon as
enough letters are available to ensure
unambiguous identification
>The system only accepts name entries
beginning with letters that are stored on
the navigation CD/DVD. The system will
not accept nonexistent names and
addresses.

CD changer
144
CD changer
CD magazine
The BMW CD changer for six CDs is
installed in the glove compartment.
Removing the CD magazine
To load or remove CDs from the CD maga-
zine you must first remove it from the CD
changer:
1.Press button 2
2.The CD magazine 1 is ejected and can
be removed.
Loading/removing CDs from the
CD magazine
When loading or removing CDs, remember
to grasp them on the edge, taking care to
avoid touching the reflecting CD memory
surface.
Loading:
Insert the CD in a CD slot with the desired
number with the label side on top.
Removing CDs:
Pull out the desired drawer, refer to arrow,
and remove the corresponding CD.
Inserting the CD magazine
Ensure that the arrow symbol is pointing
upwards toward the CD changer and slide
the magazine all the way in.
The CD changer automatically reads in the
loaded CDs and is then ready for operation.
Listening to CDs
1.Insert the CD magazine
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
2.Open the start menu by pressing the
button
3.Move the controller backwards to open
"Entertainment"
4.Select "CD" and press the controller.
The CD magazine's load status is indi-
cated on the Control Display
*

157
Entertainment
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips Communications
Navigation
Mobility
Operation by voice control*
The concept
You can operate your phone without having
to remove your hands from the steering
wheel. The system operates on the basis of
voice commands that you will learn easily
after using them a few times. In addition,
you are also supported by instructions or
questions.
Symbols used
Voice commands
In ignition key position 2:
1.Briefly press the button on the steer-
ing wheel.
A sound signal indicates operating
readiness
2.Speak voice commands.To have the system list the voice com-
mands possible in each case:
Canceling operation via voice
control
Briefly press the button on the steering
wheel or
In dialogs where text of any kind can be
spoken, e.g. a name, canceling is only pos-
sible using the button. This is automati-
cally interrupted when an incoming call is
received.
Voice commands
In addition to the commands described in
this Owner's Manual, alternative com-
mands are often possible for the same
functions, e.g.:
Digits from zero to nine are understood.
You can say each digit individually or group
them into a sequence of three to five digits
to accelerate the input.
Dialing a phone number Ð an example
Start the dialog:
Briefly press the button on the steering
wheel.{...} Identifies voice commands.
{{...}} Identifies instructions generated
by the voice command system.
{Help}.
{Cancel}.
{Dial name} or {Name}.
Voice commandResponse
{Dial number}{{Please say the number}}
e.g. {201 12 34 56 7}{{201 12 34 56 7. Continue?}}
{Dial}{{Dialing number}}

TeleService, BMW Assist
164 If you have received a message with a tele-
phone number or an address, you can for-
ward this to your portable phone or naviga-
tion system.
New messages are announced via SMS.
For more detailed information, refer to
page 156.
Info Plus*
This information service supplies you with a
whole range of current, interesting informa-
tion on request.
You can have telephone numbers and
addresses transferred and directly dial the
telephone number or copy the address to
the destination guidance of the navigation
system.
This option provides you with a current
information service, e.g. in the following
areas:
>Information on businesses
e.g. florist, doctor
>Accommodations
e.g. hotels, motels
>Mobility
e.g. filling stations, airports, car rental,
BMW dealers
>Eating and drinking
e.g. restaurants, cafŽs, bars
>Current information
e.g. movies playing, events.
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open "Communication"
2.Select "BMW Assist" and press the
controller
3.Move the controller forwards to change
the field
4.Select "Where to go?" and press the
controller 5.If appropriate, select a message and
press the controller.
Display new message
Select "New data request" and press the
controller.
You will be connected with an employee of
the BMW Information Service. The desired
information and the corresponding address
can be requested by phone. These will be
shown on the Control Display and can be
copied to the portable phone or navigation
system, e.g. telephone number or address
of a hotel. Reservations can be made at
many hotels directly by the BMW Informa-
tion Service.
Adapting TeleService or
BMW Assist
Displaying and updating services
If one of the following conditions is met,
you should update the services of the
TeleService or BMW Assist:
>You have changed the scope of the
contractually agreed services
>The range of services of the offered ser-
vices has been extended.
To update the services:
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the menu
2.Select "Communication interface" and
press the controller
3.Select "BMW Service settings" and
press the controller