2006 BMW 325CI tires

Contents

Operation, maintenance

Special operating instructions:

Break-in procedures112
General driving notes113
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)115

Wheels and tires:

Tire inflation pressure116
Tire code118
Tire condition119
Run Flat tires*120
New wheels and tires121
Snow chains*122

In the engine compartment:

Hood123
Engine compartment
essentials124
Washer fluids126
Engine oil126
Coolant128
Brake fluid128

Maintenance:

BMW Maintenance System130

Laws and regulations:

California laws132
OBD interface socket132

Owner service procedures

Replacement procedures:

Onboard tool kit136
Windshield wiper blades136
Lamps and bulbs137
Changing a wheel141
Battery145
Fuses145

Giving and receiving
assistance:

Receiving assistance146
Jump-starting147
Towing and tow-starting the
vehicle149

Technical data

Engine data154
Dimensions155
Weights156
Capacities157

82
Under these special circumstances
traction is increased by deactivating the
control systems that enhance traction
under normal conditions.Deactivating the DSC and the
DTCPress the DSC button as long as you
need to until the indicator lamp and the
yellow brake warning lamp light up, but
no more than 10 seconds.
The systems for enhancing stability and
traction are deactivated, and there is no
active braking intervention or torque
control.
To maintain vehicle stability,
always drive with the DSC acti-
vated whenever possible. or the indicator lamps will go out. DTC
is deactivated.
The laws of physics cannot be
repealed even with DSC. It will
always be the driver's responsibility to
drive in a manner that matches road
conditions. This is why you should not
use the additional safety margin the
system provides as an excuse to take
risks.
Whenever the DTC is activated, the
DSC is switched off and DTC performs
minor stabilizing intervention.
Do not make any modifications to the
DSC system. Allow only authorized
technicians to perform service proce-
dures on the DSC.<
Flat Tire Monitor*The conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor
keeps track of pressure levels in all four
tires. The system alerts you whenever
the inflation pressure of a tire falls sig-
nificantly below the pressure of another
tire.
The system actually detects pressure
loss by monitoring differences in the
relative speeds of the four wheels. It
interprets variations outside specified
limits as severe pressure loss, and then
responds by generating a warning.Functional requirementsIn order for the Flat Tire Monitor to learn
the correct tire inflation pressure,
please do the following:
1. Check the tire inflation pressures in
all tires
2. Compare them with the tire inflation
pressure table, refer to page 116,
and correct them, if necessary
3. Initialize the system.
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)

83
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot pro-
vide you with advance warning of
sudden and severe tire damage caused
by external factors and does not detect
the balanced and very gradual pressure
loss that takes place in all four tires
over an extended period of time.<
On the other hand, the following situa-
tions can lead to a delayed detection of
pressure loss and even to the system
not functioning:
>Driving on snow-covered or slippery
roads
>Performance-oriented driving: slip at
the drive wheels, high levels of lateral
acceleration
>When driving with snow chains, false
warnings and undetected pressure
losses may occur
>When driving with a space-saver
spare tire, the Flat Tire Monitor can-
not function.
Initializing the system
Each time you correct the pres-
sure in a tire, or change a wheel or
tire, reinitialize the system immediately
afterwards. This requires a bit of driv-
ing.<
1. Before driving off, start the engine
but do not start driving
2. Press the button as long as you need
to, but no more than 10 seconds,
until the indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up in yellow for a
few seconds
3. Drive off.
It takes a few minutes before the Flat
Tire Monitor can detect a flat tire and
issue a warning.
When driving with snow chains or
a space-saver spare tire, do not
initialize the system.<
Flat tire
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up red. This
visual alert is accompanied by
an acoustic warning signal.
1. Carefully reduce speed and come to
a stop. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers
2. Determine which wheel is damaged
If this cannot be determined, con-
tact your BMW center.<
3. Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a wheel on page 141.
After replacing the damaged tire, initial-
ize the system.
Vehicles with Run Flat tires:
1. Carefully reduce your speed to under
50 mph / 80 km/h. Avoid sudden
braking and steering maneuvers. Do
not exceed a speed of 50 mph /
80 km/h
Flat Tire Monitor*
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

84
Because the sides of Run Flat
tires are reinforced, a drop in infla-
tion pressure usually cannot be
detected from the outside, refer to Run
Flat tires, page 120.<
2. To continue driving, follow the
instructions under Driving with a
damaged tire on page 120.
System malfunction
The indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up yellow.
The Flat Tire Monitor is malfunc-
tioning or out of order. Please refer the
problem to your BMW center.
Brake force displayBrake force display indicates to the
road users behind you how hard you
are braking.
>Normal braking: the brake lamps
among the rear lamps and the center
brake lamp light up
>Hard braking or braking with ABS: in
addition, the illuminated rear lamp
surface is extended, refer to the pic-
ture.
Flat Tire Monitor*

106
Cargo loading
Avoid overloading the vehicle so
that the permitted load on the tires
is not exceeded. Overloading can lead
to overheating and internal tire damage.
The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.<
Determining the maximum load1. Locate the following statement on
your vehicle‘s placard*:
The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or YYY lbs., as this
could otherwise result in damage to the
vehicle or unstable driving conditions.<
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 kilograms or YYY pounds
4. The resulting figure equals the avail-
able 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 vehi-
cle, 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
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
fered 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.

