2005 BMW 325I SEDAN Control

Under the hood
184 3.The coolant level is correct if it is between
the maximum and minimum marks in the
filler neck, refer also to the diagram next to
the filler neck.
4.If the coolant is low, slowly add coolant up to
the specified level; do not overfill.
5.Turn the cap until there is an audible click.
6.Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.
Brake system
Malfunctions
Brake fluid
The warning lamps light up in red
even though the handbrake has been
released. A message appears on the
Control Display. Stop immediately.
The brake fluid in the reservoir has fallen to
below the minimum level. At the same time, a
considerably longer brake pedal travel may be
noticeable. Have the system checked without
delay.
Display of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
If you continue to drive the car, you may
have to apply more pressure to the brake
pedal and braking distances may be signifi-
cantly longer. Please adapt your driving style
accordingly.<
Brake pads
The warning lamps light up in red
even though the handbrake has been
released. A message appears on the
Control Display. The brake pads have
reached the safe limit for pad wear. Have brake
pads replaced immediately.
Display of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
For your own safety: use only brake pads
that BMW has approved for the corre-
sponding vehicle model. BMW is unable to
assess the suitability of brake pads it has not
approved and therefore cannot guarantee their
safety.<

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Maintenance
The BMW Maintenance
System
The BMW Maintenance System supports the
preservation of the traffic and operating safety
of your BMW. 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
objective is to optimize efforts with respect to
minimal vehicle maintenance costs.
If and when you come to sell your BMW, a com-
prehensive record of servicing will prove a sig-
nificant benefit.
CBS Condition Based Service
Sensors and special algorithms take the differ-
ent driving conditions of your BMW into
account. Condition Based Service uses this to
determine the current and future service
requirements. By letting you define a service
and maintenance regimen that reflects your
own individual requirements, the system builds
the basis for trouble-free driving.
On the Control Display, you can have the
remaining times or distances for selected main-
tenance tasks and any legally prescribed dates
displayed, refer to page69:
>Engine oil
>Brakes: separately for front and rear
>Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
>Brake fluid
>Spark plugs>Vehicle check
>Legally mandated inspections depending
on local regulations
Service data in the remote control
Your vehicle continuously stores service-
requirement information in the remote control
while you are driving. Your BMW Service Advi-
sor can read out this data from the remote con-
trol unit, and propose an optimized mainte-
nance approach. Whenever you take your car in
for servicing you should therefore hand your
BMW Service Advisor the remote control unit
that you last used.
Make sure that the date is always set cor-
rectly, refer to page72; otherwise the
effectiveness of Condition Based Service CBS
is not assured.<
Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models and Warranty
and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
Please consult your Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet for US models and Warranty
and Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models
for additional information on service require-
ments.
BMW recommends that you have service
and repair operations performed at your
BMW center.
Take the time to ensure that these service pro-
cedures are confirmed by entries in your vehi-
cle's Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models and Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models. These entries
verify that your vehicle has received the speci-
fied regular maintenance.<

Maintenance
186
OBD Socket
The Onboard Diagnostics OBD interface
socket is located on the left of the driver's side
under the instrument panel and under a cover.
The cover has the letters OBD on it.
The purpose of the OBD system is to ensure
proper operation of the emissions control sys-
tem for the vehicle's lifetime. The system mon-
itors emissions-related components and sys-
tems for deterioration and malfunction.
An illuminated lamp informs you of
the need for service, not of the need
to stop the vehicle. However, the sys-
tems should be checked by your
BMW center at the earliest possible opportu-
nity.
Display of this malfunction on Cana-
dian models.
Under certain conditions, the indica-
tor will blink or flash. This indicates a
rather severe level of engine misfire. When this
occurs, you should reduce speed and consult
the nearest BMW center as soon as possible.
Severe engine misfire over only a short period
of time can seriously damage emissions control
components, especially the catalytic converter.
When the gas cap is not properly tight-
ened, the OBD system can detect the
vapor leak and the indicator will light up. If the
gas cap is subsequently tightened, the indicator
should go out within a few days.<
Event data recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or more
sensing and diagnostic modules or a recording
device capable of recording or transmitting cer-tain vehicle data or information. In addition, if
you have a Subscription Service Agreement for
the BMW Assist system, certain vehicle infor-
mation may be transmitted or recorded in order
to provide such services.
Care
Important information on the care and mainte-
nance of your BMW is contained in the Caring
for your vehicle brochure.

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Replacing components
Onboard tool kit
The onboard tool kit is stored in a compartment
on the right-hand side of the luggage compart-
ment. Remove the cover.
Wiper blade replacement
1.Fold up the wiper arm.
2.Remove the cover. To do so, press the hook
on the bottom, see arrow.
Swing the
3.Fold the wiper blade upwards.
4.Remove the wiper blade in the direction of
the windshield, see arrow.In order to avoid damage, make sure that
the wiper arms are against the windshield
before you open the engine compartment.<
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. They should, therefore,
be handled carefully. BMW recommends hav-
ing your BMW center perform any work that you
do not feel competent to perform yourself or
that is not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean tissue, cloth or similar, or hold the bulb by
its base.<
You can obtain a selection of replacement bulbs
at your BMW center.
When working on electrical systems,
always begin by switching off the con-
sumer in question, as otherwise short-circuits
could result. To avoid possible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, observe
any instructions provided by the bulb manufac-
turer.<
For care and maintenance of the headlamps,
please follow the instructions in the separate
Caring for your vehicle brochure.
If the routine for changing a particular
bulb is not described here, please contact
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.<
Xenon lamps*
The service life of these bulbs is very long and
the probability of a failure is very low, provided
that they are not switched on and off an unusual
number of times. If a xenon lamp fails neverthe-
less, switch on the fog lamps and continue the

