2004 BMW 745i brake pads

Things to remember when driving
122
Things to remember when driving
Break-in procedures
To ensure that your vehicle continues to
furnish optimized economy of operation
throughout an extended service life, we
request that you devote careful attention
to the following section.
Engine and differential
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km:
During this initial period you should attempt
to avoid constant, steady-state operation
and vary both vehicle and engine speeds
as often as possible. Until the break-in
period has been completed you should
also refrain from exceeding the following:
>4,500 rpm or 105 mph/170 km/h.
Always obey all official speed limits.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode during
these initial miles.
Once you have driven 1,200 miles/
2,000 km, the engine or vehicle speeds
can be gradually increased.
You should also comply with these break-in
procedures should the engine or differen-
tial need to be replaced at a later point.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with
their manufacture, tires do not achieve their
full traction potential until after an initial
break-in period.Therefore, drive reservedly
during the first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve opti-
mized contact and wear patterns between
brake pads and rotors.
General driving notes
High temperatures
Extreme temperatures occur at the
catalytic converter on this and every
catalyst-equipped vehicle. Do not remove
the heat shields installed adjacent to vari-
ous sections of the exhaust system, and
never apply undercoating to them.
When driving, standing at idle and while
parking take care to avoid possible contact
between the hot exhaust system and any
highly flammable materials such as hay,
leaves, grass, etc. Such contact could lead
to a fire, accompanied by the risk of serious
property damage as well as personal
injury.<
Parking the vehicle
Condensation forms in the air conditioner
system during operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed
water under the vehicle are thus normal.
Before driving into the car wash
1.Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to
page 51, as otherwise they could be
damaged due to the width of the vehicle
2.Leave the remote control in the ignition
lock, as otherwise the position P of the
automatic transmission will automati-
cally be selected when the remote con-
trol is removed, refer to pages 61
and 67.
With Comfort Access, be sure to
observe the instructions on page 61
3.Release the parking brake, especially
when you have activated Automatic
Hold, refer to pages 62 and 63.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a
wedge of water can form between tires and
road surface. This phenomenon is referred

Driving tips
123Reference
At a glance
Controls
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
to as hydroplaning, and is characterized
by a partial or complete loss of contact
between tires and road surface, ultimately
undermining your ability to steer and brake
the vehicle.<
Driving through water
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.<
Brake system
Braking with ABS
The best way to achieve the best response
from the ABS is to apply maximum pres-
sure to the brake pedal Ð panic stop. Since
the vehicle maintains steering responsive-
ness, 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. Otherwise, even light
but consistent pedal pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possi-
bly even brake failure.<
Disc brakes
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
braking 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
page 67. This strategy helps you avoid
placing excessive loads on the brake sys-
tem.
Never allow the vehicle to coast with
the transmission in Neutral Ð or with
the engine switched off Ð as there is no
engine braking when the transmission is in
Neutral, and no power-assist for brakes
and steering when the engine is not run-
ning.
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
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 minimal
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
If the brake pad wear warning lamp
appears in the Check Control,
accompanied by a text. Please take
careful note of the additional information on
the Control Display.

Things to remember when driving
124 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.
For your own safety: use only brake
pads that BMW has released 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.<
Cargo 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 your
vehicle's door pillar
*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX lbs. or YYY kg, as other-
wise the vehicle may be damaged and
unstable driving conditions may
result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passenger that will be riding
in your vehicle3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passenger from XXX lbs. or
YYY kg
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-
pound passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.:
1,400 Ibs. minus 750 Ibs. = 650 Ibs.
5.Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight should 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.

Reference 217
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
"AUTOSTOR" 163
"Autostore" for radio
mode 154
Average fuel
consumption 85
Average speed 85
"Avoid highway" 137
Avoiding unintentional
alarms 40
"Avoid route" 141
"Avoid sect." 140
"Avoid tolls" 137
"A-Z", telephone 179
B
Backrest adjustment 45, 46
Backrests, refer to
Seats 44
Backup lamps, replacing
bulbs 202
Balance 149
"Balance" for audio
mode 150
Bass 149
"Bass" for audio mode 150
Battery 205
Ð flat 207
Battery switch 205, 206
"BC", refer to Computer 86
Belts 49
Beverage holders 115
Blinds 112
"BMW Assist" 21, 182
BMW Assist 182
"BMW Services" 182
Brake Assistant, refer to
DBC Dynamic Brake
Control 93
Brake fluid 197
Brake force display 96
Brake hydraulic
systems 197
Brake lamps, replacing
bulbs 202
Brake pads 123
Brakes 123
Ð malfunctions 197
Breaking in the vehicle 122Break-in procedures 122
"Brief info" 22
"Brightness"
Ð for TV mode 164
Ð in the Control Center 89
Buttons on the steering
wheel 16
Ð automatic transmission
with Steptronic 66
C
California Proposition 65
Warning 199
Call
Ð ending 179
Calling 179
Ð from phone book 179
Ð from the redial list 180
Ð from the Top 8 list 180
Ð redialing 180
Can holder, refer to
Beverage holders 115
Capacities 215
"Car data" 18, 21
Care, refer to the Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Cargo, securing 125
Cargo area
Ð locking separately 37
Cargo loading 125
Caring for the vehicle finish,
refer to the Caring for
your vehicle brochure
Car phone 175, 178
Ð refer to separate Owner's
Manual
Car radio, refer to
Radio 148
Car wash 122
Ð refer to the Caring for your
vehicle brochure
CBC Cornering Brake
Control 91
CBS Condition Based
Service 198
"CD" 148, 158CD changer 160
Ð adjusting the tone 149
Ð controls 148
Ð fast forward 161
Ð random play 161
Ð reverse 161
Ð sampling 161
Ð Scan 161
Ð selecting CD 161
Ð selecting track 162
Ð skipping tracks 161
Ð switching on 160
Ð volume 149
CD player 158
Ð adjusting the tone 149
Ð controls 148
Ð fast forward 159
Ð random play 158
Ð reverse 159
Ð sampling 158
Ð Scan 158
Ð selecting tracks 158
Ð skipping tracks 158
Ð switching on 158
Ð volume 149
"Center" 107
Center armrest
Ð individual button
assignment 17
Center brake lamp, refer to
Brake lamps 202
Center console, refer to
Comfort features 14
Central locking system 33
Ð button 37
Ð Comfort Access 34
Ð keys 36
Ð remote control 33
"CHANGE" for
navigation 136
Changing a tire 203
Changing language 88
Changing settings on the
Control Display 88
Changing the display
format on the Control
Display 88
Changing units of measure
on the Control Display 88