112Special operating instructions
Break-in proceduresTo ensure that your vehicle provides
maximum economy throughout a long
service life, we request that you comply
with the following information.Engine and differentialThe first 1,250 miles/2,000 km:
Drive at varying engine and road
speeds, but do not exceed an engine
speed of 4,500 rpm or a road speed of
100 mph / 160 km/h.
Always obey all official speed limits.
Do not use full throttle, and avoid
pressing the accelerator beyond the
kickdown point during these initial
miles.
You can then proceed to increase
engine or vehicle speeds once the ini-
tial 1,250 miles/2,000 km have elapsed.TiresDue to technical factors associated
with their manufacture, tires do not
achieve their full traction potential until
after an initial break-in period. We thus
ask you to drive with extra care during
the first 200 miles/300 km.
Always obey all official speed limits.When the vehicle is operated on
wet or slushy roads, a wedge of
water may form between the tire and
the road surface. This phenomenon is
referred to as hydroplaning and can
lead to partial or complete loss of trac-
tion, vehicle control and braking effec-
tiveness. Reduce your speed on wet
roads.<
Brake systemApprox. 300 miles/500 km must elapse
before the brake pads and rotors
achieve the optimal pad-surface and
wear patterns required for trouble-free
operation and an extended service life
later on.
To break in the separate parking brake
drums, apply the parking brake lightly
when coasting to a standstill – at a traf-
fic signal, for instance – provided that
traffic conditions allow you to do so.
To avoid corrosion, repeat this proce-
dure from time to time.ClutchApprox. 300 miles/500 km must elapse
before the clutch starts to operate at
optimum efficiency. Remember to
engage the clutch carefully during this
initial period.
After replacing partsFollow the same break-in procedures if
any of the components mentioned
above have to be replaced in the future.

113
General driving notesHot exhaust system
High temperatures occur with
every vehicle equipped with a cat-
alytic converter. Heat shields are
installed adjacent to some sections of
the exhaust system. Never remove
these shields; do not apply undercoat-
ing to their surfaces. When driving,
standing at idle and parking the vehicle,
take care to avoid contact between the
hot exhaust system and flammable
materials, e.g. hay, leaves, grass, etc.
Such contact could lead to a fire,
resulting in serious personal injury and
property damage.<
Parking the vehicleCondensation forms in the air condi-
tioner system during operation, which
then exits under the vehicle. Traces of
condensed water on the ground under-
neath the vehicle are thus normal.Before driving through a car washFold in the exterior mirrors manually
because they could otherwise be dam-
aged due to the width of the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy
roads, reduce your speed. If you
do not, a wedge of water may form
between tire and road surface. This
phenomenon is referred to as hydro-
planing, and can lead to partial or com-
plete loss of traction, vehicle control
and braking effectiveness.<
The risk of hydroplaning increases as
the tread depth of the tires decreases,
refer also to Tire tread on page 120.
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. Other-
wise, the vehicle's engine, the electrical
systems and the transmission may be
damaged.<
Braking safelyYour BMW is equipped with ABS as a
standard feature. If you are in a situa-
tion which requires full braking, it is
best to brake using maximum brake
pressure: panic stop. Since the vehicle
maintains steering responsiveness, you
can avoid possible obstacles with a
minimum of steering effort, despite the
full brake application.
Pulsation at the brake pedal, combined
with sounds from the hydraulic circuits,
indicates 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 pres-
sure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake
failure.<
Wet roads:
if the roads are wet or if there is heavy
rain, it is advisable to gently press the
brakes for a brief moment every few
miles/kilometers. Monitor traffic condi-
tions to ensure that this maneuver does
not endanger other road users. The
heat generated in this process helps
dry the pads and rotors. Immediate
braking force is then available if neces-
sary.
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

116Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressureInformation for your safetyIt is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving safety and driving comfort
that greatly depend on the condition of
the tires and the maintenance of the
specified tire inflation pressure.
Check tire inflation pressures on a
regular basis and correct them, if
necessary, including the compact
wheel: at least twice a month and
before beginning a longer trip. If this is
not done, incorrect tire pressures can
cause driving instability and tire dam-
age, ultimately resulting in accidents.
Do not drive with a pressureless, i.e.
flat, tire, unless your vehicle is
equipped with Run Flat tires. A flat tire
greatly impairs steering and braking
response, and can lead to complete
loss of control over the vehicle. of cold tires. This means after driving a
maximum of 1.25 miles/2 km or after
the vehicle has been parked for at least
2 hours. Warm tires have higher infla-
tion pressures.
After correcting the tire inflation pres-
sure, reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,
refer to page 82.
Inflation pressures for original
tiresTire pressures for the standard tires of
your vehicle are shown on the driver's
door post, visible when the door is
open.
The inflation pressures apply to BMW-
approved tire sizes and recommended
tire brands. Your BMW center will be
glad to supply this information.Inflation pressures for other tire
sizesThe following tire pressure table shows
all tire pressures for the given tire sizes
at ambient temperature.