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3.Push the wire bracket to the side out of the
mounting, arrow1, and fold it down,
arrow2.
4.Remove the bulb.
5.Insert the new bulb.
6.Fold up the wire bracket and clamp it.
7.Connect the plug.
8.Reattach the cover.
Parking lamps, roadside parking lamps
5 watt bulb, W 5 W
1.Remove the cover for the high-beam head-
lamp.
2.Pull out the bulb holder, see arrow.
3.Remove and replace the bulb.
4.Insert the bulb holder.
5.Reattach the cover.
Turn signals, front
21 watt bulb, PY 21 W
or PY 21 W Silver Vision1.Turn bulb holder1 to the left and remove.
2.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
3.Insert bulb holder1.
4.Attach the flap to the wheel well.
Side-mounted turn signals
5 watt bulb, WY 5 W
or WY 5 W-ST (Silver Top)
1.Press back against the front edge of the
light with the tip of your finger, then pivot it
out.
2.Extract the bulb for replacement.
3.Insert the lamp.
Tail lamps
21 watt bulbs, P 21 W
The tail lamps are divided into two parts. One
part is in the luggage compartment lid, the other
is in the fender.

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according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel.
Light-emitting diodes LEDs
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
c e n t l e n s e s s e r v e a s t h e l i g h t s o u r c e f o r m a n y o f
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers or expose the
eyes directly to the unfiltered light source
for several hours at a time, as this could cause
irritation to the retina.<
Changing wheels
Your BMW is equipped with Run-Flat Tires as
standard. This removes the need to change a
wheel immediately in the event of a puncture.
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall, refer to
Run-Flat Tires, page178.
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires and vice versa,
mount Run-Flat Tires for your own safety. In the
event of a flat, moreover, no spare wheel is
available. Your BMW center will be glad to
advise you. Refer also to New wheels and tires,
page178.
The tools for changing wheels are avail-
able as optional accessories from your
BMW center.<
Jack mounting points
The jacking points are at the positions shown in
the illustration.
Vehicle battery
Battery care
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
mate. Your BMW center will be glad to advise in
all matters concerning the battery.
Charging battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine off. Connections, refer to Jump starting
on page194.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright
position for transport and storage. Always
secure the battery against tipping over during
transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require
reinitialization. Individual settings may likewise
have been lost and will have to be repro-
grammed:
>Time and date
These values must be updated, refer to
page71.

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Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency calling*
Conditions for an emergency call:
>Radio readiness is switched on.
>The car phone is logged on to a portable
telephone network.
>The emergency call system is operable.
Initiating an emergency call
1.To open the protective cover of the keypad:
touch the protective cover.
2.Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The
indicator lamp in the button lights up. As
soon as the voice connection to the BMW
Assist response center has been estab-
lished, the indicator lamp flashes.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehicle until
the connection has been established. You will
then be able to provide a detailed description of
the situation.
In vehicles with BMW Assist enabled, if the cur-
rent location of your vehicle can be determined,
it will be transmitted to the BMW Assist
response center.
To enable BMW Assist, refer to page160.
If the indicator lamp is flashing but the emer-
gency call center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The
emergency call center may still be able to hear
you, however.
Under certain conditions, an emergency call is
automatically initiated immediately after a severe accident. The automatic emergency call
is not affected by the button being pressed.
For technical reasons, the emergency call
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable
conditions.<
Roadside Assistance
The BMW Group's Roadside Assistance ser-
vice is there to assist you around the clock in
the event of a breakdown, including on week-
ends and public holidays.
The phone numbers of the Roadside Assis-
tance in your home country can be found in the
Contact brochure.
In vehicles equipped with BMW Assist or
TeleService, you can establish contact with the
BMW Group's Roadside Assistance for break-
down assistance directly via iDrive, refer to
page162.
First-aid kit*
The first-aid pouch is on the right-hand side of
the luggage compartment in a storage area.
Some of the articles contained in the first-
aid kit have a limited service life. There-
fore, check the expiration dates of the contents
regularly and replace any items in good time, if
necessary. You can find replacements in any
pharmacy.
Comply with the applicable legislation requiring

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nal of the battery or to the engine or body
ground of the vehicle to be started.
Starting the engine
1.Start the engine of the donor vehicle and
allow it to run for a few minutes at an
increased idle speed.
2.Start the engine on the other vehicle in the
usual way.
If the first start attempt is not successful,
wait a few minutes before another attempt
in order to allow the discharged battery to
recharge.
3.Let the engines run for a few minutes.
4.Disconnect the jumper cables by reversing
the above connecting sequence.
If necessary, have your BMW center check and
recharge the battery.
Never use spray fluids to start the
engine.<
Tow-starting, towing away
Always observe all applicable towing laws
and regulations.<
Never allow passengers to ride in a towed
vehicle for any reason.<
Using a tow fitting
The screw-in tow fitting must always be carried
on the car. It can be screwed in at the front or
rear of the BMW.
It is stored in the onboard tool kit underneath
the cover on the right-hand side of the luggage
compartment, refer to page187.
In order to avoid damaging the tow fitting and
the vehicle, please follow these instructions:
use only the tow fitting provided with the vehi-
cle and screw it all the way in. Use the tow fitting
for towing only on roads. Avoid lateral loading of
the tow fitting, e.g. do not lift the vehicle by the
tow fitting.
Access to screw thread
Rectangular cover panel in bumper:
Press on the upper edges of the cover panel.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page49, as the low beams, tail
lamps, turn signals and windshield wipers
would no longer be available. If the electrical
system fails, do not attempt to tow away or tow-
start the vehicle. The electric steering wheel
lock cannot be disengaged and the car is not
steerable. Jump starting, refer to page194.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers, depend-
ing on local regulations.
Vehicles with manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.